《Stop, Friendly Fire!》 prologue "Now, lets clear things up." The woman put down the tobo pipe she had been gently biting down on, puffed out the smoke, and licked her lips. She was a beautiful woman with striking red, wavy hair, but more importantly was the fact that she was a god. "So, what you desire is... an immortal body and infinite growth potential?" "Yes!" "Nope, not possible. Go back." "Aw, dont be like that." The man, a 27-year-old man called Lee Shin Woo, sat opposite from the woman, separated by an antique desk. He was an ordinary office worker who liked fantasy novels and games. Well, at least until he died. And now that hed died, he was a hero that had been chosen by a god. Probably. "I heard that I still had a long life ahead of me, yet I died prematurely. Shouldnt I receive at least this much from a god since I died so unfairly?" "Jeez, the novels these days have really spoilt these kids backbone. Before, if I told them they were getting a second chance, they would go yippee or yell call." "Well, people change as the times go by." Though God wanted to hit Lee Shin Woo, who had nonchntly nodded his head and replied to her, she restrained herself. After all, it was none other than her who had gathered the souls of those who had died unfairly, because she needed their help. If he was from my world, then I wouldve just... She was certainly a god, but she wasnt the god of Earth. She was the god who reigned over Heguroa, which differed in culture, history, size, and every other aspect from Earth. Then why was she in a situation where she had to bring souls from another world? There was a truly sad, tear-jerking reason behind that. "Anyhow, those guys sure are cold-hearted. Their god is saying that shell get herself involved and clean up their mess, but theyre just avoiding it since they dont want to die." "There were a lot of heroes who epted my revtion, you know!? ...They all just died in Heita." Lee Shin Woo instinctively gulped and asked God. "... Is the ce that dangerous?" "Of course, it is." God couldnt hide her bitterness, and responded for a second time, putting the tobo pipe back into her mouth. If she didnt at least do that, she felt like she wouldve sighed in front of a human. This was a story that happened several decades ago. Heita, a great empire that thrived in the undergrounds of Heguroa, was met with tragedy. Their emperor, Jissehanu, dreamt of immortality and researched forbidden ck magic, but as a consequence of his recklessness... the entire underground empire received an undead curse. Whats worse, the curse would spread gradually, and if left unchecked, would devour the entire world. God, recognizing the severity of the situation, passed down a divine revtion to all humans and promised that she would grant a wish to the savior of the Empire. There were many heroic men who came forward. But all of them failed. The curse deeply rooted in the Empire was strong, and the heroes who headed underground in order to save the Empire couldnt ovee the curse, degenerating into the undead, and bing a part of the undead empire. Only after did God decide to exhibit her power more extensively. She scattered and nted her power across the Empire, encouraging the heroes, but it didnt help. The influence of the Empire, which sought to lead all life to undeath, gradually increased, and devoured half of the continent... And thats when God, unable to endure any further, decided that she had to stop the Empire, even if it meant dragging heroes from other worlds. Lee Shin Woo was also one of them. "Still, an immortal body is impossible. Ask for something else." "Then please give me something simr." "Listen, kid." God raised her tobo pipe and pointed at Lee Shin Woos shabby soul as she exined. "Tremendous power burdens the owner. An immortal body? Infinite growth potential? You wont be able to handle such power, and youll just explode and die. So, go on and offer more realistic, and fitting conditions." "But with a realistic and fitting power, Ill probably end up like my seniors, dying without being able to do anything." "..." At that moment, the humans words thrust deep into the gods heart. Right now, Lee Shin Woo was practically dering to the god that her struggles were meaningless. Why should I hear this from a mere hero candidate? Should I just kill him? God momentarily felt the impulse to do just that, but... changed her mind upon seeing the humans challenging expression. This kid would have to go through hell before he could even understand her a little. "Alright, Ill do as you ask." "Yeah!" "Of course, a perfect immortal body is impossible. You wont die ordinarily, but youll still die in deadly situations." "What about the infinite growth potential?" "Thats also up to you, but Ill make it so its theoretically possible." "Oh!" "In exchange." God flicked her tobo pipe, and ash flew through the air. "Youll lose something very important. Your normal, physical body cant ept that power." "What exactly is that important thing? Im not going to be impotent, or be bald, am I?" "This is the best I can do. Now... Lee Shin Woo. Are you going to do it, or not?" She didnt answer his question. He faced Gods spiteful, cold eyes, and he briefly felt conflicted, but.... he ultimately nodded his head and spoke. Even if he were to be impotent, or be bald, theres a time when a man needs to take the risk! "Alright, Ill do it!" "Fine, then our contract has been established." God put the pipe into her mouth again, and simultaneously, Lee Shin Woos body was enveloped in a bright light. Transmission magic that would transport his soul to the Heita Empire had been activated. "Youll be sent to the entrance of the Empire. Once you arrive there, I wont be able to help you directly, but Ill send you quests instead. You know what quests are, right?" "Yes." "Good, and when you arrive, remember to check your status first. Its really important that you know who you are." "Ok...?" It seemed as though God had grinned andughed wickedly when she put the tobo pipe into her mouth, but... he was soon shrouded by a bright light and was unable to see anything. In the next moment, the light disappeared, and Lee Shin Woos body was dumped onto the cold floor. The transfer was done in the blink of an eye. "Oof! She could have let me down a little more gently... hoo." Lee Shin Woo grumbled softly and stood up. He had been dumped into an enormous underground cave, as expected of an underground empire. There was a passageway on both of his sides, and it felt eerie as if mummies would pop out at any minute from all sides. At least there werent any enemies nearby. "I was ready for this, but... this feels really serious... its cold, too." He felt cold, perhaps because he didnt have any clothes on. He stroked his skin in order to soothe the cold, but he soon realized that something was off. "Huh?" His body was hard. The hand that had touched his body was also really hard. When he raised his hand to see what was going on, there were bones, rather than a human hand. "...Huh?" Shin Woo was so shocked that he went stiff for a while. He somehow got a hold of himself, and when he moved his hand, the bones naturally bobbed. The five fingersposed of bone truly began to dance rhythmically in the air. "Hahaha... no way. Haha, this guy." It was such an unrealistic sight that heughed automatically. For the first time, Lee Shin Woo bowed his head and observed his body, but his entire body was obviously all bone. "..." The moment he saw that his mind nked. What do I do? Is this by any chance Gods mistake? Did I perhaps receive the Empires curse as soon as I arrived, and became an undead? Then, he remembered what God had said before their sudden parting. "Thats it. Status... She told me to check my status as soon as I arrived." The moment Shin Woo said the word status, as though he had just grabbed onto a final strand of hope, a strange row of text was engraved in the air in front of him. It was simr to what he had often seen in the games when he was alive. Yeah, even the contents written within... [Lee Shin Woo] [Normal Skeleton Blessed by God] [Lv - 1] [Strength - 13, Agility - 13, Health - 13, Magic - 3] [Passive skills - Invisible Heart Lv1] [Active skills - Bone Reinforcement Lv1] "..." The wind passed by his smooth (bald) skull, and his empty (impotent) crotch. It only took around... 10 minutes before Lee Shin Woo figured out that this was neither Gods mistake, nor the Empires curse. Chapter 1 part1 After he had epted that he would have to deal with a skeleton body (bald and impotent) from now on (even he thought it was an incredible feat ofposure), Lee Shin Woo began to earnestly research his status. If you know the enemy and you know yourself, you need not fear the results of a hundred battles. It was a basic principle to know oneself before entering the battlefield. Though he stillcked the courage to actually seek out his enemies. [Lee Shin Woo] [Normal Skeleton Blessed by God] [Lv - 1] [Strength - 13 Agility - 13 Health - 13 Magic - 3] [Passive skills - Invisible Heart Lv1] [Active skills - Bone Reinforcement Lv1] I get that Im a skeleton, but what does this blessing thing mean? As expected, he was most concerned about his ss. No matter how he thought about it, this wasnt a blessing, it was a curse. What exactly is the blessing? When he carefully thought about it, a series of text appeared, just like when he had called out the status window. [You are a skeleton that was blessed and created by God. As such, you will not take any damage from holy magic, and will instead receive 1.5x the normal recovery rate.] [You are unaffected by curses, as you were blessed by God. Your body is immune to all curses.] "Thats unexpectedly amazing!" The ability was truly befitting of the word blessed! It felt like it wouldnt be out of ce to rece the term skeleton with the term angel instead. But she shouldve just made him an angel in the first ce then... He thought pointlessly, and went over the next item. In some ways, starting at level one is natural. And as for my physical abilities or my magic... I dont know the standard here, so it doesnt matter. He skipped past the level and stats and checked his skills, which were a reflection of his negotiations with God. He had one passive skill and one active skill, and Lee Shin Woo checked the passive skill first. [Invisible Heart Lv1 (Passive)] [Your heart cannot be seen, nor can it be grabbed. You are immune to mental status ailments, and you will revive even if your body is broken to pieces. Each revival will increase the skill level by 1. Each skill level will increase your stats by 3. However, you will bepletely destroyed if the skill reaches the max level (Lv100).] One of the secrets had been solved. He wondered why he was soposed despite being dumped into a situation like this, and it was all thanks to this skill! However, since it would help him survive in his current situation and wouldnt be detrimental, he epted the truth quite easily. So, a perfect immortal body is impossible? But with this... Did this mean he had 99 lives? Well, it didnt seem like he would die under ordinary circumstances. Moreover, whenever he died, he would gain additional stat bonuses. Isnt this an ability that forces him to ept that hed be a skeleton? Of course, he didnt know what would happen if his body was broken into several pieces all at once, or if it were possible to die several times at once. He had other questions like those, but since they were questions he couldnt solve right away, he decided that hed solve those problemster. Rather, it was actually better for it to remain unsolved forever. [Bone Reinforcement Lv1 (Active)] [Sacrifice a bone, or a piece of bone equipment in order to reinforce your bones or your bone equipment. You can absorb the special experiences and memories within the bone. The higher the level, the more effective the absorption.] Thest one was the skill that would theoretically allow Lee Shin Woo to grow indefinitely. But why didnt he feel inspired when he saw it? Theres no way to find out until I get a bone and try it out myself... While thinking that, a series of text suddenly appeared before his eyes. [A quest has been generated!] "Ah, a quest." This was honestly a nice time for a quest since he didnt know where to go. Perhaps the quest had waited for this moment. The contents of the quest were very suitable for him as well. [The Entrance of the Underground Empire] [The ce where you have arrived at is the Underground Empires exterior passageway, where the effects of the curse are almost non-existent. However, the Empires guards are always patrolling these areas. Whether you exterminate or evade the patrols is up to you, but proceed forward, and find the hideout that possesses Gods power.] [Quest Reward: Minimap.] "A minimap, huh..." He was curious as to what a minimap was like, and the passageway was a one-way road anyway. It wouldnt be bad to find the hideout, and he also didnt really have a reason to ignore the quest either. He was still hostile to the God who made him like this, but since he didnt want to lose out by going astray, Lee Shin Woo decided to follow the contents of the quest for now. But just as he was about to move his body to do so, an undead appeared from far inside the passageway. [Patrol...ling... Are there no... heroes anywhere...] Luckily, it was a skeleton that looked simr to Lee Shin Woo; however, unlike him, it carried a decent white bone spear, and since it was in an equipped state, it was much better off than him. It was surprising that a skeletonposed of all bones could speak and that he could understand what it was saying, but now wasnt the time to be surprised about that. [Skeleton Soldier - Lv1] When he saw its appearance, its ss and level appeared right before Lee Shin Woos eyes. But wait a second. Its only level 1 when it looks like it should at least be level 5? "How the hell is that level 1?" [Hm... Voice... unclear...] He had ended up talking aloud due to his shock that the skeleton was only level 1. The skeleton, which was several meters away, instantly turned its head towards him. It noticed him, even though it didnt even have eyes. [Skeleton... I havent seen before... A newbie?] "..." In that extremely short moment, Lee Shin Woo thought of countless things. The other side is level 1, and Im level 1 with high stats, so shouldnt I just fight it, he thought. On the other hand, the other side has a weapon. Wouldnt it be difficult for me, who doesnt know any martial arts, to beat it bare-handed? He soon came to a conclusion. "Yeah, Im a newbie! Nice to meet you!" [A newbie, huh... Nice to... meet you...] If the enemy misunderstood and considered him an ally, then there was no need to throw away that advantage! Lee Shin Woo greeted him as brightly, and as pleasantly as he could, and slowly approached it. The Skeleton Soldier also approached him, as if there were no enemies around. [Your bones... are really clean...] "Your bones are also... uh... sturdy." [Thanks...] The skeleton soldier seemed happy from thepliment, and with the hand that wasnt holding the spear, rubbed its head, while emitting a squeaky sound. When he saw that, Lee Shin Woos (nonexistent) eyes gleamed. This was his best chance! He quickly extended both of his bone arms and stole its spear. The skeleton panicked as its weapon was snatched in the blink of an eye. [What... are you doing...!] "It means Im a newbie hero!" Since he had never learned how to use a spear when he was alive, Lee Shin Woo just swung the spear like a club and attacked the skeleton. The moment it hit its bones, his own bones felt a considerable rebound force and he did his best to not let go of the spear. [You... traitor! Youre... with the goddess!] "Who the hell is with that old hag!" He would pay her backter for turning him into this. It just wasnt possible right now! Lee Shin Woo swung the spear, focusing all his rage towards God into it while clenching his teeth. However, the skeleton would scream whenever it was hit by the bone spear, and it surprisingly didnt back away, instead gradually getting closer. "Isnt this too hard for someone whos level 1?" [You traitor!] Lee Shin Woo was shocked that the skeleton had so quickly gotten in front of him, and swung the spear with all his might, attacking it. However, the skeleton easily evaded the obvious attack, threw its body at him, and bashed into him! "Ugh!" Once Lee Shin Woo was struck by his opponents decisive blow, he pitifully dropped the spear, and it fell to the floor. Even though he was just bones, no, perhaps because he was just bones, it hurt even more. To make matters worse, when he had somehow managed to stand up, he saw that the Skeleton Soldier had regained its spear and was pointing it at him. Though the skeleton was cracked in various ces due to his attacks, its spirit was no less than that of a Death Knight. [Executing... traitor...!] "W-Wait a second, Paul! Remember our good old days...!" [Executing!] The Skeleton Soldiers spear flew towards his skull, crushing it apart. It was a clean attack,pared to Lee Shin Woos unsightly attack. It was truly a perfect critical hit. [Executionplete. Returning to.... patrol...] The Skeleton Soldier confirmed that Lee Shin Woos skull had indeed been crushed, and it seemed as though it were sure of his death, as it nodded its head and turned around. However, in the next instant, the broken pieces of Lee Shin Woos shattered skull emitted a faint light, gathered into one piece, and was restored. [Invisible Heart has be level 2. All stats have risen by 3.] [98 levels remaining until the max level.] Lee Shin Woo regained consciousness in a split second and stood up without a sound. His empty eye sockets momentarily flickered with a faint me before disappearing. He carefully closed and opened his fist, and then attacked the defenseless and slowly moving skeleton from behind. [Youre...!?] "Urgh...!" If he learned anything from his defeat, it was that a skeletons greatest weakness was their head. Lee Shin Woo didnt even attempt to snatch away the spear this time. He rushed in real close, turned his hands into fists, and pounded on its skull like a madman. "Die! Die!" [Keuaaahk!?] The Skeleton Soldier screamed and swung its spear, but they were too close for his spear to be effective. Its spear floundered in the air a few more times, and it soon threw it away, responding with its own fists, but by then, it was already toote. Shin Woo didnt know how many times he had struck its head, but the cracks hed made thus far suddenly emitted a cracking sound and expanded, shattering the skull. [You have hunted a Lv1 Skeleton Soldier.] Even after the message appeared before his eyes, Lee Shin Woo remained on guard, but when he saw that the Skeleton Soldier was unable to maintain its body any longer, and start to break down, he barely released the tension within his body and dropped to the floor. Though an undead body didnt feel fatigue, his mind that barely remained inside waspletely groggy. "I shouldnt have underestimated him. He was confident that he had done everything he could to prepare. But there had been an unbridgeable gap in skill between him and the Skeleton Soldier. Its spear had crushed his skull in a single strike, and he had to strike him several times before he could do the same. That difference caused him to die once. ... I cant help that Ive already died once. I just have to not die again. Lee Shin Woo energized his spirit, which had been exhausted by the fierce battle. A mere Skeleton Soldier was nothing more than the lowest rank monster in the Empire. If he gave up here, he would be nothing. "Hoo." He somehow exerted strength into his bones and stood up. Then, he saw 3 spoils of war that remained where the skeleton had disappeared. One of the remaining items was the white bone spear he had used, another was a ck coin, and thest one was a bone that had remained without breaking down. Lee Shin Woo instinctively extended his hand and grabbed them. [You have acquired a Lv1 Bone Spear.] [You have acquired the Skeleton Soldiers Arm Bone.] [You have acquired 10 Perium.] Would there really be any need for money in an empire onlyprised of the undead, he thought. That was the first question that hade to mind, but then again, he had a leather pouch on him, even though he was just bones. Lee Shin Woo shrugged his shoulders and decided to put the coin into his pouch. Now, the only remaining things of importance were the two spoils of war. [Bone Spear] [Lv1] [Durability: 93/100] [Attack Power: 5 - 15] The bone spear remained sturdy, despite shing against bone several times during the battle. It had an important detail: there was a level on the item. No, there was more. [Would you like to sacrifice the bone spear in order to reinforce your bones? You can choose one of the following to reinforce: toe bone, leg bone, arm bone, a finger bone, upper jaw bone, and the lower jaw bone.] "No." It seemed as though it was possible for bone equipment to be sacrificed in order to reinforce the body, but he desperately needed a weapon right now, so he let it be. More importantly, there was still something left that could reinforce his bones. [Would you like to sacrifice the Skeleton Soldiers Arm Bone to reinforce your bones? You can reinforce your arm bone.] Lee Shin Woo scanned his surroundings before he nodded his head. The deste passageway was silent, without even the sound of ants crawling by. Well, he had already killed a patrolling guard, so it would take some time before another one came up to bat. After he confirmed his safety, he silently muttered. "Reinforce." Chapter 1 part2 The moment he used his Bone Reinforcement skill, the skeletons arm bone flickered with a weak me and oxidized in the air, followed by a stinging feeling in his left arm. [You have reinforced your arm bone. Strength has increased by 1. Absorbing a portion of the Skeleton Soldiers memories and experiences.] [That spear isnt meant to be swung like that. Look. Though it may look like this, this is the spear technique that was taught to me by the strongest general of the Empire, General Leofield.] And that was it. "..." Um, alright. He didnt have high expectations from the get-go. On the contrary, he should be happy that his strength permanently increased by 1. He didnt know how long it would continue to increase his stats by 1 whole point, but if he put in the effort, step by step, he should be able to at least confront a Skeleton Soldier and win easily. Lee Shin Woo did his very best to appease his disappointment, grabbed the spear on one side, and stood up. However, at that very moment, he felt as if something had changed. "Mm...?" Did the spear change? No, that wasnt it. He himself had changed. Like he had done thus far, he grabbed the spear without thinking, and at that very moment, he was suddenly ovee with the thought that this wasnt the proper way of wielding a spear. If he wielded it like this, the spear would only be as effective as a club. In order to use a spear like a spear, he would need to hold it properly. He followed his instincts and changed his grip on the spear. Somewhere in that posturey a simrity to the Skeleton Soldiers own. [Passive Skill, Beginner Spearmanship Lv1 has been learned.] "...!" At that moment, Lee Shin Woos (nonexistent) eyes widened. He had learned spearmanship from just absorbing the Skeleton Soldiers memories of handling a spear! If thats the case, if he were to obtain anothers bones who learned a different skill, wouldnt that mean that hed be able to learn that skill as well? His evaluation of the Bone Reinforcement skill drastically changed for the better. Good, I can ept this... If he had a normal human body, he wouldnt even be able to dream of reinforcing his body through bones. The resurrection through his Invisible Heart was, of course, the same. These two skills were so powerful that he had no choice but to ept that he was a skeleton. If he had, at first, been like even so, how could you turn me into a skeleton, you necromancer bitch!, then now he was like now that its be like this, Ill be the strongest skeleton!. Lee Shin Woo swung the spear a few times and nodded his head in satisfaction. My spearmanships still lousy, but I can at least stab decently now. He hadnt learned any martial arts before, but he could tell whether his motions were proper, or a mess. Since he had swung the spear in the desperate battle to his hearts content, he felt that the force behind his swing was iparable to before. [Over there... Newbie...?] "Yeah, newbie here! Good morning!" Of course, Lee Shin Woo wasnt confident that hed be able to overpower a Skeleton Soldier in a frontal assault, so he acted like a merry skeleton when a new patrolling guard appeared, and slowly walked towards it. The Skeleton Soldiers here seemed to really like newbies, as they all greeted him without any suspicions. He was quite thankful for that. "Nice to meet you, Paul!" [My names not Paul, but... its nice to meet you...!] The questester. For now, lets not leave this area, and grow in strength. He greeted the Skeleton Soldier, and the tip of his spear shed, falling diagonally. And thus, the Antlion of the external passageway was born. [T-Traitor...] "Its unfortunate that you couldnt remember your past life, Paul. We were the best of friends..." [Keuhak!] Lee Shin Woo stabbed the skull of the 138th Paul with his bone spear as hard as he could. The thickness and strength of his bone spear was iparable to normal bone spears, and that bone spear cleanly smashed the skull of the 138th Paul. It left behind a bone, a bone spear, as well as 10 Perium before disappearing, just like the other Pauls. "Oh, this time its a leg bone." It wasnt like all Skeleton Soldiers left behind arm bones. After experimenting over 100 times, Lee Shin Woo was able to conclude that they dropped an arm bone, a leg bone, or mixed bones (the description exined that it was a bone of unknown origin). Amongst these, the mixed bones was a dud that didnt increase stats, nor did it contain any skills, while the arm bone increased his proficiency in spearmanship and the leg bone... [You have reinforced your leg bone. You have acquired 5% proficiency in the skill, Beginner Sprint.] [No, I said nows not the time to be swinging a spear! Goodness, theres really an epidemicing, I tell you! Im getting out of here first! Different from you guys, faster than anyone! - A nameless soldier] [The Beginner Sprint skill has be Lv3. Your sprinting speed has be slightly faster.] "Nice." They had the effect of bestowing proficiency in the Skeleton Soldiers sole movement-type skill, Sprint. This skill allowed for a momentary, lightning-fast sprint, and was a skill that consumed arge amount of stamina, but to the undead which possessed the race characteristic of never tiring, it was a great skill hed be able to use again immediately after the skill dy. Anyway, my stats didnt increase again. Should I really get going now? Arm bones and legs bones, not mixed bones, would originally increase strength or agility by 1 each time he reinforced them, but at some point, the frequency of that growth had decreased, and now his stats wouldnt rise even after absorbing 10 bones in a row. Though he had wanted to move after raising both his strength and agility to 100... Lee Shin Woo clicked his nonexistent tongue and checked his status. [Lee Shin Woo] [Normal Skeleton Blessed by God] [Lv - 1] [Strength - 57 Agility - 46 Health - 34 Magic - 6] [Passive skills - Invisible Heart Lv2, Beginner Spearmanship Lv3] [Active skills - Bone Reinforcement Lv1, Beginner Sprint Lv3] Theyre higher. Theyre definitely higher, but... There were three things he wasnt satisfied with. First off, mixed bones werent effective in improving his stats, which resulted in his health stat being lower than his strength or agility. He also hadnt found a way to increase his magic stat, nor did he know how to use it. Lastly, he was still level 1, despite hunting down so many Skeleton Soldiers. At this point, I might not be able to increase my level through normal hunting. Certainly, the Skeleton Soldiers he had killed up until now had been much too strong, despite being level 1, and each Skeleton Soldier was different from thest. The fact that they were all level 1 was evidence that it wasnt easy leveling up in this world. "All the more reason to level up at least once before moving forward, but... I suppose it cant be helped. Lets move on to the next step." Since he had moved around the passageway while hunting, he knew the approximate location of the hideout. He had felt an obviously disparate energy leaking from a crack in the corner of the passageway. He was sure, since the skeletons unconsciously avoided it, as they could feel the divine power within. Ah, before that. He had a job to do before he got going. It was to upgrade his bone spear. [Would you like to sacrifice the Lv1 Bone Spear to reinforce the Lv1 Bone Spear (+9)?] "Hoo..." When Lee Shin Woo saw the message asking yes, or no, he took a short, deep breath. His hands trembled. He couldnt help but do so when he recalled the process of creating the Bone Spear (+9), as well as the several bone spears that went into making it. Thats right. Unlike normal reinforcement, bone equipment reinforcement had a failure rate. Of course, even if the reinforcement were to fail, the performance of the equipment wouldnt drop, nor would it be damaged, but whenever he saw the bone spears disappearing for nothing, his heart would ache. Not that he had one. "Ugh, reinforce...!" But what could he do about it? Even though he realized, in his heart, that itd be more profitable to reinforce his bones rather than the spear at this point, he still couldnt give up! Since this would be thest Skeleton Soldier hed kill in the passageway anyway, he would let the spear cleanly oxidize for thest time and burn his own lingering attachment as well! [The reinforcement has seeded. The Bone Spear has be Lv2.] ... was what he was thinking when the reinforcement seeded. Moreover, the Bone Spear had leveled up before him as a result! He might have to call it Lord Bone Spear, rather than Bone Spear now. "Ooooooh!" Lee Shin Woo was deeply moved, cried (he couldnt), and observed the reborn Lv2 Lord Bone Spear. The spear shaft had be around thirty centimeters longer than before, and the impressive de gleamed with a menacing light. [Bone Spear] [Lv2] [Durability: 500/500] [Attack Power: 25 - 45] "Oooooooh." The maximum attack power of the Lv 1 Bone Spear (+9) had been 30, but a single reinforcement had increased it by 1.5x all at once. Not to mention the increase in durability. As expected, his investment into his weapon had paid off. Lee Shin Woo rubbed his skull against the Lv2 Bone Spears sleek handle, emitting a squeaky sound, and was satisfied. Since he had earned the Lv2 Lord Bone Spear, he had nothing to fear anymore! [An unforeseen quest has urred!] At that very moment, a quest had urred. Lee Shin Woo quickly began to resent Lord Bone Spear. [Ambush of the Treasure Eater] [Among the undead inhabiting the underground empire is a race called the Treasure Eaters that like to eat objects with magical energy within them. Normally, there isnt anything that piques their interest in the external passageways, but the Lv2 item that you have created ended up stimting one of the Treasure Eaters senses. Its much stronger than a normal Skeleton Soldier to the point that its iparable, but if you defeat it, you may be able to gain the treasure it has eaten.] [Quest Reward: The Treasure Eaters treasure?] [Guoooooooooh!] The moment that quest notification appeared, he heard a shriek from far beyond the passageways. At the same time, he heard something copsing. There were also a few Skeleton Soldiers screams mixed in as well. [Kuaooooooh!] The sound wasing closer by the second. A human... no, a skeleton... had just adapted to the situation, yet a new trial appeared as if to interfere with that adaptation. Perhaps that Treasure Eater didnt appear naturally, and had been sent by God herself to torment him? All sorts of doubts momentarily rushed through his mind, but the most important thing right now was deciding his course of action. Lee Shin Woo double checked the location of the hideout and quickly moved. First, he nned to check the Treasure Eater with his own two (nonexistent) eyes, and fight if it seemed doable. [Treasure Eater - Lv2] [Kuwoooooh!] "Nope, I gotta run." But when he saw the bug that had broken through the passageway floor, Lee Shin Woo decided to run without hesitation. That things the same level as Lord Bone Spear! The moment he decided to flee, he activated his Sprint skill and ran towards the hideout. However, at that very moment, he got an announcement out of the blue. [Quest failed! However, the minimap has been added as a reward to the unforeseen quest.] "What...?" The warm light that leaked between the cracks in the passageway immediately disappeared. The implication was so clear that he wanted to cry. Hideouts could disappear!? Lee Shin Woo abruptly stopped and grit his teeth, and soon, the Treasure Eater had gotten close, greeting him by opening its mouth wide. [Kuhaaahk...!] "Hi, Steve...?" [Kuheeehk!] He did his best to greet it like a cheerful skeleton, but it seemed like it didnt like the name, Steve. Lee Shin Woo shrugged his shoulders and gripped Lord Bone Spear. It was another fight. Chapter 1 part3 [Kuweeeeehk!] The Treasure Eater charged at him with a shriek. Its jagged fence-like teeth within its open mouth radiated with a dull light. "Sprint!"[Kuhiaaaah!] If he was chewed up by that thing, he knew it wouldnt end with him dying only once or twice, so Lee Shin Woopletely abandoned any thought of a frontal assault. He activated his Sprint skill and ran away. Immediately after, the Treasure Eater brushed past his side and the following wind pressure felt as though a subway train had passed by him, and his bones itched. There was also the foul stench of rotting corpses. [Kueeeeeeh!] Perhaps it hadnt expected that hed dodge it so cleanly, and the Treasure Eater, that hadbored in vain, shrieked again and twisted its body around. It seemed like it would take quite a long time for it to make a U-turn, as its body was toorge whenpared to the width of the passageway. "Heup...!" This was his chance. Lee Shin Woo firmly gripped his spear with both hands and held it to his side. He subsequently pierced through the side of its body, as if he were shooting a cannon, and both of his hands creaked. He ced the full might of all of the stats he had stockpiled thus far into his Lv2 Bone Spear; the force behind the Bone Spear was truly tremendous! [Critical Hit!] His spearmanship had been firmly tempered through the sacrifice of countless Pauls, resulting in a strike both heavy and sharp. The spear entered and split open its side, magnificently bursting open both its skin, and the flesh within. It was then that Lee Shin Woo realized that the concept of critical hits existed in this world. [Ggueeeeh!] "W-Whoa!?" But he had only thought of attacking with all his might and hadnt considered his next move. The moment the pained Treasure Eater turned its entire body, Lee Shin Woo failed to pull out the spear and crashed into the wall. "Ah, ugh...!" He was afflicted by a pain that felt as though all his bones were being smashed. The pain was killing him, but he knew he would really die if he lost consciousness here, so he desperately maintained his consciousness. It helped here as well that he was undead. [Kwihehk!]"Tch, this damned thing...!" Lee Shin Woo was trapped between the bugs body and the wall; though he was receiving a shock that felt as though his body was being crushed to pieces, he used all his might, grabbed the spear, and pulled it out, causing dead flesh and blood to burst out. [Ggueeeeeeh!] At that moment, the bug screeched like a pig, filling the passageway with its screams. [The Treasure Eater used Shriek of the Dead. Those exposed to this shriek will momentarily enter a frenzied state.][As an effect of Invisible Heart, you ignore the effects of Shriek of the Dead.] The effects behind its shriek were ignored due to the effects of Invisible Heart! However, Lee Shin Woo was moving without seeing that message. To be exact, he aimed for the moment it shrieked, as it stopped moving while doing so, to attack the same area he had attackedst time. He believed hed be able tond another critical hit by attacking the same area. [Gguaaaahk!]"Tch!" However, was he stillcking in skill to intentionallynd a critical hit? Although he had thought he had timed it perfectly, his attack missed. Compared tost time, his attack was only able to create a smaller hole. Still, the fact that he could withdraw his spear and retreat immediately following his attack was progress,pared tost time. However, at that moment, a message update appeared. [Beginner Spearmanship has be Lv4. You can swing your spear more easily now.] "Huh...?" Lee Shin Woo briefly voiced out in surprise. Thats because Beginner Spearmanship had leveled up to Lv3 upon killing the 133rd Paul. It hadnt been long since it had leveled up, yet it had leveled up again, so he couldnt help but be surprised. However, he obviously didnt have the time to look into that right now. Like the message had said, it felt much lighter than before. He gripped his spear and got ready to use his Sprint skill again. [Gguaaahk!] The Treasure Eater had sessfully managed to change directions, despite being attacked, and opened its mouth wide, seemingly intent on swallowing both him and the treasure whole. "Ugh... Sprint!"[Kueeeeh!] At the end of their split-second battle of wits, Lee Shin Woo dodged its charge again and flung his body. Though it was a dangerous moment that would determine life or death, he was able to dodge its charge with more ease than before. Thats because the Treasure Eater charged in a straight line, and he had used his Sprint skill to elerate at the crucial moment. If he didnt possess a skeletons body which enabled him to utilize Sprint repeatedly, the battle wouldve already been over. Conversely, it meant that he was confident that hed be able to keep up with it as long as he wanted. "Nice, then..." Lee Shin Woo concluded that hed need to prolong the fight, so he abandoned all thoughts of attacking, and decided to damage it little by little. He would use the reach of the Bone Spear at mid-range to nibble away at its body! "Eat this!"[Kuaaaahk!] The Bone Spear quickly stabbed its rear end, sttering blood. Lee Shin Woo had sessfully attacked, and he immediately retreated to a safe distance and observed the Treasure Eater.However, its response was strange. Lee Shin Woo had expected that it would go wild likest time, but it ignored his predictions and had curled up as much as possible... [Kihiiiiiiiiiiih!]"Argh." It yelled its most annoying and unpleasant shriek to date! Lee Shin Woo grit his teeth to endure its intense, skull-ringing shriek. And there was a truly teeth-gritting scene before his very eyes. [The Treasure Eater uses the Roar of Healing.][The Treasure Eaters health recoverspletely.] The wounds that Lee Shin Woo had risked his life to inflict were being healed in real time! "Steve, you asshole..."[Kuwooooooh!] It was just an external passageway monster, but it was healing up like a boss monster! He was even more annoyed by the fact that he had no way of figuring out how many times it could use the Roar of Healing. If it could use the Roar of Healing repeatedly, then this struggle would be meaningless. "Ah, thats so demoralizing."[Kuoooooh!] He felt as though his blood sugar was dropping, but it was just a misunderstanding. After all, he was nothing but bones so theres no way for his blood sugar to drop. Lee Shin Woo weakly gripped his spear. He could do nothing but act on the assumption that right now, the Treasure Eater couldnt use its Roar of Healing indefinitely. And if not? Then hed have to run away no matter what by using Sprint! It was then. [Monster discovered... during patrol...!][Requesting reinforcements...!] "Huh...?" Lee Shin Woo couldnt believe what he was hearing. He had definitely heard the voice of a Skeleton Soldier beyond thepletely copsed passageway!Moreover, thanks to the Treasure Eater rampaging everywhere, the upper, lower, and side passageways had all copsed, and the Skeleton Soldiers wereing out from everywhere. Of course, the Treasure Eater had absolutely no interest in the soldiers equipped with lousy bone spears, but Lee Shin Woo was different. Are these guys reallying to help me?[Requesting additional reinforcements...!][In the middle of requesting reinforcements...!][Discovered something... fighting the monster...] One of the Skeleton Soldiers discovered Lee Shin Woo confronting the monster. The skeleton tilted its head when it saw Lee Shin Woosrger frame,pared to other skeletons (his body became slightlyrger as his stats increased), and the shiny bone spear in his hand, ultimately asking. [Are you a newbie...?]"Yeah, Im a newbie! Help me!" Lee Shin Woo yelled distressingly. It seemed like the skeleton couldnt grasp the situation, as it stood there vacantly for a second, but soon, came up to the passageway, and pointed its spear towards the Treasure Eater. [Participating... Hunting together...]"Pauuuuul!" Right after Lee Shin Woo shouted in gratitude, a message appeared before his eyes. [You have achieved the feat of deceiving your enemies and manipting them. Surviving using everything you have may be the most important talent in the Empire.][You have learned the passive skill, Acting Lv1.] "..." It felt slightly strange that this was the first skill he had obtained through his own efforts, but hed use it as much as possible if it would keep him alive! Lee Shin Woo sneakily took a step back from the Treasure Eater and yelled in an even louder voice. "Pauls, lets beat this monster together! Its a thief thats threatening the security of our Empire!"[Requestplete... Participating.][Participating.]"Hey you, yes you. Come over here!"[Helping... the newbie...][Participating.] More Skeleton Soldiers aggressively participated in the battle, and even those from further away, the more of a fuss he made. There were those who would wait and see, but when Lee Shin Woo personally pointed them out and asked for their help, they couldnt just ignore him. Who wouldve thought that the first aid training[1] from the military would help here? [Kuoooh!][Hunting... the monster.][The bug that threatens... the Empire!] The Treasure Eater disregarded the Skeleton Soldiers when more than 10 had gathered and lunged at Lee Shin Woo, but when the number had instantly surpassed 20, it seemed to panic, and change its tactics. [Kuwooooooh!][The Treasure Eater used Shriek of the Dead. Those exposed to this shriek will momentarily enter a frenzied state.][As an effect of Invisible Heart, you ignore the effects of Shriek of the Dead.] "Ah, I forgot about that."[There are a lot of enemies...!][Where are you aiming, thats... an afterimage...!] Unlike Lee Shin Woo, the other skeletons were powerless before the Shriek of the Dead, and the skeletons that had died from infighting were quickly reced by new ones. It seemed as though all the Skeleton Soldiers in the external passageways were gathering here. [Kuwooh, Kuwooooooh!][The Treasure Eater tried to use the Shriek of the Dead, but it failed due to theck of mana.] "Oh, so thats how it is." While the Treasure Eater tried to repeatedly use its Shriek of the Dead, a message had appeared notifying him that it had failed due to ack of mana!At this point, its highly likely that the Treasure Eater wouldnt be able to use its Roar of Healing either. All of the risk factors had disappeared. "Good, Paul. Use the siege destruction formation[2]!" [Attacking...!][Killing the enemy!] Ah, its a line hed wanted to say at least once in his life. Lee Shin Woo was moved, wiping the resulting (nonexistent) tears, and then gripped his bone spear. Of course, even if it had depleted all its mana, the Treasure Eaters physical abilities didnt change and was wiping out the Skeleton Soldiers with rtive ease. It would be easier for Shin Woo if it wiped out a lot of them. "Wow, this years harvest is great!" He muttered satisfyingly as he saw the bones scattered around him, then gripped his spear and charged at the Treasure Eater. The battle ended just five minutester. It was aplete victory. [1] T/N: Probably refers to the steps of first aid (e.g. essing the situation, getting someones attention, etc.). [2] T/N: Its a meme. Its the name that the protagonist gives his formation of 300 strong that encircles and defeats a monster army of 5000. Its from this Japanese web novel:"λšޤdzɤϤ?صŬϥ`ȤǤ?." Chapter 1 part4 [You have defeated a Lv2 Treasure Eater. You have achieved a feat of defeating an enemy with a higher level than you. Your Strength and Health permanently increase by 2.] [As a reward for your achievement, the proficiency of yourbat-rted skills have been increased. The Beginner Sprint skill has be Lv4.] [Questplete! Please check the treasure that the Treasure Eater left behind.] [You have gained the minimap. If you close your eyes, you will be able to see the minimap.] [We won...] [We defeated the monster. I need rest...] There were only two Pauls... or Skeleton Soldiers that had survived until the end of the battle. Lee Shin Woo hadnt tried to save them, but they had managed to survive. However, all their bones were cracked in the aftermath of the fierce battle, and it was difficult for them to even stand! "Paul, Ill never forget the time we spent together." [Ugh!?] [What are you doing... keuahk!] Lee Shin Woo forcefully embraced the two skeletons, who had gone through hardship with him. By doing so, hepletely broke through the threshold of their health, and they crumbled to pieces. Silence finally dawned upon the clearing (the passageway had significantly widened and be a clearing), that had been filled with the cries of the Treasure Eater, and the rattling sound of skeleton bones. He was the champion. [The Acting Skill has be Lv2.] "Thats amazing timing... phew. Im dying too." Though he was victorious, Lee Shin Woo had received a lot of physical and mental damage. His bone joints ached, and he even saw a part that was cracked. It hurt so much that he thought it might be better to die once ande back! However, Lee Shin Woo didnt do that. It would be a waste to use his Invisible Heart like that, and he already knew of a method to restore his bones. That was... Now, lets start reinforcing, shall we? His eyes quickly scanned his surroundings. The bones and the Bone Spears of the skeletons that had died fighting here were piled in the dozens. There were also dozens of ck coins, too. That wasnt all. There was a distinct bone,pared to the skeletons bones, that remained in the area where the Treasure Eater had died, as well as something shiny, causing Lee Shin Woos heart to flutter. It had been worth it to ovee this ordeal (though it was mostly the skeletons)! "Ill put aside the delicious one forter." He suppressed his desire to check the Treasure Eaters loot and picked up the nearby skeleton bone first. They were mixed bones, but it was for the better. Increasing his strength or agility through an arm or leg bone had nearly reached its limit and increasing his health through mixed bones was much more effective right now. [You have reinforced your tailbone. Health has increased by 1. Absorbing a portion of the Skeleton Soldiers memories and experiences.] [I-Im pretty sure my tailbone just broke. Really! - A nameless soldier] "If these guys knew they could leave behind memories of their life, they wouldnt have left behind such useless memories..." Lee Shin Woo stroked his tailbone and felt that the cracks had definitely decreased,pared to before the Reinforcement. And he repeated the Reinforcement process. The more he repeated the Reinforcement, the more his stats and skill proficiency would slightly increase, and simultaneously, the cracks on his entire body began to cleanly disappear, as if they had been erased by an eraser. "Huh?" While Reinforcing, Lee Shin Woo found an unexpected item. He had picked up a bone that wasnt an arm bone, a leg bone, or mixed bones. [Skeleton Soldiers rib bone.] [A bone left behind by a Skeleton Soldier who had strong bones.] "So, this kind of thing can happen, too." Was it a rare drop? Lee Shin Woo was slightly excited and sacrificed it to reinforce his ribs. [You have reinforced your ribs. Health has increased by 2. Absorbing a portion of the Skeleton Soldiers memories and experience.] [General Seagald hasmitted treason...? Thats not possible. Ill trust him and follow him to the end. - A nameless soldier.] "I dont think thats a line a nameless soldier would say, though!?" What exactly did General Seagald do? He didnt know what he did, but in any case, raising 2 points in Health was awesome. He decided to remember the name, General Seagald, and absorbed the remaining bones one after another. His appearance was akin to a farmer who was harvesting his crops. "Now, its time to upgrade the Bone Spear..." He looked at the mountain of Bone Spears that he had collected while absorbing the bones and looked like he was at a loss. It had been so hard to reinforce the Lv1 Bone Spear, so he couldnt imagine how many Bone Spears would break in the process of reinforcing the Lv2 Bone Spear. "Phew. But theres no helping it. I gotta do it." He had realized the importance of weapons several times during his fight with the Treasure Eater. A single attack from his spear had been more effective than 10 attacks from the other Skeleton Soldiers! He took a short, deep breath, and extended his hand towards the mountain of Bone Spears. [Reinforcement has failed.] [Reinforcement has failed.] [Reinforcement has failed.] [Reinforcement has seeded!] "Oh!" He had seeded in only 4 tries! He had thought that Lv1 items may be unable to reinforce Lv2 items, but Lee Shin Woo became confident after his single sess and began to reinforce, one after another. [Reinforcement has failed.] x30 "Please no, dont be like that. No!" [Reinforcement has failed.] [Reinforcement has failed.] [Reinforcement has failed.] ... [Reinforcement has seeded!] [Reinforcement has seeded!] [Bone Spear +3] [Lv2] [Durability: 590/590] [Attack Power: 33 - 57] Ugh, I dont know what the probability is, so I dont know if it went well or not. When he was about to run out of Bone Spears, the final two Reinforcements had seeded, and as a result, the Bone Spear became a Bone Spear +3. Lee Shin Woo had quickly used up all the Bone Spears, and a part of him felt that it had been a waste but decided to be satisfied with the fact that his Bone Spear had definitely gotten stronger. "Now, then..." It was finally time for the main dish he had been saving. His bone joints rattled displeasingly as he approached the ce where the Treasure Eater had died. The first thing he saw was a heaping pile of Perium. He extended his hand towards the pile, and a message appeared. [You have acquired 1,250 Perium.] "Whew." Where exactly was this Perium currency used? No, could it even be used? He had picked them up instinctively due to his past game experience, but he couldnt make sense of them. While he was at it, he checked how much money was stored in his pouch; he had gathered 3,340 Perium up until now. The money pouch is starting to get heavy. Is there no inventory here? Perhaps he would gain an inventory bypleting a quest, like how he had received the minimap. Then, he picked up the Treasure Eaters bone next. As expected, since the Treasure Eater was muchrger than those pathetic Skeleton Soldiers, a single one of its bones wasrger than Lee Shin Woo. [Would you like to reinforce your bones with the Treasure Eaters lower jaw bone? You can reinforce your lower jaw bone.] "This really pisses me off..." This probably wasnt even its entire lower jaw bone, but just a portion of it. It was the areamonly called the jawbone, and just the thought of sacrificing it to reinforce his bones caused his skin (even though he didnt have any) to feel goosebumps. However... he didnt really have any other choice. He shrugged his shoulders and proceeded with the Reinforcement. [The Bone Reinforcement skill has be Lv2. The effectiveness of bone absorption increases.] [You have reinforced your lower jaw bone. Strength has increased by 1, Health by 1, and Magic by 5. Absorbing a portion of the Treasure Eaters memories and experiences.] [Kuwaaaaaaaahk! Kuheeeeeeeeeehk! - Treasure Eater] "..." Lee Shin Woo, who felt the faint memories seep into his body, was briefly silent. He shivered, as the Treasure Eaters shriek in the message felt slightly, really slightly, affectionate. If he were to somehow meet another Treasure Eater, he felt as though hed be able to understand what the Treasure Eater was saying, albeit a little. "In any case, it increased my magic, so lets leave it at that." He mightve gained a skill, but most of the memories and experiences he gained through Bone Reinforcement didnt immediately manifest as skills and would require a bit of time. Most of the time, the skill would only awaken at the right time. If it was a skill though, hed like to gain that Roar of Healing for sure... Lee Shin Woo earnestly prayed and extended his hand towards the final item that also doubled as the quest reward. [Feather Bone Boots +1] [Lv2] [Durability: 256/320] [Defense: 25 - 35] [Options: Agility +5, Sprint skill +1] "Wow..." To think, an item could have both stats and skills. This was truly a treasure that was in apletely different league whenpared to the simrly leveled Lv2 Bone Spear! Lee Shin Woo carefully put the bone boots on his feet. There was a slight problem; since both Lee Shin Woo and the boots were made of bone, it was difficult to figure out whether the boots were an item or the bones of someone with stupidlyrge feet. But considering the fact that his body felt lighter when he put the boots on, it was definitely the effect of an item. [Lee Shin Woo] [Normal Skeleton Blessed by God] [Lv - 1] [Strength - 65 Agility - 55 + 5 Health - 48 Magic - 11] [Passive skills - Invisible Heart Lv2, Beginner Spearmanship Lv4, Acting Lv2] [Active skills - Bone Reinforcement Lv2, Beginner Sprint Lv4 +1] "Nice." Lee Shin Woo grinned as he looked at his stats; it had certainly changed as a result of the battle. His health, which had beenckingpared to his other stats, had been supplemented to a certain degree, and his magic slightly rose as well. He was sure that he had sessfully sublimated the Skeleton Soldiers battle experience into his own, to a certain degree, in the previous battle. "Lets see if I die again..." The moment he died in a car ident shed through his mind. Lee Shin Woo grit his teeth and shook his head, shaking off the memory. He resolved to never die again. Whether this ce was a cursed Underground Empire or the middle of a gctic war, he would survive no matter what. [A quest has urred!] The moment he made his vow, a well-timed quest urred. It was as though God had been listening and decided to intervene at just the right time. [Infiltrate the Empire] [You have remarkably taken down the Treasure Eater and grown. However, this is still just the external passageways, not the Empire. Follow the directions on your minimap, breakthrough the soldiers guarding the Empires walls, and infiltrate the Underground Empire!] [Quest rewards: Inventory, use of Gods Secret Shop.] Well, then. The tutorial wasing to an end. Chapter 2 part1 "If I close my eyes... ooh, oooh." When he closed his (nonexistent) eyes, he could see it as an extremely intuitive image. It felt as though there was another eye centered on him that watched from above and scanned the entire area. And within that area, only the correct path shined brightly. ...Shall I go? There wasnt much more he could gain from staying here. Lee Shin Woo made up his mind, opened his eyes, and started moving along the confirmed path. The clearing had stagnated from silence to dead quiet, and only the sound of his moving footsteps rang out. His footsteps had gotten a lot quieter, perhaps due to the Feather Bone Boots. Hoo. The passageway was quite long. Various parts of the passageway had copsed thanks to the Treasure Eaters rampage. In order to reach those ces, Lee Shin Woo had to at times jump high, and at other times jump far. He eventually came to, in a sense, the obvious realization: the Sprint skill could be used in tandem with his jump. If I be proficient in my Sprint skill, then time it, no, I may be a skeleton who can run in the sky... Ah. As he walked through the continuing passageway, the atmosphere in the passageway changed in no time. If it seemed as though he had been reluctantly trudging through the underground passageway, filled with nothing but rocks and sand thus far, then this current area is the first ce to have a clear path. This is the real Empire... I can see the walls. There was a clear distinction between the external passageways and the genuine Underground Empire: the castle walls. ording to the quests exnation, he would have to face Skeleton Soldiers over there again. Honestly, he didnt think hed lose to a few Skeleton Soldiers now, but he couldnt release his tension, so long as he couldnt ascertain how many of them there were. [Halt...] Lee Shin Woo stopped, his bone joints rattling. There was a single, imposing toon of skeletons atop the castle walls, aiming their bone arrows at him. Yet, their numbers were small. They soon disclosed that reason themselves. [The monster... was it hunted...?]"Yeah, we got it! Though, everyone else died except for me..." Now, he could start acting at the flick of a switch. A part of the soldiers that guarded the walls were probably sent to hunt the Treasure Eater!This all happened because Lee Shin Woo had made a huge fuss. Heuded his foresight, which he hadnt even been aware of, and continued to speak. "Paul, please open the castle gate for me. I have to return to guard duty too."[Wait... just a minute...] It seemed like this quest would go smoothly. However, had he jinxed it? One of the skeletons wielding a bone bow rattled its teeth as it spoke. [I havent seen that... spear before...]"The Treasure Hunter dropped it." Lee Shin Woo, who was only focused on entering the Empire, roughly concocted a usible story. But the soldiers response caused his (nonexistent) heart to pound. [Then... report it to your superiors...]"Huh?"[Ill... report it.] No wait, he didnt think their military discipline was this strict. Moreover, superiors? Doesnt that mean someone stronger than them wille? He felt pressed and requested. "Hey, Paul. Wait a sec. Ill give the report myself, so open the gates first."[The report...es first...] Report-then-action? Damn it! They hadnt even thought ofplimenting and taking care of arade who had returned with great difficulty, and instead, would call their superiors when they heard the news that he had picked up a new item. You damn egotistic and ambitious skeletons! "I said Id be the one to report it!" Since it came to this, there was no need to hide anymore. If that superior arrived, hed definitely die at least once! He clicked his tongue and sprinted. The Skeleton Soldiers were startled and aimed their bone bows at him. [Are you... revolting against the Empire?][Are you trying... to embezzle?][Is it corruption[1]...?] "Sprint!" Hepletely ignored what the skeletons were saying and jumped while using his Sprint and clung to the castle wall. Surprisingly, it was possible for him to jump close to 2m high. Even though he was only at the tutorial level, he thought that he had already transcended humanity, and btedly realized that he was no longer physically human. [Attack... Subduing.] [Subduing.] The Skeleton Soldiers determined that he was their enemy and began to aim and shoot their arrows at him. Though he nned to get hit by a few of them, when the arrows closed in on him, his hand, holding the bone spear, moved by itself. Huh!?It happened in a split second. Right after he grasped the trajectory of the arrows with the naked eye, he instinctively swung his bone spear and parried two arrows! The arrows he couldnt block hit his shoulder, but the damage was minor. [You have learned the passive skill, Beginner Weapon Defense Lv1.] That wasnt all. When he thought he needed to stop the skeletons from drawing their bowstrings again, he naturally opened his mouth and shrieked. "Kuhwaaaaaaahk!" [You have learned the active skill, Beginner Shriek of the Dead Lv1.][By using the Shriek of the Dead, the enemies in the entire area have momentarily fallen into a frenzied state.] He didnt know how he had learned Beginner Weapon Defense yet, but the source of the Shriek of the Dead was clear. It was the Treasure Eater! He had wanted to learn the Roar of Healing, but the results were contrary to his expectations. [You bastards... just when did you infiltrate...!][Ill... kill you...!] He felt momentarily dizzy since he had used the Shriek of the Dead with his low mana, but its effects were astounding. The Skeleton Soldiers treated each other as enemies and started to attack each other!Lee Shin Woo aimed for that opportunity, exerting himself, and crawling up the wall. He felt motion sickness due to his unreasonable use of mana, but he grit his teeth and endured. [W-What about that guy?] "Im right behind you."[Ugh!?] By the time the Skeleton Soldiers escaped the status ailment, Lee Shin Woo was already atop the castle wall! Theres no way arrows would be effective at close range. Lee Shin Woo cold-bloodedly swung the Lv2 Lord Bone Spear and broke them in a single strike. It was a quick and clean finish. [You have hunted a Skeleton Archer.][You have hunted a Skeleton Archer.] For a brief moment, the castle walls regained its silence. Lee Shin Woo grabbed and removed the arrow lodged in his shoulder and sighed. Though he had been slightly injured, he had stopped them from reporting to their sup... "...The hell is this?" After he had climbed atop the castle wall, he was finally able to see the scenery beyond. Since the walls of the castle had remained intact, he had thought that the city within would look like it was from the middle ages... but there was a different sight before him, as though it were mocking his naivet. "Is this the demon world or something...?" A city? Perhaps it may have been called that some time ago. However, all the buildings were weathered, decayed, entangled with weeds here and there... it was already ruined, without any proper buildings remaining.The entrance was the only thing barely intact. When he looked further ahead, he saw ins, covered in thick grass, and a sandy desert mixed together conflictingly. If this were like a game, it was as if the developers had tried implementing both a desert map and a ins map at the same time, but the two maps had shed and failed. "What superiors?" Theres no way there would be any military systems left intact here. The skeletons here were just souls trapped in the past. And those he would have to face from now on were probably the same. Even if he thought he was conversing with them, there was no actual conversation going on at all. "Ha..." Lee Shin Woo suddenly realized what situation he had been dumped into, sighed softly, and shrugged his shoulders.Honestly, before he hade here, when God had told him that she wanted him to purify this ce, he felt something like I dont really care, but if I cane back to life, I might as well., but now he felt like he wanted to fix this ce, at least to rid himself of his uneasiness. First, lets pick up the loot. He couldnt just sit thinking forever. Lee Shin Woo collected the scattered Perium atop the castle wall, as well as the Skeleton Archers bones, bone bows, and bone arrows. Strangely, their finger bones remained, and when he reinforced himself with them, the message was the same among them.[You have reinforced your finger bone. Agility has increased by 1. Absorbing a portion of the Skeleton Archers memories and experiences.][Why are you putting an apple on my head? ... Wait a second, fine, Ill learn archery! Jeez, I said Ill learn it! - A nameless boy] Compared to his leg bones, which he had reinforced to the limits and which wouldnt really raise in agility, whenever he reinforced his finger bones, his agility would raise with a high probability. [You have acquired a Lv1 Bone Short Bow.][You have learned Beginner Archery Lv1.] "Thats right, I had expected this too." He searched the entire area and used all the finger bones he found to reinforce himself. As a result, even without the effects of the Feather Bone Boots, his agility had risen to 62, and his Beginner Archery rose to Lv2, even though he hadnt shot a single arrow yet. He continued,bining (reinforcing) the less than 10 Bone Short bows into one. [Bone Short Bow +4][Lv1][Durability: 220/220][Attack Power: 20 - 25] "This aint half-bad."Though its attack power was iparable to the Lv2 Bone Spear, he felt reassured, now that he had acquired a way to attack from a distance. He felt even better since there were almost 200 arrows stored in the castle walls. [Questplete!][You have acquired an inventory. You can open and close it by shouting the inventorymand.][You have acquired a permit to ess gods secret shop. You can open it by shouting the shopmand.] "Wow." After he finished collecting the loot, climbed down the walls without much thought, and set foot in the Empires territory, Lee Shin Woo saw messages in front of him, one after another.He was lost in thought, so he had forgotten that he had been in the middle of a quest, so Lee Shin Woo was briefly surprised, and inwardly cheered. After all, he couldnt carry 200 arrows all at once. "Inventory." He muttered, and a checkered, transparent window appeared in front of him that he often saw in games. Lee Shin Woo muttered, saying it was an intuitive inventory, and when he touched the window, his hand was powerlessly sucked in. He was startled and pulled his hand out, but his hand was fine. Will this work? He grabbed a bone arrow and put it inside. The bone arrow was instantly sucked in, and an arrow icon appeared on one of the checkered boxes. The x1 sign next to it was a bonus. "Lets see." He shoved all his bone arrows into his inventory. The sign instantly shot up to x189. He wasnt absolutely sure yet, but he felt like hed be able to stack the same item inside, as long as they were identical. Since the inventory, divided into checkered boxes, currently only had 10 boxes, when he realized that they could stack, he was more than a little relieved. "Lets put the bow in... ah, money too." When he threw the money pouch inside, the pouch disappeared somewhere, and a ck coin icon appeared below the inventory, along with the amount 3,420. He honestly wanted topliment it because of how intuitive it was. "Good, close." However, it didnt close. He thought perhaps it would close if he muttered inventory, and when he did, the inventorypletely disappeared.Lee Shin Woo suddenly had an idea and he muttered inventory in his head without saying it out loud. The inventory opened. With this, hed be able to open and close the inventory amid battle without much difficulty. Then next up... With this, hepletely understood the inventory. Lee Shin Woo took a deep breath again and muttered themand of the other reward. "Shop." At that moment, the surrounding area distorted. At the same time, even Lee Shin Woos consciousness became faint. He tried opening his eyes in an attempt to get a hold of himself no matter what, then... "Guten morgen [2], Mr. Skeleton." He had arrived in Gods secret shop. [1] T/N: This term doesnt have a specific enough English equivalent. Its when you perform illegal activities because you need the money. Typically refers to politics. [2] T/N: Good morning in German. Chapter 2 part2 When he came to, he was no longer in the Empire, but somewhere else. It was an enclosed space, with silver walls emitting a delicate light on all four sides, and one of those sides was the store. The secret shop permit gave him permission toe to this ce. "Why are you just staring at me? Im sorry but Im not for sale." Lee Shin Woo tilted his head when he saw the woman behind the counter look back at him with a bewitching smile. "... Have we met somewhere before?""Oh my, are you hitting on me? Unfortunately, your bodys not my type.""Im not hitting on you, you know. Even if I were, it wouldnt matter." She spoke whileughing annoyingly, and Lee Shin Woo became short-tempered. He had epted that he was an undead now, but he needed more time before he epted his impotence! Even so, the woman, the storekeeper, giggled. "Ah yes, youre right. Aw, how sad." The storekeeper was a remarkable beauty with burning red hair. Her red, bobbed hair trailed down to bottom of her neck, and slowly shimmered and swayed as if it were actually fire. Yes, Lee Shin Woo had seen that almost living red hair before; he had seen it just recently. "Are you God?""Theres no way God would be that free. Are all people with red hair gods, then?""Ugh..." Indeed, she looked different from the God that Lee Shin Woo remembered. By Earth standards, God looked both eastern and western, had truly strange physical features (ears, eyes, mouth, and nose), and looked like a 10 year old girl, and a 60 year olddy at the same time, such that it was difficult to tell.On the other hand, the woman in front of him was different. She looked energetic and in her early 20s, and had western physical features as well. Her hair was shorter, and her red eyes were different from Gods (Gods eyes glimmered in five different colors). But he was sure of one thing: she was an undeniable beauty. That was her only simrity to God."If I were to exin... yes, think of me as a priestess. My role, given to me by God, is to supply my customers, that is, heroes, what they need in return for the proper price. I follow Gods orders, so Im a merchant and a priestess at the same time.""If a hero needs something, you should just give it to them for free.""Hehe." Shed probably heard that a lot from the other heroes until now. She narrowed her eyes and exined. "You know the term karma, right? Karma exists in everything in this world. When you are aplishing a special feat, perfecting a special skill... or even killing others; you gain karma.""Then are levels and stats a kind of karma, too?""Its nice that you catch on quick. Youre right, They are a type of karma. And customer, by using that karma as a price, youre able to receive a different karma in return. The karma I receive in return for my items is... Perium." The exnation was long, but it just meant that achievements, skill training, and killing would allow him to raise his level and stats and that the Perium he received from killing monsters could be used to buy items. When Lee Shin Woo heard that Perium was also a type of karma, he took out a portion of his karma from his inventory and looked at it thoroughly, but as expected, he couldnt figure anything out. It seemed as though the woman was used to it, and continued. "Customer, you dont have the ability to process, or use it in another ce yet. It will be much more helpful to you if you just buy items from me.""... Then, one more question. You said that levels are also a type of karma, but why havent I leveled up yet when Ive killed so many monsters?" The merchants smile thickened. Levels were a number that represented ones league and was also this worlds standard of absolute strength. Lee Shin Woo mentioned it so casually, so she pitied him. "I dont know what levels youre talking about, but levels in this world arent something that can be raised that easily. You have to gather an appropriate level of karma to level up. And the most typical example of that karma are stats.""Then to be level 2..." "All your statsbined must be 200, solely from your body, excluding all items or temporary buffs. Its easy to understand, isnt it?" 200? How and when am I supposed to get that much, is what he wanted to say, but when he added up all his stats, he was already at 186. That meant that he could raise his level when he raised his stats by 14 more. "But you dont need to be in such a rush to level up. You see, what you did to get to that level is just as important as the level up itself. Whether its by a special feat or a skill, other types of karma are important as well. Well, youll see once youve experienced it yourself." It seems like level ups arent simply a change in number in this world. That means that... it might mean a job change? In any case, it would happen soon, so just like the merchant said, hed find out for sure once he experienced it himself.He was briefly lost in thought, and the merchant tapped the counter to snap him out of it. "I think Ive exined enough, back to the point that I should receive karma in exchange for goods. Would you like to buy something now, customer?""What do you sell?""I sell everything, aside from what I dont have. First off, potions.""Hmm..." He really didnt feel like he needed potions, setting aside whether a skeleton could even drink a potion or not. Thats because his injuries could be healed through Bone Reinforcement. "Next are magic books.""Hm..." Magic books, huh. Perhaps he might need themter, but not now. He didnt even have enough mana for the Shriek of the Dead and he could only use it once, so what would he do by learning magic? If he hadnt learned the Shriek of the Dead, he mightve thought about it, but since he already had a skill that could turn the tides of battle, it didnt really feel very appealing to him right now. "But you wont be able to buy them right now since you dont have enough Perium. Of course, we also have equipment that you can wear.""Equipment, huh. As I thought, Id really like to see th...""Ah, and finally we have bones.""Bones!?""Bones." Lee Shin Woo, who was about to buy equipment, stopped moving and talking at once without hesitation. They sold bones? What if he was right, and they were the bones he was thinking about? He wondered why they sold such a thing and he tilted his head, while the merchants expression remained calm. "There are bones scattered around the Empire, so theres no way our shop wouldnt sell them. The other heroes dont have a Bone Reinforcement skill, so they would mostly sell them to me at a cheap price.""Of course." Since he didnt really have anything worth selling right now, this didnt mean anything to him right now, but it would change in the future. He had an inventory that could store pretty much anything now. Lee Shin Woo decided that hed pick up stuff he didnt immediately need in the future and nodded his head. And he told her the type of item he wanted. "Please show me the bones.""Hehe, I knew youd say that customer, so I had them prepared." He pondered between the equipment and the bones, but most of his strength came from his Bone Reinforcement skill, so he went with the bones.He simply thought that bones were, of course, better since theyd permanently increase his abilities, rather than equipment which he would have to change eventually, but it was mostly due to his experience with Bone Reinforcement, and the variety of abilities he could gain from it. Theres, of course, the possibility of gaining skills, but I cant deny that the original owners memories within the bones are greatly affecting mybat abilities. Lee Shin Woo knew well. The reason he, who hadnt learnt any martial arts on Earth, could get this far and put up a decent fight against the Treasure Eater, was because he had indirectly gained thebat experience from absorbing the Skeleton Soldiers bones. The true ability of Bone Reinforcement wasnt just the increase in stats or the acquisition of skills. It was inheriting the innate experiences and memories that only others had! If he continued to gather these, it would eventually be his strength, and no one elses, that would surpass everyone. "Oh my, customer. You have 3,420 Perium on you right now...? I honestly didnt have any expectations, but you came with quite a lot, didnt you? Lets see, a bone that you could buy with that much money... here, you can buy one of these two.""...Huh?" The merchant took out two pieces of bone and ced them on the counter, though he didnt know where she had taken them out from. Both of them wererge, so he couldnt even guess what part they came from. One of them was slightly dyed red, and the other was dyed blue. When he saw the two bones, Lee Shin Woo couldnt help but retort. "...The Matrix?""You wont wake up from a dream just because you choose the red bone. After all, this is reality.""No, wait. Cant I just buy a lot of bones? I want to acquire as many experiences as possible.""You can only buy 1 bone with the money you have. Our shop doesnt sell level 1 monster bones. I wont stop you from buying bones cheaper than these two, but youll regret it." Ultimately, it seemed like he had no choice but to pick one of the two bones. If so, he wanted to at least get the most information possible before buying, but she firmly shook her head. "Item information is also karma. Customer, you dont have enough Perium to get information on these bones, and buy them.""Eeek..." At this point, this woman didnt seem like a priestess who helped heroes under Gods orders, but a scammer instead, but it didnt seem like shed give him the information on the bones no matter what he did. If both bones cost the same, then their potential should be the same as well... if so... "Of the two, which is more expensive?""The blue ones a bit more expensive. It costs 3,350 Perium." He would only be left with 70[1] Perium once he bought it... It would be irreversible, regardless of his choice. He nodded stiffly. "Please give me that one.""A manly choice. Here you go." The Perium disappeared from his inventory, without him needing to pass her the money. When he saw the blue bone rece the money in his inventory, Lee Shin Woo felt somewhat relieved. Then, the merchant pped her hands. "Now, its time to part ways. If you work hard on quests, youll probably see me again soon. Ill tell you one thing, you just made a very good decision, customer. Since the base is important.""The base...?""Then, Ill see you next time." She said grinningly, and though he was incredibly confused, she smiled beautifully and pped her hands again. At that moment, the space surrounding Lee Shin Woo instantly broke down, and he was returned to the ce he was before entering the shop. "..." To be honest, he was a bit disappointed. These past few days, he hadnt been able to have a proper conversation with someone else. Regardless of how simr she looked to that cheeky god, just the fact that he was able to have a conversation with her was a hugefort to him.Only after that thought did Lee Shin Woo realize that he was starved of human contact. "No... Dont be negative." The only thing that could push Lee Shin Woo forward right now was positivity. If he wasnt positive, he wouldnt be able to do anything. He shook his head so much that his neck joint creaked, and then, took the bone out of his inventory. "Bone Reinforcement." [Would you like to use ???s bone to reinforce your own bones? You can reinforce your skull.] He had a good feeling about this. It was his first time reinforcing his head, but he felt like it wasnt a part that he could reinforce very easily. "Alright, reinforce." He proceeded with the reinforcement without hesitation, and then, the blue bone in his hand disappeared without a trace; simultaneously, he felt a dull shock to his head. "Ugh..." [You have reinforced your skull. Magic has increased by 7. You have gained a portion of ???s memories and experiences.][I cant understand you people. This research will lead us to ruin. - ???] When a portion of the memories of the original owner of the bone flowed into his head, he understood the base that the merchant had told him about. He didnt know about Earth, but it was the ability to wield the energy that was at the base of all existence in this world. [You have gained the passive skill, Beginner Magic Affinity Lv1. Magic recovery rate increases.] After Lee Shin Woo had barely ovee the migraine, he nkly raised his head and looked at the world. He had thought there was only death in this world, but there was something that remained that still harbored life.It was mana. [1] T/N: Author writes 90 Perium, but thats not correct based on what he wrote earlier. Chapter 3 part1 "Its a good view." Lee Shin Woo carelessly muttered. Although he was underground, mana was everywhere, and harmoniously floated about. Lee Shin Woo stretched his bare hand, and the mana briefly remained at his fingertips, and then went somewhere else. It seemed it was because his Beginner Magic Affinity was still only level 1. Getting this skill early on was definitely a good call. He stayed there, ying with the mana a bit more, and then, withdrew his hand and nodded his head. After experiencing the mystery of mana, he finally felt like he was in a different world. He had felt, how should he say it, that it was just a survival game up until now. If the blue bone was this effective, then what would the red bone do? It feels like the red bone wouldve been really helpful. I cant ignore Perium anymore... oh. [A quest has urred!] He wasnt that surprised this time seeing the quest message. Before the message appeared, he saw the mana in front of him distort, and not only that, he had predicted that it would appear at around this timing. [The Ability to Survive Here] [Though you have safely infiltrated the Empire, you are still too weak. The Underground Empire is vast, and there are powerful undead who have lived a long time within. However, there are fortunately some who evaded the undead curse and continued to live. These living beings inhabit an isted environment, the dungeon.] [You must first build up your strength in the dungeon before you start your battle with the undead in earnest. Pick a dungeon nearby and get to level 2. When the sum of your stats reaches 200, the karma that youve gathered up to that point will determine your future appearance and potential.] [However, be cautious. The dungeon itself is safe from the curse, but those who were cursed and entered into the dungeon are not.] [Quest reward - Open Heroes Chatting Channel] "What!?" After he read the entire quest, Lee Shin Woos eyes red. A chatting channel? It wouldve been nice if theyd opened the chatting channel earlier! If not, is this karma too!? If thats also not it, is getting to level 2 the prerequisite to entering the chatting room!? "Lets go now. Right now." [The dungeons location is being shown on the minimap.] However, contrary to his massiveining, he immediately nodded his head and epted the quest. He had been lonely since he hadnt had anyone to talk to, but a channel where he could talk to the other heroes inside the Empire? He would be lying if he said he wasnt happy. Furthermore, realistically speaking, this chatting channel would be helpful. The heroes agreed that their mission was to save the Empire. Then that meant they were on the same page. Lee Shin Woo hoped that the heroes deep within the Empire would each say a word or two to their junior. No wait, I might be thinking too optimistically since Ive been starved of human contact, but... in any case, Ill know when the channels open. As long as he behaved himself, Lee Shin Woo would be able to use this chatting channel effectively. He was extremely satisfied with the quest reward, nodded his head, and finally noticed thest phrase of the quest. [However, be cautious. The dungeon itself is safe from the curse, but those who were cursed and entered into the dungeon are not.] He tilted his head. The monsters inside the dungeon arent affected by the curse, but the heroes who had entered the empire have already been affected by it, so be cautious if you dont want to die, is that it? He was an undead that was blessed with immortality, so he didnt really worry about it too much. ...Alright, lets find a suitable dungeon nearby. Lee Shin Woo leaned against a nearby buildings wall and concealed himself; then, he gently closed his eyes and saw the minimap. Things like the monsters locations didnt appear on the minimap, but aside from that, it showed the surrounding area in fair detail. Lee Shin Woo tended to not have a good sense of direction, so showing the surrounding area would give him a solid sense of direction. There are three shining points above the minimap... Their size is subtly different; does the difficulty correspond with the size? There were three dungeons in the immediate vicinity. Right now, he couldnt tell what kind of monsters were in a certain dungeon, nor could he tell their difficulty level. He wouldnt know until he personally entered the dungeon. If thats the case, picking any of them should be fine. Lee Shin Woo started to walk towards the closest dungeon. First, he needed to get out of the ruined city; then he would need to go past the desert terrain, which was all he saw, to reach his destination. The surrounding area should be safe. Since those skeletons just stayed atop the castle wall. Of course, he couldnt afford to be careless. After all, a Treasure Eater had appeared in the external passageways, which could be considered the tutorial stage, just because a Lv2 item had appeared. Lee Shin Woo still wasnt confident that he could beat a Treasure Eater one on one with ease. The wall called levels was huge and sturdy. However, it would change soon. As long as he raised his stats by 9, that is. First, lets be cautious of our surroundings... He had been afraid of the Empire ever since he saw the quest alert window, and he hadparatively been recklessly charging forward until now. Even so, Lee Shin Woo had no choice but to be on his guard. He couldnt afford to be reckless, even when taking on level 1 skeletons as his opponents. However, fortunately, his concerns were unfounded. He hadnt encountered a single zombie or skeleton before reaching the dungeon that hid on the outskirts of the ruined city. ...Its strange though. Since he hadnt encountered anything, he was even more concerned. How could there be fewer skeletons within the Empire than the skeletons guarding the external passageways? To him, who had prepared for a much more dangerous fight with the Treasure Eater, he felt all his energy drain away. Perhaps its a matter rted to the dungeon. He didnt ignore this sense of disharmony. He returned his bow that he had taken out to intercept enemies from a far distance and tightly gripping the bone spear. Then, he cautiously moved forward, being watchful of his surroundings. His level 4 Beginner Spearmanship would be better than his level 2 Beginner Archery against a strong opponent. More importantly, his bone spear was at level 2. He felt more reassured when he held the spear than the bow. He recollected his faint experience in the army, and instinctively guarded in all directions poorly, and after a while of walking tactically, he finally arrived at the point that shimmered on his minimap. The problem was that it kept shining. I arrived but... So where exactly is the dungeon? Do I have to dig into the ground or something? The dungeon entrance was so well hidden that if the dungeons location hadnt appeared on the minimap, Lee Shin Woo wouldnt have been able to recognize it. He couldnt find it by looking at the ground, and it was a structure where he would find the stairway that led underground only after digging for quite a while, but honestly, there was a secret that was hidden here. And before he went through the effort of digging, Lee Shin Woo, fortunately, realized that. "Whats this pattern?" There was a pattern on the ground that faintly emitted light. Lee Shin Woo scrutinized it for a while and realized that the pattern didnt actually exist but was a trace of mana that had be fixed, albeit faintly. This does look like the dungeons entrance. What do I have to do for the mana to, oooh. The moment Lee Shin Woos bare bone came into contact with the trace of mana, the magic circle that blocked the dungeons entrance responded to Lee Shin Woo and started to strongly surge up. Lee Shin Woo instinctually directed the mana that was gathered in his bone and touched it. Then, it seemed as though a light more powerful than the pattern was emitted, and Lee Shin Woo absorbed it! At the same time, Lee Shin Woo saw a series of texts in front of him, like when he saw his status or quests. [Level 1 dungeon - You have received a permit to enter the Rural Rat Nest. All of your stats increase by ten in the dungeon. Info on the dungeon is added to your minimap. All your actions in the dungeon are buffed.] [Beginner Magic Affinity has be Lv2. Magic recovery rate increases.] The pattern on the floor naturally shut off, and the stairway that led underground appeared. If he hadnt learned Beginner Magic Affinity, he probably wouldve had to dig into the ground until he found the stairs. He also wouldnt have known that the dungeon was level 1, that his stats would be increased in the dungeon, or that hed be buffed inside the dungeon. Lee Shin Woo suddenly self-praised his choice (though it was more like a gamble than a choice) and went down the stairs into the dungeon. - Kwang The surroundings gradually got darker, and while going down the top of the stairway, suddenly the ceiling made a sound as it closed, and pieces of rock fell down in a flurry. If he were still human, he wouldve said it was dirty and freaked out, but after bing a skeleton, he didnt need to wash up. It was fine as long as he didnt take a lot of damage. I dont need to eat, dont need to bathe, and I dont even need to sleep. I might even have the greatest advantage in roaming around this undead nest. Just considering the fact that he was thinking so strategically about his undead situation meant that his thought process was already far different than when he was still human, but he wasnt self-aware of this. He was just curious when this stairway would end and busily moved his feet. But in the midst of that, his tension and his wariness helped to keep him from foolishly losing his life. [Keuhat!] "Ugh!?" The incident happened in a split second. Finally, at the end of thedder, he saw a stone floor exposed underneath, and while he was going down thedder two steps at a time due to his excitement, suddenly, a bright light attacked him from within the darkness. It was extremely fast and at the same time, powerful. Lee Shin Woo instinctually used Sprint and tried avoiding it, but despite that, the elbow of his arm not holding the spear starting from the bottom waspletely severed. "Ggeuuuuhk...!" Even though he had changed into an undead, he retained his sense of pain. The pain he received was naturally awfully huge. Still, Lee Shin Woo suppressed his desire to roll on the floor and raised his spear. He couldnt even tell where his opponent was, so getting angry at his injury was just a luxury right now! I was careless. I thought that the dungeon entrance would be ok. No, that wasnt it. He had put up his guard. His opponent was just too fast, and he just couldnt evade it. Even right now! Ugh! [Keuhaak!] By the time he had seen a glimmering light in the darkness, it was already toote. Lee Shin Woo hunched down without thinking the instant he felt goosebumps on his entire body. Something passed over his head, possessing both destructive force and speed. [Beginner Sprint has be Lv5.] "Shit!" After he had barely dodged his enemys attack, he grit his teeth and stabbed his spear forward. Until now, he had always thrust with the strength of both arms, but now, since he was gripping it with one arm, the force behind it wasnt like it was before. [Kuwaak!] "Ugh, damn it...!" His enemy couldnt dodge his quick counterattack and his spear did indeed pierce its flesh, but he could tell that it wasnt a fatal blow from the blunt feeling that was ryed from the spear. He withdrew his spear, desperately retreated back and grit his teeth. [Kuhaaaak!] "Why you...!" It was at that moment. He didnt know where exactly his enemy was, but after it yelled out a strange sound, the torches on the walls that no one knew about were lit in order and the whole area was slightly illuminated. Lee Shin Woo was finally able to see what his opponent looked like. [Geu...Geuuaaaah...!] It had rotting, decaying clothes, and simrly dressed down and dirty. There were cracks here and there on its body, and contrastingly, it wielded a long sword that gleamed silver... That was definitely a zombie. An undead...? Lee Shin Woo didnt think an undead would appear, yet one had appeared at the starting entrance. He didnt know what to think and momentarily stiffened. That was his mistake. [Guaaah!] His opponents rotten eyeballs rolled, and it advanced towards him, swinging its sword. Lee Shin Woo instantly lost his head. It was an absurdly nimble and sharp strike. You bastard...! Lee Shin Woo had been reduced to a head and rolled through the air. As he did so, the damn zombie that had killed him didnt stop looking at him until the end. He had vowed to never die again, and it felt unfair that he had lost one of his lives so futilely. They said that undead wouldnt appear in this dungeon, but the fact that an undead had suddenly appeared from the start pissed him off. At that time. [Invisible Heart has be Lv3. All stats increase by 3.] [97 levels remaining until the max level.] At the same time as he saw the message, he was familiar with it since he had seen it once... [Your total stat count is above 200. Would you like to receive level 2s karma? It is also possible to put it off briefly.] [You have encountered an Undead Hero (Lv2). If you seed in giving the Undead Hero peace, you will inherit the opponents Perium that he gathered until his death, as well as a permit for Gods secret shop.] His eyes were filled with the appearances of strange messages. Chapter 3 part2 An Undead Hero... Damn it, thats what it was talking about. Only after reading the message did Lee Shin Woo barely understand the meaning behind the message when the quest urred. The message, The dungeon itself is safe from the curse, but those who were cursed and entered the dungeon are not. wasnt talking about Lee Shin Woo, but of those who may have gone into the dungeon before him and had be undead! Its level two and its a hero too. So, if the other heroes die, they really are mercilessly turned into the undead. Right now, he wasnt even concerned about the reward for taking down the undead hero. Thats because he was instead thinking of how much Perium it had gathered before dying, and what he could buy with that money in the secret shop. But if there was something that concerned him, it was that the effect of Invisible Heart had increased all his stats by three, and his total stats broke through the 200 mark; he wondered whether he should ept the level up or not. ... Im strangely torn. Common sense dictated that he should immediately nod his head and level up. Though the enemy who lopped off his head was a zombie, it was still a level 2 hero, and if he wanted to kill it easily, he should also be at level 2. However, there was something that bothered him; it was the message stating that he could briefly postpone his decision. Why? Why would they need to ask that now? If he was only allowed one choice, telling him that he shouldnt proceed with that choice had absolutely no meaning! If thats not the case, then... do you perhaps get something for postponing your level up? Lee Shin Woo violently rolled his head as he saw the zombie hero confirm his death, return his sword, and turn around. What could be the reason for postponing a level up? And what would change as a result? [Keuhak... Keuhahat.] While he pondered this, the zombie hero hobbled away, slowly returning back to where it came from. When he looked at the zombie heros body, he noticed that it was badly damaged. Its entire body had sh marks, as well as traces of bite marks; its neck was especially damaged, as more than half had been cut off and the neck bone was struggling to keep the shoulder and neck together. ...Then... When he saw the wound, Lee Shin Woo was sure. He would postpone his level up to 2 and knew what he had to do, what he could do. No, he didnt need any more excuses. Thats just what he wanted to do right now. It was a desperate revenge. [Your advancement to level 2 is briefly on hold.] [Your body is reviving.] For now, he steeled himself and quickly proceeded with his resurrection. Even his once lost arm waspletely restored, and Lee Shin Woo lightly retrieved the Bone Spear that was rolling on the floor; and he silently, extremely silently stood up. The zombie didnt think that the skeleton it had just taken down had a resurrection skill, so it kept walking slowly. Heup... Die! Lee Shin Woo only properly aimed for the zombies neck, and forcefully took a step forward, simultaneously gripping his spear and strongly pierced forward. His stats were buffed by the dungeon, so his spear contained a force that he hadnt had just yesterday! [Critical Hit!] [You have learned the passive skill, Beginner Critical Hit Lv1! It will be easier to ascertain your opponents weak points, and you cannd a fatal blow.] [Kyaaaaaaaahk!] Its sharp scream screeched like a drill, and echoed throughout the clearing. His attack had definitely hit the mark, and he had seeded in shattering more than half of the zombies neck bone. As expected, he had a chance, even at level 1! Plus, his attack just now had caused him to learn the Critical Hit skill, so it was like killing two birds with one stone. [Kik, Kihaaaaahk!] "How dare you! Kyaaaaahk!" The zombie hero was extremely agitated, turned around, and attempted to sh him with its sword, but Lee Shin Woo pulled the spear lodged in its neck with all his might and cried out a shriek that wouldnt lose to the zombies. He had used his sole skill that utilized mana, the Shriek of the Dead! [By using the Shriek of the Dead, the enemies in the entire area have momentarily fallen into a frenzied state.] [Shriek of the Dead has be Lv2.] The instant it heard his shriek, the trajectory of the zombies sword stab greatly shook. Lee Shin Woo used that opportunity to safely pull out his spear and retreat. However, his (nonexistent) eyes were filled with unpleasant messages,pared to when he had swung his spear and shed the zombies neck. [The enemy resists the status ailment. It was unable topletely resist the effects, but it has recovered its reduced uracy rate.] [Kuhwaaaak!] "You piece of...!" The zombie had immediately regained its form and its sword was approaching quickly! Before it was toote, Lee Shin Woo grasped its swords trajectory, and raised his spear, using his Beginner Weapon Defense. However... - Kwajik (breaking sound) "Huh...?" Its quickly approaching sword had broken his spear into pieces, the bone spear that was level 2 and had been reinforced three times (+3)! Its force truly felt akin to lightning. However, despite the crazy situation, Lee Shin Woo frantically suppressed his unrest, and stabbed with a part of the split bone spear, shoving it into the zombies neck. The zombie screamed and retreated. "You piece of shit...!" [Kuwaaaahk!] He hurriedly picked up the remaining half of the splintered bone spear. However, because of the bone spear lodged in its neck, the zombie was worked up and attacked! Fortunately, the force behind its sword swing was definitely weaker than before. The damage it had sustained was critical. "Ugh...!" The moment they shed, Lee Shin Woo solely trusted in his instincts and used his Sprint skill, throwing his body at the zombie; and the zombies sword dangerously grazed the small of his back. A savage breaking sound passed by him, and Lee Shin Woo nimbly uprighted his body, and before the zombie could take a stance, he thrust the remaining bone spear piece in his hand into its neck! [Critical Hit!] [Ugh.... Kuhaaak, Keueeek...!] It had definitely hit the mark. Moreover, the unstable neck had two thick spears lodged into it, so the zombie couldnt even move, and merely floundered its hands around. The problem was that the sword within those floundering hands had a destructive power that couldnt be ignored and that it was cutting through the air. No matter how he thought about it, the zombies strength mostly came from its weapon, not its physical abilities. If not, there was no way that it would be able to easily cut through a level 2 weapon as if it were a straw! "Hoo..." Since he knew how frightening the zombies sword was, Lee Shin Woo didnt hastily approach, and instead, stayed back safely, and took out his bow and some arrows from his inventory. Although his Beginner Archery was only level 2, there was no way hed miss at this distance. He notched an arrow on the bowstring, carefully aimed for its head, and fired. [Gguaaaaahk!] It hit the mark. Of course, even with a headshot, a level 1 weapon wasnt capable of inflicting a fatal wound. Though the kic energy from the arrow unleashed a force that violently shook the zombies head, and as a result, it only received an intense shock, rather than damaging its unstable neck. "Here, have some more!" He shot another, and then one more. Its neck extended and sagged and was apanied by the sound of flesh tearing. Its sword, which continuously cut through the air, had momentarily stopped. Despite that, Lee Shin Woo didnt let down his guard, and once again notched an arrow, pulling the bowstring with all his strength, and... let go. [Critical Hit!] [The Beginner Critical Hit skill has be Lv2.] [Kehk...] The zombie muttered something, and the moment it took a step forward, its neck bone let out a horrifying breaking sound and broke. It couldnt bear its weight, so the headpletely tore off, and rolled onto the floor. Lee Shin Woo forcefully stepped on its head, which had rolled up to his foot, without hesitation. That was the moment his vengeance wasplete, and simultaneously, the moment his level up began. [You have defeated a Lv2 Zombie Hero. You have achieved a feat of defeating an enemy with a higher level than you. Agility and Magic permanently increase by 2.] [You have acquired a permit to ess gods secret shop. You have acquired 2,280 Perium.] [You did not submit to defeat and seeded in your revenge. Now, it is time for you to receive your karma.] [Lv2 Feather Bone Boots (+1), Broken Lv2 Bone Spear (+3), and the Lv2 Zombie Heros arm bones are absorbed through Bone Reinforcement. The Beginner Sprint skill has be Lv7. Strength has increases by 5, Agility by 10, Health by 5, and Magic by 15. Absorbing a portion of the Zombie Heros memories and experiences.] [You have learned the passive skill, Beginner Swordsmanship Lv1.] [You have learned the passive skill, Low Rank Bursting Thunder. Beginner Spearmanship(Lv4), Beginner Swordsmanship(Lv1), Beginner Weapon Defense(Lv1), and Beginner Critical Hit(Lv2) have been absorbed into Bursting Thunder. You have acquired 17% proficiency in Low Rank Bursting Thunder. [You have achieved a feat of acquiring a low rank skill. Magic increases by 5.] [The Bone Reinforcement skill has be Lv3. The skill effectiveness increases.] The instant his level increased, despite him not activating his Bone Reinforcement, the bones rolling around everywhere gleamed, and disappeared. The energy within the bones was absorbed into him. Even the Feather Bone Boots he was wearing! Fortunately, he was able to receive all the abilities within still intact. Ugh... my head hurts...! At the same time, memories were engraved in his head, overloading it. The Zombie Heros memories had obviously increased his level, and its knowledge of this world instantly flowed into him! Lee Shin Woo suppressed his desire to lose consciousness by gritting his teeth and organized and epted the flowing knowledge as calmly as possible. His body made a dreary sound as well, and was changing in real time. However, because he had such arge headache, he didnt really feel the pain from the evolution of his physical body. Urgh...! His feeble bones became thicker, and the shape of his bones looked more suited forbat, as well as more durable. Compared to his body, his excessivelyrge skull had reduced in size and became sturdier, while the skeleton which didnt have any dirt on it became slightly murky. Meanwhile, a brand was engraved on his forehead, emitting a faint red light. Right now, Lee Shin Woo thought the word meant avenger, though he had no way of knowing. It was proof that his decision to defer his level up and prioritize taking down the zombie was the correct choice. [You have be level 2. The effectiveness of your stats increases. Your inventory increases by 10 boxes.] [Due to your achievement, you have gained the ability of an avenger. You have learned the passive skill, Beginner Avenger Lv1.] How much time had passed since that message had appeared? He had frantically organized his brain and while he umted the knowledge, as well as the information, his front was filled with messages. For the first time, Lee Shin Woo realized that the pain that afflicted his body and mind had gone away. "Hoo..." He had gotten a hold of himself, surveyed his surroundings, and then took a sigh of relief. Despite themotion, no monsters had appeared. Perhaps the Zombie Hero he had fought had killed all the living beings in the dungeon. "Then, where?" Too many things had changed all at once. He needed to more precisely understand the dungeon, if for no other reason than to explore the dungeon. Lee Shin Woo briefly took a deep breath and muttered status. [Lee Shin Woo] [Skeleton Avenger Blessed by God] [Lv - 2(Status effectiveness 110%)] [Strength - 73 + 10 Agility - 77 + 10 Health - 61 + 10 Magic - 43 + 10] (While the dungeon bonuses still apply) [Passive skills - Invisible Heart Lv3, Acting Lv2, Beginner Avenger Lv1, Low Rank Bursting Thunder Lv1, Beginner Archery Lv2, Beginner Magic Affinity Lv2] [Active skills - Bone Reinforcement Lv3, Beginner Sprint Lv7, Beginner Shriek of the Dead Lv2] And then he suddenly realized that defeating the Treasure Eater or the Zombie Hero had been a miracle. Chapter 3 part3 Lee Shin Woo checked his status and couldnt hide his astonishment at all. Its not just a simple increase in stats, but it increases the effectiveness of my stats by 10%? So thats why theres such an obvious, overwhelming divide between level 1 and level 2! If this kind of calction is applied going forward, therell be an evenrger difference from level 2 to level 3, and level 3 to level 4. His eyes looked dazed just imagining it. He realized that he still had a long way to go. If he had known this information beforehand, he wouldnt have even thought about fighting the Zombie Hero. The only reason he could even win against it was because the damage to its body had been so severe. He had been extremely lucky. [Strength - 73 + 10 Agility - 77 + 10 Health - 61 + 10 Magic - 43 + 10] (While the dungeon bonuses still apply) The power of the level itself was amazing, but his stats, which had absorbed the Bone Spear, the Feather Bone Boots, and the bones that the Zombie Hero had left behind, were also quite impressive. Due to his stat bonus from dying, as well as the effect of his achievement, Bone Reinforcement had resulted in an intion of his stats.Losing the Lv2 Bone Spear was regrettable, to the point of tears, but it had caused him to grow since it had been broken anyway. Then how about... I have two new skills, huh. When he leveled up, he had acquired the skill, Avenger, and a skill from the Zombie Heros memory, Bursting Thunder. Because they had such grandiose names, Lee Shin Woo was concerned that they might be all looks and no substance, but it was just an absurd misunderstanding. [Beginner Avenger Lv1 (Passive)][Once you harbor a grudge on someone, they cannot escape. You will be buffed if you run from the battlefield, and you can find the opponent who defeated you on the minimap. When you fight that opponent again, all your abilities will increase by 20%. Every time your revenge is sessful, the skill grows.] He gained the Avenger skill on the premise that hell lose. It was definitely a great skill. However, it seemed like a strange skill that wouldnt have much opportunity for growth, so he was slightly lost in disappointment, but when Lee Shin Woo understood the meaning behind You will be buffed if you run from the battlefield, he came to his senses. Does it mean that its ok to run away for the purpose of revenge? If thats the case, then dying in battle isnt the only thing considered a defeat. ...It might not be such a simple skill as I had first thought. True, if defeat only came at the hands of a lost battle, then there would obviously be no point to this skill since not everyone has a resurrection skill. The method of using the Avenger skill was different from the other skills he had gained thus far and was caused by the effect of his actions. The potential growth of this skill depended on how he used it. Of course, there was still stuff he didnt know about the skill, so recognizing that there was potential in the skill was the best he could do for now. [Bursting Thunder Lv1(Passive)][A closebat fighting style that was created by a legendary hero; after it was enhanced by Gods power, this skill was born. As the greatest fighting style that includes all closebat techniques and defensive techniques that originate from unarmedbat, its power and speed are akin to exploding lightning and fatal. In order to properly demonstrate that strength, the techniques are naturally d in magic, but this is not possible at the current level.] On the other hand, contrary to Avenger, Bursting Thunder was an incredibly intuitive ability. For some reason, he was able to naturally understand why Spearmanship, Swordsmanship, even Weapon Defense, and Critical Hit were absorbed in the process of gaining the skill. It was a technique that included all closebat techniques! He didnt really need to say how amazing it was. It wasnt a technique that he could gain anywhere. By absorbing the bone that the Zombie Hero left behind, he had extracted the memories and experiences within. If it hadnt been for Bone Reinforcement...! For a legendary heros ability to be enhanced by Gods power. Theres no way that a Lv2 hero could have created it himself, so he likely asked for this skill from God. When he thought about it like that, he felt like hed scored. Hed be able to gain the abilities that God had given to the other heroes because of Bone Reinforcement! He had once again realized that that the Bone Reinforcement skills potential was unlimited.More importantly, it was amazing that the Bursting Thunder skill was at the low rank level. This was the first low rank skill hed obtained, and considering his achievements, he was sure that it was a high-rank skill, rather than low rank. Then,stly... lets take a look at the sword the zombie left behind. Honestly, when he defeated the Zombie Hero, he was most excited about acquiring its sword, not the level up, nor the acquisition of skills. Regardless of how experienced it was in Bursting Thunder, splitting a level 2 Bone Spear in a single strike was evidence that its weapons ability was umon. "Its over here." Since the Zombie Hero had already disappeared and was gone, it was easy to find the sword that was rolling on the ground. The sword gleamed in a blue light within the darkness and looked truly mysterious, so his anticipation continued to rise. However, the moment Lee Shin Woo excitedly grabbed the sword, something strange happened. The sword which had definitely been made of metal emitted a cracking sound and started to change! [Through the power of Bone Reinforcement, all weapons that you gain change into bone.][Lv4 Thunder Lasting has changed into Lv3 Bone of Thunder Lasting.] The weaponpletely transformed the moment he touched it and it became really short. The bone de radiated a delicate blue light, and the hilt became discolored, transforming into a ck bone... ...Bone? No, he ignored the impossibility of metal transforming into bone for now. How could a level 4 item instantly degrade into a level 3 item? What a waste!He thought everything would be good, but he didnt know that Bone Reinforcement would have such a fatal w. Until now, all the items he had acquired were made of bone, so he hadnt been aware of it at all! Lee Shin Woo was momentarily lost in a state of listlessness. If he was holding a level 4 weapon right now, he wouldve felt invincible...! No wait... Damn it, get a hold of yourself. I shouldve expected this kind of demerit. Moreover, it wouldve always been a demerit. Since Bone reinforcement would change all the weapons he acquired, hed be able to use the weapons he wouldnt otherwise be able to use.However, if he looked at the long-term, it would definitely be an advantage. He had no choice but to think that way for now. Tears flowed from his eyes (though they really didnt) and he checked the status of the weapon that changed to bone. [Bone of Thunder Lasting][Lv3][Durability: 750/750][Attack Power: 100 - 120][Options: Strength + 5, Agility + 5, Increases Effectiveness of Bursting Thunder + 10%) "Ugh, he probably got this from God, too." The abilities of the hero he had just defeated were lousy, whereas thetent potential of the Bursting Thunder skill was ridiculous; not only that, its weapon was also closely rted to the skill. In other words, it was likely that the hero, in exchange for being dispatched to this world, asked God to give it a skill and a weapon. When hepared them to the abilities hed gained, they seemed inferior, and aside from Bursting Thunder, there was a high possibility that the hero had gained other abilities, but he could care less since he didnt gain those abilities. Its definitely advantageous to have a high level weapon at the start but... this is the result. That was the only thing worthplimenting; that the hero had given to his junior. But hed probably forget about it soon. Despite the weapon degrading to level 3, the Bone of Thunder Lasting boasted strength thatpletely outstripped the Bone Spear. He tried swinging it around, and finally sighed, ridding himself of the regret of not obtaining a level 4 weapon. It was at that moment. [Questplete. The chatting channel is opening.] [Mr. Lee Shin Woo is entering.][Lloyd H.K: Hey, whats this? A newbie came in?][Seira Von Retadane: Hello, Mr. Lee Shin Woo. It shouldve been a hard decision to be a hero, so thank you for your bravery. Lets work hard in the future.] [Prince Altania: Anyway, what level are you newbie? 5? 4? Youre not level 3, are you? Please tell me youre not.][Lloyd H.K: He could start at level 3 and grow. Why are you discouraging someone who just came in?][Prince Altania: Damn it. Thats because if you finish the start at level 3, even if you desperately try to earn Perium, the limits level 5. Do you know how many Ive seen die like that?][Lloyd H.K: But I started at level 3 and now Im level 6.][Prince Altania: Youre... youre talented.] As soon as the chatting channel was opened, a few people hectically chattered away. It was called a chatting channel, but it was more like a group chat, so it was noisy hearing so many voices in his ear simultaneously. Despite that, he was so happy that he could hear other people talk that tears threatened to flow. To the point that he somewhat regretted that he didnt have eyes from which tears could flow. [Lee Shin Woo: Its nice to meet you, seniors. Please take care of me.] The moment the chatting channel opened, he instinctively understood how to use the channel, and gently bent his left pinky finger and spoke. He spoke both reasonably and calmly, to the point where it was difficult to believe that he had be a skeleton. No wait, a skeleton talking was strange from the start. [Lloyd H.K: Considering how courteous the newbie is... hed get along well with Retadane.][Seira Von Retadane: Its really nice to meet you. Youre still in the outer area, right? If you find something troublesome, please tell me at any time.][Lloyd H.K: See?][Shino Rendu[1]: So what level are you? ...Should I give you some Perium?][Lee Shin Woo: Im sorry, but why does my level or Perium matter?] Lee Shin Woo decided to ask what he was most curious about first. He thought that by diligently killing monsters, and stockpiling stats through Bone Reinforcement he would get karma. However, his senior heroes were synonymous regarding Perium and levels, so he couldnt help but be curious. [Shino Rendu: What? Are you kidding me?][Lloyd H.K: Shino, if he came out of the secret shop only buying equipment, he might not know yet.][Shino Rendu: Ah... is that possible? True, thats the time when youre most clueless. Sorry, newbie. I lost arade just a little while ago, so Im a bit touchy.][Lee Shin Woo: Thats alright, I understand, senior. I was shortsighted. It seems that there are items in the secret shop that correspond to level.] As Lee Shin Woo talked through the chatting channel, he felt a strange feeling. His personality was calmer than before, and he spoke respectfully; it felt like he had two personalities. It felt like he was wearing a mask... ah, he was using his Acting skill! [Shino Rendu: Fortunately, your brains not bad. Yeah, thats it.][Seira Von Retadane: Thats the significance of the secret shop. You hunt the undead flooding from within the empire, acquire Perium, and then, go to the secret shop to purchase a medicine that increases your stats. Through that, we surpass our limits and are then able to do a more difficult area. At the same time, the purification of the empire progresses. Its fine, even if your level is a bit low. Since Gods secret shop makes it possible for infinite growth potential.][Lloyd H.K: The higher your level, the more expensive the medicine costs... Do you know how much it costs to buy a single health drug? 300,000 Perium, damn it. Itd probably be faster to achieve a feat and increase my stats that way.][Shino Rendu: But achieving a feat aint easy. Alfy wanted to do that and overtaxed himself... Ha.] Lee Shin Woo was moved once he heard a senior heroment. He was suddenly sure that his request to God wasnt wrong.Of course, he knew that they all didnt have a special characteristic like Bone Reinforcement, but he didnt know that they had to go through so much trouble just to level up. If they had to go through this much trouble, then it was worthwhile bing bald and impotent! Probably! Please! [Prince Altania: While were on the topic, what level are you right now, Retadane?][Seira Von Retadane: Isnt Mr. Lee Shin Woo more important than me right now?][Prince Altania: Youre avoiding it again. So, newbie, whats your level?] Lee Shin Woo was briefly silent. He had just learned new information and suddenly realized how amazing his ability was, so his mind had be busy.However, if he was sure of one thing, it was that he didnt really need to tell them that he was level 2 and cause them to despair. There was the difference between the level they would ept, and the level he would ept, and in their eyes, his growth rate would seem excessively fast in the future. [Lee Shin Woo: Im level 4.][Lloyd H.K: Nice. If youre level 4, then theres still hope in this world.][Seira Von Retadane: Thats a relief. Then it seems like you wont hopelessly die in the outskirts.][Shino Rendu: Not bad. Hey, after youve properly armed yourself, make sure you get the medicine. Increasing your level should be your priority over everything else, your level. You already know, right?] Since he knew they would respond like this, he exaggerated quite a lot. He didnt even know how much he had to raise his stats to get to level 4, but he went with it for now. They had responded in the way he had expected. [Prince Altania: Still, youre not very strong, so you probably received a special feature based on your characteristics. What did you get? You didnt ask for something like increasing your level, shooting fire, or asking for a sword, right? Please tell me you didnt.] The abilities one receives when they cross over to Heguroa depends on how strong they were originally. Normally, in a fantasy world, a strong person wouldparatively get weaker abilities, while a normal civilian from Earth like Lee Shin Woo would receive the greatest of abilities. That bastard Prince was asking about that right now. [Lee Shin Woo: I got a skill.][Prince Altania: Good job! Seriously, good job!][Lloyd H.K: Your base is good. If he does well, he should be strong.][Seira Von Retadane: You did well. None of the skills that God grants are normal. Yes... how can we help Mr. Lee Shin Woo right now?][Lloyd H.K: Newbie, tell us about your current situation. Since well do what we can to help you.] Fortunately, his seniors seemed mostly amicable. He didnt know how many of his senior heroes were in the empire, but... he was slightly relieved and replied. [Lee Shin Woo: Im alright for now. If I get into a tough situation, could I please count on your advice then?][Lloyd H.K: Hey, you can speak a bit morefortably...][Yasunori Akira: Hm, its been a while seen weve seen a guy with somemon sense. If you can safely get to the capital, Ill put you in my party then.][Lloyd H.K: Akira, youre still not dead?][Yasunori Akira: You idiot, dont call me by my name.] Even by his standards, he was extremely polite to the point he felt goosebumps! However, Lee Shin Woo was definitely weaker than his seniors right now, so he decided that he needed to thoroughly bow his head for now. Plus, hes a skeleton right now! There was nothing wrong with always being careful, regardless of who he was dealing with. [Prince Altania: Yeah, when the timees, Ill give you some advice. Think of it as an honor.][Seira Von Retadane: If you always keep the chatting channel open, you wont be able to focus on the current situation, Mr. Lee Shin Woo. Please keep that in mind. Ill be praying for you to safely arrive at the capital.][Lee Shin Woo: Thank you for the advice. Then, Ill see youter.] Lee Shin Woo politely said his goodbyes and closed the chatting channel.He could no longer hear the voices that had pounded in his ears, and it felt lonely, but still, he had found a ce where he could chatter whenever he wanted, so he was delighted. From now on, he felt sure that hed be able to cope with this world. "Anyway, since a quest isnting up... its telling me to do as I please for now." It worked out well. Since he decided to clear the dungeon to adapt to his body, which had advanced to level 2, as well as his new skill, and weapon. Of course, gaining Perium and bones was his highest priority. "Hoo, then... shall we go?" He sighed satisfyingly and took a step forward into the dungeon. In order topletely adapt to this world, he moved his skeleton body. [1] T/N: Hes a man. Chapter 4 part1 He stared intensely, but there really werent any monsters at the entrance, not even one. Lee Shin Woo thought the Zombie Hero, who went into the dungeon before him, had probably cleared all the monsters. But he didnt know what monsters it had fought for its body to have be such a mess. "Jjik, Jjijik" "Ah, finally." He had been absent-mindedly running through the dungeon, without the appearance of a single monster for 10 minutes, and finally met a monster after he had traversed what he felt was halfway through the dungeon. If you took amon house rat from Earth and made it five times bigger, how disgusting and big would those rats be! Then, he remembered that the dungeons name was the rural rat nest. "Jjiiiiiiiiiiiiik!" "Heup..." From the outside, they looked weaker than the Skeleton Soldiers, but he didnt know what kind of abilities the monsters of this world were hiding! Lee Shin Woo exerted strength into his hand gripping the sword and cautiously took a step forward. At that moment, the Rural Rat exposed its brutally shining front teeth and lunged at him! Lee Shin Woo instinctually took a defensive stance and pointed his de at his enemy. It was such a solid stance that if a skeleton who knew Weapon Defense saw his form, it wouldve been satisfied with it. [You have defeated a Lv1 Rural Rat.] [You have received 5 Perium.] [You have acquired a Rural Rats rib bone.] "..." It was embarrassing to say that it was a single strike. He had exerted strength into his sword and positioned it so that it would hold back the rats charge, but the rat had charged into his sword by itself and died. Of course, it was also due to the fact that it was a fine sword, but just by looking at the amount of Perium dropped, he came to an obvious conclusion. The Rural Rat was ridiculously weak, evenpared to the Skeleton Soldiers! His tension loosened tiredly, and he felt despondent. Despite that, he instinctually picked up its rib bone and used his Bone Reinforcement. [Would you like to use the Rural Rats rib bone to strengthen your own bones? You can reinforce your rib bones.] "Reinforce." [Your rib bones have been reinforced. Absorbing a portion of the Rural Rats memories and experiences.] [Jjik! Jjijijik, Jjiiiik! - Rural Rat] Lee Shin Woo momentarily stood there and felt conflicted. What would be the point of exploring this dungeon now...? However, he soon got a hold of himself and hit his own cheek. An unpleasant sound rang out at the sh of bones. "If I can increase my stats by just one from these guys bones, then it would still probably be best that I procure them all. Yeah, now that Ive made up my mind, Ill clear out all the dungeons nearby." Itd be troublesome if he got arrogant just because he got a little stronger. The fact that he could grow this much despite not knowing magic or how to fight was all because of Bone Reinforcement! He soon decided to calmly and orderly proceed and stepped deeper into the dungeon. It seems that his senior hero hadnt stepped foot from this point onwards as more and more rats gradually popped out. Of course, he cleaned them up in a single strike, but he gradually had to put more force into his sword, so it seemed as though the rats health was gradually getting higher. [You have reinforced your ribs. Your health has increased by 1. Proficiency in the Beginner Stealth skill has increased by 3%.] [The Beginner Stealth skill has be Lv3.] [Jjijijijik, jjiiik? - Rural rat] Was it because he became level 2? Thats why the level 1 Rural Rat bones would barely increase his stats... However, just like howrvae are good at rolling, the Rural Rat species proficiency in the Stealth skill wasnt bad. Lee Shin Woo suddenly realized. All monsters have their own worth! I can only lighten my footsteps a little bit for now, but if I develop this skill, it should be really helpful when I need to run away from the battlefield. In other words, it would be best to use it in tandem with the Avenger skill. By killing the seemingly unimpressive rats, he had gained a skill with such amazing growth potential, so if he turned back after his first rat kill, he wouldve been really disappointed. "Jjijik... Jjiiiiiiik!" "Yeah, Im trespassing, so why dont you try screaming a little louder?" "Jjiiiiiiik!" Rats appeared everywhere and after taking care of them without much difficulty, he greedily absorbed their bones. After walking for a while, Lee Shin Woo realized that the path was getting increasingly narrow. Conversely, there were more and more rats pouring out, and stirring about, making it difficult for him. "Jjiiiik!" "Jjijijijik!" "Yes, yes." He was well aware of how this dungeon roughly intended to instill the trespasser with terror, but unfortunately, he was able to cut down all the rats that crossed paths with his sword. Lee Shin Woo felt like the path was bing just a tad bit stuffy. Moreover, as he traversed deeper into the dungeon, his body was bing more ustomed to the Bursting Thunder skill, so he was actually thankful if they changed up the conditions or the environment. With that in mind, he swung his sword, tip facing the ground, upward, and the Bone of Thunder Lasting surged up from the ground to the sky like lightning, brutally slicing through all the rats in the entire area. "Jjiiik! (No!)" "Jjik!! (Its in front...!)" The Rural Rats death rattles filled the narrow passage. While he reinforced his bones with theirs, he had finally mastered theirnguage, and he was naturally able to interpret the meaning behind their cries; he only felt a bit ufortable. Their desperate behavior only confirmed that there was something deeper within, but he had absolutely no idea what it was. If it was a simr environment to the dungeons he had heard about in FreeWebNovels or manhwa, then there should be a boss within but... Theyre showing way too much loyalty for it to be just a simple boss. The overly dense poption of rats in this area were fully showing their loyalty. Whenever he swung his sword, the rats filling the passage would all die by themselves, so around now, it was no longer skill training, but arm swinging training instead. Ultimately, he had no choice but to unleash a different skill. When it was overflowing with a mob of Rural Rats, he had the perfect escape from crisis skill to deal with them. "Tsk... Kuaaaaaaaaaaaaahk!" [Using Shriek of the Dead. The enemies in the entire area have fallen into a frenzied state.] [The Beginner Shriek of the Dead skill has be Lv3.] "Jjik, Jjijik!?" "Jjiiiiiiik!" The effect was astounding! The moment the Rural Rats, who had all rushed at him with the intent to kill, heard the shriek, they were startled, and soon, fought in a fratricidal war! When he saw the dirty blood and flesh stter everywhere, Lee Shin Woo suddenly trembled. This skill really isnt good for my mental health. However, if I train it, it might be more amazing than any other skill... He suddenly realized that Shriek of the Dead was obviously more effective the more enemies it targeted. How many enemies had been targeted for the skill to level up immediately!? "Jjik..." "Jjijik, Jjik..." "Well done. Now, rest in peace." He waited for themotion to calm down before he cleaned up the horrific area. After that, he gathered the rib bones without resting and inspected himself while using Bone Reinforcement. Despite spending close to a whole day concentrating all his efforts into killing rats and absorbing their bones, his health had only risen by 5; but in its stead, his Beginner Stealth had be level 4. Although he could definitely see himself walking, his movements were light, like the movements of a rat, though it was strange to even himself. "Ive gotten a bit more familiar with Bursting Thunder, as well as my body and the sword... Good." Since the skill was so amazing, he felt like he couldnt even unleash a quarter of the power within Bursting Thunder, but he could roughly imitate the appearance of the technique. For some reason, after swinging his sword in the air a few times, he nodded his head and looked ahead. There was clearly a disparate iron gate located there. I feel manaing from the gate itself. Since the mana within cante out, does it have the ability to imprison whatevers inside so that it cante out? He didnt have any idea how the dungeon was created, but when he looked at the gate, he thought that perhaps the dungeons were originally set up by God to protect humans from the monsters. Of course, now that all the humans who were supposed to be protected by the dungeons had be undead, they probably dont have much meaning anymore but... Heughed bitterly and ced his hand on the gate. At that moment, a message appeared in front of him. [Once you enter the boss room, you cannot exit until either you die, or the boss dies. Will you still enter?] "Yeah." He thought that perhaps the secret shop sold an item rted to escaping the dungeon, but he thought he didnt need it right now. He wasnt being arrogant; this resulted from his extremely calm decision. [Lv2 Rural Rat Queen] [Lv2 Ratman] The instant he entered the boss room, the first thing he saw were those two entities. Are the bosses normally a level higher than the dungeon? He couldnt tell yet. A rat that was iparable in size to the normal Rural Rats; the Rat Queen was stuck in a corner of the vast clearing, and the one standing in front of it was... Yeah, the rat standing on two feet was the Ratman. It was a ratmonly called a Were-Rat. Compared to mere Rural Rats, he felt a qualitatively different strengthing from it. "Kihik... Kihiiiiiiik! (You cannot touch the queen!)" "Kihek, Kihek, Kihek...!" Indeed. It seems like this dungeon was a small kingdom. A kingdom where all the rats serve the queen! By the time Lee Shin Woo had grasped the identity and location of his enemies, his enemies had also started the battle. The Ratman charged at him with surprising speed. At the same time, the Rat Queen began acting aggressively, and that, surprisingly, was childbirth! "Jjjik!" "Jjijijik!" [Lv1 Rural Rat Elite Soldier] [Lv1 Rural Rat Elite Soldier] [Lv1 Rural Rat Elite Soldier] "Oh..." When Lee Shin Woo saw the just birthed elite monsters following behind the Ratman and lunging at him, he eximed at the realization. The Ratman guarded the queen against trespassers, and the queen would birth soldiers in order to help the Ratman drive back their enemy. Honestly, for a level 1 dungeon, they had such an amazingbination that he had no choice but to recognize them. He had expected an incrediblyrge rat at best. "Heup!" However, at best they were enemies that appeared with strength befitting of a boss, but unfortunately, he had fought against the Zombie Hero at the entrance of the dungeon and won, growing to level 2. So now, a Ratman wasnt a strong opponent for Lee Shin Woo anymore. Thats because no matter how fast it moved, he could read its movements. "Kahahk!?" Lee Shin Woo used his Sprint and charged towards the Ratman whose nails were gleaming and was rushing towards him. The Ratman locked onto him and swung its nails, but at that moment, Lee Shin Woo aimed for its chest and stabbed. It was the stab he was most confident in. [Critical Hit!] "Kyaaaaahk!" "Jjik, jjiiiik!" Lee Shin Woo, as it were the natural course of action, pierced through the Ratmans chest. Was that all? He had simultaneously utilized Sprint causing the Ratman to be unable to endure the powerful force, pushing it directly back and causing it to roll to the floor. Its dirty blood scattered about through the air. Two of the Rural Rat Elites that had followed behind the Ratman collided with each other and rolled onto the floor. Lee Shin Woo had the energy to spare and he finished off the remaining, puzzled elite. [You have hunted a Lv1 Rural Rat Elite Soldier.] [You have acquired 15 Perium.] [You have acquired the Rural Rat Elite Soldiers rib bone.] When he set aside the Perium amount and looked at them objectively, the Rural Rat Elite Soldiers were stronger than the Skeleton Soldiers. Of course, even so, they would still die in one strike from Lee Shin Woo! Lee Shin Woo collected its rib bone for now and turned his attention. Even though blood was pouring out of its chest, the Ratman bravely stood its ground. He saw the queen, who was astonished by Lee Shin Woos ability, continue to birth rats at an even quicker rate. "Jjik, Jjiiiiik...! (Ill protect the queen no matter what...!)" "You left behind such a magnificent line, so you shouldnt have any more regrets." Lee Shin Woos red eyes sparkled and after checking the now standing Ratmans appearance, he prepared his Sprint skill. If he hadnt gained the Bone of Thunder Lasting, the fight would have gone longer, but it seemed like hed be able to end it in one more strike with the strength of his sword. "Jjiik...!" At that moment, something surprising happened. The Ratman raised both its hands and it seemed as though it was preparing to scratch him, but the next moment, all its nails popped out and flew towards Lee Shin Woo. There were ten in total and considering either the force behind the nails or the mana within them, it certainly wasnt an ordinary attack! "Ugh!?" Lee Shin Woo didnt think an original attack method like that existed and hurriedly swung his sword to parry the nails. He couldnt block a few of them as they lodged into various parts of his body, and though it was painful, he had fortunately blocked it from reaching any vital areas. If he hadnt learned Bursting Thunder, no, if he didnt have any experience in learning Weapon Defense before, he wouldve died once from this skill. "Kiiiiiiiiik! (Kill him!)" "Jjiik!" "Jjijiik!" During the brief instant that he blocked the nails, the Ratman led five Rural Rat Elite Soldiers and pounced on Lee Shin Woo. Though blood was flowing down both the Ratmans hands, it was staking its life to fulfill its vow, and moving to kill Lee Shin Woo. "Tch... Sprint!" Lee Shin Woo also didnt stay still. He immediately took the nails that limited his movement out, grit his teeth, and used his Sprint, charging towards the front. The Elite Soldiers tried to obstruct his vision by throwing their bodies at him first, but that wouldnt be able to hinder his movement now. [You have hunted a Lv1 Rural Rat Elite Soldier.] [You have hunted a Lv1 Rural Rat Elite Soldier.] "Jjik!" "Jjiik!" "Kuhwaaaahk!" "Huaaaahp!" The sound of the rats screams, the Ratmans shriek, as well as Lee Shin Woos battle cry mixed into one. In the corner, the Rat Queen was birthing Elite Soldiers even faster in order to take care of the trespasser. However, by the time the next batch of births wasplete, the situation had already beenpletely cleaned up. "Kik... Kihi... (My... queen...!)" [You have hunted the Lv2 Ratman.] [You have hunted a Lv1 Rural Rat Elite Soldier.] [You have hunted a Lv1 Rural Rat Elite Soldier.] With one sword strike, Lee Shin Woo killed the three monsters, including the Ratman, and nimbly swung his sword again, killing the other Elite Soldiers attacking him. The strength was truly like lightning falling from the sky and striking the earth. [You have hunted a Lv1 Rural Rat Elite Soldier.] [You have hunted a Lv1 Rural Rat Elite Soldier.] [You have hunted a Lv1 Rural Rat Elite Soldier.] "Ggiiik...! (How...!)" The Rat Queen spoke in a disbelieving voice. Lee Shin Woo was still intact and collected the bones and the Perium on the ground in one go. Honestly, he wanted to reinforce himself with the Ratmans finger bone first, but right now, he needed to check something first. It was the ability within the Rural Rat Elite Soldiers rib bones. "Bone Reinforcement." [You have reinforced your rib bones. Your proficiency in Stealth has increased by 5%.] [Jjjijijijijijijik! - Rural Rat Elite Soldier] "...So thats how it is." The crack in his ribs from the Ratmans nail throw was quickly healed. Was that all? His Stealth proficiency had increased by as much as 5%. He had predicted this, but it was much more effective than a normal Rural Rat! Lee Shin Woos eyes, which were gazing at the Rural Rat Queen, gleamed drearily. "Im curious how long you can keep giving birth now." "Jjik, Jjiik...!" The Rural Rat Queen faced the wicked skeleton and was struck with horror. Of course, all she could do was give birth, and just like he wanted, she gave him reinforcement materials... No, she had no choice but to birth Elite Soldiers. Chapter 4 part2 [You have reinforced your rib bones. You have absorbed all the memories and experiences that you can from the Rural Rat.] [Jjiiiii! - Rural Rat Elite Soldier] "..." "Jjii..." Lee Shin Woo wordlessly checked the message and turned his gaze away. There he saw the face of the dying Rural Rat Queen. It seems that she had a limit to her birthing, and no matter how much she tried, there wouldnt be any more Elite Soldier births. "What great timing." He couldnt be sure since he didnt have a watch, but he had killed the Elite Soldiers that she had birthed and Reinforced himself with the bones they left behind; he had already done this several dozens of times or more, and it felt like he had stayed here long enough. In the end, he hadpletely mastered the rat bones! It was a task that caused him to recollect his time ying an RPG; he left his character in a suitable hunting ground and used his macros to farm. "Jjik, Jjii..." "Yeah, youve done well. I hope youre reborn as a rat that Cindere takes care of." Lee Shin Woo spoke tenderly and swung his sword, cleanly decapitating the queen. At that moment, Lee Shin Woo heard the sound of a trumpet ringing in his ear and his eyes were filled with messages. [Level 1 dungeon, Rural Rat Nest, clear. Magic has increased by 1.] [You have gruesomely ughtered all life within the dungeon. You have gained 1 ughterers token.] [You have gained the dungeon clear reward.] The queen only left behind arge bone and some Perium, and soon after withered away and disappeared. However, when Lee Shin Woo was picking up the bone and the Perium, he found a wooden box where the queen had disappeared. It was a small and frail box that seemed like it would rot away immediately. It was definitely the dungeon clear reward. "Hoo, now lets see." Lee Shin Woo opened the box. There was a book and a money pouch containing Perium inside. Lastly, there was also a dagger inside, but it didnt transform despite him touching it, so when he looked at it again, it was, fortunately, a weapon made of bone! [You have acquired the Lv2 Bleeding Tooth.] [Bleeding Tooth] [Lv2] [Durability: 450/450] [Attack Power: 18 - 36] [Options: When you attack, there is a fixed chance that it will inflict the Diseased status ailment.] "Strictly speaking, this isnt a bone... Well, whatever. There are teeth on a skeleton too, so its probably something like that." Whether teeth were bones or not from a medical perspective, the important thing was that it hadnt transformed and hadnt lowered in level. There are probably authors who insist that the tooth shouldve changed since its not technically bone, but he was willing to assassinate them all. [You have acquired 1,500 Perium.] [You have acquired the Beginner Stealth skill book.] "It was Stealth!?" He was, of course, familiar with and expected that itd be a skill book. He had been secretly, really excited since he thought itd be a new skill that would increase his overall fighting ability, but... to think itd be Stealth, something that hed trained to death in this dungeon! His teeth trembled, and he stored the book. He was already familiar with the skill, so he felt like familiarizing himself with the skill wouldnt do anything and nned to sell it at the secret shop. "When I put it all together, the dungeon reward isnt anything special. Its probably cause its a level 1 dungeon... Tch." He wouldnt be able to appease himself withoutining. Lee Shin Woo sighed and checked the items remaining in his hands. They were none other than the Ratmans, as well as the Rat Queens bones. "Now that itse to this, youre my only hope... Bone Reinforcement." [You have sacrificed the Ratmans finger bone to strengthen your own bones. Agility and Magic have increased by 1. Absorbing a portion of the Ratmans experiences and memories.] [Ggiiiiiik! Ggihik, Ggiiiiik! (The pain of losing a part of my body is nothingpared to the pain of losing the Queen!) - Ratman] You asshole, even your dying will is way too cool! Moreover, he was able to roughly figure out what skill he would gain from this bone by automatically interpreting this guys lines. Lee Shin Woo sported an insufferable expression and checked his hand. Hmm, as expected, there werent any nails. Teeth are acknowledged as bones, so why arent nails...? "This is gonna be a skill in name only..." His agility and magic, which became harder to increase after bing level 2, had increased by 1 each, so he shouldnt feel disappointed, but... still, he couldnt help but be disappointed. However, he gripped the Rat Queens bone, hoping that it would give him a better skill, but ended up with a ridiculous result. [You have sacrificed the Rural Rat Queens pelvic bone to reinforce your pelvis. Health has increased by 1, and Magic by 2. Absorbing a portion of the Rural Rat Queens memories and experiences.] [Ggii, Ggiiiiii! (Ah, ah, my adorable children!) - Rural Rat Queen] "..." Why did it have to be the pelvic bone...? No, its probably not. ... It isnt, right? As the feeling of nausea shot up, he wasnt able to control his queasiness, but Lee Shin Woo tried really hard not to think about it anymore. Then, a message appeared at an opportune time. [The dungeon will soon copse. Please escape before its toote.] "So, its done its job, then it disappears, huh. ...Good." He briefly took a deep breath and turned around. He could already feel the dungeon starting to vibrate slightly. Lee Shin Woo wanted to check the ughterers token too, but it seemed like hed have to do that once he got out of the dungeon. Lee Shin Woo took another deep breath, used his Sprint, and started running. Small fragments of rock were falling from behind him, as well as emitting ominous sounds. [Lee Shin Woo] [Skeleton Avenger Blessed by God] [Lv - 2] [Strength - 73 Agility - 78 Health - 82 Magic - 47] [Passive skills - Invisible Heart Lv3, Acting Lv2, Beginner Avenger Lv1, Low Rank Bursting Thunder Lv1, Beginner Archery Lv2, Beginner Magic Affinity Lv2, Beginner Stealth Lv7] [Active skills - Bone Reinforcement Lv3, Beginner Sprint Lv7, Beginner Shriek of the Dead Lv3] "Nice." The first thing he did once he got out of the dungeon was check his status, and those stats made him incredibly pleased. Just before entering the dungeon, his stats hadnt even reached 200; although his Invisible Heart had activated once, his stats had risen to a sum of 280. He didnt know how much his stats needed to be to get to level 3, but he was sure hed be able to reach it soon. Moreover, my low health haspletely overtaken my strength and agility. The Rat Queen, which had appeared as the dungeon boss, had yed a huge role in that. Because it had birthed several hundreds of Elite Soldiers, he was able to raise his stats a lot, even though they were all level 1. He was also able to raise his Stealth to level 7. Now my bones shouldnt break, even if theyre hit fairly hard. His increase in health through his level up had certainly thickened his bones, as well as made them sturdier; when he tapped his bones, Lee Shin Wooughed satisfyingly. Then, right on time, the dungeon he had escaped frompletely copsed and a message appeared. [A quest has urred!] [The callousness and the cruelty you showed in the dungeon has awakened the karma of a ughterer. However, you are still too weak, and your enemies were even weaker; ultimately, you did not receive the whole karma, but just a token of it. If you are truly confident that you can bear the weight of the karma, then gather 10 ughterers tokens, andplete the karma. You should already be well aware of the method.] [Quest reward - 1 permit to the gods secret shop, and 1 exclusive equipment.] "Now that I think about it..." He thought it would be a quest like Youve gone through a dungeon, so go deeper into the Empire now and annihte the undead!, but instead, he got a quest thatpletely broke his expectations. It reminded him of an item he had forgotten about and pointed him in a direction where he could grow, so it was as if God was personally telling him youre still too weak to get a proper mission, so get as strong as possible through a quest. How could it be 10? I dont have to go through 10 dungeons, do I? Theres no way hed have to go through that many. Still, it would definitely be a long journey. Lee Shin Woo wondered whether or not hed be able to gain a new quest while progressing through this one and became a bit uneasy, but he had no choice but to get a move on for now. [ughterers Token] [A fragment of a ughterers karma. Once you gather 10 tokens, the karma will be whole. It only has meaning when you gather them with your own strength. Since you have gained your first fragment, it bes easier for you to gain the same token of karma in simr situations.] So, the tokens do have meaning after all. Does it mean that it bes easier to get the rest since Ive already gotten one? Lee Shin Woo was definitely concerned about the hard to understand andplex factors, so he decided to not think about it too hard. He had even thought about asking his seniors in the chatting channel, but if this was a rare case, it may inversely cause them to pay more attention to him, so he decided not to. Even he thought the ughterers karma wasnt normal. Then, shall we get going? Firstly, his goal was to acquire the 10 ughterers tokens before he became level 3. Lee Shin Woo inwardly set his goal and quickened his steps. He tightly gripped the level 3 weapon in his hand, the Bone of Thunder Lasting. [Lv2 Treasure Eater] [Lv2 Treasure Eater] Thats right. This treasure drew monsters that he was already familiar with. Two, at that! [Guooooooooooooooh!] [Kuaoooooooooh!] "No wait, all these guys live nearby?" Honestly, these Treasure Eaters (Lee Shin Woo had encountered a Treasure Eater for the first time in the external passageways), had gathered and targeted his senior hero (they were enemies that would be rtively difficult to face for the other heroes), who had entered the empire with the then level 4 version of the Bone of Thunder Lasting. His senior hero had probably been injured and exhausted from fighting so many of them, so he had run away into the dungeon and had died, but Lee Shin Woo obviously didnt know the story up to that point. There was only one thing important to him right now: because of his seniors efforts, the Treasure Eaters had all gathered in this area. Not to mention, they had lost the level 4 item in the past and were really pissed! [Gguaaaaaaaaah!] [The Treasure Eater used the Shriek of the Dead, but it was nullified by the Invisible Heart.] It mustve really wanted his treasure, as one of the Treasure Eaters immediately used its Shriek of the Dead as soon as it saw him. The shriek rang out far and wide and resulted in something Lee Shin Woo hadnt expected; a gathering of the undead. And that was good news for him right now. [Patrolling... Discovered monsters... Skeleton... engaging...] [A newbie...?] The newbie enthusiast skeletons gathered one or two at a time. There were skeletons he was familiar with, like the Skeleton Soldiers or the Skeleton Archers, but surprisingly, there was also a huge skeleton with arge bone sword amongst them. [Lv2 Skeleton Warrior] It was the first skeleton he had seen sinceing into the empire that was level 2, the Skeleton Warrior! If he fought it one on one, Lee Shin Woo would alwayse out on top, but he wasnt sure he could take on a group of them since he wasnt sure about their level of strength yet. "Paul, its good to see you! Hurry and help me!" [Its also... good to see you...] However, he was just d that that strength was on his side right now! Especially since it was just as brainless as a Skeleton Soldier! [Helping... the newbie...!] [Requesting... reinforcements. There are a lot... of monsters...!] Weak Pauls and strong Pauls came from various ces. However, that gradually made it more hectic, and more Treasure Eaters appeared, as they caught a whiff of it. The situation had fallen into utter chaos. And Lee Shin Woo froze when he coincidentally identified one of the newly arrived Treasure Eaters. [Lv3 Treasure Eater] "Thats crazy, a level 3 monster...? And its a Treasure Eater at that, so its much stronger than normal enemies!" He was sure. Considering how the level 2 Treasure Eater had been vastly superior in strength to the level 2 Ratman, who had appeared as a dungeon boss, the Treasure Eaters were definitely elite monsters! [Kuwoooooooooooh!] [The Treasure Eater used the Shriek of the Dead, but it was nullified by the Invisible Heart.] However, to think that the first level 3 monster he sees would be a Treasure Eater... It seemed as though Lee Shin Woo had a strong rtionship with that monster species. If another hero had heard that, they would think of him as a walking lottery ticket. Since the Treasure Eater was truthfully an elite monster, and it was harder to encounter one than taking one down. I might use the Avenger skill for the first time here... Even while Lee Shin Woo wracked his brain for a way to get the most benefit out of this situation, he raised his sword in one hand and bravely yelled out. "Were going with the siege destruction formation; use the siege destruction formation! Move faster, Pauls!" A fierce battle began between the skeletons, led by a swindling skeleton, and the Treasure Eaters. It was a battle that the one in the external passageway couldnt bepared to! Chapter 4 part3 One way or another, the battle had gone on for 20 minutes, and Lee Shin Woo cleanly decided against using his Avenger skill against the Treasure Eaters. While the Pauls were fighting against the Treasure Eaters, he used his Beginner Stealth and tried to covertly escape the battlefield, but it was impossible to escape their sight, especially when their goal was his Bone of Thunder Lasting. Still, I cant use my weapon as bait to run away. Ultimately, I have to clean up all of them here before I can proceed... Lee Shin Woo sighed and raised his head. He saw four Treasure Eaters that only watched him and followed him. There was no point to a beautiful girl chasing after him right now, let alone a caterpir... How exactly am I supposed to take care of all of these? Truthfully, as the Pauls bones fluttered in the wind, they were busy acting violently, and somehow managed to take down two of the Treasure Eaters. It wasnt hard tond a fatal blow if their swords boasted a high attack power.The problem was that he didnt have the opportunity to collect their bodies as the other Treasure Eaters ran amuck, eating theirrades body and treasure whole. Even though they were the same species, their avarice didnt lessen one bit. Moreover, it seems as though they became stronger when they ate theirrades bodies, so it was truly nuts. [Kuwoooooooooh!][The Treasure Eater used the Shriek of the Dead, but it was nullified by the Invisible Heart.][Beginner Shriek of the Dead has be Lv5.] Due to the Lv3 Treasure Eaters Shriek of the Dead, Lee Shin Woos own Shriek of the Dead grew. He realized for the first time today that even if he didnt use the skill personally, it would increase his proficiency, as long as he was exposed to the skill. [Ugh... Traitors of... the Empire...!][Ill get my revenge for... General Seagald here...!] But whenever the Treasure Eaters shrieked, more than half of the skeletons he had gathered fought amongst each other; the fact that the numbers dwindled genuinely made his bones hurt. No, now that he thought about it, they knew about General Seagald! Exactly how popr could he have been!? "You idiots, get a hold of yourselves! Yourerades!"[Over there, too... An enemy...!][Hes holding... a nice sword...!][Execute him... and report...!]"Ah, shit." He wondered why his genuine scream hadnt caused the skeletons to get a hold of themselves. Rather, he had been targeted by the skeletons who were out of their minds due to the Shriek of the Dead. This is why they say kids are ruiningics these days! "Sseup..." It wasnt the time to leisurely take on skeletons right now. Though they had killed two Treasure Eaters, there were four remaining, and there was even a level 3 Treasure Eater amongst them.Fine, since itse to this, its time to counterattack! Lee Shin Woo got atop the roof of a building that had been destroyed by the Treasure Eaters rampage and shrieked. "Kuaaaaaaaaah!" [You used the Shriek of the Dead! The enemies in the entire area have momentarily fallen into a frenzied state!][The Lv3 Treasure Eater has resisted the Shriek of the Dead.] At that moment, the atmosphere of the entire area felt like it had calmed down the few skeletons that had been attacking him, as well as the huge caterpir shaped monsters crazily crawling towards him... The Treasure Eaters even stopped as if they had been stunned. "...Hmm?" At that moment, Lee Shin Woo thought that it was impossible, but that impossibility had taken hold of those people, no those monsters. The Treasure Eaters started to fight amongst themselves!If they werent cognizant that they were allies anymore; the prey they were most hungry for were obviously members of their own species [Gguaaaaahk, Ggueeeeeeeeeehk!] The Lv3 Treasure Eater, the only one to resist the Shriek of the Dead, tried to pull them apart and got between them, but it had the opposite effect. Like how the skeletons had tried to attack Lee Shin Woo, the Treasure Eaters also started to attack the Lv3 Treasure Eater without fear. "Wow, this is huge."[Kiek!] While the Treasure Eaters were tied up in fighting amongst themselves, Lee Shin Woo cleaned up the skeletons running amuck. The Treasure Eaters were level 2 and possessed the Shriek of the Dead themselves, so he didnt think it would work, but that was also his bias. As expected, before he used it himself, he couldnt know how it would turn out. He had gotten another good experience this way. [New...bie...?]"Die... Youve recovered, Paul? You dumbass, I was worried about you!"[Thanks... Joining...] The moment he was about to shatter the Skeleton Warriors head with his Bursting Thunder skill, it had recovered from the effects of the Shriek of the Dead. Upon seeing that, Lee Shin Woo quickly withdrew his sword and patted its shoulder. Even while being dazed at Lee Shin Woos words of concern, it followed behind him. "Those who have recovered,e over to this side! We cant do anything by ourselves, but if were with ourrades, we can do anything!"[I feel strength... from the newbies voice...!][Over here, this way...!][Kugegegegek!] He coaxed the unscathed skeletons nearby and finished cleaning up the rest of the afflicted skeletons. Within the mayhem, all of the level 1 skeletons had already died, but the level 2 skeletons were fairly intact, and as a result, he gathered 15 Skeleton Warriors. "Those wicked beings that are destroying the empire, lets take them down together! Lets pool our strength into one!"[Defeat... together...!][Energy... is rising!] [Acting skill has be Lv3.] The Skeleton Warriors,pared to the Skeleton Soldiers or Archers, were rtively solid. That was especially true regarding their fighting spirit, which had been ignited from Lee Shin Woos speech. But their idea of a system ofmand was still a mess, and just by him speaking a bit bravely, it felt a little bit like they had, at some point, recognized him as their superior. Though it was the best thing that could happen to him. [Kuook... Kuheeeeeeeeeek!] Meanwhile, at around the same time that Lee Shin Woo had rallied the Skeleton Warriors, the Treasure Eaters were suddenly finishing up their bloody battle. In the most awful way at that. [Kueeeeeeeeeek!] Above the wreckage of the now ruined building, the sole remaining Lv3 Treasure Eater cried out as the winner. After being half torn apart and eaten, the corpses of the other abandoned Treasure Eaters truly looked pitiful. But Lee Shin Woo wasnt very surprised, as he knew about halfway through that this is how it would turn out. "I can get all the treasure if I take care of that one guy anyway. And it got a lot of injuries from fighting too..."[Report to... superiors...!]"Yeah, yeah, I got it. But we gotta take down that guy first, right?" Although they didnt even have any superiors to report to, the Skeleton Warriors kept talking about superiors, so Lee Shin Woo adequately appeased them, and raised his sword high. It was a sort of provocation towards the Treasure Eater.Despite the thick dust filling the environment, due to the chaos that had urred everywhere, his raised Bone of Thunder Lasting radiated light. Despite it changing into bone, the de still gleamed with light, a truly mysterious sight. [Kuhaaaaaaaaaa!][The Lv3 Treasure Eater used Shriek of the Dead, but it failed due tock of mana!] "Nice timing. Lets go, guys!"[I got it!][Protecting the Empire...! Thats the will of... General Seagald...!] So, what the hell did General Seagald do!? No wait, I heard that asshole plotted treason! [Kuaaaaaaaaaaah!] As soon as the Treasure Eater failed its Shriek of the Dead, it seemed to be extremely uneasy, as it faced the charging Skeleton Warriors and cried out a manaless shriek for a while. Then, it charged forward. Its force came close to that of a speeding lotive! The Skeleton Warriors tried to charge at the Treasure Eater and foolishly attempted it head-on... "Dodge what attacks you can! Well survive and protect the Empire!"[Oh, Ooooh...!][Ill follow... your words!] He used his Sprint and leaped high into the air. The words Lee Shin Woo had blurted out seemed to stir a feeling within each Skeleton Warrior, as they changed their minds and engaged in evasive maneuvers. Of course, there were some who couldnt keep up with the Treasure Eaters speed, so they were struck in the front, but luckily those guys didnt die in one hit, endured, and lodged their bone swords into the Treasure Eaters flesh. Even when its rotten, its still a herring[1]; its worth surviving for this long! "Bursting Thunder!" Due to these guys efforts, the Treasure Eaters charge had been halted; Lee Shin Woo aimed for that timing and attacked. Since it had risen to its utmost, he aimed for its head and plummeted down; he pierced with his sword, striking down with force akin to lightning. [Critical Hit!][Gguweeeeeek!] Though Bursting Thunder was nothing more than a passive skill, the moment he shed against an enemy with a melee weapon, following the harmonization between his bodys movements and his mana, an explosive force would ur, to the point that it could rightly be called a mystery. If it had been at the intermediate level, this battle would already be over. And even if the skill was only low rank right now, after going through the dungeon, he had somewhat familiarized his body with the technique, so his sword strike was enough to exert a force akin to lightning against the Treasure Eater. "Here, take one more!"[Kuwaaaaahk!] He could also interpret simple words now. It was saying that it hurt terrifyingly. Lee Shin Woo radiated light and dodged the Treasure Eater spewing rotten blood. He used his Sprint to jump again and safelynded on the ground. He saw some Skeleton Warriors who hadnt been able to dodge its rampage and get crushed. "Dodge, even if you have to roll on the floor! And stab your swords into that guy!"[Ugh... as a warrior, as a soldier...! Ill face it!][Avoid it...! You have to avoid its attacks so that you can protect the Empire...!][Were the Empires proud warriors...!] The true intent behind his words was its hard for me to beat this guy alone, so you guys cant die on me already!, but the Skeleton Warriors took it as encouragement.Now, regardless of what he said, the Skeleton Warriors fighting spirit was increasing. He thought briefly, Is this what it feels like to be a religious leader of a pseudo-religion?. If the God who made him into a skeleton was to see this scene, her blood pressure would rise and would feel unsteady. In any case, I have to finish it before it recovers its mana. Wevee more than halfway, more than halfway...! He checked the Treasure Eaters condition, as well as the Skeleton Warriors condition, and intensely calcted how he should move next.If it seems like it was distracted by the Skeleton Warriors, he would provoke it by swinging his sword within its sight; and if it seemed like a lot of Skeleton Warriors would remain while the Treasure Eater was gradually umting damage, he would cold-heartedly lead them to their deaths. This situational decision making was an ability that he always had. [Kuek, Kuheeeeek...!] How long did that gruesome battle go on? Through one of the Skeleton Warriors brilliant sacrifice, Lee Shin Woo blocked the Treasure Eaters attack and forcefully struck with his sword. The moment he cleaved its rotten belly, the Treasure Eater coughed intensely and spewed out a blood clot. "Now, guys! Gang up on him!"[Keuhaaaaahp!][For the honor... of the Empire!] While it was dying, they had to rush it! Lee Shin Woo bobbed his hand, sending the signal, and the Skeleton Warriors simultaneously charged at the Treasure Eater. The Treasure Eater had be a mess and one by one, the Skeleton Warriors swords lodged deep into its flesh. [Kuhek, Kueeeeek...!] The Treasure Eater spat out another clot of blood and was in pain. It was undoubtedly in a fatal state! Lee Shin Woo raised his sword and forcibly yelled. Now it was time to harvest the fruit of this long and distressing battle! The siege destruction formation (or ganging up) had paid off! "Were all the way there! Charge, I said charge! Stab more forcefully!"[Killing it!][If Im with you... I can go anywhere!] The Skeleton Warriors charged behind Lee Shin Woo while saying words that felt somewhat burdensome to him. However, talking about the conclusion first, this became Lee Shin Woos greatest miscalction in this battle. [Kik... Kigihiiiiiiiiiiii!] The Treasure Eater spewed out a blood clot, raised its rotten eyes, and gazed at them. Immediately after, from within the blood clots, mes... "Oh, hey wait a sec..."The blood clots exploded in a grand fashion and covered the entire area! [1] T/N: Its a saying that means something thats originally good wont wear out/change and/or someones nature/integrity wont change. Basically, hes saying that they still have their skill, even after theyve degraded into skeletons. Chapter 4 part4 [Treasure Eater uses mes of Resentment! Scorching mes cover the whole area!] [Critical Hit!] The Lv2 Treasure Eater didnt have that skill though! But he couldntin. After all, when Lee Shin Woo realized that it was a higher level, he shouldve been suspicious that it had an ability that the Treasure Eaters up until now didnt have. Because he was sure he had grasped victory, Lee Shin Woo had forgotten his sense of danger and acted recklessly; it was his mistake. Its really a good realization. If Ie out of these mes alive, it should be a profitable trade. Lee Shin Woo didnt hold back, using all his strength in an attempt to get out of the scarlet mes that covered the chaotic battlefield no matter what. Though it wouldnt be over if he died here, he cant always rely on Invisible Heart! The fact that hed instinctually opened his inventory and grabbed his bone arrows the moment of the explosion was truly a wise response. Even though the strength contained in each individual arrow didntpare to the bones left behind from hunting monsters, they would at least be enough for first aid. Bone Reinforcement, Bone Reinforcement! Use them all for Bone Reinforcement! The bone arrows werepletely used up, and then his body, which had been entirely burnt by the huge explosion, was instantaneously healed. Since they were just normal bone arrows, they didnt leave behind any experiences, memories, or skills, and his stats didnt increase either, but it was enough that he had fortunately avoided an instantaneous death. Of course, he wasnt out of the woods just yet. Bones... I need more bones! Fortunately, the battlefield was filled with the bones of the skeletons that had died prior. However, the bones themselves were burning within the malevolent mes, so he would have to hurry up if he wanted to use them for Bone Reinforcement. It was a relief that his circumstantial judgment was quick as he was soon able to collect several dozens of bones. Bone Reinforcement! Bone Reinforcement! [Your arm bone has been reinforced.] [Your leg bone has been reinforced.] [Your shoulder bone has been reinforced.] [Your arm bone has been reinforced.] He couldnt get anything more from the bones from regr Skeleton Soldiers anymore. But they would still heal him if he used Bone Reinforcement, and he saw his reddish bones barely return to their natural color. Of course, immediately after, he saw an even stronger me rushing towards him, and he once again found himself in a dangerous situation. It was at that moment that he realized what a cmity fire was. Even more so since they were magical mes! Steve, you asshole...! Bone Reinforcement, Bone Reinforcement! [Your arm bone has been reinforced.] [Your palm bone has been reinforced. Strength has increased by 1. Absorbing a portion of the Skeleton Warriors memories and experiences.] [You have to sh even harder. Were the swords of the empire! - Nameless soldier.] Finally, the Skeleton Warriors bones were starting to get mixed in. Its healing effect was even better! Lee Shin Woos eyes gleamed and moved his body even faster. He needed to collect even more of these precious bones before they burned up! [Your arm bone has been reinforced.] [Your palm bone has been reinforced. Absorbing a portion of the Skeleton Warriors memories and experiences.] [Its pointless if you swing your sword a thousand times but not manage to cut your enemy once. Our goal is to precisely kill an opponent with only one swing. - Nameless soldier] [Your palm bone has been reinforced. Strength has increased by 1. Absorbing a portion of the Skeleton Warriors memories and experiences.] [The imperial army is strong. We have to make everyone looking at us understand that. - Nameless soldier] It seemed like he was being tested in reaction speed, and endurance at the same time. Even if he reinforced his bones to the point that he was breathless, he didnt know whether the Treasure Eaters me would subside or not, and even if it did, it wasnt like he could just sit there and do nothing, else he would quickly die. Since itse to this, he had thought about just dying once and resurrecting, but the more that came to mind, Lee Shin Woo obstinately decided to endure. He had already died twice. That meant that if he hadnte to the empire without any extra lives, he would already be dead. He couldnt ept bing dependent on that technique. I cant die easily... Bone Reinforcement! [Your palm bone has been reinforced. Absorbing a portion of the Skeleton Warriors memories and experiences.] [I did it! There was magic in my sword just now! - Nameless soldier] He quickly sprinted through the raging mes and found bones. When he couldnt find any more bones, he attempted to escape the raging mes, but to his shock, those mes stuck to his body and didnt let go easily. It was almost as if the Treasure Eaters resenting will resides within the mes, gritting its teeth, and saying that it would kill him. And that wasnt a misunderstanding. The surviving mes were tightening around his neck. Then... If he didnt kill the Treasure Eater, these mes wouldnt disappear. He had realized this instinctually. The moment he was sure of it, Lee Shin Woo found the Treasure Eater and turned his body. The mes had already spread in all directions, and it was a situation where he couldnt even see properly, but the mana within these mes that stuck to his body was leading him. He himself thought it was strange that he could feel the mana, despite feeling the pain of his entire body being burned. Its this way. Dont they say that if you want revenge on someone, youd have to dig two graves? This skill was truly like that. Its mes of Resentment was a skill that burned its opponent by using its own blood and mana as fuel. Those two things are obviously closely connected to its lifeforce and magic. Right now, Lee Shin Woo could feel that connection. In this urgent situation, his ability was growing at an exponential rate. [The Beginner Magic Affinity skill has be Lv4.] [The Beginner Magic Affinity skill has be Lv5.] Damn it! The fact that his Magic Affinity skill had increased was definitely something to be happy about, but it was bing harder and harder to push through the mes and run. He didnt have any more bones to reinforce himself with, his bone body burned, and he could feel his ability gradually slipping. [The Beginner Magic Affinity skill has be Lv6.] [The Beginner Sprint skill has be Lv8.] Sprint... Sprint! Whenever he fought a hard battle, he only increasingly hated and regretted the him who was attached to the past. Damn it...! But his health was gradually dropping, and it was at the moment he felt it drop; the moment he prepared for death and grit his teeth, the mass of mana inside his body changed his mind, and he felt it spread all across his body. [You have learned the active skill, Beginner Regeneration Lv5] His bones, which felt like they would crumble, were saturated with magic and instantly returned it to a healthy state. More than anyone else, Lee Shin Woo was able to ascertain its effect. It was truly a simple skill; it would consume mana to regenerate the body! It was the same for bones! Lee Shin Woo was curious as to how he had learned this skill, but he didnt have the time to leisurely think about it right now. When he regained his energy, he used his Sprint and kicked off the floor, jumping into the sky! There you are! Lee Shin Woo, who had briefly escaped the sea of mes, caught sight of the wriggling and moving Treasure Eater. Like him, the Treasure Eater was dying. But... [Kuhi... Kieeek...!] It was sitting wickedly in the center of the mes, and then widened the distance; it then moved around as if it were drawing a circle. He felt like it would wait until he died and then the Treasure Eater would collect the treasure. Lee Shin Woo was already pissed off, but he was also annoyed that he couldnt do anything to it right now. He was way too far from it! It was great that he had awakened the Regeneration skill at the right time, but it had the disadvantage of using up magic. This meant that hed run out of mana before he was able to take it down. Even so, its not like I can shoot arrows from the sky...! Unfortunately, his knowledge of archery was shoddy. Even if he had the skill, he had used all of his arrows back then to heal himself! Even while he grit his teeth, his body felt the force of gravity and was falling back towards the me scorched ground. While falling, Lee Shin Woo suddenly, without any thought, naturally raised his left hand. [The passive skill, Beginner Archery Lv2 has been expunged.] [You have learned the active skill, Beginner Catapult Lv5.] That feeling that he had experienced just a moment ago dominated his body. It was the feeling of awakening a skill! Following the Beginner Regeneration, he had awakened the Beginner Catapult skill! Urgh! The brief and powerful pain apanied his left index finger being pulled out, and just like the name implied, it shot out like an arrow. Most of the mana he had remaining was inside of that projectile. Its uracy, as well as its speed, were iparable to mere Beginner Archery; it cut through the air, burrowed into the middle of the Treasure Eaters forehead, and in the end, prated through it. Since it had truly happened in the blink of an eye, Lee Shin Woo himself couldnt track its pathpletely. [Gguiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiik!] However, the result was clear. The moment Lee Shin Woo dreadfully fell into the mes, the Treasure Eater gasped a horrific death rattle, and fell heavily with a thud. Immediately after, the mes that had been stuck to his body, as well as the mes filling his surroundings cleanly dissipated. He stood dumbfounded and lines of messages started appearing before him. [You have defeated a Lv3 Treasure Eater. You have achieved the feat ofmanding yourrades and defeating an enemy that was at a higher level than you. All stats permanently increase by 2. You have acquired the passive skill, Command Lv1.] [You have acquired the title, Treasure Hunter! Whenever you hunt monsters or explore a dungeon, it will be easier to acquire higher ranked rewards. The title box is open.] [As a reward for your feat, the proficiency of yourbat rted skills increases. Low Rank Bursting Thunder has be Lv2, Beginner Stealth Lv8, Beginner Shriek of the Dead Lv6, Beginner Catapult Lv6, and Beginner Command Lv3.] It was extremely hectic. He was sure that the skill he had used at the final moment was the skill he had gained from the Ratman, and he didnt think itd have this much force. It felt really empty where he lost a finger, but he had gained the Regeneration skill just in time, so whenever he gets enough mana, he can just regain the bone. Wait a sec, did I perhaps get the Regeneration skill from the Queen? Lee Shin Woo recalled the Rat Queens ability, who had birthed the elites, and he automatically nodded his head. Regardless of how much mana it had, that number of births was rare and beyond measure. However, if it had a healing ability, he could understand that many births in that short amount of time. Catapult, which would pull out a finger andunch it, and Regeneration which would restore that bone... who would have thought I would find such a perfect match in the same dungeon. In any case, he had survived because of those two skills. He thought it wouldve been better had they awakened a bit earlier, but... he couldnt be too greedy. Because he had moved so intensely, he had also grown. "Hoo, then... Wow, its a proper annihtion." After he was sure that he wasnt at risk of dying anymore, he carefully stood up and surveyed his surroundings. There was nothing to survey. Since everything had turned to ashes. He couldnt find any Skeleton Soldiers or Skeleton Warriors bones. He did see some of the greatswords that the Skeleton Warriors had used remaining, but there werent any spears. Seeing that, he realized that the Skeleton Warriors were better with a sword than a spear. "Ill pick you guys upter. More importantly..." After Lee Shin Woo checked that the other Treasure Eaters bodies had cleanly disappeared, he turned around while tears slightly flowed (even though he cant cry). Despite him having no way of restoring them... he still had the biggest reward left. The reward known as the Lv3 Treasure Eaters corpse. Chapter 4 part5 "Your big bro doesnt expect much, Steve. May you spit out a piece of level 4 bone equipment." Lee Shin Woo muttered unpleasantly and approached the Treasure Eater. It was stiff, looking exactly like a cicada that had fallen from a tree and died, and its rotting flesh and its burns were covered in blood; it wasnt exactly a great sight, but right now, to Lee Shin Woos (nonexistent) eyes, it looked like a stack of gold. "Hoo... Heup." It wasnt anything special, so why was he shaking? Lee Shin Woo gently approached and with his index finger (that he regenerated with his mana) poked the body. At that moment, the body divided into particles of light and fluttered away like spring cherry blossoms. He was able to see an undeadpletely disappear, and saw it naturally regress into mana for the first time! And he saw the inside of the orbs of light dropping onto the ground. These were the items that the Treasure Eater had left behind as it departed this world. [You have acquired the Lv3 Treasure Eaters skull bone.] [You have acquired 14,960 Perium.] [You have acquired a Lv2 Iron Spear. It has transformed into a Lv1 Strong Bone Spear (+5).] [You have acquired a Lv2 Iron Shield. It has transformed into a Lv1 Strong Bone Shield (+5).] [You have acquired a Lv2 Blessed Rose Tree Staff. It has transformed into a Lv2 Blessed Bone Wand (+3).] [You have acquired a Lv3 Dire Wolf Bone Armor.] He had acquired the Treasure Eaters skull bone, 14,960 Perium, as well as a total of four items. Lee Shin Woo checked his list again and despaired. "So, I really cant collect the bones from the other Treasure Eaters..." Amongst the treasures that they possessed, a portion of them had entered the Lv3 Treasure Eaters storage organs, and he was able to collect them. However, due to this assholes mes of Resentment, he couldnt collect the other Treasure Eaters bones. He thought that perhaps it would also store the others bones when it swallowed down the treasure, but that was just a silly dream. He had gone through such a tough ordeal, yet he hadnt been able to procure the elite monsters bones; Lee Shin Woo had realized that he had won this battle through reinforcing his bones, so in many ways, this situation was a bitter pill to swallow. "If I learn magic, I should learn magic that extinguishes fire from my bones first... However, it wasnt all bad news. First off, the rewards main dish, the treasure that the Lv3 Treasure Eater kept hold of dearly, was, fortunately, equipmentposed of bone. [Dire Wolf Bone Armor] [Lv3] [Durability: 800/800] [Defense: 100 - 115] [Options: Increases Health by 20] "If I just look at the abilities, its really simple, but..." In many ways, it was an item that didnt seem very excitingpared to the grand Bone of Thunder Lasting, but despite that, the Dire Wolf Bone Armor was plenty amazing. Thats because its goal as defensive equipment was to protect the body, and it did that thoroughly. This upper body armor, created out of auburn dyed dire wolf bones, was ridiculously sturdy, though he didnt know how they had processed the bones. It was sturdy to the point that hed find it troublesome and turn back if an opponent wearing this showed up. That was obvious since it was a piece of level 3 equipment. Moreover, just by wearing it, his health would increase by 20; it would increase his overall defense as well as increasing his stamina. Lee Shin Woo immediately equipped the armor. Regardless of how much hed leveled or how muchrger hed gotten, he looked like just a normal Skeleton A who appeared in a beginner dungeon; but wearing this quite nice armor, and holding the Bone of Thunder Lasting, he had strength that wouldnt make him envious of other considerable, named monsters. As expected, items are the best. Good, its perfect. I shouldnt hear them call me newbie anymore. Aside from that, there was other good news. The Blessed Rose Tree Staff transformed into a Blessed Bone Wand, and despite being level 2 equipment the item level hadnt even decreased, and on the contrary, had actually been reinforced. [Lv2 Blessed Bone Wand (+3)] [Lv2] [Durability: 350/350] [Attack Power: 10 - 15] [Options: Increases Magic by 11, Increases Magic Casting Speed by 11%, Increases damage taken from living foes by 11%] "In other words, theres no guarantee that the change into bone is necessarily a downgrade." It depended on the item; like in this case, when the change urred, it would be stronger, or perhaps the item may even increase in level. He felt much better, at leastpared to when he thought that the item would always decrease in level. Of course, he didnt really have a use for the wand right now, so he shoved it into his inventory. "Good. Shall we get to to the real main dish?" The main dish was the Treasure Eaters skull bone, which he had ced carefully on the floor. He picked up and raised the skull, and felt an unusual magic contained within. He could tell there was an intense heat that dwelled within. Lee Shin Woo remembered the skill of the Treasure Eater that had threatened to annihte him and the Skeleton Warriors alike, as well as pushing them into a crisis; after gulping down, he carefully activated his skill. "...Bone Reinforcement." [You have reinforced your skull bone. Magic has increased by 15. Absorbing a portion of the Treasure Eaters memories and experiences.] 15! His magic had increased by as much as 15 all at once. He was attacked by the pain of the sudden change, but he was already somewhat prepared for it, so Lee Shin Woo calmly endured it. He just followed the movement of mana. Within the pain that felt as if his head was being twisted, new mana welled up and expanded through his body; the mana was truly a refreshing sensation. Ah...! While that went on, a tiny me bloomed within that mana. The instant Lee Shin Woo was about to exim after discovering it, it instantly swelled without him able to grab hold of it, andpletely filled his entire body! For a split second, a ck me rose up and then disappeared. Lee Shin Woo realized that the me couldnt harm him. A strong will dwelled within those mes. That was none other than his own will. [You have learned the active skill, Beginner mes of Revenge.] [Beginner mes of Revenge Lv1(Active)] [An Avengers tenacity is put into their magic and manifested in mes. It will pursue andtch onto your target and will not extinguish until you run out of mana, die, or your opponent dies. It can be extinguished by someone with higher Magic than you. It is also possible to incorporate the mes into your weapon.] Huh? The skill it had used was definitely the mes of Resentment. But for the skill name to change? Lee Shin Woo was puzzled by the name change but honestly, it was extremely obvious. Thats because when he reinforced his bones, he would just get the objects memories and experiences, but he wouldnt get the skills intact. In other words, his own memories and experiences would be added to the skill that was manifested based on the persons memories and experiences, so it was always possible that it would result in the skill taking on apletely different form. Like when he had absorbed the Ratmans finger bone, he had awakened the Catapult ability, rather than the Ratmans ability tounch its nails. "...Hoo, now Im feeling a little better." After the pain, as well as the dizziness from the sudden increase in magic had passed, Lee Shin Woo shook his head and got a hold of himself. He felt like the inside of his mind was much more refreshed. Though it was honestly still empty! Alright, shall we adapt and move around our body? He had collected everything the Lv3 Treasure Eater had left behind, but there might be some loot still on the battlefield that he hadnt collected. Even if he were to exclude the Skeleton Warriors greatswords that he could easily see, there may be bones buried under the ashes! As a result of him searching the entire area for 30 minutes, Lee Shin Woo collected 15 Lv1 Long Bone Swords (+5), 1 Lv2 Treasure Eater lower jaw bone, 3 Skeleton Warriors palm bones, andstly, 2,560 Perium. The fact that even 1 Treasure Eater bone was left intact was truly a happy asion, but... the problem was that it didnt end with him just acquiring the bone. [You have acquired The Tricksters token.] "... Whats this?" Lee Shin Woos features frowned when he saw the gold coin in the palm of his hand, depicting a bizarre man wearing a helmet and shorts, with a spear in one hand and a trumpet in another. Naturally, the exnation for the item came up. [The Tricksters token] [The token of a scammer who hates harmony, instigates disorder, and can plot anything. One is plenty enough, while two is too few.] "..." When he had first gotten the ughterers token, he was pretty sure he remembered that it would definitely be easier to obtain ughterers tokens than other types of tokens. And he thought that hed done plenty enough here for him to earn another ughterers token. However, what is this? Trickster? What the hell is this? Is it saying that he had to gather both the ughterers tokens and the Tricksters tokens? Lee Shin Woo furrowed his (nonexistent) brow and the moment he agonized over it, he observed the familiar distortion of mana. It was obviously a notice for a quest. [The quest, ughterers Token has been canceled.] [A new quest has been created.] "...Ha." [A New Maniptor] [The faces you possess are extremely numerous. And not one of them is the truth. If thats the case, fool everyone. If you do so, you can be anything! To be more specific, including The Tricksters token, gather 10 different karma tokens.] [Quest progress - Tricksters token 1/1, karma tokens 2/10] [Quest reward - 1 Lv6 Weapon Tricksters arm bone] "Wait a sec!?" Different individual karma tokens? Is it telling him to gain other karma tokens like how he had gained the ughterers token and the Tricksters token? Didnt the quest difficulty go up outrageously!? He thought about why he got this kind of token. He had thought that him acting like the Skeleton Warriors ally, leading them, as well as making them fight against the Treasure Eaters mightve had a huge effect but... still, the reality is way too harsh! He didnt even know what conditions hed have to fulfill to get the other karma tokens, and yet he had been given this quest; what the hell is a Trickster for him to get such a quest!? "...Itll be fine if I just ignore it, right? It probably wont be much of a problem." Thats what he said, but it actually weighed on his mind considerably. It was a quest that had appeared after chewing up the ughterers token quest. He couldnt help but be curious. He wouldnt have to gather 10 Tricksters tokens, but including this one, hed have to gather a total of 10 different karma tokens... Ugh... its not like anything will happen right away by exerting myself, so lets think about it carefreely. Ultimately, Lee Shin Woo decided to positively put this off. Rather than rot his brain from thinking too deeply about this, he decided to instead do his best when ites to a situation where it seems like hell be able to progress the quest. After he decided to do so, he felt a bit more relieved. Anyway, the quest reward changed, so its be kind of awkward to use the permit for Gods secret shop right away. He had pushed through the dungeon and the Treasure Eaters all at once, so he hade to possess a fortune of 25,000 Perium in no time. Whether he buys a bone or a magic book; he had enough of a fortune to reinforce himself! ...Is what he believed. However, since he didnt have a promise for when he got his next permit right now, he refused to use his remaining permit without careful consideration. In the end, Lee Shin Woo sighed and changed his mind. He would continue to do what he had been doing first... in other words, cleanly mop up the level 1 dungeons in the nearby vicinity, and then go to the secret shop. Ive decided, so shall we hurry? Lee Shin Woo gently closed his (nonexistent) eyes and after checking where each dungeon was, he gripped his Bone of Thunder Lasting and hurried his steps. He had grown rapidly after the intense battle, and his steps definitely contained more strength than before. He was currently level 2, and his stat total was 323. He was confident that he was growing at a ridiculous rate. Perhaps even beyond his own imagination. Chapter 5 part1 Since it was underground, it seemed normal to be unable to tell how much time has passed, but depending on the time, the Underground Empire would brighten and then darken, and then repeat. From what he had heard, the magic originating from therge scale magic spheres, that were set up and attached to the extremely high ceiling, made it possible, but it wasnt really important to him. [Mr. Lee Shin Woo has entered the chatting channel.] Within the silent darkness, Lee Shin Woo gently leaned against a rotten, decaying old tree, and then checked the chatting channel. [Lloyd H.K: Newbie, youre not dead yet, right?] [Lee Shin Woo: Since youve been worrying about me, Im still alive.] [Lloyd H.K: Good, youre doing well.] Naturally, Lee Shin Woo didnt need to sleep (not like he could), so regardless of whether his surroundings were light or dark, he continued to move; but he was mentally exhausted after clearing another dungeon following the battle with the Treasure Eater, so he didnt feel like moving. Therefore, he decided to rest using night time as an excuse, as well as snoop around the chatting channel. [Lee Shin Woo: Senior, youre not going to sleep?] [Lloyd H.K: I feel like Ill be ok for about four more days.] [Lee Shin Woo: Aha.] Perhaps that guys also undead, he thought, but there was no way hed be. It was just that the higher ones level was, the higher their physical abilities, so the less sleep theyd need. [Prince Altania: Lloyd, how are you always in here? Youre not in here all day, are you? Please tell me youre not.] [Lloyd H.K: Shut up. Im actually getting ready to give a group of undead a proper beat down, you know.] [Prince Altania: Well, it seems like youre still diligently doing those hero quests that dont give you much of a reward... Just quit it right now. I discovered a level 5 dungeon, you know? If you want, I can put you in my party.] [Lloyd H.K: Hmm... send the location to my personal channel. Ill finish up here and go immediately.] [Prince Altania: In the end, youre still going to do the quest. What an amazing sense of duty.] A personal channel. Contrary to the chatting channel, a personal channel allowed heroes to send messages to and from each other, and it hadnt yet opened for Lee Shin Woo. Of course, even if it opened, there wasnt anyone to really use it with. [Shino Rendu: A dungeon? Hey, let me in too.] [Prince Altania: Youre still level 5. Dont you know the fundamental rule; that you need to be one level higher than the dungeon youre entering?] [Shino Rendu: Ugh, thats true, but...] [Lloyd H.K: Sorry, Shino. Ah, I need some help here, do you think you could help me out? I can also share the quest with you.] [Shino Rendu: Its fine.] [Mr. Shino Rendu has left.] [Lloyd H.K: Oh well... Its quick going from level 5 to level 6. I should encourage himter.] [Prince Altania: Lloyd, you nanny...] Lloyd and the Prince spoke about this or that, and it seemed like they were quite close. It must mean that theyve spent a lot of time together after they dropped into this world. Lloyd was good-natured and honest while the Prince was immature and said whatever he wanted; it did seem like they were a goodbination. [Ms. Ye Jin Jin has entered the chatting channel.] [Ye Jin Jin: E-everyone. Have you all seen it, too? That thing!] [Lloyd H.K: Oh, its been a long time, newbie. Now that I think about it, youre not a newbie anymore. Did you know that you have a stronger junior under you now?] [Prince Altania: Ye Jin Jin? I havent seen you in a long time, so I thought you were dead.] [Ye Jin Jin: I-Im not dead, you know! But more importantly, a stronger junior...? Ah, thats not it. The horse is the problem right now, the horse!] [Erian Ruparte: ...A horse? Jin Jin, what horse?] Lee Shin Woo half listened to what his seniors were chattering on about and rested. He held a circr chip in his hand that looked simr to a gold coin; it had a muscr warrior wielding a greatsword engraved on it. [The Fighters Token] [A warrior who never looks back and struggles valorously. To a fighter, any n, or aid is but a hindrance.] "So, this doese out..." He did want to obtain these tokens, but he didnt know what hed need to do to obtain them. For him to just get one for clearing a dungeon... If he were to quibble as to why this token came out, he thought that it was due to him pushing through the dungeon in a straight line without using any skills. I had wanted to raise my Regeneration skill, but I got flustered since I didnt get hurt at all. When he had fought against the Treasure Eater, Lee Shin Woo had significantly grown in battle experience, as well as stats after his battle with the Treasure Eater, so he could no longer feel any danger from level 1 dungeons; he had put forward his Bone of Thunder Lasting and pushed through the dungeon. He had intended to train his Regeneration skill by using it whenever he was injured and thus increase his proficiency in it, but the dungeon was too easy, so he hadnt been able to use his Regeneration skill. The boss was level 2, but its attack power, as well as its endurance, were just a little bit higher than the Ratman. But he didnt need any other skills aside from Bursting Thunder to take it down. After thoughtlessly clearing the dungeon like that, he had gained the Fighters token. Since he had gained something, it was worthwhile pushing through the dungeon so ignorantly. Perhaps... it might be better to hold onto a solid singr concept to get other karma tokens. By ughtering, he gained the ughterers token. By pushing through the dungeon in a straight line without the use of skills (perhaps the time it took to push through the dungeon or hisbat style had an effect), he had gained the Fighters token. In a battle where he had fooled the Skeleton Warriors, and lead them to their deaths, he had gained the Tricksters token. If it followed that logic, then he thought it might be best to pull the other abilities he possesses into a single concept in order to clear the quest. However, he smiled bitterly. Ha, talk is cheap. What concept is he even supposed to choose? Moreover, there wasnt any guarantee that hed continue to face easy battles that hed be able to plow through without using all his strength. Regardless of how hard he tried to think positively, his head just hurt, so he just stopped and shook his head. [Ye Jin Jin: Im telling you its true. A Skeleton Horse that can run extremely fast! Its really scary and really fast!] [Yasunori Akira: ...What crap. If it were an undead, then itd be hostile to humans. Have you forgotten the basics?] [Lloyd H.K: Newbie... No wait, youre not. Ye Jin Jin. Exin it in more detail. First off, its really an undead, right?] [Ye Jin Jin: Thats what Im saying. It was all bone, and where its two eyes should be, deep blue goblin fire was burning... its as scary as a named Skeleton Knight!] [Prince Altania: A Skeleton Knights nothing, whether its named or not.] [Erian Ruparte: Sir Altania, Jin Jin is still level 3. Please fix that insensitive speech habit of yours.] His seniors were still busy saying strange things in the chatting channel. However, Lee Shin Woo thought since skeleton heroes exist, a skeleton that just runs wasnt very strange, so he stopped paying attention early on in the conversation. [Lee Shin Woo: Then, Ill get going so I can rest.] [Lloyd H.K: Alright. Please dont die.] [Ye Jin Jin: Ah, youre the newbie, huh! Its nice to meet you! If you dont know something, you can ask me!] [Prince Altania: That newbie is stronger than you, you know. Just take care of yourself.] [Ye Jin Jin: Ugh...] Lee Shin Woo gently smiled as he heard the voice of a frustrated young girl and left the chatting channel. Despite being cursed and sent down to this distorted world, the fact that there were a lot of others who were trying their best to survive aside from himself became more than just a smallfort for him. Hoo, then lets go to the next dungeon. His energy had returned. Lee Shin Woo energetically stood up and hurried along the path to the next dungeon. His goal: gaining a token for every dungeon clear! He already had a concept in mind that hed use to clear the next dungeon. He had both the Stealth and Catapult skills, so he thought that if he bnced them correctly, he would get an assassination rted karma as well as the corresponding token. Stealth is also fun the more you do it. I think I can do it with a beginner level skill, as long as my enemies dont discover me first. Lee Shin Woo, who realized that Stealth was an effective skill that didnt take up a lot of mana, was training his Stealth whenever he fundamentally moved. He had learned everything there was to Stealth from the rats. He would lower his body, move closer to the darkness than the light, and make as little noise as possible. If he grasped the direction he heard someone approach from first and avoided them, he probably wouldnt be discovered. [Gu...wooooh...] Like right now. Huh!? He survived because he was using Stealth. He was really thankful for his senses right now! Lee Shin Woo saw a giant monstere out from the darkness and into the moonlight; he desperately calmed himself down so that he wouldnt make a sound. He didnt even know where it popped out from! [Theres nothing... to eat...] [Lv3 Giant Zombie - Edward L. Baker] Thats crazy...! This was a real named monster! It was simrly level 3 like the Treasure Eater, but he felt an iparably brutal spiriting from the zombie. Its movements were slow, but its frame was so big that it seemed to move several meters in a single step; its huge eyes that constantly swayed around were a rotten yellow, inciting a feeling of disgust. Above all, a faint green mist was spreading from its body and when he slightly touched it, a message appeared. [You are being exposed to the Elite Giant Zombies Acid Poison. Please hurry and escape the hazardous area and begin treatment.] It was only a touch, yet he was afflicted by a horrific pain. However, he would be discovered if he made a sound, so Lee Shin Woo frantically endured and slowly, extremely slowly moved while maintaining Stealth. Just a little more, just a little... [There are... no bodies...] The sight of his own legs melting away was an extremely horrific experience. And just through its presence alone, it had created that horrific scene; the fact that he had to hastily run in the current situation infuriated him. However, his life came first right now. After all, he had sworn that he wouldnt let his Invisible Heart activate from now on! He moved with his superhuman endurance and got as far as possible from the zombie. Fortunately, its senses seemed dull like a true zombie, as it didnt notice Lee Shin Woo and started to walk slowly in the opposite direction. [If I just eat... a little more...] The Giant Zombie, Edward, spoke ominously until the very end and disappeared into the distance. After Lee Shin Woo was sure that hed managed to safely escape the range of the Acid Poison, he sighed in relief, and once again promised that hed continue to maintain Stealth when he was outside of the dungeons from now on. It was really fortunate that the zombie hadnt shown up when he had fought the Treasure Eater! Then. Lee Shin Woo activated his Regeneration. He had collected a heap of level 1 monster bones from the previous dungeon in case of an emergency (level 1 monster bones wouldnt raise his stats anymore), but since he had mana, he didnt need to use up the bones. Rather, it was better to increase his proficiency in Beginner Regeneration when he could. Regeneration! [Activating Beginner Regeneration. Consuming mana to restore the body.] [Beginner Regeneration has be Lv6.] His Regeneration responded fiercely as the zombies Acid Poison had almostpletely melted away the lower half of his body. To the point that the skill leveled up! The mana responded vigorously with a faint light within the darkness. As expected, not using his Regeneration the instant he sustained an injury was the answer. If he had, the Giant Zombie wouldve noticed him, and he wouldve died on the spot. At any rate, the armor is really great. Because the Acid Poison was in the form of a gas, it got inside his armor and did indeed melt his upper body, butpared to his lower body, the damage was minimal, to the point that he couldnt see any damage to the armor with the naked (nonexistent) eye! I have to quickly get some lower body armor too. He immediately vowed after checking that his body was fully healed. It would be ideal if it were excellent equipment like the Dire Wolf Bone Armor, but if thats not possible, a level 2 item is fine, too! But when he pounded on his legs and tried to hurry along, a message appeared. [You have acquired a target for the Beginner Avenger skill. When you fight it again, all your abilities increase by 20%.] [You have achieved the feat of escaping from an enemy, despite them being at a higher level than you. Agility has increased by 2. Beginner Stealth has be Lv9.] [You have acquired the Avengers token.] ... Why was it that he didnt feel happy at all, despite achieving a feat? Moreover, he had already received the Avengers karma, yet he had received an Avengers token; so, it was possible, after all. No, but was it possible for him to take down that guy the next time they meet? Even though his body would melt just from being close to him? ...Hoo. Lee Shin Woo thought of several things, sighed deeply, and then hurried his steps. It was then that a fire was lit within him, and he vowed to get stronger even faster than before. Of course, he was definitely still maintaining his Stealth skill at that very moment. Chapter 5 part2 [Level 1 dungeon - You have acquired a permit to enter the Tainted Sewers. All stats increase by 10 inside the dungeon. Info on the dungeon is added to your minimap. All of your actions in the dungeon are buffed.][Beginner Magic Affinity has be Lv10 and has developed into Low Rank Magic Affinity. Magic has increased by 10. The higher the skill, the more your magic permanently increases while the effectiveness of mana recovery increases proportionally.] "There we go." The moment Lee Shin Woo acquired the permit, he confirmed that his Magic Affinity had grown and yelled delightedly. Of course, whenever he obtained a dungeon permit, there would be an intense flow of mana, and this mana helped improve his Magic Affinity; so he had anticipated that his skill would level up. Still, he was happy. It wasnt just a simple level up. Rather, it had risen to the low rank stage. Thats because there are about three insurmountable four-dimensional walls between a beginner skill and a low rank skill. The instant the skill had been reborn as a low rank skill, he felt the flow of the surrounding mana change and heughed satisfyingly (though hes a skeleton, his ribs didnt even budge), and checked his status. [Lee Shin Woo][Skeleton Avenger Blessed by God][Treasure Hunter][Lv - 2 (Status Effectiveness 110%)][Strength - 94 Agility - 91 Health - 93 Magic - 86][Passive skills - Invisible Heart Lv3, Acting Lv4, Beginner Avenger Lv1, Low Rank Bursting Thunder Lv3, Low Rank Magic Affinity Lv1, Low Rank Stealth Lv3, Beginner Command Lv3][Active skills - Bone Reinforcement Lv3, Low Rank Sprint Lv2, Beginner Shriek of the Dead Lv9, Beginner Regeneration Lv7, Beginner Catapult Lv8, Beginner mes of Revenge Lv3, Beginner Power sh Lv5] He currently had three skills that had started at the beginner stage and had grown to be low rank, and these skills were Magic Affinity, Stealth, andstly, Sprint. Ever since his encounter with the Giant Zombie, he had been using Stealth at all times, so it was natural that it had grown. He used Sprint the most since he possessed the Undeads characteristic of never tiring, and on the back of that, it had risen to the low rank level.When these skills became low rank skills, he had obviously gained some stats, and if he were topare them to when they were at the beginner level, their performance waspletely different; they were supplementing his fighting ability. [Low Rank Stealth Lv3 (Passive)][You hide your presence and move such that your opponent doesnt notice you. You can conceal any signs of your presence as well as your mana.] Amongst those skills, Sprint was especially amazing. It had a huge effect in increasing his speed regarding his travel, evasion, and of course his attacks as well, but when it rose to the low rank stage, it became much easier to put that speed into his attacks. With just that, it felt like his fighting ability had increased by 30%. Aside from that, Power sh infused magic into his weapon, from which he would then forcefully sh; it was usually a skill learned at the very beginning by warrior sses in games and felt like it was their exclusive active attack skill.It was a skill he had learned from the memories and experiences of the Skeleton Warriors; despite having several skills, he hadnt had a truly powerful one hit kill move until then, so Power sh was like rain after a long drought for him. Of course, it had particrly goodpatibility with Sprint. However, if he were to ask if he could win against the named Giant Zombie, Edward, head to head, now that hed gotten stronger, he would say he definitely couldnt. It had already been four days since he had encountered and run away from the Giant Zombie, but even now, when he thought back at its strength, his bones quivered. Even when he had encountered the Lv3 Treasure Hunter, he hadnt felt such vast despair...It was probably close to a Lv4 elite. Basically, a monster amongst monsters. Despite that, he felt a murderous intent towards the zombie from time to time, so it may be an effect from epting the Avengers karma. But its still too early. My magic rose by 10 this time, so my stats total 364, but... they said that my stats have to total 400 to get to level 3. For now, Ill think about it after getting to level 3. He heard that information from the chatting channel. It was the result of secretly throwing out a question to Lloyd, who had beenining that he still needed 2,000 more stat potions before he reached level 7.He didnt even need to suspiciously ask until he got an answer. Since even his seniors who didnt usually talkined at the talk of stat potions and told him the whole story. To get to level 2, one needed 200 stats, for level 3, 400 stats, and for level 4, 800 stats... each subsequent higher level requires double the stats. Honestly, when he saw his seniors just chattering away that they were level 6, he thought that they may all just be lousy, but when he realized that they had reached at least a total of 3,200 stats, hepletely discarded such thoughts. Right now, they could break him with one flick of their fingers. I lied to my seniors that I was level 4, so I gotta move faster. He organized his thoughts and his sight was fixed upon the giant manhole in front of him. It seemed like it was adder that only he, who had acquired the permit for the dungeon, could use. He took a short deep breath and started to go down thedder. "Umhp..." He had be quite ustomed to entering dungeons now, since he had gone through five dungeons in the past four days. Though they were only level 1 dungeons. And thest level 1 dungeon in the vicinity was this one. Ill quickly finish up with this dungeon and then go to the shop. Itd be great if a lot of Perium came out. His anticipation for the dungeons had cooled offpared to his first time. To be honest, he didnt think the regr mobs would give him a good skill, but he did have some anticipation that the boss might; but it ended up being a bust. Even if they had a skill, he had already absorbed a lot of skills, so it only ended up increasing his proficiency. The bosses in the Rural Rat Nest were the only special ones. It wasntmon for a monster to use its nails or attack by birthing monsters. He could now conclude that. "They said it was the sewers, and its truly, really dark in here... He probably wouldnt be able to gain many stats or skills in this dungeon as well, but hed get Perium here. Lee Shin Woo nned to go to the secret shop soon after and buy a bone. He didnt know if it would be possible to level up by buying the bone, but he didnt n on putting off going to the shop any further. "Hoo." At around the bottom of thedder, he jumped off and nimblynded on the ground. He jumped from 2 meters high, yet hisnding was truly light as if he were moving like a cat. It hadnt even been 10 days since hed been dropped onto this world, yet he felt a certain degree of dignity. It showed just by the fact that as soon as hended on the ground, he ensured he was safe and checked his surroundings. - Seureureuk "Huh...?" Lee Shin Woo heard something sliding towards him and his (nonexistent) ears pricked up. In certain dungeons, he would have to explore for about an hour before he would encounter any monsters, while in other dungeons, mannerless monsters would be guarding the entrance. It seems that the dungeon was thetter this time. [Gureureureureu] At that moment, an opponent appeared from the darkness, one whose identity was difficult to ascertain. It attacked him, apanied by the sound of a strange cry that made it even more difficult to figure out what it was.However, because it was so slow, befitting a level 1 monster, Lee Shin Woo struck with his Bone of Thunder Lasting and shed the monsters body without much difficulty. At that moment, he felt a strange sensation, like he was cutting apart a warm and tough jelly, making him shiver. [You have hunted a Lv1 Sewer Slime.] "Wow, its truly...?" The slime monster that had been split into two pieces emitted a bubbling sound and instantly evaporated. Lee Shin Woo, who had been watching that, looked really awful. Indeed, if its fantasy, there have to be slimes, and if there are slimes, it has to be fantasy. Lee Shin Woo had expected them to show up at some point. However, he didnt want to meet them. Thats because slimes didnt have any bones. "Its not even worth my time to kill them... Huh?" [You have acquired a deteriorated Skeleton Soldiers arm bone.][You have acquired 12 Perium.] So it was worthwhile after all. He didnt know why, but a Skeleton Soldiers arm bone had popped out where the slime had died!Lee Shin Woo was momentarily puzzled but he soon figured out the reason. In exchange for the slimes not having any bones, it seemed like they would spit out any bones that they had ingested before! "Yeah, isnt this really profitable...?" He felt somewhat uneasy that the bones were deteriorated, but it couldnt be helped. Lee Shin Woo was about to put it into his inventory, but it felt awkward so he just decided to use it to reinforce his bones.Though he may die and die again a hundred times[1], he had gathered more than enough bones to restore himself. [You have reinforced your arm bone. Absorbing the Skeleton Soldiers memories and experiences.][Gugeugaaaaahk, Im melting, Im melting! My C3 cervical vertebrae...! - Nameless soldier] "..." He didnt think hed gain the memories of a skeletonsst moments dying to a slime. Isnt this memory going in a new direction?!Lee Shin Woo was seriously seized by an ufortable feeling. However, since he had gotten plenty of Skeleton Soldiers memories, he thought that it didnt matter whatever happened. "Good, now shall we explore in earnest... Ah, before that." He needed to choose a concept if he wanted to receive a karma token from this dungeon. Last time, when he had run away from the Giant Zombie, he had safely acquired the Avengers token. After that, whenever he went into a dungeon, he would wring his (nonexistent) brain and would go through the dungeon with apletely different concept. Amongst those, the sessful ones were the NINJA concept (the Assassins token), where he moved covertly and killed his opponents one by one, and Lelouch Lamperouges concept (Masterminds Token), where he used his Shriek of the Dead to make his enemies kill each other. Right now, he had the ughterer, Trickster, Fighter, Avenger, Assassin, and Mastermind tokens, a total of six karma tokens. ...However. He only needed to get four more tokens from now on! Well, there was a time when he thought so positively. However, that great situation was nothing more than a delusion. Getting those four tokens was extremely hard. "The shield warrior concept... no, I failed at thisst time. Then how about the berserker concept... I failed at that too." He had tried the Lee Bong Ju[2] concept, where he ran through the dungeon fighting as few monsters as possible, and the Gandhi concept, where he simrly went through the dungeon as peacefully as possible without fighting, but they had failed. He realized after that they both werent concepts that should be used in the dungeon. Since itse to this, it might be better to try the Emperor concept. It was demanding 100 bones of the same race from his enemies in exchange for their lives. He had promised that he would use thatter when he found monsters that he could actually talk to. Hoo, then I have no choice... Since my magic has increased, lets go with the Sniper concept. Lee Shin Woo didnt have any alternatives, so he went with the concept that he had held back, the Sniper concept. Due to the mana he used to regenerate his fingers whenever he used Catapult up until now, he hadnt been able to focus entirely on the Sniper concept, but since Magic Affinity had be a low rank skill, it felt like it might be possible now. I really hope that a usable skilles out here. Lee Shin Woo made up his mind and after putting his sword into his inventory, pointed his finger and slowly walked into the dungeon. Up until now, no hero had dared enter a sewer dungeon (it was way too dirty); the moment the first explorer had appeared... [1] T/N: Famous Korean saying from the Goryeo dynasty. It describes something that remains unchanging. In this case, its the fact that hell have enough stockpiled bones, regardless of how many times he needs to use them to heal himself. [2] T/N: Lee Bong Ju is a South Korean marathoner. Chapter 5 part3 [The Slimes weak Acid Poison is melting your body.] Lee Shin Woo gave up the Sniper concept, only 10 minutes after making up his mind. The reason was simple. There were too many slimes that inhabited the sewers for him to pick them off one by one. [Gureuk] [Gureureureuk] "Ha." At least at this very moment, he was thankful that he was a skeleton. The slimes that were overflowing in all directions were stuck above his head, his back, and his legs, and were making a gureureuk sound; if he still had a normal way of thinking about hygiene like a human, he probably wouldve ran away from here a while ago. [Gureureureureuk!] [Gureukgureuk] [Gureureureu] Moreover, theyre just level 1 sewer slimes inhabiting a lousy level 1 sewer dungeon, so they probably didnt think itd have much appeal. So, thats why all of them avoided the sewers, and as a result, the slimes kept piling up more and more until... they multiplied this much. It had been 15 minutes since hed entered the dungeon, and Lee Shin Woos entire body was buried under slimes without a way out. If he was a normal Skeleton Soldier, he wouldve alreadypletely melted away and disappeared within a minute. However, unfortunately for the slimes, he was level 2, closing in on level 3, his stats had also swelled by another 10 from the dungeon permit, and... the decisive factor was that he was a skeleton that possessed the Regeneration skill. My gear might get damaged so lets go naked. He had fought against the slimes for a few minutes, but ultimately became concerned that his equipment would get damaged from the slimes Acid Poison, so he de-equipped it all. He naturally put his armor into his inventory, as well as his sword! Alright, this should be fine with only my naturally recovering mana. As soon as he took off his armor, the health increase effect from the armor disappeared, and he started to incur more injuries from the slimes Acid Poison attacks, but it was at a level that his Beginner Regeneration skill could bear. Of course, if his Magic Affinity hadnt reached the low rank stage, he wouldnt have even dreamed of doing this. "Heup." [Gureuk!] [Ggoreuk!] Despite de-equipping his gear, he didnt have any difficulty whatsoever hunting the slimes. Not only was his level higher than the slimes, but thebat technique he had learned, Bursting Thunder, was a technique that could also be used unarmed. "Heup!" [Ggureuk!] Someone from the outside may see this scene as unusual; a swelling wave of slimes. There were so many of themthat it looked like a sea of slime. But truthfully, Lee Shin Woo was in there, killing slimes left and right. "Ha!" [Ggeureuk...] [Ggik!] Whether hes unleashing Bursting Thunder with a sword, a spear, an axe, or his fists, it would converge at one point. As fast and as hot as exploding lightning! That was Bursting Thunders start and finish! Though there wasnt any mana within the attack, the force created by his two fists was plenty strong enough. Whenever that tremendous strength condensed in his arms passed through the slimes, they would turn to particles of light and disappear. [You have acquired 12 Perium.] [You have acquired 12 Perium.] [You have acquired a deteriorated Skeleton Soldiers leg bone.] [You have acquired 12 Perium.] [You have acquired a deteriorated Zombies shin bone.] "Bone Reinforcement, Bone Reinforcement." As soon as he collected the Perium, it went straight to his inventory, but when he acquired the bones, he would immediately use them to reinforce his bones. One of his goals was regenerating his body, but as expected, the most important thing was his curiosity regarding themon memories that only those ingested by the slimes had. [My bodys melting. You werent satisfied with my already melted skin, muscles, blood, and flesh. Now youre trying to melt my bones, which is all I have left. - Nameless skeleton] [Ggueeeeeeek. I cant avoid the flood; its a slumber more suffocating than death. An eternal slumber is approaching...! - Nameless zombie] He could only absorb the memories at their time of death, but Lee Shin Woo thought there was a reason for that here. To be more specific, he was excited that he might get a skill. [Ggureuk!] [Ggirek!] "Bone Reinforcement." [Guaaaaahk, my heads breaking. Its sinking in! - Nameless skeleton] [Kuheuk, General Leofield...! Ill go down in history before you... - Nameless skeleton] [Ggorok!] [Gureureu!] "Bone Reinforcement." [Jjijijijijijijijik! - Nameless Rural Rat] [Gugehk... To think that my endes from the citys cleaning crew... - Nameless zombie] However, it seemed like the skill this time was no joke, as there was no reaction to absorbing dozens of bones, neither in stats, nor in skills. Moreover, he was really bothered by the skeletons that strangely had their consciousness intact, leaving their wills behind! He also remembered hearing about Leofield before! He must be just as famous as Seagald! [Beginner Regeneration has be Lv8.] Even so, it wasnt like this dungeon was aplete miss. Setting aside the amount of stockpiled Perium from the huge mob, he had been looking for a ce to train his Regeneration skill, and this here was the optimum environment to train it in. Even as he continuously took damage from all directions, he could continuously keep his Regeneration skill active with just the mana he had. His proficiency in Regeneration was increasing so quickly that he wondered if this ce was created to train the Regeneration skill. "Hoo." [Gureuk!] [You have acquired 12 Perium.] [You have acquired 12 Perium.] If there was one more beneficial point, it was that his proficiency in barehandedbat was gradually increasing, something he hadnt had the time to study in-depth. Of course, his fists couldnt match up to the force of his level 3 weapon, but he could unleash strikes with plenty of destructive force with his bone fists. Above all, he was attacking with both hands without resting one or the other, so his attack speed was iparable to when he wielded a weapon. Bursting Thunder... its not enough to call it an amazing technique. He wasnt just surprised by its destructive power and its speed. The more he used the skill, as well as the more his proficiency in said skill grew, the more he felt that his perspective during battle changed. He thought about where he would need to attack for it to be the most effective, what timing and how he would retreat to get an opportunity; these thoughts rose up instinctually, and if he moved ordingly, his proficiency of the skill increased a ton. It was a skill that included all closebat techniques, and the meaning behind that certainly wasnt light. To think he died with such a frightening ability. That senior mustve felt really frustrated. Even while he sympathized with his senior, he squashed the slimes without pause with both arms. The more he repeated unarmedbat, the more his body adapted to it, and despite his physical abilities not changing, he became able to move more nimbly. Naturally, his speed in hunting monsters also increased. He was aware that he was hunting monsters much faster than before he had Bursting Thunder. Perhaps using this skill, which included barehandedbat, with various weapons, as well as variousbat methods caused it to grow. [You have acquired 12 Perium.] [You have acquired 12 Perium.] [You have acquired 12 Perium.] [You have acquired a deteriorated Skeleton Soldiers arm bone.] When about 30 minutes had passed since being overwhelmed, the wave of slimes had lessened, and Lee Shin Woo was able to see again. Even while hectically hitting the slimes, he stealthily surveyed his surroundings. "Hoo, then how much... Ha. Haha." When he looked at the surrounding environment, he couldnt help butugh. He hade into the dungeon full of hope and roughly an hour had passed, yet he was still at the dungeons entrance. Even though he killed so many slimes! There were truly an outrageous number of monsters here, such that it was iparable to the dungeons he had gone through before. If hebined the number of monsters hed killed sinceing to this world, it would probably still be less than the number hed killed in this dungeon alone! "This ce is seriously no joke. Seriously..." [Gureureureuk] [Ggoreureuk!] He shook his head and as if they were matching the rhythm of the muttering skeleton, the slimes cried out and attacked him. Rather than respond, he went with a precise one-two punch, cleanly squashed them, and grinned. He was satisfied that he had the proper form now, even barehanded. [You have acquired 12 Perium.] [You have acquired 12 Perium.] Then... then shall we wipe them all out? Starting from that moment, Lee Shin Woo stopped being concerned about time, and only thought about squashing his opponents with Bursting Thunder, and healing himself with Regeneration. Hed be the only one getting tired from counting the time. [Gureureureureuk!] [Ggureuk!] [The Slimes weak Acid Poison is melting your body.] [Beginner Regeneration has be Lv9.] Compared to the Giant Zombies Acid Poison that hed been exposed to very briefly, the slimes just itched, and because he kept using Regeneration continuously, he became unable to even feel the pain. Now, the poison that the slimes emitted was like... yeah, it felt like a light sprinkling of rain, and made his bones feel a little better. If the other heroes knew what he was thinking, they wouldve clicked their tongues, pitying the newbie that had gone insane in an extreme situation. [Ggureureuk!] [Gguuah!] [Kureuk!] As he continued to extend his fists towards the unending waves of slimes, he eventually stopped thinking entirely. It was certainly different from whats often called the elimination of the self, but after fighting while leaving his body to his instincts, his unnecessary, idle thoughts disappeared, and he only moved with the goal of destroying his enemies quickly and precisely. As he did so, his proficiency naturally had no choice but to rise rapidly. He wondered how much time had passed? Lee Shin Woo only perceived the crisp trajectory of his fists. It felt as if he were executing the attack that only seemed possible within his mind. The bodies of the exploded slimes were everywhere, acting as proof of that result. [Low Rank Bursting Thunder has be Lv4. Strength, Agility, and Magic increase by 2. It has be easier for you to handle a weapon, even if you have never wielded it before. The rate at which proficiency increases forbat rted skills has increased.] It was a splendid achievement that was iparable to the growth of the Regeneration skill. Bursting Thunder, which was at the center of all his skills, wouldnt rise in proficiency before; yet, in only four days after getting to level 3, it had risen to level 4! His stats had naturally increased, and the power of the skill had also increased dramatically. Now, the slimes that hadnt sustained a direct hit were affected, as a portion of their bodies burst. Lee Shin Woo smiled faintly and started to move even faster. [You have acquired 12 Perium.] [You have acquired 12 Perium.] "Nothing, again... Hm?" But after he had cleaned up a clump of slimes in the blink of an eye, there was a bone in the center of them that caught his eye. Lee Shin Woo grabbed it and immediately used Bone Reinforcement. Then... [You have consumed a deteriorated Poison Zombies finger bone to reinforce your finger bones. Magic has increased by 1. Absorbing a portion of the Poison Zombies memories and experiences.] [Guwahk... Poison, even with my poison...! - Nameless Poison Zombie] "Huh?" The moment he absorbed the experiences and memories within, he felt like something was different. It was definitely a memory of a zombie dying to a slime, but a countless number of slimes had attacked in order to kill this zombie. Moreover, the zombie resisted until the bitter end. Whether a Poison Zombies defense was high, or its level was high, he was, at the very least, sure that the Poison Zombie had met a heroic end,pared to the other monsters. [Gureuk] Then, a rude slime stuck onto his back and sprayed its Acid Poison. The moment Lee Shin Woo went to strike it with his hand, a brief message appeared before him. [You have learned Beginner Acid Resistance Lv1. You have be able to, albeit weakly, resist Acid Poison.] [Resistance has been added to your status.] "Huh...!?" So thats how it was. The skill that he could obtain from the bones was none other than Acid Resistance! Now everything had be clear. Lee Shin Woo eximed, filled with both awe and realization. "Damn it, now I cant train my Regeneration skill!" Chapter 5 part4 Lee Shin Woo supposed that the saying was true; misfortune and fortunee hand in hand. [Beginner Acid Resistance has be Lv4. Resistance increases.] "..." His newly acquired skill, Acid Resistance, was truly amazing. Even though it was just at the Beginner stage, it blocked half the damage from the slimes Acid Poison. Moreover, in the process, the skill proficiency increases as well! But because half of the damage is blocked, there was a noticeable drop in the growth rate of his Regeneration skill proficiency. He had hoped that hed be able to get the now level 9 Beginner Regeneration skill to the low rank level! [Ggureureureuk!] [Ggreureuk!] [The slimes sprayed their weak Acid Poison, but Acid Resistance reduces the damage.] "Hoo... it cant be helped. I have no choice but to use the rest of my mana." Lee Shin Woo, who was fine even after being covered by the slimes, checked his body and conclude that hed be fine for about 10 minutes without using his Regeneration skill. Then, he thought about what he would do with his remaining mana. Since he had realized how important skills were, he had already made up his mind to train his skills as much as possible. The Shriek of the Dead is... No, if these guys fight amongst themselves, I wont be able to train my Regeneration and Acid Resistance. The Power sh... isnt possible since Id need a weapon. He realised all that was left was either Catapult, or mes of Revenge, and thought about which one he should train; he soon made up his mind to train mes of Revenge. The reason was extremely simple. Catapult justunched a bone at an enemy, but conversely, if he trained mes of Revenge, it would be usable in various areas. I can shoot it from a far distance and I can put it on my weapon. It also has a pursuit function, and does persistent damage... In other words, just by training this, my overall power will increase. But this skills output wasnt satisfactory for the amount of mana used, so he hadnt had an opportunity to actively use it. The fact that it was only a beginner level 3 skill was proof of that. The Treasure Eater had created such an enormous me though... Perhaps it could be due to the disparity between their magic, or it could be because something changed as it was modified from mes of Resentment to mes of Revenge. In any case, the higher the level, the more effective it should be. Lets train the skill to at least see if thats true. Since he had acquired the Acid Resistance skill, the burden to his mana had reduced significantly; right now, it was absolutely possible for him to simultaneously train his mes of Revenge. Even though it was against his will, damn it! "Kuuu..." He definitely wanted to raise his Resistance skill to the low rank level, but... Lee Shin Woo made an expression as though he was going to cry (though of course, there wasnt any change whatsoever on the outside), and created mes. The slimes that violently attached themselves to him seemed to also be intimidated by the mass of ck mes floating in the air, and were melted by the mes; their bodies shrunk gradually and soon, emitted a sound of gas leaking and werepletely destroyed. Since they had died so quickly, he hadnt used much mana. [You have acquired 12 Perium.] [You have acquired 12 Perium.] [You have acquired 12 Perium.] [You have acquired a Slimes Core.] "Huh!?" However, there was an even more surprising reward. He had killed hundreds of slimes thus far, and it mightve even reached the thousands, yet a reward he hadnt seen before had suddenly popped out! "What is this..." All he was sure about was that it wasnt amon item! Lee Shin Woo collected the Slimes Core that emitted a dark light before the other slimes could eat it. At that moment, something happened. [Through Bone Reinforcement, the monsters essence is being changed.] [The Slimes Core has be the Slime Bone Core.] Huh...!? He was even more surprised than when he had first picked up the Slimes Core. He thought that Bone Reinforcement was only applicable to equipment, yet to think it worked on other items as well! No matter how he thought about it, the Slimes Core didnt seem simr to equipment. If thats the case, then how...? Lee Shin Woo stood still, and even if the slimes swarmed him, he didnt concern himself with them and checked the items information. [Slime Bone Core] [A Slime is sensitive to fire. Although normal slimes just spread their mana across their bodies, if you encounter them and their bodies melt, their mana gathers in their body. If you hunt the Slimes in this situation, you will asionally receive a core filled with their condensed mana.] [It can be processed into equipment that contains the monsters power, or it can be processed into a medicine that permanently increases your physical abilities. By changing the cores into bone, those special characteristics and rarity are decidedly higher than normal cores.] Oh, Oooooooh...! It was nothing but dumb luck, but he felt really good. He felt like he couldnt receive anything from the slimes besides deteriorated bones and Perium, but to think there was this kind of twist waiting for him! He could roughly guess why the core had changed into bone when he read the item exnation. Didnt it say a monsters core could be used as a material for equipment or potions? Just like how normal equipment is changed into bone, the cores that could be used as materials for equipment and potions are also naturally affected by Bone Reinforcement. Its turned out well. I wont be able to intake a skeletons core with a normal method anyway. He didnt hide his excitement and used the Slime Bone Core as the target of Bone Reinforcement. Then, the message appeared. [The Slime Bone Core works on the entire body. Would you like to proceed with Bone Reinforcement?] "Yeah." [Reinforcing the entire body. Magic has increased by 1. Acquiring a portion of the Slimes memories and experiences.] [Gureureuk! Reureureureureu! - Slime] He probably wouldnt raise his magic by 1 every time he took in a core, so he had to see it as being lucky this time. Still, just the fact that he could intake cores in order to acquire magic was great. Since he had trained his skills, his magic had increased by a lot, butpared to his other stats, it was still lower. However, if he did well in this dungeon, its possible that his magic could be higher than his other stats! "Now, then..." It was important starting now. Of course, itd be great if he were able to burn all the slimes inhabiting the sewers and acquire their cores, but unfortunately, his mana was finite, and he needed mana to use his Regeneration skill to safeguard his body from their Acid Poison. So from now on, he would measure out enough of his remaining mana for his Regeneration and Acid Resistance skills, and would appropriately use his mes of Revenge when he could; he would simultaneously train the mes of Revenge and acquire as many slime cores as possible. [Gureureureuk!] [Ggureureuk!] "Yeah, yeah, lets y a lot, Pudding." How satisfied could he have been with the Slimes Cores for him to have given the slimes a nickname!? Lee Shin Woo took a deep breath and used his remaining mana, excluding an amount reserved for his Regeneration skill... and used his mes of Revenge again. "You like ying with fire, dont you, Pudding?" [Ggureureuk!] A countless number of Puddings... of slimes quivered intensely and were greeted by fire. Lee Shin Woo saw that andughed pleasingly as they burned. Just like a demon. "Yeah, yeah, eat a lot." They probably didnt understand what he was saying, and the slimes still trembled even more intensely. Lee Shin Wooughed with a ha-ha and threw his fist, popping the slimes in the center that couldnt bear the mes with their own mana. [You have hunted a Lv1 Sewer Slime.] [You have hunted a Lv1 Sewer...] It probably wouldnt be perfect, but after repeatedly going through trial and error, and fine tuning his stamina and magic, he was confident that he couldpletely turn this into a training environment. And it was truthfully proceeding like that. Was it because he started properly? Or maybe because his mana senses were particrly sharp. [Low Rank Magic Affinity has be Lv2. Magic increases by 2.] His Magic Affinity skill, which had been reborn into a low rank skill, had finally risen to level 2 since entering this dungeon. His mana Regeneration was now faster, his mes of Revenge naturally became more effective, he could use it more, and as a result, the proficiency rose. Moreover, he was proceeding at a slower pace than before, but his Regeneration still rose. Whenever his Acid Resistance blocked the slimes Acid Poison and whenever he absorbed the deteriorated bones that popped out, he quickly grew. This dungeon was truly an immeasurably valuable treasure house for him. If I find a senior that I like, I should teach them about this ce. That they definitely have to enter a Sewers Dungeon if theres one nearby... As hemitted to his horrific n, which would push someone he liked into hell and was something a human being wouldnt be able to think of, he gradually crawled further into the dungeon. The Sewers was so vast that it covered this small town, and was wider and deeper than any dungeon he had learned about; obviously, there were heaps of slimes, piled up like mountains. It was when five days had passed. He suddenly thought he felt the flow of mana; itd been a long time since he saw a lengthy message in front of him. [You returned to your wild instincts and have achieved astonishing hunting results. Strength, Agility, and Health have increased by 2. You have acquired the Barbarians token. Proficiency in Low Rank Bursting Thunder and Beginner mes of Revenge increases.] [Beginner mes of Revenge has be Lv7.] "Hm?" Lee Shin Woo, who was cleaving through the slimes with motions his body was now familiar with, and using his remaining mana to create mes, repeatedly burning the slimes (unfortunately, even though he burned the slimes, their core drop rate was low), was flustered at the sudden message. Barbarians token? What barbarian? He hadpletely given up on going through this dungeon with a concept this time, yet he had suddenly achieved a feat and even received a token! He smashed the remaining slimes in the passageway and immediately took out the new token from his inventory. [Barbarians token] [A karma that suits those who fight only with their bare body, without relying on weapons, armor or refined techniques. There is asionally one amongst them that can harness the power of nature, and if this strength is used to its extreme, they will go beyond a Barbarian and awaken a Druids abilities.] "..." After entering the dungeon, he killed the slimes using only his bare body, without swinging a weapon, and even used fire; is that why he got this token? When he thought about it like that, Lee Shin Woo honestly couldnt feel happy about it. It felt peculiar like when he had received the Mastermind token or the Avenger token. Still, karma is karma, so... Moreover, since it was a karma he could only receive by hunting for a long time naked, considerable intellectuals wouldnt even be able to peek a nce at it. Lee Shin Woos (nonexistent) heart ached when he thought about it seriously, so he stopped thinking about it. In any case, he now had a total of seven tokens. If he just got three more, he would be able to achieve the Tricksters karma. At first, I thought it would take me forever to gather 10 tokens, but I just need to get three more of them like this. Of course, it would probably be best to get more skills and attempt a new concept. Like the Druid... Lee Shin Woo promised to remember the term Druid for now, and raised his head. Now that he thought about it, why hadnt the slimes attacked him, when they hadnt left him alone before? The path was ending. There was a circr iron gate situated at the end of the path. Chapter 5 part5 "Is it the... boss room?" The sewers dungeon he had entered had quite a simple structure. Though it thoroughly had roads that split off, other than the small waterway that organisms couldnt go in or out of, there were only a few wide passageways, so he could just thoughtlessly kill the slimes and follow the path.And at the end of this path was this. He had a suspicion that the passageways were gradually merging into one, and it turned out it was all because of the boss room. Theres probably no reason to hesitate at this point. It did seem like he had killed all the slimes, and he didnt have a reason to turn back without killing the boss.But he hadnt felt danger from an enemy even once in this dungeon, and he was a bit exhausted, so if he were to fight the boss in this state, he might lose one of his precious lives, so before fighting the boss, Lee Shin Woo yelled out to refocus himself. I need to put on my equipment too. He hadnt worn his equipment for the past five days, so it felt a bit awkward. Lee Shin Woo wore the Dire Wolf Bone Armor, confirmed that his health had indeed increased, and raised the Bone of Thunder Lasting in his hand. This time, his strength and magic increased. When he checked his status in this state... [Lee Shin Woo][Skeleton Avenger Blessed by God][Treasure Hunter][Lv - 2 (Status Effectiveness 110%)[Strength - 98 + 16 Agility - 95 + 10 Health - 95 + 30 Magic - 102 + 15] (While dungeon bonuses are being applied)[Passive skills - Invisible Heart Lv3, Acting Lv4, Beginner Avenger Lv1, Low Rank Bursting Thunder Lv4, Low Rank Magic Affinity Lv2, Low Rank Stealth Lv3, Beginner Command Lv3][Active skills - Bone Reinforcement Lv3, Low Rank Sprint Lv2, Beginner Shriek of the Dead Lv9, Beginner Regeneration Lv9, Beginner Catapult Lv8, Beginner mes of Revenge Lv7, Beginner Power sh Lv5][Resistance - Acid - Beginner Lv9] There wasnt much change in his strength, agility, or health. At most, his skills leveled up, or his stats increased slightly as an additional effect of receiving a portion of the Barbarians karma. However, the change in his magic was huge.He trained his Low Rank Magic Affinity, and reinforced himself with the slime bone cores he asionally acquired; as a result, his stat which had, funnily enough, been the lowest, was the stat that exceeded 100 first! Because of that, his stats reached a total of 390. If he raised his stats by 10, he would reach a total of 400, and would soon reach level 3. If we add in the bonus, Im already level 3. It happened when he saw the equipments effects, as well as the dungeons bonus on his stats. He thought he needed to be really focused, yet when he saw his persistently increasing stats, he couldnt stop the rushing feeling that he didnt need to be afraid of anything. No, I cant do that. Lee Shin Woo hit his cheek. It was annoying that he didnt even hear a pping sound but instead heard a stiff sound, but he was able to get a hold of himself. "Hoo... Alright." His preparations were perfect. His health and mana were full, and hisbat senses were well polished, unlike before. His Acid Resistance had also increased sharply due to his body resisting so much acid. Lee Shin Woo approached the circr iron gate after exhaling a deep breath. And daringly opened the door. [Guooooh...] There was a really huge clearing within, and a really big slime filled about a third of the clearing. ...A really big slime. [Lv3 Great Slime] [Guooh?]"..." All of his concerns until now had been pointless. The moment he saw it, his abundant confidence disappeared into the ground. Despite sufficiently preparing for the boss fight, he hadnt imagined that this kind of situation would be awaiting him. Why the hell did a level 1 dungeon have a level 3 boss? [Guooh...!] However, he didnt have time to spare quibbling over why. Thats because the Great Slime noticed him, lightly sprung up from its position with its chubby body, and... with an astonishing speed, rushed towards him! [Guoooh!] "You asshole, thats cheating!" Would it just rush over like that? is what he stupidly thought and survived as a result. He instinctually used his Sprint and was able to avoid its attack.Instead of hitting Lee Shin Woo, the Great Slime collided with the iron gate, forcibly closing it due to impact, and making this ce a secret room. Huh? Lee Shin Woo saw that and momentarily felt like something was strange, but that didnt continue for very long. Since it was already too much just to bepletely focused on this fight! [Guoooh!]"Ugh!" It seemed like it wasnt very hurt even after hitting the wall as it once again bounced in ce and rushed towards him. Like it was proving that it was level 3, it rushed at him with an absurd speed he hadnt yet experienced before! "Uaah!" To think that a skeleton was dodging a slime bouncing in ce; someone observing from the outside would think of this as an extremelyical scene, but honestly, Lee Shin Woo, who was facing the slime, felt like he was a soldier that came across a clump of rockunched from a catapult. "Tch!"[Guooh!] The trajectory of its charge was really simple, so as long he grasped its charge beforehand, it wasnt actually that hard to dodge it. However, he couldnt just dodge like this forever. Lee Shin Woo really didnt like this situation. It made him think of when he was in high school,peting in dodgeball, and him being the only one remaining in the ring. [Guoooooooh!] He wouldve rather gotten hit quickly and gone out, but just getting hit on purpose was kind of awkward, so he had run around hectically; it felt really miserable back then!Remembering that, spite welled up in his (nonexistent) eyes. This was revenge time. He would inflict his past revenge on this guy instead! Certain individuals might say that he was using the wrong person or passing the me, but he wasnt concerned with that. mes of Revenge. As he dodged its fourth charge, he manifested a mass of ck mes atop one of his hands. If he did as he wanted, he wouldve fought by putting the mes on his weapon, but if he shed straight up with the slime, which was continuously charging without pause, his weapon or his body would be crushed, so it was impossible. [Guooh!] Lee Shin Woo rolled his body, and even as his body got wet from the dirty underground water, he once again dodged the Great Slimes charge. It once again hit the wall, creating a tremendous noise. And for a brief instant, it didnt move. Now! Lee Shin Woo, who had been waiting for that opportunity, swiftly blew the ck mes forwards, hitting the mark. It had a homing ability, so the apanying mes urately hit the Great Slimes body, started draining his mana from far away, and began to burn lively. [Guoooooooh!] Its response was truly fierce. Slimesmon weakness was fire, and it goingpletely up in mes in real time was proof of that! It rubbed itself in the dirty water in an attempt to extinguish the fire, but it wouldnt be called the mes of Revenge if it were that easy to extinguish. [Gugeugeugeugeugeugeuk!]"Wow, you sure burn well." This moment was the most fulfilling moment in his life. It wouldve been nice if he couldve also burned those bastards that had only aimed for him in dodgeball like that! [Gooooguaaah!] But that leisurely thought onlysted for a moment. The intensity of the mes gradually expanded, and when its body was engulfed and burning, the Great Slime seemed to shake... and instantly erupted in a grand explosion! "What!?" After the fire had attached to it, it had disassembled a portion of its body into pieces and erupted everywhere! It was like a missile that had mmed into the ground and exploded. Since there was nowhere to dodge, he just hurriedly curled up his body and protected his head. "Ugh, urgh...!" In a split second, he curled himself in a ball and the Great Slime shot out fragments of itself like shells, flying towards him and pummeling him. It hurt immensely. Each of those fragments contained a devastating acid within, and he felt his arms and legs, as well as various parts of his body being perforated in real time. [Gooooooh!] At that moment, the Great Slime shrieked once more. Lee Shin Woo was sure that it was a sign that the Great Slime was going to charge, and he grit his teeth and rolled onto the floor, even though his body was full of holes. As expected, immediately after, he could hear the sound of the wind being split terrifyingly, and the Great Slime grazed past him and hit the ground with a thud. Its collision emitted a sound akin to an explosion! Regeneration! Since it came to this, he couldnt afford to conserve his mana. Lee Shin Woo hurriedly stood up, recovered his body through regeneration, and secured a clear view. In the process of tearing its body apart for the suicidal explosion, it had definitely gotten a lot smaller. [Lv3 Great Slime] The levels still the same even though its a lot smaller now... The magic within its body seems to be the same, too. The Great Slime, by exploding a portion of its body, had managed to extinguish the fire that would never go out unless its target was dead. Due to that, its body had gotten smaller, but the magic was focused and condensed within its body, so its strength hadnt lessened one bit. On the contrary, although its stats were the same, due to its smaller size, it seemed to be even faster! [Guoooh!]"Eeeek...!" However, despite the situation taking a turn for the worse, he was sure that his method of attacking was correct. If he were to nitpick over its natural abilities, it was a monster that far surpassed the Treasure Eater. He couldnt even imagine taking it head on, so he needed to reduce its size this way. Ill burn its body using the mes of Revenge, causing it to shake it off by using its suicidal explosion. Ill recover the damage I take from its explosion, and in the process, the slimes charge will gradually be faster. Ill dodge its charge and then hit it once again with my mes of Revenge. ...Yeah, its perfect. Its a perfect nightmare. As he repeatedly trained in this dungeon, he had certainly grown in stats, skills, and experience; yet he felt frustrated that he still had to struggle against the boss.However, truthfully, it was the opposite. Because he did his best to train and went through the motions to learn his skills through firsthand experience, he was able fight this monster 1 on 1. If he hadnt thought of training his mes of Revenge, no, if he hadnt thought of immediately bing familiar with his Regeneration skill, he wouldnt have even stood a chance in this battle. "Sseup, theres no helping it..." Lee Shin Woo, with the feeling that he was a newtype[1] relying on his machine to plunge into the atmosphere, formed his mes of Revenge. He didnt know if his health and magic would endure until the end of this battle, but he had no choice but to try it right now. [Guuuuu...oooh!]"Ha!" It was preparing its charge again, but no matter how fast it was, the fact that its route was simple didnt change. Lee Shin Woo had also be familiar with it, so the instant it charged, he used his Sprint and avoided it; simultaneously, he sessfully hit it with his mes of Revenge. [Gureureureu!]"Itsing...!" It bounced so quickly that it wasnt aware of the iing fire and was struck by a direct hit. It hit the wall, its body rolled, and then... when it realized that its body was on fire, it rampaged about likest time, and exploded for the second time!However, just as Lee Shin Woo had prepared beforehand, he protected his head, and the instant he took damage, he withdrew the stockpiled materials in his inventory and used Bone Reinforcement, healing his wounds. I have to use mes of Revenge again, so I have to endure by using the bones in my inventory for now. Though his Low Rank Magic Affinity had grown, it was still low rank, and despite how much higher his magic had gotten, he was ultimately still level 2. He couldnt endlessly utilize both his mes of Revenge and Regeneration at the same time.Although Lee Shin Woo possessed an ability that allowed him to face his opponent, hemented that he was unable to use it as much as he wanted, and moved unceasingly. He would survive this battle no matter what, and next time, he would be a bit stronger. [Guoooooooh!]"Yes, yes, you damn Pudding. Lets y some more...!" Lee Shin Woo grit his teeth, muttered, and used Sprint. Immediately after, the Great Slime, which had lessened in size again, mmed into the spot he was just in. As expected, it was gradually bing faster and faster. ... It seemed that his Sprint skill, which he had neglected in this dungeon, would get some good training in the end. [1] T/N: Mobile Suit Gundam reference. Its about giant mecha, and newtypes are basically people with psychic abilities. Chapter 6 part1 [Low Rank Sprint has be Lv3.] [Beginner Acid Resistance has evolved to the low rank level. You can resist acid more effectively, and acid resistance is also given to your equipment.] How long would he have to roll around in the clearing filled with dirty water? Lee Shin Woo honestly felt thankful that he was a skeleton with unlimited stamina. Even if his stats were the same, he wouldve run out of energy already if he were a human, and been squashed. "Tch, youre still trying?" [Gureureureu...!] As a result of it self-destructing in an attempt to shake off the mes of Revenge, the Great Slime had reduced to the size of a normal slime. It did increase its speed significantly, but the problem was that it hadnt gotten used to its smaller size, so its charge attacks uracy had dropped. [Gureureureuk!] "Umhp." (lets see) Lee Shin Woo avoided its attack, as he had gotten used to its movements. It mmed into the opposite wall, andpletely destroyed the surface of the wall. The force behind its charge had certainly be tremendous, but he could now close his eyes and still dodge its attack. "My magic is slowly reaching its limit. Lets finish this." [Gureuk...!] If it wasnt for the bones stockpiled in his inventory, it wouldve been impossible to endure until now. He hadpletely used them up, and squeezed out the mana to use his Regeneration skill. All in order to endure. Whats worse, he hadnt been able to repair a portion of his rib bones as they remained damaged until now. His armor was also worse for wear. He was already in this situation by the time his Acid Resistance had risen to low rank and he could imbue it to his armor. However, the important thing was that he hadnt died yet and endured. mes of Revenge. He thought about pouring all of his mana into the mes, but desperately controlled the urge, only instilling about half of his mana into the mes. He had left enough mana to utilize Regeneration, or the mes of Revenge just one more time. If it didnt die after taking two shots, then hed really have to die ande back to life. [Low Rank Magic Affinity has be Lv3. Magic has increased by 2. Your magic will have a greater effect with a lower amount of mana.] The skill level had increased by a lot, but as he fought various battles within this dungeon, he felt as though he had taken a step into the domain of detailed mana control that couldnt be exined simply by skill level. There probably werent many amongst the senior heroes that could manipte mana as delicately as he could, so he could say that he was truly amazing. Though he himself didnt actually know that. [Gureureureureureureu!] The Great Slime roared. It had realized that the mes that Lee Shin Woo used werent normal. It became aware that the next time those mes touched it, it would die, and tried to avoid the mes at all cost. It started to quickly bounce around everywhere, to the point that if one were to witness it, they would get motion sickness. "Ha!" However, Lee Shin Woounched his mes of Revenge without even properly aiming it. Since its size had lessened significantly, the slime seemed to think that it could somehow avoid the mes, but from the start, the mes of Revenge was a technique that couldnt be avoided! [Ggureureureuk!] As expected, the mes of Revenge, neither quickly nor slowly, proceeded through the clearing and urately struck the Great Slimes body. And because Lee Shin Woo made use of the wind, the slime went up in mes. The mes burned slowly when its body was still huge, but now, its entire body was engulfed instantly. [Kik... Kihik...] At that moment, he heard a sound that he hadnt heard before from the slime. Lee Shin Woo prepared for its self-destruct, and curled his body up again, but no matter how long he waited, it didnt explode. Instead, this message appeared in front of him. [You have hunted a Lv3 Great Slime.] [You have achieved the feat of defeating an elite monster that was a higher level than you by only using fire. Magic has increased by 5. You have acquired the Four Elements: Fire token. Beginner mes of Revenge has reached level 10, and evolved into the low rank level. You can create stronger mes with less mana, and you can imbue not only your weapons, but also your body with fire.] He opened his (nonexistent) eyes wide. It was already astonishing that he had gotten his second token in this dungeon alone, but the fact that this message appeared meant... Lee Shin Woo carefully raised his head. There was no explosion, and there definitely wasnt a chargeing. Through the Great Slimes rampage, various parts of the clearing had copsed, and he saw a sphere radiating light in the center. It was a core! "Ha..." Lee Shin Woo saw that and a lengthy sigh escaped his mouth. It was such a lengthy and intense battle that he couldnt easily get the feeling that it was over, despite it definitely being over. It kind of felt like the day he was discharged from the army. The battle had felt that long to him. "But I still won." He couldnt give himself lip service and say he won due to his skill. Rather than needing his polishedbat skills, he was just busy running away and shooting out mes. If this were a novel, the readers would say what kind of development is this? and criticize it. However, he won. Regardless of the means necessary, he won. He won without dying. That was enough for him. He was as happy as he could be. He won, so it was now time to collect the loot. Lee Shin Woo moved his creaking body and walked over to where the Great Slimey dead. There were four things there. Perium, the Great Slimes core, someones deteriorated bone, and finally, arge shield. [You have acquired 11,210 Perium.] [You have acquired the Great Slimes Bone Core.] [You have acquired a deteriorated Skeleton Shielders shoulder bone.] [You have acquired a Lv2 Bone Tower Shield (+5).] If this goes well, I wont even need to go the shop to level up... Due to his achievement, his stats had risen to a total of 396. He didnt have a way to tell what level monster the Skeleton Shielder was, but if he included this, and the Great Slimes Bone Core, it felt like hed be able to raise his stats by at least 4. "Hoo..." For starters, he collected the Perium. He checked his inventory and saw that he had collected 71,130 Perium after thisst deposit. He was truly deeply moved. It only seemed like a couple days ago that he was pondering which bone he should pick which cost a little more than 3,000 Perium, yet to think he had gathered a sum of 70,000 Perium already...! He looked at his inventory and after nodding his head a few times, moved on to his next task. That was to put all his equipment into his inventory. When I got to level 2, Bone Reinforcement had absorbed all of my equipment as well. Since theres a high likelihood of that happening again... Of course, at the same time, the Bone Reinforcements effects had been truly amazing. It would retain the abilities of the weapons, no, it could increase those abilities during the absorption. However... even if he obtained the abilities his equipment had, the defensive capabilities, as well as their attack power arent retained. Since the Bone of Thunder Lasting and the Dire Wolf Bone Armor were items that possessed outstanding attack power and defensive capabilities, it would be aplete waste to sacrifice them in order to gain some stats. So, he needed to prepare before leveling up. And. He actually removed the other items from his inventory, besides the Bone of Thunder Lasting, and the Dire Wolf Armor; this included the shield he had just acquired. They were all level 1 or level 2 equipment, and they were items he received as rewards from the dungeons. Since both his weapon and armor were level 3, he thought the reinforcement would fail with this equipment, so he had stored them all. And if he were to aim for the right time for Bone Reinforcement with this equipment, he ascertained that that time was now: when he leveled up. He was starting to get the know-how of how this worked. "Hoo, then shall we start?" After he piled up the equipment right beside him, he inspected them with delighted eyes and raised the deteriorated Skeleton Shielders shoulder bone in his hand. "Bone Reinforcement." [You have reinforced your shoulder bone. Health has increased by 3. Absorbing a portion of the Skeleton Shielders memories and experiences.] [Kukek, this warped, cursed body will ultimately be buried here... General, please forgive me for not being able to return to your side... - Hiles Keller] Who the hell are you!? Why the hell are you saying something so profound!? No, and if were talking about a general here, is it Seagald or Leofield? If not, is it a new, third general!? Why are all the generals here so popr!? "Damn it, Ill remember the name Hiles Keller..." He only wanted to improve his abilities, but why is this subplot constantly being attached? His curiosity naturally increased, but Lee Shin Woo decided to ignore it for now. More importantly, his stats now totaled 399 through Bone Reinforcement. "Im so scared that Im shaking." Lee Shin Woo checked once again that his equipment was safely inside his inventory and cautiously grabbed the Great Slimes Bone Core. He gripped it in one hand, sighed once again, and... initiated the Reinforcement. [The Great Slimes Bone Core reinforces your entire body. Magic has increased by 17. Acquiring a portion of the Great Slimes memories and experiences.] [Guoooooooooh! Kugeugeugeugeugagagagagaga! - Great Slime] "..." The Great Slimes extremely clear memories passed through his brain. Its first memory was the moment its entire body was burning, goingpletely crazy, and self-destructing. "It shouldnt be, right...?" He was worried with the Rat Queen that hed get a skill based on birthing, but since he had acquired the Regeneration skill as a result, it should be like that this time as well. It had to. The moment Lee Shin Woo muttered to himself, trying to get himself to ept it, a dark magic hung over him, as though it had been waiting for this moment. [It is time for you to receive the karma you were endowed.] [The Lv2 Bone Tower Shield (+5), as well as the other 13 bone equipment were consumed all at the same time, and Bone Reinforcement has been executed. The effects of the equipment a lower level than you are halved.] "Ugh...!" It went as expected. He didnt know how, but the moment he leveled up, all the bone equipment in his periphery were drawn to him and Bone Reinforcement was initiated! Perhaps this was why Bone Reinforcement possessed a modification ability; perhaps it was for this very moment...! The equipment flew and changed into small particles. The instant those particles were absorbed, he felt a strong power rising throughout his body, as well as a sign that something was changing. Lee Shin Woo suddenly thought. Perhaps... the ultimate goal of Bone Reinforcement is to integrate the strength of the bones, as well as the bone equipment into my body as one. Of course, it was still impossible to make a deduction. Did he have to try Reinforcing bone equipment with other bone equipment, or should he try to reinforce his own bones? It was still a problem that he needed to solve. He couldnt say which exactly was more effective yet. From now on, this was a problem hed have to look into, possibly for quite a long time. But right now, the only thing he was sure about was that he still needed the assistance of powerful equipment. [Strength has increased by 11, Agility by 9, Health by 13, and Magic by 12. You have learned the active skill, Low Rank Harden Lv1.] [The Bone Reinforcement skill has be Lv4. You can now target others and use your Bone Reinforcement on them.] Even while he seriously considered his Bone Reinforcement and the direction of his growth, the change proceeded quickly. All the potential strength within the equipment was extracted and as a result, his stats were reinforced beyond his wildest imagination; in the process of leveling up, his bones thickened once again and became even more durable. His height increased considerably and became close to 1 meter and 90 cm. His bones were even more saturated with darkness and anyone that saw him would say that his bones were ck. And once the acquired memories and experiences were collected and organized, they bore fruit. [Low Rank Sprint has changed into the Combat Sprint skill. The level remains the same. In exchange for the skill duration shortening, when it is used in tandem with a attack skill, the attack is amplified. Agility has increased by 5.] [You have acquired the active skill, Low Rank Self-Destruct Lv1. By exploding a section, or even your entire body, you inflict tremendous damage to all your enemies in the surrounding area. You also take a significant amount of damage. Health and Magic have increased by 3.] Combat Sprint was probably an ability that the shielder had. It had changed in a way that better suited him, so it couldnt get any better than this. More importantly, contrary to Regeneration, he hadnt been saved from receiving the Self-Destruct skill... Lee Shin Woo decided to think about thister. After all, there was something much more important that he had to do right now. A change much greater than any skill... a level up. [You have be level 3. The effectiveness of your stats increases. Your proficiency inbat rted skills, with the addition of a bonus, increases. The boxes in your inventory increase by 20.] [Due to the feats you have achieved, your species changes. You have be a Dark Skeleton. You are more aggressive and handle magic superbly, but you are extremely vulnerable to divine power. However, you have been blessed by God, so this weakness is nullified.] [Resistances thaty dormant have been revealed.] As he saw the message stating that his evolution wasplete, Lee Shin Woo, who had calmed himself down, checked his body and muttered. "A Dark Skeleton, huh?" A Skeleton Avenger, or a Skeleton Warrior, is like a job in a game, not a species. But this time, his species had actually changed. Honestly, his bones were all dyed ck now, and with one look, he gave off more of a menacing impression than before. He felt that his strength and his magic were much stronger, to the extent that they were iparable to before. If it was with his current strength, he felt as though he could face the Great Slime head on. However, my bones have turned ck, so will I be able to properly fool the skeletons...? Lee Shin Woo had a concern that truly befitted a hero, and smiled gently. He could actually feel just how much more powerful his body had be, so he was able to cleanly sweep away his uneasiness and concern over the future. "Hoo... then." He had something he needed to check first. Despite Lee Shin Woo roughly knowing, he shook for some reason, a reason that he himself couldnt understand; he smiled bitterly and... Opened his status. Chapter 6 part2 [Lee Shin Woo] [Dark Skeleton Avenger] [Treasure Hunter] [Lv - 3 (Status effectiveness 125%)] [Strength - 113 + 10 Agility - 108 + 10 Health - 127 + 10 Magic - 130 + 10] (While dungeon bonuses are applied) [Passive skills - Invisible Heart Lv3, Acting Lv4, Beginner Avenger Lv1, Low Rank Bursting Thunder Lv5, Low Rank Magic Affinity Lv3, Low Rank Stealth Lv3, Beginner Command Lv5] [Active skills - Bone Reinforcement Lv4, Low rank Combat Sprint Lv5, Low Rank Shriek of the Dead Lv1, Low Rank Regeneration Lv1, Beginner Catapult Lv9, Low Rank mes of Revenge Lv1, Beginner Power sh Lv7, Low Rank Harden Lv1, Low Rank Self-Destruct Lv1] [Resistances - Holy - MAX, Curse - MAX, Acid - Low Rank Lv1] "Wow, it increased even more!?" When he went up from level 1 to 2, his stats effectiveness increased by 10%. Of course, that was plenty amazing, but now that hed risen from level 2 to 3, it had increased by an additional 15% to a total of 125% effectiveness! Go figure, it felt like his body was overflowing with power, but the Giant Slime, which was only one level higher than him, felt way too strong! Levels really are everything in this world. He had acquired a lot of skills and had grown until now, but to properly unleash the power of those skills, his stats had to be his foundation. He felt like he understood why his seniors were so focused on only increasing their levels. Plus, they had revealed that they were level 6, so he couldnt imagine how powerful they were. Yet, even they wouldnt dare challenge the deep darkness thaty within the Empire! If we exclude the temporary bonus stats that the dungeon gives, my total stats are about 478. These numbers are impossible just from changing equipment... Ah, as I leveled up, mybat rted skills went up as well. Because of that, my stats increased even more, I see. Because of that, Bursting Thunder, Catapult, Power sh, and even the Command skill he hadnt had an opportunity to properly use, naturally leveled up, and his level 9 Shriek of the Dead, as well as Regeneration went up to the low rank level all at once. Lee Shin Woo knew how drastically the skills change when they go from the beginner level to low rank, so he was really excited and checked the information of the ranked up skills. [Low Rank Shriek of the Dead Lv1 (Active)] [Causes the enemy to lose their mind, and puts them into a frenzied state. Additionally, they are afflicted with Fear of the caster.] [Low Rank Regeneration Lv1 (Active)] [Damage is healed through magic. Regeneration speed and effectiveness increases.] There was an option added to Regeneration stating that its speed and effectiveness increased, and there was a Fear option added to the Shriek of the Dead. He was excited as he wondered what kind of change this would bring upon the battlefield. However, there was something he was more excited for; it was the new skills he had gained. Honestly, most skills start at the beginner level, but both skills started at the low rank level! [Low Rank Harden Lv1 (Active)] [Consumes mana in order to harden and strengthen the area of your choosing. You can also apply this to your weapons or armor.] "Oh, this is simple and precise, so its great." Firstly, the Harden skill should be great both offensively and defensively. Especially, since it was a low rank level, it had additional options, and those options made his eyes go wide. It would reinforce his equipment, making them both stronger and sturdier. It would work as an all-purpose skill! [Low Rank Self-Destruct Lv1 (Active)] [By exploding a section, or even your entire body, you inflict tremendous damage to your enemies. The damage increases geometrically therger the area you explode.] Whereas Self-Destruct seemed like it would be extremely difficult to use. He would die on the spot if he exploded his entire body, so who the hell would want to use this skill!? At least Lee Shin Woo possessed the Invisible Heart skill, so it wouldnt be so bad, but even taking that into ount, it was definitely a skill with a horrific penalty. "Moreover, even if I were to just explode a portion of my body, it ultimately just means that a portion of my body, which is attached to me, would explode right in front of me... Hmm? He muttered like crazy, but then it hit him. A portion of the body... if thats the case, then what if he were to remove a portion of his body and then explode it? He had just the right skill for that. If I were to quicklyunch my bone with my Catapult skill... and then add my mes of Revenge to increase the uracy and firepower... If he were to somehow seed in integrating those three skills, he wouldpletely rid himself of the weakness of self-damaging himself, and it seemed like hed be able to create a skill with the maximum explosive effect. It may be a bit dangerous, but it was worth it to test it. Hmm? Lee Shin Woo, who had been immersed in his thoughts, suddenly looked over his status, and realized something new. In exchange for the Blessed by God words being removed from his species, the moment he received Low Rank Acid Resistance, he saw that he had received a renewed section for Resistances, and two additional Resistances. Holy - MAX, Curses - MAX... How much do I have to raise the level of my skills to get to MAX? These two skills werent new; he urately interpreted it as the two Resistances that he already had being openly expressed in his Resistances section, something that had urred following his level up, and the Resistances section being opened up. It was much more intuitive, showing both his holy and curse Resistances maxed out, rather than a vague phrase like Blessed by God. Looking at it like this, he suddenly realized just how much he had received from God. But what she took from me was equally asrge...! Despite him leveling up to level 3, he grit his teeth at the empty space between his legs and his bald head. What, would she only feel better if she took it all!? "Hoo, but still, for now..." Rather than getting fired up for unclear, visionless revenge, he should be focusing on his growth instead! After checking the dungeon reward, he would go to the secret shop. He would get stronger. "...Huh?" Lee Shin Woo, who suppressed his rage and pacified himself, closed his status and checked the area where the Great Slime had died again; he soon realized that something was off. "Theres no dungeon reward." He had already cleared several dungeons. There wasnt a single time where he wouldnt receive a dungeon reward after defeating the boss monster. Aside from what the boss itself would drop, there would always be a small wooden box that appeared. But there wasnt one. What did this mean? The conclusion was simple. Perhaps... Perhaps the Great Slime wasnt the dungeon boss? After thinking of that, he thought of the evidence that would back his hypothesis up one by one. When he had first entered this room, he thought it felt out of ce! Now, that reason was clear. Normally, the moment a challenger shows up in the boss room, it automatically turns into a secret room, yet the Great Slime closed the door itself, which felt odd. Moreover, when he thought about it, even when he took down the Great Slime, he didnt get a message that hed cleared the dungeon. By now, there was no room for doubt. He hadnt cleared this dungeon yet. "Ha, an elite level 3 boss showed up in a level 1 dungeon, and youre saying that wasnt the main boss?" Seriously? What the hell is this? Despite him already receiving a plentiful reward from the Great Slime, he was hit by a sense of frustration, feeling as though he hadnt gotten a proper reward for his efforts. And then, a piece of rationality soon returned to him. There definitely wasnt any other path, though... Lee Shin Woo used the slimes to train, and to get the most bang for his buck, he searched the entire dungeon, and killed them all. He checked all the blocked paths, and found that the passageways merged into one. Yet, if this wasnt the end of the dungeon, how would he even reach the end? - Tak, Tadak At that moment, a piece of rock fell from the wall. Since the Great Slime had moved around, ramming here and there, it wouldnt have been strange if the entire passageway had copsed. However, as he thought that, he casually gazed at the wall, and was dumbfounded. "This crazy..." He saw a tiny hole in the wall opposite the entrance, likely due to the Great Slime forcefully ramming, and digging into it. Thats right. A hole. There was definitely a room beyond that wall. Lee Shin Woo shivered at the pitch ck darkness, and the magic he felt beyond the wall. It was a concentration of magic that didnt evenpare to the room he was in! He was right. The dungeon continued on! "... Shall we?" Lee Shin Woo checked the side of the wall that still endured, despite receiving several of the Great Slimes charges, and took a deep breath. How could he turn back when he made it this far? He had to find out what was beyond this wall to be satisfied. And just in time, Ivee up with a great method. Lee Shin Woo stepped away from his target, the wall, and considerably widened the distance. After that, he raised a finger, and aimed for thergest crack in the wall. He utilized his mes of Revenge skill, which could target his own body after leveling up, and a ck me ignited on his index finger... he quicklyunched his finger with his Catapult skill. - Kwang! The Catapult skill itself was amazing enough. It was as if he shot a bullet, and the index finger quickly flew towards the wall, lodging so deeply into the wall that it couldnt be seen. He saw the cracks in the wall get progressively more severe. If he just sat still like this, the mes would gradually rise, and melt the wall. Of course, all of his magic would be depleted by then, so he couldnt do that. Instead. "Self-Destruct!" Lee Shin Woo focused as much as he could on his index finger and activated his skill. He was concerned that it wouldnt work from far away, or that he hadnt adapted to the skill yet, resulting in his entire body blowing up, but... they were all pointless concerns. His test had seeded! - Kwaaang! The Self-Destruct skills effect was quite amazing. Despite activating the skill by targeting his finger bone, it held an incredibly destructive power. His index finger bone, which exploded magnificently in tandem with the mes, emitted a boom, and caused immense damage to the wall. The wall seemed to hold for a brief moment, but soon couldnt withstand the force, and crumbled, revealing the room within for all to see. [Level 1 dungeon - You have found a secret path in the Dirtied Sewers. The dungeon information has been updated. Magic has increased by 1.] [Level 2 elite dungeon - You have acquired a permit for the Secret Sewers. All stats within the dungeon increase by 5. The dungeon information is added to your minimap. All of your actions are buffed within the dungeon.] "A level 2... elite dungeon." He had learned about elite dungeons just a little while ago from listening to his seniors. There was a high chance that especially strong, elite named monsters would appear, and the dungeon reward was great, but it was that much harderpared to normal dungeons. "Hoo..." There was an extraordinary mana being exuded from beyond the opening, so he thought it wasnt a normal dungeon, but... he stopped himself from being drawn in by the concentrated magic and thoughtlessly walking in. It was an entrance that he had barely found after defeating a level 3 elite monster. If he took it lightly and went in, he might get into some trouble. But still, I have to go inside. He wanted to prepare as much as possible before going inside. If one were to ask what those preparations were, there was obviously only one answer. It was the secret shop. Chapter 6 part3 "Guten Abend[1], Mr. Skeleton." The red haired beauty sat behind the silver counter, and was eating an orange. When she saw him, she raised her hand and waved. Lee Shin Woo opened his eyes (he didnt have any, but thats how he felt), and asked. "In what time zone is that the standard way of greeting someone?" "That obviously depends on how I feel. Youre underground, Customer, so you probably dont know the time. But the passage of time differs for each region; you have at least that much general knowledge, right?" "..." After hearing that, he suddenly felt curious. He wondered where this merchant usually stayed. Since she talked about time above ground, she might be someone who lives above ground. She mightve misunderstood his gaze, as the merchant hid the orange in her hand and spoke defensively. "Im not giving this to you. Its something thats hard to obtain in the Empire." "Im not interested, you know? Plus, I cant eat it, even if you give it to me!" "Ah, right." The merchant cheerfullyughed while peeling the rest of the orange and throwing the slices in her mouth. Lee Shin Woo promised that shed get her just desserts someday, and asked her something. It was to decide what he would do with the Beginner Stealth skill book that he had continuously stored in his inventory. "I acquired a skill book for a skill Ive already learned, so can I sell it here?" "Id rmend that you read it." "Even though Ive already learned it?" "Though youve already learned the skill, the experience within each skill book differs. Your proficiency should also increase. And... unfortunately, our shop doesnt handle beginner skill books." "Its such a great skill, so why!?" The shopkeeper giggled, and said. "Its only good when one is ced in a peculiar situation like yours, Customer. Aside from you, Customer, most of the other heroes are higher than level 4, so when would they have time to train the skill while fighting monsters higher than level 4? It would just add another unnecessary weakness." "Ugh..." It was a reasonable criticism. As he shook, he meekly retrieved the skill book and opened it. He didnt really need to read it. The moment he opened the book, the contents of the book entered into his brain, fully intact. [The Low Rank Stealth skill has be level 4. You can move without making a sound. Agility has increased by 1.] It was truly frustrating that the knowledge and the experiences within the skill book were never light. Lee Shin Woo, who had already trained and familiarized himself with the skill, was even more greatly aware of this, and by the time the skill book, which had done its job, disappeared into mana particles, the level of his skill went up. The merchant beamed, as if she already knew about it, and looked straight at him. Lee Shin Woo felt angry, and was pointlessly curt, proposing the next order of business. "Please give me a bone. The most expensive and worthwhile bone that I can afford." "Hmm, youre level 3, right Customer? Level 3 bones are quite cheap, but they probably wouldnt help you right now. Then, youd have to go up to level 4 bones, though I dont think youd have that kind of money Customer... Oh my, you have more than 70,000 Perium already. How?" When she checked the amount of Perium he had, her eyes gleamed with what appeared to be amusement. "Its honestly not very surprising that youve leveled up to level 3 in two weeks since being dropped into the Empire. If we consider the power that you were given, we can say that youre talented. However, the total amount of money you gathered in that short period of time, as well as your Invisible Heart which has stopped at level 3... Customer, youre a bit interesting." "I knew you thought I was interesting the first time you saw me, though." The skeleton replied, uninterested. She burst out into an even greaterughter and pped. And then she made an extremely unexpected offer. "Very good. Ive be interested in your story. Would you like to tell me about your experiences until now?" "Are you going to give me something?" "I wasnt nning on just hearing about your experiences for free. Ill reduce the price of your item by 20,000 Perium." "Please sit down." In exchange for telling his story, she would cut down the price of the transaction by 20,000 Perium, so he had no reason to refuse. He immediately straightened his neck and faced her. Her red eyes glowed, as if there were magic within them. She looked like she couldnt hold back her anticipation. Damn it, shes extremely pretty. It wasnt a problem that she was a beauty. The problem was that he didnt feel uneasy whatsoever when facing such a beauty. "So in the beginning..." Lee Shin Woo started his story with those dismal feelings. He precisely and concisely picked out the central parts of his story, from the moment he ended up in the Empire, to now. "So, I ended up finding the path that leads to a level 2 elite dungeon, and decided to drop by here." "Hoo, indeed." The merchant breathed out, seemingly expressing satisfaction, and opened her mouth. "That guile, thatposure... Above all, your obsession over your life has caused a change, Customer. Even though you possess 100 lives, to think youd ce so much value on each and every one of them. Even God probably wouldnt have been able to predict this. Yes... by doing so, you became a new Trickster, Customer." "Is that really important?" "It is important. Youre walking a path which no one else can walk in this world where everything is decided by karma. Moreover, youve already acquired 8 tokens at this stage? Ha, youre interesting. Really interesting. I dont feel like the Perium has gone to waste." She pped her hands and nodded her head. Lee Shin Woo felt like he had be an entertainer somewhere and asked her a question. "If this information gets leaked to the others..." "It wont happen. I double as an informant, but your information will not be leaked to anyone else, aside from me, and will be kept a secret. Even if that person is another hero." "Thats a relief." And it was also beneficial that hed learned that she doubled as an informant. Right now, he didnt have any problems as he had a lot of things to do right now, but further along the line, if his progress were to be blocked, it wouldnt be bad to pay her Perium in exchange for her advice. When they werepletely finished with their talk, Lee Shin Woo went on to the next matter. "If youre satisfied, youre going to reduce the price by 20,000 Perium, right?" "I said Im not a Trickster, so Ill settle the deal fairly. Here, Ive picked out the most expensive bones that you can buy with 91,130 Perium." She took out two bones, one by one, from underneath the counter, andid them atop the counter. One of them was a blue bone, and the other was a red bone. When he saw those two bones, he didnt know what to say. "With a discount of 20,000 Perium... The red bone costs 67,510 Perium, and the blue bone costs 71,040 Perium." "To think Id have to pick between two bones again..." Theres a limit to bad taste! Moreover, though the colors are the same asst time, the levels are different, and theyre bones from apletely different monster! Lee Shin Woo, while firmly grinding his teeth, checked the prices first. If he bought the blue bone, he would be left with 90[2] Perium, and was pissed since it was simr tost time. "You obviously cant tell me what monster it came from, right?" "Of course. Ah, if you were to buy a cheaper bone, you could check the information right after, but would you like to do that? Though I wouldnt rmend it." The merchant didnt hide her intent and snickered. Perhaps she had offered the 20,000 Perium discount in order to present these two bones at the same time and to piss him off! Lee Shin Woo meticulously inspected the exterior of the two bones. He couldnt differentiate them by their hardness alone, and the magicing from them as well... Wait a second, magic? "...Hmm." "Hoh." When Lee Shin Woo concentrated deeply on the two bones, the merchant looked amused. "Youre honestly a bit surprising. To think youd awaken such aptitude in magic from just the experience you acquired from that bonest time... Oh my, it seems like you already cant hear what Im saying." "Hmm..." There was magic in all the bones hed acquired until now. It was just that the tendency of that magic changed. When the bones contained a pure, deep magic, he would gain magic stat points, but if there was a different,plex power within, he could gain other stats as well. While it was alive, the owner of the bone had a special power, and that special power was wrapped in magic; through Bone Reinforcement, that lock was removed, and it felt like that power was transferred to me intact... Of course, even if he didnt know what monster the bones in front of him belonged to, he had absorbed hundreds, if not thousands of bones that raised various stats. Though he didnt know about the skills, he felt like he could read the pattern of the magic that changed depending on which stat it would raise. [Low Rank Magic Affinity has be Lv4. Magic has increased by 3.] ...Yeah, I feel like I know now. Of course, since they were both level 4 bones, the amount and quality of the mana differedpared to the other bones he had acquired, and the pattern boasted aplexity on another level to those that came before, but... still, he could read the flow of mana within and when he exerted himself, he was able to intuitively grasp the abilities of the bones. The red bone is clearly from a warrior, or something simr. I can probably gain strength and health from that one. The blue bone is... honestly purely magic. Its a magician. To think that theyd really be divided based on color... He didnt need to think about itplicatedly. Both the red bone and the blue bone would reveal their owners power and characteristics. The red magic corresponded to strength and health, while the blue magic was entirely focused on magic, and emitted light. Between the two, the one I need the most right now is... Right now, when the level 2 elite dungeon is right ahead of him, which ability should he increase? If he were to just look at his stats, he should leave his excessively grown magic stat, and it seemed like procuring strength and health was a good choice. Moreover, acquiring the warriors skill was appealing... However. "Ill go with the blue bone." Despite all that, Lee Shin Woo chose the blue bone, which would further increase the imbnce among his stats. He honestly thought that there wasnt any other choice but the blue bone. Whether it be the Regeneration skill that he had made good use of in this dungeon, or the Harden skill that hed have to concentrate on and train, or the mes of Revenge, etc; using all these various skills necessitated him using mana. So, for Lee Shin Woo, who considered training his skills as important as gaining stats, there was honestly no other choice from the very beginning. "Haha, does it seem like Ill say something?" But it seemed like the merchant was satisfied with his decision. She smiled brightly, grabbing the red bone and returning it, and passed the blue bone to him. Lee Shin Woo slightly tilted his head towards the inquiring merchant. "Are you saying it was an excellent choice?" "Yes, youre right. You made a really, really good decision. You may be the greatest Trickster that God has created." Ever since Lee Shin Woo had divided the two bones based on their magic, she had been continuously smiling, and that smile only further deepened now. "Magic is the basis for all strength. Its fine, so long as its not an amount that the body cannot withstand, causing the body to break. Since you can do the rest with magic anyway. Im talking about strengthening the body, as well as its changes. This is especially important to you, Customer, who has opened your eyes to magic at an early stage." As he listened to her, Lee Shin Woo had a hunch. He could heal his shattered body through Regeneration, and the Harden skill he had just received could strengthen his body. So, there should be another skill that lets him reinforce his body in a different way. Of course, strength, agility, and health were the fundamental abilities that influence the body and they were certainly important stats, but even whenbining the three, magic was more important. "Thank you. Ive received your payment of 71,040 Perium." "Then, Ill get going now. Ille back faster next time and get that red bone, so please wait for me." "Ah, please wait just a minute." He didnt regret his decision, but he still had a lingering attachment to that red bone. He spoke the lines that retreating enemy troops would say, and when he was about to leave, the merchant grabbed him. "I havent properly heard your name yet, Customer." "...My name is Lee Shin Woo." He thought that the merchant wouldve already known his name by now, but Lee Shin Woo obediently told her his name. Lee Shin Woo would see her a lot in the future, so he thought itd be better to formally introduce himself. "My name is Pleine. As you can see, Im responsible for the secret shop." "Then Ill see you next time, Pleine." "I hope youlle and see me when youve be stronger." It wasnt just his imagination that the merchant... Pleine seemed to be kinder to him than before. And that was all because he had personally proven his potential. The greatest virtue on this was none other than strength. He suddenly realized that fact, smiling bitterly, he left the secret shop. He then returned to the clearing, in front of the dark, lengthy passageway. "Hoo, then..." Since he roughly knew the result, he didnt shake that much. After Lee Shin Woo had briefly grasped that there was no danger in his periphery, he boldly activated his Bone Reinforcement. He somehow figured out that it was a part of something else, and it was actually part of the skull, the sphenoid bone. [Reinforcing the sphenoid bone. Yourpatibility with the target is incredibly high and you have acquired a skill with great sess! Magic has increased by 24. You are more deeply absorbing ???s experiences and memories.] "Hey, wait...!?" Lee Shin Woo, who realized that the activation of the skill was different fromst time, hurriedly tried to gesture, but it was obviously to no avail. An enormous amount of information and a clear consciousness entered his brain, and for a short time, his consciousness waspletely locked away. And the appearance of another world unfolded. [1] T/N: Good evening in German. [2] T/N: Toika wrote 90 Periumst time when it shouldve been 70, but he counted correctly this time. Chapter 7 part1 By the time Lee Shin Woo got a hold of himself, he was in a bright interior, rather than the sewers. It was as if he were in a dream, as the surroundingndscape looked blurry, and he couldnt move his body as he wished. Though he was able to indirectly experience the feeling of a humans body, he wasnt very happy. Yes, he was looking through a certain humans memories. It was a moment where he once again felt the endless abilities of Bone Reinforcement. "Im here, Teacher." Those words came out of his own mouth. That person, whose body was permeated with Lee Shin Woos consciousness, spoke those words, and raised his head. For the first time, he saw someone else in the room. He was really old, frail, and even the mana within him wasnt anything special. Teacher? But this guy seems like hes way stronger. Since he was within this persons body, he knew for sure. Lee Shin Woo had just be level 3 and possessed an ample amount of magic, yet this guy had much more mana than himself. He was obviously a higher level than him, and had probably focused on his growth in magic. Whereas the strength of the old man before him wasnt even at the level of a Skeleton Warrior. If they were to quibble over mana, the old man had about half of Lee Shin Woos mana. Normally, Lee Shin Woo didnt have the ability to precisely measure someone elses mana, but it was possible for the person who he was inhabiting. "Gerrit... why have youe?" "I have something I must tell you." Of course, since they had a teacher-student rtionship, strength probably wasnt that important. They dont say that the student surpasses the master for nothing. For starters, Lee Shin Woo decided hed listen to their conversation. "I have nothing to hear from you." "Teacher, I heard youve be responsible for a group thats researching under His Majestys supervision." "...Where did you hear about that?" "Thats not important. Whats important is that what youre doing is wrong." Ah, as expected. When he thought about it, thest time he reinforced his skull, he remembered hearing about research of some kind. He had roughly guessed what it was, but this memory made it clear what the research was. It was the research that would fill this Empire with the undead. "Teacher, you must stop that research at once. Its research thats twisted at its very core. Bringing immortality within everyones reach will bring nothing more than ruin!" "But thats what His Majesty wants." "Isnt it you, who had told me that this research was wrong?" "..." "Teacher, please tell me honestly. Whos the one who really wants immortality? Is it His Majesty? Or..." Around now, Lee Shin Woo started to feel like he was watching a movie. The Empire had fallen anyway, so there was no need to be on the edge of his seat! He watched their conversation extremelyfortably. Meanwhile, it seemed as though their argument was reaching its climax. "Ha. Yes, one born with genius such as you wouldnt understand what it feels like tock in natural ability and be unable to proceed to the next stage; you dont know how wretched it feels..." "I just practiced as you taught me, Teacher." "Then why couldnt I reach that level!?" Suddenly, the old mans temper red. It felt as though it had built up, more and more, and had finally exploded. "Ick in talent, in magic, and in everything! I cant... I cant get to level 3 before I die. Karma... I dont have enough karma...! At least, if I dont buy more time!" "And yet, why are you voluntarily trying to shoulder the burden of the horrific karma that you vehemently rejected in the past!? At the time, you were the one I respected the most!" "You dont know! You, who has everything, wouldnt know what it feels like!" The old man suddenly screamed. But Lee Shin Woo thought he had heard that voice somewhere before, and then, a truly shocking development urred. The teacher had been delivering his impassioned speech, and suddenly, one of his eyes popped out and rolled onto the floor. "What the...!?" "Ugh!" That wasnt all. The teacher suddenly vomited rotten blood and bowed his head. His student, Gerrit, had a hunch that something had gone terribly wrong, but the moment he was about to retreat, his teacher raised his head and suddenly attacked him. The teachers eyes had turned yellow, and had a dull glow! It was like the standard development for a zombie. "Kyaaaaahk!" "What the hell!?" Gerrit realized that his teacher, who had sought immortality, had instantly be an existence furthest from life... he had changed into an undead. He quickly diagnosed whether he could turn his teacher back to normal or not, but soon, shook his head, and extended his hand. Ooooh...! In a brief instance, the worlds mana responded to his call, and he instantly created aprised of mana, trapping his teacher. It was the stage that his teacher had so fervently desired to reach. Lee Shin Woo felt it across his entire body and was deeply touched. So this was how you handled mana! He could energetically feel it all: how Gerrit had manifested his will in that brief moment, how he drew out the mana within his body, and how he caused change in the mana. "Kyahak, Kyahaaahk...!" "Damn it, Teacher..." His teacher, who had transformed into a zombie, also raised his mana and struggled; but when Gerrit grit his teeth and flicked his finger, the mana changed into mes and began to magnificently burn his teacher. When he released the mes, all that remained was a small blue bone. "Damn it, what the hell did those bastards do to him...!" The sole survivor, Gerrit, persistently grit his teeth, muttered, and picked up the bone fragment. The mana that arose from his body almost acted as proof of his rage. "I cant let this insanity go on any longer. I have to protect the Empire at all costs. To do that, damn it..." Gerrit chewed on his lips. Whereas Lee Shin Woo was concentrating so desperately in order to further engrave Gerrits high level mana control into his mind that he couldnt feel sympathy for him. "...In the end, I have no choice but to meet with General Seagald." Its Seagald again!? He couldnt help but retort when he heard about General Seagald! However, Lee Shin Woo hoped that he would exin what Seagald did, though unfortunately his hope was dashed, as that was thest thing he heard before his consciousness became faint. It was as if someone decided that these were all the experiences and memories that he could receive, and cut it short. His sight turned dark, and his own senses gradually returned to him. Back to the senses of his cold, hard bone body. "Tch." [Low Rank Magic Affinity has be Lv7. Magic has increased by 10.] [You have learned the passive skill, Low Rank Magic umtion. Magic has increased by 5. You can draw your mana naturally, and by amassing it within your body, your total amount of magic increases; and by doing so, your body will harmonize with your mana better than before.] The moment Lee Shin Woopletely awakened within the sewers, he received concise, and amazing messages one after another; he rubbed his (nonexistent) eyes. His Magic Affinity had leveled up and he had acquired a new skill, a really important one at that! Mmm. He had learned a skill that was essential in handling magic, and the Magic Affinity skill had sharply increased, so he could say that he had no regrets, but... the name, Seagald, weighed on his mind, so he couldnt feel happy about his growth. Since I keep hearing his name, he mustve really been an influential figure in the Empire... He briefly pondered over it, but soon opened the chatting channel. It should be alright to ask his seniors about Seagald just once. He was famous enough for the skeletons to say his name in their death throes, so there should be someone amongst them that knew who he was. [Lee Shin Woo: Seniors, may I ask a question?] [Yasunori Akira: The newbie, huh. Its good that youre not dead.] [Lee Shin Woo: Haha...] It was something that he took as a greeting whenever he entered the chatting channel. It meant it was that hard to survive in this Empire. He smiled bitterly and started to speak. [Lee Shin Woo: Have you perhaps heard of the name Seagald?] [Yasunori Akira: Ah... it does seem like I mightve heard that somewhere.] [Lloyd H.K.: Ive heard of him. Hes one of the generals, right? From what Ive heard, it seems like there were 12 generals in this Empire.] [Shino Rendu: Have you cleared the dungeon? Thats a relief.] [Lloyd H.K.: Because you worried about me, I was able to safely clear the dungeon.] [Prince Altania: Whoever he was, that Seagald guy mustve been really popr. The lower ranked the skeleton, the more fervently they talk about him.] [Seira Von Retadane: Seagald... Hes probably an undead right now as well. Hes our enemy.] [Prince Altania: Thats obvious.] As expected, it seems like his seniors had heard about Seagald before. Though he did feel disappointed that he couldnt get any additional information on him from them... Lee Shin Woo clicked his tongue and Seira asked him a question. [Seira Von Retadane: However, Mr. Lee Shin Woo. Do you perhaps have a reason for asking about Seagald...?] [Lee Shin Woo: Ah, like my other seniors, Ive heard a lot about this Seagald guy from the skeletons. I was just curious as to who he was...] [Seira Von Retadane: I see. However, Mr. Lee Shin Woo, regarding that person...] When Seira was about to say something more, something happened. [Ms. Ye Jin Jin has entered.] [Ye Jin Jin: Please save me! Somebody please save me!] "..." Lee Shin Woo stiffened at the sudden call for help, but his seniors clicked their tongues, as if they were used to it. [Lloyd H.K.: Damn it... Id thought itd been too long for everyone toe out unscathed.] [Prince Altania: Rest in peace, Ye Jin Jin. ...If I see youter, Ill make sure to burn you to a crisp.] [Ye Jin Jin: Youre too much...! I-Im going to die! I... ggyahk! A zombie, its a huge zombie!] [Erian Ruparte: Jin Jin, where are you!? Where are you right now!? I need to know where you are if you want me to help!] [Seira Von Retadane: ...Its no use, Ruparte. God really values us, and if were close enough to help, a quest will ur, even without her call for help...] [Erian Ruparte: N-No... then are you saying we just have to sit here and watch her die?] [Shino Rendu: Weve already seen several dozens of heroes dying from here. We have a lot of regrets and remorse. You should just shut up if youre going to talk about responsibility or having a conscience so lightly.] [Erian Ruparte: Thats...] In an instant, the mood in the chatting channel calmed down exceedingly. The seniors who got along well with her were distressed, and even those speaking curtly couldnt hide their pity for her... Lee Shin Woo understood all of them, and he even understood those who remained silent. [Lloyd H.K.: Sorry I couldnt save you, Ye Jin Jin...] [Ye Jin Jin: Please save me... Please...!] However, their mood didnt match Lee Shin Woo at all. Even though a human being was on the verge of death, theyre not even uneasy? Was it because he also felt contempt for himself, since he was also like them? Since he was suddenly starting to be unsure of his own identity? They were all right, but they were also all wrong. [A quest has urred!] [Hero Rescue] [A hero close by you is in a life threatening crisis. If you seed in perfectly rescuing her, you will acquire a suitable reward. Of course, if you fail or ignore her call, there wont be anyone who mes you, but there may be those who mock you and say that you are foolish.] [Quest reward - 3 permits to Gods secret shop, 1 random skill book, acquisition of a suitable amount of stats and Perium, and Lv3 equipment reinforcement permits based on your contributions.] Thats right. It seems like this girl was nearby. Chapter 7 part2 Lee Shin Woo epted the quest, left the clearing and approached the sewers ceiling. He had gone through the entire sewers over and over again for several days, so he knew the structure of the sewers well. There were other ways besides the official entrance to get into the dungeon, so the opposite was also true. Good, as I expected, theres a crack. He used his Bone of Thunder Lasting to shatter a drain pipe. No matter how tough the drain pipe was, it wouldnt be able to endure a hardened, Lv3 weapons Power sh. - Kwaaaa A heap of dirt spilled out and fell, but Lee Shin Woo didnt let it bother him. It had been a long time since these sewers had lost their original purpose. He wasnt going toin just because of some dirt. It shouldnt be blocked to the point that I wont be able toe back, right? Of course, it didnt matter, even if it were blocked. He would just break through it and go on his merry way. Like right now! He returned his weapon, and like a mole, violently dug through the dirt, and procured a route to the surface. He couldnt have even dreamed of doing this when he was still human, but since he was an undead that didnt need to breath now, it was quite simple. Since the sewers werent that deep, he was able to escape rather quickly. "Hoo." Lee Shin Woo, who had gotten outside, sensed a huge presence straight in front of him. Would it take around 2 minutes by running? It was a distance close enough that could be seen with the naked eye. A ck haired Asian girl was in the middle of running hectically; behind her, a huge three meter giant undead was quickly chasing her... [Lv4 Acid Ghoul - Edward L. Baker] [You have found the target of your revenge. When you initiate battle, all abilities increase by 20%. mes of Revenge receive an additional 20% increase.] "Ha, really." The one he had encountered, and seeded in barely running away from was none other than that Giant Zombie! Moreover, it had grown to be a level 4 Ghoul! [Human...! Its been a long time since Ive seen... a human possessing such appetizing flesh...!] "Ggyaaaaaaaahk! Save meeeeeeee!" Though its body was smaller than thest time, considering how the Acid Poison it spread was getting stronger and stronger, as well as how its movement speed seemed faster than a normal monsters, it was certain that it had leveled up. He had thought that it wasnt a normal monster, but why did it have to be the one to rise to level 4, and why did it have to be the one attacking another hero... Should I run away? Lee Shin Woo naturally thought. However, he soon shook his head. It wasnt because he pitied the girl, who was weeping and ran while dragging her injured leg. It wasnt sympathy, contempt, goodwill, or regret either. Rather, he didnt feel anything for the girl, to the point that he felt like hed start feeling contempt for himself. He wouldve readily helped her if it wasnt very difficult, but it was also a situation where he didnt really want to actively help her. It made him realize that he was apletely different person from before. Despite that, there was only one reason why he couldnt easily back down. He coveted this quest reward so much that he was ready to sacrifice a life or two to get it. Moreover, I have the Avenger skill right now, as well as the mes of Revenge... All of his abilities increased by 20%, so even though the zombie had amplified its stats by reaching level 4, he thought it was definitely worth a shot. He hadnt been aware that the Avenger skill would additionally buff his mes of Revenge skill, which was a happy miscalction. He had procured a surefire way of inflicting damage to it. Moreover, the fact that it was a monster that used Acid Poison was another reason that made Lee Shin Woo so bold. He had already cleared the slimes den ande out, and in the process, his Acid Poison Resistance had gotten to the low rank level! He was sure he wouldnt be helpless against its Acid Poison this time. Now that his mind was made up, there was only one problem left. Can I take care of this issue without exposing my identity to that girl? Ideally, he would act as an aloof Skeleton Knight, who wandered around following the copse of the Empire; he would take care of the Acid Ghoul, receive the quest reward, and leave worry free... He wasnt sure if that would actually work, but for starters, Lee Shin Woo decided to run with that concept for now. Of course, even if he is exposed, it wouldnt be too much of a problem. He was an undead, but it was undeniable that he was also a hero. He had all the evidence in the world to prove that he was one. "Alright, then..." Lee Shin Woo finished all of his calctions and raised his index finger. A ck me wrapped around his finger and softly burned. He carefully raised his finger and aimed at the Acid Ghoul, whose heavy feet stomped onto the floor, and ran quickly. Perhaps it was by chance, or perhaps it was necessity, but the girl was running towards him, and because of that, it became much easier to aim at the Ghoul. "Ready... Aim... FIRE!" His index finger wasunched, apanied by a simple, short, and powerful pain. The ck me engulfed the index finger and it went afar, faster than any bullet; it cut through the air, advanced, and burrowed into the Ghouls shoulder! Tch. Lee Shin Woo briefly clicked his tongue. It was obvious, but he had originally aimed for its head. Of course, even if he had hit its head, he probably wouldnt have taken it down in one hit, but he was disappointed it didnt work out. [Guwoooooooh!] "A-An undead...!? But that attack just now...?" While Lee Shin Woo was busyining, the Ghoul, as well as the girl, inspected him. The Ghoul shrieked, filled with pain and anger, and the girl was incredibly flustered at the unprecedented sight of an undead attacking another undead. "Oh, ggyaahk!" Because of that, she sprained her ankle and fell to the floor. That dumbass! [Human! Eating!] Rather than punish the skeleton that attacked it, it seemed like the Ghoul decided to eat the human in front of it first. Lee Shin Woo inwardly wanted to get rid of her of right now, and exploded the index finger burrowed in its shoulder! [Ggaaaaaaaaaaahk!] "Euguk, Euuk, heuggeuk..." The effect was amazing! The Ghoul was about to grab the girls head with its rough arm, but its shoulder joint burst; it wasnt able to endure the horrific pain and stood in ce, roaring in pain. Whereas it seemed like the girl had realized that she had just escaped death, and even while crying, desperately moved her body and escaped the Ghoul. She had already been afflicted by its Acid Poison, so about half of her clothes had been melted, and she truly wasnt dressed decently. However, Lee Shin Woo wasnt agitated by that at all. It shouldve been alright if hed been a little uneasy, though... [Kuwaaaaaaaah! Annoying, a mere skeleton!] "Jeez, you burn well. Its hot enough to cook a sweet potato!" The satisfying result of his attack soothed his regret of losing something important. It was because above the Ghouls tattered shoulder joint, the clear ck mes still zed on, and gnawed at the Ghoul. He knew it was an amazingbination, but he didnt think itd be this effective. If he could repeatedly use this technique from afar, whether it be an Acid Ghoul or anything else, they would die all the same. [Annoying guy, die!] "Tch." However, that was still only the ideal situation. There was no way that his opponent would take that kind of horrific pain and idiotically stay put. The Acid Ghoul seemed to be really pissed, as it even let the appetizing human go, and sprinted at full speed towards him! Lee Shin Woo ascertained its speed, as well as the direction it was going, and raised his other hands index finger, which he had already ignited with the mes of Revenge, aimed, and fired. "Firing again!" [Kyahak!] But surprisingly, the Ghoul swiftly swung its arm and parried the shot, as if he were waiting for it! Of course, the mes of Revenge excellently shifted to its arm, attached to it, and began burning it, but he hadnt gotten an opportunity to explode his shot; it just miserably bounced off, and rolled onto the floor. Lee Shin Woo saw that, and though he had roughly expected it, he clicked his tongue. Tch, well it is a level 4. It had a much faster reaction speed than a normal zombie, and the durability of its body was different as well. In a scenario where the Ghoul noticed him, and he wanted to fight it using Catapult, he felt like hed need to be at least level 5. The fact that hed gotten the first hit in was a tremendous sess. "Now I have to fight it off myself." In preparation for theing Ghoul, he regenerated both of his fingers, and tightly gripped the Bone of Thunder Lasting. He activated Harden, applying it to both his sword and his armor, and even ignited the mes of Revenge on his sword. Even so, he still had mana to spare. If it was before, it wouldnt have been strange for close to half of my mana to have been drained by now, but right now, my manas overflowing. Since hed strengthened himself with Gerrits sphenoid bone, Lee Shin Woos magic was at 173. Moreover, his Low Rank Magic Affinity had risen to level 7, and he obtained the Low Rank level 1 Magic umtion. Even at this very moment, the two skills were drawing the surrounding mana towards him and replenishing his mana. So at least in terms of mana, there was a world of difference between him today and him yesterday. [You are exposed to the Acid Ghouls strengthened Acid Poison. Low Rank Acid Resistance is mitigating the damage.] [Ill crush you, Skeleton!] "Ugh...!" While he was busy preparing for the battle, the Ghoul had gotten really close. Its Acid Poison had be even more fearsome than before, and Lee Shin Woo, feeling as though his entire body would be melted away, had attacked first. Though it was actually bearable due to his Acid Resistance. He prayed that his armor wouldst until the end of the battle, and activated his skill. "Power sh!" [Dieeeeeeeee!] The Ghouls sharp nails and the Bone of Thunder Lasting shed. Immediately after the horrific shriek, Lee Shin Woos body was mercilessly pushed back. In the ground, there were traces of two deep lines. "Ggeuuuuhk." [Youre weak! Skeleton!] Despite using Power sh, the strength behind Lee Shin Woos strike couldnt match up to the Ghouls. It was obvious. Even though his strength was counterbnced by the amplification effect of his Avenger skill, he still couldnt contest a level 4 as a level 3 with purely stats. Moreover, this asshole seems to have especially high strength...! Lee Shin Woo gripped his sword with both hands, whereas the Ghoul extended one hand, so he was even more shocked. He grit his teeth and attempted to parry its arm, but its forearm was as hard as steel. The me zing on his sword shifted to its arm, attached to it, and began to burn it, but he couldnt defeat the Ghoul with just that degree of pain. The mes on its shoulder were gradually expanding, so now it looked like some sort of me giant. "Eeek, Power ..." [Not a chance!] Lee Shin Woo pushed its arm away, and tried to use his Power sh again, but the Ghoul used its other arm to smash him, like a straw cutter. Lee Shin Woo, who used his Combat Sprint to seize that split second opportunity, swiftly retreated both his body and sword, and rolled onto the floor. Instead, the Ghouls arm burst open the innocent ground and sank into it. It was truly a horrific destructive power. [To think youd get away! Die. Im telling you... to die!] Damn it, since it became level 4, our levels are worlds apart. It seems like its at least 300 stats higher than me... How the hell am I supposed to win? Lee Shin Woo evaded its next attack and had to consecutively back away. By simply swinging its arms, the ground was hollowed out, forming small craters; when he saw that, before fear, he just felt astonished. ...It was a relief that it wasnt very hard to dodge them. [Kuwaaaaahk! You rat...! A mere skeleton without a bit of flesh...!] "Then are you that slow due to you having all that flesh? Oh, boy." [Kugiaaaaaht!] The Ghoul truly had tremendous strength and health, but it wasnt very fast. The fact that Lee Shin Woo was able to dodge its attacks was proof of that. However, he couldnt just move around dodging this guy forever... [You are being exposed to the Acid Ghouls strengthened Acid Poison.] [Low Rank Acid Resistance has be Lv2.] My armors steadily melting away. I wontst long like this... He had applied both his Harden skill, as well as his Acid Resistance to his armor, yet the condition of his armor wasnt good. It was due to already having fought the Great Slime. If it kept going like this, his armor wouldnt evenst a few more minutes and would disappear without a trace! Damn it. At the end of his brief pondering, he put his armor into his inventory. Even if he were to die once, he couldnt afford to lose his armor in a ce like this. [Kyahak, Kyahahak!] The Ghoul saw Lee Shin Woo de-equip his armor, and even as its hands consecutively floundered in the air, itughed. Though he didnt know what it was so happy about, the Ghouls body was being gradually burned by the mes of Revenge. He didnt know if the Ghoul realized that it was in the exact same position as he was. Now its be us both having time bombs set up and were just waiting for whoevers time bomb goes off first. Lee Shin Woo, even while furrowing his (nonexistent) brow, decided to make his next move. It was none other than himself who made up his mind to finish this quest, even if he had to risk his life to do so. This was the time to stake his life. Even though he knew its body was damn tough, or that it was extremely strong, he needed to get one hit in with his sword... -Kwang! [Ggueeehk!] Something forcefully hit the Acid Ghoul, causing it to miserably roll onto the floor. Lee Shin Woo, who had charged at it, stiffened in ce. "Ill help you!" The one who had struck the Acid Ghoul, and appeared in its ce was... a Skeleton Horse, and it spoke with eyes aze with blue goblin fire. Its voice was neither low, nor high, but simply just a charming, beautiful voice. The Skeleton Horse spoke in that beautiful voice, so he thought there was a considerable disparity between them, but when he thought about it, he wasnt in much of a different situation. "To think thered be another undead hero like me...! Its really nice to meet you!" "..." Lee Shin Woo was speechless when he heard the Skeleton Horse continue, and kept his mouth shut. He had, at some point, heard about a Skeleton Horse in the chatting channel, a horse that just kept running within the confines of the underground empire; and the stories regarding the Skeleton Horse had coursed through his head. Yeah, his seniors were right. There was no way that an undead wouldnt attack humans and would just keep running. ... If they werent a hero, that is. Chapter 7 part3 A skeleton and a skeleton horse; both of them were heroes at that. They definitely had much to say to the other. What the hell did you ask God for, or Were you perhaps a horse to start, etc... However, it wasnt the best situation for them to introduce themselves. Lee Shin Woo suppressed the urge to grab hold of and interrogate it, and he spoke simply to the Skeleton Horse, which (probably) looked at him as if it wanted something. "Thanks for helping. Shall we talk about the rest after taking that bastard down?" "A-Alright!" The Skeleton Horses reply seemed slightly anxious, but he didnt have time to be concerned about that. Right now, the only thing Lee Shin Woo was sure about was that the Skeleton Horse had equal strength to the Ghoul, such that it could ram into it and send it flying. There wasnt a more dependable ally than a level 4! [Kugaaaaaah! Again, youre nothing but bones...!] Meanwhile, the Ghoul, which had rolled onto the ground from the Skeleton Horses kick, realized the identity of its attacker, and seemed to be extremely angry. However, the moment its temper red, and it tried to upright its body, Lee Shin Woo used his Catapult; his index finger flew and burrowed deep into the Ghouls forearm. Right as the Ghoul opened its eyes wide, the finger exploded! "Go now, attack!" [Kahak...!] Lee Shin Woo aimed for the moment the Ghoul rolled onto the floor again, and activated his Combat Sprint, quickly advancing towards it. Through his Self-Destruct, about half of its forearm was severed, and he followed up by striking its other half with his Bone of Thunder Lasting. It was a Power sh backed by Bursting Thunder! It looked akin to a blue streak of lightning. [Critical Hit!] [Kuaaaaaaahk!] No matter how far apart their levels, the Ghoul wouldnte out unscathed after receiving a Catapult, Self-Destruct, and the following Power sh. As soon as its tough and sturdy forearm rolled onto the floor, it screamed awfully. "Eeek, Die!" The Skeleton Horse rushed over, and kicked it once again. It didnt seem like it had used a skill, but since it had rushed over frighteningly quickly, despite the short distance, its attack power was considerable. Just... Why is it so clumsy? Lee Shin Woo had consumed countless skeleton and monster bones, leveled up, and gained theirbat abilities, so from his point of view, the Skeleton Horse moved crudely, even when considering the difference in species. Moreover, after its preemptive attack, it looked distressed as the Acid Ghouls blood sttered, which was mixed with Acid Poison; he definitely looked like a newbie. Wait, high leveled heroes could be newbies. Moreover, since theres no way that it used to be a horse, it may be natural that it hasnt gotten used to its body yet. He decided he would calmly talk this over after the battles conclusion. In any case, toppling the Acid Ghoul was his top priority. Lee Shin Woo yelled at the Skeleton Horse, which was going for another attack even while suffering from the Ghouls Acid Poison. "Stay back for now, unless you have a skill or equipment that repels Acid Poison!" "But..." "Im not telling you to run away. When I ask you, attack him then!" "...Got it!" Fortunately, the Skeleton Horse meekly obeyed Lee Shin Woo and retreated. He wouldnt have an answer if someone unskilled decided to be stubborn, but it seemed like he had avoided the worst case scenario. [You ridiculous bastards, Ill crush you into powder!] Right then, the Ghoul stood up. It gripped its severed arm with its other hand and dangerously swung it. Whenever it swung it, a thicker Acid Poison spread out. It was mixed with the zing mes on its entire body, so it gave off a smoky smell. [You have been intensively exposed to the Acid Ghouls strengthened Acid Poison. Though Low Rank Acid Resistance is lessening the damage, it seems like it is not very effective!] "Ugh... Yeah, Ill cut off your other arm for you soon." [A mere feeble skeleton...!] Even while saying that, the Ghoul seemed to regard Lee Shin Woo as a much more dangerous opponent than his exterior appearance might suggest, and moved warily. To the point that he felt as though itsbat experience when it was alive was immense, especially because it swung its arm as a weapon, and stayed a reasonable distance away. [Heh...] "!?" However, thinking like that was a miscalction. It aimed for that split second where Lee Shin Woo couldnt move hastily, and shoved the arm in its hand into its gigantic mouth. [Kuaaaaaah!] "You crazy..." Lee Shin Woo, who realized at that moment that the Ghouls mana had increased explosively, regretted that he hadnt already severed its other arm. Then again, he obviously couldnt afford to, nor did he have the time to do so before. "You dirty bastard!" [Im a Ghoul, you stupid skeleton!] Just because it ate its arm didnt mean that another arm would grow in its ce. However, the moment it swallowed its own arm, the skin which had been zing with the mes of Revenge, immediately returned to its normal state, and not only that, his other remaining arm swelled fatly. It naturally felt as though the Ghouls strength had increased a level. "You asshole, youre not even a boss, yet youre starting the second phase...!" [Die!] After it finished consuming its arm, the Ghoul charged at Lee Shin Woo. It was astonishingly fast, so much so that it was iparable to before! Lee Shin Woo didnt act with reckless bravado, and immediately activated his Combat Sprint. However, when he thought hed gotten far enough away, the Ghouls arm strangely lengthened and smashed him! "Urgh!" [Kyahahak!] This is where it seized the momentum. It pursued Lee Shin Woo, who was rolling on the floor, and attacked him again. [Die! Break!] "Tch, keuhut...!" Lee Shin Woo trusted his intuition and rolled onto the floor, avoiding the Ghouls arm, which it swung like a whip; though whenever its arm crashed into the ground, the wildly spurting Acid Poison was indirectly melting his body. [Low Rank Acid Resistance has be Lv3.] The fact that his Low Rank Acid Resistance, which had risen to low rank just a little while ago, was leveling up, proved just how extreme his environment was. However, the situation wasnt great, so he couldnt be happy about the skill leveling up. Lee Shin Woo regenerated his body while out of breath, and grit his teeth. Maintaining his mes of Revenge was continuously taxing his mana, and now, he didnt really have much mana to spare. Should I call the Skeleton Horse now? No, hell just get even more hurt. ...Then. It was time to use the method he had been saving to turn the situation around. Lee Shin Woo mentally braced himself again and kicked off the floor, using his Combat Sprint. He leaped up into the air as the Acid Ghouls arm came flying towards him! He activated Harden, applying it to both of his arms, and held tightly onto the arm. [Heut!] The Acid Ghoul seemed to think that Lee Shin Woo had given up his life, as it sported a wicked smile, and pulled him towards it. Despite him activating his Harden skill, his arms started to gradually melt, but he didnt have any intention of using Regeneration. He calmly waited for the moment he got close. The moment the Ghoul was sure of its victory was the best time for aeback! Good, in exchange for a life, hell grab hold of victory... "Ei... Eit!" This timing again!? However, when Lee Shin Woo had resolved himself, someone else interfered. To be exact, a javelin quickly cut through the air, and pierced the Acid Ghouls arm. [Kuaaaaaahk!] The effect was amazing! The spear burrowed deep into the Ghouls arm, and when the Acid Ghoul contracted its arm, it was tormented by a horrific pain, due to the deep tear wound. It was really impressive, especially when the sharp mana at the tip of the spear impacted the ghoul, and spread everywhere. "Huhp!" [Kuhwak!] While Lee Shin Woo stood in awe, another javelin holding mana flew and burrowed into the Ghouls arm. It was a speed and uracy that gave him goosebumps! When he figured out who had thrown the javelins, heughed forcefully. Ye Jin Jin? It was none other than Ye Jin Jin. He thought she had run off on her own since he hadnt seen her, but she hadnt. "Hoo, hoo..." She was still wearing rags instead of clothes, and she looked as though she would immediately copse and start crying at any time, but she pursed her lips and endured; after that, she prepared to throw another javelin, and it actually didnt seem like she was going to run away. He honestly looked again. Even when rotten, its still a herring. At least at this very moment, her gaze befitted that of a hero. [Prey!] "Where do you think youre going?" Now that its be like this, the situations changed. There was the Skeleton Horse, while sloppy, which possessed a level 4s strength, as well as the coward that was only level 3, but was a hero with a talent in throwing... He had a chance of winning now without giving up one of his precious lives. "Hubp!" [Kuhak!?] [Beginner Power sh has be Lv8. The activation speed of the skill has be faster.] Before he was flung to the ground, Lee Shin Woo exerted all his strength to twist its arm, and then rolled onto the ground. He wondered whether he could utilize Power sh with his body as well, so he had tried it, and it seemed like he had half seeded. [You insect, how dare you!] "Heut, hey you!" "Y-Yes!" Lee Shin Woo avoided the infuriated Acid Ghouls Acid Poison particles and retreated, calling out to the hero, Ye Jin Jin. He couldnt pretend like he couldnt talk at this point, and he didnt have a reason not to either. It seemed as though Ye Jin Jin didnt think she was in a position to discriminate about this or that, as she obediently responded. "How many more times can you shoot that!?" "Two more times!" "If I give a location, shoot it right away!" "Yes...!" [I wont let you!] "Ha!" Perhaps the spears were quite painful, as it immediately aggroed onto Ye Jin Jin. It even ignored Lee Shin Woo and ran towards Ye Jin Jin, but Lee Shin Woo directly blocked its path. On his left raised hand, a ck me zed. "Why dont you try blocking this one?" [Not a... chance!] Lee Shin Woos finger trembled, and the instant he made the motion for his Catapult, the Ghoul appeared to perfectly read its trajectory and swung its arm! However, it didnt feel anything ever touch its hand. [Kuha...?] "It was a fake, you dumbass!" The moment that the Ghoul felt quizzical, Lee Shin Woo was already drifting in the air, aiming his index finger at the Ghoul. He had taken the opportunity when its vision was obscured from swinging its arm and jumped. [Kuahk!?] The Ghoul noticed him, but it was much toote to withdraw its arm. When it opened its mouth wide to shriek, Lee Shin Woounched his index finger bone without dy! [The Beginner Catapult skill has advanced to Low Rank. Agility has increased by 5. Continuous Catapults have be possible.] [Kuaaaaaahk! Ill kill you!] Lee Shin Woo exploded his index finger the moment it lodged into the Ghouls head. Despite the Ghoul losing 20% of its head, its stance didnt falter and swung its arm at Lee Shin Woo. It staggered a bit from the various injuries it had sustained, but the brutal force within its arm was still the same as ever, and soared through the air with an unpleasant piercing power. Damn it... If he could, he wouldve shot bullets continuously like the Ratman, but hecked the mana to do so. He could use it twice more, and if he wanted the scale to be even bigger, he could only use it once more. Lee Shin Woo couldnt afford to waste that chance now, and as he fell down powerlessly, he grit his teeth and yelled out. "Help me!" "I was waiting!" Its spirit was like Supermans. He didnt even know where he came from; the Skeleton Horse appeared with a speed that made it seem like it could even dodge lightning, and like it had done before, forcefully rammed into the Ghoul! [Kugaahk!] "Hoo." The Ghoul, which had aggroed onto Lee Shin Woo, foolishly suffered from the same type of attack as before, and rolled onto the floor. Lee Shin Woo used that opportunity tond safety. Still, we cant kill him like this. Lee Shin Woo put his sword into his inventory, took a deep breath, and scrutinized the Acid Ghoul. Despite the Ghoul experiencing the bone shot wreathed with mes of Revenge, the javelin throw, and even the Skeleton Horses weighty, full strength charge attack one after another, it still stood up in the end. "Go ahead and rest now. Ill finish this ande back." "I came over to help... Sorry." "No, you did enough." It had probably been affected by the Acid Poison when it collided with the Ghoul, so its once dignified appearance had definitely lessened quite a bitpared to before. Still, it was worth it. It had not only saved Lee Shin Woos life, but it had created a deadly opening for him. "You, over there!" "My name is Ye Jin Jin!" He only hardened his left arm, and as he looked sharply at the Ghoul that stumbled as it stood up, called for Ye Jin Jin. She had already taken out another javelin and looked really nervous, but she was already ready to throw the next one. "Ready?" "Yes!" "Good, then... lets go!" Lee Shin Woo immediately used his Combat Sprint, kicked off the floor, and charged at the Ghoul. At that moment, the Ghoul seemed to be making ast-ditch effort and forcefully spewed its Acid Poison in all directions. Even while it was under the effects of the mes of Revenge, it moved as if unhindered and Lee Shin Woo likewise ignored the Acid Poison, and charged. His ribs and legs melted, but his hardened left arm was still intact. At the very least, he wouldnt fall before he reached it. [Guwaaaaaaaaaaaah!] The Ghoul looked as though it had lost all reason and sensitively responded to Lee Shin Woos charge. Its arm dreadfully wriggled and sucked in all the Acid Poison in the vicinity, and it shot that gathered Acid Poison directly at Lee Shin Woo! It looked as if he had shot aser beam. "Arm!" "Hubp!" Even to the very end, the Ghoul possessed an attack that he hadnt anticipated; were all level 4 and up elite monsters like this? But it didnt matter. Ye Jin Jins preparations were all for a situation like this. [Kuhak!] As soon as he gave themand, Ye Jin Jin threw her javelin, piercing its arm, and the trajectory of the Acid Poison twisted significantly. The Acid Poison spread through the entire area and the sight of the ground melting away was truly horrific, but the sprinting Lee Shin Woo remained fixed on the Ghoul. Lee Shin Woo approached within firing range and briefly yelled. "Head!" "Haht!" Ye Jin Jins spear throwing technique was almost like a work of art. The instant he had yelled out, her javelin flew sharply like an awl, and burrowed into the Ghouls wide open mouth which was facing Lee Shin Woo! It was probably trying to spew out its Acid Poison through its mouth, but the timely spear throw from Ye Jin Jin stopped it. [Guahk! Ahgaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!] "Ill let you eat those bones you hate so much!" Lee Shin Woo shoved his left arm into its fixed mouth with all his strength! His hardened arm cut through rotten flesh and muscle. The instant his arm burrowed deep within its head, the Ghoul opened its eyes wide and bit down. It had instinctually acted like that, as all it had left were malice and wickedness. [Guaaaaaaaaah!] "Self-Destruct!" And that right there was the moment that Lee Shin Woo had been waiting for. Chapter 7 part4 - Kwaaaaang! This was the greatest impact hed experienced since being dropped into the Empire. The sound of the explosion, the shock, and above all, the pressure that struck his entire body; he wasnt able to resist and Lee Shin Woo rolled raggedly onto the ground. It just hurt, and hurt some more. The moment his arm had been severed, as well as the moment a huge explosion urred, he felt pain that transcended the limits of his perception. Despite only aiming for the Ghoul and activating the skill, it felt as though there were several dozens of holes perforating his body. [The Low Rank Self-Destruct skill has be Lv2. Magic has increased by 1. The force of the explosion increases.] However, he was sure of its effectiveness. The fact that everything above the Ghouls neck had cleanly disappeared from the Ghouls body was proof of that. [Gu... aaah...] No, to be exact, it wasnt a corpse yet. Despite it losing its head, it was still alive. It was filled with wounds, and iled its arm about; seeing it fumbling around the floor to find Lee Shin Woo, the culprit that made it this way, made him feel goosebumps. From its throat, of which around half was remaining, a truly grotesque voice trickled out. "Hoo..." "Heup!" However, Lee Shin Woo resolved himself, and when he was about to grip his weapon, the Skeleton Horse appeared like lightning and struck the Ghoul, dropping its front legs onto it. It was so powerful that he thought that this was what Thors lightning hammer might be like! [Gu...] The Ghoul wasnt even able to spread its Acid Poison and was stuck in that area, wriggling around a couple of times. In the end, it stopped moving, and the battle was over. [You havemanded different individual species and sessfully hunted a monster a higher level than you. All stats have increased by 2. Beginner Command has be Lv7.] [This is a term that only those who have been saved, not the one who saves, can speak. You have acquired the Saviors karma token with great sess. Strength and magic have increased by 4. You have acquired the active skill, Sacrifice Lv1.] [You have superbly seeded in executing your revenge. The Beginner Avenger skill has be Lv4. When you meet the one who defeated you again, all abilities increase by 30%.] Was it because the Ghoul persistently hung on until the very end? Despite the message that the party had sessfully hunted the Ghoul, Lee Shin Woo couldnt believe it and just nkly stood there. However, he did so only briefly. When the Ghoul turned into mana and disappeared, leaving behind the dropped items in its ce, reality hit him. None of them had died, and had amazingly defeated the monster. "...We won." "Its all because of you." "It was all because you appeared at the right moment that we were able to win so easily." The Undead Hero and the Skeleton Horse Hero exchangedpliments. Truthfully, they both didnt even have the energy to stand, but while fighting against the Ghoul, the ground had bepletely covered by the Acid Poison, so they barely endured, and stood. "T-Thank you very much!" "Oh..." And thest remaining hero cut in. It was none other than Ye Jin Jin, who was dressed in tattered clothing. Of course, Lee Shin Woo had indeed saved her, but he hadnt expected her to bow her head in front of an undead and even thank him... It was honestly something he hadnt expected. It was only really possible if one was extremely pure. "This was the first time Ive realized that there are also good Undead in the Empire! I-I was really about to die... Thank you very much for helping me!" "Hm?" However, at that time, the Skeleton Horse tilted its head, and then, turned its head towards Lee Shin Woo, and asked. "You werent the one who was in danger? The quest or whatever definitely said that there was a hero who was in trouble, and when I got here, you were fighting with that Ghoul..." "No, I also received the quest and came to save her." "Huh? You came to save... me? Wait, just a second. A hero...?" The misunderstandings that the party had were all meshed together in the same ce. Lee Shin Woo had roughly grasped the situation, but the Skeleton Horse, and Ye Jin Jin looked as though they couldnt understand what was going on at all. Would they be able to understand each other just by talking? Lee Shin Woo sighed and spoke briefly. "Lets talk in a calm and orderly way. Ah, before that, wear some clothes." "Clothes...? Ggyaahk!" [Questplete!] [You have acquired 50,000 Perium.] [Strength has increased by 5, Agility by 10, Health by 3, and Magic by 7.] [You have acquired 3 permits to Gods secret shop, the Intermediate Ice Resistance skill book, and 5 Lv3 equipment reinforcement permits.] Now this was definitely a quest reward. He had acquired 50,000 Perium, and secondly, he had gained a total of 25 stats! He had inwardly been looking forward to the skill book, and was disappointed that it was an Ice Resistance skill book, but even when he considered that, it was truly a shocking reward. "To think that both of you were heroes... God just granted your wish, yet you became an undead." Lee Shin Woo checked his rewards and when he sported a satisfied expression, Ye Jin Jin (she had safely changed) looked on disbelievingly, alternating between the two. The Skeleton Horse noticed her disbelief and spoke somewhat bitterly. "You probably wont understand what I say, but I dont know what she did to me. I dont know what happened to my brain..." Rather than something like supernatural powers or a miracle, he spoke as if he had experienced a taste of something far worse, and Lee Shin Woo nodded his head in agreement. Of course, he realized that he was too greedy, but still, he hadnt thought that she would just abruptly turn him into a skeleton. It if werent for the sense ofposure that was forced upon him by bing a skeleton, it wouldve also been difficult for him to bear. "It might be difficult to believe me, but... just trust me when I say that I, as well as this guy, are your allies." "I trust you. If you think about it, it wouldve been difficult for you to save me at that precise timing had you not been heroes. Its just..." Ye Jin Jin wavered, and then, quietly added. "It seems like it was really difficult for you." "..." There was no doubt about that, but the meaning differs depending on how its said. Lee Shin Woo was momentarily speechless when he heard Ye Jin Jins simple, honest, and careful words. He felt slightly, extremely slightly guilty that he had acted in order to receive the reward, rather than save this girl. Rather, he felt happy about those emotions. "Youre a good kid." "Not really. ...But what good does it do me? Strength is everything in the Empire." "Youre the same level as me." "I just feel more shameless hearing that." They had already finished their introductions. Lee Shin Woos lie that he was level 4 had been exposed, but since itd been revealed that he was an undead already, it didnt really matter anymore. Honestly, it didnt really matter if they figured it out, but if they werent in a special situation like Ye Jin Jin, his seniors wouldnt easily ept that he was an undead hero, so he had been pushing it back. "Im level 4, but Im weaker than you. So its alright." "Jin, thats..." "You said you were level 4 ever since you became a Skeleton Horse, right?" "Yeah." Jin was none other than the Skeleton Horse. He was obviously a human before, not a horse. In his original world, Jin was a sprinter, and had answered like this when God asked him what he desired. I just want to keep running, faster than anyone else. No matter how he thought about it, God was definitely crazy. To grant that request, she turned him into an undead, and a horse at that! Lee Shin Woo could ept that she turned him into a skeleton and could even understand why, but turning Jin into a Skeleton Horse made him want to ask God, Do you really want the heroes to fight off the Empire? "So youre saying you just continuously ran, huh. Without even clearing a single quest?" "Yeah. I dont know how long its been since Ive been dropped onto this world, but I dont get exhausted, hungry, thirsty, or even tired, and I didnt know what to do, nor did I want to fight monsters... I just ran. I didnt even know about the chatting channel, and until I received this quest, I didnt even know that there were other heroes." If one were to make a wish and the next morning be a Skeleton Horse, they would obviously be stunned. He just felt that it was frightening that Jin relieved all that stress just by running. He didnt know about anything else, but Jin had probably grown considerably in sprint rted skills. He couldpletely understand his eleration speed in such a short distance, as well as the force of the tackle that followed. On the other hand, since he hadnt fought a monster face-to-face even once before, the fact that he responded so sloppily in abat scenario was natural... Lee Shin Woo, who had some sort of pride in being the one amongst the heroes that had the most unusual history, meekly passed over the crown to Jin. "Thats why I think youre really amazing. You said youve only been here for 3 weeks? I dont know how you became such an experienced warrior in just 3 weeks..." "Hes right. That sword strike, or that shot were really..." It was undeniable that Lee Shin Woo had yed a crucial role in hunting the Acid Ghoul, but... he turned away as the two looked at him as if his face were golden. Just in time, he saw the loot that was rolling on the ground. Ye Jin Jin, who checked which way his head had turned, smiled ambiguously and took a step back. "Ah, the loot... Ill sit this out. Since you guys saved me..." "Please take some, based on how much you contributed with your javelins. You have to be the one that handles the karma that youve sown." "...Its really only been 3 weeks since youve first been here, right?" She couldnt believe what she was hearing; it seemed as though Lee Shin Woo knew much more about the truth of this world than she did, and had to ask back. Of course, it turned out exactly as Lee Shin Woo had said. There was only one monster and there were individual drops for each of them, but how their splits would be shared was already determined. [23,510 Perium] [Acid Ghouls Thumbnail] [Lv4 Acid Skull Helm] 70% of the total Perium was deducted from his share, but he got two items. Though he was able to acquire new information that this world did indeed recognize nails as bones due to the Acid Ghouls Thumbnail (a skeleton doesnt have nails, but they honestly dont need them), but there was something more important than that. [Acid Skull Helm] [Lv4] [Durability: 1,500/1,500] [Defense: 250 - 310] [Options: Magic + 10, Effectiveness of Acid Type Skills + 10%] "A helmet made of its skull; this is really valuable..." "Its a level 4 helmet... Im really jealous." "Wow, its really tough." Lee Shin Woo as well as the other two began touching the pale green and sleek helmet, and couldnt stop from being moved. It was beautiful, to the point that he couldnt believe that it was made of bone. It started from the neck, andpletely protected the head; there wasnt a separate visor attached, but there was a small crack that he could see through. An undeads head is central to their life. There isnt much to think about; its more important than body armor. He equipped the helmet at that very spot. Compared to the Dire Wolf Bone Armor, which increased his health by 20, it seemed like the additional 10 magic didntpare, but it had other options besides that. The effectiveness of acid types skills would increase by 10%. It wasnt just a valuable option because it would increase the effectiveness of his Acid Resistance... Itll probably help with the skill that I gain from the Acid Ghouls Thumbnail, too... Yeah. I have to absorb that quickly as well. He turned around and spoke to the ck haired girl, and Jin, who were conversing quietly. "The battles over and youre safe now, so Ill get going." "Ah." It seemed as though Ye Jin Jin hadnt expected him to say that, as herplexion became ashen, but soon, she nodded her head stiffly. He also had things to think about after this incident. At the very least, he hoped that he wouldnt be negligent during battle or have to roll onto the floor again in the future. "Thank you very much for saving my life. Ill probably greet you again in the chatting channel, but lets definitely meet again in the future." "Alright, as long as you dont die, we should be able to see each other again." "Lets meet again." The Skeleton Horse, Jin, also said his farewells to Ye Jin Jin. Honestly, Lee Shin Woo had somewhat been expecting that. He smiled slightly and turned around. Jin also turned his body in a simr direction. Ye Jin Jin then shouted at them as loud as she could. "Ill help you next time!" "Say that after you get stronger." Lee Shin Woo walked quietly until he couldnt see Ye Jin Jin anymore. He was trying to get back to the underground tunnel he had dug up to return to the dungeon. "So." However, before he found the underground tunnel, Lee Shin Woo suddenly paused, and opened his (nonexistent) mouth. "Shall we start talking?" "Sounds good." Jin, who had been quietly following behind, replied in a beautiful voice that didnt at all match with his exterior appearance. "I was waiting." Chapter 8 part1 "I felt it this time. That I cant just go on like this..." That was the first thing Jin said. "Running was everything to me in my past life, but continuing to just run in this world is... nothing more than escapism. Thats what I felt when I saw you and Jin Jin." "Well, probably." Lee Shin Woo agreed, uninterested. Of course, because of that, his running rted skills had increased, but thats just a by-product of him escaping reality. In order to survive in this world, and in order to advance forward... one needed to fight. "Tell me. How did you... even after bing an undead, so quickly adapt to this world and proceed forward? And if you can, please help me so I can be like that too." "For free?" "No!" Jin strongly shook his head, but it seemed like he was really hesitating with his follow up. Lee Shin Woo had already roughly anticipated Jins request, so he could understand his hesitation. How long did he wait like that? Jin sighed deeply, and spoke. "...Ill let you ride on my back. It should be helpful for travel as well as battle, right?" "In other words, its an offer to party up." "Yeah." Jin was originally a human. For him to have offered to let someone else ride on his back mustve caused him to give up a lot of things. It was no different from him throwing away precious evidence that he was human. He was willing to go that far in order to advance further. "It seems like its way worse for me, but... yeah, your speed is definitely helpful. Honestly, I did need someone to talk to. Alright, lets work together." "Then... gaah!?" Jin sounded relieved, yet he saw Lee Shin Woo straighten his index finger. Jin, who had seen this very index finger burrow into the Acid Ghoul and explode, couldnt help but flinch. "Still, epting you without any hesitation right now isnt best for either of us." "Then?" "Here." Lee Shin Woo passed Jin a tattered sack. Jin obediently epted it and tilted his head while holding it in his teeth. Lee Shin Woo smiled faintly and spoke. "If you hunt skeletons or undead like zombies, they usually drop Perium and bones. Come back after filling that sack to the brim with bones. Thats my condition." "...?" The blue goblin fire, that acted as substitutes for his eyes, shook strongly, as if expressing his doubt. To think that it was possible to express his emotions through goblin fire; Lee Shin Woo was extremely jealous of that. When he bes level 4, will goblin fire fill his empty eye sockets? "Its all for your sake, so fill the sack. The higher the monsters level, the better." "But... ugh, I got it. So its a test." It seemed like Jin was definitely misunderstanding. He thought Lee Shin Woo was testing him, testing whether he had the right to apany him, or checking if he had the resolve to hunt monsters. Of course, when Bone Reinforcement became level 4, he became able to apply it to others as well, so he just nned to use all the bones that Jin gathered to strengthen him all at once, imparting the undeads knowledge and experiences onto him. "Youll definitely be able to be as experienced as me in no time." "That sounds impossible, but... I got it. Ill show you that I wasnt ignoring those undead until now because I was scared." Perhaps it was because he was an athlete in his past life, as Jins spirit was considerable. The experience of taking down the Acid Ghoul may have instilled him with confidence. "Come back here once youve filled it to the brim. Ah, if you can, do some quests. Since doing quests is the only way to unlock things like the inventory or the chatting channel." "I got it. Ah, and also take this." Jin stuck out his neck. There was a small pouch hanging on his neck, and after taking it off, Lee Shin Woo found 50,000 Perium inside, as well as 5 Lv3 Equipment Reinforcement permits. "Its just what I got as the quest reward, but its useless to me. Its cumbersome, so you take it." It seems like the skill book had already disappeared, as he learned the skill, but it seems like he couldnt do anything with these. Since Lee Shin Woo wasnt the type to refuse something offered, he immediately took them. "It should be fine to take this in advance, considering what Im going to do for you in the future." "Hmm...?" "No, its nothing." Its likely that Jin still wasnt familiar with karma. Lee Shin Woo smiled bitterly and shook his head. Since he didnt have a clear understanding of karma, he wouldnt understand, even if Lee Shin Woo tried exining it to him with words. "Then get going. If you can, try to get level 2 bones or higher. Thatll be good for you, too." "No matter how bad I am at fighting, I should be able to take them down if theyre level 2... I got it. As soon as I fill the sack, Ille back." "Ok." Jin nodded his head for some time, turned around, and then ran straight forward. His speed was greater than any monsters that he had encountered since being dropped into the Empire. With that speed, even if he were to meet the Acid Ghoul again, he wouldnt die. In an instant, he was unable to see Jins appearance, and soon after, Lee Shin Woo activated Bone Reinforcement on the Acid Ghouls Thumbnail. [By sacrificing the Acid Ghouls Thumbnail, both hands are reinforced. Strength and Health have increased by 3, and Magic by 5. Absorbing a portion of the Acid Ghouls memories and experiences.] [This... this is... This seems like the wrong method, Doctor. This isnt it. This test is a failure! We cant stop it...! - Edward L. Baker] "...This is..." The amount of stats was also immense, but when he felt the flowing memories, he felt cold, as if he had just swallowed a block of ice whole. This was a record of their struggle. A record of their struggle to not be undead...! So thats how it was. They realized that they wouldnt be able to prevent the curse that ruined the Empire, and they researched for a method to not be the undead. However, they failed... and instead, they put their hands on poison, and as a result, became a zombie that spurts Acid Poison. There was something he thought of when talking about poison and zombies. Hadnt he obtained a deteriorated Poison Zombies bone in the sewers? Moreover, the slimes bore poison as well... As soon as he wondered whether there was something remaining in the sewers that connected the two, he couldnt sit still at all. "However, before that." Lee Shin Woo had suddenly acquired 10 Lv3 Equipment Reinforcement permits, and used one of them to reinforce the Dire Wolfs Bone Armor. The armor, which looked as though it would break any minute now, instantly returned to its original form, and was reinforced. [Dire Wolf Bone Armor +1] [Lv3] [Durability: 850/850] [Defense: 110 - 125] [Options: Increases Health by 21] "Next up is..." Lee Shin Woo prepared for the future, where his equipment would get damaged, and separately stored 1 reinforcement permit. He used the remaining 8 all at once to reinforce his Bone of Thunder Lasting. While his armor only really possessed the ability to protect his body, his sword had a hidden power rted to Bursting Thunder. [Bone of Thunder Lasting +8] [Lv3] [Durability: 1,070/1,070] [Attack Power: 260 - 280] [Options: Strength + 19, Magic + 19, Effectiveness of Bursting Thunder skill + 18%] "Ooh, Oooooh." As expected of a weapon that God herself bestowed (though it had changed); it certainly was different from other weapons. The more he repeated the reinforcement, the more absurdly the attack power grew. It was this strong at +8, and he felt that it had reached values that would enable it to outss even level 4 weapons! And that was the same for the stats as well. There was definitely a noticeable difference in strength depending on whether one equipped the weapon or not! It was to the point that around now, he thought that perhaps the true reward for saving a hero were the reinforcement permits. However, since Ive received something so amazing, if I dont help that guy considerably, I wont be able to deal with the shortage of karma. Pleine doesnt speak idly. Itll leave a bad taste in my mouth if Im just on the receiving end. But, well, that problem should be solved at around the time he meets Jin again. Since he was sure that Bone Reinforcements karma wasnt trifling. Anyway, if he doesnt have Bone Reinforcement, what skill did he get from God? Lee Shin Woo briefly pondered on that subject. It was something hed realized after being brought into the Empire. Everything had karma, and karma is never something to be taken lightly. In exchange for bing an undead, he gained 100 lives, as well as a reinforcement ability using bones, so Jin should have gotten something around the same level. Of course, Jin had started at level 4, contrary to Lee Shin Woo, so he probably had to take that into consideration as well. I should ask when he gets back. Lee Shin Woo shrugged his shoulders, brushed away thoughts regarding Jin, checked the results of his stats, and swung his sword in the air a few times. He trembled, as he felt as though his sword cleaved the air in half, and nodded his head. Even though he knew it was ominous, he couldnt help but mutter like this for the second time. "Im not afraid of anything anymore..." He immediately went into the underground tunnel he had dug and returned to the dungeon. He was able to return more quickly and easily than he had anticipated. [You possess the dungeon permit. All stats within the dungeon increase by 15.] Now then, letspletely clear the dungeon before Jines back. However, as if it were ridiculing his thoughts, the interior of the sewers was extremely silent and dark. Even if there were level 2 slimes crawling around, he trusted that there was nothing unusual going on; but in a different sense, he felt betrayed. Well this is disappointing. He wanted to familiarize himself with his strengthened body and go wild, but he didnt feelfortable with that idea at all. However, the instant he thought so and sighed, he saw something glowing in the darkness. [Guooh...] "Hmm?" It was a sound hed heard somewhere before. What was it? Before he even organized his thoughts, the dominating sense of danger caused Lee Shin Woo to instinctually dive out of the way. A huge shot hit the ground just a littleter! It emitted a horrific sound. [Guoooooh!] "You bastard..." After Lee Shin Woo figured out the identity of that shot, he simply smiled bitterly and felt dejected. How could he not? This was a Great Slime, an enemy that he had risked his life fighting before finding this passageway. [Lv3 Great Slime] "I thought it was the boss before, but now theyre just appearing in the passageway wherever." Lee Shin Woo wasnt sure if it knew that he had fought one of its kin before, but after it impacted the ground, it rolled into a ball again, and got ready for another leap. However,pared to when he had first faced the Great Slime in the clearing, Lee Shin Woo didnt really feel that uneasy. I can see its movements better. [Guooooooooh!] It bounced its body quickly and forcefully charged. Whats worse, the slime spun midair and was rotating. He hadnt noticed that when he had fought the slime from before. However, now I can...! Lee Shin Woo moved nimbly, the moment that the slime aimed for him and flew towards him. Combat Sprint. It didnt simply enable one to move fast, it would increase the bodys reaction speed, albeit for a short time. It felt as if he was the only one moving quickly within the slowed time... ones senses would disappear in the time it would take to say ah, but within that time, Lee Shin Woo moved in the best way possible. "Heup!" He raised his sword, which he had Hardened, pointed it at the slime, and with the strength of Power sh behind it, precisely shed the slime. He couldnt even think of fighting it straight up before, but this time, he was doing just that. "Ugh...!" Of course, the impact of their collision was tremendous, but he could endure it. His strength stat, which rose to 150 after the dungeon bonus, as well as his equipment bonus, enabled him to stand his ground. [Gguoooooh!] Ultimately, the slime hadnt inflicted effective damage onto him, and conversely bounced up, colliding with the ceiling. Even though it hadnt been cleaved by his sword strike, the moment the damaged area impacted with the ceiling, a considerable amount of mucus sttered down. Then, an acid mist spread out, but since he had fought the Acid Ghoul, he didnt even really feel this level of Acid Poison. "Hoo... That was good. Lets keep going like this." [Guoh... Guooooh!] Just now, he felt it. Rather than fighting weaklings to train, it was naturally better to fight monsters equally as strong as him, or even stronger, in order to get stronger much more quickly. Lee Shin Woo saw the Great Slime repair its wound, as well as its body bing smaller, and his eyes gleamed, while once more raising his sword. It wouldnt be unreasonable to say that around the time that he couldfortably fight a Great Slime face to face without using the mes of Revenge, he would be qualified to reach level 4, would it? "...Im going!" [Guuuoooooooh!] The giant slime and the skeleton shed again. A fierce roar resounded through the dungeon... breathing life into the once silent dungeon. Chapter 8 part2 [Gureureureureureuk...] [You have hunted a Lv3 Great Slime.] [You have acquired 9,350 Perium.] [You have acquired a Lv2 Old Thorn Bone Spear (+3).] [You have acquired a Great Slime Bone Core.] "Hoo, that was easier than I thought it would be." After roughly 10 minutes of intense battle, Lee Shin Woo had emerged victorious in a face-to-face confrontation. Of course, he was injured in the process, but it was to an extent that he could easily heal with only one use of his Regeneration. His equipment was fine as well. In the end, he had used mes in order to squeeze out a core, but by that time it was already dying, so he could safely say that he had killed it with only his sword. "Now, shall we use Bone Rein... Hmm?" [Guuuuuuuuuu!] [Guooooooh!] There was a problem that came around the time he finished up the terrific battle and collected the reward. Due to the battle, he had expanded the passageway, and two Great Slimes rushed in all at once! [Lv3 Great Slime] [Lv3 Great Slime] "What the hell...!?" It was indeed a Lv2 elite dungeon, and he wondered what it would be like if three Lv3 elite monsters had appeared in the same area, but now wasnt the time to be thinking about that. The Great Slimes were strong enough to break his bone joints the moment he was careless. 2 versus 1... I dont really need to work myself too hard right now. Lee Shin Woo quickly made a decision. As soon as they saw him, they went into a frenzy and bounced their bodies around; he avoided their charges, and ignited his mes of Revenge. While doing so, he suddenly thought perhaps it might work, then attempted to create a me on both hands, and ended up seeding! Of course, it wasnt very difficult for him to urately hit either slimes with the mes. Even if they werent Great Slimes and were Emperor Slimes, they wouldnt be able to avoid the mes of Revenges homing ability! [Guuuuuuuuuuu!] [Guooooooooh!] The mes of Revenge were significantlyrger than before. Was it due to that? Normally, there would be a dy in between them getting hit by the me and recognizing the danger, and exploding after, but they didnt even do that this time and immediately tried to explode! "Heup!" He made a split second decision and immediately activated his Combat Sprint, leaping high into the sky. Before he collided with the ceiling, he forcefully lodged his sword diagonally; perhaps it was because his body was made of bones or that he was so light, but the sword made no sign of slipping out, allowing him to hang safely. Immediately after, a huge explosion urred. - Kwaaaaang! "Lets see." Lee Shin Woo hung onto the ceiling and after toughening his feet through Harden, he kicked away all the pieces flying towards him. His feet spun around like a windmill while kicking away the pieces. It was something he himself had done, but it felt like he was watching some kind of movie. I just thought it was a lot better than getting hit, so I tried it, but it actually does work... His visual acuity had definitely grown as his agility went up. Even when he was level 2, he couldnt believe it, but now, he could read the trajectory as well as the speed of the pieces, match them, and respond ordingly! Of course, he couldnt kick them all away, so he was hit by a few of them, but that was only about 5% of fragments. And that was no longer at a level that could really hurt him. "Then shall we start in earnest... Hmm?" However, when he was confident that had had skillfully handled the explosion, and was about to proceed with his next move, Lee Shin Woo realized that a strangle phenomenon was urring from below. It was the Great Slimes behavior. They were going to explode again! Huh? Now that I think about it, the mes on their bodies arent going out... Of course, the mes of Revenge were tenacious, but all they had to do was tear off the piece that was ame. Then, why were they still burning? The answer? It was due to their Self-Destruct skills which didnt discriminate between friend or foe. The fragments that were burning from the mes of Revenge were spread everywhere, and the other slime that was in close proximity was struck without warning, and began to burn once more! As a result, their bodies shrunk in size and they took damage; whats worse, the mes were shifted and they began to burn again! ...Theyre really dumb, arent they? He thought, hanging there vacantly, and while he was thinking, the slimes raised their magic and self-destructed again. However, Lee Shin Woo was still hanging from the ceiling, and was even more easily kicking away the pieces thanst time. His Combat Sprint sharpened his senses, so it wasnt difficult at all. [The Low Rank Combat Sprint skill has be Lv6. Agility has increased by 3. You can activate the skill faster, and you can maintain the skill for a longer period of time.] As Lee Shin Woo kicked away the iing Great Slimes fragments, he felt a thrilling pleasure. Did he always like moving his body around this much? It may be the influence of someone else; someones bone he had absorbed through Bone Reinforcement. Whether it was his original personality or not, he was sure that at some point he began to enjoy personally moving his body and fighting, as well as learning skills through experience. And that personality was something that was extremely beneficial in surviving in the Underground Empire. [Gu, Guuooooh...!] [Guuuuuu...!] Afterpleting their second Self-Destruct, rather thanpletely extinguishing the mes, the mes actually expanded. At around that point, the Great Slimes realized that the situation wasnt as simple as it would seem. Lee Shin Woo thought itd be funny if they repeatedly used their Self-Destruct and died, but it didnt actually go that way. The slimes, which had focused only on Lee Shin Woo, turned to each other for the first time. They realized that they were the targets of the mes. [Guu...] [Guuuuuu...!] And they soon did something astonishing. One of the Great Slimes mucousy body opened just like a mouth and ate the other one! Even as the mes melted their bodies, they softly connected their magic cores together and fused into one whilst emitting sparks; a truly magnificent sight. [A Lv3 Great Slime has fused with a simr organism.] [Lv3 Great Slime (+3)] "!?" There was a reinforcing mark on a monster!? Lee Shin Woo was astonished and couldnt believe the sight. The Great Slimes, which had be one, had be bigger (they would havepressed their mana centrally in their bodies in the process of self-destructing, so their abilities wouldve doubled) and pushed the mes onto the outer portion of its body, self-destructing once more. As a result, it returned to its pristine form once again. [Guuuuuuuu!] Of course, while it was fusing, Lee Shin Woo had dislodged his sword from the ceiling and dropped down; he activated his Stealth and was already hiding within the darkness, but his sight didnt leave the fused and strengthened Great Slime. Perhaps the reason that there are Great Slimes in this dungeon is because theyre the result of the originally low leveled slimes repeatedly fusing together over a long period of time. If thats the case, then he could understand why this dungeon, which was originally supposed to be level 1, had be an level 2 elite dungeon. Lee Shin Woo had unintentionallye across one of the truths about the dungeon and felt extremely strange. [Guuu... Guuu?] Meanwhile, the Great Slime (+3) lost Lee Shin Woo and thoroughly searched the passageway while perplexed. Lee Shin Woo matched its movements and repeatedly moved back into hiding, so it couldnt easily find him. The slimes senses were so dull that it wouldnt notice him unless he made a huge noise or there was a huge rush of mana. [Guuuuuu...!] It soon gave up on finding Lee Shin Woo and turned around. However, it didnt appear as though it was returning back to its everyday life. It realized that there was an enemy in the silent sewers and had be more aggressive after fusing. In other words, it was focused on getting stronger in preparation for the next time they met. This has be interesting... Lee Shin Woo slowly crawled through the dark passageway and felt conflicted as he watched the back of the slime. He already knew that killing it now would be the safest option. However, if it somehow fused with all the slimes inhabiting this dungeon... or even just the Great Slimes... he wanted to see the result. It might even be a level 4 elite monster like the Acid Ghoul. Of course, it may not be as strong as the Acid Ghoul, but in any case, if he let it be, a formidable slime would be even more formidable. The risk of dying would increase by that much, yet... Lee Shin Woo couldnt help but want to see a monster like that be born. Itd obviously be dangerous, but the reward should reflect that danger and be considerable as well. Lee Shin Woo already knew the rewards a level 4 elite monster would drop. The rewards that were a level higher than that of a level 3 monster! It wasnt just the loot. In the process of fighting an enemy of a higher level, all his actions would be a strong karma and woulde back to repay him. Thats what happened when he had fought the Acid Ghoul together with the other heroes, too! One would get solo rewards if they fight alone, and if fought with others, theyll be rewarded together! In this world, levels were an absolute standard, so by exceeding that very standard, he would obtain a karma that went beyond his imagination. And that would advance his growth beyond the norm. So much so that he wouldnt lose to his seniors, or the undead that filled the Empire! If the other heroes heard him, they would ask if he were carrying around a few spare lives and would be amazed; but honestly, he couldnt help it, he did have extra lives. Several dozen of them at that! [You have acquired a target for the Beginner Avenger skill. When you meet again, all abilities increase by 30%.] Around the time the Great Slime had went beyond the clearing and disappeared, a message quietly appeared in front of him. Everything was set; he would be able to defeat the evolved slime. He felt really satisfied that he had gotten this skill from his own actions and the resulting karma, rather than anyone elses bones. And about the Trickster... By identally receiving the Savior karma, he now only needed one more token in the future. At the end of that, what karma would he acquire... he was sure that he wasnt very far off. "For now... Bone Reinforcement." [The entire body is reinforced. You have acquired 3 magic. Proficiency in Low Rank Self-Destruct has increased by 10%. Absorbing a portion of the targets memories and experiences.] [Guoooooooooooooh! - Great Slime] Tch, since Ive risen to level 3, the amount of stats it gives me has decreased... Lee Shin Woo, who had finished with the Bone Reinforcement, concluded that it was a good decision to let the Great Slime go, and after nodding his head, started to proceed through the dark sewer passageway. Of course, while maintaining his Low Rank Stealth. Chapter 8 part3 Did the Great Slime (+3) already wipe out all of the slimes as it passed by? It was so silent that it felt as though his noisy fight at the beginning with the Great Slimes was a lie. Moreover, this ce conversely doesnt have any filth. Ah, was it all melted by the acid? When a slime bes a Great Slime, the acid that its spews out bes stronger. It would melt solids, and evaporate liquids; the slimes that spew out this horrific acid were crawling around, so it was only natural that the sewers be clean. But around this time, he wondered why the sewer passageway was still left intact. I know its tough, but the fact that the preparations were this thorough... perhaps the Empire treated it as though it was natural for slimes to appear in the sewers. When the Empire flourished, he wondered what it looked like, and suddenly couldnt get it out of his mind. He would probably never know and... he smiled bitterly (thats roughly what he imagined his expression was) and continued to explore. "...Hmm?" However, while he was exploring, he discovered a crack carved into a portion of the left passageway. When he thoroughly inspected it, he found that the crack was in the shape of a square, and it was a size that couldfortably fit the palm of his hand. And at the center, he saw the traces of hidden mana. They seemed to be an extremely old. Is this perhaps... It looked like a fingerprint scanner that showed up in movies... Lee Shin Woo pondered briefly, but soon ced his hand atop the square. Then, the square pattern surprisingly emitted heat and slightly came out. Beyond any doubt, it was a lock! "Hoo...!" Lee Shin Woo was excited, thinking that hed found a secret hidden within the dungeon, and immediately emitted mana, but the reaction wasnt great. The door lock turned red, and emitted an ominous light, though that was all. Nothing else really changed. Of course, he had roughly expected that. It was a lock, so there was no way itd open by just emitting a bit of mana. However, be that as it may, he thought that this structure didnt just respond to a certain individuals mana alone. Thats because he could faintly, very faintly, feel the traces of mana from a variety of humans that had stood before this very lock. Then... is it a pattern as expected? Unlocking it had now be difficult. Itd probably been dozens of years since thest time this lock was activated, and was so terribly worn out to the point that itd be difficult to ascertain the origin of the traces of the time worn mana. The saving grace was that there were countless traces of peoples mana, and their strands of mana all ovepped; if he were able to analyze the flow of mana, he felt as though hed obtain a meaningful result. Itll probably be a lot of work, but... shall we? There should still be some time left before the Great Slime cleans up this dungeon. Lee Shin Woo concentrated on the door lock and began to thoroughly analyze the traces of the faintly remaining mana. Figuring out a starting point is important. Yeah, here... No, is it here? He saw the conditions of opening the lock as follows: draw the mana to the center of the palm, and use that mana to create one pattern. Of course, it wasnt just that it had to be the same pattern, but it had to flow from the same starting ce and end at the same ending ce. He genuinely activated his senses and by analyzing the door locks release conditions, he found and excluded the false traces that they had purposefully put in. He had fun, as it felt as though he was ying some sort of puzzle game. [The Low Rank Magic umtion skill has be Lv2. Magic has increased by 2.] "Ah, it goes up." It was the same process as when entering a dungeon, so perhaps by just carrying out these tasks, his proficiency in magic rted skills would increase. Lee Shin Woo, who was motivated to improve his skills and stats, didnt even know how amazing what he was doing was, and continuously analyzed the lock. And then, he finally seeded in determining the pattern. [The Low Rank Magic Affinity skill has be Lv8. Magic has increased by 5.] "Its a skull. Whatpletely bad taste." He knew approximately what the people who had gathered here came for. However, to think that the pattern that they used was a skull; theughter came out naturally. It definitely shouldve been fairly difficult to get through, though... In any case, I just need to find the starting point and the end point now. They had gone so far as to hide it in the sewers and even maintain thorough security over it, so he probably wouldnt get through scot free if he got this wrong. Lee Shin Woo took a deep breath and concentrated even harder on the pattern. To be exact, he concentrated on the flow from the traces of mana that the humans had left behind dozens of years prior. However, there was no way itd be that simple. Damn it... He gritted his teeth. Lee Shin Woo thought he mightve been too arrogant to attempt this, as someone who hasnt handled mana for very long. However, despite that, he couldnt give up at all. In the end, it was pretty much a miracle finding the right pattern. He had no choice but to trust in his talent and concentrate right now...! Ah! Lee Shin Woo concentrated more forcefully on the pattern, even more than when he had taken the national college entrance exam, and at that moment, he miraculously seeded in grabbing a hold of a faintly remaining flow of mana. It was truly a small trace, but it seemed as though some traces of mana were being absorbed into the pattern. Lee Shin Woo could even go as far as to guess the owner of that mana, and he had very briefly assimted their experiences... it was none other than the magician, Gerrit, who had burnt and killed his zombified teacher. Wait, its the opposite. Since it was a trace from Gerrit, I was able to recognize it. I also experienced sharing a body with him as well, and... more importantly, the fact that Gerrit came here means that this facility is rted to General Seagald. He knew that Gerrit wanted to meet with General Seagald from the memories of the bone he had acquired. It was a facility within the interior of the sewers where they performed some kind of research, and Seagald and Gerrit... He couldnt be sure of anything yet, but Lee Shin Woo drew a truly persuasive scenario in his head. "Then lets uncover what the secret is." Since he had uncovered a trace of the flow of mana, it was easy to find the rest of the traces. In his head, a series of streams of mana were cleanly connected! I got it! He inwardly yelled with delight and ced his hand carefully on the door lock; and after going through the simtions in his head several times and making sure... reproduced that flow. The slightly ck dyed mana slowly and carefully started to create the pattern of a skull. Eventually, the pattern waspleted, and thankfully the door lock didnt be hot. It emitted a delicate blue light, and soon was sucked back into the wall; at that moment, arger square pattern appeared. It was a door that allowed him to enter the secret room! [Releasing door lock.] It was a miracle; he had revived something from several years ago... A part of lost history had been revived due to Lee Shin Woo, and it was at that moment that the mana within his body intensified, surged, and exploded. The countless, dormant knowledge fragments and his talent connected, causing a big bang that he couldnt contain! [You have acquired the passive skill, Magic Tracking Lv1! Magic has increased by 3.] [Low Rank Magic Affinity, Low Rank Magic umtion, and Low Rank Magic Tracking skills havepounded and evolved.] His ability to sense magic, ept it, and track it were all connected into one. A method of more effectively producing mana, circting it, and utilizing it instinctually rose up into his head. It was something that he couldnt have even dreamed of until now, as well as being absurdlyplex and headache inducing, but... it was possible for him now. Lee Shin Woo nodded his head and epted the mysterious feeling. He umted the knowledge and applied it. [You have acquired the special passive skill, Low Rank Mana Bone Lv5! Magic has increased by 30.] At that moment, mana indiscriminately spread through his body, covered his bones, and caused a fundamental change! [Low Rank Mana Bone Lv5 (Passive)] [Originally, humans were organisms that did not wee mana, and through their strong tenacity as well as their talent, they realized a method to harmonize with mana. In order to more perfectly handle the mana that spread throughout the body as it pleased, the mana is epted, created, and circted by an imaginary organ that covers the heart. They called it the mana heart.] [However, you are a skeleton without a heart, so you have done something outrageous and substituted the mana heart with your entire boney body. That scale is truly enormous, and if you did not have a considerable understanding and handling of mana, it wouldve been impossible to even attempt.] [By achieving a bnce between the vast knowledge, your talent in mana, and the special situation, this astonishing skill was born, and no one besides yourself knows the growth potential of this astonishing skill.] It was truly an odd feeling. It felt as though he had taken off some unnatural clothes and hed been thrown into a world filled with mana, naked. His body,posed of 206 bones, was integrated with mana and each of those individual bones were now more closely connected. Of course, controlling all 206 bones simultaneously while controlling the mana was certainly not easy. Even if he was aided by the skill, there was way too much to focus on at one time, and he was afflicted with pain that felt as though he was being split apart. It wasnt a joke; if he were to lose control and was flooded by the mana, it wouldnt be strange for his bones to shatter. He would have to constantly exert himself to adapt to this skill from now on. [The invigorated flow of mana increases the bodys reaction speed.] [The invigorated flow of mana shortens the activation time of all skills.] [You have sessfully absorbed some outside mana and stored it. Mana has increased by 1.] However, enduring the pain was bound to lead to sweet rewards. Hed only tasted a portion of it, yet it wasnt hard to realize that the effectiveness of his mana increased by more than several times. Even manifesting, collecting, and producing mana had increased! For the first time, Lee Shin Woo felt like he had the right to call himself a hero. And... that qualification wasnt just this. [At only level 3, you have acquired a portion of the qualification necessary to walk the path of an Archmage, one who naturallymands nature and changes the world. Magic has increased by 20. You have acquired the Archmages karma token.] [Questplete! You have acquired 1 Lv6 Weapon Tricksters arm bone.] [You have already achieved the Tricksters karma, but you are merely at the level of a toddler. The more personas you acquire, the more your strength grows. That is the path you have chosen, as well as the karma you have been bestowed.] "Hoo..." He had just been trying to find the secret room, yet had experienced a sudden change, one that he couldnt dream of; even after calming down the rushing mana, he momentarily stood still in order to get a hold of himself. Lee Shin Woo kept control of the mana and circted it. He felt the mana that his bones harmoniously spewed out as well as the resonating external mana so clearly that he thought that he would feel nauseous with the slightest slip. He likened this feeling to that of riding a roller coaster. Id rather just vomit, but these damn bones wont let me. It wasnt an issue that could be dealt with in a short amount of time, though thankfully it was a problem that could still be solved. Just like how a human isnt usually aware of their breathing or the blinking of their eyes, but still does so naturally, he was training the control of his Mana Bone skill in order for it to operate unconsciously. Talk is cheap... Lee Shin Woo smiled bitterly and stayed in ce for the moment. How much time had passed? At around the time where his head still hurt but he could move it like usual, Lee Shin Woo sighed in relief and checked the bone he had gotten as a reward for the quest. [Lv6 Weapon Tricksters Arm Bone] [A Tricksters arm bone, that was used as a weapon to cajole their enemies. There is enough recorded within to reform ones existence.] "Huh..." It was overwhelmingly distinctivepared to the other bones he had absorbed thus far; he couldnt suppress his admiration of the bone as he inspected it. It had an awfullyrge amount of mana within, was obviously extremely tough, and the fact that each of its finger bones was a different shape was especially distinctive. Perhaps the Trickster was an existence that didnt need a weapon. He decided that it would be important to figure out how this weapon was connected to the Trickster; for now hell reinforce... [The activation of the skill has failed. You are not prepared to ept the strength within the bone yet.] ...Ah, this pattern finally came up. He was already a bit prepared for this, but since it actually happened, it tasted bitter. If that was going to happen, he wanted toin and ask why they gave him such a mouth watering bone at this time, but when he thought about it in another way, he felt like he was that amazing to have cleared a quest that was so far above his level. Well, it should be possible soon. If Bone Reinforcement couldnt ept it, then he would have to forget about this bone for now. Lee Shin Woo inspected the bone with a deeply regretful expression, and in the end, put it into his inventory. Well, he already had his hands full adapting to, and applying the Mana Bone skill he had just awakened. It mightve actually turned out well for him. Lee Shin Woo convinced himself of this and raised his head. The secret door that had revealed itself for the first time in dozens of years looked worn out. Alright. Lee Shin Woo firmly resolved himself and ced his hand atop the door. The door silently rose up, to the point that it was difficult to believe that it hadin undisturbed for dozens of years. The records of General Seagald, and the records of the research rted to Gerrit...! Thinking that the secret was right before his eyes caused him to feel excited once again, but before Lee Shin Woos eyes was... [Keuhaaaaaaahk!] A skeleton without an inch of flesh remaining popping out and attacking him! Chapter 9 part1 [Keuaaaaaaahk!] "Tch!" It precisely aimed for Lee Shin Woo with its sharp sword strike! It truly was a perfect surprise attack, but Lee Shin Woo was faster, and avoided its attack. He bent his head back and kicked upwards, causing the sword in the skeletons grip to go flying! [Keuhaaaaaaaahk!] "This is..." The skeletons sword flew directly up and lodged into the ceiling. However, the skeleton seemed unconcerned, fixed its gaze at Lee Shin Woo, and charged. It seemed as though its mana was focused into its palm, and it attacked Lee Shin Woo for a second time with its hands dyed in a dark green! Its acid, a poison made from mana. Its at a simr level to the Great Slimes, and if thats the case...! It was at that moment. Through his skill in mana analysis, which had noticeably increased due to his Mana Bone, he was able to grasp the structure of his enemys skill, and at that very moment, the bone he had absorbed before... the Acid Ghouls Thumbnail awakened its potential! [You have learned the active skill, Intermediate Acid Poison Spray Lv1. Strength, and Magic have increased by 15. Low Rank Acid Resistance has be Lv7.] [You have achieved the feat of acquiring a intermediate skill. All stats increase by 5.] "Huh!?" Lee Shin Woo was so astonished that he almost lost control of his mana for a moment. Intermediate!? Though the Acid Ghouls ability was indeed frightening, when he normally learned a skill, he thought that theyd always be at a reduced level, so he couldnt help but be astonished. Could this also be due to Mana Bone? He was able topletely reproduce the special properties of the mana within the memories and experiences now, so if all the skills that he was going to learn in the future started at a high level... then him learning the Mana Bone skill would have been the best thing that happened to him ever since he was dropped into the Empire! "Heut." [Ggeuaaaaahk!] The deep green mist that rose from his fingertips softly wrapped around the skeletons palm. At that moment, it yelled in fright and retreated back, colliding with a desk. Lee Shin Woo saw a portion of the documents atop the desk melt away from the poison and freakily yelled out. "Hey, hey. Calm down!" [Acid Poison!? Who... are you...!] Fortunately, the skeleton stopped when Lee Shin Woo spoke. No, perhaps it regained feeling after seeing him use Acid Poison. Honestly, it was good regardless. His top priority was to calm it down if he wanted to preserve these precious documents and prevent further damage. "Im one of Gerrits people." Lee Shin Woo slowly stepped back and lead him away from the materials, so that they wouldnt be damaged, and answered him calmly. He had already begun acting by the time he realized that he needed to proceed delicately. And he was able to say the lines most suitable for the situation! [Gerrit...?] His hand paused its strike midair. He had hit the mark! [Youre... a subordinate of Doctor Gerrit Aterran? I... dont recall seeing you before. Are you part of the guard...?] "No, Im not a guard. If I was, I wouldve died with you. I came by his request." [Did Doctor Aterran die... T-Thats natural I suppose...] The skeleton despaired, and dropped its head. Seeing that, Lee Shin Woo was actually surprised. He had thought he needed to calm it down no matter what, but he didnt think that one line would calm it down. The moment the skeleton got a hold of itself, a message appeared in front of Lee Shin Woo. [The Acting skill has be Lv5. Those who listen to your words will instinctually have a good impression of you.] [Your body is ck, huh...] "Its because of the poison." [Your poisons really strong. ...Yeah, our tests were like that. Now I remember a little bit.] At around that time, the skeleton hadpletely lost its fighting spirit. It inspected Lee Shin Woo and when it subsequently turned to look at its own body, which was likewiseposed of only bones, it muttered miserably. [Our test ultimately failed. We couldnt stop ourselves from turning into undead... In the end, that foolish Emperor tried to prevent disaster by calling an even greater disaster!] Those words felt as though Lee Shin Woo had just been hit by a straight punch. It had clearly recognized that it was an undead, and was also aware of the passage of time! Was this perhaps an effect caused by them performing tests within the sewers? If thats true, then in the Empire...!? Lee Shin Woo did his best to conceal his astonishment no matter what, and replied to the skeleton. "However, youre better off than the guys outside. Since the guys outside have lost their reason and are going wild." [Is it a half sess...? Come in,rade. If I think about it, you, who knows the code for the Anti-Skull, cant be my enemy. It seems as though I had also lost my reason until just a little while ago. Since all I did was despair alone from within here...] "Thanks." Anti-Skull, huh. It definitely had a connection with the skull pattern drawn on the door lock. There was a small chance that it was just a code name, but there was a high chance that it stood for the organization of their group as well. Lee Shin Woo decided to remember that word. [Did you move around by yourself? If not, are you acting based on General Seagalds orders?] "No, Im acting based on Gerrits request. I need to collect all the research materials so that it cant be misused." [Ah... I see. Those precious materials are spread about in this kind of ce. Thats certainly an important task.] It was really easy to handle the skeleton. Was it because it had just regained its reasoning, or was it due to its memories not beingpletely intact? If its not that either, then was it due to his Acting skill? If he could handle him as he pleases, then it didnt matter. Lee Shin Woo collected all the materials that remained intact despite the passage of dozens of years. The skeleton even helped him with his task. In the end, he made this request. [There may be some of ourrades still out there. Could you help search for them?] "Alright. Since I need to collect all the materials anyway." He was patiently sitting in his seat, and though he really wanted to inspect the materials, the current situation wouldnt allow him to. However, the moment Lee Shin Woo nodded at the skeletons words, the mana in front of him slightly shook. [A quest has urred!] [Those who uphold the spirit of a ruined nation.] [You have found traces of those who still resist in the Empire, and came in contact with them. No one knows how this attempt will turn out in the future. But whats certain is that it will be an extremely difficult challenge.] [Quest goal: Find and aid the Poison Skeletonsrades.] [Quest reward: 1 permit for Gods secret shop, and 1 Lv3 medicine.] This... does this mean that God is interested in this ce too? It would be really unconventional as a hero to listen to their circumstances and act without killing them. However, on the contrary, God wouldnt punish him for it and instead encouraged him do so, which was really interesting. Of course, regardless of whether God liked it or not, Lee Shin Woo would act as he pleased! [How are you going to deal with all of those?] "I probably have to store them. Theres something that Gerrit prepared before he died." [As expected of Doctor Aterran.] Lee Shin Woo and the Poison Skeleton confirmed that there werent any more materials inside the room and left the passageway. As he saw the Poison Skeleton, which had withdrawn its sword, crawl out of the door, he smacked his lips. "Shouldnt you move a bit quieter?" [You dont need to be that careful. The only things in this sewer are just research material slimes.] "Yeah, they are just slimes, but... Well, whatever." Lee Shin Woo gave up on trying to convince it. When he thought about it, since he had invested so much time into familiarizing himself with Mana Bone, the Great Slime shouldve been far away from him by now. It was probably hectically eating up all the other slimes in the dungeon about now. [Now that I think about it, I havent introduced myself yet. My name is... Ugh, I dont remember my name. It isnt just my name. I dont even remember who I was... I wonder why? I remember the tests and the curse, but theres nothing I remember about myself! Its as though the inside of my head ispletely empty...!] If he was a human instead of a skeleton, he wouldve seemed like a main character, but the world wouldnt remember a mere extras amnesia! Surprisingly, Lee Shin Woo replied uninterestedly. "The fact that your heads empty just means that theres a lot you can fill it with from now on." [Thats...!] Hed only said a suitable line hed seen from somewhere before, yet it seemed like the skeleton was deeply moved. While he was at it, Lee Shin Woo decided to give him some more service. "First, lets give you a name. Now your names Paul." [Paul... Its an alright name! Whats your name?] "Im... Paul Zero." It was a name hed thought up himself, but it was really an alias without a speck of creativity. [Then... Paul Zero, this way. I dont remember anything regarding myself, but I definitely remember the way.] "Great. Lets go, Paul!" Lee Shin Woo and Paul moved quickly. He definitely moved a lot more efficiently because he had a guide. No matter how excellent his mana senses had gotten from learning Mana Bone, it took a certain amount of manualbor to find the secret passageways...! He was suddenly in awe of his foresight, as he hadnt killed the skeleton and dealt with the issue by just talking. Lee Shin Woo honestly hadnt thought that this was how it would turn out. [Weve arrived. You see it too, right?] "Yeah, Im opening it right away." Lee Shin Woo released the lock more skillfully than before and opened the door. There were three skeletons within, but they were just like Paul had been, and had lost their reason. [Kyaaaaaahk!] [Kiaaaaaaah!] "Yeah, yeah. I thought youd be this way." Lee Shin Woo sighed and softly spewed his Acid Poison at them. It wasnt acid magic, nor was it a curse, and the skeletons that basked in the poison went hmm in surprise, and stopped moving. It was honestly really funny. [The taste of this poison is... Its the taste of an ally...!] [Y-Youre... Are you a soldier from another test by any chance?] [To think that Im a skeleton... A skeleton!] "Now, I understand yourplicated feelings, but I received Gerrit Aterrans request and you guys are undead that have their reason. Were all friends here, so just calm down for now." Lee Shin Woo perfectly utilized his Acting skill and calmed them down. Paul, who saw Lee Shin Woo instantly clean up inside, just carelessly pped with his bare bone hands. [The power in your voice is unusual. As expected, it seems you werent a normal person after all. What do you think our rtionship was in the past? Ugh, I dont remember!] "You already said that before, so be quiet and stand over here in order. Youre Paul 2, youre Paul 3, and youre Paul 4..." The four Pauls had a touching reunion, even though five minutes hadnt even passed yet. Since they were allposed of bones now, it was difficult to recover their previous form, but they definitely remembered that they followed and trusted the same general, and cooperated with the tests. Moreover, since they were all level 3, they were highly likely to all have had the same post in their past life. [To think that youre carrying out Doctor Aterrans will even after bing an undead... Youre amazing.] [Wont youe with us to meet General Seagald? General Seagald definitely wouldnt have given up on the magic research.] "Ill probably go and see you guys someday. Ill remember you guys." Lee Shin Woo instantly refused the offer of the Pauls who had reached a mutual understanding, and quickly collected the materials. And in the process, he took a sideways nce at the characters that they used, and the materials definitely werent written in Korean, but he could naturally read them. It was probably the same reason he couldmunicate with others, despite never learning the Empiresnguage. "Now, shall we go and check the remaining materials?" [Hey, but wait... dont you hear something strange from somewhere?] [Now that you mention it, yeah.] Paul affirmed Paul 3s statement. Then, Paul 4, who had gone out of the door before the rest of them, spoke with a slightly stiff voice. [I hear the crawling sound of... something huge.] - Kwang! Immediately after, a portion of the passageway burst. Beyond it, a huge slime dyed in a dark green revealed itself and faced them. Its truly dreary aura was so heavy that its body sagged, and that heavy acid mist spread through its surroundings. [Lv4 King Slime] [You have found the target of your revenge. When you fight it, all stats increase by 30%. mes of Revenge receive a 30% additional bonus.] [Geureureureuoooooooooooooooh!] The King Slime, which discovered Lee Shin Woo, forcefully howled and the tough passageway walls began to quickly crack. However, the Poison Skeletons were terrified and instinctually stepped back; on the contrary, Lee Shin Woo looked pleased and stepped forward. He was slightly disappointed that it wasnt an Emperor Slime, but still, this was great! "Lets y, Pudding!" [Gureureureureureureu!] The King Slime responded vigorously to Lee Shin Woos offer. It seemed like it really missed Lee Shin Woo too. The Pauls looked like they were going to cry when they saw the walls quickly crack as a result of the King Slimes full speed charge, but unfortunately for them, there was no ce to run. Chapter 9 part2 To cut to the point, the environment they were in wasnt great for running around and ying hide-and-seek. It was because whenever the King Slime moved, the drain pipes would split, crumble, and spill dirt, causing chaos. The Pauls, who hadnt yet gotten used to their skeleton bodies, flinched whenever that happened. [Gureureureuaaaaaaaaaaah!] "If I can properly see it, then theres nothing to worry about!" Lee Shin Woo moved his body, avoiding the King Slimes charge, andforted the Pauls. However, the King Slime collided with the sewer drain pipes, causing the whole area to crumble, and by seeing this, the Pauls yelled out. [If this goes on, the secret facilities will copse too!] "What?" Certainly, the whole sewer could copse at this rate. Honestly, it didnt really matter if a worthless sewer copsed, but he couldnt allow all the facilities to copse before he got a chance to look over the materials. "I have no choice since itse to this." Lee Shin Woo stiffly nodded his head and retreated. The Pauls attention remainedpletely fixed on him and followed him. "Ill bring more reinforcements, so keep it busy!" [We cant. Thats impossible!] "No, you guys can do it. Ill make it so you can." Pudding had pierced through the sewer pipes, became covered in dirt, and spread poison while in the process. Lee Shin Woo took a short deep breath, and towards the Pauls, who sported expressions akin to young birds gazing at the mother bird (of course, skeletons are expressionless so one wouldnt be able to tell, but thats roughly the feeling), as well as Pudding... screamed with all his might. "Im really sorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry!" [By using Low Rank Shriek of the Dead, you have caused your enemies to fall into a frenzied and fearful state.] [You have seeded in using a skill against an enemy a higher level than you! The Low Rank Shriek of the Dead skill has be Lv2.] [Kurureureureureureureureu!] [Ugh... Keuaaaaaaaaaahk!] [Kihik...! I-Its an enemy!] The four Poison Skeletons, that had for a time regained their reason, had once againpletely lost their reasoning due to Lee Shin Woos shriek. It was such a heinous act that it wouldnt be strange if the Devil came and asked if he could take him as his older brother. Of course, he had expected that it would work on the skeletons, but he hadnt expected that the skill would work on the level 4 King Slime! It might be because it hadnt been very long since it had evolved. "Good. Youre going to die anyway, so if youre going to die, you might as well shave off some of the slimes health!" Lee Shin Woo left a rotten farewell to the Pauls, and rather than say a farewell to the King Slime, which began to struggle in what seemed to be an ovepping frenzied and fearful state, he shot a Fire Bullet at it (catapulting his index finger + mes of Revenge). He wanted to see if it would self-destruct like a Great Slime, or if it would have a different response to the fire, but... was it because of the frenzied state? It didnt show any signs of self-destructing despite the fire spreading. Lee Shin Woo was satisfied by that fact and retreatedpletely. [You have run away from the target of your revenge twice. An Avenger can dly bear the shame of running away twice. When you encounter your enemy again, all stats increase by an additional 15%. However, running away a third time is forbidden.] [Quest failed.] I ran away from the target of the quest, so its natural that I failed the quest, but... I didnt know the Avenger skill had this kind of option. The fact that running away a third time was forbidden meant that he couldnt just blindly run away from his enemy just because it was scary or else he may be penalized by the skill. Well, he had thought that the performance of the skill greatly outweighed the risks, but he hadnt expected this kind of surprise hidden within the skill. He thought that there wouldnt be a case where hed run away from the same enemy three times in a row, but there also wasnt a guarantee that it wouldnt happen, so it was truly a difficult situation. However, should I just meekly run away now? If he fought it right now, he was confident that he could win. However, he really wanted to collect all of the hidden materials in the sewers. Especially because he realized now that his Avenger skill ovepped and would increase his abilities even more, so it wouldnt be a loss if he just looked at the result. At best, Im throwing away the navigator Id gained into the jaws of death, and its be a situation where I have to explore the sewers when I dont know when itll copse... However, since hed gone through the hidden facilities pattern twice already, he was just as confident in exploring the sewers. The sole problem right now was that he needed to find the hidden facilities before the sewerspletely gave way... It was a good thing I chose to use Shriek of the Dead. Its be considerably quieter. Of course, the duration of his skill wasnt very long, so it should start going wild again soon, so... it was key that he found the facilities before then. Lee Shin Woo used his Combat Sprint to its utmost and started to dash. The Great Slime had cleaned the sewers of monsters, so it waspletely barren, and if he excluded the dirt that asionally dropped onto his head, there wasnt anything that got in his way. "Found it." Within only 2 minutes, he found the third hidden facility, and thoughtlessly opened the door. Surprisingly, there were five skeletons waiting with bated breath! [H-He opened the door.] [You idiot...!] [Who are you? Are you a member of the project? No, it doesnt matter who you are. Theres a fearsome monster roaming around outside!] This was unexpected. It seems like the catastrophe that befell the sewers after dozens of years of silence, the birth of the Great Slime, had caused them to independently regain their reason. "So, youre nning on waiting until it copses the entire sewer and then dying together? If you n on burying the efforts of the General who struggled to stop the curse as well, then stay crouched there." [Ugh...!?] [Who do you think you are, to say the Generals name here!?] "Does it matter who I am right now?" He collected all the materials. Lee Shin Woo gazed at them icily (that kind of feeling), and the skeletons red sharply at him; and he exited the facility, as if there were no value in saying anything more. "After I collect all the traces of our resistance, Im going to fight that monster in order to open up our future. You guys can stay here, cuddle with your curse bound bones and disappear." [...] [W-Wait a sec.] One of the skeletons grabbed onto Lee Shin Woos arm bone. Lee Shin Woo, who had felt a bit anxious that he hadnt been harsh enough, secretly felt relieved. [I-If the facility is going to crumble and everyones going to die, then... Ill fight with you. Damn it, I cant go to hell without achieving anything.] [Its the same for me too. In the end, I may have been too depressed that we hadnt been able to prevent the curse. If youre a knight of the Empire, you have to be able to fight your enemy without fear...!] "...Talk is cheap. Prove it to me with your actions starting now." Lee Shin Woo thought it was time to reproach them more... and as soon as he replied frigidly, the skeletons actually seemed to show some pride, and walked ahead of him with heavy footsteps. He thought when he saw them. Hoo, it may be because skeletons dont have brains, but Im telling you, its really easy to trick them! "We have to check the remaining hidden facilities first and then act. Before that... Do you each remember your names?" [Thats... I dont remember anything about myself...] "Alright then, from this side in order, youre Paul, Paul 2, Paul 3..." Lee Shin Woo treated the skeletons that he had left behind to fight the King Slime as already dead, so he forcibly took their names and passed them on! It was an extremely wicked and careless naming ceremony, but the Pauls didnt realize it, and were touched as they thought that he epted them asrades. They epted Lee Shin Woo as their temporary leader, so he didnt really need to make up an alias! If I came out strong from the start, I couldve finished it without lying unnecessarily. Lee Shin Woo learned a new way to conduct himself based on the situation. If he used the difference of strength between him and his target, and said something suitable, they wouldnt probe him, and at the same time, he could set up their rtionship such that he was superior! ...Though even I think its really not something a hero should do. Around the time that Lee Shin Woo pondered whether he was going in the right direction or not, he finally arrived at thest area. There were seven Poison Skeletons within, and they also obediently joined up with him. With this, he had gathered 12 level 3 Skeletons, excluding himself. "Ive collected all of the materials. Now lets go and take care of the monster!" [Lets go!] As they had increased in numbers, it seemed the skeletons inevitably swelled with confidence. Even though they had regained their reason, they were still fundamentally idiots. Anyway... While Lee Shin Woo was encouraging the skeletons and advancing forward, he caught a glimpse of the end of the dungeon. The final secret facility, as well as the adjoining passageway; on the side of the wall, there was a trace that itd beenpletely torn out. It looked like that was the boss room... it was obvious, but he didnt feel anything in there. What happens in this case? Does it recognize killing the King Slime as killing the boss...? He had undergone various strange experiences in this dungeon, which was truly odd. The experience he acquired here should be helpfulter. He ran while thinking such misceneous thoughts, and in no time reached the area where he had first encountered the King Slime. [You have found the target of your revenge. When you fight it, all abilities increase by 45%. mes of Revenge receive an additional bonus of 45%. It is your opponentsst chance, as well as yours.] [Kureureureuaaaaaaaaaaaaah!] The King Slime, which had discovered Lee Shin Woo, howled forcefully. It didnt have any traces of the mes of Revenge on its body anymore. He had felt the connection of mana terminate in the middle and had roughly assumed as much. "You werent able to shake it off at the right time, so your body has gotten a lot smaller, huh?" [Kuaaaaaah!] It acted as though it could understand what Lee Shin Woo was saying and the King Slimes temper red, though its body had considerably lessenedpared to when he had first saw it. It was to the point that he would believe it if someone said it was a slightly big Great Slime. However, the smaller it got, the more its strength was concentrated in its body; its strength alone wouldnt lose out to the Acid Ghouls. [Kuaaaaaaaah...!] [I-I cant believe it.] [My bones...] Whereas the 12 Pauls murmured to themselves when they saw the four big and small bones scattered around the battlefield. Of course, the owner of those bones were all dead... No, actually, they were the skeletons of the original Pauls 1 through 4. They had fought so desperately, so there was no way theyde out alive from fighting the King Slime. "Those guys chose to sacrifice themselves in order to keep the results of our tests safe, as well as hide us from the enemy, which allowed me to rescue you guys." Lee Shin Woo chattered away so calmly about them, even though they had died so unfairly; if the original Pauls, who had be bones, had heard him, they wouldve returned as evil spirits to haunt him. It would be really fun if they came back as evil spirits. "Youre not going to let their sacrifice go to waste, are you? For the Empire, and for yourselves... Were stepping over their corpses!" [Ouooooooooh!] [Ill survive no matter what! Even though Im a skeleton, theres hope if I survive!] [Ill crush that mushy monster!] The effect was amazing! The morale of the 12 Pauls soared and they each raised their weapons, and charged at the King Slime! The King Slime seemed to find itughable and spewed its Acid Poison, though because they were Poison Skeletons, they werent harmed very much. "Think back to when you were warriors! Dying to a mere slime like that is disgraceful!" Lee Shin Woo encouraged the skeletons andfortably took a pose from the rear. The mes would just cause it to self-destruct, so for now, he nned to fire his Grenade (Catapult + Self-Destruct) to weaken the slime. "Then... fire!" [Gguaaaaaaang!] The resulting explosion from the index finger shot inflicted tremendous damage to the King Slime, causing it to rampage about; unfortunately, the 12 Poison Skeletons fought desperately without reservation, so Lee Shin Woo couldnt attack without them making way. As it had done before, the Great Slime bounced its body, but even if it tried to crush the skeletons, there were heaps of earth everywhere and its huge body didnt allow it to move very easily! "Hmph, its all going ording to n...!" Lee Shin Woo confirmed that the situation was going his way, going exactly as nned, though he hadnt actually set up any such n; he regenerated his index finger and prepared his second Catapult. There werent any skeletons that had died yet. I hope you guysst until the King Slime dies. Lee Shin Woo stood behind his humans shields... no, his skeleton shields and leisurely fired his Fire Bullet while grinning. Thats how he raised the curtains to an extremely one-sided and cowardly battle. Chapter 9 part3 Lee Shin Woo, the 12 Pauls, as well as the King Slime that tried swallowing them all, were bravely struggling and continued on for no less than 20 minutes. If the environment hadnt been a cramped underground space, the battle mightve already been over, but because the King Slime couldnt even charge properly, the level 3 Poison Skeletons were somehow able to stand against it. "Put in some more effort, Paul!" [Im Paul 10!] [Gureureureureuaaah!] "Nice, youre blocking it well, Paul 10. Im shooting one more time!" [The Low Rank Catapult skill has be Lv2. Theunching speed increases. Agility has increased by 1.] While the 12 Pauls were busy holding off the King Slimes offensive, Lee Shin Woo used the Pauls as a moving trench to protect himself; so long as his mana would allow it, he would continuously shoot his Grenade. He had thought this before, but there was nothing more reassuring than having reinforcements blocking off the enemy! [Gureureuoooooh!] Whenever a portion of the King Slimes body burst, it would desperately collect the mana from those pieces, and though it wouldve been better if the mes had stuck, they at least forced a significant amount of mana to be condensed into its main body. Rather than cleaving its core and killing it, he needed to slowly condense its mana, whether it be by fire, or explosions, as that would help him get the core! If it didnt look like a core woulde out, then he would use his mes of Revenge, even if it meant sacrificing the Pauls. Thankfully he was really lucky. [Ugh, its too strong...!] [Hold it back,rades! Our pain will be the foundation that unlocks our future!] [Paul Twelve...!] In the midst of the intense battle, it seemed as though the Pauls had formed a deep sense of camaraderie. Lee Shin Woo hated his body, which couldnt eat popcorn, and shot a Grenade at the King Slime. Lee Shin Woo was excited about how many stats its core would give him, and was counting his chickens before they hatched. But at that moment, the King Slime quickly rolled its body and dodged theunched finger! "What!?" [Gureureuk...!] Lee Shin Woo momentarily did a double take. He then saw that its flesh had been torn off from the constant Grenades in the past 20 minutes, and the size of its body had lessened to an extent that it could move now, even in this narrow space. Furthermore, during the battle, a few of the Pauls had died, so there was a gap in their encirclement; at that moment, the King Slime didnt lose the opportunity and had begun its counteroffensive! [Ggureuk!] [Keuaaaaahk!] [P-Paul Three!] They couldnt cope with its swift movements and Paul 3 was struck by its charge. At that moment, it focused its Acid Poison at one point and spewed it! Paul 3 melted instantaneously and in its ce, only a single shabby bone remained. [Paul Threeeeeeeeeeeeee!] "Get a hold of yourselves you guys. Dont lose track of its movements!" Lee Shin Woo gritted his teeth and shot a Grenade. Immediately after his attack, he wouldve taken advantage of the explosions opening and hit it again, but something truly astounding urred. Before the Grenade burrowed into its body and exploded, the shot melted away without a trace. He didnt know what kind of conditions it satisfied to be like this, but he was sure that the King Slimes poison had been instantaneously strengthened! It mightve even beenparable to the Acid Ghouls! "That bastard..." [Gureureureuk!] Then, the King Slime emitted a peculiar sound, as if it were mocking them, and vibrated its body. Compared to before, its body was definitely dyed in a deep green. [Its poison has gotten stronger.] [Ours bodies melt away just by getting close.] The sickening deadly poison mist filled the narrow space. At that moment, the Poison Skeletons trembled as they werepletely stuck within the poison mist. They had briefly forgotten how terrifying acid poison was after being reborn as Poison Skeletons! [Gureureureuk!] "Tch, its troublesome if you all die already!" The King Slime thought it had an opportunity, and attempted to sweep away all of the Poison Skeletons at once by spreading its deadly poison, but before it could do so, Lee Shin Woo charged and rammed into its body. In the process of hunting it down, he could sacrifice the Poison Skeletons one by one, but he couldnt helplessly lose all of his shields all at once! [Gureuk!?] Because its body had shrunk, its weight had also lessened; the King Slime couldnt endure Lee Shin Woos charge and powerlessly bounced while being blown away. However, there was something more important than that. Despite being in contact with the strong Acid Poison, the poison which melted rocks in one fell swoop, he wlessly endured and was still standing. [You have been affected by the King Slimes strengthened Acid Poison. Low Rank Acid Resistance has sessfully resisted 90% of the damage.] [The Low Rank Acid Resistance skill has be Lv8.] "Good...As long as I dont get stuck inside its body, I can endure it." Since the index finger bone lodged into its body instantly melted away, he was secretly quite worried, but it seems as though his main body was able to endure its Acid Poison through abination of his Harden and Acid Resistance skills. Though he did receive some injuries, he could heal this much damage with Regeneration instantly. [Gureureureureuk!] It seemed like the King Slime realized that Lee Shin Woo wasnt an opponent it could ovee by just thoughtlessly spewing its poison around as it gradually began to retreat. Lee Shin Woo hadnte at it from the front and just trivially attacked it from the rear with mes or bullets, yet the fact that he actually possessed the toughest body here slightly shocked the King Slime. ...And honestly, the King Slime wasnt the only one shocked. [H-How is he still alive even after taking that poison...!] [W-We cant win. The test was a failure. In the end, we were cursed; by melting us all, that slime willpletely bury us in darkness...!] "You guys just sit in the back and watch." The Pauls bones shook, like leaves in the wind, and Lee Shin Woo saw them retreat; therefore, he decided topletely forgo using them as shields any longer. Their willpower was already down in the dumps and even if they were to step forward once more, he didnt know how much longer theydst against the King Slime. And... The fact that the second phase has begun means that the King Slimes health and magic are slowly reaching their limit. Its definitely worth a try, as long as I can block its poison. Of course, it still possessed abination of strength and speed befitting a level 4 elite monster, but Lee Shin Woo was also receiving the Avenger skill effect. He decided that he could definitely win. He forcefully gripped Bone of Thunder Lasting with both hands and activated Combat Sprint, taking the initiative by charging at it first. The King Slime noticed and quickly bounced its body. [Gureureuk!] "Heup...!" It was an absurdly fast reaction speed. If he didnt make full use of his temporarily heightened visual acuity, he would lose track of it. The instant Lee Shin Woo read its trajectory, he vertically cleaved downwards! "Ha!" He firmly stiffened his body with magic, and his sword fell with a force that could cleave the earth, shing with the King Slime flying in from the front. However, rather than being pushed back, he exerted his strength and pushed downwards with his sword! [Gooooooooooooh!] The King Slime couldnt contest with his strength and bounced away, colliding with the opposite wall. The instant it impacted the extremely precarious wall, the drain pipespletely crumbled and the foundation became unstable. Dirt spewed everywhere, but even within that messy situation, Lee Shin Woos eyes didnt leave the King Slime. Does it also have a Harden ability? There arent any scratches on its body... His sword was plenty sharp. The bastard was just excessively tough! Since its body had lessened in size, its physical strength had atrophied to the point that Lee Shin Woo could push it back, but conversely, its magic had been frightfully condensed; it had gotten that much tougher as a result. [Gooooooooooh!] "Heup!" The slime mustve been uplifted after being unharmed by Lee Shin Woos strike, as it bounced from its position and flew towards him again. If he got pushed back here, itll be the end! Lee Shin Woo gritted his teeth and shed with the King Slime. With the resolve to take it down, he infused Power sh in every strike! [A-As I thought, we cant win.] [If he cant kill it with that tremendous power, then... Ah, ahhhh. The poison, the poison mist is rising!] Since he was fighting while listening to the Pauls draining BGM, it didnt work. No, it was honestly just that his current strength couldnt ovee the King Slime. Looking at the situation of the battle, he figured that if he could buy more time, he would be able to get a decisive strike in, but the problem was... ...I cant just keep repeatedly attacking and defending until its mana runs out. This sewer facility was counting down to its destruction. The pouring dirt would make it difficult to even move soon. It would be the worst environment to fight in. In order to finish it before then... it would be a bit difficult, but this was the only choice. He resolved himself and activated his skill. mes of Revenge. The ck mes softly zed atop his index finger bone. Seeing that hateful fire, the King Slime spewed the deadly poison that had been condensed in its body all at once in all directions, and filled the space with poison. "Good, youre definitely responding to it." [Gureuk...!] The deadly poison mist and his ck mes met, emitting a crackling sound; the mes burned the poison and the smoky heat surged. If he just remained like this, both sides would just run out of magic, so Lee Shin Woo raised his index finger about shoulder height, aimed, and postured to shoot. I dont know how many times itll self-destruct from the mes until it leaves behind its core, but... I have no choice. However, before he shot, one of the vacantly watching Pauls suddenly muttered. [...I remember.] "Hmm?" He spoke at such great timing that Lee Shin Woo stopped his Catapult. It was truly a relief that the King Slime saw the unwaning mes and felt extremely anxious, making it unable to move its body. He didnt know whether they knew about the situation or not, but Paul kept muttering. [I... Before I was appointed as a knight, I applied for this test.] Hearing that, Lee Shin Woo furrowed his brows. Did they seriously remember their past at this timing? How? However, it wasnt just him. The other Pauls muttered as well, as if they had promised to do so. [I was just a soldier, but due to my performance, I became a Centurion. The one who brought me there was none other than General Seagald...] [I... I respected the Emperor. Because of that, I couldnt pardon his mistake, even more than the others.] [How could I forget? The way I had lived, the way I must live from now on... All of it was within me all along.] In no time, this space, which had been filled with the thickening, deadly poison the King Slime had spewed, became clean. Even now, the King Slime was responding to the mes of Revenge and was creating Acid Poison, but the Poison Skeletons were absorbing it all. [The test... Was it not a failure?] [It failed. It was truly a horrific failure. However, because it was a failure, there was something we could gain from it.] [How miserable. However, we need this strength right now.] There was nowhere to run; they couldnt escape from the Acid Poison, and the skeletons had no other choice but to ept it. And the moment they gave up on everything, they naturally absorbed the Acid Poison as if it were theirs from the beginning... The skeletons were starting to be stronger. The vestige of their past tests failure had made it possible; it was at this moment that their past karma was connected to the present. [Why did I forgot how to use mana?] [It feels like someone had locked me in the darkness and stripped away my reason.] [I cant remember my past name at all, but... its fine now. Weve be able to ept both our past and present!] [We dont need to think deeply about whats within anymore. We just need to walk the path weve been taught now!] Their voices sounded much more sure of themselves now, and for some reason, they felt even stronger... The moment he thought that it seemed as though they had leveled up, a deep mana ringly surged. However, because Lee Shin Woo didnt have any eyes, he was able to properly behold the Poison Skeletons change. [Lv3 Acid Skeleton - Paul] [Lv3 Acid Skeleton - Paul Two] [Lv3 Acid Skeleton - Paul Four] [Lv3 Acid Skeleton - Paul Seven] [Lv3 Acid Skeleton - Paul Nine] [Lv3 Acid Skeleton - Paul Ten] [Lv3 Acid Skeleton - Paul Twelve] "..." To think hed see the moment that the undead were reborn as named monsters. They became named monsters with the names hed given them at that! Lee Shin Woo was stunned and looked at them with his mouth wide open as the Pauls walked with heavy footsteps more vigorously than before and joined up with him by his side. [Sorry we showed you something so unsightly, Captain.] [Well fight with you now, too.] [Give us themand. I want to respond to the chivalry you showed, Captain.] When the hell did I be your captain, and what the hell do you mean by chivalry? is how he eagerly wanted to reply, but... Lee Shin Woo discarded all those thoughts. Though the Empire was incorrigibly cold and arrogant, he acted as though their Empire was the only warm ce in this world. "Youve finally gotten a hold of yourselves. Hold it back for a bit. You can do that much, cant you?" [Yes, sir!] [Of course!] The seven level 3 elites attacked the King Slime simultaneously. The King Slime attempted to kill them with its poison and charge attacks, but they were no longer the weak skeletons of the past. Ultimately, while it was restrained by the skeletons, Lee Shin Woo took the opportunity to shoot his Fire Bullets in a volley. As it was being barraged with the Fire Bullets, it didnt even have an opportunity to self-destruct, and died from the mes. It was truly a brutal victory. Chapter 9 part4 [You have hunted the Lv4 King Slime. You have acquired the title Slime Hunter! All of your abilities increase by 20% against slime rted monsters, and you have a higher chance of acquiring better loot from them.] [You have perfectly cleared the mutated dungeon, the Lv2 Secret Sewer. You have found all the secrets thaty in the dungeon, as well as ying an elite monster that ate the boss and became stronger. You have acquired the dungeon clear reward. Health and magic has increased by 2.] [You have led several subordinates into battle and defeated an enemy a higher level than you. All stats have increased by 1. The Beginner Command skill has evolved into the Low Rank level. When you make amand that fits the situation, the morale of your men increases.] [You have seeded in your revenge. The Beginner Avenger skill has be Lv7. When you meet the target of your revenge again, all abilities increase by 34%.] They were all messages that appeared from him killing the King Slime. However, Lee Shin Woo felt slightly disappointed that he hadnt received another karma token, but right then, a message appeared that went beyond his expectations. [You have achieved the karma of giving the undead who had lost everything a name, and awakening their rebirth. This is a karma that has long since been forgotten, and is a karma that no one can remember. You, who endowed these cursed and rotten individuals with unknown potential, will be called this by the world. The Joker.] [The Trickster karma has been absorbed by the Joker karma and has been strengthened. Your future is unknown, such that no one can predict it, and is filled with countless changes. No one can tell you what to do, and no one can dare block your path. Through a dramatic event, your karma has strengthened.] [All stats have increased by 10. The Acting skill has be Lv6. The Low Rank Mana Bone skill has be Lv6.] "This is..." Lee Shin Woo felt a strength that was greater than any other before permeate his body. Although it might be simr to the Trickster karma, the Joker karma was a more powerful karma, so perhaps that was why. As proof, all of his stats increased by 10. Aside from when he leveled up, he had never experienced such a shocking stat increase. Moreover, his skills had grown as well! [I feel like Captains be even stronger.] [Hes someone who could give us names. Thats natural.] [Those were truly powerful mes.] The seven surviving Pauls, who had been reborn into elite Acid Skeletons towards the end of the intense battle, saw Lee Shin Woo bing even stronger following the battle, and said as expected while nodding their heads. "Ah, you guys..." Lee Shin Woo suddenly realized they were there and turned around. When he thought about how they had essentially given him the Joker karma, he had no choice but to change his attitude towards them. "Have you recovered all of your memories?" [Not all of them. However, I realized who I am and what I have to do.] [This is all because of you, Captain.] All of them, without exception, were dyed in a deep green, but the fact the weapons they possessed also changed color was truly peculiar. Though their levels didnt change, their bones were tougher and thicker, and their spirit was no joke. [We have to find General Seagald. He definitely hasnt given up yet. He must be struggling to save this curse ridden Empire.] [Like you, Captain. The General will wee you with open arms.] [Lets go together, Captain.] It was a development that he had roughly expected. Lee Shin Woo picked up the dropped items and acted as if he thought deeply about their request, but truthfully, he already had his answer. "I cant right now." [How can that be...] "Since I have something I need to do, too. Ill go find General Seagaldter. Itd be great if I could see you guys then." General Seagald was someone that was really on his mind too. However, even so, Lee Shin Woo was much too weak to go and find him immediately. His abilities were far toocking to respond to this situation right now. Above all, he didnt think that there was any reason to limit his movements this early. Not only did it not fit with his Joker karma, there were plenty of other things on his mind regarding the Empire. Like General Leofield. [Is that so... Well, you have your own calling, Captain. We cant get in the way of that.] [We trust that no matter where you are, whatever youre doing is for the Empire.] All the Pauls agreed and nodded their heads. Seeing that, Lee Shin Woo smiled bitterly. These guys have already recovered their reason and their memories. Itd be great if I could continue to bring them with me as my subordinates, but theres a high chance that theyd catch onto the lie in no time. In the end, his Acting skill was impromptu. At least, for now that is. He would need to hide his human nature and the truth of his identity from them; even then, taking this many of them with him was definitely impossible. If thats the case, then he could also cleanly take care of them here and take their bones, but... Shall I give it a rest? It wasnt a matter of them formingradeship from fighting together or something like that. He was just purely curious how they, who were created by the Joker karma, would turn out from now on. He couldnt rx at all when he thought about how these skeletons, who were endowed with a different destiny because of him, would survive from now on in this Empire. And honestly speaking... even if it were a sandcastle built on the beach, it would be too much for him to break down himself. "...Wherever you go, dont go dying quickly. After all, itll feel like what I did was meaningless then." [Of course. We wont let the names you gave us be in vain.] [Paul Zero... Ill never forget your name.] [Lets meet again for sure.] The skeletons, who realized that they couldnt convince Lee Shin Woo, each said some parting words to him and turned around. The sewers were already a mess and copsing, and the space they were currently in wasnt wide enough to even stretch their legs, but they grouped together and spread their Acid Poison everywhere, allowing them to easily make a path. It was as if they used an eraser to erase the dirt. Now, lets see. He drove away the restlessness he felt after the Acid Skeletonsthe Pauls, left, andpletely raked in the loot buried in dirt and poison. Lee Shin Woo concentrated on that task, and was able to soon forget about those that had left. [You have acquired 53,080 Perium.] [You have acquired a Lv4 King Slime Bone Core.] [You have acquired a Lv3 Poison Skeletons rib bone.] [Would you like to... with the Lv3 Poison Skeletons rib bone...] There was an inherent mana within, so he was able to find them quickly. He naturally received the loot from the King Slime, but he also received the bone from one of the Poison Skeletons that had fought before him! He was naturally pleased when he found a safely remaining bone from their depressing solo act. Lee Shin Woo shoved the acquired Perium into his inventory, then activated Bone Reinforcement, cleanly using up both the bone and the core all at once. [Through Bone Reinforcement, Strength has increased by 1, Agility by 1, Health by 6, and Magic by 9. Absorbing a portion of the targets memories and experiences.] [The Low Rank Bursting Thunder skill has be Lv6.] [The Low Rank Harden skill has be Lv2.] [The Intermediate Acid Poison Spray has be Lv2.] "Mmm..." Despite it being level 4, the King Slime didnt give him as much magic as he had hoped. Was it because he had already hunted several other slimes and Great Slimes before? Perhaps his magic stat had increased far too much already, so it was difficult for the maximum value of his magic stat to increase any further. Still, Ill be level 4 soon. Lets hang in there a little longer. He had gained karma and improved his stats through Bone Reinforcement, so now his stats totalled 756. As long as he gathered 44 more stats in the future, he would be reborn as a level 4. He tightened his fists, as if he realized how he was getting stronger more and more quickly. "...It was good." Finally, he surveyed his surroundings. He thought there might be something he had missed and there really was. That was none other than the dungeon reward. "And now that I think about it, there was a message like that." In a level 1 dungeon, the reward would be an old wooden box, but considering how it was a level 2 elite dungeon hed cleared, there was a considerably sturdy andpletely new looking wooden box that had appeared instead. Though the fact that it was a wooden box ultimately hadnt changed! [20,000 Perium] [Low Rank Acid Resistance skill book] [Lv3 Grizzly Bone Leg (+1)] [Lv3 Melting War Axe] Lee Shin Woos face paled once he checked the rewards. Should he says its as expected of an elite dungeon? Setting aside the Perium and the Acid Resistance skill book, he was rewarded with 2 level 3 items! Moreover, the Grizzly Bone Leg was lower body armor thatpletely covered his thighs, knees, legs, and even his feet; it was even made of bone. [Grizzly Bone Leg +1] [Lv3] [Durability: 740/740] [Defense: 105 - 115] [Options: Increases Strength by 5, Agility by 5] "Now its perfect." He had a helmet, upper body armor, and lower body armor that also doubled asbat boots. Though it was somewhat troubling that all of his defensive equipment was made of bone, at least people wouldnt be able to tell that he was undead just from his exterior appearance now. When he banged on his lower body, which waspletely covered up by the Grizzly Bone Leg, he sported a satisfied smile. He collected the Perium, and thought about reading the Low Rank Acid Resistance skill book on the spot... but decided against it. Lets give this to Jin. When he thought about Jin, whose body couldnt endure the Acid Ghouls poison and had been melted away, Lee Shin Woo decided itd be better to give him the skill book, rather than raise his proficiency by a little bit. Then, he put the skill book into his inventory. The problem was the final remaining item. The axe clearly gleamed in a metallic color, and it was sorge that he wondered how it had fit inside the wooden box. Just by sitting still, the axe emitted a green mist, and because of that, the surrounding earth gradually melted away; seeing just that, he knew that it was an incredibly powerful weapon. Thats how he saw it, but... "But its not made of bone..." He had to gamble after finally acquiring a level 3 item and change it into bone. Lee Shin Woo sighed deeply. However, there was nothing he could do about it. He couldnt just leave it here! "Heup." [Through Bone Reinforcement, the Melting War Axe is changing.] In the end, he tightly gripped the axe with trembling hands. At that moment, that axe emitted a hair-raising sound and began to change into bone. Bubbles surged up above the de and the fundamental metal portion changed; the sequence of mana was newly formed, and the shape morphed. It was an extremely unpleasant process. "Ha...?" But why? During that process, Lee Shin Woo felt as though his mana... or more precisely acid, was sucked into the axe. The weapon was radiating light, and the mana in the entire area resonated in that one spot, creating an even thicker mist. When the acid mist that the weapon spewed out became even thicker, and thus made it difficult to ascertain its very shape, the once thick mist in the periphery was suddenly sucked into the weapon. The mist waspletely lifted and the light likewise cleanly dissipated; for the first time, he was able to see the double-ded axe which had transformed into bone. [You have acquired the Lv4 Melting Bone Double Axe.] [Melting Bone Double Axe] [Lv4] [Durability: 1,550/1,550] [Attack Power: 480 - 760] [Attribute: Acid Lv3] [Options: Strength +25, Agility -5, Effectiveness of Acid Attribute Skills + 20%] "!?" Lee Shin Woo momentarily couldnt believe his eyes, but when he thought about it, he didnt even have eyes so there was no way he saw wrong. The item really had leveled up. He had thought that this would happen sometime or another, but he didnt actually think it would happen like this! It didnt level up just because I was lucky. He had realized when his magic transformed into Acid Poison and was sucked into the weapon just a little while ago. Perhaps during the process of transforming the weapon into bone through Bone Reinforcement, some other power that he had was somehow activated? And if thats the case, wasnt this proof that the stronger he got, the stronger the weapon that transformed through Bone Reinforcement would be? Its a really... really fearsome skill. Lee Shin Woo gritted his teeth at the countless abilities that Bone Reinforcement possessed. Perhaps this skill, depending on the karma, could affect the very rules of this world! Through the use of countless experiences and memories, he learned a variety of abilities, and changed countless things through those abilities... Hispatibility with the Joker karma was also great. "But... Wait a second." With this, he now had two level 4 items. And they were both items that would increase his acid attribute skills! If hebined the two items abilities, the power of his acid skills would increase by as much as 30%! Lee Shin Woo tightly gripped the double axe and muttered satisfyingly. He could feel it. That even though it had calmed down, he could spew out a horrific concentration of Acid Poison whenever he wanted! "If I use this well, I could even go with the Hydra concept..." Lee Shin Woo still couldnt get rid of his habit from the Trickster quest. Chapter 10 part1 "Did you wait a long time?" In just 13 hours, Jin had returned with the leather bag Lee Shin Woo had given himpletely filled, speaking like a girlfriend who had arrivedte to their meeting ce. Of course, Lee Shin Woo didnt even have a girlfriend before, so he wasnt bothered at all and spoke. "Its alright, since I was busy reading this." "What is it?" Lee Shin Woo raised and showed the bundle of papers to Jin, who carefully thrust his head forward; the edges of the papers were gradually weathering away and disappearing with every gust of wind. Jin likewise didnt know the Empiresnguage, but he could read the title of the documents without much difficulty. "The Anti-Skull... n?" "You wanna read it?" "Yeah..." Originally, he didnt really like reading very much, but Jin thought that there was something more to these papers than just a waste of time; yet he couldnt joke like that as Lee Shin Woos face was much too serious. Ultimately, he nodded his head, and Lee Shin Wooid one of the papers on the ground, which best summarized the current state of affairs, so that he could read it easily. Lee Shin Woo then turned his head back to the papers. It was thest page. "This is... Did the Empire have a force that knew about the impending curse and was preparing for it by any chance!?" "Ah, so you didnt know." For a few hours after clearing and leaving the dungeon, Lee Shin Woo thoroughly scrutinized the data hed acquired from the sewer hidden facilities. Anti-Skull was lead by General Seagald, and was a group created to prevent the Emperors n; at the same time, it was the name of the project that researched ways to prevent them from bing undead. "Therere detailed records written here about their research into preventing them from bing undead. Inymens terms, at the heart of the research was their attempt to magically create a body beforehand which wouldnt be affected by the curse." "So what happened? Did they seed?" "No." Was it because he was also undead? Jin asked in a deeply interested voice, and Lee Shin Woo replied firmly, cutting him off. Thats right. The n progressed in multiple ways, but all of them became frustrated. There were several cases where the tested individuals exploded, and it wasmon that their bodies wouldnt even be able to use mana anymore. On the contrary, this experiment with Acid Poison wasnt bad. The test subjects didnt die, and actually became stronger; though they degenerated into the undead, they were able to retain their memories and their reason as well. Even if they meet humans, the current Pauls shouldnt be driven by their hatred. Regardless of their intent, all undead hated humans. It was like a suggestion engraved into their instincts. Because of that, humans also consider undead enemies. Though Lee Shin Woo didnt really know about it since he was an undead as soon as he arrived in the Empire! I wonder what state General Seagald is in? Based on the reports, General Seagald was gathering forces through various means to prevent the Emperors n, while also actively participating in the Anti-Skulls experiments with his subordinates. In the past, he opposed the Emperor and certainly raised a force, but considering how he couldnt prevent the curse despite that, his rebellion mustve failed in the end. What happened to him as a result? Was he still alive, surviving as an undead? If hes still alive, what would be the state of his reasoning? The day woulde where hed be able to figure this out. Lee Shin Woo didnt really need to take the lead and figure it out himself. Since there were a lot of seniors already ahead of him. "Do the other heroes know about this?" "Wouldnt they? I dont really have any ns to check, but they probably do." Of course, he had coincidentally learned of Anti-Skull in the sewer dungeon, but there were various secret facilities hidden throughout the Empire. If he assumed that the majority of them had be dungeons, a portion of his seniors shouldve been able to find them already. At least, thats what Lee Shin Woo thought. "You did some quests, right?" "I got the inventory and the chatting channel as well." As if he were demonstrating, Jin put the leather bag in and out of his inventory. Seeing that, Lee Shin Woo nodded his head and took the bag. There were different bones that filled the bag to the brim, and they were all bones from at least level 2 monsters, just like Lee Shin Woo had instructed. Rarely, he saw some level 3 bones as well. "How was your hunt?" "When I actually got started, it wasnt that hard. It felt like I got a bit used to battle in just a few hours. ...Yeah,ugh it up." "Nah, its normally like that." Lee Shin Woo finished inspecting the bones and raised his head, locking gazes with Jin. His face, which zed with blue goblin fire, came right in front of his own. "Now youre going to ept me as your colleague, right?" "Of course. However, theres something Id like to check before that. Whats the ability you got from God as you were dropped onto this world?" "Mmm, thats... well youre undead too, so I guess its fine to tell you." Jin was briefly conflicted, but soon he scanned Lee Shin Woos body and slightly nodded his head, and opened his mouth for the second time. In a way, Lee Shin Woo had anticipated what he had to say, but at the same time, his expectations werepletely off. "Truthfully, I have an ability that revives me even if I die. Its an ability called the Blessing of Death; the magic of the curse is absorbed, and the umted power is changed into a blessing. Even if I die, it makes it possible for me to revive." "The magic of the curse? Ah." "Yeah, thats why Im umting magic even now. Its not very much, though..." The curses magic, which transformed people into the undead, was overflowing in this world right now. In exchange for Jin having no curse resistance, his skill took care of it. It was aplete surprise to Lee Shin Woo, who thought Jin would definitely have the Invisible Heart like him. "Though the magic Ive umted is only enough to revive me twice." "So the reason you just constantly ran was because of that skills effect, huh." "Its embarrassing, but... yeah." Lee Shin Woo felt refreshed. He had thought that no matter how depressed Jin was from bing a Skeleton Horse, just constantly running was too much, but after learning about his ability, he realized that Jin had run to stockpile the necessary energy to activate his skill. "Ive already died once, so Ive be afraid of dying again. I couldnt tell Jin Jin, but thats how it is. Im pathetic, right?" "No, I understand. Very sincerely." The reason Lee Shin Woo could decide to fight without much difficulty as soon as he was dropped into the Empire was because he could revive 99 times. If he had arrived with the same skill Jin had, he wouldve done the same as him. In any case, when Ipare his ability to mine, its kind of subtle. After listening to him, it seemed as though Jins ability didnt have a limited number of uses, but it also seemed like Jins ability would require him to gather a tremendous amount of mana to activate the skill. In other words, he could futilely die before he gathered the required mana if he was unlucky. That probably contributed to him bing more of a coward. He suddenly thought that God was truly ill-tempered. "What about curse resistance and holy resistance?" "I have both of them. Theyre maxed out. It seems like my curse absorption is the evolved form of maxed out curse resistance." "As I thought." His absorption was the evolved form of maxed curse resistance... Lee Shin Woo decided hed store away that information for now, and nodded his head. Jin felt relieved when he saw Lee Shin Woo unperturbed and nodding his head, even after hearing about his revival ability. "So you received an ability simr to mine, huh. I wondered whether I was the only one like this." "Yeah, though my revival conditions are a bit different." Lee Shin Woo exined the effects of Invisible Heart to him. Jin couldve been really ufortable hearing it, but he didnt want to lie to someone he sympathized with. As expected, Jin was jealous of him. "You have 97 more lives!? Im so jealous...!" "But the number of lives is annoying. So my goal right now is to die as little as possible. Acting as though I only have one life, and that Im not undead." "...Yeah, I agree with you." From the start, Lee Shin Woos attitude was something that Jin also wanted to learn. That attitude, where he didnt sumb to despair and endured firmly, despite being in a simr situation, and pressing forward! However, Lee Shin Woo seemed burdened by Jins zing gaze (though in reality, it was always zing), and slightly turned his head away and spoke. "Thats not all, right? Isnt there more that you got?" "Ah, yeah... In the process of bing a Skeleton Horse, or more precisely, a [Dark Bone Horse], I became level 4. Andstly, I got a skill called [Child of Light]." "Whats that? Does it let you kick at the speed of light or something?" Amongst the several lines hed always wanted to say, Lee Shin Woo mentioned one of them. Jin then cold-heartedly shook his head and spoke. "By receiving the Blessing of Light, my agility growth rate increases by three times." "...Growth rate is kind of vague, so what does it mean in more detail?" Even as he thought that Jin should be called the Child of Char[1] instead of the Child of Light, he asked for more details. Without hesitating, Jin borated. Without even realizing how amazing his own ability was. "Whenever I gain agility, for whatever the reason, I gain three agility when others gain 1. Thats my karma or whatever." "Whatever the reason...!?" Thats bullshit! Three times the agility no matter what? Increases in agility from karma, skills, and drinking the shops medicine would be three times that of any other person! Though it was a cheat skill he could gain only after bing a Skeleton Horse. "It seems like its an ability thats so good that it surprises even you. Well, my agility did shoot up as I continually ran, when my skills leveled up, or when I received some karma for running really fast. I feel like my agility was around 500 at the beginning, but right now its close to 800." "800!?" He already surpassed Lee Shin Woo with just his agility! Now he could understand his fearsome growth rate. If he were to exclude the increase in effectiveness of his other stats, he already had agility that rivaled a level 6s! Wait a sec. At that point, Lee Shin Woo suddenly thought. If thats the case, then would his ability activate when he reinforces his bones, too...? If thats actually true, then hispatibility with Jin would result in an absurd oue beyond his imagination. Jin could naturally attain a tremendous result, and Lee Shin Woo fighting in battle from his back...! Did God not expect this? These two unusual individuals karma met and would create a ridiculous synergistic effect. If its her, who was the God of this world, she probably couldve predicted this. If thats the case, then God had predicted that theyd work together at some point... and theres a possibility that shed guided them such that they would. She didnt just make them undead simply due to her ill nature, but perhaps she wanted them to aplish the tasks that couldnt be aplished by normal humans. ...Though she couldve just done it on a whim. "Do you also have a different ability?" "Yeah." He was in deep thought, so he forgot that Jin was right in front of him. He saw Jin waiting for his response, and extracted a level 2 bone from the leather bag; he raised it, smiled mischievously (that kind of feeling), and replied. "Yeah, I do have one. From the start, all of my abilities are because of this skill." "What kind of ability could it be for it to...?" "Ill teach you using your own body." "What...!?" "Be careful, since your head might hurt in the beginning." For some reason, Jin was shocked and stepped back, but Lee Shin Woo wasnt concerned by that and yelled. "Bone Reinforcement!" [1] T/N: Char is a character from Mobile Suit Gundam. I dont really understand the reference here, but its probably a meme of some sort. Chapter 10 part2 This was his first time using his Bone Reinforcement on someone else, so even though he seemingly used the skill without hesitation, he was actually quite anxious. Sure enough, messages instantly appeared in front of him, crowding his sight. [Reinforcing HeroJin Taylors shoulder bone. Determining the targets suitability. Check sessful. Establishing a contractual rtionship with the target through mutual agreement. Contract sessful. Skill activating normally.] [By consuming a Lv2 Big Zombies kneecap bone, Jin Taylors bones are reinforced. Jin Taylor is absorbing a portion of the targets experiences and memories. You also share a portion of the experiences and memories and are absorbing them.] [Ill be the one of the 12 generals someday. My mum said that if I eat like this every day, Ill be a general. - Nameless Soldier] "Ugh...!?" "Its not too bad. Just rx and take it all in." The moment Lee Shin Woo activated the skill, Jin was startled and started quivering; Lee Shin Woo calmed him down and checked each and every message that appeared. Determining suitability, huh... As expected, it wasnt something that I could use on just anyone. I can probably only use it on undead, and amongst the undead, only the ones that are made entirely of bone. But whats this contract thing? Perhaps the faint string of mana that connected him and Jin the moment he activated the skill signified the contract. He didnt feel any negative energy from it, so as long as he was concious of it in the future, it would be fine. He didnt know if it was because of the contract, but despite the skill being used on Jin, Lee Shin Woo was likewise able to absorb a portion of the zombies memories and experiences. Of course, it was much lesspared to if he had used it on himself, but... it was at that moment that he realized that using his Bone Reinforcement on other people wasnt aplete loss on his part. If thats the case, theres no reason to hesitate on using the skill on Jin. The instant Lee Shin Woo used his Bone Reinforcement, he ruminated over the zombies memories that had been engraved into his brain, and gazed at Jin. As expected, the small blue goblin fire that zed within his eye sockets mercilessly shook. "This is... No, wait, ugh...!" "You asked me how I got so skilled in such a short amount of time, didnt you? This is my answer." He definitely had a lot of things he wanted to say. Jins mouth opened and closed, and he looked like he was about to say something when Lee Shin Woo spoke, with a slight amount of self-scorn in his voice. "My talent, experiences, and everything is due to this skill." "You, this... you sure are..." Was it because this was his first time experiencing Bone Reinforcement, and it wasnt easy to escape its effect? Jin tottered around as if he had be drunk. Lee Shin Woo patiently waited until he calmed down and could stand up straight. He waited approximately 5 minutes before Jin narrowly sighed, raised his head, and spat out as if he had chewed on something foul. "...It was a horrific experience." "Not a great experience?" Of course, if such vivid memories melded into ones brain, theres a chance theyll be confused. However, if he showed such a violent reaction to it, wouldnt it make one want to tease him? As expected, Jin heard Lee Shin Woo, shivered, and replied. "Ugh... I feel sick. How many times have you experienced this exactly?" "Do you remember each and every piece of food youve ever eaten?" "Youre crazy! ...But now I understand how you got so strong." For Jin, taking in another persons experiences and memories felt simr to his brain itself being injected with a foreign substance. Even though he knew this would be helpful to him, it wasnt something he was able to do so easily. However, if he backed down here and now, Lee Shin Woo wouldnt help him. Perhaps this was the real test... at least, thats what Jin thought. "Im telling you. Youll get used to it soon enough. Then, lets move on to the next one, ok?" "Ugh... O-One sec." However, Lee Shin Woo didnt really have any ns to test Jin. From the start, Lee Shin Woo passed over his moans and groans as him making a big fuss over nothing, and chose the next bone to step up to the te. It wasnt really him having a wicked personality or anything; he truly believed that there was no way Jin would be this anguished from just this. "If you get past about 10 of them, your head will get dizzy, but if you focus and keep hold of your consciousness, the only thing thatll hurt is your head, and it wont be too much of a problem. You just have to take in what you need from them and make it yours. Its simple, right?" "...Cant you at least take it a bit slower?" "Fine then." Jin finally resolved himself. In order for him to be stronger, and to catch up to Lee Shin Woo by even just a little, he had no choice but to ept this and to endure! Im sure of it now. If I work together with Lee Shin Woo, I can be strong...! I cant just weakly stay where I am any longer! Lee Shin Woo thought Jin would be disappointed in him after hearing about his ability, but it was actually the opposite. To Jin, Lee Shin Woo was someone who had an overwhelming willpower, and Jin considered him as someone strong, someone who would fight regardless of what body he was in or whatever the method in this world. And what he was seeking was that steel will. So, it wouldnt do if he couldnt even endure this much! [By consuming a Lv2 Skeleton Warriors arm bone, Jin Taylors bones are being reinforced.] [By consuming a Lv3 Ghoul Fighters shinbone...] ... ... [By consuming a Lv3 Metal Bone Snakes rib bone, Jin Taylors bones are being reinforced. Jin Taylor is absorbing a portion of the targets experiences and memories. You also share a portion of its experiences and memories and are absorbing them. Health has increased by 1.] There were 513 bones in total in the bag, and among them, close to 450 of them were level 2 bones; the rest were level 3 bones. Lee Shin Woo spent about five hours to allow Jin to absorb all of them, but the fact that just absorbing half of the effects increased his own stats by 10 was telling of just how many bones there were. "Ugh, I feel like Ill vomit..." As a result of absorbing all of the owners various memories and experiences, Jinid his huge body on his back and was dry heaving. Since Lee Shin Woo was the pioneer of this specific field and fully utilized his know-how of maintaining his consciousness, most of the confusion had passed, but even so, if one were to ask if it were easy to ovee the aftermath, the answer would definitely be no. Lee Shin Woo gazed stiffly at Jin and consoled him. "Its alright. Since we have nothing to barf out anyway." "You demon! I told you to do it slowly!" "If I had absorbed these myself, I couldve done it in 30 minutes." "..." Jin meekly closed his mouth, suppressed his nausea, and quietly stood up. The fact that his body still lightly shook was kind of funny. Lee Shin Woo smiled bitterly and asked him a question. "So, how was it? Do you feel a bit experienced now?" "Though it definitely feels like a lot has changed, its difficult to say what exactly has changed right now. I feel like itll be difficult to figure out whats changed until I actually get into a fight... Moreover, I received way too many peoples memories all at once, so Im dizzy. Give me some time to organize it all." They were words that caused him to automatically nod his head. Originally, just using Bone Reinforcement isnt the end; thats because after the reinforcement is over, in the process of moving their body, they need topletely learn these skills through experience. Then, it would be better to check something he could get a feel for right now that served as proof: the numbers. "How much have your stats increased?" "Strength by 7, Agility by 13, Health by 8, and Magic by 5. ...Theyve definitely gone up by a lot." "To me, the most shocking thing is the fact that your agility, which is already over 800, went up by 13." It mightve been obvious, but the higher the level, and the higher the stats, the more difficult it bes to increase ones stats. Despite that, the stat that showed the most growth for Jin was his agility... "You said that you need 1,600 stats to be level 5, right? I have a total of 1,400 stats right now, so... If we do this a few more times, I should get to level 5, right?" "Its not that simple. If you absorb a monsters bone that youve already absorbed before, its effect lessens more and more. The reason I asked you to fill that bag to the brim ande back was because I calcted that with roughly this many bones, the effectiveness wouldnt drop." "Ugh..." Jin could do nothing but nod in response. The more the reinforcement was repeated, the more the stat growth from the bones would gradually lessen, and in the end, they pretty much wouldnt ever increase. "Then what youre saying is...?" "Yeah. We have to hunt monsters befitting our level. If its possible, the monsters of a higher level than us, too." "But its tougher the higher level the monster is because their memories are denser!" "Isnt that better?" "No way. If I dont do something about this guy, then...!" Lee Shin Woo snickered at Jin, who was gritting his teeth and spoke. "For the time being, I want to focus on my own reinforcement. Will that be ok with you? Because I think itd be better if our levels matched." "Alright. Then, for the time being, I wont use that skill." "Good work." "...T-Then..." Was he shaking off his dizziness? Jin extremely carefully turned to his side and spoke to Lee Shin Woo. "Can you get on?" "Yeah, I think I can." It seemed obvious, but he had never really ridden on horseback when he lived in Korea. Even when he did, it was only on a high school trip to Jeju Ind, and he had gotten help then. The appearance of his friends horse, galloping in front of him while pooping had left a deep impression on him... "Its a relief that youre undead." "You wanna go?" However, Lee Shin Woo had the memories of the countless soldiers and knight aspirants who were active in the past Empire. It hadnt be a skill yet, but if he rode... "Umhp, as I thought. It feels like itll work." "Ugh..." After he had somehow gotten atop Jin, Lee Shin Woo sessfully maintained his bnce even without a saddle. His dormant experiences were given shape and were aiding him. Sure enough, immediately after, he got a message that hed acquired a skill! [You have learned the passive skill, Low Rank Horseback Riding Lv1. Agility has increased by 5. You can draw out the full potential of what you ride. The higher the level, the higher the buffs while riding in battle.] Though each memory one by one wasnt enough, thebination of the countless hoarded memories and experiences had manifested into a low rank skill. Moreover, he had acquired additional stats from it! When he thought that perhaps other skillsy dormant and were buried like this one, Lee Shin Woo felt great. "Nice, Jin. Lets go." "...Yeah. Im a horse. Im just a Skeleton Horse..." When he saw Jin, who was self-suggesting that he was a horse, Lee Shin Woo justughed again. He had thought Jin had resolved himself by now, but it seemed like he still wasnt prepared. If he were in his position, he would feel just as agonized right now, so he could definitely understand him. "Hoo... Alright. Where should we go?" "For starters, lets take ap around this city and check if theres anything we missed." "Ok." Jin weakly nodded and began to move. At that moment, Lee Shin Woo felt his body rapidly lean backward and was shocked, and grabbed tightly onto Jin. The surroundingndscape quickly passed by him, and it felt like he was time traveling! "Hey!?" "You wasted time because of me, so lets quickly look back and go!" "If you keep running this fast, the only thing Ill be able to look back at is my previous lifeeeeeeeeeeeeeee!" However, Jin didnt listen to him. Ultimately, it took Lee Shin Woo a few hours before he was somehow able to distinguish the surrounding objects clearly while Jin was running, and it soon developed into him training his Combat Sprint and Horseback Riding skills. Chapter 10 part3 [The Low Rank Combat Sprint skill has be Lv8. Agility has increased by 2. Your instantaneous eleration, as well as dynamic visual acuity increase proportionally to your agility.] [The Low Rank Horseback Riding skill has be Lv3. Agility has increased by 1. Bymunicating with what youre riding, you can control it more easily.] How long had he been holding out on top of Jins back? At the end of this rigorous albeit short period of time, his extreme training resulted in his Low Rank Horseback Riding skill to rise to level 3; Lee Shin Woos and Jins senses were very gradually starting to ovep as a result. "Ugh!?" "Hoo, I feel like Ill survive now." Since their senses had started to ovep, Jin had no choice but to slow down his pace. If he ran at a speed beyond Lee Shin Woos ability, then he would start feeling dizzy as well! "Wouldnt it be better if you didnt level up your skill!?" "No, since youve been running around like youve been lugging around a package on your back. Youve been running up until now like a freight train and now youve barely ss changed into a trolley, you know?" When they began to converse, Jin definitely slowed down for the first time, and it was a speed that Lee Shin Woo was likewise able to bear for the first time. To be honest, if he didnt use his Combat Sprint to its very limit, even this speed wouldve been too fast for him, but in any case, it was important that he was able to endure it. "Its too slow. Im bored..." "For me, it still seems like the surroundingndscape is passing by a little too fast..." By the time he noticed, they were near where Jin started running. In other words, in a few hours, they were able to run ap around the city! ...No, it mightve even been a fewps. "We havent found anything yet. Lets take anotherp." "It cant be helped I guess..." Jin began to sprint again. For the first time, Lee Shin Woo realized that he was riding atop a horse and galloping away, and started to survey his surroundings. Ever since he had acquired Mana Bone, his mana senses had be more sensitive, and after using these senses to search the area, there was something that stood out immediately. From behind at that. "Hey, the undead are following behind us!" "Its only natural that theyd be following us around like that. After all, weve been running around in the same city, and on the same route. Honestly, while we were travelling around the city, I got rid of a few of them." Hearing Jins calm response, it seemed like this wasnt his first or second time doing something like this. Well, all this guy did was run until now, so it made sense that hed have experience with the undead chasing behind him. By running around the city, Jin had gathered all of the undead, and managed to gather them all into one group; such control was amazing. "Hey, have you thought about talking with them?" "What kind of conversation could I have with monsters like them!?" This wont do. This guys head isnt normal! Hes been just idiotically running away from them, even though they were also undead; if he just lied to them, he wouldve been able to pass by without incident! Lee Shin Woo just shook his head, but he didnt realize that he was in actuality, the one who was strange between the two. After all, not everyone could obtain the Acting skill. "Theres no good way of kiting the mobs... Wait. Kiting the mobs?" "...I dont really know what that means, but why does it feel slightly ominous?" Kiting mobs was a termmonly used in RPG settings; when it was too troublesome to hunt down the monsters one by one, a nimble yer would aggro all the mobs in the area, gathering them all into one group. If they worked together with a ss who could use wide area skills, their effectiveness would increase by an absurd margin, and right now, Lee Shin Woo had... "Alright, lets take care of them and then move on." "Ugh, as I thought..." Humans could always turn danger into an opportunity to grow. Lee Shin Woo naturally turned around. No, to be exact, when he thought about wanting to turn around, his will was ryed to Jin, and Jin instinctually turned his body around. The effects of the leveled up Horseback Riding skill were definitely showing. "Guh, this feels really weird." "Sorry, but try to bear with it since itll help in battle from now on." As he spoke, he thoroughly surveyed the surrounding area. While he desperately endured so that he wouldnt fall off from Jins back, Jin had very shrewdly drawn all of the mobs, so they were clumped in one ce; the undead chasing after them numbered at least several thousand. They were mostly skeletons, but he quite frequently saw Ghouls mixed in, as well as animals and monsters which had died and be undead. But since zombies were so slow, theygged behind in the back. "So you drew all the undead in this city, huh." "It seems like its the undeads nature. When the mob begins to gather, they cause amotion, and thatmotion causes other undead to gather as well; when they get a hold of themselves, they seem to form a huge group like that." Seeing the calmly replying Jin, the stunned Lee Shin Woo seemed to blurt out. "If a newbie hero was unlucky enough to get involved during that process, they wouldve died right there." "T-Thats... I didnt think thered be any other heroes besides me..." "No, its fine as long as you dont do it from now on. You wont need to do it from now on either." Lee Shin Woo raised his hand, extended his index finger, and aimed at the undead that were grouped together in one ce while also chasing after them. Then, Jin asked doubtfully. "I know how powerful your skill is, but will you hit them with it...? Youre still at least 1 kilometer away. Should I get closer?" "No, its fine. Since I have something I need to prep before I shoot it." The first skill Lee Shin Woo had to activate wasnt his Catapult skill, but his Acid Poison Spray skill. Of course, he wasnt talking about spraying his Acid Poison everywhere. He recollected how the Acid Ghoul and the King Slime concentrated their Acid Poison into a single point, and focused his attention on the tip of his index finger. The poison, which converted into mana, began to gather at that single point! [Guwoooh...] "Theyre gradually getting closer." "Im almost done." If he hadnt acquired the Mana Bone skill, which was considerably helpful in processing the mana that saturated his bones, it wouldve taken a considerable amount of effort toplete the task. The skill made the difficulty of controlling his Acid Poison much simpler. "Good, then." Lee Shin Woo pushed all of the Acid Poison he could into the tip of his index finger, and next, activated his mes of Revenge. Poison on the inside, mes on the outside! With his know-how, just likest time, he focused on his mes, and those mes darkened to their limit; it felt as if there was dark matter in that space. At the same time, he also saw the presence of the mes disappear, as if the middle of his index finger had been cut off. [The Low Rank mes of Revenge skill has be Lv2. Magic has increased by 3. The diffusion force of the mes has increased.] Was it because he concentrated the skill into one ce? It had been a long time since his mes of Revenge had leveled up. At the same time, the mes zing atop his index finger intensified. It was at that moment that Lee Shin Woo figured out a new way of training his skill. "I dont have me resistance, though." Jin started to feel a gradually increasing heat from atop his back, and shook as if he were uneasy. Because of the Acid Poison Resistance skill book he had received from Lee Shin Woo, he learned Acid Poison Resistance and was able to resist Acid Poison to some degree, but he wasnt resistant to this level of fire! "It doesnt burn allies, so dont worry. Then... Im firing it!" "Ugh..." Lee Shin Woos index finger wasunched with a simple, weak sound. Just by seeing that, Jin looked like he himself was hurt by it, but Lee Shin Woo was ustomed to this kind of pain now, and didnt even feel an itch. He checked the trajectory that his index finger drew in the air, and nodded his head in satisfaction. It was flying towards the center of the group of several thousand undead. "How many of them do you think youll kill with that?" "All of them." "All of them?" "Yeah. As long as I take one more step." "What step..." Jin thought he was out of his mind, but when Jin tilted his head, Lee Shin Woos Grenade had arrived at the center of the group of undead; with hismand to self-destruct, it exploded grandly. At that moment it burst forth with a fearsome force of mes and poison! [Kuaaaaahk!] [Kihiiiiiiiiiiiiii!] Hundreds of level 1 undead at the center disappeared without even being able to scream, and even the level 2 and higher undead took significant damage. Moreover, since the poison and the mes had the quality of diffusing into the surrounding area, they were quickly expanding to epass them within their range! "Oh jeez, even the mana thats escaping is no joke." "That attack was definitely incredible, but what are you going to do now!? Even if theyre low leveled, therere several thousands of them!" "So what were going to do now is..." Lee Shin Woo measured the distance between them and the monsters. It was roughly 300 meters. Even by human standards, it wasnt very far, and it was a distance that quick monsters would be able to reach in only a few seconds. "Cover your ears." "I dont have any ears, and I dont even have hands to cover them." "Well, I guess it cant be helped. Tough it out." And sound could travel the distance in only a second. "Kill yourselvessssssssssssssssssssssss!" [You used Low Rank Shriek of the Dead, and the enemies in the entire area fall into a frenzied and fearful state!] [You have seeded in using the skill while engaging more than 1000 foes! You have acquired arge amount of skill proficiency. The Low Rank Shriek of the Dead has be Lv5. Magic has increased by 3. The skills effect has be stronger, and the skill can affect arger area.] "Urgh!" Jin screamed in anguish from Lee Shin Woos momentary, horrific shriek. However, since Jin was Lee Shin Woos ally, he wasnt affected by the skill in the least. Because of that, it took him a bit of time to realize the effect of the skill. "What the hell are you doing all of a sudden... Huh?" Jin abruptly shouted, and then quickly scanned his surroundings. The group of undead, which looked furious and would dash at them at first chance, didnt approach them anymore. To be more exact, they werent worried about Lee Shin Woo or Jin any longer. [Enemies. To think that there are this many enemies...!] [My body is made of bones...!] [Haha, Ill kill all the enemies of the Imperial Army!] [Kyahaaaaahk!] They each spat out a peculiar noise then stabbed with their swords, and swung their clubs at each other; seeing that, Jin looked puzzled and asked Lee Shin Woo. "Thats... What the hell is this?" "The best tactic for not smearing your own hands with blood is using your enemies to defeat themselves. Thisll show up on the test, so make sure you remember it." "..." While Jin was speechless, the monsters fought intensely amongst themselves, confirming Lee Shin Woos statement. Furthermore, the monsters didnt really wander, and fought in around the same area, so the mes and the poison soon covered the entire battlefield. Thousands of monsters were being harmed by the DoT damage in real time. "It probably wouldnt be very effective against high level monsters, but at least its not out of my reach to ughter a mob of monsters now. As expected, you can only do it with arge-scale ability." "Arge-scale ability..." Why doesnt a level 3 skeleton have so many frightening abilities!? However, if he said that, it was obvious that Lee Shin Woo would just tell him it was all due to Bone Reinforcement, and that he should work harder, so Jin just kept his mouth shut. While Jin kept his mouth shut, Lee Shin Woo concentrated on drawing the surrounding mana in order to recover the mana he was using to maintain his mes of Revenge. The mana instantaneously entered and escaped him, so it was as if his entire body had be a passageway for mana. [Gu...aah...] [My... wife...] Lee Shin Woo was busy harmonizing with the mana, so he didnt notice the passage of time, but honestly, everything was finished within 20 minutes. The zombies, which arrivedte,pletely merged with the group, and the mes shifted andtched onto them. After they died horribly, they left Perium and bones in their ce, and when all the undead hadpletely disappeared... a message appeared in front of Lee Shin Woo, one he hadnt expected at all. [You have removed all the death within the city, Derita. Though you havent removed the curse, all the death energy in the entire area has faded, so no more undead will spawn in this area.] [You have acquired 1 permit for Gods Secret Shop. You have acquired 10,000 Perium. The proficiency of all yourbat rted skills increases.] [The Beginner Avenger skill has be Lv8. When you meet the target of your revenge again, all abilities increase by 36%. The Beginner Power sh skill has be Lv9. The power of the skill increases.] Of those, Lee Shin Woos attention lingered upon the message that appearedst. [You have proven your qualification as a hero who lifts the darkness underground as a substitute of Gods will. You have acquired the Heros karma token. The growth rate of all skills increases by 10%. If you gather 10 of these tokens, you will be a true hero... but what a shame, it seems like this would be impossible for you.] "Impossible, huh..." "Whats wrong?" It seems that because Lee Shin Woo was the one who mostly purified this city, Jin didnt receive this message. Lee Shin Woo replied like this to his question. "Its nothing. It seems like I cant be a hero." "What are talking about all of a sudden?" Lee Shin Woo just shrugged his shoulders and smiled. Whenever he got a karma token up until now, he would obtain a stat increase as well, but this time, he received a blessing that would increase his skill growth by 10% instead. He couldnt hold back his curiosity of what would happen if he obtained just one more token. However, was it good or bad that he had be unable to gather all of them...? Even though he felt slightlyplicated inside, he moved to collect all the loot with Jin. Right now, he needed to do what he could. Chapter 10 part4 Lee Shin Woo used the bones they had collected on site and reinforced himself. Of course, level 1 bones were almost meaningless to him now, but he still repeatedly used Bone Reinforcement until he saw the phrase, [You have acquired all the experiences and memories that you could from XXX.]. He couldnt miss the opportunity to grow even a little bit more! "Bone Reinforcement, Bone Reinforcement, Bone Reinforcement..." "Ugh." Jin just got tired of seeing Lee Shin Woo continuously use Bone Reinforcement in ce without pause. It wasnt a joke when Lee Shin Woo said that he could finish off 513 bones within 30 minutes. No, it was actually much worse. In less than 1 second, he sorted out the bones he would absorb, then grabbed several of them at a time and activated Bone Reinforcement; it wasnt difficult for him to dispose of 100 bones within 1 minute. "Bone Reinforcement... Oh, Im done now." "You... Are you really human!?" "Cant you see Im a skeleton? You want a piece of me?" As a result, Lee Shin Woo absorbed close to three thousand bones and left behind about one thousand of them, as he couldnt acquire anymore memories, experiences, and abilities from them. It didnt even take an hour. [Lee Shin Woo] [Dark Skeleton Avenger] [Treasure Hunter and 1 other] [Lv - 3 (Stat Effectiveness 125%)] [Strength - 160 Agility - 169 Health - 164 Magic - 305] [Passive Skills - Invisible Heart Lv3, Acting Lv6, Beginner Avenger Lv8, Low Rank Bursting Thunder Lv7, Low Rank Mana Bone Lv6, Low Rank Stealth Lv6, Low rank Command Lv1, Low Rank Horseback Riding Lv4] [Active Skills - Bone Reinforcement Lv4, Low Rank Combat Sprint Lv8, Low Rank Shriek of the Dead Lv5, Low Rank Regeneration Lv2, Low Rank Catapult Lv3, Low Rank mes of Revenge Lv2, Beginner Power sh Lv9, Low Rank Harden Lv3, Low Rank Self-Destruct Lv2, Sacrifice Lv1, Intermediate Acid Poison Spray Lv2] [Resistances - Holy: MAX, Curse: MAX, Acid: Low Rank Lv8, Ice: Intermediate Lv1] "Man, Im short a couple of stats so I cant level up." "So your stats dont go up even if you absorb three thousand bones, huh..." "No, its the opposite. Its actually gone up this much." Amongst the four thousand monsters Lee Shin Woo disposed of, there were basically no level 3 monsters. In other words, the absolute majority of the monsters were a lower level than him, so the fact that his stats rose by even this much was amazing. It was because Lee Shin Woo had ignorantly pushed ahead with quantity over quality. "What are you going to do with the rest? Im telling you ahead of time, but its impossible for me. I cant, no way." "You sure are cowardly. Dont worry, they all have a use." Lee Shin Woo took out a huge bag from his inventory, shoved the hundreds of level 1 bones into it, and stamped onto the bag with all his might. Seeing that, Jin was stunned and tackled him. "Is it for stress relief?" "No, its for healing." He continued to stamp on the bag and nodded his head once he saw the contents within turn into a fine powder. Looking at the bag filled with fine bone powder, he felt like he was rich. "For healing...?" "Yeah. If you turn these into powder, all of the properties of the bones equalize, and though you be unable to acquire the memories or experiences within, the healing ability remains. Moreover, you can apply it to your entire body, so its an advantage." "Ah." Jin had already experienced it, so he was well aware that Bone Reinforcement healed the portion of the body that it was applied to. In other words, Lee Shin Woo was processing the remaining bones, which he couldnt obtain anymore experiences or memories from, and turning them into medicine! It was also advantageous in that he could conveniently store it into his inventory now. "I have the Regeneration skill, so I dont really need it, but it should be important for you." "Youre being so considerate I feel like Ill cry." "Now then, lets..." The remaining 200 bones were level 2 undead bones; it felt like too much of a waste to turn them into powder, so he didnt. But when he told Jin to use them, Jin responded that itd be too much for him right now; therefore, he only had one other option. It was none other than weapon reinforcement. Bone of Thunder Lasting is at +8 right now, and I only have one more level 3 weapon reinforcement permit. In order for it to reach +10 and be reborn as a level 4 weapon, one of the reinforcements have to seed. He gave up on the level 1 bones and weapons as he didnt think it would have any chance of seeding with them, but what about level 2 bones? Wouldnt there be at least a slight chance? Jin saw Lee Shin Woo tremble as he grabbed a level 2 bone, and thought he looked like a gambling addict. "...Bone Reinforcement." [Reinforcement has failed.] [Reinforcement has failed.] [Reinforcement has failed.] The heap of bones they had acquired disappeared in an instant. He had already predicted that the probability of it working was low, but when he used up 100 bones in session, Lee Shin Woo was shocked. He btedly felt regretful, as he thought that it would be better to just sell them at the secret shop. "But since Ive already started, I cant stop." "You look really dumb right now." "Bone Reinforcement! Bone Reinforcement...!" [Reinforcement has failed.] [Reinforcement has failed.] [Reinforcement has failed.] [The Bone Reinforcement skill has be Lv5! The sess rate of weapon reinforcement has increased. When you use Bone Reinforcement on bone weapons, the effectiveness increases.] "Good, Bone Reinforcement!" "You dont have any more bones, though." "Oh..." Lee Shin Woo looked around dejectedly, but Jin was right; there werent any bones left. The 200 level 2 bones werepletely gone now. The only result was that his Bone Reinforcement leveled up... "It feels like if I just do it once more it wouldve worked!" "Thats something only gambling addicts say." Even if he wanted to reinforce his weapons, he didnt have any more bones, so he couldnt do anything. Lee Shin Woo wasnt naturally the type to get attached to failure, so he just lightly sighed, shook off his regrets, and got atop Jin. He had personally received a message confirming that he didnt have any more business in this city, so he didnt need to linger and check. It was time for him to leave. "So where to now?" "Didnt you originally run around here a lot? Lets go to one of the ces with a lot of level 3-4 monsters." "Y-Yeah... fine. Lets go." Honestly, Jin was still a bit afraid of level 4 monsters, but when he remembered Lee Shin Woos previous ughter of thousands of monsters, he mustered his courage and began to move. He felt like even if a level 5 elite monster showed up, rather than a level 4 monster, Lee Shin Woo would be able to win somehow. While hefortably gave Jin the reins and entrusted him with leading him, Lee Shin Woo opened the chatting channel. It very slightly felt like he was on the phone while driving. [Mr. Lee Shin Woo has entered.] [Lloyd H.K.: Oh, Lee Shin Woo! I heard the news. So you met with Ye Jin Jin?] [Lee Shin Woo: Its a relief that youre safe, Senior.] [Prince Altania: Considering how hes adapted to this world already... More importantly, what did you get for saving Ye Jin Jin? I just heard that the reward was really amazing, but I dont know what it is since Ive never gotten it before.] [Erian Ruparte: Lee Shin Woo! Thanks a lot. Because of you, Ye Jin Jin was able to survive!] As soon as Lee Shin Woo essed the chatting channel, all of his seniors hectically greeted him. It seems like, just like she said she would, Ye Jin Jin had uproariously chatted about him in the channel. Honestly, that was an issue that she had talked to Lee Shin Woo about; if he improved his friendship with the other heroes beforehand, they might not be too repulsed by the fact that he was a skeleton when they find outter... which was a n that came about from their shallow thinking. For reference, they didnt really talk about Jin. [Shino Rendu: Good work, Lee Shin Woo. Whether you acted because of the reward or because you saw the person, we heroes have to stick together.] [Yasunori Akira: Youre seriously way too hot-blooded. ...In any case, good job, Lee Shin Woo.] [Seira Von Retadane: It was really unexpected that you were both in the same area. But... but it was truly a relief.] [Lee Shin Woo: I got a quest to clear out all the undead in the city, so while I was doing that quest... I was just lucky.] [Prince Altania: Ah, that...] Of course, it was a lie, but he was curious as to how his seniors would respond to this lie. As expected, Prince Altania, who seemed the most loose lipped amongst his seniors, was fooled by his lie. [Prince Altania: You just need to do that once. Did you get the Heros karma token?] [Lee Shin Woo: Yes.] This was it. This was the information that he wanted! Lee Shin Woo pricked his ears and Prince Altania exined. [Prince Altania: If you have that, its great since your skill growth rate increases, but once you get that one, you dont really need to get another one. It may not take very long since it was just a small city, but the further you delve into the Empire, therger the cities be. Im telling you, you wont be able to keep them under controlter on. The karma tokens normally dont drop very often so its impossible to gather 10 of them from the start.] [Lee Shin Woo: So it would seem.] [Prince Altania: Moreover, the important thing is that if you start extensively wiping out the undead, the other undead will sniff that out and gather, so youll have to continue battling them unceasingly. If something goes wrong, even a hero can die.] [Lloyd H.K.: But hey, isnt that exactly why God chose us as heroes...? Im talking about purifying the Empire.] [Shino Rendu: At the start, I somehow seeded in cleaning up a small city and gained a Heros token. I thought that there might be a chance that I could amplify the effects of the token, so I risked my life to enter a few cities and tried to clear out the undead, but getting one more token doesnt amplify the effects at all...] [Prince Altania: Are you dumb? Tokens of the same kind dont amplify the effect. Get all 10 of them or stick to one.] [Shino Rendu: This asshole... I was a newbie back then too!] He had already gained a lot of good info. Lee Shin Woo took note of all the precious information and opened his mouth again. With a voice that ryed his seriousness and his sense of duty as best he could! [Lee Shin Woo: Since youre saying its a heros duty, Ill clear as many of them as I can and then go up.] Of course, it was a lie. He had already chosen the Jokers karma, so he didnt really need to put in the effort of collecting all 10 of the Heros karma tokens! If he ended up cleaning up a city, it wouldnt be because he was burning with the desire to fulfill his mission as a hero, but because he wanted to collect materials for Bone Reinforcement! [Prince Altania: This guys like Lloyd... If you do that, itll take a long time for you to reach level 5.] [Lloyd H.K.: See, thats what a hero should be like!] [Erian Ruparte: ...Youre cool, Lloyd.] [Seira Von Retadane: Mr. Lee Shin Woo, youre doing well. Since we must allow the undead in the Empire to rest in peace...] [Ethan Cruz: Im pleased that therere more heroes acting like heroes now.] At that moment, Lee Shin Woo felt like time had stopped within the chatting channel. At the very least, when he heard a middle-aged mans voice cut in, one that he heard for the very first time, he felt speechless! However, Lloyd soon responded to him. [Lloyd H.K.: Oh, Senior!] [Yasunori Akira: Its been a long time.] [Prince Altania: Im d youre safe, Senior.] If even the Prince addressed him with an honorific, then his position as a senior in the chatting channel must be unwavering. Lee Shin Woo followed their lead for now, and politely greeted him. [Lee Shin Woo: Im a newbie who got here just a little while ago. Please take care of me, Senior.] [Ethan Cruz: Ooh, its a pleasure. But you have such good manners, so it makes me kind of ufortable. Just speakfortably.] [Lee Shin Woo: Haha... Ill try my best.] [Ethan Cruz: Good. I hope we get to see each other for a long time. Ah, by the way, Lloyd. Is Seira doing alright too?] [Lloyd H.K.: Yes, Senior. Shes alright.] [Seira Von Retadane: ...Please, go ahead.] [Ethan Cruz: I have something Id like you to help me with. The capitals thorn castle walls...] His seniors began talking about ces or geographical features he didnt know about at this time, and Lee Shin Woo thought hed obtained all the information he could for now, so he decided to carefully say his farewells and leave. However, before he could, Ethan Cruz called him. [Ethan Cruz: Work hard, Lee Shin Woo. You might think about a lot of things as you stand up against the Empire, but... all you need to remember is that all the undead are our, humanitys enemies.] [Lee Shin Woo: ...Yes.] None of his seniors refuted his statement that all undead are enemies of humanity. As he thought, the heroes in the chatting channel didnt know about the undead who didnt loathe humanity and had proper reasoning. Or they were acting like they didnt know about them. Chapter 11 part1 [Lee Shin Woo: Then Ill get going now. Ille backter.] [Lloyd H.K.: Alright. Dont die, Lee Shin Woo. Hmm... yeah. Anyway, lets talkter.] [Erian Ruparte: Are you leaving already? Jin Jin will be disappointed.] [Prince Altania: Hey, Im just putting this out there, but dont go overboard with the romance. If your rtionship gets too deep and one of you dies first, the other will go crazy.] [Lee Shin Woo: Romance? Hahaha...] It seems that his senior heroes who, after hearing that hed saved a hero of the opposite sex, thought it was usible given the situation and had misunderstood, but... so long as Ye Jin Jin didnt have an extremely peculiar disposition, he didnt think they had anything to worry about. Indeed, if his seniors were to ascertain his true identity, what would they think? Lee Shin Woo couldnt stopughing at the thought. However, around the time when hed quickly left the chatting channel, Jin called to him with some nice timing. "Shin Woo, were here." "Wow." It had only been a few minutes since he started talking to his seniors, yet he realized that thendscape hadpletely changed in that short time and eximed. It had definitely been nd just a little while ago, but right now, it was the edge of a teau. "The views nice." "You think the views nice? Its terriblepared to my homnds natural environment... To the point that I feel nauseous." Lee Shin Wooughed bitterly at Jins statement. There wasnt anything remaining in the underground empire to call natural anymore, so he wasnt wrong. As an aftereffect of the curse, all the grass, flowers, and trees decayed, so all this empire really had left was rock, dpidated buildings, filth, and undead. But when he looked down from up high in a remote location, he admired the view; it looked quite nice. It felt like the moment Charlie Chaplin won 1st ce again. When one looks at their life, their battles, or even this dirty and crude underground empire from afar, it actually looks quite nice. "Youll have to survive in this Empire as well from now on, so try your best." "Im really jealous of that mentality of yours." They tried to find the traces of where they had just been. They had left it just a little while ago, and as such, they saw the city they had departed from not very far away; strangely, the surrounding area waspletely covered with a ck mist, yet only the city was covered in a faint mist. It seems like it was an effect of them clearing out all of the undead. "Hmm...?" At that moment, Lee Shin Woo discovered something peculiar. He wanted to see whaty beyond the city, but there was a truly huge wall that blocked his vision, so he couldnt check. Seeing the wall that was god knows how high, he gasped. However, when he looked thoroughly, he saw a huge hole at the bottom of the wall. It was a passageway that allowed ess to the city. "That means... thats the external passageway that leads to the surface. Does this mean this is the end of the Empire?" "How do you think they made a wall like that...?" "Its the opposite. They dug through the ground here and created the Empire, so they probably werent the one who made the wall. Though they were probably the ones who strengthened the wall." In a sense, that was even more amazing. They had dug a tremendous depth and width underground to fit the Empire, and fixed it so that the ceiling or the walls wouldnt copse... After listening to Lee Shin Woo, Jin seemed to have realized something and sported a vacant expression. "Its something I couldnt even imagine happening in my home world." "So your world didnt have magic either, huh." "Im more surprised that you came from a world without magic." Lee Shin Woo chuckled at Jins reply and turned around. They couldnt be overwhelmed by the scale of the Empire forever. Rather than figuring out the magic that they used to create the Empire, it was more important to improve his stats right now. "Then... Huh?" He looked around, and pondered where he should start his conquest. However, it was troubling that this vast area was a teau, as there were no undead in sight. Indeed, there was nothing to think deeply about; ultimately, undead were beings which had once been alive and had been reborn, so they would appear in environments which could foster life, not a ce like this where there were only rocks and boulders. "I dont sense any undead here." "You said you wanted to find monsters. I never said anything about them being undead." "Youre right, but... From the start, most of the monsters that can move around in the fields are undead, arent they?" Lee Shin Woo recollected the unwavering thesis regarding the curse that covered the Empire, and spoke. The curse would kill all living organisms and transform them into the undead. It had already been several dozens of years since the curse had emerged, so there shouldnt be any other living organisms within the Empire, aside from the heroes. The only exception would be the living organisms living in an environment cut off from the Empire, the dungeons. Even so, the individuals who bore the curse, entered the dungeons, and died would ultimately be undead. Like the Pauls who were in the secret facilities. "Nope. There are some, you know?" However, Jin stubbornly persisted, and disagreed. Lee Shin Woo sighed, as he didnt know where to begin with this newbie hero, but soon, he was faced with the proof that Jin wasnt wrong. [Sensing mana response from living bodies. Beginning movement.] [Stopping outside entry. Unless directed otherwise, automatically removing trespassers.] [Lv3 Stone Golem] [Lv3 Stone Golem] "Oh..." "See, what did I tell you?" Lee Shin Woo, who saw the neglected rocks and boulders within the teau gradually gather together and form into a huge shape, stared dumbfounded while listening to Jins proud boast, and just nodded his head. They werent alive from the beginning, so theres no way theyd be affected by the curse. However, even so... To think hed sees slimes and then golems so soon after being dropped into the Empire; after all, they were regrs in fantasy. He just needed to meet goblins, elves, and dragons now, and it felt like he wouldnt have any regrets. Though it was probably impossible. He raised his weapon whilst thinking of something so idiotic. He wasnt wielding Bone of Thunder Lasting, which had established itself as his main weapon; instead, he wielded the Melting Bone Double Axe, as he felt a weighty axe would be more effective against huge and crude enemies like golems. [Removing trespassers.] [Beginning attack in order to figure out the enemies magic patterns.] The huge golems, which seemed to be about 3 meters tall, spoke politely and then dashed towards them, stamping on the ground while doing so. They gave off a truly bizarre pressure, but Lee Shin Woo didnt fall back. He tightly gripped the axe that was almost as tall as he was, exerted his strength, and his (nonexistent) eyes gleamed. "Grasping my magic pattern, huh... Im doing the same." Seeing them run was enough for Lee Shin Woo to tell that their agility was low for level 3s. But they were definitely a lot higher than him in terms of strength and health. However... "Shall we?" "I heard you just say that youre definitely weaker than them just now." "Lets take down the leftmost one first, so that we dont get surrounded. Charge!" "Ah, seriously!" Even whileining, Jin followed hismand and rushed towards the leftmost charging golem. Jin sprinted at such a speed that the golem couldnt even react! Lee Shin Woo desperately focused so that he wouldnt be treated like a package again. He instinctually activated his Combat Sprint and focused all his attention in front. They quickly passed by the surroundingndscape, and in that elerated time, the golems moved extremely slowly... Then the golem they had chosen as their target soon appeared! I already knew, but hes really fast! Plus, hes so precise that it makes me feel goosebumps...! Indeed, Jins ability was astounding. He applied his agility, which was iparable to that of the Stone Golems, and had superb control, getting them close to the golem without ever touching it. Though theirmunication was still poor, if they took into consideration the fact that Jin hadnt received any special training as a horse, his skill was amazing. [Tress...pass...!] Was it because he wasmunicating with the highly agile Jin? It wasnt enough that his dynamic visual acuity had been enhanced, but he was also starting to hear things at a slower pace as well. It was funny, as the golems sounded like they were bugged, as they kept cutting off. The end came quickly. One breath was divided into ten, and he then divided them into another ten; when he counted six of those, he found his timing! He wasnt as surprised at Jins shocking speed so much as he was able to match and respond to it. Now! Power sh! The moment Lee Shin Woo passed by the left golem, he narrowly matched the timing and struck with his axe. As quick and powerful as lightning! While only muttering those words! Though it was the first time hed wielded the axe, the supetive martial arts technique, Bursting Thunder was amazing, and though the strike wasnt sharp, it allowed him to pack the weight of the axe within the strike. [Critical Hit!] The moment his axe struck the golems nk, the slowed down passage of time instantaneously returned to normal. An absurd roar spread throughout the teau. The oue was truly brutal. The golem wasnt able to bear the force of his attack and crumbled right on the spot. After breaking the golem into pieces, Lee Shin Woo and Jin couldnt be at ease, as they were struck by a rebound force that shook their entire bodies; it was to the point that it was momentary difficult for them to stand. [You have hunted a Lv3 Stone Golem.] "Oh." Lee Shin Woo hadnt expected this development, and spoke perplexedly. He thought it wouldve taken at least two or three hits to beat it, but a one touch kill? Moreover, he had moved so fast and had taken care of the enemy so quickly that the other golem hadnt figured out his location yet. "You... youre so overpowered." "From my point of view, youre the overpowered one." The two heroes looked at each other in amazement. They realized that they made up for what the othercked, but this was still too ridiculous. Of course, Jins role in helping Lee Shin Woo take down the Stone Golem, which was rumored to have an especially high defense, was huge. It was obvious logic that the faster they moved, the more powerful the attack would be, and Jins speed had changed a normal attack into a killing blow. Though, it required him to adapt to that speed and be able to control it during the moment before striking to optimally use it. If Jins part was 60%, then 30% of it was the weapon. The Melting Bone Double Axe was a suitable intermediate weapon to fundamentally gather all his strength into one point and burst it out all at once, and its level was also higher than the Stone Golem, being a level 4 weapon. Furthermore, since the weapon had an option that increased his strength by 25, it was the most suitable weapon for destructive power. Besides, it had an option for acid. Even if he didnt finish his enemy off in one hit, the Acid Poison thates after would pour out into the area and melt them. The remaining 10% was obviously Bursting Thunder, which allowed him to use the two elements properly andnd a hit on his enemy. Just by learning the skill, the practitioner is able to properly wield a weapon theyve never held before, keep their center of gravity whilst gripping the weapon, and deduce the enemys weaknesses; if he didnt have this skill, regardless of how amazing the individual elements were, he wouldnt have been able to finish off the Stone Golem in one hit. [Confirming the destruction of 1 Autonomous Puppet.] [Adjusting the assessment of enemys strength upwards.] [Impossible to respond to enemys speed. Initiating long range bombardment mode.] While Lee Shin Woo briefly spaced out due to the much too unexpected result, the golems recognized the severity of the situation and began to move differently. Lee Shin Woo felt slightly anxious when he heard about their long range bombardment mode, but Jin looked confident as ever. "Those are slow too. Dont worry." "Right, you said you came here before." If thats the case, then he had the time to collect the loot. Lee Shin Woo bent his body and collected the loot from the floor. He was really looking forward to the appearance of a pet that collects the loot for you that always appears in games, but it would never happen. [You have acquired 3,700 Perium.] [You have acquired an Autonomous Defensive Type Core. The core is changing. You have acquired an Autonomous Defensive Type Bone Core.] "A core, huh..." "Is this another material for Bone Reinforcement by any chance?" "Of course it is. Plus, I dont even need to burn them one by one, so its better than the slimes." "Burn? Slimes?" He had felt slightly anxious when hed stood atop the teau and seen the golems, but after picking up a core, he thought differently. He didnt have time to waste when his growth was right before him! [Firing...] "Heup!" Lee Shin Woo counted the number of golems that had revealed themselves in the entire area, and the moment he raised his axe for the second time, Jin, who he hadmunicated with, kicked off the floor without even needing a signal. Before the golems could even fire their prepared bombardment, Lee Shin Woo and Jin had already closed the distance. Then, Lee Shin Woo swung his axe with all his strength. [Critical Hit!] Chapter 11 part2 The way the golems went about with their bombardment made him think back to the Ratmanunching its nails. By human standards, they were forcefully discharging the rocks attached to their arms and using the surrounding rocks to replenish their losses. "Seems like if you take a wrong step here, itll be the end for you." Lee Shin Woo muttered, as he dodged the raining rock shells and drove his axe into a golems body. If he hade here by himself, he wouldnt die, but he wouldve had to put in a lot of effort to clear out all of them. But that end had now be an impossible proposition. Compared to Jins level, no, evenpared to his own level, whilst riding on Jins back the golems bombardment was incredibly slow. Even if they shot the rocks point nk, they would be able to dodge them quite easily. "So it seems like if theres arge difference between agility, then ranged attacks almost bepletely ineffectual..." [Ceasing... operation...] While he was fighting against the golems, he suddenly realized how important agility was. The Acid Ghoul was able to intercept his shot without much difficulty because of its agility as well. So long as it doesnt swerve along the way, and one can read the trajectory of the shot, one could avoid it without much difficulty; when he considered that the one dodging the projectile had more of an advantage than the one doing the shooting, if one wanted to kill someone with a long range attack, then he concluded that they would have to be much faster than their opponent. Fast enough that they cant read the trajectory of the shot, and fast enough that they cant grasp the timing of the shot. "If we were to say something like this on our home worlds, we wouldve been subject to ridicule." "Is that something you should be saying? Im the one dodging all of the shellsing from everywhere!" The first condition for surviving in this world was to ept that they had be a member of this world, and their preexistingmon sense was invalid and couldnt be applied to this world. Based on that criteria, the two of them had passed those conditions with flying colors. "Ah, there arent any more." Had they crushed all of the golems? Once hed taken care of the golems that had first responded to him and looked up, there werent any more rocks in the entire area. Once broken, they were neither golems nor boulders anymore, and it seemed only natural that only the considerablyrge boulders were golems. "What should we do now? Should we go across from there?" "The region that these guys are in charge of seems to be strictly divided." If Lee Shin Woo walked for around a minute, he could reach an area with normal rock formations. But if he stepped one foot in, those rocks would immediately emerge as golems. Even now, that area wasnt very far off. It certainly felt strange, the golems seemingly being measured and divided, as only the golems of a fixed area had responded to them. It felt like someone had decided that you guys are in charge from here up to here. "For starters, are these guys really formed naturally?" "Thats what we have to figure out now." Even with the shells flying towards him unceasingly, he could still fight, but the same couldnt be said about the loot; he had to leave them behind. He lead Jin around the whole area, and collected the sprawled cores and Perium off the floor. [You have acquired 3,200 Perium.] [You have acquired a Autonomous Defensive Type Bone Core.] "Though theyre level 3, they dont leave much Perium behind unless theyre elites." "Where do you even use that?" "Well, Ipletely understand where youreing from since youve never gone to the secret shop before." Hed acquired 3,000 Perium from the golem, but it was only a third of what hed gotten from the simrly leveled elite Great Slime. Of course, it was difficult to find even one Great Slime, but the Stone Golems wereparatively easy to find, as they were spread across the teau area, so they made up for their quality with quantity. After hed raked in all of the Perium from the entire area, he checked how much total Perium hed collected. [Total Perium - 445,870] "Hoo." Was this what it feels like to be amazed at how much has changed in such a short period of time? It felt like just a few days ago he had unhesitatingly told Pleine his story in exchange for a 20,000 Perium discount, but now, he had already amassed 445,870 Perium. Of course, there were a few special circumstances that helped in that. "Shin Woo, theres something over here." "Ah." [Lv2 Stone Gloves] It looked like it was armor. The gloves looked like they were made of stupidly tough rock, and he wondered whether this would actually be effective in fending off his opponents attacks; but on the contrary, he had his suspicions that these would actually cause more harm to his hands. At the very least, Lee Shin Woo didnt really want to equip them. [You have acquired Lv2 Stone Gloves. Through Bone Reinforcement, the item is changing. Yourpatibility with the item is high, causing a special change.] However, the moment Lee Shin Woo touched the gloves, something strange happened. It was a message he had never seen before, and whats worse, it was a message he hadnt even seen when his Melting Bone Double Axe had risen in level! [You have acquired Lv3 Fossil Gloves (+5).] "..." But when he saw the oue of that change, his (nonexistent) eyes naturally narrowed. Rocks and bone hade together, and had be a fossil; he wanted to tackle the Bone Reinforcement ability itself. "But fossils arent technically bones..." "Why do you need scientific knowledge all of a sudden?" "Nah, its fine. Its good for me, anyway." Even if teeth or nails were regarded as bones, he just decided to let it go. Lee Shin Woo decided not to nitpick on each and every aspect of his ability. In any case, not only had his item leveled up, it had also been reinforced to +5, so he was satisfied. ...Though he still didnt have any intention of equipping them. "Good, then theres only one other option." "Youre doing it again?" Lee Shin Woo didnt answer Jins question, and quietly raised the Fossil Gloves (+5). In his other hand, he held not his axe, but his sword, the Bone of Thunder Lasting (+8). It wasnt an item he would equip, so he didnt consider it to be a stupid gamble. While trying his very best to ignore the other option of using the equipment to reinforce his own bones...! Something happened the moment Lee Shin Woo was about to use his Bone Reinforcement. One of the bone cores he still hadnt stored into his inventory seemed to shine brightly, and a message appeared in front of him. [If you consume a bone core and then attempt reinforcement, the sess rate increases. If you use the bone core as a material for an equipments reinforcement, it will increase even further. It is possible to use several at once in the reinforcement.] "Huh...!?" When he thought about it, he remembered reading that normally monsters cores are used to produce weapons, or manufacture medicine. However, it turned out that the core itself had the power to reinforce equipment. Perhaps the equipment reinforcement permit also functioned by using the power of a core? Just a little while ago, he felt like he had wanted to try it out, but now that hed read that message, he trusted that the sess rate would increase significantly by using the cores, though he had no basis for that. Lee Shin Woo put aside the Fossil Gloves for now, grabbed a bone core in one hand, and used Bone Reinforcement! [Bone Reinforcement has seeded.] [Bone of Thunder Lasting +9] [Lv3] [Durability: 1,120/1,120] [Attack Power: 300 - 400] [Options: Strength +21, Agility +21, Power of Bursting Thunder skill +19%] "Oh, Ooooh...!" It had really seeded with just one try! Lee Shin Woo was moved and embraced his weapon. However, Jin spoke calmly by his side. "Shin Woo, on the ground." "Huh? ...No..." It was at that time that Lee Shin Woo finally realized that every single one of the bone cores hed gathered in one ce had disappeared. There were a few inside his inventory that were still safe, but the rest disappeared. There were more than ten of them there, and the moment he used his reinforcement, they had resonated without his consent! "..." He gained new knowledge again. If he used bone cores to reinforce his equipment, the cores would resonate as they pleased! It had increased...! Fortunately, the price came cheap. It was such a relief that he hadnt attempted to reinforce his equipment while he had 100 bone coresid out! Especially since, if he hadnt gathered the bone cores and attempted the reinforcement, he didnt know how long hed be stuck without being able to seed. So this was fine. It was fine. "Shin Woo, are you crying?" "Im not crying." He replied bitterly, removed the final remaining level 3 equipment reinforcement permit from his inventory, and raised it. Even if he inspected his Bone of Thunder Lasting one more time, it was still at +9. He grit his teeth and used the reinforcement permit. Then, radiant light spewed out of the weapon and a tremendous amount of mana surged. This dense mana seemed to be able to change the very material of the weapon, and heated up the air. [The Lv3 Bone of Thunder Lasting has evolved into the Lv4 Lightning Tooth!] [Lightning Tooth] [Lv4] [Durability: 1,500/1,500] [Attack Power : 450 - 480] [Element: Lightning Lv4] [Options: Strength +25, Agility +25, Power of Bursting Thunder +20%] "This is..." Seeing hispletely transformed weapon, Lee Shin Woo interjected. It was apletely different weapon from the level 4 weapon, Thunder Lasting, that hed acquired from the zombie turned hero. Bying into his possession, it had deteriorated into bone in the past, but at least, the current Lightning Tooth didnt seem inferior to the Thunder Lasting; there was no mistake that it was actually much stronger than Thunder Lasting. Thats because two tremendous powers had collided, ultimately harmonizing, and the oue was its evolution. "Wow, even if youpare it to the axe, the energying off that things no joke." "You have considerable talent in mana as well, huh. Youre right. Theyre both level 4, but this weapons exceptional and is iparable to the axe. Its not an exaggeration to say that this bone contains Gods power." "At any rate, its a bone, huh..." The de consisted of a bone gleaming in blue light, and was longer, and sharper than before; the fact that there was a slight power of lightning within had surfaced, and began to spark. He was excited thinking about what would happen if he held this weapon and used an intermediate level of Bursting Thunder. Thus, Lee Shin Woo was spurred on to train his Bursting Thunder even more diligently than before. Acid and lightning. mes... Then, this makes me want to use the other elements a bit. If he only had one element out of three, that would be plenty to represent him as a hero, yet he was still greedy for more even though he had three. He still hadnt realized at this point that he possessed abilities that would more than shock his senior heroes. - Gugugugugu However, when Lee Shin Woo was fascinated with the power of his weapon, the once silent teau area suddenly vibrated. Whats worse, the vibrations gradually became worse! Did the golems wake up? If thats not it, was it a natural earthquake? Both of those were wrong. The golems were still quietly staying in their ces, and it obviously wasnt an earthquake. Then, what was it? [Goooooooooooh!] "Mm, as I thought." Lee Shin Woo heard the faint cry from afar, nodded his head, and spoke, as if he had expertly anticipated it. Around now, it started to feel like a traditional event. He quickly put the Fossil Gloves and his sword into his inventory, and cleanly used up the two remaining bone cores to reinforce his bones. His health increased by 1, so now he only needed 1 more stat point before he leveled up. "What the hell is this? Its like theres a huge monster on the move, but I cant tell if its actuallying!" "Calm down, Jin. Since I already know what it is." "You cant even see it yet, so how do you know?" "I just know." Around the time Lee Shin Woo calmly answered Jin, who was even more flustered than when he had fought the Acid Ghoul, the enemy revealed itself beyond the horizon. It was rushing towards them, yet the golems didnt stand up and attack it. It seems like it wasnt considered a trespasser. "What kind of monster could it be!? Dont we need to run away!?" "Theres no way topletely get away from it once its picked its target. ...Though its level may be different, I have experience fighting them, so wait for now." Of course, he didnt really have any memories of fighting it from the front. This time too, he didnt n on fighting it face-to-face. There were a multitude of ways to kill an enemy besides slicing off their head. Around that time, Jin was able to confirm the identity of their enemy with his own two eyes, and spoke in vivid horror. "Lv5...!? Can we win!?" "...Even if we cant, we have to fight. Thats what the Empires all about." "Thats..." Lee Shin Wooforted the confused Jin and checked his opponent. It had less than a couple hundred meters to go, and the appearance of a monster filled his eyes, one which he was familiar with to the point that it felt slightly tedious. [Lv5 Treasure Eater] Steve, who he hadnt seen in a long time, was here. Chapter 11 part3 The level 5 Treasure Eater roamed the underground in search for higher leveled treasures. However, by leveling up, the Treasure Eaters eyesight had drastically improved, and there werent many items that it recognized as treasures. Thunder Lasting, which had dropped to level 3, had returned to level 4 and had actually be more powerful, transforming into the Lightning Tooth, thereby bing enticing enough prey to draw the Treasure Eater. [Lv5 Treasure Eater] In the end, it wasnt a level 4 Treasure Eater that had arrived, but a level 5 one! He knew thered be a day that hed meet one again, but he didnt think hed have to fight against one that was two levels higher than him... Despite feeling slightly concerned, Lee Shin Woo greeted the Treasure Eater with unmistakable excitement and joy. "Hey, Steve...?" [Guwoooooooooooh!] [The Treasure Eater uses Shriek of the Dead. Those exposed to this shriek momentarily fall into a frenzied and fearful state.] [Invisible Heart nullifies the effects of Shriek of the Dead.] However, the Treasure Eater responded to his lively greeting with Shriek of the Dead. What shitty manners, he thought, while Jin spoke from beside him whilst persistently gritting his teeth. "You learned that yelling skill from the same species as that weird bug, right? "Yep. Howre you holding up?" "Somehow..." Lee Shin Woo naturally wasnt affected by the scream, and Jin wasnt either. It wasnt because they were undead, or because Jin was a horse, but because of his Horseback Riding skill; it was because they were connected, albeit superficially. In other words, the status ailment that Jin shouldve received was shared with Lee Shin Woo, and in the process, Invisible Heart hadpletely taken care of it. [Gooooooooooh!] Since its shriek was ineffective, the Treasure Eater seemed pissed and charged. The golems that were spread across the hignds rolled to either side, making a path for the Treasure Eater so that they wouldnt get in the way. It was as if they were saying Its not our problem. Take care of it amongst yourselves, whether you have to fight or kill each other.! Jin spoke slightly urgently towards Lee Shin Woo, who was nodding, feeling as though the golems IQ was higher than he had thought. "How the hell are you going to fight against that idiot?" "Hmm... Ill think about it after getting some more info." The level 2 Treasure Eater didnt have any special abilities aside from Shriek of the Dead or Roar of Healing. However, the level 3 Treasure Eater possessed an outrageous ability, the mes of Resentment, instead of the Roar of Healing (it mightve had it, but at the very least, he didnt see it use it against him). So he didnt have any ways of knowing right now of what abilities, besides Shriek of the Dead, the level 5 Treasure Eater possessed. It may have all of those abilities, or it may have something even more outrageous. Since this Treasure Eater was his first encounter with a level 5 monster, and it was also an elite, he couldnt know for sure. "Could you maintain this distance for me? Can you do it?" "Yeah, thats not a problem." Treasure Eaters tended to have high magic and health. In other words,pared to its size, its speed and strength arent very impressive. Of course, it was level 5, so its stats should be amplified ordingly, but to Jin, who had overwhelming speed even at level 4, there was no way it would be able to catch them. Even while Lee Shin Woo rode on his back, that fact didnt really change. Jin strode across the rugged hignds as if it were nds and leisurely widened the distance between them and the Treasure Eater! [Guooooooooooh!] "Yes, yes. Im over here. Catapult!" [Kuhaaaaaahk!] For starters, he needed to figure out whether his Catapult would be effective against it or not. Lee Shin Woo moved as quickly as possible and shot his index finger, but the Treasure Eater instantly emitted a horrific shriek and the flying shot exploded in midair. He had expected it to evade it or block it, but he didnt think a method like that would exist! Seeing that, Jin spoke in disgust even whilst running. "Dont learn that skill. If you dont want to burst my eardrums." "You dont have any eardrums to burst... Never mind, sorry. My bad. Please dont drop me." Lee Shin Woo desperately regained his bnce atop the excessively shaking Jin and pointed both hands at the Treasure Eater this time. Of course, this attempt didnte from acent idea like one didnt work, so lets fire several simultaneously, and hopefully, one will eventually hit the mark. "Firing!" All 10 of his fingers, from his thumbs to his little fingers, were coated in mes and fired. However, they lost their power midflight, as if he had shot them improperly, and fell to the ground! Steve trampled those bones as if it were mocking him, and attempted to keep charging but... "Self-Destruct!" [Kuwoooooohk!] [Critical Hit!] At that instant, Lee Shin Woo yelled vigorously, and all of the 10 bone pieces exploded, hitting its abdominal area hard, causing it to roll onto the floor while spurting blood! Though he was on the cusp of bing level 4, a level 5 elite monster had been sessfully struck by a level 3 heros blow! "Hoo, it worked..." "You shouldve told me ahead of time." Lee Shin Woo, who had already fought Treasure Eaters a few times before, knew that the skin covering its head and its back were tough, and knew that only its stomach area was weak. He had shot his first Catapult in order to ascertain its abilities. He acted as though he didnt have a suitable way to deal with it, lulled it into a false sense of security, and then, sprung the trap at the most opportune time; werent these the basics for a Duelist? Though he wasnt a Duelist! "Then... its time. Jin, run!" "Run!? You said we couldnt run back then!?" "Temporarily! We need to run in order to get thest piece in ce!" Jin, who was surprised that Lee Shin Woo suddenly told him to run when itd finally seemed like theyd have a shot at beating it, asked back, but Lee Shin Woo didnt exin at length. Though they had an opening where they could get a huge hit in, a difference of 2 levels was huge. A simr attack likely wouldnt be effective twice, and if thats the case, they would lose if they kept going at it like this, as the Treasure Eater was unfathomably tough. What could they do then? The answer was the cheat skill he had; he needed to activate his Avenger skill. Him attacking the Treasure Eater was to satisfy the activation conditions of his skill. Whether he inflicted damage on it, or he took damage, they both count as being in battle! "Tch...I got it!" He knew that Lee Shin Woos decision making inbat situations was much more urate than his own, so Jin turned his body around and dashed away. Jin was running at his max speed, and Lee Shin Woo barely endured so that he wouldnt fall off! As a result, they arrived within the nds hed remembered seeing before in less than two minutes. The message Lee Shin Woo had been waiting for also appeared at an opportune time. [You have acquired a target for the Beginner Avenger skill. When you meet the target again, all abilities increase by 36%.] "Nice, now I should be overflowing with strength...!" The Avenger skill was key in allowing him to fight enemies that were a higher level than him. He felt anxious because the target this time around was a monster two levels higher, but he had Jin right now. If he supported him with his high agility, he may even be able to defeat the Treasure Eater more easily than the King Slime. However, at that moment, Jin spoke thoughtlessly. "Is that also a skill it normally has?" "Huh? ...What the hell?" Upon hearing him speak, Lee Shin Woo turned his head and his (nonexistent) eyes widened. From afar, the Treasure Eater was chasing after them with frightening vigor, and dozens of ckish whips poured out of its body and were violently flying towards them. No, they werent whips. It was blood! It was controlling whips that originated from its blood! "Hold on tight!" "Ugh!?" The whips were ridiculously fastpared to its main body. Immediately after seeing them move, Jin began to quickly gallop away but they would soon reach them any minute now. [You have found the target of your revenge. When you fight it, all abilities increase by 36%. mes of Revenge receive an additional 36% increase.] "Nice... Take this!" Lee Shin Woo clicked his tongue and shot out his mes of Revenge, which were amplified by his Avenger skill; though the whips, originating from its blood, met with the mes, they didnt evaporate easily. Especially because several more whips were crazily flying towards them! "Jin, run! Run for now!" "Damn it. If it werent for those weird tentacles, we couldvepletely slipped away...!" [Guwooooooh!] Was it considerably angry that it had been harmed by Lee Shin Woo, who was a lower level than it? The Treasure Eater, which had recovered from the pain and stood upright, divided the blood spilling from its stomach into dozens of whips and controlled them, simultaneously moving its main body and charging. Lee Shin Woo grit his teeth. There were way too many of them to take down one by one with his mes! Yet, using Acid Poison would consume too much mana, and its characteristic of fundamentally focusing all of the poison at one point wouldnt be suitable at this very moment. "Shin Woo!" "Guh!" Lee Shin Woo couldnt perceive the pattern of its attacks, and one of the whipstched onto Lee Shin Woos arm the moment he panicked, stubbornly coiling and tightening around it. He was then afflicted with a horrific pain. It was as if the whip contained the level 5 Treasure Eaters physical strength, and just from its exterior, seemed to possess an unimaginable toughness. The whips were overwhelmingly faster than its main body, and it had fully transferred its physical strength into them; this was the first time hed experienced such a cheap ability! "Tch... Catapult!" "You!?" Lee Shin Woo had a hunch that even if he tried to resist, he would just end up getting dragged by the whip, so instead, he gave in and shot off his grabbed arm! For just a moment, it felt like the tremendous pain wouldve dragged his consciousness under, but Lee Shin Woo resisted with only his tenacious spirit. [Kueeehk!] Even Steve, who possessed that bizzare ability, hadnt expected that Lee Shin Woo would get out like this! Hisunched arm, as well as the whip flew dizzily through the air, and the whips flying towards them ended up bing tangled in one spot. Lee Shin Woo didnt miss that golden opportunity. He treated those whips as travellingpanions and unhesitatingly blew up his bone arm! As if it were proving that it had blown off the Acid Ghouls head entirely on the spot, it exploded magnificently. Itpletely burned down the blood whips in the entire area. [Kyaaaaaaaahk!] "Does it hurt? It really hurts for me too! Anyway, youre always using such crazy attacks...!" The moment the whips were swallowed up by the explosion and dissipated, the Treasure Eater also seemed to take quite a bit of damage, as it momentarily paused in its pursuit and agonizingly yelled. It was a great advantage to learn that damage to its blood whips would cause its main body harm. "Are you alright!?" "Ill be fine if I apply the bone powder. Just keep an eye out for those whips and move carefully." Jin was astonished at Lee Shin Woo sacrificing his arm without any hesitation, but Lee Shin Woo didnt think much of it, and used the bone powder from within his inventory, activating Bone Reinforcement around his shoulder area. Though he used a sizeable lump of bone powder, he was able to regenerate without even using a drop of mana. "Youre really..." "Jin, its moving again!" "Ugh." It wasnt possible for it to attack with its main body anymore. The Treasure Eater simultaneously stretched out dozens of new whips and left half of them close to its body, while the other half shoot out and attacked them. Even so, it was a relief that hed spread his mes of Revenge on its main body when hed burst its stomach. Ive lost my arm once already, yet its only spilled blood once. Moreover, the number of whips popping out are almost endless. So this is a level 5 elite monster, huh... If he could, he wouldve ran until the mes of Revenge imed its life, but no matter how calmly he thought about it, he couldnt afford to keep running away from it until then. Then... Lee Shin Woo thought he had no other choice... in the end, he gritted his teeth and raised his head. It was time to battle it face-to-face. Chapter 12 part1 Lee Shin Woos spirit changed, and Jin, who he wasmunicating with, was the first to react to it. "Youre going to face it head on? Youve been attacking using Catapult all this time; cant you just keep doing that!?" "No matter how much stronger Ive gotten from the Avenger skill, theres no guarantee Ill be able to prate its skin. Its even more impossible due to the blood whips that ensued from the direct hit to the stomach." The blood whips were quick, powerful, and contained deep magic within, so they were even strong against magic attacks, but against Self-Destruct, which was both powerful and explosive, they seemed to have futilely disappeared, so he could determine that they had low durability. If there was one thing he trusted in, it was this: that he could take it down right now, while his abilities were strengthened by the Avenger skill! "Theres no other way. Ill make sure you can get away before you die, so go!" Lee Shin Woo firmly resolved himself, pulled out his sword, and gripped it. A sword would be more suitable to deal with those whips that nimbly flew towards them than a heavy axe. He wasnt yet confident in his martial arts proficiency, but he had no choice right now. "Everything doesnt work out if Im the only one who survives, though... Ah, whatever!" In the end, Jin gave up and instantly changed directions, dashing towards the Treasure Eater. As if it were awaiting them, it sharpened its blood whips akin to skewers, and the whips flew everywhere! Compared tost time, they were much weaker, but in exchange, there were at least twice the amount pressuring him from all sides. With Jins astonishingly quick reactions, they were able to avoid around half of them, but Lee Shin Woo had to deal with the rest. If I fail, I just have to get Jin to run away, and die alone. From there, through Invisible Heart, Ill be level 4, and can then kill it. ...However, if its at all possible, Id rather not die...! Lee Shin Woo red and gritted his teeth. Then, he activated Combat Sprint, and drew at his connection with Jin. He desperately needed Jins speed right now. If he could apply even just a little bit of that speed...! [Guwooooooooooh!] No matter how superb Combat Sprint is or how much hemunes with the highly agile Jin, it was impossible for him to ascertain the trajectory of each and every one of the attacks a level 5 elite monsterunched. Because of that, Lee Shin Woo decided to think in reverse. He didnt track the attacks starting point, nor its trajectory. Instead, he grasped its final destination and would block it from there! First, Ill take care of the ones closest to me in order... Now! His decision was truly outstanding. His senses, which he sharpened as much he could, caught the whip flying towards his head; at the same time, he instinctually thrust his sword, sessfully cutting through the middle of the whip! The severed whip returned to being a normal stream of blood, and futilely moistened the ground. [Kyaaaahk!] The Treasure Eater yelled, but that was just the beginning. Immediately after severing one whip, his sword turned directions, as if it were alive, and cut through another whip! And faster, even faster than before! I can do it... I can! Now! He perfectly detected everything within the narrow radius, with him at its center, and struck down anything that trespassed within. Lee Shin Woo wasnt well aware of it yet, but this was often called the Defense Zone by the Empires knights. It was a skill that could only be developed by bncing ones physical senses and mana senses; it wasnt a standard skill, but it was certainly something a defender must learn. The level of a knight will differ based on the width of this Defense Zone, so it wasnt necessary to say just how important it was. [The Low Rank Combat Sprint skill has be Lv9. Agility has increased by 3.] [The Low Rank Bursting Thunder skill has be Lv8. Strength, and magic increase by 1.] [The Low Rank Horseback Riding skill has be Lv5. Agility has increased by 3.] [The Low Rank Mana Bone skill has be Lv7. Magic has increased by 5.] [It is possible to level up to level 4. Would you like to receive the karma that has been prepared for you alone? It is also possible to very briefly put it off.] While in the middle of that his skills rose, and he acquired stats, allowing for the level up he had so ardently wished for. However, it was truly ironic that he didnt read the messages as he was so focused on cutting down the whips and advancing closer to the Treasure Eater. [You have deferred receiving the karma you must receive in favor of your immediate revenge. That is a true Avengers instinct. The Beginner Avenger skill has be Lv10, evolving into the low rank level. All stats have increased by 2. When you fight against the target of your revenge, all abilities increase by 40%, and when you seed in your vengeance, your stats increase.] Good... My detection range is gradually widening! His Avenger skill grew, and the increased abilities sharpened his senses and quickened his attacks! He didnt let go of this momentum, drew all his strength, and moved his body. [Kuwaaaaaaaaaaaahk!] The blood whips, which seemed like they would immediately pierce through his head, were cut apart like straws, spreading blood everywhere. His physical senses, his mana senses, as well as Jins connection harmonized together, causing him to fall into a trance. Even Jin, who had a connection with him, had fallen into a trance as well! Huh!? How long had he been instinctually swinging his sword around and running around with Jin? There were no longer any whips that stretched out from the Treasure Eater. By the time he noticed, he had already arrived right in front of the Treasure Eater. He had sessfully severed all those whips! Though there were holes pierced through his armor in various areas, he had survived. "Now, lets start the second round Ste..." [Kureureuaaaaaaaaaaaaah!] However, the moment Lee Shin Woo was going to make a bold deration, Steve roared and spat out a clot of blood, one sorge that it looked like it could trap both Lee Shin Woo and Jin. It had seen how easily Lee Shin Woo had taken care of the whips, and purposefully acted as if it were panicking, drawing him into a close distance! "Ugh!" "Heut...!" At that timing, many things happened; firstly, Lee Shin Woo aimed at the Treasure Eaters gaping maw, due to it spitting out a blood clot, andunched his arm inside. [The Low Rank Catapult skill has be Lv5. Agility has increased by 2.] The moment heunched his arm, the force pushed both Jin and Lee Shin Woo back; Jin actively utilized the ensuing recoil force and moved his body backwards. It was a perfect evasive maneuver. However, it seemed as though the Treasure Eater had expected them to run away, as the spat out blood clot followed them with an absurdly quick speed! It swelled brutally, as if it were part of the main body! "Heup...!" He needed to use all the methods avable to him now. He gritted his teeth, stretched his remaining arm forward, and activated his Acid Poison Spray skill. Like the Acid Ghoul had, he focused his mana and spewed the Acid Poison in a straight line! It was his sole skill that had reached the intermediate level, and befitting of a high rank skill, the Acid Poison spewed out like aser; it struck the blood clot, emitted a hair-raising noise, and melted the blood clot away! "Self-Destruct!" [Kuaaaaaaaaaaahk!] From there, he self-destructed the catapulted arm, burrowed at the roof of Steves mouth! He was able to properly damage the gaping Treasure Eater, following its discharge of the clot of blood! [Critical Hit!] [The Low Rank Self-Destruct skill has be Lv4. Strength and Magic have increased by 1. The force of the explosion increases.] Though their reactions were perfect, their situation wasnt. After acquiring the Mana Bone skill, he had never beencking in mana; but because he had repeatedly used his skills and also used the Acid Poison Spray, which consumed arge quantity of mana, as well as arge-scale Self-Destruct, he was out of mana. "...With this, is it over?" "No." Jin muttered, and Lee Shin Woo briefly denied him. Immediately after, beyond the poison mist formed by the Acid Poison Spray, dozens of very slender blood whips rushed towards them. At a remarkably faster speed than before! Jin briefly faltered in fear at its increased brutality, and realizing this, Lee Shin Woo quickly disembarked from his back. "Get back. You only have two lives." "...No wait, you cant win if youre not with me!" "Thats..." Because they were connected, he knew it as well. The reason Lee Shin Woo was able to react to its whips was because of Jin! "Hey, theyreing!" "Eek!" Lee Shin Woo attempted to urgently push him away, but before he could do so, Jin bit his arm and skillfully pulled him onto his back. Immediately after, the blood whips flew towards them! Lee Shin Woo realized that there was no time for an argument between the two and he hastily swung his sword. "Ugh...!" "Theyreing again! I can take care of the front, so you go left!" Their timing was a bit off, so his left shoulder was shattered, but he severed the whip before any further damage could ur. Of course, he didnt have any time to rx! He had to swing his sword even faster to cover both him and Jin! [Kuaoooooooooh!] "Ugh...!" The connection between the two broke, and they felt their loosened senses fiercely tighten around them again, afflicting them with terrible migraines, but it was nothingpared to the pain of losing an arm. He had to swing his sword more quickly, and more precisely in order to better cover Jin, who had trusted in him and was risking his life for him! [The Low Rank Horseback Riding skill has be Lv6. Agility has increased by 2. Your connection with your ridingpanion increases.] The moment their wills were in agreement, a connection stronger than before was formed, matching their senses. Lee Shin Woos reflexes had surpassed his limits! Even faster... One, two, three... six, nine. Eleven. Fifteen. Twenty one! His armor was pierced faster than before, but Lee Shin Woos sword strikes were gradually catching up to the whips speed. He waspletely out of mana, but because he was, his mana senses became even clearer. He had be extremely sensitive to the surrounding mana, and before the Treasure Eaters whips moved, he perceived the movement of the mana within the whips, and was able to move his sword beforehand! [The Low Rank Combat Sprint skill has be Lv10 and is evolving. You have acquired a horse that will run for you and have given up on you yourself running fast. Instead, you have only trained the techniques which expand your own senses, and have exceptionally evolved them. You have acquired the passive skill, Intermediate Combat Sense Lv1. Within a limited time and space, you can effectively move and face your enemy.] He had no way of knowing how the skill had changed right at this very moment. But he did realize that he had passed over a wall, and advanced to the next level. Even if his agility, strength, health, or magic werecking, it was fine. Perceiving stimuli, moving beforehand, and blockingpleted the Defense Zone! [Kuwaaaaaaaaahk!] The Treasure Eater emitted a final roar, but nothing happened. So long as its technique of controlling blood was a skill, it used mana. Because it had excessively utilized its skill, its mana was empty. The blood whips began to lose their strength and fell to the ground, and the Treasure Eaters wound filled body was revealed. Its injury from thest Self-Destruct was especiallyrge. It had lost half of its head, from the bottom up. Its skin had peeled and the ominous rotten flesh underneath was exposed. [Kuu... Kuhaahk...!] If it wasnt for the fact that he was a skeleton, his remaining arm, which he had swung much too fast, probably wouldve gone numb, and it wouldve been difficult to swing. However, he was fine now. He was confident that he could swing his sword for twelve more hours. Though he didnt really want to feel thankful for many reasons, he still felt thankful that he was a skeleton right now. "Hoo..." He exerted more strength into the hand gripping his sword. His will was ryed to Jin, and Jin stepped forward. The Treasure Eater, which had lost all of its methods of attacking, mustered its remaining strength and charged, but there was no way Jin wouldnt be able to dodge it, when he had even dodged its whips. The two were strongly connected, and the instant they dodged and passed by it, Lee Shin Woo forcefully cut through its injured area and inflicted an evenrger injury. "You were after anothers treasure, so youre ready to give up your own, right?" [Kuuooooooh....?] Steve, who hadnt taken a single step back thus far, emitted a weak sound in front of Lee Shin Woo. If he were to interpret what it just said, it would roughlye out to, D-Do you want to call it a draw...? or something like that. Of course, Lee Shin Woo acted like he hadnt even heard it. "Then, Steve." Lee Shin Woo, confirming that Steve didnt even have a drop of mana left, naturally switched out his weapon and raised it. The double handed axe within his hand glowed an ominous dark green. "Shall we see where youre hiding your treasure?" Five minutester, Lee Shin Woo was covered in rotten flesh, bone powder, and blood, and was greeted with a message he had been looking forward to. [You have hunted a Lv5 Treasure Eater. You have acquired 225,000 Perium.] [You have acquired a Lv5 Treasure Eaters tailbone.] [You have acquired a Lv5 Drake Horn Lance. Though its possible to change it through Bone Reinforcement, Bone Reinforcement is stillcking, so the change is cancelled.] Chapter 12 part2 Levels were an absolute standard by which organic and inorganic beings were divided. It was also the standard which discriminated between the superior and the inferior. ...Because of that, those who surmount those standards are given an unconventional reward for their efforts. That was karma, the very basis of this world that was more absolute than even levels. [You seeded in meting out your revenge against a stronger foe. All stats have increased by 2. The Low Rank Avenger skill has be Lv2. The skill duration time increases.] Oveing the difference of even just one level was extremely difficult. Even if one possessed the Avenger skill, it was a karma that could only be achieved by staking ones life on it. If thats the case, what about a two level difference? Others would call it brash. They would never attempt it, unless they had several lives. Even if they did have several lives, fighting with a two level difference was like trying to break a rock with an egg, so there wouldnt be many who would attempt it and risk their precious lives. [You have defeated a foe two levels higher than you! It is an achievement that has never been seen before in history. All stats have increased by 5. You have acquired the title He Who Conquers the Impossible. Whenever you attempt to challenge the impossible and seed, you be stronger.] However, what if that egg were extremely tough, and instead of egg yolk and egg white within, it was filled with explosives? What about if that rock was hammered away and cracked? He would achieve each and every one of those conditions, and create a stairway in order to reach that karma step by step. Those rules were everything, and it was truly akin to the way one would think in a game. It wasnt ridiculously difficult or impossible for him to break through the wall known as levels if he properly utilized the karma that he had gathered, as well as the skills he had learned. Especially since he possessed the ever-changing persona, the Jokers karma! [You, who havemuned with a higher leveled ridingpanion and defeated your foe, show a glimpse of the qualities of the one foretold in legend as the Dragon Knight. You have acquired the Dragon Knights karma token. All stats have increased by 5. The Low Rank Horseback Riding skill has be Lv7. Agility has increased by 5.] "Ah, there are seriously a lot of messages." Lee Shin Woo always thought this. That these lines werent enough for him to enjoy the lingering feeling of victory. It felt like he was reading a biography of what happened just a little while ago. But there was also nothing better than these messages to verify his achievements. When he thought about it, perhaps God, or the world, was whispering to him. It was like they were saying, You have achieved such and such feat, and that was truly amazing. And that achievement makes you this much stronger. "W-We really didnt die and won." "If it wasnt for you, I really wouldve died at least once." "You...!" Jin mustve been reading his messages just like Lee Shin Woo and muttered, embarrassed. Lee Shin Woo replied carefreely, but Jin btedly recalled the situation before and raised his voice. It seemed he was also upset, as he stamped on the ground a few times. "I cant believe you. A person could be momentarily scared in a fight, and yet you see that and say youll fight alone?" "Well, I thought you might really die at that rate. I have a lot of extra lives, but you only have two." "Still, how can I help you if I always just back off when it gets dangerous? That doesnt seem like a proper contract!" He was right. Lee Shin Woo didnt ept Jin because he needed a car. He believed that he would be stronger through Jins help, so he decided to work together with him. Honestly, in the recent battle, the both of them hadnt died and were able to kill Steve because of their deeply developed bond. "But if you actually die, youll probably be really pissed." "You dont need to worry about that. This is the path Ive chosen, so Im plenty prepared for it. So in the future, whether Im scared or I freeze, just move me as you please and charge forward. Got it?" When he heard Jins unwavering voice, he sounded like a general. However, in actuality, the meaning behind his message was something like At the very least, Lee Shin Woo could use him as a horse while in battle. It seems like Jin was humiliated from being temporarily frightened from the enemy. "If thats what you want, then thats what Ill do. I wont be considerate of you in the future and tell you to back off." "Good. Just think about winning against the enemy. Because if you dont, I wont be able to get stronger either." Is he beginning to understand karma, the system that rules this world? Hearing Jinment on the important parts of karma, Lee Shin Woo naturally nodded his head. But that state of mind would certainly be dangerous for Jin, so he decided that from now on, he would figure out a way for Jin to more actively absorb more of the curses magic. Should he go check at the secret shop? But before that, hed need to deal with the level up... Wait, the level up? "Huh?" Lee Shin Woo tilted his head and checked his status; he realized that he had already acquired the qualifications to level up to level 4. When he thought about it, a few of his skills leveled up during the battle, and his Combat Sprint was even reborn as Combat Sense, an intermediate level skill! So there was no way his stats hadnt risen over 800! "But I ignored it all because I was concentrating on the battle." "Was there an easier way to win by any chance?" "No, there wasnt. If I had acted like I was going to level up, I probably wouldve been hit and pointlessly die." The level up transformation wasnt as simple as it seemed in manga, where leveling up was as easy as changing clothes for the hero. In terms of the skeleton, Lee Shin Woo, all of his 200 bones would be fundamentally changed, and he would be reborn with a new constitution filled with new mana as well. But to do that while fighting an enemy? Hed probably incur considerable damage or his level up may go wrong; it would be one of the two. "Jin, stay back for now." "Stay back? Why?" "Hmm... You should be fine, but its just..." If he were to say that he absorbed all the bones in his surrounding in the process of leveling up, Jin would probably say hes crazy. Lee Shin Woo thought Jin would figure it out if he saw it himself, shrugged his shoulders, and inspected the loot the level 5 Treasure Eater had left behind. Though he had caught a glimpse of the message before... he couldnt believe what it said, and the treasure that needed a second inspection was right there. [Drake Horn Lance] [Lv5] [Durability: 2,220/2,220] [Attack Power: 1,000 - 1,200] [Options: Strength +30, Health + 30, Magic +10, Effectiveness of charge rted skills +40%] "Hoo..." Lee Shin Woo interjected as he saw the trulyrge and lengthy conically shapednce thaty before him. The level 4 Melting Bone Double Axes power was likewise tremendous, but it seemed like a gentle breeze whenpared to thisnce. "Wow, that looks way too cool..." "I told you, its dangerous if you get too close." Though he said it was dangerous, he could understand why Jin careless approached. The charm of this weapon was dimensions apart from the other weapons hed acquire thus far! Did a one level difference cause this much of a difference? No, no way. This weapon was special. An item that was worth the Treasure Eater lugging around in its body! It might even match up to Lightning Tooth, which was imbued with Gods power. But if there was a problem to speak of, it was that the weapons usage was much too limited. Thence was much toorge and lengthy for him to lift and swing around. It approached 4 meters in length, and its thickness was considerable as well. It would ordinarily be impossible to wield, unless one was a 3 meter tall golem. Not to mention, one of the weapons options was to increase the effectiveness of charge rted skills. In other words, it was utilized by forcefully charging at the enemy, andnding a single strike on ones target; it was a siege weapon dedicated to this single strike. "This should be important in the future, since youre here too, Jin." "...If you wielded this weapon, I dont feel like Id feel very frustrated, even if you rode on my back." Lee Shin Woo imagined himself riding atop Jin and charging at a castle wall,nce in hand, and justughed. If he excluded the fact that the knight was a skeleton, the horse was a skeleton, and even the weapons and armor were bones, it was something that came straight from a fairy tale. I hope you endure within my inventory until that timees. Lee Shin Woo carefully opened his inventory and ced thence inside. Of course, he likewise ced his axe, sword, helmet, armor, and lower body armor inside. Seeing Lee Shin Woo suddenly giving him a nude body show, Jin was appalled. "Why the hell are you suddenly stripping!?" "Whether I wear them or not, Im just bones, so who cares?" "Ugh, this is why being with a guy is..." "You know youre drooling, right?" "..." He ced all his equipment into his inventory and took out the Weapon Tricksters Arm bone. Though he had failed in the past, he thought it might be possible the moment he leveled up. Well, trying wouldnt hurt. "Then, should I start with Steves tailbone... Jin, it might be really dangerous, so stay back." "Alright, alright. Lets see how rowdy it gets." He realized that suppressing the evolution to level 4 was actually extremely difficult. It was only natural, since it was normal that he ept the karma once he was qualified. He made sure he was a safe distance away from Jin, and then, nodded his head and loosened his hold on the mana he had been suppressing. At that moment, a ridiculously powerful mana burst out and he floated into the air! Seeing that, Jin yelled in astonishment. "It really is rowdy!?" For starters, Lee Shin Woo used the karma tokens he had collected thus far, or more precisely, he absorbed them. Before he gathered the 10 tokens, they couldnt be a whole karma, but the Jokers karma, which loved its owners countless personas, epted them all. Though he couldnt have another whole karma, Lee Shin Woo would be able to endlessly mimic those karmas almost perfectly! [You have epted level 4s karma. The Jokers karma absorbs a portion of the countless karmas you have collected, and an unknown potential is added. All stats have increased by 10. The Acting skill has be Lv7.] Of course, this was only the beginning. Following the absorption of the karma tokens, Bone Reinforcement absorbed the bone of the recently hunted Treasure Eater. [Absorbing the Lv5 Treasure Eaters tail bone through Bone Reinforcement. Health has increased by 9, and Magic by 18. Absorbing the targets intact memories and experiences. Resonating with all the memories and experiences, as well as the standardized skills you have acquired ordingly.] [The Jokers karma has tied all the chaos into one. The Low Rank Catapult skill, the Low Rank Harden skill, and the Low Rank Self-Destruct skill have been absorbed. You have acquired the active skill, Rule of Bone Lv3. All stats have increased by 5.] [The Rule of Bone and Low Rank Mana Bone are resonating. The Low Rank Mana Bone skill has be Lv8. Magic has increased by 4. The mana consumption of Rule of Bone decreases.] As a result, the Treasure Eaters ability of strengthening and manipting its blood was adjusted for him, and transformed into the Rule of Bone. Lee Shin Woo could manipte a portion of his body (his bones) just like the Treasure Eater had with its blood; he even had the ability to target his bones and strengthen them. The Catapult skill, which could shoot in every way, was already at its max potential, so as he naturally absorbed the karma, the skill would obviously upgrade... However, Lee Shin Woo hadnt expected that both Harden and Self-Destruct would be absorbed. Wait, so absorbing the skills means that the Rule of Bone skill either includes both the Harden ability as well as the Self-Destruct ability, or it has some sort oftent potential. Truthfully, using those abilities is still possible... and since it actually resonates with the Mana Bone skill, its effectiveness increases. Then does that mean that the Rule of Bone doesnt have any more room for growth in the future....? He had his suspicions in other ces as well. The Rule of Bone was like the Acting skill, Bone Reinforcement, and Invisible Heart, as they likewise didnt have something indicating their rank. From now on, it would either have little room for growth, or it wouldnt grow at all; he couldnt think of it as anything else. In any case, Im sure its an amazing skill that exceeds all the skills I gained in the past... Huh? The moment Lee Shin Woo admired thetent potential of the Rule of Bone, tremendous mana burst forth once more. Lee Shin Woo briefly didnt know what was happening, but he soon saw something floating in front of him. [Absorbing the Lv6 Weapon Tricksters arm bone through Bone Reinforcement.] It was none other than the Weapon Tricksters arm bone. The arm bone that hadnt reacted thus far radiated light and was finally being absorbed. It wasnt possible for him when he was level 3, but now that hed acquired the Jokers karma which went beyond the Tricksters, and had evolved to level 4, it was barely possible! [All stats have increased by 10. You have learned the active skill, Bone Armory Lv1. Magic has increased by an additional 5.] As expected, it was an outrageous stat increase, befitting of a level 6 bone! Moreover, he gained another rankless skill. This was certainly Weapon Tricksters core ability! However, the instant his two eyes gleamed with anticipation (though his eyes dont light up yet), something happened. [You have acquired the Weapon Tricksters power, and are epting all the karma that you ought to have.] "...Huh?" He felt as though he had seen this ominous line somewhere before, and Lee Shin Woo trembled. His inventory opened above his head. Lee Shin Woo felt as though all the blood in his body was draining. Though he didnt have any! "Wait, dont do this. Please dont...!" [Absorbing all equipment through Bone Reinforcement.] The Dire Wolf Armor, Acid Ghoul Skull Helm, Grizzly Bone Leg... as well as the Melting Bone Double Axe, the Lightning Tooth, and the recently acquired Drake Horn Lance all dropped to the floor. And all of them were entirely absorbed by Lee Shin Woo. Chapter 12 part3 [All the power of your equipment is absorbed into your body. Strength has increased by 90, Health by 62, and Magic by 45. Agility drops by 5. Through Bone Armory, all equipment has been recorded.] [You have achieved a suitable karma for bing a Joker. Unfortunately, because you are still too weak, you have been ced in a trial period, and you must tidy up your abilities. You have be a Lv4 Dark Skeleton Joker Apprentice.] [You can learn the inherent skills from all other karma, and can even train them more quickly. However, you can only learn these skills up to the intermediate level. Currently, the only relevant skills are Low Rank Avenger and Low Rank mes of Revenge. While the Sacrifice skill is an inherent ability of another karma, it is exempt as it is an extra skill.] [Lee Shin Woo] [Dark Skeleton Joker Apprentice] [He Who Conquers the Impossible; 2 other titles] [Lv - 4 (Status effectiveness 145%)] [Strength - 291 Agility - 218 Health - 279 Magic - 428] [Passive Skills - Invisible Heart Lv3, Acting Lv7, Low Rank Avenger Lv2, Low Rank Bursting Thunder Lv8, Low Rank Mana Bone Lv8, Low Rank Stealth Lv6, Low Rank Command Lv1, Low Rank Horseback Riding Lv7, Intermediate Combat Senses Lv1] [Active Skills - Bone Reinforcement Lv5, Rule of Bone Lv3, Bone Armory Lv1, Low Rank Shriek of the Dead Lv5, Low Rank Regeneration Lv3, Low Rank mes of Revenge Lv2, Beginner Power sh Lv9, Sacrifice Lv1, Intermediate Acid Poison Spray Lv2] [Resistances - Holy: MAX, Curses: MAX, Acid: Low Rank Lv8, Ice: Intermediate Lv1] Following the waves of cascading changes, he just stood there. Was it because he couldnt adapt to the sudden rapid growth? Or was it because he was dejected that his precious treasures were all absorbed through Bone Reinforcement? Or perhaps was it due to him finding out a weakness in the Joker karma that he hadnt even imagined? He thought he was going to be aplete Joker, yet he got a useless tag attached to it; maybe it was because of that? Of course, that wasnt all. This is a really peculiar feeling... I remember all the memories regarding the absorbed equipment. His memory of the recently absorbed equipment was so clear that he felt like he could actually draw and see those items if he wanted. He had heard that it was important to possess a deep understanding of ones weapon, but it wasnt the level of merely handling the weapon, but actually making them. He could presume why. Compared to before leveling up, his skills had changed the most, and of those skills, Bone Armory was the most drastic! Lee Shin Woo didnt waste time and called for the information regarding Bone Armory. [Bone Armory Lv1 (Active)] [As a result of extracting the Weapon Tricksters memories and experiences, who had freely transformed weapons and cajoled the battlefield, a skill has formed solely for your use. You record all information on equipment made of bone, and you can summon them by using mana.] [Your abilities are stillcking, so you can only summon the equipment in their recorded state. You can manifest and maintain two pieces of equipment at most. Maintaining the equipment does not cost any mana.] [Recorded Equipment: Lv3 Dire Wolf Bone Armor (Defense 110 - 125) Lv3 Grizzly Bone Leg (Defense 105 - 115) Lv4 Acid Skull Helm (Defense 250 - 310) - Effectiveness of Acid Type Skills +10% Lv4 Lightning Tooth (Attack Power 450 - 480) - Lightning Lv4, Power of Bursting Thunder Skill +20% Lv4 Melting Bone Double Axe (Attack Power 480 - 470) - Acid Lv3, Effectiveness of Acid Type Skills + 20% Lv5 Drake Bone Lance (Attack Power 1,000 - 1,200) - Effectiveness of Charge-rted Skills +40%] [Equipment summoned through Bone Armory cannot be targeted with Bone Reinforcement.] "As I thought...!" Lee Shin Woo was relieved that his equipment wasnt lost forever, but he also realized that this skill wasnt perfect. There were two main problems right now. First, it was impossible to reinforce the recorded equipment any further. Second, because the level of the skill was low, he could only summon two pieces of equipment at a time. Considering that hed need a weapon in abat situation, he would end up only being able to equip one piece of armor. "But its a lot better thanpletely losing them, so should I just let it go..." He felt like hanging himself when he saw the Lightning Tooth and the Drake Horn Lance being absorbed, so he felt grateful when he learned he would be able to wield them again. Especially since he was able topletely absorb all of their associated stat bonuses. If he leveled up the skill, he would probably be able to summon and maintain more equipment. Lee Shin Woo decided to think about it positively. When he thought about it, he wouldnt need to worry about repairing damaged equipment from now on. "...Wait a sec." "Shin Woo? Shin Woo, are you alright?" The concerned Jin approached and asked, since Lee Shin Woo had been muttering to himself since the level up process began; however, Lee Shin Woos mind was only focused on one thing, so he didnt even hear Jin speak. Isnt the bone equipment summoned through the Bone Armory made of bones as well? Plus, theyre bones that Ive made. If thats the case, then... will they be affected by the Rule of Bone skill? Lee Shin Woo went straight ahead and tried to put into practice what he just thought about. The weapon he summoned was naturally the one he was most familiar with, the Lightning Tooth! "Oh, those werent just absorbed?" "Fortunately, no." The summoned Lightning Tooth was no different from the one he possessed before absorbing it. Aside from the stat bonuses, everything else was exactly the same. But the Lightning Tooth retained a lot of experiences within, so perhaps thats why the mana consumption was tremendous; he would need to figure out just how long he could maintain the weapon.[2] ...Then. Lee Shin Woo naturally focused all his concentration on the Lightning Tooth in his hand. Though it wasnt made of his own bones, it was definitelyposed of bone formed by his own mana. Then, couldnt this weapon be considered a part of his body? The conditions for using Rule of Bone shouldnt simply be that its a bone physically attached to my body. If its a weapon formed by my mana, then it should definitely... thats right. His wish hade true. The Lightning Tooth escaped his fingertips and began floating all on its own. Moving it was still a bit unstable, but that was due to the low level of Rule of Bone, and soon, even that slight shaking lessened. "Have you gained telekinesis!?" "In terms of bones, then yeah, maybe." Jin asked in astonishment and Lee Shin Woo roughly replied whilst flying the Lightning Tooth higher into the air. In no time, the long sword flew much higher into the air than just above his head, and spun round and round ording to his will; it was truly a menacing sight. Just moving it around doesnt cost much mana. Lee Shin Woo, who had learned that Rule of Bone applied to the weapons summoned through Bone Armory, brought the Lightning Tooth before him once more and reinforced the Lightning Tooth through Rule of Bone. It didnt consume much mana, and the amount of reinforcement was... "Ooh." The Lightning Tooth radiated a bright blue light, and the de emitted even more light than before; he even saw it openly begin to discharge sparks. Contrary to the Harden skill which simply increased the degree of hardness, Rule of Bone reinforced every aspect of the weapon. As a result, its lightning element had been improved as well! "...Its perfect." He muttered in awe as he saw product of the harmony between the Rule of Bone and the Bone Armory skills. This was only the beginning. If he improved these skills from now on, how diverse would it be!? It would be a skill that wouldnt shame the name Trickster! "Heup!" "Whoa!" He had retained the know-how behind the Catapult skill andunched the Lightning Tooth in the air forward. Though the Rule of Bone was still a low level, it wasnt any slower than the Catapult hed used up until now! - Kwang! It didnt stray even once from its route, and theunched long sword rammed into the hill. The mountain boomed and the impact from the sword ended up destroying a portion of the hill; however, it had lodged so deeply in that he couldnt even see the hilt. Seeing that, Jin suddenly trembled. "You... Youre going to do it, arent you?" "Yep. Im going to do it." "If another monstrous bastardes from hearing that sound, youre on your own." "Right." Honestly, since hed acquired the Rule of Bone from facing the Treasure Eater, wouldnt it be advantageous to prepare to face and kill another one? As he thought such idle thoughts... he activated Rule of Bone once more. "Synapse, burst![1]" "Synapse?" -Kwaaaaaang! The sword erupted in a tremendous explosion. It was a much more horrific explosion than before when hed exploded his arm; it was obvious, considering the fact that one of the hills had beenpletely destroyed. It was truly impressive seeing the sparks popping out from the copsed hill. "Ugh, the mana consumptions tremendous...!" But he had figured out exactly how much it cost. He had only blown up one long sword, but it had sucked up almost all of his mana! Considering the fact that its destructive force was greater than Self-Destructs, it still felt like an advantageous skill. "Hey, couldnt you have killed that caterpir with one shot of that...?" "Yeah, but if I miss, I wouldve died in one shot, too." Lee Shin Woo sat down and focused as much as he could on absorbing the surrounding mana. As Jin said, there was always the possibility that a monster heard the boom and woulde dashing over, so he needed to replenish his mana in case of a battle. Jin was astonished once again. "Its to the point that I feel the flow of the mana being drawn to you!?" "Its because my Mana Affinity naturally went up as I leveled up." That was only natural. As he levelled up to level 4, his stat effectiveness increased by another 20%, his Magic stat included. Especially since his Mana Bone skill was strengthened by Rule of Bone; his mana recovery rate had increased by about 1.5xpared to before. That meant it wasnt impossible to feel the flow of mana as if it were the wind. "Youve just be level 4, but how much are you..." He hadpletely destroyed a hill with one skill and could swiftly replenish that mana. Because of Lee Shin Woos achievements, Jin couldnt believe that Lee Shin Woo was a hero at the same level as him, and just stood dumbfounded. The more you level up, the more your stats are amplified. Its probably even higher at level 5 or level 6. If Im at this level, then my seniors, the other undead, and especially the named undead are... But at the same time, he recognized with certainty that levels were no longer the absolute standard in this world. If they had been, then Lee Shin Woo would never have been able to defeat the level 5 Treasure Hunter. Even if he had been helped by Jin, the results wouldve been the same. At that moment when hed concentrated to his very limit during the battle, Lee Shin Woo and Jin had both ovee their limits and were barely able to defeat the Treasure Eater. What were the factors that made that possible? His concentration? His will? It wasnt anything so abstract. Its how one uses their stats... Stats that cannot be used are the same as rotten bones. Skills are the means by which you can push your stats to their limits and even ovee those limit; and ultimately, at the center of those countless skills, its important to use them at the right time. Like Combat Sense... Lee Shin Woo realized that he had fully replenished his mana as he was immersed in such deep thoughts, and suddenly opened his eyes (or a feeling like that). And then, Jin, who was watching over him, suddenly spoke. "Now that I think about it, you have goblin fire now too." "Really!?" Hearing that, Lee Shin Woo hastily touched his face, but it was obviously still bone as usual. However, he definitely felt heat within his eye sockets. He asked Jin a question, whilst thinking that hed never once wanted a mirror more desperately than right now. "What about the color? Are they blue like yours?" "Theyre a deep red." "Damn." Wrinkles formed upon Lee Shin Woos forehead (that kind of impression). He was happy that hed evolved and gained mes, but if he passed by another undead and looked different, it would be difficult to use his Acting skill! "Well, even if they consider you the strange one, it would be difficult to use the Acting skill. Fine, I need to n out a proper scenario..." "Im really scared of your thought process..." "But lets go to the secret shop first. Normally, whenever I level up, I go to the secret shop and buy the most expensive bone. Thats my spending pattern." "Ah, that?" Because Jin hadnt actively wanted to do something in this world before, he had never gone to the secret shop either. He didnt seem to be regretful at all, and just shrugged his shoulders as he looked at Lee Shin Woo. "I dont even have any money." "Now that I think about it, thats a bit strange. There should be a share for you from the monsters that I hunt, so why isnt any moneying out for you?" It wasnt like that when he had hunted the ghoul with Ye Jin Jin in the past. At that time, Perium didnt drop for Jin, but it did for Ye Jin Jin. There was definitely some sort of secret there. However, he figured out the secret in the next moment. It was at the very moment when Lee Shin Woo was about to enter the secret shop! [There exists an entity who is contracted to you. You can enter the secret shop together.] "Hmm?" The contract. It definitely pointed to Jin. Strangely, at that moment, Lee Shin Woo figured out the circumstances surrounding them. He looked straight and Jin and spoke. "It says we can go together. Do you want to go?" "Huh? Well... if we can go together, I might as well look around." He would just feel uneasy if he were left alone. Then, it should be better to go with Lee Shin Woo, even if he didnt do anything there. Thinking that, Jin nodded his head and Lee Shin Woo used one of the permits right away. The surroundingndscape instantaneously melted away and soon, he was met with an unfamiliar sight. "Guten Tag!" It was an extremely simple square space, with a counter on only one side; and from beyond that counter, a red haired beauty gazed at and greeted them in German for a reason unbeknownst to them. "Why did youe again so soon... Oh my." Pleine possessed the ability to ascertain ones skill quite easily. However, even if it wasnt her, it wouldve been easy for someone else to figure out that Lee Shin Woo had leveled up this time. The power his body was giving off was definitely different. Above all, his eye sockets zed with red mes, so there was no way shed not know. "I thought it would take you quite a long time to go from level 3 to level 4, yet youve surprised me once again. Youre even half way to level 5." In the process of leveling up, he had attained several karmas, as well as leveled up his skills, but the deciding factor was that all of the equipment hed gathered thus far had been absorbed, causing his stats to surpass 1,200 in total. For one to reach level 5, they needed a total of 1,600 stats, and Pleines statement that he was halfway there was right on the money. "Its really a frightening ability. Youre just looking at my stats, right?" "I would never. In order to give you better aid, I simply received some information on you when you dropped underground. I cannot ascertain your always changing stats. Customer, if you gain some more experience, you should be able to do this kind of measurement. ...Hmm?" It took quite a while for Pleine to realize that another customer was there, as Lee Shin Woos transformation was so shocking. When Pleine turned her attention to him, Jin thought that she was an extremely beautifuldy, and awkwardly bowed his head. "Hello." "Oh... my..." Seeing the Skeleton Horse that indifferently stood beside Lee Shin Woo, she gaped, but she soon seemed to realize what she was doing and nodded her head. "To think that youd form a contract with another hero; and especially since that hero is... Customer, you havent been to the secret shop before, right?" "Yes." Jin replied, and Pleine smiled deeply. He felt ufortable seeing that smile and slightly shook, so Lee Shin Woo spoke for Jin. "Are you saying that this contract causes our respective karmas to influence the other?" "Youre right on. You not only share the Perium that your enemies drop, but you can also visit me together, as well as somewhat passing on your karma to each other when using items that youve acquired from the shop. Especially if that contract deepens; the deeper the contract, the more deeply you can use each others karma." "Its something that important, yet I have no idea how that contract was formed..." "Me too..." "Pfft." Pleine ended up bursting intoughter seeing the two skeleton heroes tilt their heads at her. It was a rare spectacle, even though she was the one who managed the secret shop. Sheughed for quite a while, putting aside the two sullen looking heroes, then barely managed to begin exining. "There are a few bonds that closely tie two people together in this world. Of them, a contract is the most sacred and deepest bond. Therefore, one needs to possess a skill that can connect the two of you together, and then, mutual consent is required. So you have a rough idea now, right?" "Aha." He had somewhat expected this, but he was right. Lee Shin Woo recollected his Bone Reinforcement skill, and nodded his head. To him, his Bone Reinforcement was just a reinforcement ability, but to others, the moment he used Bone Reinforcement on them, a connection would form between them. That had appeared in the form of a contract between him and Jin. "Is there any chance that therell be harmful side effects to the target of the contract...?" "You already know somewhat, but because its a contract that formed out of concern for one another, there arent any negative side effects. However, the target of the contract can saddle all of your karma, so you cannot take it lightly." It seemed as though Lee Shin Woo and Jin had formed a sessful contract; it was because they had agreed beforehand that theyd work together that this contract was possible. Especially since they could open up to each other as they were both skeletons... However, he was now absolutely sure that Bone Reinforcement had formed the contract between them. Listening to what Pleine had to say, he thought even if he used Bone Reinforcement on someone else in the future, he would be careful not to form a contract with them. "In any case, I have a rough idea of whats going on. On how you were able to grow this quickly, Mr. Lee Shin Woo. Of course, its not entirely because of that..." "Do you want me to tell you my story again?" "No." Pleine unexpectedly shook her head with a firm look. "Its not that Im not curious, but the timings not ideal. It doesnt seem like its a story that I can hear with just a 20,000 Perium discount, so... lets leave that to next time, and for now lets trade, shall we?" Pleine spoke, and looked straight at Jin, not Lee Shin Woo. Jin, whod received Pleines gaze, simply tilted his head. [1] T/N: I assume this is a reference to what Rikka Takanashi says in the anime Love, Chunibyo, and Other Delusions. [2] E/N: It does say hes trying to figure out how long he can maintain it. It likely refers to something other than mana. Chapter 12 part4 Since Pleine was well aware of what Lee Shin Woo wanted, she didnt waste time and immediately ced bones atop the counter; this time, there was a total of three bones he could choose from. "These are the three most expensive level 5 bones. Starting from the left, they cost 290,000, 310,000, and 370,000 Perium. Oh, and for your reference, theyre all named." Simrly to heroes, monsters also gain a sharp increase in strength the higher their level, and naturally, the karma that they leave behind... their bones value is beyond ones imagination. The most expensive level 4 bone had cost around 90,000 Perium, yet a bone just one level higher cost 200,000 - 300,000 more, verifying the truth to that statement. Even considering the fact that they were named, it was quite a severe increase. "Just as there are few high leveled monsters, it is likewise the same for humans as well. A person who reached level 4 in the past Underground Empire couldnt easily be confronted. The renowned elite group known as the Empires Knights also started at level 4." "Youre saying that Im only at the level of a knight?" "Thats not what Im saying. Customer, youre an elite hero amongst elites, so its difficult topare you so simply. If everyones ability was the same just because they were the same level, then there wouldnt be people who pursue special or unique karma. ...You should already be well aware of how special you are." He couldnt fool her. Lee Shin Woo slightly sighed and examined the bones that shed offered. For starters, there wasnt a blue bone this time. Well, his fundamental mana proficiency (Mana Bone) or his mana application (Acid Poison Spray and mes of Revenge) were attained through achievements, so he didnt really need to pick a blue bone every time; however, he couldnt help but have mixed feelings. "How about a level 6 bone?" "You might be able to buy an ordinary level 6 bone, but... a level 6 elite bone starts at 1.5 million Perium." "Hmm, I see." Lee Shin Woo neatly discarded his ambitions for a level 6 bone. Since it was much better to obtain a level 5 elite monster bone than an ordinary level 6 monster bone. Ultimately, he had no choice but to choose amongst these three... He used Mana Bone to its max and examined the three bones thaty before him. Due to his umted experience, he was able to more easily examine the bones now. The cheapest one increases strength, and the skill within is a powerful strike simr to Power sh. I dont know how much it would increase my strength but its not very appealing to me. The next one increases health, but... Ah, it seems like it contains a skill simr to Harden. He didnt really need this one either, since he already possessed Rule of Bone. But... Lee Shin Woo turned his eyes to the side and looked at Jin, who was expressionlessly examining the bones. "? What is it?" "Theres a bone here that you need." "Me!?" Jins agility was monstrously high, but aside from that, his other stats were lower than Lee Shin Woos, not to mention that Jin didnt even have a decent skill that wasnt rted to running. That was a huge problem. No matter how specialized he was in agility, he would obviously need the strength and health to use that agility more effectively, as well as the magic to supplement it. If he only focused on raising his agility, as it raised by a factor of three, he would eventually find his bnce crumbling and ultimately wouldnt be able to keep himself steady. His physical condition disallowed him from equipping armor, so a skill that toughened his body would be essential for Jin. "But this is too expensive... It feels kind of weird just epting it." "Its an investment for my partner. Think of it as not just for yourself, but for the two of us." "Ugh. Then what about you?" "Im picking this one." Lee Shin Woo had picked none other than the most expensive bone that cost 370,000 Perium. The mana pattern undoubtedly indicated that it increased agility. He had originally thought that he should give this one to Jin, but he decided that it would be better for him to take it, as it would bnce out his growth. Originally, my stats were bnced, aside from magic; but in the process of absorbing the items, my agilitypletely fell behind. If I consider my battlefield connection with Jin, then the most important stat has to be agility... Contrary to Jin, his most pressing issue was to increase his agility, which was excessivelygging behind his other stats. Their agility stats had to be somewhat close in order for him to most effectively draw out his abilities. "Ites out to 680,000 Perium in total. Its quite a sizable amount, so it should be difficult for the both of you to buy... Oh my, youre not short?" "A lot went on, a lot." Pleine looked extremely curious once again, but ultimately didnt ask. It might be that she was being considerate to Jin, who hade here for the first time. She neatly collected the money and smiled as she backed off, which conversely made them feel ufortable. "The next time we meet, you should be level 5. Ill prepare level 6 bones for your next visit." "I dont know whether Ill be able to gather 1.3 million Perium by then, but... Ill see you next time." The two immediately left the secret shop and returned underground. The shop and the apanying red haired beautypletely disappeared, and they returned to the ins with traces of an intense battle. Then, Jin took a quick look around, sighed in relief, and spoke. "I dont want to go there again. You just go by yourself." "Why?" "I dont like that woman. It feels like shes looking right through me." Since it felt like Jin would kick him with his front legs if he retorted with But you were already filled with holes, Lee Shin Woo kept his mouth shut, but then, at that very moment... [Four permits for Gods secret shop have been transferred to Jin Taylor, who is contracted to you.] "So transferring stuff works too, huh..." In the past, there were times when he couldnt use the permit whenever he wanted, as it felt wasteful, yet now, he had enough that he could go and visit Pleine whenever he was bored. Though there wasnt a single time he was bored since he was dropped into the Empire. "Then lets start with the Bone Reinforcement." "Do we really have to?" "Ill give you some time to prepare." From the very start, there was nowhere to run for Jin. The reason he hadnt used Bone Reinforcement on Jin all this time and had let him off (?) was because his own growth was more urgent! Jin would be in for some wearisome days once both their stats became simr. Since he already had a hunch, Jin sported a rotten expression, but unfortunately his feelings werent ryed at all as he was a skeleton. [Executing Bone Reinforcement on Jin Taylor by consuming a Lv5 Bone Wall Knight, Predin Eltlessers rib bone. A portion of the targets experiences and memories is divided and absorbed. Health has increased by 3. Proficiency in Rule of Bone has increased.] [We are the final defense for His Excellency. Show them the results of your training. Ill find the one who dies first and kill them again in Hell. - Predin Eltlesser] As expected, a level 5 monsters thoughts were indeed different from the norm. He only gained a portion of those memories and experiences, but his health had increased by 3; not only that, Predins final moments were intensely ryed to him. "Ughhhhhh." So what would it be like for Jin, whose mind was directly injected with those memories and experiences? Its only for an instant, but he would receive such vivid memories and experiences that itd be a danger to his own sense of identity, and as a result, he yelled in agony and rolled onto the floor. Lee Shin Woo petted him and asked. "You alright?" "Im not alright...!" "Do you remember my name? My names...!" "Im not that damaged, you know!" He had thought about engraving their names on his palms just in case, but fortunately, it doesnt seem like hed need to anymore. Lee Shin Woo sighed in relief, gripped his own bone, and executed Bone Reinforcement once again. [Executing Bone Reinforcement by consuming Lv5 Armored Bone Knight, Ashkiss Von Belitas leg bone. Absorbing the targets experiences and memories in their entirety. Agility has increased by 18. The Low Rank Horseback Riding skill has be Lv8. Agility has increased by 4.] [Youre really disobedient. But youll soone to like me. Therell eventuallye a time where we ride into the battlefield together. - Ashkiss Von Belita] "Mmm..." The memories that flowed into his head were that of a knight of the Empire, fully garbed in his uniform, and training a violent horse. As expected, it was definitely the ability he needed most right now. It felt a bit regrettable that he hadnt gained a new skill, but he couldnt just keep blindly increasing the number of abilities he had, so in the meantime, he thought itd be best to stabilize the skills he had. Moreover, while the memories Id acquired until now had awakened the Horseback Riding skill, I hadnt been able to attain an experts memories. The memories and experiences Ive just gained should be helpful for a long time toe. Not only had it immediately increased the skill level of Horseback Riding by one, he was absolutely sure that the recently absorbed memories would help him increase his proficiency in the skill a lot faster. Though he didnt know how his partner... would feel about that. "Do you feel ok now?" "S-Somewhat..." Jin replied with a voice that didnt sound fine whatsoever. Lee Shin Woo, who was truly worried about the goblin fire within his eye sockets that spun around dizzily, decided to test what he had just learned and got atop Jins back. He then focused on the connection between him and Jin. "Uh... Huh...?" "Hoo..." Soon, something changed. Though he was an undead, who couldnt actually breathe, Jin had emitted harsh breathing noises; however, he calmed down quickly. The trick was simple. Through his connection with Jin, he focused on one part of Jins consciousness. He stopped the primary cause of confusion, and shared the burden on his mind. "Take it one at a time. Just think of it as you watching an educational video." "Easy for you to say...!" But his connection with Lee Shin Woo had certainly made the process much easier. Even as heined, he followed Lee Shin Woos voice, and epted the memories and experiences. He felt a bit ashamed, but he couldnt tell that to Lee Shin Woo, so Jin just endured, and endured some more. "...Im really ok now." "Nice. Then shall we go to the hignds? We have to finish up what we were doing before." Jin took several deep breaths when he heard Lee Shin Woo nod his head and talk; then, he extended his legs forward. Lee Shin Woo was able to maintain their connection, even if Jin ran at a faster pace, perhaps due to his level up. "But Im still not there yet. I want to increase my agility by at least 300 more." "Ive already given up on catching up to your agility." So long as Jin possessed the Child of Light skill, the disparity between their agility stats would likely continue to be more severe. Therefore, it was more important to maintain a full connection with Jin whilst drawing all of his abilities to the surface, rather than trying to just thoughtlessly increase his agility stat. Besides, because his Horseback Riding had just leveled up, he was able to draw 30% more speed out of Jin now! "Were here." "Youre really frighteningly fast." If Lee Shin Woo were alone, it wouldve taken him a few hours to walk here, but since he was with Jin, theyd arrived before he was even able to utter a few lines to him! He felt like it was a dream, but it wasnt an illusion. The hignds were still filled with golems, and the signs of the Stone Golems allowing the Treasure Eater to pass were clear as well. [Sensing mana responses from living bodies. Activating.] [Stopping outside entry. Unless directed otherwise, automatically removing trespassers.] He heard the same sounds hed heard just a few hours ago as the golems stood up here and there. This time, the number of golems had increased significantly, perhaps due to them defeating the Treasure Eater. However, what changed the most was none other than Lee Shin Woo himself. He summoned the Melting Bone Double Axe, gripped it, and checked with Jin. "Where do the level 4 golemse from?" "We have to go a bit higher for them. At our current pace, we could pass by them without fighting..." "No, its fine. I did need some sparring partners to adapt to my body, anyway..." Above all, he realized that he needed a deeper understanding of the golems that inhabited these hignds, so... he gripped the Double Axe with one hand and lightlyughed. "Then, shall we begin?" The golems, which neither grew old or died, protected the silence of these hignds, yet mes of change[1] zed within these hignds. It didnt take long before the mes devoured the hignds in its entirety. [1] T/N: Not literal mes. Chapter 12 part5 [Unable to resist. Requesting reinforcements.] [Blocking enemy until reinforcements arrive.] The hignds golems could only move simply, as per their prior inputtedmands, but due to that, Lee Shin Woo was able to grasp their limitations quite easily. When they realized that Lee Shin Woo was too much for them, they immediately switched to a defensive position, and waited until reinforcements came. They were certainly a lot different from the undead or monsters that just attacked while following their faintly remaining instincts. "But your timing was off." [Ceasing function.] Lee Shin Woo smiled bitterly and shattered their bodies one by one with his axe. They didnte at him aggressively, so the fight was boring; it was simple. No matter how long they waited, reinforcements wouldnte. Perhaps those reinforcements did indeed exist when these golems were first built and were inputted withmands, but a lot of time had passed. It was highly likely that those reinforcements either no longer existed, or the connection had been severed. "Isnt that kind of worrying?" With a single swing of his axe, he broke apart the golems; Jin, who was training the skill hed just learned, Steel Body, tilted his head and replied to the words Lee Shin Woo had just thrown out. "What do you mean that their connections been cut?" "Well, its just that there are heaps of stone golems out here, even though theyre set up with an emergency call feature." [You have acquired 3,100 Perium.] [You have acquired a Lv3 Stone Golem Bone Core.] Lee Shin Woo picked up the loot and surveyed the area. Although they had returned to the hignds less than an hour ago, there was less than a quarter of the Stone Golems remaining. "I feel like theres a new dungeon here." "How about asking about it in the chatting channel?" "I asked about it before. Apparently, some of our seniors hadnt even discovered this area before, and there are also some who have passed through this golem infested area." Currently, Lee Shin Woo felt really suspicious, so how could his seniors not feel the same? His seniors were sure that there was a dungeon somewhere nearby and told him that theyd disassembled the golems, analyzed the cores, thoroughly investigated the surrounding magic responses, and if all that didnt work, theyd just dig up an area which seemed suspicious to them and searched the area. After all of that, the results were... [Prince Altania: Theres no secret facility nor a dungeon. Definitely not. If its something that the extraordinary Fire Magician, Altania cant find, then there should be nothing there. There isnt. End of story.] Apparently that. Meaning that his senior heroes couldnt find it. However, Jin softly gazed at Lee Shin Woo and spoke. "Youre going to go looking for it, right?" "Yep. How did you know?" "Youre easy to read." Truthfully, Lee Shin Woo was somewhat confident. He didnt even need to mention his track record of finding the secret facilities in the sewers. Didnt he have an ability that differed from his seniors? That ability was none other than Bone Reinforcement. "Bone Cores... Will you really be able to gain the memories of it from them?" "When I tried itst time, there was definitely some recorded information about it inside." But there was a problem: the memories were limitlessly vague and were difficult to ept. Was it best to describe it like reading a letter inputer code? It would be a difficult, long-term war, but Lee Shin Woo was confident. He already had an idea of what part he had totch onto. "I just have to keep absorbing them until I understand. Its not impossible." "What exactly were you doing in your own world before all this?" "I was just a normal sryman." "Youre kidding me." If Jin knew how much effort someone had to put in to be a normal sryman in South Korea, he wouldnt say something like that. Lee Shin Woo just clicked his tongue. While conversing, his hand didnt remain idle. Whenever he discovered a golem, he would immediately dash over to it, break it apart with his axe, or throw his axe... It was only possible because his strength had increased by leaps and bounds after leveling up to level 4. Moreover, Rule of Bone reinforces the bones that make up my body. Plus, the mana that I absorb in real time can replenish the maintenance cost... It wasnt on the level of a skill that justunched a bone or controlled it from a distance. Rule of Bone was a cheat skill that would buff anything that was rted to bones. The buff wasnt very significant right now, but the higher he leveled the skill, the more hed be able to make full use of the ability. Maybe hed acquired a skill that was like the Avenger skill, which allowed him to ovee the limit known as levels. He suddenly felt gracious towards the Treasure Eater. "Have you sorted everything out now?" "Theres nothing else, so... Probably?" Three hours passed. Lee Shin Woo and Jin maintained their incredible mobility and searched the very outskirts of the hignds, all while neatly taking down all of the Stone Golems. Regardless of where they went, the Stone Golems would call for reinforcements, but they never appeared. Yet the Stone Golems in the area adjacent to them wouldnt move. He was absolutely sure by now. Theirmand system had alreadypletely copsed. They had either been thrown away or abandoned. If thats the case, then theres only one question left. Why were so many golems left here, when theres nothing even here? Its unlikely that they moved here from where they were originally or that their previous owner told them to move here. There must be something around here that has a deep connection with theirstmand. Hepleted his thoughts and raised his head. He hadnt yet absorbed the Bone Cores that hed collected. Before he absorbed the Bone Cores, he studied them to confirm theyd have an effect on him. Its likely that if he collected more Bone Cores, the oue would be even greater. "So if we go to the centermost area, youre saying that level 4 golems will appear, huh." "Thats true, but they seemed really rusty. Apparently, they were called Bronze Golems." The Bronze Golems came after the Stone Golems. Based on the sequence of these names, wouldnt a level 5 named, elite Iron Golem appear? Lee Shin Woo felt slightly excited and entered the middle of the hignds. [Ceasing function...] [You have hunted a Lv4 Bronze Golem. You have acquired 5,120 Perium.] [You have acquired a Reinforced Autonomous Defense Type Core. The Reinforced Autonomous Defense Type Core has transformed into the Reinforced Autonomous Defense Type Bone Core.] The Bronze Golem was definitely a lot sturdier and heavier than a Stone Golem, to such an extent that they could certainly boast that they were level 4 monsters. Though each of their strikes were powerful, they hadnt been maintained over a long period of time, so just like Jin said, they were rusted. [Eliminating... Trespasser...] "Theyre seriously so slow." [Ceasing function...] And while they were more powerful than Stone Golems, they were that much slower than them as well; it actually felt like it was easier to kill the Bronze Golems than the Stone Golems. Whats worse, the Stone Golems bodies wereposed of bronze, so they couldnt pick up nearby rocks like Stone Golems and use them to heal their bodies; and because of that, they couldnt bombard them like the Stone Golems had either! "Heup!" "Ugh, I can feel the recoil...!" "Endure with Steel Body. This is all training, too! Lets go again!" "Urgh..." Lee Shin Woo struck once, or even twice with his axe at maximum strength. Because their bodies were so damn tough and thick, his weapon would eventually get worn, but when his weapon became unusable, he would explode it and summon a new axe. Lee Shin Woo was gradually starting to like Bone Armory more and more. And at the same time... [The Bone Armory skill has be Lv2. Health and Magic has increased by 3. The number of equipment you can create and maintain has increased to 3.] "Nice." When Lee Shin Woo saw that line of text, he immediately summoned the Dire Wolf Bone Armor and equipped it. If he just increased its level by 1, he would probably be able to equip his lower body armor again! Jin said it was better if Lee Shin Woos lower body was covered instead of his upper body, but hepletely ignored him. There was no naked or not naked for skeletons. "This way, kids!" [Eliminating... Trepasser...] [Surrounding and eliminating...!] "Nice, then... Synapse, burst!" "So what the hell is a synapse!?" [Critical Hit!] When his Bone Armory had leveled up, the excited Lee Shin Woo began to use the skill more actively in battle. He would gather the slow Bronze Golems in one spot, throw his axe towards them, and blow it up! Though the explosive force behind his axe was tremendous, there was something even greater; when he exploded his axe that possessed level 3 acid within, a powerful cloud of Acid Poison would apany the explosion. [Outer gloves... have disappeared. Need to... swap parts.] [Impossible... No reinforcements...] [Ceasing... function...] The powerful Acid Poison that resided within the weapon was amplified by the force of the explosion and engulfed the entire area. The Bronze Golems just melted away as they didnt have any particr resistance to acid. It was really easy to take down ten Bronze Golems all at once as long as he gathered them up properly. "Moreover, its great that the mana consumptions much less than when Id blown up the Lightning Tooth." "How far are you trying to go, anyway?" "Hmm, about the Bomber level?" However, the moment Lee Shin Woo responded and took a step forward to collect the loot, a message that hed be familiar with finally appeared. [You have defeated several powerful enemies with a horrific explosion. You have the ability to wait for opportunities, as well as make split second decisions. Above all, you have the impressive ability of blowing up whatever you want. You have acquired the Bomber karma token. Strength and Magic have increased by 5. The Joker karma absorbs the Bomber karma token.] "Im speechless. Its not like I did anything spectacr." "Are you saying that on purpose to make me feel shameful?" Lee Shin Woo smiled bitterly in response and collected the rest of the loot. However, the moment that the Bone Cores in his hand ovepped, it seemed as though his skill had misunderstood his intent and this message popped up. [Would you like to reinforce the Reinforced Autonomous Defense Type Core by consuming a Reinforced Autonomous Defense Type Core?] "!?" Then, he suddenly had an idea. A great hint had appeared that could topple this current situation! Normally, Bone Reinforcement would either consume a piece of bone or bone equipment to either reinforce his own bones, or reinforce his bone equipment. While he had thought that he could use them to reinforce his bones or his bone equipment, he hadnt thought that hed be able to use the Bone Cores on each other and reinforce them...! Would it be better to bet on this, or not....? Lee Shin Woo was conflicted. Of course, he was familiar with how a piece of equipment would transform when reinforced to +10, but what about cores? There was a chance of failure, so he wondered whether he should use them separately, orbine them. Would there be some sort of new quality to the fused core? He had thought intensely for just a brief moment, but at the end of it he nodded his head. Lets take our chances. It was a decision that was very much like him, as he had never been let down from operating based on his intuition ever since hede to this world. But now wasnt the time. He needed to investigate further into the Autonomous Defense Type Bone Core and the Reinforced Autonomous Defense Type Bone Core, and he also wanted to try absorbing a few more of them. After that, hed start his Bone Core reinforcement n in earnest. "Alright, Jin. Lets go a bit faster." "Ive always been running at full speed ever since weve met." Hearing Lee Shin Woo, Jin just briefly sighed andplied, increasing his speed. Hed already decided to help Lee Shin Woo, and he also didnt hate going faster! His proficient kiting skill steadily gathered the Bronze Golems in the middle of the hignds. If any heroes who could use magic saw them, they would all feel jealous of his ability to gather mobs! That ability was beginning to bear fruit on the outskirts of the Empire. Chapter 13 part1 [Resistance, impossible. Requesting reinforcements... Code unrecognizable. Reporting tomand... failed.] [Reporting to code name A.S.] The Bronze Golems spoke simrly to the Stone Golems, yet said something different after Lee Shin Woo had broken all but thest two into pieces of bronze. [No answer. Retrying...] [Reporting to code name A.S. again. ...No signal.] "Wait a sec. A.S.? The code name is a service center?[1]" Lee Shin Woo vacantly listened to the golems, and right as he was about to ready his finishing blow, he heard their strange remarks and stopped his axe. Jin then spoke. "They said they had no signal, right?" "Its not like they had no signal, but that theyve been all killed, right?" It seems like the twos opinions were in ord. The Bronze Golems, having no signal, froze in ce as if they were damaged, but he didnt have the time to worry about them anymore. "Lets collect the loot first." [Ceasing function.] [Ceasing function.] Lee Shin Woo swung his axe and cleanly broke the golems into pieces. The golems dispersed into several particles of mana and returned to nature. He collected the dropped Perium and Bone Core at the center of where they were, and suddenly surveyed his surroundings. Naturally, he wasnt able to find anything. But this came out of his vacant mouth. "The connection hadnt beenpletely cut." At first, the golems had requested for reinforcements, then next attempted to report tomand. After that, when none of those had worked, they reported to a figure with the code name A.S. He hypothesized that this A.S. figure was either the one in charge of the golems, or their maker. Until now, he hadnt gotten any answers from their reports, but hed finally seen a meaningful response. Though they had received a cold reception and gotten no signal, there was definitely a response given after receiving the report. "But doesnt the fact that they got no signal mean that the person doesnt care, even if we assume that there was someone there to receive their report?" "Well yeah, because he should be undead." While there were golems which were born when minerals were naturally saturated with mana, these golems were clearly artificial. This meant that there was a figure who created these golems and managed them, whether it be the Empire or another individual. Then that figure should obviously be undead by now. And that would exin why the golems ended up being neglected... "I dont know how the golems reporting system works, but if their owner truly is undead, would they really be able to respond this quickly?" "Not all of the undead are stupid. If we exclude a high leveled undeads hatred for the living, their intelligence isnt much different from a living persons." "Seems that way... But if theyre that smart, wouldnt they have called these golems and used them?" "...Thats true." At that point, they were left in the dark. Lee Shin Woo and Jin stopped acting like Sherlock Holmes, when it didnt even fit them, and decided to continue doing what they had nned to do. That was to try reinforcing a Bone Core. "Alright. Ive chosen this one." Lee Shin Woo chose the Bone Core that belonged to the final Bronze Golem, and ced its Reinforced Autonomous Defense Type Bone Core onto the floor. Seeing that, Jin asked. "Youre not actually going to use all the other Bone Cores on that one, are you?" "Yeah, I am. Theres not enough information in the Stone Golems cores, and theyve been severely damaged so theres barely any value to them. Sacrificing them is a much better option." It was something hed roughly been able to figure out as he examined his own mana, and absorbed the cores through Bone Reinforcement. Though it wasnt possible to understand how the cores activation mechanism worked indirectly, he was able to figure out a way to approach this directly. Honestly, that was amazing enough. "The Bronze Golems cores are in better condition, but if I were to absorb them one by one, it would take a long time to add up all the information together." "If you use reinforcement, will you be able to restore the damaged information?" "In my opinion... yeah. I guess theres only one way to find out." If he was able to restore the information within the Reinforced Autonomous Defense Type Core through reinforcement, he wouldnt need a lot of them, and he would be able to figure out the secret that these golems held; if he was lucky, he might even be able to figure out the secret behind the code name A.S. too with this one core. At least, thats what Lee Shin Woo thought. "Then... Bone Reinforcement." Lee Shin Woo executed Bone Reinforcement and used one Bone Core to reinforce the other. Though their levels were different, his skill activated without any problems. It was all fine and dandy until the activation, but... [Bone Reinforcement has failed.] "I have a bad feeling about this." "No, we can do it. Dont believe in yourself. Believe in me who believes in you [2]." "..." He didnt know if it was because Jin trusted in Lee Shin Woo, who in turn, trusted in him, but the next attempt seeded. They rejoiced, but Lee Shin Woo soon assumed a serious expression upon examining the information. [Reinforced Autonomous Defense Type Core] [Original Core synchronization rate: 13.2%] "I havent seen that before." Lee Shin Woo expected for there to be a +1 behind the Bone Core, but he was wrong. Instead, it indicated a synchronization rate with the original core, something that seemed slightlyrge-scale. Its likely that if the reinforcement was sessful, this value would increase. Thats when Jin asked the key question. "What about the amount of information?" "Hmm... Its been restored." It was only a small amount, but a portion of the damaged area was indeed recognizable again. If he were to say how much, it was like when he was confused about the difference between two homonyms in a sentence before, and now he was sure which was which as it was such a strange difference between them [3]. In any case, whats important was that he was able to restore some of the information. Maybe the original core would appear if hepletely restored the core? Though I dont really need to know what the original core is... At the very least, he was sure that he was going in the right direction. In order to more thoroughly investigate the change in the synchronization rate, Lee Shin Woo gripped the Bone Core and continuously used Bone Reinforcement. A blinding light arose. [Bone Reinforcement has failed.] [Bone Reinforcement has failed.] [Bone Reinforcement has seeded.] [Original Core synchronization rate: 13.4%] "What!" One sessful reinforcement resulted in a 0.2% increase? He had 310 more Autonomous Defense Type Bone Cores, and a bit more than 100 Reinforced Autonomous Defense Type Bone Cores. It would be a relief if the Reinforced Autonomous Defense Type Bone Cores had a high synchronization rate, but it they didnt, he might go broke before he even attempted to use them. "Ugh... Damn it, Ill go for it regardless!" "See, I told you youd feel anxious." "No, I believe in you. I believe in you who believes in me!" "You know, I think theres a final version to that. Something like believe in the you who believes in yourself." "Damn it. I really wanted to say that one...!" It was toote to back out now. If he failed to restore the core, then hed have no choice but to leave this ce and give up! With a heart of iron and blood, Lee Shin Woo prepared himself to lose everything and continued with the reinforcement. Because he had used Bone Reinforcement a countless number of times, its speed was at least reliable. [Bone Reinforcement has failed.] [Bone Reinforcement has seed...] [Fail...] [Fail...] [Seed...] Thats how more than 310 Bone Cores, as well as the Reinforced Bone Cores became scarce. In their ce was a single Bone Core that seemed to weakly radiate light, but he mightve been imagining things. [Reinforced Autonomous Defense Type Bone Core] [Synchronization Rate: 99.9%] "Why the hell did it have to be 0.1%? There arent even any golems left!" "No, its fine." "Can you use other bone equipment to reinforce it by any chance?" Jin asked reasonably and Lee Shin Woo firmly shook his head. "Cores can only be reinforced with other cores. Probably." "Get straight to the point." "Im saying that the reinforcements already finished." Lee Shin Woo propped up the core, which hedpleted by using most of the golems cores in the hignds, with both hands. Now, Jin could see it too. The geometrical pattern that covered the Bone Core. "But I cant tell what it says at all." "Hmm, Im sure." "Youre really pissing me off..." If Lee Shin Woo hadnt absorbed a few Bone Cores prior to this, he wouldnt have been able to make sense of it either. However, in the process of repeatedly utilizing Bone Reinforcement, he meticulously examined the restored patterns, and analyzed the mutual exchange of mana amongst them; now that the core was finished, he knew. What state the Bone Core was in, and what kind of item this restored core was. "Hoo..." He calmly gripped the core and emitted his mana. The mana saturating his body flowed and wrapped around the core. The core, which emitted a delicate golden light, was soon dyedpletely in a reddish mana; now that he thought about it, once he hit level 4, his mana had changed into a dark red light. [The Bone Original Core has beenpleted. You require more materials to manufacture golems. You can analyze the core in order to figure out what materials you need.] "Heut..." A smile naturally formed on Lee Shin Woos face. Jin was ryed the message through their contract and spoke with a disbelieving look. "You can make golems with that?" "Yeah. Though Ill need a lot more stuff in the future, that informations also stored inside the core. Everything regarding the golems is assembled inside the core, so I know where they were originally made, what additional materials I need to make them, as well as what characteristics and types there are." "Oh... I really have no idea what youre talking about." "Im saying that if I just absorb this core, I can learn about the golems here, as well as all the information regarding them. Think it is as their ce of origin." "Oh!... Huh?" As expected, it seemed like Jin wasnt very bright as he was naturally talented in sprinting; therefore, Lee Shin Woo gave up on getting him to understand, and gripped the bone core one more time. Originally, it was probably a core used to manufacture powerful golems, but to him, it was just an appetizing wonder drug. This was the fruit of high level Magic Engineering that contained the method of controlling golems, as well as the corresponding information on golems neatly organized within! "Bone Reinforcement!" [By consuming the Bone Original Core, your entire body is reinforced. All stats have increased by 10. Acquiring all the information and memories within.] At that moment, a tremendous amount of information pushed into his brain, causing him to fall to his knees. It wasnt even like this when he acquired the Weapon Tricksters Arm Bone. It was also different from when he absorbed Gerrits bone. He just couldnt ept the tremendous amount of information that came rushing at him all at once. The way to control a golem. The way to control a golem. The way a golem attacks. The way a golem attacks. The way to gather and release mana. If I just follow this as is, I could be a golem myself... Of course, that should be impossible, but just by understanding the fundamental ways by which a high leveled golem moved, Lee Shin Woos knowledge of magic and martial arts skyrocketed. He was able to make it this far with his numerous skills and his genius, but the areas where hedcked in refinement were supplemented systematically by his Mana Bone skill, and hed relied on thebat knowledge hed gathered as well as Bursting Thunder technique to correct his bearing and stance. And the result of that appeared instantly. [The Low Rank Mana Bone skill has be Lv9. Magic has increased by 5. You can draw out your mana more effectively.] [The Low Rank Bursting Thunder skill has be Lv9. Strength and Magic have increased by 3. It seems youve gained a vague understanding of how to call down lightning upon your weapon.] Truthfully, when Lee Shin Woo was abruptly dragged into another world and brought into the Underground Empire just a short while ago, he had caught onto the basics faster than the other heroes. It was only natural, since he absorbed the knowledge and experiences of the undead whod already possessed these fundamentals. However, he couldnt give himself a perfect score. Since most of the enemies hed fought were low leveled undead. However, that changed when he absorbed the Bone Original Core. [The Low Rank Stealth skill has be Lv8. Agility has increased by 7. You can now hide your movements more naturally than before.] [The Intermediate Combat Sense skill has be Lv2. Agility has increased by 5. Your dynamic visual acuity has grown.] He possessed an exemry bnce that he couldnt even find in the many individuals in his memories, as well as the know-how of how to handle magic. While it seemed like thats all that happened, most of his skills had also increased in level. It wasnt an exaggeration to say that he went through an overwhelming growth the moment he got a handle on the basics. [Using this core to make a mass produced type golem? What a waste.] "Ugh...!?" However, that wasnt the end of it. He epted all the information regarding the golems, and the panting Lee Shin Woo came to the second wave of information. It was a memory detailing the instant the Original Core was born. [The copies of the core are deteriorating... Hmm, it might be possible with that.] [Do we really have to go this far? I dont think we really need to hide our identities.] Its impossible for the egoless core to possess memories, but as he raised his level, as well as the level of his Bone Reinforcement, Lee Shin Woo was ultimately able to see the memories of rted individuals as well! [This is all for the Empire.] [Arema. Arema Steelworker! We have all gathered under your name!] [We are...] [We are! The best of the Empire!] [...Since thats the duty weve been given.] Several individuals fragmented memories brushed past his brain. Lee Shin Woo grit his teeth to remember each and every one of them. The most important word amongst them was obvious. Arema Steelworker. A.S. [1] T/N: A.S. center is Konglish for after-service center. Basically, a repair shop. [2] T/N: Likely the most famous quote in the anime, Gurren Lagann. [3] E/N: example: A poles poles prity was determined by a couple of polls. Chapter 13 part2 "Shin Woo, are you alright!? Lee Shin Woo!" "Bleh..." He knew nothing woulde out, even if he vomited, yet he still attempted to do so, and roughly breathed out. It was something he retained from his days as a human being. Repeatedly doing so calmed him down and was certainly effective, though it could just be a cebo. "Get a hold of yourself, Shin Woo!" "Im ok. There was way too much informationing in all at once. Which means that it was also that helpful to me as well." Lee Shin Woo raised his front foot, slightly pushed aside Jin, who had been hitting him wildly, and replied. Then, the seemingly dissatisfied Jin scrapped the floor and spoke harshly. "Itd be great if I could make one for you as well." "You want to give me something like that; when it was even difficult for you to absorb!? Are you crazy?" "Nope. You probably wont be able to absorb the memories, so dont worry. Itll be helpful enough if you just learn the fundamental principle behind how the golems use mana, as well as how their body operates." This was especially important for Jin, as he didnt even know the basics behind mana usage; therefore, it would be even more helpful to Jin. Hearing that, the goblin fire in Jins eyes spun around, and he felt like he was at a loss, but he soon calmed soon. Because he realized the reality of his situation. "But there arent any more golems in the entire area, so theres nothing we can do. I really want to get stronger too, but it cant be helped since there arent any golems left that can drop cores." "Haha. So youre saying that if we can somehow get those cores, youre willing to ept it?" "Well, yeah. But there arent any. ...Right?" Hearing Lee Shin Woosughter, Jin suddenly felt anxious and replied timidly. Lee Shin Woo was smiling. The red light of his mana appeared in the palm of his outstretched hand, developing into a peculiar pattern. It was none other than the pattern that had been inscribed onto the Original Core. "Please say its not." "Why do you think so many golems were here? There are two possible causes. First, this was the golems destination." "Aw..." With just that one line, Jin figured it out. The next moment, the entire area seemed to resonate with the seal,posed of mana and created by Lee Shin Woo... But to be exact, the center of the hignds began to tremble. A gold circle appeared atop the ground, and the party of two entered inside the circle. Though they werent even connected, Jin was able to tell what Lee Shin Woo intended. "Then is this by any chance a production site for the golems...? "Yeah, youre right. If you go below here, shouldnt there be some more golems remaining? The golems that were trapped inside, following the Empires copse..." Lee Shin Woo rode atop Jin and the area within the golden circle began to sink into the floor. It felt as though they were on an elevator going down to a secret base. The seal atop Lee Shin Woos hand was slowly rotating. Jin thought it looked like a magic circle seen in fantasy movies and asked. "Did you get a permit? Like in a dungeon?" "I reverse operated the Original Cores code, and attained the rights of a general administrator. But the owner should still have the directors rights, so I shouldnt be able to steal it." "Ooh..." As always, Jin wasnt able to understand him, but nheless agreed enthusiastically. As expected, hed thought that Jin wouldnt be able to understand the natural sciences, but Lee Shin Woo was honestly a liberal arts major as well. Fortunately, calcting theposition of mana didnt rely on arithmetic skills, but on intuition and logical reasoning. "But how far is this thing going to go down?" "Since our senior heroes dug as much as they could and still werent able to reach it, it probably means that this thing goes really deep underground." This entire empire was constructed underground, yet they had to go further underground? Now he could understand why the entrance was in the hignds. The more he thought about it, the less he couldprehend the scale of the Underground Empire, and justughed bitterly. "Ah, look. The ceilings closing." The ceiling plugged up, like a container being closed. In an instant, everywhere became dark, but due to the zing goblin fire in their eye sockets, they could tell where the other was. Though it was cool, wouldnt it be useless when trying to move stealthily in the dark? Lee Shin Woo suddenly had that concern. "I should practice turning off the goblin fire." "Your imaginations frightening... By the way, I followed you down here, but wouldnt the director be down here?" "They could." Lee Shin Woo affirmed unimportantly, and Jin narrowed his eyes. "Then its dangerous!" "Its always been dangerous for me. This time is no different." Lee Shin Woo acknowledged Jin calmly and then said. "But if we ovee that danger, we can grow tremendously. Thats our advantage over the other heroes. Not the fact that we have multiple lives, but the fact that because of those lives, we can attempt things that are dangerous to others even just one more time." "Thats... true." "If need be, Ill give up a life and we can just run away. Though Id gain as much as Id lose on the way out no matter what." Jin marveled at Lee Shin Woos statement. It was amazing that Lee Shin Woo wouldnt hesitate to stake his life and would stubbornly struggle in those situations where he might die, yet had survived up until now without losing many lives. If he had 97 remaining lives like him, Jin felt as though hed bex; but on the contrary, Lee Shin Woo was much more guarded. He really had a frightening tenacity and state of mind. "Weve arrived." Their descent came to aplete stop, and the slight tremors ceased. It was still dark everywhere, but Lee Shin Woo could sense that there was a passageway that stretched far ahead. As well as the golems that filled it, too. [Detected a trespasser.] [Confirmed a general administrators seal.] [On standby.] The golems activated instantly, emitting a screeching noise, but ceased their movements immediately after, once they recognized the seal floating atop the palm of his hand. Jin marveled at the sight, but Lee Shin Woo suddenly gripped the seal tightly and contorted it. At that moment, the golems attitude changedpletely. [Detected a trespasser.] [Blocking intrusion into the production base.] "Hey!" They couldve gone through this in a rxed manner, yet why is he making things so difficult!? Jin yelled in astonishment, but Lee Shin Woo replied calmly. "We wont be able to grow at all if we just go through it like this. I thought I could at least improve my Acting skill, but it would be pointless against golems which dont even have an ego." "You dumbass... theyreing!" [Beginning attack.] Something shed in the darkness; the closest golem had swung its greatsword! [Lv4 Bronze Sword Golem] The instant Lee Shin Woo dodged its attack, he confirmed that there were greatswords attached to where its arms shouldve been. They were different from the golems above! They were probably stronger, too! [Entry failed. On standby.] [Attack failed. Resuming attack.] "Hmm...?" Unfortunately, the passageway was so narrow that he couldnt fight them all at once, despite the sense of danger they gave off. The golems greatsword got stuck into the wall, and it did its best to remove it. Seeing that stupid golem, Lee Shin Woo thought thered be no way to train his skills, regardless of whether they were hostile to him or not. "Then... go ahead and try fighting them yourself, Jin." "But they look stronger than the Bronze Golems up top!" "You have an absolute advantage here with your high agility. Just try it out!" He said as he pushed Jin from behind. At that moment, the golem seeded in pulling out its greatsword and continued with its second attack. Jin was startled and moved his body, sessfully evading the attack. "Hey!" "Good luck!" "Eeeeek....!" Even as he grited his teeth, Jin activated Steel Body. His body became as tough and sharp as steel; it was an extremely useful skill which simultaneously made his body into both a shield and a sword. Immediately after, Jin forcefully struck the flustered golem, as its greatsword was stuck in the ground, with his front legs. It was an attack that simultaneously propelled his body forward with his hind legs and struck with the weight of his front legs! [Critical Hit!] [Confirming critical damage. Retreating for repairs.] [Confirming targets survival. Switching out.] Since his agility was so high, there was a frightening force behind his attack with just the simple motion of pushing his body forward. To the point that he was able to inflict critical damage onto a level 4 golem! Before, this kind of attack wouldve been overwhelmingly burdensome on Jins body, but here Steel Body exhibited its usefulness. It would temporary rid him of his knee joints and transform both his front legs into a substance akin to steel, which simultaneously reduced the burden on Jin and strengthened his attack. "Oh. Why are they so weak?" "As I thought, you can do it if you try. Now we just need to keep fighting and practice so that you keep attacking with that force." "Ugh!" Jin didnt even have the opportunity to respond and hectically moved his body. Thats because as soon as he finished off the golem attempting to retreat and its body had disappeared, he had to dodge the iing spear strike from another golem. Its not like he doesnt have the talent. Since hes so fundamentally nimble. Lee Shin Woo watched Jins struggle and nodded his head. If ones agility was high, their ability to respond to external stimuli would increase, though unfortunately Lee Shin Woo couldnt give him any advice in terms of his movements. The problem was that Jin would feel uneasy whenever his enemy attacked him; however, he saw that Jin was gradually bing better in that regard. If something went wrong, Jins attack, infused with his high agility, might be even more powerful than Lee Shin Woos own. Lee Shin Woo felt slightly happy. [Ceasing function.] [Ceasing function.] "Dont be careless. Therere guys up above." "I see them!" Compared to Lee Shin Woo, Jin was slower at clearing them, but he was still plenty fast. He quickly cleaned up the golems and gradually cleared up the passageway. He fought intense battles against the golems (though, of course, the golems were huge and the weapons they wielded were likewiserge, so they were at an overwhelming disadvantage) and Lee Shin Woo could see his movements improving by the minute. Lee Shin Woo picked up the cores and the Perium, and rxingly followed behind him. Then, when he confirmed that Jin wouldnt have any trouble taking down the golems by himself, he earnestly began examining the cores information. [Reinforced Attack Type Bone Core] [Original Core Synchronization Rate: 17%] "Ah, so thats why." The difference between the golems up top and the ones below was clear. Compared to the ones up top who protected their stations and were charged with defense, the golems trapped in here were mostly focused on offense. Thus, they were fitted with weapons like greatswords or spears, but they wereparatively weaker in defense. Whether its the Autonomous Defense Type Core, or the Attack Type Core, their original form was the Original Core, so I dont really need them. The Autonomous Defense Type Cores and the Attack Type Cores were mass produced versions of the Original Core. Lee Shin Woo, who had already absorbed the Original Core, didnt feel like he needed them. Truthfully, Lee Shin Woo was able to easily look into the information of the Attack Type Cores, even though the synchronization rate was only at 17%. [Ceasing function.] [Ceasing function...] "Euap!" "Yeah, actually I do need it." Despite him fighting impressively, Jin still had spots where he wascking, so Lee Shin Woo shook his head and began to reinforce a core in earnest. Since they were all reinforced cores, one sessful reinforcement would increase the synchronization rate by 1.5%, and if he was lucky, it would be increase it by 2%. [The Bone Original Core has beenpleted. You need more materials to manufacture golems. You can analyze the core in order to figure out what materials you need.] As they diligently passed through the passageway, he would absorb the cores from the fallen golems, andpleted another Original Core. "Be happy, Jin. Now youll be able to learn the fundamentals ofbat and magic..." "Shin Woo!" "Uh... Huh?" Hearing Jin urgently call for him, Lee Shin Woo, who was about to pass him the Original Core, stopped, raised his head, and looked forward. There was an object made of iron in front of him, something hed seen many times beforeing to the Empire. It was extremelyrge and long, withpartments and doors. That object which sat on tracks in front of them was... "Its a train..." "Isnt that a train...?" Lee Shin Woo and Jin simultaneously muttered, raised their heads, and looked at each other. They were sure of one thing. The two had discovered a secret that no other hero before them had found. Chapter 13 part3 "So this Empire had trains as well, huh." "More importantly, your world had trains too?" "It was a ce called Earth. Contrary to the Empire, there were several continents on the, and there were several nations on those continents... I came from a country called the United Kingdom." "I see. Ill remember that." Jin carelessly disclosed where he was born. Lee Shin Woo wasnt very surprised. Since he had figured out that their civilizations were roughly the same as they talked to each other. Especially since the name of theirs was the same; it was highly likely that theirs only differed nominally. But what was most important is that confirming that fact was difficult. Because of that, he couldnt add anything to the conversation. However, it seems like Jin thought differently. "Were you born on Earth as well, by any chance?" "Whys that important now?" "Well, it just feels different, you know?" "Theres no reason to look into things like that. It isnt the name of the were from thats of greatest importance, but the train right in front of us." Lee Shin Woo meticulously surveyed his surroundings, rather than hastily looking inside the train. Though the passageway had been filled to the brim with golems, when they had gotten outside of said passageway and arrived at this clearing, there was nothing here. To be exact, aside from the train with its opened door, as well as the tracks that it ran on, there was nothing else in the vast clearing. It was to the point that they believed that this underground clearing was designed for the sole purpose of running this train. "Where does this go... I probably wont be able to tell." "The only thing Im sure about is that its really long." Jin pushed his head forward, examined the continuing railway, and was astonished. Meanwhile, Lee Shin Woo exercised his rights as a general administrator again to ess the train, but there wasnt really any information he could gain from doing so. But there was one thing he did change; it was the reactivation of the train that had long since been silent. Of course, that wasnt his intent. [The train will depart in three minutes.] A voice rang out from the train itself. It was then that Lee Shin Woo realized that this lump of iron that resembled a train was also a golem. He didnt know who made it, but they had to be damn smart! "Try stopping it for now, Shin Woo. Shouldnt we know more about it before getting on? "Well, I can turn this thing on, but I cant turn it off." "What are you..." "Lets get on. It feels like a waste to just let it go." Jin just gaped at Lee Shin Woos recklessness. However, it was true that there was nothing else they could gain from this space, and he was also curious about whaty at the end of the railway. "Alright, lets get on." The body of the train, as well as the door, was huge. He could easily guess as to why. This was a freight train designed to load golems onto it. Lee Shin Woos guess just a short while ago was a bit off. This wasnt a production area for golems, it was the first ce the golems were delivered to! "If thats the case, then the golems that our seniors found in other areas were..." "We can assume that there were trains like this one there too. No, thats not the issue here." If they were lucky, they might be able to use this train to go to those areas as well! They could explore every nook and cranny of the Empire with this train! "But if something goes wrong, we could be dumped into the wrong ce and get ourselves killed." "Could you not say something so ominous...?" The two entered the train and examined the interior, but the only thing they could discover was traces that this train was once a ce that transported golems. Then again, it wasnt likely that it would tell thieves like them where the next station was. "Oh, its departing." "Seems that... ugh!" The moment the train door closed, the train began driving at a crazy speed. He didnt know what kind of magic was set-up on the railway or what skill the golem was using, but it was much faster than Jin running at top speed! "Kuhek!" "Are you alright!?" The highly agile Jin was able to swiftly regain his bnce and took to one side of the train, but Lee Shin Woo flew around the inside of the train and hit the back wall. It was a relief that he was able to use Rule of Bone to reinforce his bones before the collision. "I wouldve died...!" Lee Shin Woo gritted his teeth tenaciously at the pain all over his body and kept his bnce by gluing himself to one side of the train. If he was not made of bone, he wouldve spilled his guts, as well as his internal organs. "They shouldve announced it. What shitty manners." "Can you stand?" "I can now... somehow." How terribly fast did it run? Around the time Lee Shin Woo couldnt even tell how fast it was going, the train gradually began to slow itself down. "This is..." "..." If there was something different about this trainpared to one in modern times, it was that this train didnt have any windows. Lee Shin Woo and Jin just quieted their breathing and stood still within the slowing train. [We have arrived at the manufacturing headquarters.] The golems characteristically dry voice came out, notifying them that theyd arrived. Lee Shin Woo just flinched again when he heard that theyde to the manufacturing headquarters. He talked all big about how Jin shouldnt worry, but he actually couldnt help but be afraid since he was encountering the unknown. However, he couldnt just turn back and leave. He carefully stepped away from the wall and stood in front of the door. "For starters, lets activate the seal." "Should I absorb that core, too?" "No. When you absorb this core, youll roll on the floor for roughly thirty minutes while you grunt and groan, so lets keep that forter." "Seriously?" The door opened. Lee Shin Woo held the seal out, slowly walked out of the train, and surveyed his surroundings. The first thing he saw was another train on the station tform right next to them. When one enters therge station, theyd be able to see several trainsing and going... "Six, seven, eight... nine. Holy shit." There were nine more trains in the station. If they included the train the two rode on, there were ten trains total! Most of the trains came into the station and were on standby, and only the tform on the right end waspletely empty. "Im kind of getting scared here. Its way bigger than Id expected..." "Wait, didnt you expect that itd be this big? Even so, its just a ce that manufactures the golems we just took down. Were ok." Lee Shin Woo lightly used his Acting skill to conceal his unease from his partner. Jin relied on Lee Shin Woo, so if he ended up seeing how tense Lee Shin Woo was, hed be dispirited. It seemed as though his bluff was effective, as Jin calmed down a bit as well. [Ah, you actually came.] "Gah!?" Jin shamefully shrunk back when he heard the sound of an unfamiliar mans voice from somewhere! He knew theyd be discovered eventually, but he didnt think theyd be discovered as soon as they arrived... Lee Shin Woo naturally manifested a sword in one hand and put up his guard. However, he couldnt figure out where the source of the voice came from. [No. Im not going to kill you, so dont be so tense. If I wanted to kill you, I wouldve killed you earlier. But are you guys really undead?] "Cant you tell by just looking? Were just bones." [True. I only see bones.] "So youre saying you can see us, huh..." Lee Shin Woo realized at that very moment. The mans voice wasing from the trains everywhere simultaneously. That could mean only one thing: their opponent was someone who had higher authority than Lee Shin Woo. [If you were an undead spawned by the Emperors curse, then theres no way youd be moving so freely; how strange. What exactly are you?] "I have no reason to answer you, but... if I were to tell you one thing, its that we werent affected by the Emperors curse." [Yeah. It seems that way to me, too. You guys are truly strange. Especially the skeleton horse, who has a clear-cut will and can move on its own; this is the first time Ive ever seen one like that.] Seeing as how hes speaking like that, the man they were dealing with definitely retained his reasoning and will, and moved ordingly. Lee Shin Woo wanted to ask him about that, but he didnt hear the mans voice for quite some time after. Jin looked at Lee Shin Woo with eyes that seemed to signal that he wanted to immediately go back onto the train and get the hell out of there (the goblin fire that he emitted was quivering and the fact that he was able to interpret the pattern to this degree touched Lee Shin Woo), and Lee Shin Woo also pondered on what he needed to do first to secure a retreat path. That ways no good, so long as I dont have the top authority. Otherwise, the highest chance of survivaly in him crushing one of the golems, and them running the opposite way by following the tracks. No matter how far apart their levels were, it would be extremely difficult to follow Jin, who was a horse born for the sole purpose of running. Though their enemy might be able to match his speed temporarily, Jin possessed unlimited stamina as an undead, so they wouldnt be able to keep up with him! [I told you. Theres no need to run away. More importantly, the General said hed like to meet with you. We wont hurt you, so wont youe this way?] "General...?" Hearing that, Lee Shin Woo instinctually retorted. Why was it that he was so caught up with the word General? If that General was one of the 12 Generals in the Empire, then would he perhaps be... the missing pieces in his head started to match, and it felt as though fireworks were going off in his head. Is he General Seagald by any chance...!? General Seagald was in charge of the Anti-Skull Project, which attempted to stop the undead curse through the research of several different methods. What if he had been interested in golems, which were artificial life forms immune to the undead curse? And if they prepared for an emergency and created this facility to manufacture golems, then...! "What are you going to do?" "...I want to meet him at least once." "As I thought..." He had gone this far, so he couldnt back down now. However, he didnt blindly move while trusting in the mans promise that they wouldnt harm them. But, he had a strong hunch that if he backed out now, he wouldnt be able toe back here again. "If were unlucky, I might die not once, but several times. You stay put, but if it seems like things are going south, break one of these trains, follow the tracks, and go back. Since Ille join youter." "No. I want to meet him too. You told me how you had gotten stronger before, remember? Moreover, itll be better if Im there if were faced with a situation where we have to run away." "You..." It really was a response befitting an undead; he was unwilling to stay out of it. Lee Shin Woo smiled bitterly, and nodded his head. Honestly, if things didnt go as nned, it wasnt as though he didnt have skills to protect him. That skill was none other than the Sacrifice skill. [Sacrifice Lv1 (Active)] [You can activate this skill when someone else is about to die. You save the targets life in exchange for your own. The user will die without fail.] Though Id like it if I didnt have to use it. When he had first received the Savior karma token, as well as this skill, hed thought it was a useless skill that just came along with a half-assed karma. Thinking, what kind of useless skill is this? I sacrifice my life to save only one other person?. However, it wasnt a useless skill for Lee Shin Woo. Why? Because Lee Shin Woo had 97 lives remaining, thats why. He certainly couldnt use the skill recklessly, but he could use for his partner, who more than doubled his fighting strength. [Good. Come this way.] They went to the stairway beyond the wide tform, and the door above opened automatically. He wondered what hed do if there were several golems in there, but... there werent. [Wee, Undead. Even if you go crazy, please dont attack me.] There, a colossal, burly golem stood awaiting them. [Since Im not alive. Understand?] With mana more powerful than anyone hed ever met before. [Lv7 Golem Ark Knight - Guillotine Steelworker] A golem. Chapter 13 part4 "A golem...?" Lee Shin Woo muttered as he saw the message informing them of the identity of the titan before them. He expected him to be an undead that hadnt lost its reasoning, or a human that held out inside of a dungeon so that he could survive, but he hadnt expected him to be a golem... [Of course I am. What else, besides a golem, could retain its sanity within the Empire?] Thats why Im so interested in you two, the golem added as his eyes lit up. He possessed a humans eyes, skin, face, and hair; he perfectly resembled a human being, so if Lee Shin Woo hadnt learned that information from the message, he wouldnt have known that he was actually a golem. [Though Id like to ask you about your identity right at this very moment... the General would like to see you, so follow me for now.] "What are you going to do?" "...Lets go." He couldnt precisely ascertain the situation, but there was something that bothered him. It was the fact that the golems name was Guillotine Steelworker. Based on the memories that dwelled within the Original Core, Arema Steelworker was definitely the director. Was it just coincidence that part of his name was simr to the directors? Lee Shin Woo thought that wasnt possible. Then, whether its General Seagald or not isnt the issue here. The golem bearing the name of Steelworker was a level 7 powerhouse. If thats the case, then what about the director, Arema Steelworker? He would obviously be an even higher level than the golem... then, wouldnt he be the general the golems talking about? Lee Shin Woo had definitely miscalcted. I didnt think that golems were making other golems. I didnt think that, but... if I think that way, it all makes sense. Golems cant turn into the undead and they shouldnt die of old age either... But its way too surprising that theres a golem with an innate ego. And a high leveled ego at that. [Dont mess with the other doors on the way and just follow straight behind me. Since you could set off a trap.] "Ah." "Alright." Around the time that Lee Shin Woos head was filled withplications, the golem spoke calmly. Jin, who had been observing the doors that lined the passageway, was shocked and slightly stepped back. It was so huge that it was difficult to take his eyes off it. There were several roads that branched off from the passageway and even those forked roads branched out into several different paths. Jin wouldnt have known any better, but Lee Shin Woo clearly felt a mass of powerful mana at the end of each of those forked roads. Ha.. Lee Shin Woo justughed. It made sense how they threw away level 3 or level 4 golems like they were nothing. It was possible for the contents of any one of these several dozen rooms to be able to take down all of those weak golems that were destroyed by Lee Shin Woo and Jin before. It was possible since they wouldnt lose anything from neglecting the golems or letting them be destroyed. Lee Shin Woo started to be curious as to what their mission was. But for starters, it did seem like they definitely werent on the side of the Imperial Army, which had degenerated into the undead... [Weve arrived.] "Its a huge door." [Consider it an honor. Its not a door that anyone can just enter whenever they wish, aside from the knights that guard the general.] The door lock looked simr to that of the Anti-Skulls secret facilitys, and when Guillotine Steelworker ced his hand on it, aplex mana seal formed atop his hand and released the locking mechanism. Lee Shin Woo couldnt help but be amazed as he saw the door lock and the mana pattern of the seal intersect and delicately, gradually release the lock. It was an interaction that was worlds apart from Anti-Skulls door lock! It felt like Lee Shin Woos mana senses had advanced just by watching the process. [Even if you pay such close attention to it, you probably wont be able to do it yourself so easily. Since its something only golems can do. Now, go in. The Generals waiting for you.] "Haha." For a golem, he was quick on the uptake. Lee Shin Woo just smiled bitterly, followed behind him, and stepped into the room. The first thing he saw was a huge table. Next was the absurdly high ceiling. Finally, what he saw was... [Lv8 Golem Zero - Golden General Arema Steelworker] He was a golem that boasted a height of more than six meters even while sitting down. "Hoh..." "Ugh." [How peculiar.] The general remained seated while examining them and then slowly stood up. When Lee Shin Woo saw that the Golden General, Arema Steelworker, almost touched the ceiling at his full height, he waspletely overwhelmed. He didnt match the Lv5 Treasure Eater in terms of size, but the quality and density of his mana was worlds apart. It was to the point that hed feel badparing that dirty caterpir to him side by side. [I dont feel the curses mana from you at all. This space is filled to the brim with the curse, yet I feel like the curse is bouncing off of you. From an undead, who is neither a human nor a golem. ...Who, exactly, are you?] "..." Jin waspletely terrified by his strength and stiffened in ce. On the other hand, Lee Shin Woo remained silent thinking about how he should respond. The golem before him was powerful, and possessed a method of observing the flow of mana that far surpassed Lee Shin Woos own. He even contemted and acted like a human. The fact that he was a golem didnt matter right now. Lee Shin Woo needed to assume that he was smarter than him in every aspect. Can I just tell him the truth? Even that were heroes as well? If the Golden General was hostile to the undead, it wouldnt hurt if they told him they were heroes. Since it would confirm that they were both on the same side. But there was too much he didnt know about them right now. If they dont understand, they could end up dead and would have just given them unnecessary information. If thats the case, then first... Lee Shin Woo stuck out his nonexistent tongue, licked his nonexistent lips with saliva he didnt even have, and opened his mouth. "Do you know... about Anti-Skull?" This was the start of his lies. [Did you volunteer for the Anti-Skull Project? You even know about that?] As he thought, the general knew about Anti-Skull. If he were one of the twelve generals like General Seagald, it wouldnt be strange if he knew about the Anti-Skull Project, especially if he was a golem that was immune to the curse. But this is a trap. Seeing the golems shing eyes, Lee Shin Woo decided as such. His body movements, as well as his voice were all extremely natural, but he was a golem. From the very beginning, he was suspicious as to whether he actually had a mind or not. It would be the end if he was so easily tricked by his cordial behavior. "It seems like we can cut to the chase since you know about their project. Id made contact with them in the past, but the ce where their experiments took ce is far away. We went a different way from them." [Youve made contact with them...? Hmm, is that so.] The golem spoke as if he understood and nodded his head. Of course, Lee Shin Woo still wasnt at ease yet. After all, the general was still suspicious of the two. Well, its only natural. Since Lee Shin Woo and Jin just popped up several dozens of years after the Empires fall. So how could they trust them so easily if they just showed up and said that they were part of some experiment that no one knew about? [Youre not one of General Seagalds men?] "We worked together with one of the men under hismand. Thus, we know about the Anti-Skull Project to some extent, and we participated in the n, but... weve never actually met General Seagald before." [Indeed. Its not so easy to learn about Anti-Skull. Im curious as to who that individual was under General Seagaldsmand, but... No, its fine. Since even I dont know everything about Seagald right now.] However, he couldnt just openly deny him. Because he didnt have any evidence that actually refuted Lee Shin Woos ims. Especially since Lee Shin Woo knew quite a bit regarding the Anti-Skull Project. The moment one cleverly mixes lies with the truth, ones words be more persuasive and reassuring. Thats why Lee Shin Woo could stand so proud. [The administrator of that project mustve been someone considerably famous. Since he sessfully created undead who couldpletely resist the curse, or absorb it.] "Were just lucky. Several people died as well. Though we were a sess, we ended up sleeping for dozens of years in exchange." [I understand. Since that ability couldnt have appeared if not for your luck thats close to a miracle from God.] "I agree. Its only natural that this guy and I were the only sesses to the experiment. I lost a lot of memories, a lot of time has passed, and there were several side effects as well, but..." Did they catch on? When he said a miracle from God, Lee Shin Woo momentarily thought as much, yet he responded so naturally, like flowing water. Hearing Lee Shin Woo, Arema Steelworker momentarily hesitated, but soon nodded his head and spoke. [I apologize. I was overly suspicious of you and I ended up bringing up some unpleasant memories. Well stop the interrogation here. Since we both share a hatred for the curse that fills the Empire.] "Of course. If it werent for that curse, I wouldnt have be like this." [...Agreed. How unfortunate.] Is this guy also hostile to the undead as well... If thats true, then should I disclose that Im a hero? ...No, lets just leave that out for now. Since it wouldnt hurt. Lee Shin Woo just inwardly nodded in response to Arema Steelworker. Hed figured out the generals position and had simultaneously managed to hide his own identity. It wasnt perfect, but the golem was level 8; whats worse, he was one of the 12 generals of the Empire, so it turned out ok. The moment he thought so, his Acting skill leveled up. [You havepletely fooled an overwhelmingly higher leveled target. The Acting skill has be Lv8. Your lies be truth until the moment you yourself say otherwise.] However, that wasnt all. Lee Shin Woos continued to read through the messages that had caused his eyes to open wide. [A Joker conceals everything about themselves, and is one who makes false faces. There is no need for there to be a special reason behind your words or actions. That is what it means to be a Joker. All stats have increased by 5. You have fulfilled a part of the conditions to unlock the Jokers innate skill.] It doesnt matter whether you have a reason; just lie your way out first... this is my type of skill. If he were to deceive his opponent first, it would be easier to get out of the situationter, even if things went wrong. Since all he needed to do was to say something else and lie to them again! His normal way of thinking and this karma was a perfect fit. It felt as though hed found his calling and he seemed pleased, but then, Arema Steelworker moved on to a different topic. This was probably the main topic. [Im more surprised that you were able to acquire the rights of a general administrator than the fact that you guys are undead. It shouldve been impossible even if you were considerably talented...] "I was curious who the owner of all those golems was. I also wanted to know your intentions as well. I was luckily able to make a forgery of it." [What you did isnt something you can just pass off as a joke. You should be more confident in yourself. ...More importantly, I want to know what your intentions are. I suppose its time for you to ask the questions now, huh?] "Therere just simple questions. After all, you said yourself that we share a hatred for the Empires curse." [Hahaha! Alright, Ill answer your questions, brave skeleton. Since I have nothing to hide.] Hearing Lee Shin Woos polite and bold statement, the generalughed uproariously. It looked so natural that he could hardly believe that he was a golem. Immediately after, something shocking happened. The golems body, which was close to 9 meters tall at full height, dwindled in size, and turned into a mere 2 meter tall giant! [Most people... even Seagald and Leofield knew this as a giant transformation skill, but its not actually that. Its something that can only be used in the golem highmand and is a technique thatpresses a golems body. Were you surprised?] "Yes..." He was really surprised. Lee Shin Woo had thought it was only possible because the general was a golem, but there really was a way to turn into a giant! Didnt that mean that a skill existed in this world that could transform him into a giant? His heart began to pound rapidly. [Most of the citizens of the Empire wouldnt know, but the Golden Army formed by Arema Steelworker wasprised of golems from the very beginning. It was an army created without hesitation to protect the Empire, and in order to create those golems that moved and lived with a clear purpose, we transferred a knights consciousness into a core; this is the fruit of our efforts at the end of all those experiments.] "...!?" [Yes. Our goal was different, but were both simr arent we? We were both sacrificed for our experiments. As a result, we were also able to avoid turning into the undead, so its truly ironic, wouldnt you say?] Hearing such a shocking story of how the golems came into existence, Lee Shin Woo kept opening and closing his mouth, but then, the Golden General spoke faintly. [The day after the curse struck, all the living became undead. However, we, who werent of the living any longer, remained.] The core had been engraved with loyalty to the Empire, yet that Empire was now gone, so they hadnt known what to do. [We remained, dozens of yearster.] Chapter 13 part5 For golems created by humans, loyalty to their master was paramount. The golems were also created for the purpose of protecting the Emperor. [However, the Emperor wasnt satisfied with just ordinary golems. He wanted them to think and move like a normal human being, while also being able to gain karma and grow. Aside from their unwavering loyalty, he wanted every aspect of them to be as close to a human being as possible. Because of that, we began our experiments. To create an absolute fighting force that was loyal only to the Emperor himself...] They sucked the Empires precious resources dry, as well as the souls and magic of several young knights, and at the end of all those sacrifices, they seeded in creating monsters; the Golden Army that originated from the Golden General, Arema Steelworker. [There are many who probably dont know about it. ...We lived much longer than the citizens of the Empire couldve imagined. But by the time the Emperor, who dreamt of immortality, created us, he was already old and decrepit.] "Ha." The knights, whose human souls werebined with a golems body, certainly were loyal to the Emperor alone, thought like humans, and were also beings who were capable of growth. Above all, they possessed strong bodies and magic, and were able to survive for such a long length of time. They were the best guards for the Emperor. "The Emperor dreamt of eternal youth and immortality, yet he didnt think of bing a golem himself?" [There was a huge problem. Ultimately, we couldnt achieve a sess rate of 100%.] "Ah..." The Emperor probably couldnt take that risk. Lee Shin Woo justughed. He didnt n on attempting to seriously verify Arema Steelworkers ims; but since hed be so immersed in his interesting story, he naturally became serious about it. It wasnt his intention, but it had a positive effect on the way Arema Steelworker treated Lee Shin Woo. Though Aremas face softened only slightly, it was enough. [I knew about the Emperors desire for immortality, but because I had pledged absolute loyalty to the Emperor, I couldnt express any opinions regarding it. And ultimately, the day that horrific curse waspleted... the Emperor be undead, and we were freed. Since the spell that restricted our free will didnt factor in the Emperor bing an undead.] "Then, what did you do after you were freed...?" [I led my subordinates out of the capital and we hid here. The Emperor left me in charge of this ce, and it was the only ce where we could be safe. The Golem Production Facility.] They hid? Thats what they decided to do once theyd be free of the Emperors control? Without even trying to fight once? Lee Shin Woo noticed that the conversation had taken a strange turn. After all, this was a bit different than what hed envisioned! [Aside from us, everyone else became undead, including the other generals who possessed a fighting force equal to mine. I couldnt win against all of them, and I didnt want to fight against them either.] "Mm...!" It was such a weak thing to say,pared to how imposing he seemed when they first met. He wanted to ask if he was weaker than General Seagald by any chance, but now wasnt the time to provoke him. While he was boiling up on the inside, Arema Steelworker cut in. [Weve lost our purpose. We have nothing left to direct our loyalty to, and just remain idle, slowly losing our free will over the passage of time. Were just souls who are unable to sleep, and live underground, gradually rusting away.] "Hmm..." [You, the undead who are able to resist the Empires curse. I dont know who you are, or why you decided to bravelye here.] At some point, the conversation wasing to an end. Unexpectedly, Aremamended them, and spoke like this. [Weve lost our wills and were just lingering dolls, so just leave us be and go back.] "..." Thats a lie. Lee Shin Woo was absolutely sure of it when he heard that. He was a way higher level than him, but unfortunately, his acting was much worse than Lee Shin Woos. It didnt matter whether he was a golem or not. It didnt matter if there were faults in his reasoning or not. His incredible intuition that developed with his Acting skill was telling him this. Arema Steelworker had different intentions, and he didnt want him to interfere, so he was trying to keep him out in advance! "Not yet." [Hmm?] Lee Shin felt like it was time to use his winning move. Right now, concealing his identity or ascertaining their identity wasnt importantpared to this. He decided that hed extracted all the information he could from them, and that there was still a chance to adjust their rtionship! "I have a request." Lee Shin Woo said courageously. As always, Arema Steelworker sported a smile, but he was a golem, so Lee Shin Woo couldnt trust his expression. [I was interested in your ability, so I called you here and spoke to you personally, but I can do nothing more for you. I cannot permit anything else. Go back. The next time you make a copy of that seal and use it to intrude, I wont just sit by and leave you be.] [Alright. If youre done talking, shall we go?] When Arema Steelworker finished softly, but firmly, Guillotine Steelworker approached them whilst emitting a turbulent spirit, as though he would execute them if they didnt listen. All he was doing was emitting mana from his entire body; despite that, Lee Shin Woo felt his body go stiff. He knew that he was no match for him. "I have no intention of...!" [Huh!?] However, Lee Shin Woo utilized Rule of Bone to its very limit, resisting the pressure, and yelled out. In order to achieve his primary objective ofing here! "I have no intention of stepping into this ce, so please allow us to continue using that train! We wont bother you, and we wont talk to you. We just want to ride that train to move around. If you allow us to use the train, wed like some information regarding the destination as well!" [...] "Were going to take care of the undead in the underground empire, and those trains will be really helpful in doing so. Ah, Ill also take care of the golems youre not using, too!] [You amazing bastard...] The unexpected request startled Arema Steelworker. Lee Shin Woo acted like he was asking for something trivial, yet it was actually an extremely brazen request; Guillotine Steelworker was astonished that hed ask for such a thing, and muttered. He may not look it, but he had made the request after nning everything out. [You truly are brave. Despite the difference in strength, you...] "Thats exactly why. Were nothingpared to you, so thats why we can speak to you like this. Since were nobodies to you, and it wont hurt you to ept a request from some nobodies." [...] Regardless of what Arema Steelworker was thinking about, at the very least, Lee Shin Woo was sure that he was no longer under the Emperorsmand. And though he wasnt moving proactively, he held no love for the curse that covered the Empire. In addition, Lee Shin Woos intuition told him that based on those feelings, he had some kind of secret n in the works. Figuring out their identity was likely to ascertain whether they would get in the way of said n. "Like I said, all I want is to be able to use the train!" [Ha...] Lee Shin Woo was well aware of that, so thats why he made such a suggestion. He roughly understand their situation, so he asked for a little bit of help, on the condition that they dont bother them. It wasnt a bad offer for them either, so he thought theyd have no reason to refuse. But if they did refuse his offer? Then, they would just get the hell out. The idea of Try it. You have nothing to lose had lead to this situation. [General, shall I take care of them?] [...No, theyre interesting.] The moment Arema said that, Lee Shin Woo inwardly smiled tedly. It was exactly the response hed been hoping for. Hed been acting desperately from the moment they met in order to retain that small favorable impression that tinged his voice. [Fine. Do as he asks. Ill allow it, on the condition that you not leave the station.] "Thank you very much." [General...] [Guillotine, Im ordering all the golems including you. From this point on, if those two enter headquarters, kill them without mercy. But if they dont, dont touch them.] [...I understand.] He seemed dissatisfied, but Guillotineplied obediently and nodded his head. He had no choice but to do so. Based on the flow of mana, it seemed like Guillotine didnt have any choice in the matter and that Arema was in control. Was the reason that a golem could be the master of the other golems due to the unnatural nature at which they lost connection with the original master? There was no way of knowing that right now. [I heard a lot from you, but I havent heard your name yet.] Arema Steelworker said. The reason he hadnt asked for their names was because he didnt think theyd see each other again. However, the fact that hed changed his mind and had asked for their names meant that Arema unconsciously thought that they might meet each other again. "My name is Paul Zero." Lee Shin Woo replied in an overwhelmingly confident voice. He felt that it was a relief that they hadnt spoken each others names once since they came here, and he lied in a situation where he didnt think he would. [Paul Zero... Ill remember that name. Along with your partner, that is.] "Youll be able to hear about me from various parts of the Empire." [At the very least, your spirit is impressive. However, the fact that you possess the will to push forward, despite being in an undead body, leaves quite the impression on us. Go as far as you can.] Hed lied until the very end, and the moment hed sessfully tricked Arema, his Acting skill had unexpectedly leveled up again! [The Acting skill has be Lv9. Whenever you make a new personality, people suspect you of having multiple personalities.] Lee Shin Woo remained stiff, even after hed received permission to use the train, and dragged Jin through the corridor. Guillotine Steelworker sent them off. Perhaps it was because hed lied so perfectly, but Guillotine didnt treat Lee Shin Woo too badly. [Are there a lot of undead like you outside?] "Ive met a few of them. They were partial sesses from the Anti-Skull Project, though they degenerated into skeletons like me." [Hoh...] He was instinctively respectful to Arema Steelworker, but spokefortably with Guillotine like when theyd first met. It mightve been because hed received an order from Arema, but he wasnt concerned with that. [On that day, I saw General Seagalds form and thought that perhaps... So it really was like that. From the very beginning, that guy was damn impressive...] "As I thought, he maintained his reasoning as well?" [Well, you did say that you were asleep following the experiment, so youd be unaware of that disastrous day. Youre right. He was fighting against the Emperor even as an undead. I saw him being restrained by the other generals and him leaving the capital. We were able to leave by taking advantage of thatmotion.] Hed gotten a hold of some great information! Lee Shin Woo only nodded his head, without getting caught. Around that time, Jin, whod been frozen solid, slightly bumped Lee Shin Woo with his head. He was timidlyining that Lee Shin Woo had dragged him all the way here and put him through all that. [Huh? Now that I think about it, didnt this guy talk a lot before?] "Hes too exhausted from putting up with the Golden General." [Well, its true that the Generals magic is considerable. Then how did you endure it? You were also able to obtain the general administrators rights, so who exactly are...] At that very moment, the train arrived. Lee Shin Woo saw the door connecting the station tform and the passagewaypletely close and inwardly, slightly, very slightly, breathed a sigh of relief. He put in a lot of work to get everything to work out, but he couldnt believe that hed actually gotten what he wanted. Plus, his Acting skill had even grown! Lee Shin Woo trusted that todays deceit would bear fruit in the future. [Take it. Its the map for each supply line. You can do as you wish with the abandoned golems there.] "Thanks." As expected, he was right; there was a map. From an outside view, it looked to be just an iron te, but if he disyed the special mana pattern, the map would appear on top of the te; it was a relief that it was the type of map that he could use with the general administrative rights. [Then Ill get going now. You better keep your promise. Since the General doesnt lie.] "I dont lie either." He lied up until the very end and his trustworthy expression (his zing red goblin fire) seemed to satisfy Guillotine, as he nodded his head and went back. Soon, they couldnt see him as he had gone through the passageway. Of course, this was still their territory, so they couldnt afford to be reckless. When the two were left alone, Lee Shin Woo activated the map and picked the ce closest to the outskirts of the Empire, aside from where they had been before. Thats because it was the easiest to handle. "Alright. Then shall we go?" "...Im not dead yet, right?" "Of course youre not. We have so many golems left to kill, so you cant die on me now." "You want me to fight again!?" "Be happy. When we go past there, Ill give you that (the Bone Original Core)." "Im not happy at all, you know!" The two skeleton heroes unhesitatingly embarked on the train (golem) towards the southern outskirts of the Empire. Like hed learned from before, he didnt forget to hold on tight. The train departed right away. And so, Lee Shin Woo began his trip along the Empires railway. Chapter 13 part6 He didnt know exactly how far reaching Arema Steelworkers control over the golems went, but Lee Shin Woo and Jin tacitly agreed that they would be careful with their words and actions within the train. In the middle of the odd silence, the train gradually began to slow down. After that, they received a signal that theyd arrived at their destination. They had really traveled from the west end of the Empire to the south end instantaneously. "Would anyone believe us if we told them?" "Probably not..." If all of the heroes were able to use this subway line, the territory of the Empire might change immediately. The system was that revolutionary. Is the Undead Emperor unaware of this facility? Its because he was unaware of it that this facility had remained safe all this time. He could tell, through the examination of the Original Core, that Arema Steelworkers authority in terms of golem manufacturing was extremely high. The Emperor had probably trusted in his absolute loyalty and seemed to have entrusted Arema Steelworker with manufacturing the golems, as well as overseeing all the operations. Back then, he had to have absolute trust in them, as they were under a master-servant rtionship. "Were screwed." At that moment, Jin spoke in a slightly trembling voice. Thend was teeming with golems beyond the automatically opening door. Considering the fact that they were all level 4 Bronze Golems and were armed with weapons, he could tell that they possessed Attack Type Cores. But Lee Shin Woo had already expected that, so he had activated his general administrator seal. [Confirming general administrator.] [Wee.] A few of the golems spoke mechanically and greeted them. Lee Shin Woo wondered if he could, so he ordered them to stand in line, but they wouldnt follow such a detailed order. A general administrative authority only made it so that they wouldnt attack him, thats all. "Well, I suppose it cant be helped. Work hard and get through them. Oh, and make sure you choose the right ce." "You demon!" Lee Shin Woo acted as though he would break apart the seal any minute now, and Jin hastily stepped into the subway train door. Hed desperately moved there to force a 1 on 1 confrontation! Lee Shin Woo, without even giving him any time, erased the seal, and at that very moment, the golems turned their attention to them. [Detecting a trespasser. He has infiltrated into a critical facility. Reporting to code name, A.S.] [Communication blocked. Assessing the situation. Proceeding to eliminate the trespasser.] When the golems were blocked by Arema Steelworker, Lee Shin Woo sensed a portion of the flow of mana in the entire area snap. And what did he realize from that? He realized the way in which Arema Steelworker blockedmunication with them. He doesnt blockmunication with each golem, but blocksmunication by region, huh. In other words, this area was now safe from Arema Steelworkers gaze. The moment he realized that, Lee Shin Woo recreated the general administrator seal and turned the golems away. Jins eyes zed with indignation, and he turned around and yelled. "Are you training me like a dog!?" "I have to feed you something tasty before the training starts." "Ugh." Jin, seeing the Bone Original Core that Lee Shin Woo had been saving, spoke awfully, as though hed eaten an entire lemon whole. Lee Shin Woo kindly motioned for him toe over with his hand, and Jin looked as though he was a criminal being offered poison, as he slowly walked over. "But can you take that out now?" "The connections beenpletely cut in this region. We can talkfortably now." "Really? By the way, Lee Shin Woo. How the hell were you able to stand in front of a level 8 golem and lie without even blinking!? He was a level 8 golem!" That was probably something hed really wanted to say. He was more shocked than awed by what he had seen. Lee Shin Woo just chuckled and replied. "Who cares? They lied to me too. They definitely oppose the Emperor, but dont trust anything other than that." "Really!? They sounded like they were going to cry...!" "Anyone can make something like that up." It seemed as though Jin had taken everything that theyd said as the truth. Lee Shin Woo looked at him pitifully, and then Jin put great effort into turning his head and spoke as if he were justifying himself. "We arent enemies, so it didnt seem like there was any reason to lie to each other..." "There are things you have to keep from your allies as well. And though we have amon enemy, theres no guarantee that theyre not our enemies as well." "You sure spoke bravely to that golem." "Since our growth is a pressing matter. Moreover, I was able to say that to him because he doesnt know how fast our growth is." He replied calmly, and continued on. "In any case, we got everything we wanted; maybe even more." "A way to contact them." They said theyd only use the train, but as theye and go, the golems would inevitably take an interest in them again. Arema Steelworker knew that as well. Lee Shin Woos final goal was to constantly use the train, give them a strong impression, gain their trust, and ultimately, forge a deep connection with them. If its possible, a contract with them as well. Hearing that, Jin was frightened and replied. "In other words, doesnt that mean that well remain visible to them, and theyll be watching us?" "Life is like that. Isnt it a worthwhile risk?" "Youre really bold, arent you..." "If I wasnt, I wouldnt be able to act. Hurry up ande over here." "Damn it. I hate things that hurt." Lee Shin Woo had his fill of Jins admiring gaze and ced the Bone Original Core atop Jins forehead. And like an oral surgeon about to perform root canal surgery on a patient, he lied gently. "If it hurts, just say so. Bone Reinforcement!" "Ughhhhhhhhhh!" Of course, there was nothing he could do, even if Jin said that it hurt. All he could do was ce a hand on Jins back, share the pain through their connection, and help him to fully absorb the core. Since hed already absorbed the core once before, it was quite easily for him. [Strength has increased by 2, and Magic by 3.] "What a gold mine." Though hed already absorbed the information from the Original Core, there was quite a bit of newfound memories remaining within. [You cockroaches. Why dont you just give up?] [Our duty is one of honor. Its all for the sake of the Emperor.] "Hoo." "Gahhhhhhhhh." Lee Shin Woo shouldered all of the memories that Jin couldnt handle, and the massive quantity of mana knowledge, as well as the method to harmonize the body and mana were poured into Jin. It was ridiculously easier than when hed absorbed the core, but it seemed as though even this was difficult for Jin as he had gritted his teeth. "It hurts! Just a little... Just a little slower!" "If I slow it down any further, youll lose all the memories. Itll be tough, but endure it just a little while longer." As expected, even if he told him it hurt, there wasnt anything he could do about it. He shouldve known since hes been to a dentist before! Tears flowed from his eyes at Lee Shin Woos betrayal as all the information from the core was being shoved into his brain. It had taken less than five minutes, yet it had felt like an eternity to him. "Ugh, ugh..." "You alright?" "Im not ok." After he had finishedpletely absorbing the core, Jin gasped like Lee Shin Woo had, even though nothing came out, and gritted his teeth. Lee Shin Woo asked gently. "How much did your stats increase?" "Strength by 9, agility by 15, health by 7, and magic by 13... Plus, most of my skills increased by 2 or 3 levels each..." "It was good that you absorbed it, right?" "Yeah. Damn it..." Even if he considered that Jins agility increased by a factor of three, it was a ridiculous increase in stats. The Original Core really was a gold mine. Of course, the more he absorbed it, the less its effects would be, but it certainly remained an attractive material nheless. Lee Shin Woo inspected the outside, filled to the brim with golems, and spoke excitedly. "By the time weve gone to all the points on the map, we should both be level 5." "Im not going to go through Bone Reinforcement for another month." "Shouldnt we shoot for level 6 in a month?" "No, you demon!" How much information could there have been for Jin to still be unable to steady himself and totter around? Lee Shin Woo knew what to do in this situation. "Now, go out and fight." "You really are a demon!" "The information in your head hasnt been fully organized yet, so you should gradually adapt to the knowledge and experiences by actually using them in the field. Ive already gone through this before, so just listen to me." "Ugh..." Finding no alternative, Jin followed Lee Shin Woos orders to the letter. Whenever the seal stopped radiating light, the golems would emit a mechanical sound, ande rushing over to them from all over! But at the very least, there werent any golems equipped with long distance weapons! [Repelling trespasser.] [Aiding. The space is narrow and we cannot afford to damage the critical facility. Standing by.] "Steel Body!" Countless golems swarmed them! Jin, who fought them off, instinctively activated Steel Body. His body was reinforced much faster and much more naturally than before he absorbed the Bone Original Core! "Heuaap!" "Ooh." Jin instinctually kicked the front golem and stepped on it; then, he turned his body around, and swept away the golems in the front with his hind legs in a single stroke. Through Steel Body, his hind legs were strengthened such that they were as sharp and heavy as an axe and all the golems were blown back with one kick! "Good, youre doing well! Now you can take on a majority of the golems here!" "Eugeuaaaaa!" Jin used Lee Shin Woos cheers as fuel for his anger, and went on a rampage! Whats worse is that even as he fought, he realized that Lee Shin Woo was right about the umted knowledge, and got even more pissed off! On the other hand, Lee Shin Woo marveled at Jins fundamental change within such a short period of time, especially when concerning his movements inbat. Oh, hes doing much better than Id expected. Jin wasnt originally this talented, but after establishing a contract with Lee Shin Woo, continuously maintaining a connection with Lee Shin Woo, and being thrust into every kind of situation, he had surpassed his limitations. It was miraculous growth that came about due to their contract! Lee Shin Woo wasnt even aware of that; instead, he just figured that since Jin was more skilled than hed expected, he wickedly thought that hed be able to push him even more from now on. "Hoo, Hooo..." Itd been 10 minutes since Jin had improved hisbat abilities, and eventually, when his Steel Body skill leveled up once more, his front legs had atst touched the ground. There were no longer any enemies left. "Hey... I took down all of the golems!" "Wow, there were at least fifty of them. Nice job." "I really want to kill you right now." "I could die for you at least once. I would have 96 lives left then." Lee Shin Woo calmly responded and collected the loot; after that, he applied bone powder on the cracked and cut areas on Jins body, as if he were rubbing an ointment, and activated Bone Reinforcement. Jin twisted his body as if it had felt itchy. "A lot of Perium came out, but therere a lot of cores, too. There are 52 Attack Type Cores..." "Can youplete one core with just that many? "The problem is that we have to be lucky with this." Hed already figured out theposition of the Original Core, butbining the cores to create another Original Core was a different issue entirely. The purpose of reinforcing the core wasnt to match the dislocated sections, but to restore the fundamentally lost sections bybining two cores with simr characteristics. Naturally, there was a failure rate as well. "But its fine. Since there should be a lot of them still out there." "Some of them shouldve been taken care of by the other heroes." "Thats bad luck. Dont say stuff like that." Lee Shin Woo scolded Jin, whod said something that might bring misfortune, and lead him out of the passageway. He maintained the general administrative seal with one of his hands, and Jin, who was suddenly doubtful of his actions, asked. "Why do you keep creating the seal and then erasing it?" "Im practicing." "You already seeded in making it, though." Lee Shin Woo chuckled and replied. "Thats not it." "Huh...?" "I feel like I might be able to use it somewhere..." Honestly, there was another reason he wanted to keep in touch with Arema Steelworker and his golems. He wanted them to share their n with him, but catching their attention just seemed much too passive of an approach. Lee Shin Woo wanted to take a much more active approach. Like he had always done. And in order to do so... "I want to obtain higher authority than just an ordinary administrator." "..." Lee Shin Woos eyes gleamed, and the red goblin fire in his eyes shined wickedly. He was recollecting the seal that Guillotine Steelworker had created in front of the door lock. Jin, whod finally realized what Lee Shin Woos true intention was, thought it was fine to justugh. Chapter 14 part1 Guillotine Steelworker had said that the seal hed made was only possible for golems to create. Lee Shin Woo didnt think that was a lie. But even so, it didnt seem like itd be impossible to recreate it. Its possible to copy a golems mana pattern, so theres no way itd be impossible to copy the seal. But it wasnt something hed be able to do in the foreseeable future. Because of that, Lee Shin Woo thoroughly examined each golem as best as he could, indulged in the cores knowledge, and broke apart the low ranked golems to try to familiarize himself with the golems themselves. "What are you going to do by copying that?" "Im going to try controlling the golems." "Youre trying to control Arema Steelworker?" "Nope. That guys probably impossible for me to control." From the start, Lee Shin Woo hadnt even caught a glimpse of the highest authority over the golems. If he more deeply examined the golems, as well as absorbed more cores, he thought hed be able to figure it out someday, but he knew that now wasnt the time. For starters, his goal would be to obtain Guillotine Steelworkers administrator seal. So, he would gather all of the abandoned golems in the Empire and create his own corps of golems; that was his goal. If Arema Steelworker had heard him say that, hed be speechless and fall t on his face. "Im not going to just destroy golems, so dont worry. If thats all I was going to do, then why would I have taken the train ande out here? We have to take care of the undead nearby, too." "Yay, Im so happy..." They activated the elevator through the general administrative seal and went outside. While the west side consisted of stiff hignds, thendscape here was way too different. They wanted to check where theyd surfaced, but that was impossible. "I wonder where our seniors are." "They should be in the center of the Empire." Lee Shin Woo and Jin had grown drastically, but their seniors were mostly level 6, or perhaps even higher. They still had a lot of catching up to do. Of course, even if they did reach their level, they absolutely wouldnt be able to stand before them and reveal themselves to them. Would they be able to make them cease their deep-seated hatred towards the undead by just saying that they were heroes... Honestly, he was really doubtful of that right now. [Detecting trespasser.] [Repelling them as a top priority.] "So like I was saying, just take them down for now." "You!" "I cant raise my abilities by fighting against them anymore." A golems greatest strength was that they had a sturdy base, but that could be a weakness as well. They were too unustomed to irregrities. From the very beginning, they were much too easy to take down for Lee Shin Woo, whose specialty was his irregr fighting style thatcked a concrete form. Hearing that, Jin thought that he was shamefully boasting, but like always, he couldnt deny it. "I want to observe the golems more thoroughly. So, charge!" "Sseup, I guess it cant be helped..." Jin gantly galloped forth, with his body enveloped in steel-like mana. Lee Shin Woo saw the golems switch their battle formations to intercept him, and leisurely observed their mana patterns. Of course, because he was maintaining his general administrative seal, all of the golems aggroed on Jin. "Ive been fighting too muchtely, so Ive been tired." No one would say anything if he took a really quick break in between analyzing the mana. Probably. He nodded his head and continued observing. However, he started to get bored from just observing and studying, so he decided to open the chatting channel. [Mr. Lee Shin Woo has entered.] [Ye Jin Jin: Its been a long time!] [Lee Shin Woo: Yeah, it has. Youre still alive?] [Lloyd H.K.: Jeez, I have no idea whos the senior and whos the newbie here.] [Prince Altania: Lee Shin Woo, how much more have you got before youre level 5?] [Lee Shin Woo: I should reach it soon. I only have about 10 more stats to go.] It was a lie, of course, but they thought of 10 stats differently than him, so he had no choice. [Prince Altania: Holy shit. Youre really close. Even if his starting specs were high, this guy... Hes probably not more talented than me though, right?] [Yasunori Akira: Your talent ismon amongst heroes. Doesnt it seem strange that youreparing yourself to Lee Shin Woo, who everyone has high expectations for?] [Prince Altania: What? You want to go? Are you looking for a fight?] [Yasunori Akira: Pfft.] As always, his seniors responded to him affectionately. Lee Shin Woo suddenly thought, after being greeted by each and every one of them. Ye Jin Jin knew about his true nature, but how would his seniors react when they saw him? Would they ept him? Would they reject him? Would they pity him? The more he learned about the Underground Empire, as well as the heroes, the more he thought about his true identity. Perhaps it wouldnt be as simple as he thought; at some point, that thought had begun to grow more and more. Its a relief that I met Ye Jin Jin when she was still naive and gave her a good impression of me. He thought it mightve been the right decision to hide his identity and spoke calmly. [Lee Shin Woo: Not much happened while I was away, right?] [Lloyd H.K.: Ah, now that I think about it, you may not know. A newbie came in.] [Lee Shin Woo: A newbie...?] Of course, he was already well aware that it was quitemon for heroes to trickle in, but it felt a bit strange that he already had a junior. Then, Prince Altania spoiled the mood. [Prince Altania: What a mannerless brat. They came in just a little while ago and then left right after.] [Erian Rendu: Mannerless? They could just be extremely individualistic. Sir Altania.] [Lloyd H.K.: Individualistic, huh... Thats the most dangerous tendency to have. If youre not as strong as Akira, that is.] [Yasunori Akira: Dont call me by my name. ...Well, theyll prove it soon. Whether it was arrogance or skill.] [Ye Jin Jin: Mr. Shin Woo, how have you been? I finally reached level 4!] [Shino Rendu: Youve been dawdling all this time, yet once you found a man, youve be unstoppable, huh.] [Ye Jin Jin: W-What are you talking about!?] Lee Shin Woo adequately told his seniors, who quarreled amongst each other and amicably went back and forth in their conversations, about himself as well as keeping some parts of himself secret, while also hearing about the situation in the Empire. He even tried to ask them about the 12 generals, but to no avail. [Prince Altania: Ha, the 12 generals? Ill be straight with you. We havent even reached the capital, let alone the major city. Its kind of discouraging, but its impossible to fight a general before youre level 7.] [Lloyd H.K.: Would it even be possible just by reaching level 7? Youd need to be packed with level 4 artifacts, as well as heroes using their full strength; even then, theyd barely be able to take one down. Our senior told us that before, remember?] [Prince Altania: Heng. As long as you and I are there, we can do it.] [Erian Rendu: Im level 6 now, too! Lloyd, when the timees, you can count on me!] Just taking a peek into the chatting channel, one could tell that they had the energy of top ss celebrities! Lloyd, whod even been recognized by that harsh Prince, was dazzling. To the point that he felt jealous. If he had still been human, could he have been like him? However, he snorted at such fruitless thoughts and left the chatting channel. Jin was still vigorously rampaging about and breaking apart the golems. "What the hell man! You werent even watching and were doing something else, werent you!? Umhp!" [Ceasing function.] [Ceasing function.] "Of course not." Lee Shin Woo saw a group of golems falling with a single kick of Jins hind legs, andughed calmly as he replied. Jin had adapted much faster than hed expected, so he decided that when Jin had be somewhat proficient inbat, he would study basic strategy for fighting on horseback with him. "Hey, you help too!" "Are these all of the Reinforced Cores... tch. Ok, lets quickly take care of the rest." As soon as Jin had finished taking care of all the level 4 Bronze Golems in the center, Lee Shin Woo participated in the battle. Since itd be difficult to umte anybat experience fighting against level 3 golems, it didnt matter who destroyed them. However, he realized something new here. It was possible to summon copies of the same equipment stored through Bone Armory! "Go, Triple Axe!" "Woah..." They kept fighting, and Jin, whod gotten slightly confident in his abilities, saw Lee Shin Woo destroying the Defense Type Golems left and right with three Melting Bone Double Axes flying across the battlefield, and felt down in the dumps again. But Lee Shin Woo, who had excitedly realized thetent potential of his ability, didnt have time to be considerate of Jins feelings. The three giant axes flew naturally like boomerangs and the sight of his axes wildly plowing through the golems was in and of itself a disaster. Whats worse, he even blew up one of his axes in an area where several golems had gathered! "Explode!" A poison mist burst here and there across the battlefield, turning them into rock dust. The level 3 golems were now nothing more than targets that stood still to him. The power of levels and items was this absolute! [Ceasing fun...] [Function.] "Heup!" [Ceasing function.] It was really satisfying that he was able to take out his anger on these low golems, the anger of bowing down to high level golems. Whenever a golems function would cease, the golems would exchange signals amongst themselves and would run away from him; Lee Shin Woo clearly saw them running away and mercilessly destroyed them all. It was a really wholesome time. As a result. [Bone Original Core] [Reinforced Autonomous Defense Type Bone Core - Original Core Synchronization Rate: 58%] "So I have about 1 and a 1/2... Tch." "You look really scary." In the first area, he had been able to create two Bone Original Cores, but probability was indifferent to that. He just clicked his tongue, stored the halfpleted Bone Core, and took out thepleted one. Jin was already afraid and stepped back. "You dont need to be so afraid. Since I need to be the one absorbing them for the time being if Im to match your growth rate." "Thanks!" He activated Bone Reinforcement and used the Bone Original Core. Despite it being his second time absorbing it and its effectiveness being much worse, it still increased his strength by 7, agility by 11, health by 9, and magic by 6! At the same time, an unfamiliar memory flowed into his mind. He was lucky; he was able to acquire a memory of their process of creating a code to control the golems. [The golems master can only be the Emperor. Aside from him, no one else canmand us.] [Weve only justpleted your seal, Sir Arema. The seal holds the highest authority, second only to the Emperor.] [...Ha, to think that the circuit can only be created through a golems mana. Isnt that interesting?] "..." Lee Shin Woo momentarily shook his head and clearly remembered the appearance of the seal. At the same time, he realized why Guillotine had said it was impossible for others to recreate it. All beings are born with mana that possesses innate characteristics and artificial life forms were not exempt. Within their inorganic bodies, golems stored and handled mana, and a high ranked seal was created by the mana tinged with the innate characteristics of that inorganic body. Arema Steelworkers seal could only be manifested by using the mana that made up his core, which would signify that the seal was only for his use. It was truly a secure security system. The issue isnt theplexity of handling your mana. Its like using orange juice to make clear ice. ...Itll take a while. Lee Shin Woo clicked his tongue. He knew it wouldnt be easy, but he didnt know where to start. Though the logic behind it was somewhat simr to changing his mana into acid or mes, he wasnt even able to handle those that proficiently yet... "Shin Woo, whats wrong? Does your head hurt?" "No, not at all." Lee Shin Woo bluffed and raised his head. Though Jin had realized that he was bluffing, he didnt really point it out. Jin had realized that if Lee Shin Woo showed a bit of honesty, he was still alright. It wont help if I just hang around here. Like I had originally thought, I have no choice but to go at it while I deal with other business. At the end of his pondering, he cleanly recognized that his skills werecking, and made up his mind. He wasnt giving up. Lee Shin Woo just decided that he wouldnt rush, and would slowly work at it whilst taking care of other business at the same time! "With that in mind, lets go down. How can a person live off killing golems?" "You have a multiple personality disorder, right? Right?" Even while heined, Jin and Lee Shin Woo went down the hignds and surveyed their surroundings. However, they didnt really get anything out of that. It seemed as though one of their senior heroes had gone through this ce already, as there werent any undead here, and it waspletely clean. This became more apparent soon after they felt a refreshing feeling when they entered a city on the outskirts without any undead in sight. "SSeup." "Lets go somece else. There might be another city, as well as a dungeon nearby." In no time at all, Jin had resigned himself and spoke aloofly, figuring out what Lee Shin Woo wanted. However, Lee Shin Woo firmly shook his head. "Theres a ce we need to examine before we leave here." "? Cant you see that the citys clean?" "No. Theres a ce where its highly likely that it hasnt been cleared yet." "And wheres that...?" Jin tilted his head, but Lee Shin Woo just grinned and lead Jin. All Jin felt was a sense of gloomy foreboding, but he followed behind Lee Shin Woo regardless. [You have discovered the Polluted Sewer Facility. All stats increase by 5 within.] And less than three hourster, they entered into a deste, hidden underground facility. There were elite skeletons that stood in front of them in an orderly fashion whilst continuously spewing out jet-ck mana. [My name is Paul 13... I have to punish the erroneous Emperor!] [To think that there are still this many men who still follow General Seagald!] [We have all been given a new name and purpose!] [Paul Zero!] [Paul Zero! Paul Zero!] "Yes, yes. I know my name is Paul Zero, so you dont have to keep shouting it." "Shin Woo, you, what was your original goal again...?" "Well, since were already here. Might as well." On that day, eight new elite skeletons were born: Paul 13 through Paul 20. No one yet knew that a new force was being formed within the Empire. Chapter 14 part2 2 more weeks passed. Lee Shin Woo and Jin started at the southern outskirts and after searching through the city in the area, they took the train and returned east. After checking that area, they took the train once again, and reached the Empires northern outskirts. Right now, they were slowly clearing the outer edges of the Empire, something that no other hero could have even attempted. Since they had procured a means of transportation, they decided they might as well clear the outskirts of the Empire. Though the scale was obviously much toorge to say that they were doing it just because they could. "Ah, theres one here too. They didnt go through here." Of course, most of the areas had been cleared by the other heroes, and in some ces, it seemed as though the golems had vanished without a trace, so at times, it was a fruitless effort; but there was a ce with a 100% chance of remaining, which was none other than the citys underground sewers dungeons. "I hope this ce is less dirty than thest ce..." "Give up. Lets go in." "Damn it!" Lee Shin Woo was now fully aware that the reason the other heroes didnt go through the underground passages was because they were dirty. He thought the other heroes were foolish for not going through the sewers just so they could avoid getting dirtied; it wasnt even very difficult to wash off the filth. But in any case, because they did, Lee Shin Woo and Jin could profit off of it, so he didnt really think about it too deeply. As a result, Lee Shin Woo had another task that clearly bore more fruit than his original goal of either creating another Bone Original Core, or procuring a high rank administrative authority... [The number of undead who have been given a new name by you and have thus been reborn as named monsters has surpassed 100. Without even thinking about the consequences and acting on a whim are truly the actions of a Joker. All stats have increased by 5. You have satisfied a part of the conditions to obtain the Jokers innate skill.] It was to revive the failed experimental subjects of the Anti-Skull Project as elite skeletons. Since the experiments were performed without the Emperors knowledge, there was almost a 100% chance that a hidden facility would exist within the outskirt cities sewers! [Even if we look for General Seagald, we probably wouldnt be able to help very much.] [Wed rather follow you, Captain. Well help our Captain!] "No. I have something else I have to do. Think about what you guys can do and go do it. Paul 107!" [Ugh... As expected of our Captain. Youre saying that we have to find our own path...!] There was a special characteristic that wasmonce amongst the skeletons that had been awakened as named elites by Lee Shin Woo; no matter what he said, they would understand and be moved. [Well definitely repay Captain one day, the one who awakened us!] [We may have undying bodies, but lets make it to the end together, Captain!] "Yeah, yeah. You guys dont die, too." The skeletons developed loyalty to him all on their own and promised to meet with him again, yet Lee Shin Woo just responded with a lukewarm gaze. Honestly, level 3 elite monsters didnt really matter to him anymore. Hed said this time after time, but this was just something he was doing on the way to killing golems. "Ah, and if you meet the other Pauls, make sure you travel together." [I understand, Captain!] And thats thest thing he said to them formally. They were sacrificed in the same experiment, were likewise reborn as elite undead, and were a simr level, so thats why he said it. However, the Pauls earnestly responded to his request and left the sewers. Jin watched their appearances from behind and asked Lee Shin Woo. "Do you have some sort of special skill that turns the undead into elite monsters?" "Nope. I just make them feel as though they had an important mission while they were still alive and they just awaken on their own." "..." Despite him achieving the feat of going around and changing peoples fates, Lee Shin Woo responded extremely calmly; seeing that, Jin was speechless. Lee Shin Woo had only given him a rough exnation of how his Joker karma worked. "Therere no rewards here, either... Well, it is the outskirts after all. Lets clear this ce and then go to somewhere with a danger level of 2." "A danger level of 2..." Based on their seniors ssifications, who had already explored the Empire, the Empire is apparently divided into five danger levels from the outskirts to the center. The first ce they encounter once entering the Empire has a danger level of 0, and messy natural environments (apparently, a lot of animal type undead appear here), whereas the small towns in between are level 1. So, Lee Shin Woo and Jin were currently clearing out areas that were danger level 0 - 1. If they used pizza as aparison, they were going around and eating the crust first. The natural environment is getting a bit better, and themercial cities, where were more likely to encounter the Empires elite troops have a danger level of 2. Theyre the ces that the heroes stay in when theyre at around level 4 or 5... And the satellite cities, which are directly connected to thesemercial cities have a danger level of 3. Apparently, most of the heroes are around this area. Therge city was a level 4 danger zone, and was allocated tasks by the capital; naturally, the center of the Empire, the capital, held a danger level of 5. It was difficult for even their senior heroes to explore the areas that were of danger level 4, so there wasnt much more he could hear from them. Theres definitely a supply line that passes through arge city with a danger level of 4. Originally, there was a supply line that passed through the capital, but in the process of running from the capital with his subordinates, Arema Steelworkerpletely destroyed that railway. If that railway had still existed and if no one else had discovered it, it wouldve been possible to infiltrate the capital, so it kind of felt like a waste. "Then shall we look around and see if there are any other small towns nearby?" "Ah... alright." Lee Shin Woo had been imagining events that had yet toe, but when he heard Jin speak, he stopped thinking about it. "Yeah, there should be another way to infiltrate the capital." "Your n already went that far!?" The two crawled out of the sewers. When they had looked from the hignds, they had seen another small town to the west, so they decided to go there and look before getting on the train. Generally, the other heroes would purify one small town and then immediately move on to the next area, so he had hope that there were some undead still remaining over there. "Then... Huh?" However, Lee Shin Woo, whod turned his head towards the west where the small town was, suddenly felt an unfamiliar, but powerful trace of mana, causing his goblin fire to wriggle around. It was a mana pattern that hed felt somewhere before... when he deliberated as to where, he concluded that it was definitely simr to Ye Jin Jins mana. Ah, thats right. It was the mana of a living being. He was proud of himself for being able to categorize the mana and grinned; Lee Shin Woos face hardened and he rode atop Jins back. "Lets run for now. Our concept is secrecy, isnt it?" "Thats a good idea." Jin also didnt like taking unnecessary risks. The two reached an agreement, and then Jin dashed in a straight line towards the hignds while Lee Shin Woo activated his connection with Jin and Stealth simultaneously, hiding their tracks as much as possible. Their practice fighting together bore fruit and they were able to achieve considerable results. However. "What the hell? Arent they getting closer?" "What, really?" The problem was that their opponent was much more talented than they couldve imagined. "Shin Woo, what do we do? Should we just release Stealth and just run at full speed?" "That seems like a better idea!" "Alright. Hold on tight!" "Gahhhhhhh!" Theirbat abilities werent the only thing that improved from them clearing out the golems in the hignds and hopping from one sewer system to another. Though Jin had only absorbed three cores, he was able to use the magic and martial arts knowledge within in order to better utilize his agility! Above all, hed learned how to correct his speed and stability through magic, and as a result, managed to increase his already fraudulent speed. If he broke their connection, and Jin focused solely on reaching his destination, most people wouldnt even be able to see him as he was running so fast! "Im going even faster!" "Ah, shit. Damn it." However, the speed made Lee Shin Woo feel as though he would be thrown off, and despite experiencing it in real time, he spoke out in a voice tinged with despair. He didnt know how, but their opponent was gradually getting closer! One moment I cant sense them, and in the next, theyve gotten closer; this keeps happening over and over again. Wait a sec, this... is this some sort of teleportation magic? Since hed been dropped into the Underground Empire, hed experienced all kinds of magical situations; however, hed never experienced any mainstream magic before. Because of that, his deduction had beente. If it wasnt physically possible to catch up to them, then the only other answer was magic! "Lend me the Queens unmelting ice..." He sensed that theyd gotten even closer. Moreover, he even heard their incantation for what he assumed was an offensive spell. Lee Shin Woo was slightly shocked by the pristinely beautiful voice he heard casting the spell. He was especially shocked at the incantation that openly revealed that the spell was an ice type attack. But wait, they were thankful that their opponent was going to cast their spell where everyone could hear it, but since it was so easy to predict, it became so boring! "And annihte all that is unjust, bringing about an eternal snow that purifies..." In the time it took for them to blink, they had arrived at the center of the hignds. However, around that time, their opponent had gotten close enough that they could see them with the naked eye. "Appear!" Lee Shin Woo turned around slightly and checked their opponents identity. They wore robes, covering their forehead such that he couldnt get a close look at them, but in any case, he was sure that it was a living person. They were probably a hero at that! "Wall of...!" "Tch!" Yeah, he understood. They just saw a skeleton riding atop a galloping skeleton horse, so as a hero, it made sense that they wanted to attack them! But before they followed through, they shouldve given them a signal; no wait, I guess they dont have to! "Ice!" "mes of Revenge!" They had finished casting their spell! At the same time, they felt a chill surge from beneath their feet, and Lee Shin Woo somehow used mes of Revenge in time. It seemed obvious, but it was impossible for the spell to cover the entire area. Lee Shin Woo was satisfied with covering just himself and Jin with the mes and... yelled! "Jin, run!" "I can fly! [1]" "!?" "Ugh!" Jin dashed through the air; it was truly a beautiful leap. They dodged the enormous ice walls that surged from the floor with a force that touched the Underground Empires ceiling! "Ice Arrow Shower!" "How persistent!" The magicians ice walls tried to keep them in ce, but lost much of their power due to the mes of Revenge. However, it seemed as though their opponent still had mana to spare, as they followed up with another spell. They didnt even need to cast the spell for very long and it was a low ranked spell, but the sheer number of them was considerable. The air was instantly filled to the brim with ice arrows and those arrows rushed towards them, aiming only for them! "Shin Woo!" "Its ok." If their opponent used lightning, wind, or mes, it mightve gotten dangerous for them, but ice magic was fine! Lee Shin Woo hugged Jins neck and covered themselves entirety in the mes of Revenge; at the same time, he shared his Intermediate Ice Resistance through the contract. It was a absurdly high ranked skill technique. [Intermediate Ice Protection will protect your partner as well. Blocking at least 70% of the attack.] [The Intermediate Ice Resistance skill has be Lv2. Magic has increased by 5.] The barrage of ice arrows fell upon them instantly and pounded on their bodies... No, rather than pounding them, most of the ice arrows damage dissipated due to his ice resistance, and the mes of Revenge melted the rest. He had been confident, but it was such a perfect defense that he praised himself. "How can an undead possess such a high rank mana technique...?" Seriously. How amazing must it have been if his opponent had stopped their attack in shock. However, now wasnt the time to be impressed! Before his opponent regained their cool and started attacking again, Lee Shin Woo wanted to do away with the status quo, so he yelled. "Stop!" "What...?" Their opponent flinched at his voice, as it definitely contained a will behind it. Lee Shin Woo took that opportunity to yell loudly, which reverberated across the hignds. "Friendly fire!" [1] T/N: This is written exactly how it sounds in English. Chapter 14 part3 "Friendly fire...?" "Thats right. Im a hero!" "A hero!?" The Magician muttered nkly. Hearing an undead assert that they were a hero mustve considerably shaken them; they had already stopped attacking. Lee Shin Woo felt relieved in that regard, but then Jin yelled startlingly. "The ground. The ground!" "Tch..." The problem was the spell that theyd cast before was still around. The wall,posed of sharp thorns of ice were surging upwards several dozens of meters! Now wasnt the time be relieved! "Heup!" Without thinking, Lee Shin Woo brought out a Melting Double Bone Axe and threw it hard. The axe shattered the walls sharp edges, and exploded the moment it lodged into the walls interior; even though they had responded a bitte, Lee Shin Woo and Jin somehow managed toe out rtively unscathed, amidst the shards of ice. "I thought wed be skewers." "Dont worry, we dont have any meat to grill, so... Wait, no. Its my fault. Im sorry. Stop shaking." "Youre really terrible. You know that? Absolutely terrible." "It was all my fault. Im really sorry. Stop shaking." "It certainly doesnt seem like youve been affected by the curse..." While Lee Shin Woo and Jin were struggling to find a way to survive, the Magician watched them and spoke to herself. But for now, they hadpletely ignored the Magician in favor of reaching safe ground. They barely felt at ease. "Are you really heroes? Even though youre undead...?" Atst, she went back to questioning them. The slim woman stretched her hand outwards from her magician robes, holding an orb that looked like a crystal; it seemed as though she had her magic at the ready depending on how they responded. "Were undead, but were definitely heroes. If..." The situation wasnt favorable for them, and he assumed that theyd ultimately have to fight the magician; he analyzed his opponents magic, and while doing so, picked one of the lines that only a hero would know to say and just said it. "If you cant believe me, then would you like to ess the chatting channel together and check?" "The chatting channel... right, there was that." It hit the mark. The Magicians hostility towards them was noticeably diminishing. He also considered that she might be a hero that attacked, saying Death to all the undead!, even after acknowledging his im, but fortunately, it looked like she had abandoned all thoughts of attacking them. "It was impossible to ascertain your identity, so I thought maybe... I couldnt bring myself to discard the possibility that were you some unknown undead. Sorry for attacking you." "Ah... now that I think about it." Shed even given them an earnest apology! Even after hearing that, Lee Shin Woo inspected her, but he couldnt figure anything out about her. A heros fundamental ability of checking their opponents level and identity didnt work on her. Now that he thought about it, it didnt work on Jin or Ye Jin Jin either. If thats the case, then it shouldve been plenty enough to discern that they were heroes, but... Lee Shin Woo decided hed double check that in the chatting channelter and replied. "Im Lee Shin Woo. This guys Jin. For the record, this guys a hero too." "Kratia Melloi [1]." The magician threw her robes hood back, revealing her face and name. She was a youngdy whose beauty matched her beautiful voice; she was short, so he had roughly assumed that she was a woman before, but she looked younger than hed expected, so Lee Shin Woo was shocked. Her eyes were a sky blue, like the frozen sea, withrge pupils; hervender hair, which stretched in every which way as if she didnt bother tob it, was especially memorable. To bepletely honest, her appearance matched well with the magic she wields. In any case, Ive never seen someone called Kratia Melloi enter the chatting channel before... Wait a sec. Assuming that she wasnt lying, as she gave her name and showed her appearance, there was someone who matched her description. "How long has it been since youve arrived here?" "3 weeks." "As I thought..." She was definitely the newbie that hed heard about in the chatting channel a short while ago. Kratia mustve been the one who had entered the chatting channel once and left immediately, as she felt ufortable with all of the seniors attention on her. His seniors did say that she didnt enter again following that incident. But what was surprising was that it had only been 3 weeks since shed been dropped underground, yet the level of her magic was considerable. Lee Shin Woo couldnt even assess the level of her magic, so that meant she was at least higher than level 5. But if that were true, that meant that she started out with that much power. Otherwise, she had to have received that power from God. "Do I be like you guys by any chance if a lot of time goes by?" The Magician, Kratia Melloi asked, her eyes filled with a bit of fear. Lee Shin Woo and Jin simultaneously shook their heads and denied her. This confirmed that she was indeed a newbie hero. "We became like this because of our wishes. On the flip side, there were some things we got in exchange, but I cant really rmend it." "You became undead because of your wishes? ...As I thought, that womans got a mental disorder or something." She nonchntly insulted God and shook her head. And even though he didnt ask, she extended her hand gripping the orb and said. "I dont like other people touching me. So when I asked for ice that could grow, she gave me this." "So she could fulfill that wish because you were already strong, huh..." Though she was originally a powerful magician, there shouldve been a limit to what God could give her with her powers; shed sessfully managed to receive an artifact that developed all on its own, so she may have made the best choice. If his senior heroes were to have heard, they wouldve said something like you shouldve asked for a skill that improves the effectiveness of ice type abilities! and wouldve been frustrated in her stead. "Shin Woo, what are you going to do?" Right when he was finished thinking, Jin whispered to Lee Shin Woo. Jin, who was easily frightened, seemed to still be afraid of Kratia, as he was secretly hiding behind his back. Is this really the guy who courageously yelled out that when they died, they would die together... Lee Shin Woo softly stroked his back to tell him it was alright and said his farewells to Kratia. "I dont think there are a lot of cases like us, but be careful from now on. Then, well get going. It was nice meeting you, Kratia Melloi." "Wait a sec." He got atop Jins back and tried turning around, but Kratias sudden urgent voice stopped them. Lee Shin Woo felt Jin inwardly yell, as hed wanted to leave smoothly. "I know Ive been somewhat foolish. Teach me about how this world works." "If you just enter the chatting channel, our seniors will scramble to teach to you. Especially, Lloyd and Prince." "Those guys make me feel uneasy. I also havent seen their faces even once..." Kratia asserted quite firmly. Their seniors had a tendency to be way too excited when a newbiees in, so it was understandable that she felt unnerved by them. Moreover, though he hadnt known her for very long, this woman didnt seem to like socializing very much. Even so, didnt it seem weird that she trusted an undead whose face shed seen, rather than a human whose face she hadnt seen? At least, thats what Lee Shin Woo thought. "But youre ok. And... Im curious." She probably isnt the type to like undead more than humans; Lee Shin Woo tilted his head, wondering what he had to say, and replied in a way that went beyond his imagination. "The way you use your magic. I want to learn it too." "Oh, you were curious about that?" "Im not asking to learn for free. I have a good grasp on magic as well. Theres probably stuff that I can help with for you two as well." The situation was taking a turn beyond his wildest imagination. Lee Shin Woo had originally thought that it would be a waste of time and that he should just refuse, but he stopped for two separate reasons. First off, no matter how he looked at it, she was a professionally trained magician, and would naturally know more about magic across the board. Theres a chance hed profit from this exchange of knowledge, but honestly, there was also a chance that he would gain absolutely nothing. And secondly, he hadnt yet found a way to create a high rank administrative authority. If he were to get a hint from her regarding changes in the characteristics of mana, wouldnt this be considered progress as well...? He thought it wouldnt be bad to bet on this, rather than continuously hunting golems at a snails pace. "Shin Woo, youre not going to, are you?" "Well, it actually doesnt sound too bad..." Lee Shin Woomented in favor, and Jin weighed in with a slightly displeased tone. "Is it because shes pretty?" "Id like to act immature and senseless like that sometime too." Lee Shin Woo scolded, and turned his head towards Kratia. Hed made up his mind, and already finished talking with his partner, so now it was time to earnestly negotiate terms. "We cant stay with you forever." "2 weeks." "Promise that youll sincerely cooperate, even if you dont gain what you want." "You have my word. I promise upon the evesting mana." "Promise that whatever goes on between us, you leak nothing to the outside." "Likewise." "Alright. Then well be in your care for 2 weeks. So..." "Kratia. Nice meeting you, Shin Woo." Lee Shin Woo thoughtlessly extended his right hand, a habit from his time as a human, and Kratia unhesitatingly grabbed his bare bone hand. She really didnt care that he was undead, and proved that she was only interested in his knowledge and ability. Though their purity was directed at different things, Lee Shin Woo suddenly thought that in terms of innocence, she and Ye Jin Jin were quite simr. From right beside him, Jin then asked. "Then what do I do...?" "What are you talking about? Youre the one who needs systematic instruction on magic. Were one plus one, remember?" "I knew this would happen..." Even whilstining, Jin strangely felt moved that Lee Shin Woo was looking out for him. Seeing Jin, whode into possession of such a twisted feeling, Kratia seemed to be concerned about something and her eyes brightened; she soon tilted her head and turned her attention to Lee Shin Woo. "Then lets get going immediately. I want to know how your power works." "Hey, wait. Didnt you want to learn about all thatmon knowledge you were missing?" "I can just hear that stuff with the time we have left over." She wasnt reversing their priority. From the very beginning, her primary objective was magic. Lee Shin Woo thought he somewhat understood her personality, shrugged his shoulders, and with no alternatives, just began talking. Lee Shin Woo and Jin exined that they had a special contract, and using the resulting connection that came from using the Horseback Riding skill, could share their skills and resistances with each other; after hearing of this, it didnt take long before Kratia became disappointed. "But its fine. Since the way you use your mana is plenty interesting. Theres a lot I can learn from your freewheeling style. The mana youve umted is amazing, seeing as how you went from not knowing anything to this." "Im more jealous of the mana youve umted, though..." Contrary to Lee Shin Woo, who controlled the mana itself, Kratia had studied for countless years and ultimately, developed a special method of causing the mana to change. If he changed mana purely through his will and the skills ability, Kratia calcted the countless ways in which the mana could change beforehand, and brought about the desired change at the right time. Lee Shin Woos method of handling magic was clumsy inparison. "Its not the way of a magician. But its not the way a knight uses mana either. To be specific, Shin Woo... you seem like a monster gifted with supernatural powers." "...Isnt it because Im an undead?" Lee Shin Woo flinched the moment she pointed that out, but he replied calmly for now. However, Kratia firmly shook her head. "An undead being cant control this many mana patterns. You may even understand the essence of mana more than I do. If I can imitate even just a part of what you do, my magic could undergo a groundbreaking change..." "Shin Woo, I dont understand this at all." "You just memorize everything for now. Itlle up in the test." He was able to make some strides. Kratia taught Lee Shin Woo the theory established by schrs and magicians on mana, and he was able to figure out how to more effectively handle his mana, which hed been manipting instinctually up until now; on the other hand, Kratia got a hint on how to improve her magic by learning about Lee Shin Woos skills and peculiar method of using magic, which went againstmon sense. "Ah, so this is how you do it. Just by introducing a few basic patterns, I can apply my magic much faster than before." "H-How did you learn that already?" Ultimately, Lee Shin Woo was sessfully able to makerge strides in magic one week into his contract with Kratia. She thought if she taught him, it would be helpful to him someday, but he had advanced at a speed which went beyond her imagination. [The Low Rank Mana Bone skill has be Lv10, and evolves to the Intermediate level. Your understanding of magic deepens, and you can more effectively store more mana into your bones. The power of your mana increases as well. Magic has increased by 30.] [You have fulfilled a portion of the conditions necessary to achieve the Jokers innate skill. You have only one step left remaining before you be a true Joker.] And at that very moment... Lee Shin Woo got a message that he hadnt expected at all. [A quest has urred!] [Jokers mana] [You are extremely free-spirited, and are capable of imitating anything. Thats right. You can even imitate another persons mana. Its fine if you have a special mission, and if you dont, thats fine as well. Please acquire a high ranked administrative authority by copying a golems mana.] [Quest reward - 3 permits to Gods secret shop, Jokers innate skill] [1] T/N: Probably a loose Fate/Stay Night reference to the El-Melloi line of magicians. Chapter 15 part1 I didnt think Id get a quest here. Not to mention that its a quest that pretty much read my mind... Lee Shin Woo examined the quest details and was speechless. Of course, it was true that he wanted a high rank administrators authority in order to create a high rank administrative seal, but to think, it was connected to his Jokers karma. Whats worse, it showed up as a quest? Plus, the quest acted as though it was only natural that he should possess an ability like that as a Joker, so he did feel a bit spiteful. "Huh? A quest?" "Thats right." Kratia, whose mana affinity wasparable to Lee Shin Woos, sensed the flow of mana before her. Lee Shin Woo nodded his head and Kratias lips slightly budged, but she soon slightly shook her head. It seems as though she was going to ask him about the quest but decided not to. "It seems like your mana has increased considerably." "Youre right. Its because of you." "Mm... It feels like Ill seed too." Kratia froze the mana in the air and attempted to make a statue. He couldnt tell in any detail what she was talking about just by watching her draw upon the ice element and utilize some sort of magical catalyst. "I feel like Ill need to try the magic out in battle. Lets go hunting." "Party hunting?" "Yeah." It wasnt an item originally included in their contract, but... Lee Shin Woo had just received a new, worrying task; though as worrying as it was, her offer didnt sound so bad. In other words, he was escaping reality right now, but it wouldnt be so bad to empty his head out first. "Jin, what about you?" "Id like to run a bit, too." Jin was in full agreement, as his head had been crammed withplicated theories regarding mana all week long. His ability to handle mana had improved significantly as well, and he wanted to apply that knowledge in livebat. "Then, shall we go? By the way, I was thinking we should start skipping to the level 2 danger zones mercial cities)." "I feel like we could go directly to the level 3 zones." "Whats your level, anyway?" "6." He had a rough idea before, but she was at a much higher level than them. Lee Shin Woo recollected their previous encounter and broke out into a cold sweat thinking, I sure blocked her magic well, despite her being such a higher level than me. "We cant, since were still too weak. In any case, lets go at it step by step." "Mm." Lee Shin Woo got on Jins back and Kratia used her magic to float into the air. When Lee Shin Woo asked her how long she could stay in the air like that, she replied that she could maintain it all day. "The mana consumption isnt severe, so long as I dont use teleportation magic." "Magicians sure are scary." "Its not something that any old magician can..." "Then, lets get going!" Jin pretended to listen to Kratia, who was overflowing with pride, and began to sprint. It was a perfect dash, befitting one who used to be a sprinter! It seemed like the shock would unearth the ground, and in the next instant, thendscape had already begun to change. "Oh...!" "Hey." Kratia was about to say something more, but stopped in shock and followed behind them. Lee Shin Woo softly flicked Jins head, who had tedly dashed forward ahead of her. He wasnt a little kid teasing the girl he liked, so what the hell was he doing? "Lets go south. There should still be amercial city down there that our seniors havent found yet." "Itd be nice if there was a dungeon there. A dungeon with growing fruit trees." Because Lee Shin Woo and Jin were undead, they didnt need to eat, but that wasnt the case for the other heroes. So after they ate the provisions they were given at the beginning, they would have to look for dungeons with either nts or animals, or buy supplies from the secret shop. Lee Shin Woo only went to the secret shop whenever he leveled up to buy some good bones... he thought of it as a more of a butchers shop, but the other heroes considered it a ce to buy food, a facility with more importance than any other. "I like fruit too." "Jin, you cant start thinking like that." "...My bad." "Its not your fault." The most saddening thing from bing undead wasnt the loss of sexual desire, or even the loss of their hair. It was that they couldnt eat anymore. They didnt even have the desire to eat anything, so that in itself was shocking to them, but if they started to think deeply upon the subject, they would truly be hopelessly depressed. They had been ok until now, since it had only been the two of them, but theyd be pointlessly conscious of it since traveling with a living being who requires nutrition, Kratia. "Ill kill that god someday." "Yeah, thats the way to think." Lee Shin Woo and Jin were fostering a hatred towards God. Who the hell could look at them and call them heroes!? Kratia was just startled by their vigor. How long had they been running like that? If he was still in South Korea, it felt as though they had travelled from Seoul to Busan, and at that time, Kratia, who had been floating in the air, at a higher altitude than them, discovered something. "Undead troops." "Good. That means were slowly getting closer to the city." Fundamentally, the undead had a tendency to repeat what they had done while they were still alive. The undead troops would flock to the cities to defend them, and it was highly likely that they were in the vicinity of a city. "The undead are fighting amongst themselves, though." "Huh!?" Soon, Lee Shin Woo sensed it. Countless undead were fighting against a small minority of undead, possessing a powerful energy... to be exact, it was the magic of level 3 elite undead! Lee Shin Woo suddenly realized what this magic was, which seemed to be drawing him somewhere, and yelled. "Is it the Pauls by any chance!?" "Could you please do something about that naming sense of yours..." "Pauls...?" "Jin, run fast!" "Tch... Full speed sprint!" At that moment, Jin, who was plentifully fast enough, got even faster. Whether it were a tree, a rock, or even a forest, he would break through it all and run in a straight line to reach his destination! Through training, Jin could use his stats to their utmost for an instant, and Lee Shin Woo inwardly named his ability to run like lightning the Pope [1] Sprint. [Yeah, those guys are...!] [Ah, Captain!] [Captainse to save us!] [Everyone, raise your heads; Paul Zero is here!] Even in the midst of battle, the undead were quick to notice Lee Shin Woo and Jin, who had approached quickly. There were twenty two Pauls that Lee Shin Woo had personally named there, and they were fighting fiercely against a group of 300 undead. Against a group of undead that were at least level 2 or 3! Amongst them, there were even some level 4 undead mixed in; Lee Shin Woo was surprised that the Pauls kept fighting and hadnt sustained any casualties yet. [Paul Zero!] [Paul Zero...!? Are you perhaps on the same side of these crazy traitors!?] He didnt know how they hade to fight one another, but for starters, Lee Shin Woo decided to help the Pauls. He naturally took out a Melting Double Bone Axe, threw it, and yelled. "Love! Comes back! [2]" [How foolish of you to throw your weapon away! Oh!?] "I said that it woulde back, didnt I?" The level 4 Skeleton Knight at the forefront easily parried the axe, but the axe, which had bounced into the air, flew back towards the knight, as if a rewind button had been pressed, causing its weapon to spring out of its hand. [You bastard. I dont know what cowardly magic you used, but...] - Kwaaaaang! However, the Skeleton Knight panicked and the moment it bowed its head to pick up its weapon, the axe blew up in a grand explosion and spewed acid mist everywhere! The Knight, who had been wide open, didnt even get the chance to raise its mana to resist, and was swept away by the explosion andpletely destroyed. Lee Shin Woo satisfyingly watched as the following acid mist melted away the undead battalion and yelled firmly. "Pauls, retreat for now!" [I understand, Captain!] [In the time we havent seen him, our Captains abilities have improved even further!] The Pauls were awed at howmanding Lee Shin Woo appeared, after taking down the level 4 Skeleton Knight, and retreated from the battlefield. Right on time, Kratia arrived on the battlefield, and gazed at Lee Shin Woo disbelievingly. "You canmand the undead? What exactly are you...?" "Call me Paul Zero right now. Also, there are good undead in this world too, you know. Ill exinter, so take down those undead for now." "Paul Zero...? Good undead...?" [How can this be? Shes alive!] [Ooooh, so it was possible to break free of the curse!] "!?!?" Lee Shin Woos words were like a riddle, and Kratia tilted her head; the Pauls who had seen her cheered. Rather than burning with hatred towards the living, they were actually happy to see her!? "What is happening...?" Kratia was much too unfamiliar with the Pauls response, and thought that her understanding of the undead until now had been wrong. Yet, while confirming that, she turned her head, only to find that a battalion of undead had discovered her, and were yelling in hatred. [A living person!] [A person with flowing blood and fresh flesh!] [I hate you. That womans definitely the person who made us like this!] [Lets make her just like us; well rip out her hair, rip off her flesh, and suck the blood out of her!] Truly gruesome and brutal lines just kepting. Ironically, their statements set her at ease. With her mind at ease, she cast her magic upon the skeletons. "Ice Arrow Shower!" [Its magic!] [Call our magicians!] [But our magicians are guarding the walls!] [Gguaaaaahk!] Therge scale spell that came from a level 6 magician was tremendous! Several hundreds of ice arrows formed into the air, packed tightly, and poured upon the battlefront. Even level 3 skeletons couldnt easily approach, and the level 2 weaklings were just immediately destroyed by the arrows. Normally, I would buy time like this and would press my advantage with a more effective spell, but... But she didnt have the spare time to do so right now. Why? Because Lee Shin Woo would take them all down if she wasted time. At least, thats what Kratia thought; in reality, thats what was currently happening. Lee Shin Woo and Jin had already gantly charged in with Lee Shin Woo swinging his giant axe, breaking them into pieces! "We couldve be good friends, too. Sorry, Pauls!" [Gguaaaaahk!] [N-Now Ill finally be able to rest in...] The weak skeleton that had once needed to act in order to barely defeat a Skeleton Soldier didnt exist anymore. Even if Lee Shin Woo was trapped in a drill ground filled with level 3 skeletons, they wouldnt be able to handle him. His long distance explosive attack through Rule of Bone wasnt the only thing powerful about him. He had umted various knowledge regarding magic, and developed a solid foundation for close quartersbat where such magic could be applied. Lee Shin Woos axe was now covered in lightning, albeit weak, and the skeletons in the area were brutally burned or crushed. The rare weapon technique, Bursting Thunder was finally starting to bear fruit! But Im not there yet. When Im finally able to produce lightning all on my own with my mana, maybe Ill get some kind of hint that helps me with mimicking a golems mana...! He hade here to clear his mind, yet even as he fought, he thought about that damn golem. Lee Shin Woo smiled bitterly while rotating his arm and swinging his axe. [Ugh!?] Then, a Skeleton Knight attacked from behind, and Lee Shin Woos axe shed with its sword; he shattered the sword without much difficulty. His reaction was only possible because of his exceptional, developed mana senses. [How is this possible? My sword, tempered with my loyalty to the Emperor, has been...!] "It seems like you just werent loyal enough." He replied uninterested and cut off the knights head with Power sh. Beyond the corpse of the dead knights crumbling body, he saw the leftover bones littering the battlefield. The battle was over in the blink of an eye. It was aplete victory. [1] T/N: Could be a reference to Willian Popp, the ser yer, as the name could be tranted as Popp as well. Im not well versed in ser, so Im not sure. [2] T/N: Apparently, its a famous quote from the Korean drama "Stairway to Heaven". Chapter 15 part2 "So youre saying that you intuitively sensed each other and joined forces?" [Thats correct.] Following the battlespletion, Lee Shin Woo listened to how the Pauls had fared thus far whilst collecting the loot from hundreds of undead. Honestly, there wasnt much to speak of; it was simple. They just sensed a simr energy emanating from the Pauls that had left the city and were wandering around; as a result, they were able to group up in one ce. There were twenty-two Pauls who had gathered like that, and in terms of groups, there were three. He thought this might be happening in other regions of the Empire and felt somewhat strange. [We gathered like that, so it was about time for us to go look for General Seagald, but... we came across a battalion that was patrolling the area and we approached them because we thought they might be...] [They quickly realized that our energy was different from theirs, so they became hostile. Since they ordered us to go and meet their lord, as well as prove that we were truly soldiers of the Empire, we had no choice but to fight them.] "The lord, huh..." Hed roughly heard about it from his seniors. The lords were individuals without much power, but were undead who experienced a special transformation that enabled them tomand other undead; the undead under their directmand were iparably powerful and quick, so apparently it would take a lot of effort to take them on. Apparently, the fact that it was a huge city didnt necessarily mean that a lord would be present, but it seems like theyd hit the jackpot. Though theres absolutely nothing to be afraid of. Lee Shin Woo and Jin were ridiculously strong for their level, not to mention the level 6 magician, Kratia. Kratia couldnt believe what was happening and directed her gaze solely at Lee Shin Woo. The Pauls seemed to think that this was their chance and asked Lee Shin Woo. [Who is this magician?] "She came from the outside to help. Shes cooperating with me to turn the situation in the Empire around." [As expected of our Captain!] [You sure know a lot of people. To be cooperating with a magician who seems even more powerful than Doctor Aterran...!] As always, Lee Shin Woo lied without even changing his tone of voice, and the elite skeletons marveled at him and apuded. Seeing that, Kratiapletely gave up on understanding the situation at hand. And beside her, Jin looked as though he understood how she felt, as he was nodding his head. Besides, how surprised was he when he had first seen Lee Shin Woo revive these guys into elite skeletons! "We were thinking of clearing out that city. Ill lead you guys for a bit. Will you follow me?" [Of course!] [If everyone else agrees, Ill likewise follow yourmand.] [I feel a bit stronger just being by your side, Captain!] It probably wasnt just a feeling. In no time at all, Lee Shin Woos Command skill had be low rank level 3, which possessed the ability of strengthening his subordinates by just a little! "Then, Shin, no... Paul Zero. Are we going to raid the city like this?" "It wouldnt be very tough to do so, but..." Lee Shin Woo examined the afar wall. It mightve been due to time, but half of the wall had crumbled and didnt seem to evoke a huge sense of danger, but the energying from the swarming undead within was quite formidable. "We dont need to go the hard way when the easy ways avable to us. Wouldnt it be stupid to attack the front?" "Then are we infiltrating the city and assassinating the lord?" Kratia spoke; it was amon strategy for when there werent many elite soldiers gathered. Lee Shin Woo uncertainly nodded his head. "Yeah, we probably need to kill the lord whos inmand. If we dont, itll be tough for us." "What do you mean tough on us... ah." Jin was the first to realize what Lee Shin Woo was talking about. The blue goblin fire in his eye sockets momentarily spread out lengthways. "Youre really cruel. You know that?" "Thanks for thepliment." "...?" Kratia tilted her head at their conversation. Lee Shin Woo brushed it aside andughed as if it were nothing, and said something important this time. "Id like to buy the bones of the skeletons you just hunted. Is that alright?" "Bones? ...Do you have a skill that uses bones by any chance? Its probably a skill you received from God. Perhaps your ability to alter your magic in a variety of ways and utilize ites from..." "Youre mostly right." It mightve been because she was a magician, but she sure picked up on things quick. Lee Shin Woo grinned and nodded his head. "I thought about hiding it at first, but I thought it wasnt really necessary." Over the past week, theyd observed each others magic and conversed about skills; and in that process, Kratia had already roughly figured out what Lee Shin Woos ability was. Honestly, all Lee Shin Woo had asked for was for her to sell the bones, but hadnt she responded in a way that was essentially saying yes? He had nothing to be hesitant about, as she was thinking about whether to hide the fact that she knew or not. "Ill just give them to you for free. In exchange, let me see what that skill looks like." "Thats not hard, but Ill pay the price. Since its a reasonable price for the karma. Ah, and you guys, gather the bones of the enemies you kill, too." [Did you say bones...?] [Ah, I understand.] Perhaps it was because the Command skill was in effect, but despite it being a questionable order, the Pauls moved obediently. While they were doing so, Lee Shin Woo received all of Kratias bones. It was impossible to price them like a proper merchant, so he paid for them with what he thought was the likely asking price. Because he had hunted down so many golems, which dropped a lot of Perium, it didnt even really make much of dent. "Then lets pick out the level 4 knights bones... And you never know, so pick out a few of the level 3 bones too." "What are you going to do with those bones?" "Bone Reinforcement!" Kratia asked with an excited expression and Lee Shin Woo unhesitatingly activated Bone Reinforcement before her. The Skeleton Knights rib bone waspletely absorbed by Lee Shin Woo and its knowledge, experiences, mana and strength all flowed into him. Of course, since Lee Shin Woo was already level 4, he couldnt receive many stats from the bone anymore, but his true objective wasnt the subpar stat increase. [Strength has increased by 1. You have rtively perfectly absorbed the targets memories and experiences. You have acquired a 1% skill proficiency in Horseback Riding. You have acquired a 0.3% skill proficiency in Bursting Thunder. You have acquired a 0.1% skill proficiency in Combat Sense.] [Oho, you dare challenge me? Hear me, you fools. If you think that I, Sir Palin, will tell you about my sexual techniques, then... - Knight Palin] Lee Shin Woo retched at the centrally flowing memories. The knight wasnt even trying to piss someone off, yet the most impressive memory was his talk with the other soldiers about his sexual techniques! The remaining individuals in his memory had be skeletons as well, and had ultimately fallen in vain like this; there was nothing more pitiful than this. "What kind of memory was it to get you frowning like that?" "Its nothing. It was just a sad story. You dont need to worry about it too much." "What the hell was that mana effect!? It was hard to understand, but I caught a brief glimpse of the magic sublimating. If I knew this was going to happen, I wouldve asked God for a skill as well..." "Hoo..." Lee Shin Woo took a deep breath to calm his breathing whilst more thoroughly going through the memories hed absorbed from Sir Palin. Normally, the higher leveled the undead, the more detailed their memories were, and those memories not only increased hisbat abilities, but could also provide him with information he didnt have. Like right now...! This asshole memorized all the routes to the red-light district! Because of that, he knew the ways to sneak into the outskirts of the city...! Though his normal behavior was filthy, Lee Shin Woo was able to extract considerably high quality information from him. Lee Shin Woo continuously absorbed the other knights bones as well, and was able to ascertain where the lord lived when he was alive, as well as the positions his guards were stationed. I obviously dont know if everythings stayed the same since theyve turned into the undead, but its worth betting on. In order to supplement the iplete information, he absorbed a few of the level 3 skeleton bones as well, and perfectly formted the route to infiltrate into the city. Kratia marveled at him and fixed her gaze on him. It seemed as though she couldntpletely understand the skill as she was furrowing her brow. "How is this possible? Youre absorbing the innate mana within the bones in their entirety. I understand that theyre all bones, so that it reduces the potential conflict, but I dont understand anything beyond that. I know that theres some sort of mana disassembly process as well as a reconstruction process..." [Captain, weve gathered the bones!] Lee Shin Woo turned away from Kratia, who sounded like a broken record, and faced the skeletons. Each of them clutched an armful of bones to their bodies and because they hadnt seen Lee Shin Woo use Bone Reinforcement, their voices were still inquisitive. [What should we do now?] [Are you going to hold a funeral for these guys?] "Everyone, listen up." Lee Shin Woo said instantly. His voice was so dignified that even Kratia flinched, so how would the Pauls have reacted? They stood upright and focused on Lee Shin Woo. However, Jin was the only one that quickly figured out what he was doing, thinking Ah, hes starting to act again. "I want you guys not to hate those that youve killed." [But these guys attacked us.] [These guys were afflicted by the curse and have even lost their reasoning.] Lee Shin Woo nodded his head weightily, as if agreeing with what theyd said, yet at the next moment, his eye sockets zed with red goblin fire and spoke with a strong tone. Like a general. "They were also soldiers and knights who cared for the Empire and respected General Seagald while they were still alive, just like you. You cant deny them of even that." [Thats...] [Of course, thats true, but...] "You guys will be faced with several simr situations in the future. Youll have to shoulder the deaths of those who were once yourrades on your backs." Lee Shin Woo said, and grabbed one of the bones they were carrying. Regardless of whether he flinched or not, Lee Shin Woo ced bone on the Pauls forehead. "So, this is sign of their repentance, and represents their will as well. Its something theyve desperately left behind, at the moment of their deaths. ...And I can personally instill their wills into you." [How...?] "Bone Reinforcement." [Ugh!?] The Paul, whod be the target of his Bone Reinforcement, shook as though itd been shocked by an electric current. The bones it was holding rumbled and fell to the ground with a dull sound; hearing that, the surrounding Pauls took a step back in shock. However, in the very next moment... [H-How can this be?] The Paul spoke deafeningly and plopped down. If it were human, its eyes would be flowing with tears! [Their will is so clear... Ugh, they truly were soldiers who loved this Empire!] [Hey, Paul 47. Are you ok?] [What exactly happened, Paul 47!] Hearing itsrades call for it, Paul 47 raised its head and responded deafeningly once more. [I inherited their will. Captain revealed their will to me!] [Their will. The wills of the soldiers who had be undead?] [Our captain is definitely an emissary of God sent to save the Empire! He not only restored our minds to us, but also allows us to ruminate over those sacrificed and killed!] Paul 47 spoke as if touched and gathered all of the bones that had dropped onto the floor. Lee Shin Woo thought it was being unnecessarily loud, yet spoke solemnly. "Now do you understand? Their wills!" [Of course! Please allow me to inherit all these guys wills! These guys are already dead so they dont have a will of their own anymore, but still! Well be one and live on!] Paul 47 was touched and yelled. At that moment, Lee Shin Woo saw this message in front of him. [The Lv3 Elite Cursed Skeleton, Paul 47 has be your subordinate. So long as you do not discard him, he will faithfully obey any order you give him.] [The Low Rank Command skill has be Lv4. All stats have increased by 1. You can more effectively draw out the strength of your subordinates.] Lee Shin Woo had established a new rtionship aside from the contractual one with Jin... He had formed a master-servant rtionship. Chapter 15 part3 [Rather than using a sound argument, you used your actions and the mood to impress others. You lied so naturally that they werent even suspicious of you! The Acting skill has be Lv10. If you dress up, your acting ability increases further.] The moment he sessfully epted Paul 47 as his subordinate, his Acting skill naturally leveled up. Lee Shin Woo, who was neither a general or a knight of the Empire, was able to put up quite the convincing act, so it was only natural that he was able to make Paul 47, who was originally a soldier of the Empire, into his subordinate. Is it at the level where I can naturally fool others, even if I dont lie...!? Lee Shin Woo was impressed by his own aplishment. Though it was a spur of the moment thing due to the favorable situation and mood, he was able to get a taste of a higher leveled skill due to its level up and the experience hed gained was no joke! He felt overwhelmingly confident that hed be able to lie his way out any situation! "You fraud..." "Paul Zero, youre amazing..." Seeing that, Jin was amazed, and narrowed his eyes and muttered. However, it seemed Kratia was touched by Lee Shin Woos speech and Paul 47s deration as she apuded. She may be good at magic but thats all; she waspletely fooled. "Will you be able to inherit their wills?" [Of course, Captain!] "Good. Bone Reinforcement!" Paul 47 had much more backbone than Jin. Lee Shin Woo looked back at Jin and shook his head at him, as if saying look at him (Jin looked like hed burst into tears), and repeatedly used Bone Reinforcement on Paul 47. There were some of the bones hed bought off Kratia mixed in; they were level 2 or 3 bones that wouldnt have much effect on him, so hed bought them to reinforce the Pauls. [Ugh, it feels like my body will break.] "Go ahead, break! And then, be reborn!" [I understand, Captain! Ill be reborn as a new Paul 47!] [Please allow me to inherit their wills as well, Captain!] [Me too... Please allow me to as well!] Seeing Paul 47 being strengthened in real time, as well as inheriting the wills of the deceased knights and soldiers, the other Pauls realized that Lee Shin Woos words were no lie; sure enough, each of them scrambled and extended their bones forward, pestering him to reinforce them. Originally, all the Pauls here didnt trust Lee Shin Woo 100%, and some of the Pauls amongst them just thought of him as an ally and superior, but they didnt need to pledge their loyalty to him; in other words, a panymander. Though there were those that had thought of him as such, that didnt really matter anymore. Since to them, Lee Shin Woo was someone who loved the Empire beyond any other, and was a hero who inherited the wills of the dearly departed! [I feel their wills living and breathing within me. Im Paul 101; Ill protect the Empire, fight within the Empire, and die with the Empire!] "Shin Woo, isnt this a bit dangerous?" Jin was frightened, seeing the Pauls absorbing several dozens of bones in ce with about half of them yelling crazily, and spoke into Lee Shin Woos ear. Lee Shin Woo just calmly nodded his head. "Of course its dangerous. Theyre filled with iplete memories already and Ive mixed in several dozens of foreign memories into them, so it wouldnt be strange for them to lose themselves." "Then why did you do it all at once..." "Since itll be easier to fool them then. Plus, itd be helpful in nting a false sense of loyalty in them." Within their feeble minds, the Pauls anchored themselves onto one thing amidst the flowing memories: their hatred towards the curse that had destroyed the Empire. Lee Shin Woo had instigated that hatred, and was giving them cause to follow him blindly. It was fine if he erased all the unnecessary memories, so long as theirbat techniques remained! "Youre a demon!" [My name is Paul 49... Henceforth, Ill follow Captain and stake my life on reiming the light of the Empire!] "What a great goal, Paul 49. Then, next! Paul 102!" [Im all ready!] It seemed like a pseudo religious baptismal ceremony, and also the site of collective madness! The Pauls approached Lee Shin Woo in order, offering their bones; about half of them kneeled before him, and while maintaining his solemn expression, Lee Shin Woo targeted them and used Bone Reinforcement. After going through Bone Reinforcement, the Pauls who had been slightly suspicious of Lee Shin Woo acted as though they would stake everything for him instead, and the mood stunk of solemnity. Extremely speaking, it was like they were willing to forfeit thest remaining drumstick to him after ordering chicken! "Are you thest one?" [Thats right, Captain. Though there arent that many, I did kill these guys.] "Oh..." Thest remaining Paul was Paul 41. However, the bone that it was carrying was a masterpiece. It was a level 4 Skeleton Knights hand bone! "You fought him one on one?" [Thats correct.] It may seem obvious, but each of the Pauls were born in a different environment from the others and participated in different experiments, so they each possessed differenttent potential and starting abilities. They were all simrly level 3, but as there were some level 3s who possessed stats close to 400, there were also level 3s with stats close to 800. If it was able to take down a level 4 Skeleton Knight, then it must be really close to an 800 stat total. Its posture was different from the other Pauls and seeing as how it waited for all the other Pauls to be reinforced beforeing forward, it seemed to have a solid intellect as well. But what if I were to steal this bone and use it on myself? It definitely didnt seem like a very attractive option. The opportunity cost of using the level 4 Skeleton Knight bone was much too high, as it would just provide him with subpar stat gains and experiencespared to an elite level 4 monster. If thats the case, then... Lee Shin Woo nodded his head and raised the hand bone, cing it atop Paul 41s forehead. "Their wills will make you even stronger than before. Bone Reinforcement!" [Thank you, Captain! Ill trust and follow you!] [By consuming the Lv4 Skeleton Knights hand bone, the Lv3 Elite Cursed Skeleton - Paul 41 is being reinforced. You have made him into your subordinate.] But at that very moment, a blinding light surged from Paul 41s body. And simultaneously, the curse that covered his body was amplified and covered his entire body. (In the secret facility where the Paul 40 line of skeletons were born, they attempted to block the undead curse by steeping them into a curse beforehand; that curse was an aging curse. Since they were skeletons, they werent weakened by the curse.) It was simr to when he had first awakened as an elite monster, butparatively, it was a much more powerful outburst of energy! Lee Shin Woo thought that perhaps... and soon had a hunch. This guy... was leveling up right now! He hadpletely passed the threshold of 800 total stats! [Your subordinate, Paul 41, has evolved into a Lv4 Elite Doom Factor. He has learned a method of releasing the curse energy surrounding him to destroy others. The day he learns to use this to its full ability will be the day he is reborn as a true disaster.] What a cool name! It could be even cooler than a Joker Apprentice. But the moment Lee Shin Woo writhed in jealously, his own skill underwent a trivial... no, a huge change. [The Bone Reinforcement skill has be Lv6. You have learned how to select the best bones. When you personally defeat a monster, you can obtain two bones if you are lucky.] "What...!?" Normally, the moment one kills a monster, the clump of mana that cannot be reduced naturally remains as loot. Whether it be gear, bones, or skin. But because his Bone Reinforcement skill leveled up, he now had a chance to acquire two bones at one time! I dont know the specifics, but Ive hit the jackpot. The Doom Factor, Paul 41, whod finished evolving and stood on his own, looked at him with loving eyes. He couldnt believe that he too had ck goblin fire zing in his eye sockets and looked at Lee Shin Woo with endearing eyes. [This is the strength Ive gained because of you, Captain. I pledge my loyalty to you, Captain.] "Dont pledge your loyalty to me. Instead, pledge that youll purify the Empire." [Captain...!] His loyalty was increasing by the minute. Paul 41 seemed to have been touched and bowed his head, then Lee Shin Woo gave him another order. "From now on, youre in charge of these Pauls. Youre theirmander, alright?" [I understand!] "Good answer." That was the moment when the elite battalion led by the level 4 Elite Doom Factor was born. Seeing Paul 41, Lee Shin Woo formted a new n in his head. If he could use Bone Reinforcement on the others and make them into his subordinates... if he were able to make the skeletons born from the Anti-Skull Project into his subordinates... Then, hed have a formidable army that no one could ignore! And if I were to add golems into the mix as well... Lee Shin Woos jaw creaked in satisfaction, already thinking about how prosperous his future would be. Jin thought he looked really evil, but Kratia admired Lee Shin Woos ability to manipte the undeads feelings and instantaneously acquire their absolute loyalty. "You have the qualities of a leader." "More like the qualities of a swindler." "Im going to scout out and assassinate the lord, so Kratia, you stay on standby with these guys and rush in when I give the signal." Lee Shin Woo, whodpletely used all of the bones to strengthen the Pauls, decided to travel incognito next. Since they had already annihted one skeleton battalion, he didnt know how the skeletons stationed in the city would react. It would be better if he acted before some special change ured. "Jin, youre with me." "Ok." It would be difficult to find them, unless they were as skilled as Kratia, if Lee Shin Woo and Jin formed a connection and moved stealthily. He didnt need to separate from Jin just because he wanted to travel incognito. Truthfully, the Pauls were startled as soon as Lee Shin Woo got atop Jins back and activated Stealth. [Where did Captain go?] [Everyone, stay calm. Well move when we get the signal. Until then, sharpen your swords and wait.] Beside them, Kratia was calmly lost in thought. She had investigated the mystery known as Bone Reinforcement and was anguished over whether she could apply the same method shed seen to her own magic. The fact that she had something to study after crossing over to this world filled her with delight. When they had gotten far from the group, Jin asked Lee Shin Woo what hed been concerned about. "Hey, Shin Woo. Are you going to bring those guys with you now?" "Nope. While its nice that theyve be a usable fighting force, itd be kind of weird to travel with them, wouldnt it?" It mightve been ok travelling with them when he was still alone, but it would a hassle lugging all of them around everywhere. From the start, hed done this on a whim. He didnt need to put too much importance on them. "But if they develop well, I should be able to use them properly then." "Youre really amazing, man." "I know." Lee Shin Woo replied coolly and activated Bone Armory, covering his entire body with armor. He equipped the helmet, body armor, and even the lower body armor; he was fully armed, aside from his weaponry. Though the appearance, as well as the materials were different for each piece of armor, equipping them all strangely made him look like a knight. "Youre going to act again, arent you?" "Be careful starting now." Walls enclosed the city on all four sides. Of course, Lee Shin Woo naturally figured out where their guard was weakest, as hed absorbed the knights and soldiers memories, and when theyd gotten in the vicinity of the city walls, he led Jin away from their prying eyes. "How do you think they formed this underground empire? And how was it maintained... the fact that thismercial city thrived means that it independently developed several of its own industries underground." "They probably used those amazing technical skills to build the Empire." "Why would they go underground when they had such technical skill?" One would often forget that they were actually underground, unless they stared at the far distant ceiling. Moreover, there are underground areas in the Underground Empire, and the weather, as well as night and day are mostly controlled through magic. Maybe the Empire even had rivers and oceans. No, they definitely existed here. "I wonder. Maybe there were too many people above ground." "I wonder what it looks like above ground..." Lee Shin Woo could tell that Jin was feeling restless, perhaps because hed met someone alive, Kratia. He couldpletely understand how he was feeling. He was happy that he could sympathize with him. Lee Shin Woo calmly stroked his back andforted him. "We should be able to see it someday. Well definitely be able to if we continue to grow like this." "...Thanks, Lee Shin Woo." "Im the one who should be thankful. ...Then, shall we infiltrate the city?" "Yeah." While they were sheltered by the low rank level 9 Stealth, the two entered into the outskirts of the city through a doghole, infiltrating into the slums. Compared to a small town filled with level 1 or 2 skeletons, the size of the city, as well as its quality were worlds apart; this was the moment that the two had entered a true undead city. Chapter 15 part4 The city, several dozens of years following the fall of the Empire, looked truly wretched. It had only been dozens of years since, yet the sturdy bricks and cement, and the houses formed of a material foreign to them had mostly fallen apart. The undead curse not only transformed living beings into the undead, but also withered away and killed anything that was still alive, so it was only natural that the city was in this state. It truly was a curse that killed the world itself. Whenever he looked at it this way, he realized how frightening the curse actually was. "The other cities weve gone to werent like this." "Thats because those cities were small. And they were on the outskirts... Since there wasnt much in those cities, it didnt look as bad." Lee Shin Woo was definitely right. The cities theyd passed by until now didnt have an assortment of goods, but this unknown city, possessed huge walls, amercial district, as well as a slum area. There were streets leading to the houses, a city hall, as well as traces of various people in different ces trading with each other. It wasnt just leftover goods; there were also traces of people. [The weathers great. It seems like itll rain soon.] [Ha. Did you hear that the Lord ising to visit this street today?] The only undead theyd met before entering the city had been an undead battalion in the middle of patrolling, but after entering the city, their surroundings were littered with undead. It mightve seemed obvious, but just because it was a danger level 2 zone didnt mean that there were high level undead everywhere. Rather, most of them were level 1 undead. They didnt really have any special features and the only piece of information that appeared was [Lv1 Skeleton]. If they were still human, they probably wouldve shown up as [Lv1 Human]. [Haha, that costs 3 Perium. I cant give you a discount.] [Thats too expensive. Then throw in that small one, too.] "...How is this possible?" Jin had forgotten that they were travelling incognito and spoke stiffly. Lee Shin Woo could understand how he was feeling. Thats because the skeletons were haggling over a valueless rock. "Theyre repeating what they did when they were still alive. The lower leveled the undead, the more the rely on their instincts..." "... I was looking forward to it a little bit." Jin, who realized that speaking a little louder wouldnt release Stealth, spoke bitterly. "I may just be speaking nonsense as the skeletons youve made into your subordinates abandoned their still alive general and decided to follow you as their Captain, but in any case..." "Theyre acting based on their own will." "Yeah." One couldnt say the Pauls conditions were normal either. But despite being tricked by Lee Shin Woo, they definitely understood that they had be skeletons and moved ordingly. Just that was enough to make them look normal. "Ive restored their egos and even give them a name; I really am like their savior." "No, thats not what Im saying." Jin denied him right away. At the beginning, he wondered why Lee Shin Woo had set the skeletons free, but hed ultimately turned them into his subordinates once they seemed like they would be useful! Lee Shin Woos fickleness was truly frightening. The only thing he was sure of was that Lee Shin Woo would always be true to himself. It felt a bit awkward thinking about it any further, so he decided to change topics. "...Is killing them the only way to save them?" "Dont misunderstand. Theyre already dead. Even if you talk to them, they probably dont even remember their names." "Then what about us? Were undead, too." "We can say our names. That means were not dead." It sounded quite simple, but there was a much moreplicated meaning within that statement. Whenever Lee Shin Woo would say something like this, Jin would admire him a bit, but he didnt really want to ept that Lee Shin Woo had more knowledge or wisdom than him when he was already stronger than him as well, so he didnt say it out loud. "Therere a lot of level 1s here, but its not a danger level 2 zone for nothing. The closer we get to the center of the city, the more tightly-guarded itll be, so focus on your connection with me." "Mines at Beginner Lv7, so it wont be tough for me." Of course, Jin didnt have the ability to learn Stealth, but while going through a few small towns, they discovered a rural rat nest dungeon; Lee Shin Woo gave Jin all of the rat bones, and as a result, he was barely able to learn Stealth. Both of them knew the same skill, so it was easy to raise the effectiveness of his skill through their connection. [Through the connection from the Horseback Riding skill, the Stealth skills effectiveness increases. In special situations, the skill proficiency rapidly increases.] Lee Shin Woo and Jin took the opportunity and escaped the notice of the two skeletons, who were stuck in the past, and slowly went around the city like ghosts. The shadows cast by the ruined buildings easily concealed them, and they observed the city, as if they were memorizing every facet of it. "We shouldnt even worry about the level 2 ones, right?" "Theyre at least level 3 elites over here. We dont need to count them if theyre not even level 3 elites." No matter how strong they were, they wouldnt be able to handle overwhelming numbers. Thats how Lee Shin Woo had thought in the past. However, that was something that only applied to Earth. Even if thousands of level 3 golems came rushing at him right now, he was confident that he could take them all on without even breaking a single bone. There was the fact that there was an overwhelming disparity between their stats, but also because undead possessed the special characteristic of never physically tiring. And thats also the same for skeletons, as well. But that also meant that there was a high possibility that he would be helpless against a higher leveled undead. Those were the ones that Lee Shin Woo had to find and kill first. Of course, it wouldnt have been too difficult for them to just straight up attack them since they had the level 6 magician, Kratia, but since she would reduce their contribution, they had moved quickly. Honestly, I wanted to take my time and look around, as this is the first city that seems big enough to be called a city. They had pretty much finished up clearing the outskirts of the Empire, so now it was time to deal with the danger level 2 zones. It wasnt a bad idea to go through the cities and ascertain their levels while they still had the assistance of a level 6 magician. Though of course, each city would have their own specific circumstances... There are a lot of knights. Therere at least ten skeleton knights above the walls, and there are five knights that periodically go on a patrol. And there are thirty of them on standby in shifts inside of their private barracks... If a hero were acting alone, they would likely feel terrified at around this time. Because they only had one life, they wouldnt have been able to boldly infiltrate the city like Lee Shin Woo, and they wouldnt even dream of attacking the city by themselves. It would definitely be impossible for a level 4 hero, and even if they were level 5... It would only be possible with a few level 5 heroes. Lee Shin Woo suddenly realized why heroes preferred going through dungeons. The cities were huge and difficult to kill undead popped out in various areas. On the other hand, monsters popped out regrly in the dungeon, and would provide a more definite reward, so it was the much more attractive option. [Shino Rendu: Even though its a danger level 2 zone, it would still take more than a year to fully clear it with a few people. Take down the high priority targets first, and then look for the right opportunity to take down the rest. Remember, Lee Shin Woo. Your life is most important.] Shino Rendu was the most hot-blooded amongst his seniors and even he spoke like that. So he could understand why his seniors grew so slowly. He could even understand why they cheered whenever they discovered a dungeon... "Shin Woo." Lee Shin Woo heard Jins voice and then froze too. When he, who had been lost in thought, raised his head, he understood why Jins voice was so stiff. In an area slightly askew to the citys center square, and in front of an imposing mansion above a sloping road, there was giant monster roaming around... No, it was a golem. It wasnt just a normal golem either. It boasted a height of around 4 meters, and its imposingness seemed unshakable...! [Lv5 Iron Golem - I0918 (Elite)] "A level 5 golem...!?" As he thought, after the Bronze Golem was the Iron Golem, the one he was most worried about. It had only gone from level 4 to level 5, yet why did it suddenly seem so upgraded; when he thought about it, the difference between level 4 and 5 was like the difference between the heaven and the earth, so he could roughly understand too. "Shin Woo, you havent seen it yet, huh. The golems not the problem." "No, it is a problem. Why is the golem living in a ce outside of where it was produced... no." Lee Shin Woo was speaking and then stopped, groaning at his stupidity. Why were the golems created from the very beginning? It was probably to protect the Empire. Of course, after the fall of the Empire, the several golems didnt have a ce to go and were abandoned, but until then, the manufactured golems were probably sent to various regions in the Empire! And that golem was one of them. "Theres something controlling that golem." "Something controlling it!?" Lee Shin Woo was shocked. And despite yelling in shock, his Stealth wasnt released; that fact shocked him even more! Whats worse, at that moment, his skill leveled up! [The Low Rank Stealth skill has be level 10, and evolved into the Intermediate level. You do not possess the talent to covertly kill your opponent, but you do possess the ability to move secretly and quickly. You have learned the Intermediate Shadow Sprint skill. Agility and Magic have increased by 10. The higher the skill level, the lighter the shadow.] I lost Combat Sprint and gained Shadow Sprint.... How ironic. Moreover, he could use this skill in tandem with his connection with Jin to draw out its full ability, making it a truly effective skill. Lee Shin Woo was satisfied by the result that came out from his negligence and smiled. Jin called out to him with a cold voice. "If youre done checking out your skill, then could you start checking that guy now?" "Ah, my bad." He scratched his hairless head and looked at the area that Jin had pointed at. It was the mansions balcony, and he could see the undead that stood at the balcony. It was a level 5 undead, and it was none other than the lord, the [Skeleton Commander]! And gripped within its emaciated finger bones, there was... A core...? It felt as though hed received a blunt impact to his head. Thats right. They couldnt control the golems mana on the outside, so they would instead control the core that produced their mana! Lee Shin Woo had never enlisted the aid of an object to help him radiate his mana, so hed never thought about it before. But is that the only option avable? If the core could change even an undeads mana to that of a golems, then wouldnt there be no reason that he, who had absorbed the golems magic knowledge and everything, couldnt do the same? Hadnt he been thinking about this tooplicatedly? Guillotine Steelworker might have caused him to tunnel vision on his statement, that none other than the golems could create that seal, and had approached the matter in a much moreplicated way than needed. It was time to start fresh. "I feel like Ill be able to know for sure after killing that guy and examining the core..." "Hold on, Shin Woo. The Shriek of the Dead doesnt work on golems." "...Yeah, thats a good point." They could only see one outside, but considering how they could feel the same quality of mana within the mansion, there werent just one or two golems. They didnt know if they could take care of the golems quickly, and if they factored in the concentration of knights nearby the mansion, it would be best to retreat. "...Yeah, I got it. Lets give up on killing the lord first. Lets start at another ce. Just not here." "Thats a good idea." There were several sections of this city that they hadnt checked yet. Lee Shin Woo and Jinpletely backed off from the lords mansion in order to perfectly conquer the city without injury. Forty minutester, horrific screams resounded through the city. The battle had just begun. Chapter 16 part1 The shriek resounded clearly across the city, alerting them that the battle had begun. "This city is ours (Pauls) now! Throw down your weapons and surrender!" "Do you really have to say that!?" [By using Low Rank Shriek of the Dead, the enemies in the entire area fall into a frenzied and fearful state.] Lee Shin Woos booming voice echoed throughout the entire city. However, rather than throw away their weapons and surrender, their enemies that heard him rampaged about and blindly thrust their weapons at each others heads. Obviously, whenever he utilized Shriek of the Dead, its effect would be the same, regardless of what he said. [Kyahaaaaaahk!] [Kihik, when did so many undead invade the city!?] [All knights, draw your swords! Teach those undead how heavy a sin it is to trespass on the Empires sacred soil!] "Just one shout caused the city to go from peaceful looking (at least on the outside) to aplete mess..." "As I thought, it would be easy for a high leveled Treasure Eater to wreck a city like this one if it were drawn here." Did Lee Shin Woo rush into battle right after shouting? Of course not. The main focus of this mission was to ascertain how many high leveled undead there were, as well as their location. He had divided the city into sections, based on how many high leveled undead there were, and had been moving around as he calcted the effective area of his Shriek of the dead. [Ill engrave the Empiresws into your body!] [How dare you, a mere undead! You wicked ck magicians; Ill make you kneel before the Emperor!] "Whoa, these knights here fight well." Of course, Lee Shin Woo had predicted that there would be some who wouldnt be affected by Shriek of the Dead, but that didnt matter. Since even the level 4 Skeleton Knights were affected by his level 6 Low Rank Shriek of the Dead. Normally, it would be difficult to achieve this good of a result with a low rank level 6 skill, but Lee Shin Woos Mana Bone skill was helping. Any act that utilized magic would be buffed by Mana Bone, but it was particrly effective on abilities that changed pure magic and utilized it. "Lets move quickly, before the lord intervenes with his own golems and knights!" "I know already! Well arrive at our next position shortly!" They had travelled incognito around the city for upwards of two hours, and they had already picked the spot where he would use Shriek of the Dead. After they confirmed that the spot was safe, they immediately moved to the spot and Lee Shin Woo used Shriek of the Dead for a second time. "Ooaaaaaaaaaaahk!" [Evil puppet!] [You should be in Hell. Why have youe outside!?] There werent any Skeleton Knights in that area, but a huge concentration of soldiers instead; he was extremely satisfied with the chaos that spread instantly. If one were to look at the city from above, they would see Hell. "Good, lets go to area C now!" "Im the devil, the devil...!" The n was progressing smoothly. Since the undead were fighting amongst themselves everywhere, Stealth... No, Shadow Sprint was released and he was exposed to the world to see; despite that, none came to attack Lee Shin Woo or Jin. [The Low Rank Shriek of the Dead skill has be Lv7. Magic has increased by 3.] "Nice, the skills leveling up quickly, too." "...Shin Woo, I feel like theyre on the move now." "Ok, Id expected that theyd start to move about now." The ones on the move described the Undead Commanders group atop the hill. Regardless of how dull he had be after transforming into an undead, he was still the lord; Lee Shin Woo didnt think the lord would sit still while there was chaos spreading throughout various areas of the city. But in order to dy him as much as possible, Lee Shin Woo had been focusing on the faraway areas in order; obviously, it seemed as though the lord had decided to intervene before they could finish up. Immediately after hearing Jins report, Lee Shin Woo heard a screeching sound from afar. The Iron Golems were moving. What should I do? Will my acid mist be able to melt them? Lee Shin Woo briefly pondered on the subject and shook his head. Even if he focused all of Melting Bone Double Axes power in one ce and exploded it, he wasnt confident that he could defeat an Iron Golem in that way. Thats because each and every one of those Iron Golems were elites. There are four of them. And the one controlling them is a level 5 Elite Skeleton Commander. There are three level 5 Elite Skeleton Elder Knights guarding him, as well as twelve level 4 Skeleton Knights... Imposing monsters were guarding the lord, proving that he was the lord for anyone who didnt already know. Rather than fighting them straight up, calling upon the group that was on standby would be cleaner and safer. It probably would be, but... "But its also worth a try." "Werent you the one that said wed be giving up on fighting the lord? Youre still out of it, arent you?" Jin scolded him and was about to move to the next area. Since their original n was to go to as many spots as possible before the lord earnestly decided to intervene, use his Shriek of the Dead to cut down the number of knights and soldiers, as well as evade the blindly rampaging swords and arrows, and then get back outside. There were more than 10,000 level 2 or higher undead within the city, so it would be foolish to fight them one at a time... Lee Shin Woo, whod said that himself, was for some reason patiently looking towards the direction of the lords troops. "You..." "...Jin, there are times when a person needs to take a risk." Even though Jin knew that Lee Shin Woos heart was set, he retorted in a weak voice. "Youre a skeleton, though." "For me, that time is now!" "...God." For some reason, he knew that he would take that risk. He couldnt just let an opportunity like this slip away; he couldnt help but want to fight against a higher leveled enemy, an elite one at that. Maybe this was proof of being Lee Shin Woo. But even so, Jin thought that Lee Shin Woos symptoms were a bit more severe than usual, as he was willing to face off against that assorted gift set of level 5s. Jin quietly asked. "You just dont want that girl to steal your experience, right?" "Yep." He was way too honest. Lee Shin Woo btedly added. "And if I fight against the skeleton using the core to control the golems and experience it firsthand, I may be able to get a feel for changing my mana into that of a golems." Lee Shin Woo then de-equipped his lower body armor. At the same time, he summoned the Drake Horn Lance! The appearance of that imposing weapon screamed that they were right here, as if it were an electric signboard advertisement. The mana within, as well as the high rank of the weapon drew the attention of even the rampaging undead. "Hooo..." He learned how to wield the weapon through the memories of the knights hed absorbed until now, as well as Bursting Thunder, which epassed all weapon arts. He grabbed thence in his left hand, firmly positioning it between his arm and armpit. He called this method Couched Lance and though he would have to abandon thence upon collision, it wasnt much of a problem for him since he could just make another one. "Let me get a bit used to it first." "Kill me now... Its on you if you die!" "Thats my partner!" Ultimately, Jin made his decision, instantaneously changed directions and ran. Indeed, he plowed through the center of the city with a speed akin to lightning! There were some in the middle who blocked them, but they soon disappeared. He didnt even have to dirty his Drake Horn Lance with their bone powder as Jin broke through them with his steel covered body. The sharper and sturdier Jins body, the less things would interfere with his running. And because of that, he could run even faster than before. Jin wasnt a Skeleton Horse right now, but rather seemed like a longer and sharpernce than the Drake Horn Lance! It was a good idea to learn Steel Body. Since I love running without anything in my way... Fast... Faster! The fastest in the world! Jin truly began to run faster and faster. In the span of time it took to a blink a few times, they had reached the center of the city from the outskirts. They had alreadye close enough that they could see the lords group on the move! [The Drake Horn Lance is increasing the effectiveness of all charge rted skills by 40%.] The faster Jin ran, the more red light the Drake Horn Lance emitted. Its splendid option of increasing the effectiveness of all charge rted skills by as much as 40% would catalyze the mana within and appear. Lee Shin Woo more firmly grasped the spear and his goblin fire zed. I definitely have to take care of at least one of them with this. When he factored in his stats that had surpassed a level 4s and neared a level 5s, Jins destructive power through his speed, and the Drake Horn Lance, which would boost all of that to its maximum while possessing its own destructive power, it would be unlikely that even a level 5 elite monster would survive an attack. No, they had to die. Because if they didnt kill their opponent, they would have to cope with the force following the moment of impact in its entirety. In any case, their charge attack had to kill one of them. You see the biggest golem in the centermost area, right? Im going for him. Alright. He stuck to Jins back as much as he could and maximized their connection. At this point, they didnt really have to say things out loud. Whatever he thought of was naturally transmitted to Jin, and Lee Shin Woo could roughly figure out what Jin wanted as well. From the start, one of the reasons that Kratia had been interested in them was because of the assimtion phenomenon that urred through their perfect connection, a connection so perfect that it was almost strange. Though she didnt know much about the skill itself, she did say that other Horseback Riding skills didnt develop the way theirs did. And that was being proven right now. It wasnt just a simple connection between a man and a horse; it was something only possible between them because they were both undead heroes and the connection was beginning to bear fruit! [The Low Rank Horseback Riding skill has be Lv10 and evolves into the Intermediate level. You have formed a truly deep connection with your ridingpanion, and gone past the union between man and horse.] [Attuning your will with yourpanion and adding their strength to your own is no longer a skill but can be considered to be in the realm of magic. You have learned the Intermediate Assimtion skill. Agility and Magic has increased by 10.] Lee Shin Woo felt it when he gained the skill. The moment he used the two skills that had evolved in this battle, Shadow Sprint and Assimtion, to their very limit, he realised that he and Jin could reach unknown territory! Shin Woo! Soon! I know! Hed only just acquired the skill, but the Assimtion skills ability was clear. Before Jin had even transmitted his intent, he could figure out what Jin wanted! The two had already gotten really close to the lords group. Obviously, their enemies noticed them too. However, they didnt worry about that. Since at this very moment, there was no one here who could respond to their speed! [Hostility detect...] Lee Shin Woo and Jin frontally crashed into the golem they had decided upon beforehand, and at that moment, they matched their breathing. Within their minds, they drew a clear picture. The world ground to a halt, as if they had pressed a temporary pause button on Jins overwhelming speed; Jins speed in its entirety was contained within thence, and thence would break through the golem. That image! "Uorayaaaaaahp!" Lee Shin Woo yelled a strange battle cry and raised the mana throughout his entire body. He gripped the spear, and the instinctually applied mana, containing the power of Bursting Thunder, rushed towards the end of the spear. The deep blue mana was added to the red energy and the two mixed together, forming swaying violet sparks! [The Low Rank bursting Thunder skill has be Lv10 and evolves into the Intermediate level. Strength and Magic has increased by 10. Low Rank Power sh is absorbed. It has be possible for you to incorporate lightning into your weapon.] As per the saying even when its rotten, its still a herring the Iron Golem realized that Lee Shin Woo attacked before he did, and twisted its body around in an attempt to somehow reduce the damage it would sustain. At the same time, it also deformed its body in an attempt to attack them as well, so they could safely say that it was a truly impressive response. However, to Jin, no, to both him and Lee Shin Woo, who he was assimting with, it looked much too slow. They had already seen that in their image and were able to ovee it. [Critical Hit!] [Hieruwakbedakuru] [1] The moment the extendednce struck its target in one area, the golem emitted a sound that he couldnt understand at all. And then, the golem broke apart and its pieces flew everywhere. [1] T/L: Gibberish. Chapter 16 part2 [You achieved the feat of executing a higher leveled (elite) foe. Strength has increased by 10. Skill proficiency in Bursting Thunder has increased.] Lee Shin Woo watched as the Iron Golem scattered into pieces in front of him (or at least, where it was) and couldnt even react. Thats because the recoil at the moment of impact was too much for them to handle. At the very least, thence broke apart at the moment of impact so the recoil was dispersed as much as possible. If it hadnt, Lee Shin Woos arm bone or Jins leg bone wouldve broke. It was definitely an absurdly powerful technique, but withouting up with a proper countermeasure, it was unusable. [Who are you? If youre a knight of the Empire, how dare you not recognize me... theres no way youd fail to recognize who I am and do something so wicked!] It seemed as though it couldnt help but be shaken after watching one its most powerful forces get destroyed so quickly, as the Skeleton Commander yelled in a quivering voice. As expected, it possessed a clear ego, perhaps due to being level 5, but it inevitably couldnt remember its own name! When Lee Shin Woo became aware of that, he instinctively yelled. "Do you really not know why Im here?" [I-I dont know...!] There was no way itd know. If there were some special reason, Lee Shin Woo would like to know himself. He just spoke whatever came to mind and circted his mana to help him and Jin cope with the umted shock. Surprisingly, Mana Bone, which circted the mana, could be applied to Jin through the Assimtion skill. It truly was a cheat skill. However, he was slyly lying to the Skeleton Commander even while being astonished by how far his skill had developed. "Bah. There should be a reason you can think of. Were not dispatched just anywhere." [D-Dispatched...!? Were you perhaps sent by the imperial family? L-Look here. Stop attacking for now. Stand by! I said to stand by!] Huh? Hed just haphazardly said that to buy time for them to heal, but their reaction was much better than hed expected. While the lord was flustered, Lee Shin Woo collected the loot with a rxed posture without giving anything away and even approached the lord, dragging Jin with him. The golems acted like obedient hunting dogs, and when they heard the words stand by, they immediately stepped back; on the other hand, the knights looked uneasy and were unable to easily approach. [You have acquired 17,500 Perium.] [You have acquired a Deteriorated Original Bone Core.] Oh. As expected, the drops changed at around level 5. He felt as though they were being way too stingy with the Perium for an elite level 5 monster, and despite the Original Core being deteriorated, it was still an Original Core! He was extremely satisfied and raised his head. Lee Shin Woo saw the lords hand not leaving the core, even while flustered, and was impressed; he then decided to put out a feeler. "So are you going to talk now?" [I... I havent done anything wrong! They offered it to me first! I wanted to leave the underground!] "..." Hearing the lords unexpected response, Lee Shin Woo was momentarily speechless. What the hell is this senile skeleton even saying? They offered it to me first? He wanted to leave the underground? This wasnt just somemon corruption from a noble, but something a lot bigger! "Still... that doesnt lessen your crimes." Lee Shin Woo strived to not let the confusion show on his face, and had to try really hard to adapt to what the lord was saying. Just because a skeletons face didnt change didnt mean that there was nothing else to do. He had to prevent himself from being quiet for too long, or speak with a flustered tone, or even control the pattern by which his goblin fire swayed. If he interrogated him for a bit longer, it seemed like hed be able to learn something new. Perhaps it would be about the rtionship between the underground empire and above ground! [...Youre not, huh?] However, despite Lee Shin Woo acting with his entire body, the Skeleton Commander had somehow figured him out! [Yeah. If you were the Golden Shadow, then you wouldnt have destroyed a golem! Youre not! You arent! Who the hell are you!] "Shit!" [Ugh!?] He didnt know where hed gone wrong, but it was pointless to continue acting after he was caught. Before the lord, who had figured him out, could retreat, he quickly stretched out his hand and stole the lords core. It was only possible because the lords closebat abilities seemed fairly low! [Die!] [We wont let you touch the lord!] "Tch!" The moment hed reached out his hand, the Elder Knights came at him from both sides. Fortunately, because Jin acted quickly and retreated, Lee Shin Woo wasnt cut by their swords filled with tumultuous death energy. "What the hell were you thinking, you idiot!" "Sorry. I went overboard thinking that Id found some kind of hidden quest or something..." [Catch him! Take the core back!] The lord, or rather the Skeleton Commander, shrieked, and the three level 5 Elite Skeleton Elder Knights, as well as the twelve level 4 Skeleton Knights charged at Lee Shin Woo all at once. At that moment, a bizarre ck light surged from the Skeleton Commander and was absorbed by the knights; Lee Shin Woo could see that their mana was being amplified. It was a special Command type skill! [The lord has given us hismand. Ill bury my sword in his heart!] [How dare you put your filthy hands on one of the lords possessions!] "Tch...!" The Skeleton Knights attacked quickly, as if the lord had increased their strength by 50%, and made it so that Lee Shin Woo and Jin were busy running away. If Lee Shin Woo were alone, he wouldve just given up an arm to the oing swords in all directions. [How is it that we cant take down that one guy! Why cant we hit him when hes right in front of us!] [Connection withmander has been lost.] [Standing by.] However, the golems didnt respond to the Commanders shrieks. He was certain that the lord couldnt issuemands without the core. Lee Shin Woo decided that thats where his hopes lie. "What do we do? Do we run first?" "No. Were ending it here! If that bastard goes outside and starts getting set up, were screwed." "Ah, damn it!" Even while matching their breathing, and dodging the iing swords tinged with death energy by hectically moving their bodies around, Lee Shin Woo yelled confidently. At the same time, he concentrated on the core that hed swiped from the lord. Of course, the core had transformed into bone the moment hed stolen it from the lord, but grasping the original flow of mana within wasnt difficult. [Limited Order Bone Core] [With your superb analytical skills and knowledge, you recognized that this is a transformed Original Core. The Original Core records a persons mana, and when that mana is injected into the core, it is changed to a particr frequency, enabling you to order the registered entities, I0918, I0919, I0920, I0921.] [In the process of changing into bone, the originalmanders registration has been erased. It is unknown whether the core will activate normally.] In other words, the core registered the lords mana and locked it so that only he could use it, and it also possesses a lock that enables him to control all of the golems here. Fortunately, one of those locks have been released... And the only ones who could tamper with that set-up were level 7 golems like Guillotine Steelworker. Lee Shin Woo suddenly thought the system of manufacturing golems in the Empire was messed up. So how tough would it be to control all of the golems without a core? While being vaguely frightened of doing so... at the same time, he couldnt help but feel happiness welling in a corner of his heart. I came here for a change of pace to take my mind off of the administrative seal, yet I found a crucial part here. I hadnt believed in it before, but I guess fate does exist. With Jins help, Lee Shin Woo was able to avoid the Skeleton Knights attacks and while moving extensively, infused his mana into the Limited Order Bone Core. Of course, it didnt go so well at first, and after repeatedly trying to activate it as its previous registration hadnt been erased, it seemed as though he had finally satisfied some sort of condition as the bone core began to radiate light. At that moment. [Recognizing newmander.] [Receiving orders.] The golems hadnt been a part of the unfolding chaos, and were on standby in a separate location, yet they suddenly spoke. Lee Shin Woo suddenly clenched his fist since it had gone as hed nned, but the lord, the Skeleton Commander was extremely taken aback. [H-How can you use the core when you havent gotten their permission...!? Youre worse than the Golden Shadow!] "As I thought, since youre an undead, youve lost a lot of yourmon sense. Umhp!" Whether he could properly use the core or not would decide the oue of the battle; Lee Shin Woo was well aware of that, so focused on the core. It seemed as though the Skeleton Commander had likewise realized that fact. [You have to kill him quickly and take back the core!] [The lord hasmanded us! Bring some of the soldiers over here. Where are the soldiers!?] [Damn! If I had my horse, I wouldve have to suffer so much from that skeleton horse!] The things the Skeleton Knights were saying were bingughable. Lee Shin Woo continued to infuse mana into the core and fixed everything that came from the transformed Original Core into his mind. Yeah, thats right. The answers inside here. If I study this, Ill get the basic idea. The way to control the golems without a core, as well as how to create them with mana! Lee Shin Woos realized that his intent and how much mana he infused would determine what part of the core reacted, as well as how it would change the mana; he also realized how that transformed mana would be transmitted to the golems, as well as how the golems would move through that transmission. It would normally take a few months before he was proficient, but to him, whod already acquired a general administrators seal, this kind of mechanism was easy for him. He could control them as easily as if he were moving his own body, no... it was actually more simple to do than that! As a result. [Eliminating enemy.] [Result of searching for mana. There are reinforcement troops in the back. Executing them first.] [T-This is...!] Instantaneously, the three Iron Golems became the skeletons enemies, and the Skeleton Commander was mixed with both feelings of anger and panic, so he didnt know what to do. The Skeleton Commander raised his hand, as if he were preparing an offensive spell, but he then lowered his hand since he didnt want to damage the golems; he was definitely thinking of killing the trespassers as quickly as possible and retaking the core. [Protect the lord!] [But we have to kill the trespassers...] [The lord takes priority! You guys take care of him!] [I understand!] [You guys, y-you cant destroy the golems!] While the Commander was hesitating, the Elder Knights hurriedly took on one of the Iron Golems each and the level 4 Skeleton Knights continued to fight against Lee Shin Woo. What a turn of events! "I was waiting for that!" Lee Shin Woo acted as if hed been waiting for that very moment, wielding the Lightning Tooth in one hand and the core in the other, sweeping through the skeletons. It was a superb showing of multitasking. [Kuaaaaaaahk!] [Kihek! M-My lord...!] Regardless of how much stronger theyd be from the Commanders skill, most of Lee Shin Woos main skills had grown to the intermediate level, and was a monster close to level 5. [The Lightning Tooth is strengthening Bursting Thunder. Your lightning bes stronger.] As Bursting Thunder reached the intermediate level, the Lightning Tooth could finally show its true strength; blue lightning streaked across the Lightning Tooth and spewed out onto his enemies, suppressing them. Whenever he struck with his sword, which they couldnt even see, the skeletons skulls and ribs would break to pieces, scattering everywhere! "Its quite simple." [H-How is this possible...!?] The three Iron Golems and Elder Knights were fighting against each other as all of the level 4 Skeleton Knights had instantly been annihted. There was no one left to protect the lord! This had all happened within the span of 5 minutes after hed swiped the core that controlled the golems from the lord. The lord couldnt believe this at all. [Listen up. Its fine if you destroy the golems. We have to stop that atrocious cheater!] [M-My lord...!] [Ugh!] When the lord realized that Lee Shin Woo didnt really care if the stolen golems were damaged or not, he urgently called out to the Skeleton Elder Knights, but it was already toote. From the start, Lee Shin Woo had desperately sought to steal the Iron Golems as they were solid, tough and powerful elites! Even if they were indeed strengthened Skeleton Elder Knights, they werent able to take on an Iron Golem 1 on 1; whats worse, they had been ordered to not damage the golems, so the Elder Knights were put on the defensive and couldnt move an inch. [Damn it...! Where are the other soldiers and knights!? Where the hell did they go!?] "Youll be able to meet them soon." Lee Shin Woo controlled the golems and hectically drove the Elder Knights into a corner; Lee Shin Woo simultaneously steered Jin and instantly came within distance of the Commander. At that moment, the Commanders jawbone ttered and chanted something, causing mana to collect in the air. He was trying to cast a spell. However... [Shock Missile!] "I heard thatmanders double as magicians as well. I also heard that theyre jam packed with magic, but they dont have any internal stability." The spear hed created with mana was easily split apart by the blue sparks rising from the Lightning Tooth. If he took it straight up, it mightve hurt, but thats it. Thats because he wasnt a magician specialized in magic, butpletely specialized inmanding only. Seeing that, the Skeleton Commander babbled that he was wielding a treasure unfitting of a thief and so on and so forth, but Lee Shin Woo obviously didnt concern himself with that. "Single Lightning!" [No!] A single strand of blue lightning from the air shot down onto him. This technique was both the alpha and the omega of Bursting Thunder; following the lightning strike, he would quickly sh with his sword! As Bursting Thunder reached the intermediate level, its true potential was unlocked; this sword strike may be an extremely basic technique, but it was as imposing as divine punishment. [Ugh...!] "Heup!" He mightve had some trick left up his sleeve as Lee Shin Woo felt like he heard him ttering, but Lee Shin Woo just intensified the mana and thus the lightning. Ultimately the Skeleton Commander screamed awfully and disappeared. He had beenpletely destroyed, as if a gust of wind had passed by. The Skeleton Commanders floating skull zed with goblin fire as if cursing him, but soon was consumed by the mes and vanished. [You have achieved the feat of defeating a higher leveled enemy. All stats have increased by 1.] The Lightning Tooth burned the air, emitting an intense ozone smell. It was pointless to ask at this point, but how could he smell again? Lee Shin Woo thought trivially and withdrew his sword. "We have to take care of the others quickly." [H-How dare you kill the lord...!] A little whileter, a fine, but certainly recognizable ming pattern could be seen from above the city. The Pauls and Kratia, who seemed to have just been waiting for his signal, immediately entered the city... and were soon able to see it. The city, which Lee Shin Woo had turned into a scene more horrific than any Hell. Chapter 16 part3 [Kill him! Kill them all!] [For the Empire!] "You said youd just kill the lord, but what is this..." Kratiapletely froze the wall, ascended to the top, and just stood dumbstruck after confirming the massacre. The skeletons were hostile to everything and everyone. It started from the level 4 Skeleton Knights to the ordinary level 1moners; all of them had equally fallen into madness. At this very moment, she heard a jarring, hair-raising scream from somewhere, but Kratia thought that it was a voice shed heard somewhere before. "Do the undead periodically fall into madness? No, theres no way that something could happen so suddenly... Then was it Shin Woo? But how?" [The Captains ordered us to annihte them! Let us put to rest those foolish and pitiful fools of the Empire!] [Follow the Commander!] Though Kratia stood petrified, the Pauls followed behind her into the city, and unhesitatingly rushed forward. The elite squadron, led by the reborn Paul 41, the level 4 Doom Factor, didnt have even a shred of hesitation and cut apart all of the surrounding undead. They had already finished steeling themselves. "What could he have done to these guys? How...? Ugh." Kratia couldnt get over her doubt at all, but it felt like a waste of time to do so while just sitting there. Ultimately, she stopped mulling over trivial thoughts and went straight into arge scale spell. After seeing Lee Shin Woos use of mana, shed developed a new technique; shed made up her mind to test her catalyzed magic! Arge quantity of mana stuck to the ice artifact that floated before her; Kratia watched as arge amount of mana grew, and smiled. [The Low Rank Shriek of the Dead skill has be Lv8. Magic has increased by 2. Your skills are affected by your mana and can persist for a longer period of time.] "Whoa, whats that?" Meanwhile, Lee Shin Woo had finished cleaning up the area, and was using Shriek of the Dead in various areas of the city; he gaped once he saw the spell Kratia had cast. There was no way an upant of the city wouldnt be able to see the spell; there was an absurdlyrge mass of ice floating in the air! "Ooh, its cold just looking at it." "The colds not the issue here." The clump of ice floating within the air created a suction force that drew in the surrounding mana; this mana seemed to rotate around the ice and then, transformed into sharp ice spears. And those ice spears poured down upon the enemies everywhere! He could describe the clump of ice that so slowly advanced into the air, as well as the following ice spears that poured onto the battlefield as horrific. To the point that Lee Shin Woo thought that he didnt even need to separately take out the Skeleton Commander if she could use something like that to attack the entire city! "What kind of huge spell is that?" "Are all level 6s like that?" "No way." But when he considered the fact that Kratia hadnt been in the Empire for very long and was still a newbie hero, he was just speechless. Lee Shin Woo hadnt expected to influence her to to the point ofpleting such a grand magic; he decided to be even more guarded against the other heroes from now on. Of course, there was nothing wrong with being careful. He then realized that he hadnt been aware of how amazing he was. "If you get hit by that, would you die Shin Woo?" "Yep. Fortunately, it seems avoidable, but... No, it doesnt seem like well be enemies with Kratia, so we dont need to go into hypotheticals here." One week was more than enough time to figure out each others tendencies. Kratia was only single-mindedly focused on magic, but was also a rational thinker, as well as loyal. He thought she was a trustworthy human. "I dont think Ill have to make a move with that there. Lets rest." As soon as Lee Shin Woo decided that the battle was over, he immediately sank down onto the ground. He grasped the Limited Order Bone Core in his hand. It was the key that would control the Iron Golems that stood before them. They had some spare time now, so he decided to earnestly start studying the core. "Thats what you call resting?" "We should be able to get to level 5 if we use all of the bones weve acquired from the battle. So, I want to finish the quest before I level up." "Youre so stubborn its scary." Lee Shin Woo could already use the Bone Core much better than the original owner, the lord, could. Considering the fact that he had controlled three Iron Golems simultaneously and made it so that two of the Elder Knights couldnt move an inch (while wielding the Lightning Tooth in his other hand and swinging it at the final Elder Knight), Jin was just shocked! However, Lee Shin Woo wasnt satisfied with just that. "Arema Steelworker... No, the Empire made a huge mistake. If you hold the remote control, it bes really obvious how the golems mana is created, as well as how they move, doesnt it?" "If anyone could tell that from just analyzing it, they wouldnt have made a remote control like that..." Regardless of how deep ones magical knowledge was, or how much they analyzed the basics behind it, they wouldnt be able to copy the mana. At least, if they followed what Kratia had told them. However, Lee Shin Woo was gripping the Bone Core and struggling against it, so he didnt hear what Jin was saying. Thats right. Originally, mana doesnt have its own form. The form changes depending on who is using it. ...In some ways, it might be simr to my karma. Lee Shin Woo closely examined the process that changed his mana within the core, and was repeatedly in awe. It felt like he had tested and confirmed the knowledge hed memorized until now, and was deeply moved. He also felt a sense of stubbornness, that he wanted to do what the core did all by himself. "Hoo. Then lets do it in order." "Its surprising that youre doing this in order." However, it was impossible right now; for starters, Lee Shin Woo focused on giving out detailedmands to the golems. There were basicmands recorded in the core, but he wanted to personally inject his will into the golems based on the strange mana pattern change. This wasnt very difficult, as he had already received all the knowledge from the Original Core. [Following order. Running in ce.] [Following order. Sparring with I0921.] He had seeded, so next up was to transmit the image in his head in its entirety to the golems. The core had just be a medium that changed Lee Shin Woos mana into that of a golems. he had alreadypletely analyzed the core and sessfully produced their effects. He was even soon able to release the limited use on his administrative authority. In other words, he would be able to control golems below level 5, even if they werent registered in the core. This was already a shocking achievement, but he wasnt satisfied with that. [Executing pushups.] [Executing 8 personal training exercises.] "Im almost there..." Lee Shin Woo gently closed his eyes. It wouldnt be an exaggeration to say that he was the one who knew about a golems mana most, aside from a golem itself. He just needed to take one more step. He trusted in manas ability to change. He had absorbed a golems mana before, so he thought that there was no reason he wouldnt be able change his mana to that of a golems. Lee Shin Woo was now able to genuinely think that way. "Hoo..." Lee Shin Woo fell into deep thought, and he dropped the core that had been in his hand, which automatically entered his inventory. If he truly wanted to produce a golems mana, he had to discard the core. [1] [Standing by.] [Connection withmander has been lost.] The golems, which had been diligently doing their pushups and eight PT exercises, returned to standby. It was possible because they werent the autonomous defense type golems, which automatically recognized their enemies and attacked. A golems mana... A golems mana... How long had he stood there? Around the time where he became unaware of the chaos and the terror that covered the city, mana suddenly appeared on his fingertips. "Oh... Oh?" "Hoo..." It seemed as though the mana couldnt make up its mind, as it hovered around, but it soon changed into mes, acid, and lightning. The mana went from a living persons to a dead persons. Then it changed to Lee Shin Woos mana, to something elses, and ultimately arrived at unknown territory. He realized that all of it was simr and that there wasnt any real reason to ssify them. The moment he thought that way, the mana within him seethed. The Mana Bone skill responded to his realization and more purely refined his mana. Though there wasnt any change in the volume of mana, this had caused his mana to be reborn. [The Element category has been opened in the status menu. You can draw the pure essence of the elements from your mana and use them as you please. The Low Rank mes of Revenge and the Intermediate Acid Poison Spray skills are eliminated. You have acquired Low Rank Fire Lv4, Intermediate Acid Lv3, and Intermediate Lightning Lv1.] The mes of Revenge, as well as the Acid Poison Spray skills were nothing more than skills that changed mana for a special purpose and allowed one to manipte the transformed mana. Compared to fundamentally changing mana into a pure element, the skills were inferior techniques. He had be able to freely change his mana into an element and use it, whether he wanted to cause it to spread and persistently ze, or shoot out in a straight line. Lee Shin Woo then realized that there was no reason to confine mes or acid into one form. Yeah. Thats what Kratia realized as well when she watched me... The purpose of Bone Reinforcement wasnt for him to learn typical skills from absorbing the memories of countless individuals, as well as their abilities, but to make him realize that he couldbine countless abilities into one, or divide one into countless others. "Hoo..." The ck mana above the palm of his hand unraveled like a ball of yarn and formed a single pattern. If the Steelworkers had seen that, they wouldve been shocked. Thats because it was the high rank administrative seal that was only allowed to level 7 golems. This was the result of Guillotine Steelworkers arrogance; he thought that only golems could create the seal, so he didnt even feel the need to hide the pattern. [Recognizing high rank authority.] [Its a pleasure. Obeying Steelworkers orders.] [Output limitations have beenpletely released. High rankmander is cleared.] The three golems quickly stood up. If they had treated hismands as though they were from a lieutenant until now, now they were treating him as though he were a 2-star general and were showing their loyalty. [epting Iron Golems I0919, I0920, and I0921 as subordinates. These golems are under the effect of the Command skill and are strengthened.] Jin, who had watched with bated breath ever since Lee Shin Woo had created several elements, realized that Lee Shin Woo had really done it and was shocked. At that moment, Lee Shin Woo saw a message right in front of him stating that Kratia was finished! [Questplete! You have acquired 3 permits to Gods secret shop. The Acting skill has be Lv11. You have learned the Jokers innate skill, Disguise.] [Disguise Lv1 (Active)] [A true Joker fools even himself. And if he perfectly fools even himself, then he can ultimately fool the entire world. You can transform into someone you arepletely familiar with, or modify a part of your body or an item you are holding. Of course, it only changes the outside appearance, so please use this skill with discretion.] "...!?" Lee Shin Woo felt as if he had goosebumps all over his body. How could this kind of skill exist? He could understand if it were a skill that allowed him to create something with mana, but this wasnt like that. Fool yourself, so you can fool the world? It sounded way too grandiose. Even he, the possessor of the skill, couldnt understand the principles behind the skill. He had finally finished his homework, yet it felt like he had gotten another more difficult piece of homework. "Whats wrong, Shin Woo? Were you not able to make the seal just like you wanted?" "No, thats not it." Lee Shin Woo just shook his head towards Jin, who was worrying about him. He had thought that everything would be his for the taking after figuring out how to make the seal, but was crestfallen when he realized that wasnt true, and wasnt able to honestly ry that fact. At that moment, Lee Shin Woo suddenly felt the death energy around him dwindle. Now that he thought about it, he didnt hear any screams or battle cries in the surrounding area anymore. That meant only one thing. [You and yourrades have cleared away the death in the city, Kehebe. Though you did not eliminate the curse, you managed to lessen the energy of death here, so no more undead will appear in this area.] It was message saying that theyd purified the city. [1] E/N: Not to be thought of literally. He just shouldnt be in contact with the core for it to truly be him making the changes. Chapter 16 part4 [You have acquired 2 permits to Gods secret shop. You have acquired 10,000 Perium. Proficiency inbat-rted skills has increased. You can now use your own private chatting channel.] If heroes clear out a city of the undead, they receive a reward personally bestowed by God. Hed seen everything else before, but the private chatting channel was a surprise. Of course, it was questionable how much he would use it in the future. If a hero performs exceptionally in the task known as purification, they may be awarded a Hero token; however, Lee Shin Woo had already obtained the Joker karma, so he couldnt obtain it a second time. No, perhaps the purification process was much too wicked, such that he wouldnt have been able to attain it, even if he didnt possess the Joker karma. [You have gathered more than 10 permits to Gods secret shop. You may exchange 10 permits to Gods secret shop for 1 permit to Gods garden.] However, there was an additional message that appeared before him. It was the first time hed seen a message like this. Lee Shin Woo stared vacantly at the message for some time, and then silently opened the chatting channel. He had decided that this was something that he should know about beforehand. [Mr. Lee Shin Woo has entered.] [Ye Jin Jin: Im d youre safe!] [Lee Shin Woo: Im d youre safe as well. Seniors, have any of you gone into Gods garden before?] [Prince Altania: You crazy bastard. How the hell did you collect ten permits to Gods secret shop?] [Ye Jin Jin: You shouldnt talk like that! That makes it sound like Mr. Shin Woo is crazy!] [Lloyd H.K.: He is crazy. How did you collect ten of them already?] As expected, it seemed as though his seniors knew about it. If it was something they hadnt heard about before, he wouldnt have gotten any information out of them; instead, they wouldve pestered him like crazy and it wouldve been a real pain in the ass. It was a relief that that wasnt the case. He quickly asked them a question. [Lee Shin Woo: I was just lucky enough to get them. What should I do with them?] [Yasunori Akira: A small blessing. Thats what we call it. Even I havent gotten one before.] [Ethan Cruz: Gods garden is a kind of temple. Though its a bit pricey to get in, God will personally bestow upon you her divine grace, which is well worth the cost.] [Lloyd H.K.: Weve heard about it from Ethan [1], but weve never actually gone there before. Since we need to continuously go into the secret shop, we couldnt just continue gathering them.] [Erian Ruparte: Lee Shin Woo, Im envious of your talent and passion. I thought you were out of the ordinary ever since you rescued Jin Jin, but...] [Lee Shin Woo: It was all because of her. You see, I received a lot of permits for Gods secret shop from saving her.] [Prince Altania: Ah, maybe I should do some manualbor too. At this rate, Im afraid Ill fall behind a newbie. That would be such a disgrace.] He wanted to say, You mightve already fallen behind Kratia already, but Lee Shin Woo barely kept himself from saying it. And his seniors advice continued on. [Seira Von Retadane: We have to periodically go to the secret shop since we cant just fill our inventories with food. Lee Shin Woo, youre probably well aware of this, but you cannot afford to be too greedy. Please enter Gods garden only after you have enough permits to spare or after you have acquired a quest thats easy toplete.] [Lee Shin Woo: Thank you, senior. Ill keep that in mind.] [Prince Altania: As I thought, Seiras been to Gods garden before. Its really clear advice.] [Seira Von Retadane: Please call me Retadane.] In any case, Lee Shin Woo didnt need to eat, so essentially, it would only be beneficial for him to go to Gods garden. He thanked and said goodbye to his seniors who always gave him good advice, and left the chatting channel. But then... [Ethan Cruz: I have high expectations of you, Lee Shin Woo. Perhaps well meet soon.] [Lee Shin Woo: Ill work hard.] [Lloyd H.K.: For Ethan to say something like that...] [Prince Altania: Senior, you cant say stuff like that. Im close to level 7, you know? Once I get to level 7, Ill go through all the dungeons I know about, and get to level 8 in a sh! Ah, Lloyd, if you ask me sincerely, I can help you out.] [Ethan Cruz: Prince, youre extremely talented as well. I just didnt say it since it seemed so obvious, you rascal.] Lee Shin Woo stepped away from the exchange of well-wishes between seniors and juniors and left the chatting channel. But unexpectedly, at that moment, he saw two messages appear simultaneously. [Mr. Ethan Cruz is requesting a private chat.] [Ms. Ye Jin Jin is requesting a private chat.] Was this message appearing because hed unlocked the private chatting channel function? Lee Shin Woo epted Ethans request first. In no time, he heard Ethans voice in his ear. [It wasnt lip service. Lee Shin Woo, youll be a big shot in no time.] "Um... thank you." [Its important to know just how much youre worth. I hope I didnt see wrong. Its nice to be humble, but remember that you cant afford to fool yourself. Be aware of how special you are and proceed steadily.] Why was this guy saying such burdensome things? He shouldve just refused, just like Arema Steelworker had done with the golems, but Ethan eventually went on to the main topic. [Im a high level right now, so I dont really need them, but there are a few dungeons that only I know about.] "Pardon me...?" Even an idiot would understand what Ethan Cruz was saying. However, that made him all the more suspicious of him. "Did you want to tell me about these dungeons...?" [Exactly.] Obviously, the higher level the dungeon, the more difficult it is to find. These dungeons are hidden in more unusual ces and trick adventurers. Thats why heroes go crazy whenever they find a dungeon. However, he knows about a few dungeons? And was only going to tell Lee Shin Woo about them? "There are other heroes, so are you really ok with telling me?" [Ah, Lee Shin Woo. I just told you, didnt I? I told you that youd be big. ...Youll be different from useless bums like the Prince.] "...I see." [Im d youre quick on the uptake. Now then, Ill activate the minimap sharing function.] Sharing the minimap. This feature would share ones location with another person. Apparently, it was the feature that was unlocked following the private chat function, so it felt strange to Ethan Cruz that Lee Shin Woo hadnt unlocked it yet. "It feels like the image has been stuck into my head." [You roughly know what direction you need to go in, right?] "Yes, thank you." It felt simr to opening the world map in a game, marking ones destination, and moving towards said destination. To put it simply, a navigation system for a car. If he closed his eyes, an arrow would appear in his head that would indicate which direction he should go in. All of the dungeons Ethan had told him about were situated in the same area. They were quite far off, but if he used the train, he could get there quickly, and even if he didnt have ess to the train, he could get there riding Jin at top speed in only three weeks; if he just walked there, he could get there in a year. [I hope you grow quickly. Since you cant invade the capital all by yourself.] "Thank you... very much. I hope Ill be able to stand side by side with you one day." [Superb.] That ended their private chat. Immediately after, Lee Shin Woo stopped acting and thought about it. What the hell is this piece of shit nning? "Are there heroes who kill other heroes to grow...? Then does God just sit by and allow that to happen?" "What are you talking about?" "Theres an asshole, one of our seniors whos trying to lead me somewhere. 100%." He knew since he was in the same line of business (swindler). Ethan Cruz was 100% a son of a bitch. Butpared to Lee Shin Woo, Ethans means were quite sloppy. For example, all of the dungeons hed informed him about were in the same direction. A prominent figure like Ethan Cruz... no, a hero whos been at this for a long time wouldnt have just stayed in one ce like that, so does it make any sense that all of the dungeons hed told him about were in the same ce? It was definitely a trick clearly aimed to lead Lee Shin Woo to a special area. "Couldnt it just be that he found a ton of dungeons that werent fit for his level after leveling up a lot and moved to another area? Its not good to be so distrustful of people, Shin Woo." "No, my s.o.b. radar is going crazy right now. I thought it was strange that I became a rising star or whatever just by introducing myself in the chatting channel." "But you are a rising star... Even from my point of view, youre so talented that its strange." "You know pretty much everything about me, but the problem is that the other heroes dont." Ethan Cruzs objective was so clear, but he didnt know what his motive was. What good was it to kill another hero? Rather, he should get a penalty from God, so why...? Mm... I guess I could just meet with God and ask her myself. Lee Shin Woo thought, and around the time he felt rxed, he got another private chat request. Of course, it came from Ye Jin Jin. As soon as he epted, he heard a lively girls voice in his ear. [Ye Jin Jin: Im sorry if Im disturbing you! But I have something that I really needed to tell you.] "Its because I got another private chat request." [Ye Jin Jin: Who!? Is it Ms. Retadane? It shouldnt be Erian [2]...] "Ethan Cruz." [Ye Jin Jin: That senior...!? Ah, thats right. I recently unlocked a new function. Im here right now.] "Here...?" He waited, figuring that she might have unlocked the sharing function, and as he expected, the minimap sharing function activated. Of course, he couldve refused, but didnt; funnily enough, she was in theplete opposite direction to the point Ethan Cruz had marked. [Ye Jin Jin: Ill work hard to catch up to your level, so lets hunt together in a partyter!] "Yeah, sure..." [Ye Jin Jin: Then Ill get going now! Ill get back to hunting!] Lee Shin Woo listened to the cheerful Ye Jin Jin until the very end and couldnt help but suddenly recall what his seniors had told him. Take it easy on the romance...? Theres no smoke without fire, but perhaps... no. No way. If one likes a skeleton, then they were either really screwed up in the head, or became a skeleton themselves. Now that he thought about it, both of them were pretty much the same. Lee Shin Woo unhesitatingly interpreted Ye Jin Jins feelings for him as just trust. Or perhaps respect. If it was either of those, there was nothing wrong with her. It was fine to have those kind of feelings for a skeleton. "Shin Woo! What the hell did you do!?" Then, Kratia came flying by andnded in front of them. Beyond her, the Pauls were moving diligently to collect the bones. Lee Shin Woo marveled at the fact that they did it without him ordering them to do so. These guys were truly starting to show promise! "I just used a skill. It doesnt work on allies, so dont worry." "If you just let me see you use that skill... No, wait a sec." Kratia was soon greeted with a sight that was much more surprising than the Shriek of the Dead. She had discovered the three Iron Golems that stood side by side around Lee Shin Woo, as if guarding him. There was no way she, with her magical abilities, wouldnt be able to figure out what kind of rtionship Lee Shin Woo had with the golems. "You, this... Perhaps...?" "Yep." "Lets increase the duration of the contract!" As soon as Lee Shin Woo nodded his head and acknowledged her, Kratias eyes brightened, as though there were stars in her eyes. It was the most beautiful and lively face hed seen since meeting her. However, Lee Shin Woo replied sharply and firmly, like a p to the face. "Dont want to." "Ugh...!" Lee Shin Woo, who had already achieved his objective, didnt really need to hang out with her any longer. But Kratia, who had witnessed yet another miracle from Lee Shin Woo, couldnt let him go so easily; Lee Shin Woo ultimately agreed to increase their contract by just three more days. In exchange, all of the bones of the undead that she killed would go to him, and... they forged another alliance. [1] T/N: He never actually uses Ethans first name to address him, but using senior here wouldnt work. [2] T/N: Uses the Korean term "unni" to describe Erian here. Women use this term to refer to women older than them that theyre close to or their real sisters. In this case, its the former. Chapter 16 part5 Lee Shin Woo had never leveled up as nned. But this time, he was somehow able to prepare for his level up at his leisure. His umted stats from both his achievements and the evolution of his skills totaled 1,598; in other words, he was only 2 stats away from a level up, and there were a ton of bones here that he could use to increase his stats. "Jin, what about you?" "Im at 1,574." "Good. You should be able to level up too." "You want me to increase my stats by 26 all at once...!?" Jin said in shock, but Lee Shin Woo didnt listen to him. He was just reacting like that because he was so happy. Even if Jin didnt think that way himself, thats how it was. The city was extremely vast, and the amount of knights protecting it was considerable. However, due to Lee Shin Woo, Kratia, as well as the Pauls, not even one skeleton was missed and the city waspletely cleared; therefore, with the quantity of bones theyd gathered in one spot, they could raise their stats by more than 26, and could even go up to 50 if they wanted. "Pick out the bones level 4 or higher." There were about 100 level 4 bones. Most of them were from knights, but there were asionally some magicians bones mixed in as well; Lee Shin Woo decided to invest those magicians bones into Jin. Aside from his agility, everything else needed work, but Jin especiallycked in the magic department. "And this too." "Ugh..." Naturally, Lee Shin Woo held out the Original Bone Core. He had some cores remaining after using them on the deteriorated Original Bone Core. The cores kept adding up, and soon, he managed to make another one. Lee Shin Woo, who had been prepared to sacrifice the Limited Order Original Bone Core, felt relieved that he wouldnt have to. Jins been avoiding this thing. Before joining together with Kratia, they actively cleared out the golems in the outskirts of the Empire and had managed to umte several Original Bone Cores. However, most of those went to Lee Shin Woo. Not only was Jin afraid of absorbing them, but Lee Shin Woo also thought that it was urgent he got stronger asap. "But I really cant get any stats out of these Bone Cores anymore. Its better for you to absorb them, if you consider their efficiency." "Damn it... Fine." The same types of bones fundamentally possess a simr karma. There was even a limit on absorbing skeletons bones, which possessed a special characteristic based on the individual, so there was no way that golems, which were carefully thought out and produced, would be any different. Through hard work, Lee Shin Woo had already acquired all the stats he could from the Bone Original Cores, and now it was Jins turn. It seemed as though Jin realized that he couldnt get out of it this time, and calmly assented. Since it wasnt his first time experiencing it, he didnt break down. "Urgh..." "Tell me when youve got it." "Ugh... I got it. I just need to raise my stats by 8 more." "8, huh. Ok." Yeah, it was fortunate that Jin was headstrong. Lee Shin Woo nodded in satisfaction and continuously used the magicians bones on Jin. Whenever he did so, Jin would flinch, but he managed to bear with it quite well. He maintained his connection with Lee Shin Woo, and remembered the days he had endured, which helped him get through it. "Hoo... Just 3 more stats." "Just one more level 5 bone should be enough then." Lee Shin Woo examined the level 5 bones hed collected from the battle. First were the four bones hed gotten from the Elder Knights. There were four, including the three Lee Shin Woo had killed, as well as one that Kratia had killed. There were two more level 5 bones as well; they were the lords, the Skeleton Commanders, skull and rib bone. He was lucky to have gotten them through Bone Reinforcements new option. "Which one should we go with?" "It doesnt really matter to me, so just pick one already. Im ready." Jin spoke in a pointlessly grim tone, and stiffly raised his head. Lee Shin Woo chuckled and picked the Skeleton Commanders rib bone. Because it was the only one which would increase health. "And if Im right, itll probably..." "Probably what?" "Youll know if you experience it firsthand. Bone Reinforcement!" [Bone Reinforcement is being implemented on Jin Taylor by consuming a Lv5 Skeleton Commanders rib bone. Health has increased by 1. You share a portion of its memories and experiences.] [A defensive seal? If therees a time when I have to use that, then my family line will end on that day as well. - Nameless heir] This time, Lee Shin Woo received 1 stat point and only need one more to level up. Of course, Jin obviously got more than 3 points from it. Suddenly, a dreary ck light burst from Jins body; it was an outburst of mana that indicated that he was leveling up. "Ugh...!" Is it because of the contract? I feel a bit strange, too. It felt as though Jins nausea was transmitted to Lee Shin Woo in its entirety. He calmly stepped back and observed Jins level up. Kratia also watched with interest. "It seems much more intense than a humans level up. Is it because hes leveling up to 5?" "Is there something special about level 5?" "Yeah. Its the level where your karma pieces, which are divided into several branches, are made one, and for the first time, your true path is decided. Level 5 is the level where you are considered high rank." Kratia added that she became an ice magician at level 5, so she was forced to walk on that path from now on. After hearing that, when he thought about it, Lee Shin Woo had acquired the Avenger karma at first, then the Trickster karma, and several other karmas as well, but all of these were gradually sorted out; now, his promotion to a true Joker was right ahead of him, so he thought she wasnt exactly wrong. "Ah, its almost over." The dreary ck light wrapping around Jin gradually disappeared, revealing the vastly changed Jin from within. The first thing he noticed was his frame; it had a metallic sheen to it. "I was probably really affected by Steel Body. Besides, I dont really have any other active skills." No one had asked, yet Jin preemptively exined. The blue zing goblin fire in his eye sockets had also intensified as well. "And from the absorbed bone, I got a skill thats like a lifesaver. The moment I get hit by an attack, it creates a magical shield that nullifies a portion of the damage; its truly a vague skill." "As I thought, its the skill that the Skeleton Commander used at the end." "Then shouldnt you have gotten this skill? After all, you wind up in dangerous situations more often than me..." "And what ended up happening to the Skeleton Commander who used that skill?" "..." He died. The aforementioned skill was a lifesaver in unforeseen situations, but it wasnt suited for a warrior who fought on the frontlines. Therefore, Jin, who acted like a war horse, would be better served learning the skill, and it would lessen the chances of him getting hit by an unforeseen attack that would take him out of the battlefield. "You know, I heard that as you indirectly telling me that my bodys really weak, so I should take care of myself..." "Ill tell it to you straight up. If you dont like it, then lets train some more." "Ugh!" Jin became level 5. His stat effectiveness shouldve gone up, so his monstrous speed shouldve gotten even faster. Therefore, he would need to properly control that speed, as well as possess a skill that protected his body. Jin also understood that Lee Shin Woos was looking out for him and didnt say anything more. He pledged that he would try hard to more naturally utilize Steel Body, as well as the skill he just obtained. "Its your guys turn next." "Weve been waiting." The Pauls had distinguished themselves in battle. Frankly, the reason that Lee Shin Woo, Jin, and Kratia were able to move separately was because the Pauls had taken down the skeletonmoners, as well as the soldiers neatly and quickly, which were so numerous that they wouldve been a hassle to deal with. When I look at it this way, it makes me want to bring them along with me... However, he couldnt. Considering their mobility, it was correct to just leave them be. If for no other reason, it was important that he reinforce them now. Truthfully, he thought about ignoring the cost and just selling the bones at the secret shop, but most of them were from ordinary, non-elite monsters, and he remembered that he would have to sell them at aparatively low pricepared to buying them, so he decided against it. "Lets reinforce the ones close to level 4 first. I dont know how much stronger you could get, but..." There were bones amassed in front of him. The Pauls stood side by side, as if indicating that they could endure whatever came their way; Lee Shin Woo nodded his head and raised a bone. Lee Shin Woo had already ground the level 1 skeleton bones into medicine, yet funnily enough, there were more than 10,000 bones remaining that were level 2 and up. He then spent the time listening to their screams for a tedious three hours. [Lv4 Doom Factor - Paul 102] "I did it, Captain!" "Yeah, good job." As a result of investing all of level 2 and level 3 bones into them, more than 10 of the Pauls leveled up to level 4. Lee Shin Woo thought that their paths would differ as they absorbed different bones, but he was wrong. All of the skeletons who had be level 4 became Doom Factors. They obtained a higher level of strength than before, and those who hadnt leveled up were envious of them. [I want to grow too...!] "Then you need to hunt more. It seems like Ill be in this general area for a bit, so hunt strong monsters however you can and bring the bones to me. Ill reinforce you guys with them." [I understand!] [Thank you, Captain!] Surprisingly, they departed immediately. Immediately, without even telling him when theyd meet again! He was pleased that they showed such an unbelievable desire to improve for undead, but... ultimately, he just shrugged his shoulders. It was unlikely that theyd return in just ten days. "Then is it your turn now, Shin Woo?" "Its dangerous, so take a few steps back." Kratia was excessively inquisitive. It felt as though she would bite off his hand bones and eat them if it would help in figuring out Lee Shin Woos magic. After Lee Shin Woo hadmanded the golems to protect him from a bit far away, he gathered the rest of the bones in one spot. With an equal amount of level 5 and level 4 bones. Roughly speaking, he didnt think he would get a new skill. On the bright side, he had the Skeleton Commanders skull, so he felt like it would at least improve his Command skill. Hed learned so many skills, and now most of them were starting to ovep. "Hoo... Bone Reinforcement!" [Implementing Bone Reinforcement by consuming all of the gathered bones. Strength has increased by 13, Agility by 11, Health by 14, and Magic by 5. The Low Rank Regeneration skill has be Lv7. The Low rank Command skill has be Lv8.] [You have be level 5. All stats increase by 20. Your inventory has doubled.] [You have be able to control the elements themselves. You may be an undead, but you are a pure undead, unaffected by the curse, so you have evolved into an Elemental Skeleton!] [You have be the worlds only Joker. No one can control your karma, and whatever you decide to be, it is your choice alone.] The transformation wasnt as intense as hed expected. Compared to when he had be level 4, where all his equipment was absorbed and his stats increased sharply all at once, it didnt feel like much of a big deal simultaneously absorbing a dozen bones and leveling up. It felt like there was much more tension back when hed figured out how to make a high rank administrative seal since he hadnt been able to recreate it for so long... he felt strangely disappointed, but Lee Shin Woo examined his body, and soon realized what a huge misunderstanding he was making. "This is... its worlds apart." His magic and strength condensed within his body, further enhancing the health and mana that has been umted in his bones. It seemed the more the Mana Bone skill developed, the more his health and magic would bnce out, due to its ability to contain mana. And now that he was level 5 and his body waspletely restructured, that became apparent even from the outside. His hard work starting from level 1 was reflected in his current body, so he felt deeply moved. "Ooh... Your buildspletely different now. Shin Woo, you really look like a boss mob right now." "You look as if youre level 6 or 7." "Youre one to talk. You know how absolute the difference between levels is." Lee Shin Woo snorted and replied to Kratia, and took a brief deep breath. Then he checked his stats. Chapter 16 part6 [Lee Shin Woo] [Elemental Skeleton Joker] [He who Conquers the Impossible; 2 other titles] [Lv - 5 (Status effectiveness 170%)] [Strength - 397 Agility - 376 Health - 372 Magic - 577] [Passive skills - Acting Lv11, Invisible Heart Lv3, Low Rank Avenger Lv2, Intermediate Bursting Thunder Lv1, Intermediate Mana Bone Lv1, Intermediate Shadow Sprint Lv1, Low Rank Command Lv8, Intermediate Assimtion Lv1, Intermediate Combat Sense Lv4] [Active skills - Disguise Lv1, Bone Reinforcement Lv6, Rule of Bone Lv4, Bone Armory Lv2, Low Rank shriek of the Dead Lv8, Low Rank Regeneration Lv7, Sacrifice Lv1] [Elements - Low Rank Fire Lv4, Intermediate Acid Lv4, Intermediate Lightning Lv1] [Resistances - Holy: MAX, Curses: MAX, Acid: Low Rank Lv9, Ice: Intermediate Lv2] Lee Shin Woo looked vacantly at his dazzling status and then asked Jin with a vacant voice. "Jin, is your status effectiveness also 170%?" "Yeah. It seems like thats the same for everyone.And when you get to level 6, it bes 200%." "So the gradually increasing effectiveness increases even further, huh." He could outright say this. This world wasnt set up such that a lower leveled individual could beat a higher leveled individual. Lee Shin Woo suddenly regarded him beating the level 5 Treasure Eater when he was still at level 3 as a miracle. Is it even possible to beat a level 6 opponent? You can only reach level 6 by umting 3,200 stats and the effectiveness of ones stats are even increased by another 30%... Theres way too much of a difference. Even if he factored in Jin, who at least doubled his fighting strength, it was the same. He wasnt confident that he could defeat Kratia if they were far off from each other. Especially when he considered the power of the catalyst magic shed cast just recently. Is Bursting Thunder and the reinforced elements my only shot? Those would increase the level of my magic and if I were to add Rule of Bone to that, the level of my physical abilities would increase as well; with that, I would be able to inflict an injury at the very least. The reason I was able to take down an Iron Golem in one shot was because of those two abilities. The power to ovee the handicap of levels; various skills were united as one, and evolved. In the end, these few skills had gotten to a level that could be called authorities. Lee Shin Woo could safely say that he was ahead of all the other heroes in this regard. He suddenly realized what a huge blessing it was that he acquired Bursting Thunder from defeating the Zombie Hero. Lee Shin Woo wanted to assess his strength as objectively as possible, and around the time he mulled over it, Kratia, who had been looking straight at him, seemed to be deliberating something and then said this, as if it were nothing. "Shin Woo, you should be able to reach level 7." "Stopplimenting me. Stop. Its frightening just thinking about it." No matter how hard he struggled, would he be able to scratch Guillotine Steelworker? If he rode atop Jins back and charged at full speed with the Drake Horn Lance, he might be able tond a telling blow, but theres no guarantee that Guillotine Steelworker would just sit there and take it; plus, it would be his turn to attack after. "No, you can do it because you realized whats important early on and kept refining yourself. Ive never seen anyone who could harmonize their body and mana together so perfectly... Perhaps it mightve been easier because your bodys only made of bones." "You want to go?" "Im just happy that theres more for me to study since you leveled up." There was absolutely no lies in what she said. She was genuinely happy that Lee Shin Woo had leveled up. It looked as though she just wanted to stay here and study his magic. Lee Shin Woo spoke carefully, stopping her. "Theres something I need to do before that, so just stay put while looking at this." "Hmm? Oh." Lee Shin Woo had thrown her the Limited order Bone Core. Many of its function had been released and changed due to Lee Shin Woo, and there was a lock set up that allowed those hed approved of to control the golems. Realizing this, Kratias eyes opened wide. "...Are you a genius?" "Youll probably get something out of studying that. Then, Ill get going." "Where are you going anyway?" Kratia wasnt the only one curious; Jin also looked curious and asked. Lee Shin Woo briefly exined Gods garden to them. Kratia was disgusted, and Jin sported an odd expression. "Dont you want to meet her too?" "I do, and I dont. ...It feels like I was too greedy, and nowadays it makes me think." Thats right. Thats because he had familiarized himself with karma. As he adapted and developed in this world, he became acutely aware of how childish he had been. Lee Shin Woo could definitely agree with that sentiment. But since he still wanted to give her an earful for not telling him about what was going to happen to him, he didnt really reply. [Would you like to swap out 10 permits to Gods secret shop for 1 permit to Gods garden?] Lee Shin Woo knew he had 11 permits right now. In other words, even if he didnt acquire what he wanted from Gods garden, he could go to the secret shopter if he wanted. Lee Shin Woo unhesitatingly nodded his head. Soon, a blinding light burst in the air, and a smallish light descended upon his head. [You have acquired a permit to Gods garden. Would you like to enter now? You may bring the contracted Jin Taylor with you.] "Yeah." He didnt think the one plus one rule would be applied here as well. In any case, Lee Shin Woo thought it wouldnt be bad to take him along, so he looked back at Jin; Jin seemingly understood what Lee Shin Woo was implying and nodded his head with a bitter expression. Kratia was examining the Limited Order Bone Core with great interest, and just lightly waved her hand at them. "Were entering together." [You have used a permit to Gods garden and are entering Gods garden.] Like when he entered Gods secret shop, the surroundingndscape softly melted away. Lee Shin Woo knew it was a senior level teleportation spell, a level he couldnt yet reach. It was a spell that transported ones consciousness into this space, which was neither the underground nor surface. "Ugh..." First, his surroundings turned to white. Next, flowers he didnt even know the names of bloomed on the ground and emitted a refreshing scent. There was a gust of wind, as well as sunlight. A silver table formed and chairs rose up. Finally, a beauty with red hair appeared on the opposite side. She resembled Pleine, but she was also extremely different; before him was a woman who possessed countless appearances. The woman saw Lee Shin Woo and spoke leisurely, as if she had been waiting for him. "Why dont you sit down?" "...Alright." Lee Shin Woo replied meekly and sat down in the chair. He had just noticed, but he had returned to his human form. He thought this might happen, as this was a mental world; whatever appearance he himself perceived would manifest in this world. He was touched that he was in his original human form again, but he wasnt too shaken. Since he was well aware that this appearance just existed in his consciousness. Therefore, he instead asked his first question. "Where did Jin go?" "Did you really think I wouldnt be able to talk to you both at the same time?" He thought that they would both meet God at the same time like when they went to the secret shop, but it seems like they each received a one-on-one talk. He was worried that Jin had already been caught up in Gods pace. However, it seemed as though God had seen right through him andughed softly. "I didnt call you to punish you, so dont worry. Your delicate and innocent partner should easily get a new blessing. You see, theres a suitable skill thatll strengthen him." "...It sounds like thats not the same for me." "Exactly. Youre neither delicate nor innocent, are you?" God tilted her head above the table, resting her chin in her hand; she was clearly looking straight at him. Her eyes looked truly amused. "Theres nothing more I can do for you. I assure you, your talent in handling mana is greater than any hero before you. If I knew you had such talent, then I wouldnt have gone through the trouble of turning you into a mere skeleton." "..." The moment he heard that, it would be a lie to say he wasnt pissed. Before she sent him to the Underground Empire, she was the one who had to ascertain his talent and take measures! However, it seems as though shed noticed the dissatisfaction in his eyes and waved her hand. "Even I dont have a way to measure how talented someone is who hasnt yet manifested mana. The only thing I could do was to listen to your wish and try to answer it as best I can." "Well, it is true that my request was excessive. At the time, I was so scared of the Empire that I was just trying to figure out a way to stay safe no matter what. ...But you shouldve told me. You shouldve exined karma in more detail." "I definitely said that youd have to pay the price back then." "..." Hearing that, Lee Shin Woo briefly gazed at God. Her attitude pissed him off, but he couldnt shake off the thought that she had deliberately responded so absentmindedly to rile him up. It felt as though she tried pissing him off so that he wouldnt think deeply about the subject. Therefore, he thought of something else. Perhaps it wasnt just due to her ill nature that she turned him into a skeleton, but another, important reason... However, God stubbornly didnt give him the chance to ask. "Sorry to disappoint you, but we cant talk for very long. Theres nothing I can do for you in terms of skills or karma, so Ill give you an item in exchange. If you have any other questions, ask me next time." "...Then Ill ask a quick question. Is it fine to leave Ethan Cruz as is?" Lee Shin Woo had asked under the assumption that his senior hero, Ethan Cruz, was an s.o.b., causing God to momentarily pause; however, it wasnt something that she could just easily pass over. "Its really hard for me to control those who Ive bestowed my power to. I cant take back what Ive given, and I cannot personally exercise my power..." "Thats enough with the pretense. What do you really think?" "Honestly, I dont really care what happens so long as the Empire is purified. Ethan Cruz is, at the very least, a truly devoted hero in that aspect." That was bullshit; so much so that it was unbelievable that God had said it herself. God mustve realized that what she was said was too harsh, as she quickly added. "But dont worry. He cant do anything to you. Ah, your partner too." "If there was one thing simr between us, its that our curse resistance is maxed out... It seems like that assholes authority is connected to the curse. Well, the Empire is filled to the brim with the curse, so if you want to get stronger, someone who can handle the curse would have an advantage. ...Wait a sec, did you n for that from the start by giving us these authorities?" "I wonder. I just gave you what you wished for." God yed innocent until the very end, but one part of her face was stiff. Lee Shin Woo couldnt help but acknowledge that hed been robbed[1] by this short talk. Gods eyebrows quivered. "...Did you gain a lot in the Empire?" "There was a lot I could recover from countless peoples memories. Its all because of you." "You desperately wished for immortality above all else, yet it seems like youre actually ignoring that ability right now and are moving in an effort to get stronger; thats quite funny." "Its because I possess immortality that I can move so proactively. ...So I dont regret it. Im satisfied with myself right now." The moment he finished speaking, Lee Shin Woo was engulfed by zing ck mes. The mes that only burned what its owner wished for it to burn! His skin, hair, muscles, and flesh were all burned, and what remained was a level 5 Elemental Skeleton Joker. He hadpletely discarded the part that was still attached to his human self, and he had fully epted himself as is. "...Ha." God couldnt believe what she was seeing and justughed. And to God, Lee Shin Woo firmly said. "Now Ill tell you what I want." "A level 6 item is enough, right?" "Please give me a quest." "Hmm...?" Neither a skill nor an item, but a quest? God tilted her head, wondering what he was plotting, and then she heard something unbelievable. "I would like to give the heroes who have died and be undead peace. Please give me their location, as well as a quest to eliminate them." [1] T/N: Talking about how he didnt get a lot of answers despite paying such a high price. Chapter 17 part1 "Youre back? It doesnt look like youve changed much." "What about you? Ah." Kratia, who had been focusing on the core, greeted them and Lee Shin Woo just tilted his head. He soon realized that she was talking about Jin, not him. But it was strange that the man in question, Jin, wasnt even here. Kratia spoke unimportantly. "He just started running all of a sudden. He should be back soon." ...Perhaps seeing his human appearance again within the mental world was traumatizing for him. Lee Shin Woo promised that he would treat Jin well when he came back, and opened his mouth for a second time. "Do you know what ability Jin got?" "Magic armor." "...Magic armor?" "Yeah. Jin got an ability that creates a magic barrier, right? That and Steel Body fused together to make the ability enclose his outer body in magic steel armor. Gods blessing was added as well, so I suppose we can trust in its effectiveness. Honestly, it was a skill that greatly supplemented his strength and health." Hearing that, Lee Shin Woo marveled at the fact Jin asked God to fuse those two skills together. Since it was an ability created by God, its power was assured. Moreover, Jin had acquired a skill that supplemented both his strength and health, so it was easy to figure out what Jin needed to focus on in order to further develop in the future. Magic. Its a good skill for Jin, who had it rough due to his irregrly high agility. It seems God was fairly considerate. If she had been that considerate before, he wondered how good it mightve been, but he had to be satisfied with the past. At that thought, Lee Shin Woo smiled bitterly, and Kratia then inquired. "But it looks like you havent changed at all." "I really havent changed at all." "Jin received such a huge present from her, yet... Ah, did your entire share go to Jin?" "You see, I got something else." Lee Shin Woo replied, revealing that he had no intention of telling her, and Kratia looked at him coyly. However, Lee Shin Woo was immune to honey traps, so he just responded with a thin smile. She was only apanying them temporarily to study Lee Shin Woos magic, so he had no intention of sharing everything with her. [Heros Will] [As a result of you reaching an agreement with God, you have opened up a new test. Though the graves of the heroes she sent to the Underground Empire before are mostly hidden, her blessing still remains. Please give them peace, inherit their strength and will, and purify the Empire. But be careful. Because these heroes, who havee back in undeath, still believe themselves to be heroes.] [Quest reward - Every hero you put to rest: 1 additional permit to Gods secret shop, and Invisible Heart reinforcement] Normally, when one takes down an undead hero, they receive the undead heros Perium, as well as a permit to Gods secret shop. He would get an additional permit for every kill as well, so if he resolved himself and farmed them, it wouldnt be impossible to go to Gods garden again. Moreover, theres a reward I didnt even ask for: Invisible Heart reinforcement. So long as it doesnt increase the skill level under the pretense of reinforcing it, he could honestly say that he was excited about this use. In any case, he now knew where all the undead heroes scattered around the Empire were, meaning that he had fulfilled his objective in meeting God. "...Im back." "Wee back... Ooh." Lee Shin Woo was suddenly satisfied with his decision and nodded his head; then, Jin returned. Seeing the magic steel armor thatpletely covered him, Lee Shin Woo was in awe. Though it was called magic armor, that wouldnt do it justice; it wasnt simply armor. By wearing it, Jins body would be reinforced and the term Powered Suit was more appropriate to describe this authority. So this is what it meant by supplementing his strength and health! With this, even if hes hit quite hard, he wouldnt feel the impact! "Is your mana ok?" "Just maintaining it doesnt use any mana. It uses up mana whenever Im hit, or I use a lot of force." "I think you should focus on magic, rather than health and strength from now on." "Yeah, probably should." Despite the fact that his ability had developed rapidly, Jin acted way too calmly. Seeing that, Lee Shin Woo was about to carelessly ask if he was ok, but blocked his mouth with his hand. He had returned to being a human being for just an instant, and was now a Skeleton Horse again, so there was no way he was ok. However, was it because of their assimtion? Jin noticed the slight bit of hesitation and movement from Lee Shin Woo. As well as roughly figuring out what he was thinking. "...I admire you, Shin Woo." "Stop it." Jin understood that Lee Shin Woo was trying to be considerate of him, and was suddenly surprised that Lee Shin Woo could just stand there so calmly, despite experiencing the same thing he did. It felt like his own seething emotions were beginning to abate. "As I thought, it seems like joining up with you was a good idea." "Man, stop it already." Jin chuckled seeing Lee Shin Woo look so ufortable. Kratia decided not to interfere with their conversation, and immersed herself in the study of the core. It was good that she did. The two skeleton heroes began to look past whatever pretense she put up. "That woman. It doesnt seem like shes just ill natured." Jin said. Lee Shin Woo also thought that way. "You want to say that she made us into undead on purpose, right?" "Yeah, but I dont know why she did it." "I wonder. It may unexpectedly be something unimportant. She couldve thought that she should send undead this time, since nothing was going right by sending humans." Lee Shin Woo thought hed seen Gods true intentions in her garden. She said that it didnt matter what happened, so long as the Empire was purified, but... doesnt that show just how desperate she is? Wouldnt her true intention be that she wanted to purify the Empire, no matter the cost? "Is that really the only reason...?" "Even if there were another reason, we cant know now. So, we have to learn more about this world." Arema Steelworkers golems, General Seagalds undead, the Emperor in the capital... as well as the Skeleton Commandersst words, I wanted to leave the Empire. He was sure that the secret that surrounded the Underground Empire wasnt simple. He needed to move more proactively, if for no other reason than to figure that secret out. "Do you think our senior heroes will know anything about it?" "Maybe. I cant really ask about it in the chatting channel." Lee Shin Woo just shrugged his shoulders. Truthfully, he wasnt much different from Kratia. He couldnt easily trust someone before meeting them in person. Jin roughly thought the same as him, as he didnt even use the chatting channel. "Then what do we do now?" "Before that... Kratia?" "I want to keep looking at this a bit more." Kratias cheeks were flushed because she was pissed that she hadnt been able to understand the core in detail. That would mean that she, who studied magic all her life, wasgging behind Lee Shin Woo, so she couldnt help but be pissed! Of course, it was also due to the special circumstances hed faced. "Its probably impossible for me to create a golems mana. But now that itse to this, Im going to figure out a way to hack the generated mana no matter what." "Remember to tell me how you did it, if you do find out." "Yeah." Lee Shin Woo was only more talented than Kratia in changing mana and handling it, but he couldnt evenpare to her in terms of magical theory. He thought that perhaps it was actually a good idea to leave the core with her and stood up. "Then we got to go to the sewers now. Ill definitely eat Pudding[1] no matter what." "I wish it were pudding that we could actually eat..." They had been talking about huge topics like Gods true objective and the Empires secret, yet they suddenly returned to reality and talked about the sewer dungeon, which was truly distressing. Regardless, Jin had to follow along, so he just sighed. "You dont need to go to the secret shop?" "Theres still a long time before I reach level 6, so Ill wait a while." Of course, he had be level 5 in the time since hedst gone to the secret shop, as well as umting more than 3,000,000 Perium from clearing out the golems as well as a city. However, he had to raise his stats by around 1,500 to reach the next level, so what would buying one or two bones do? He also only had one permit to Gods secret shop left from entering Gods garden, so he nned to gather more Perium until he at least acquired one more permit. "Then that means we have to go into the sewers..." "I wonder if theres a secret facility here as well. Itd be great if there were." But unfortunately, they had no such luck; there was no secret facility there. Since Anti-Skull didnt exist in every single citys sewers. However, the sewers were overflowing with slimes that thrived from eating filth, and Lee Shin Woo didnt just simply kill them. "For dozens of years, slimes gradually and naturally fuse together and develop their abilities. However, the Great Slime fromst time was afraid of my mes and started to eat any slimes that it came across." "How can you be so sure?" Jins goblin fire was tinged with sympathy, as he saw the slimes run around hectically at the handful of mes ced atop their heads. "How can you call yourself a human being?" "Cant you see Im a skeleton?" Perhaps because this was amercial city that various people frequented, the amount of wastewater in here was no joke; also, the quantity of discharged mana was equallyrge, so perhaps that was why it was a level 3 dungeon. The slimes that they encountered from the start of the dungeon were at least level 2. But how could he progress by killing them? The only remaining answer was for them to fuse. "Now you guys. Fuse together. I said fuse together." "You..." Soon, one of the slimes responded to Lee Shin Woos devilish whispers. Ultimately, it realized that if it didnt want to be burnt, leaving behind only its core, it would have to eat itsrades! Its target struggled, but the slime was ultimately absorbed, and it seemed excited about its newfound size as it started to eat the others as well. In just a short while, it had gathered a considerable amount of mana, and managed to level up and be an elite at the same time! [Lv3 Great Slime] "See? It worked. Its really easy to make an elite monster." "..." Jin looked terrified, and the Great Slime in the middle, who looked at them vacantly, finished eating all of the slimes and rushed further into the passage, as if it knew it was still no match for Lee Shin Woo. Since it was a level 3 dungeon, there should be some level 3 slimes in here. It should be able to transform into a King Slime after eating all of itspetitors, no, perhaps even something greater than that! Lee Shin Woo didnt hide his anticipation and followed behind it. Jin just prayed that he would be able to leave these dirty sewers soon. [Ggureureureureureuoooooooh!] "Oooooooh!" After that, it had finally finished eating all of the slimes in the dungeon and evolved into a level 5 Great King Slime. It wanted to get revenge on Lee Shin Woo, but unfortunately, it couldnt move properly because it had gotten too big, so it was swept away by Lee Shin Woos mes and died after one grand explosion. [1] T/N: His affectionate term for slimes. Chapter 17 part2 [You have absorbed the Great King Slimes Bone Core. All stats have increased by 1. Proficiency of Rule of Bone has increased by 2%.] "So stingy. I went through all that trouble to make a level 5 elite monster, but I only get 4 stats in return... Itll take several months to get to level 6 at this rate." "Isnt that still really quick?" Even some of his seniors, whod arrived in the Underground Empire long before him werent level 6 yet, so it was indeed quick. However, Lee Shin Woo, who had the disposition of a thief, thought hed be able to continue developing at a rapid pace, so he couldnt be happy about this. "Most of my skills have gotten to the intermediate level, so I probably wont be able to get much stat growth from leveling up my skills... The only things left remaining are achievements." "Dont tell me youre going to go around looking for high leveled elite monsters. Just go step by step like youve been doing." "Tch." Hearing Jins astute observation, Lee Shin Woo clicked his (nonexistent) tongue, and examined the treasure chest. Unfortunately, there wasnt anything noteworthy within. "A Low-Rank Swordsmanship skill book? It seems like there really are people who dont have this level of skill before they clear this dungeon. Theres a pair of useless level 2 Iron Boots... at least this is a little better." A level 3 Tempered Steel Shield. As soon as he held it, the material turned to bone, and was absorbed by him; it felt as though he had satisfied some sort of condition and at that moment, his skill leveled up. [The Bone Armory skill has be Lv3. Health and Magic have increased by 5. You can fuse the materials and special characteristics of the equipment you have absorbed with another piece of equipment and supplement it, but the level is still too low, so its only half-effective. Updating information regarding the equipment stored in Bone Armory.] "Huh!?" Lee Shin Woo was flustered at the sudden series of events. In the blink of an eye, the shield, as well as armor and helmet he was wearing disappeared. Lee Shin Woo stood, flustered, and a message slowly appeared before him! [Bone Armory Lv3: Lv4 Acid Bone Armor (Defense 250 - 410) - Acid Type Effectiveness +10% Lv4 Acid Bone Leg (Defense 210 - 320) - Acid Type Effectiveness +10% Lv4 Acid Bone Shield (Defense 350 - 400) - Acid Type Effectiveness +10% Lv4 Acid Skull Helm (Defense 250 - 310) - Acid Type Effectiveness +10% Lv4 Lightning Tooth (Attack Power 450 - 480) - Lightning Lv4, Effectiveness of Bursting Thunder +20% Lv4 Melting Bone Double Axe (Attack Power 480 - 760) - Acid Lv3, Acid Type Effectiveness +20% Lv5 Drake Horn Lance (Attack Power 1,000 - 1,200) - Effectiveness of charge-rted skills +40%] "How is this..." Of course, he had a rough idea. He thought of each and every piece of equipment separately before, but now he couldbine the characteristics and materials of absorbed equipment into another piece of equipment to create a sturdier and more powerful one! Lee Shin Woo examined the updated description of the equipment stored within Bone Armory and he became even more sure of it. Through the Bone Armory skill, the Acid Skull Helms materials and characteristics were fused with the other defensive equipment and reinforced; because of that, the once level 3 armor all became level 4. "They really were reinforced..." Lee Shin Woo summoned his upper and lower body armor, equipped them, and interjected. Not only had the armors inherited the Acid Skull Helms materials and characteristics in its entirety and gotten much tougher, but the magic within these armors covered in a slight green energy was definitely improving Lee Shin Woos acid element. If he were to equip the Acid Bone Armor, Leg, and Helm, while wielding the Melting Bone Double Axe, the effectiveness of the acid element would increase by 50%! Though it was impossible right now since he could still only summon three pieces of equipment at a time! In other words, I can create a full matching set of equipment with just one piece of the set now. As I thought, it was a good idea to get information on the undead heroes. But the limitations to the skill were quite clear for now. He couldnt transfer the characteristics of the Lightning Tooth or the Drake Horn Lance to other pieces of equipment yet. It was without a doubt because these two pieces of equipment were at a higher level than the Bone Armory skill itself. However, the skill level will gradually go up, and if that happens, someday... Lee Shin Woo imagined himself wearing Drake Horn Armor and shuddered. He could also obtain an even more powerful piece of equipment and transfer those characteristics to another piece of a equipment! I thought it might be possible someday, but... I should start gathering equipment that possess various special characteristics. Do they sell equipment in the secret shop too? The dungeon reward by itself was trifling, but he didnt lose out, as it had caused his Bone Armory to level up. Lee Shin Woo looked much more consolidated and stylish than before (in the process of being affected by the Acid Skull Helm, the upper and lower body armor both changed in appearance, simr to the Acid Skull Helm) and after equipping the armor, he returned to the purified city. Kratia was still struggling with the core. "Is it going well?" "Its going really well. I can do it if you give me one more day." Kratia bluffed and Lee Shin Woo could tell. Thatpetitive magician was going to figure out everything regarding the core no matter what. For the time being, he just needed to let her be. "Then well go and clear out the surrounding area, so you just keep studying the core. You guys, follow me." [Its an honor.] [In the name of Steelworker!] "Ah, perhaps..." When they were about to leave, Kratia hastily grabbed him. Did she want to extend the duration of the contract? Lee Shin Woo tilted his head and turned around, and Kratia, while still holding onto the core, requested honestly, even whilst looking extremely embarrassed. "If you find any... things like wild fruit in the dungeon, then..." "I got it. Since therere no living organisms nearby that can eat fruit, anyway." "Thanks." Kratia said, and looked over at Jin. Seeing that, Lee Shin Woo sighed again. Fortunately, Jin didnt say anything. "Im just saying this because it seems like youve misunderstood me, but Im not envious of that girl just because shes alive. And I dont hate her either." Kratia saw them off, and the rest of them left the city; Lee Shin Woo found a trace of mana and Jin suddenly spoke while running slowly (since the golems were apanying them). Lee Shin Woo just tilted his head. "Then what is it?" "It makes me feel really narrow-minded admitting this, but... besides just being human, Kratia is..." "Kratia is...?" "...Nah, its nothing. Actually, Id rather not say." "You were the one who started, so how can you stop midway... Sorry, it wasnt me. Its my secretarys fault." Jin seemed to be quite concerned about it, so Lee Shin Woo decided to lighten the mood with a joke, but all he got in return was an intense shaking from Jin. Even though he suffered through Jins reprisal, he remembered when he was young and yed with his friends and was very slightly pleased. For a few days, Lee Shin Woo, Jin, and the three Iron Golems used the purified city as their base camp and swept away the undead in the vicinity. They were able to clear a few patrolling battalions of undead that hadnt fallen with their city, killed the undead roaming about, and cleared a few dungeons as well. It seemed as though most of the low level dungeons were ignored by their seniors, thus Lee Shin Woo and Jin were able to hog them to themselves. Along with that... [Level 4 dungeon - You have acquired a permit for the Kerr Century Winery. All stats within the dungeon increase by 30. The dungeon information is added to your minimap. All of your actions are buffed within the dungeon.] [The Intermediate Mana Bone skill has be Lv2. Magic has increased by 10. You can now maintain your magic for a longer period of time.] Five days after their clean up of the citys vicinity had begun, Lee Shin Woo struck gold, finding a dungeon that waspletely hidden. "How the hell did you find this dungeon!?" "With my senses." Lee Shin Woo used Mana Bone as the foundation for his mana detecting ability, and in the process of creating a golems mana, he realized the elemental categories; that was the start of his explosive growth, and now he was able to find all of the hidden dungeons with just one look of the area. The other day, Prince Altania had boasted how good he was at finding dungeons in the chatting channel, and sure enough, now that he had a knack for mana, it had be much easier to find dungeons. Probably much more proficiently than the Prince at that. "It should be fine since its just a level 4 dungeon, but I suppose we should tread with caution." [We will protect you.] [We will take point.] The golems, which were strengthened from having their limiters removed, dly took point. Truthfully, whenever he gave them an order, they would respond way too passionately. Lee Shin Woo cursed at the Steelworkers for having bad taste and followed behind the golems. "Huh...?" "Something smells sweet." Only after he entered did he ruminate over the dungeons name, Kerr Century Winery. Thats right. A winery. It was a ce where they made fermented foods like alcohol or vinegar. And between those two, this smell was distinctly... "Wine?" "Did you like wine before?" "I told you, I was a sprinter. I didnt drink, and I didnt smoke. But that doesnt mean Im totally clueless of wine." The two werepletely calm. Even if the most expensive and delicious wine popped in front of them, what could they do? Its not like they could drink it. Jin was already really depressed, but now he was even gloomier than before; Jin spoke less, and Lee Shin Woo patted his head as they continued onwards. Soon, one of the golems reported. [There are no monsters. I believe the dungeon was sealed in order to protect goods.] "Yeah, I agree." When they progressed a bit further, they found the cause of that sweet smell: the ripening room. The sight of countless lines of wine barrels was nothing else but magnificent. But there were two things that concerned him. "Its be vinegar or has evaporated. One of the two..." "Definitely not based on the smell." Lee Shin Woo came close to one of the wine barrels and examined it. The material was clearly different from the oak from Earth. It was probably a type of wood that only existed in this world. The barrel possessed a mark that came about due to being singed with me, and it was clearly in the shape of a letter; it was likely a magic letter that allowed the application of magic on all of the barrels. "It truly is a fantasy world. They use magic to ripen wine as well, huh?" "C-Check it. Hurry." Jin had totally forgotten that he couldnt even drink the wine and was extremely excited. Lee Shin Woo smiled bitterly and calmly ced his hand atop the wooden barrel. Whenever he wanted to, he could instinctually use his mana and examine something; he felt like it was natural now. It was all because of his singr focus on the golems, as well as Kratia, who taught him a systematic approach. To be honest, it wasnt very difficult to ascertain the contents of the barrelpared to the Limited Order Bone Core, and was soon met with an organized message in front of him. [Kerr Century Dellocus 395] [The year prior to the Empires fall, mother earth seemed almost aware of the Empires fall, and shined brilliantly with thest of its life. The grapes harvested at that time held the highest value ever, and the businessmen of Kerr Century Winery did their best to prepare and create wine.] [The alcohol contained in this barrel was kept in tip-top shape and slowly ripened. However, there wasnt anyone left to drink it by the time it was finished ripening.] [The wine is at its highest value and will never decrease in value under any circumstances. There are 52 liters of Kerr Century Dellocus 395 within this wine barrel.] [This wine was created prior to the fall and was stored properly; the karma of this wine is not light under any circumstances.] "Mm..." Normally, the wine within would be full, but as a result of evaporating for dozens of years, there were only 52 liters left. It was kept in tip-top condition through the ripening room and the magic on the barrels and had continued to ripen, so he could tell just how good the wine was without even drinking it. "There should be a total of about 3,000 liters in here." "Should we just spill it all at once and take a shower in it?" "Thats not such a bad idea, but..." Lee Shin Woo looked at thest line added to the exnation and thought deeply. Then spoke after making up his mind. "Couldnt we sell this at the secret shop?" Chapter 17 part3 If he had just one more permit to Gods secret shop, he wouldve used it without any hesitation. However, Lee Shin Woo only had one permit right now, and he didnt know how much he could sell this wine for, so he couldnt take the risk so easily. Lee Shin Woo clicked his tongue and muttered. "Senior Seira is a prophet. A prophet." "You seem to be getting along with our seniors." "If youre jealous, then why dont you enter the channel too?" "D-Dont want to." Whenever he told Jin, who was jealous of his rtionship with other people, to do something about it and go into the chatting channel, he would always say that he didnt want to; Lee Shin Woo justughed. He could roughly understand how he felt. Normally, the less self-confidence one has, the more passive they be in terms of maintaining rtionships with other people. Needless to say, since Jin was a Skeleton Horse, it was obvious how low his self-esteem was. "For starters, lets pack all of the wine into our inventories. Since we dont need to pack food in our inventories." "It mightve been a waste of space if we hadnt leveled up to 5." As the two rose to level 5, their inventories suddenly doubled in size. They, who didnt really have any necessities in their inventories, possessed inventories that were uselesslyrge; they managed to fill at least half of their inventories with the wine barrels in the ripening room. "This ones 25 liters, and this ones 47 liters... It wasnt a problem with the ripening magic, but there was a difference in the fermented wines condition at the beginning of the ripening process. Because of that, they all taste different, despite being produced in the same year and being the same age. This might be some sort of craftsmanship as well." "So how many liters in total?" "1,965 liters." "Wow." Though they werent bottled, it was a trulyrge amount of wine. If his seniors saw this, they wouldve fainted. Since they would cheer whenever they found a single wine bottle intact in a dungeon or a city. This was all due to Lee Shin Woo, who miraculously found this dungeon, and him nonchntly releasing the seal, which was a highest rank lock that could only be released by those of the Kerr Century Winery. Of course, Lee Shin Woo trusted that this was something that all of his seniors could do as well. [Steelworker, weve found other areas as well.] "Oh? Wow..." He had expected them to be here somewhere, and one of the Iron Golems scattered around, looking out for any potential danger, had found a location that stored bottled wine. Though they werent stored as perfectly as in the ripening room and there were several that couldnt be used, Lee Shin Woo and Jin marveled at the fact that they could recover 30 bottles of luxurious wine. Hed only suffered ever since being dropped into the Empire, yet only now did he feel like he was actually performing the task of a hero. Isnt it a heros duty to clear out an empty home? "I wonder if theres more stuff here." "Probably not. We checked all the facilities outside of the winery." "Yeah, youre right. We checked all the fermentation facilities. But..." The businessmen had set such tight security on the entrance, so how would the grapes have gotten in? Lee Shin Woo briefly thought about it, and his goblin fire swayed unconfidently. "The inventory?" "The inventory isnt part of this world; it only belongs to the heroes." "Did they use assassins?" "The businessmen raised assassins to protect the wine?" "...Then a secret passageway?" "Yeah." It was highly likely that they brought the grapes in through a secret passageway, as the security at the entrance was so tight. And hypothetically speaking, if the secret passageway was a direct link to the orchard... "The orchard might be a dungeon too. Though it shouldnt be as imprable as this ce." "...How do you even grow grapes underground?" "This entire empire is underground. Why couldnt they if they had the skills?" "Ah, thats right." Lee Shin Woo led Jin and the golems, searched the winery, and ultimately seeded. He released a few more hidden locks and examined the clearings wall; he broke through the wall, and though it wasnt the size of golems railway, it was a quite bright and clean underground railway. "It really did exist!?" "Definitely." Though there was only a single wall dividing the underground passage and the winery, the air was quite different. There were severalyers of magic applied to the winery to act as a smokescreen so that it couldnt be found, but the railroad, which was outside of the spells range, wasntrgely protected. "What do we do if there are monsters or people aiming for the wine?" "Take a look around." "Alright... Huh?" Jin looked back and was shocked. The winery they had just left had disappeared, and the railway just kept going on and on. Jin trembled and Lee Shin Woo exined firmly. "This railroad probably goes through other facilities. They went so far as to make a smokescreen, so normally, you wouldnt be able to tell it was a winery. Rather than imprable security, they chose to just to hide it naturally." "You saw through that? What the hell were you before all this?" "Just a normal sryman. Lets go. You guys, get smaller and follow behind me quickly." [I understand.] [Reducing body size.] Lee Shin Woo ordered, and the golemspressed their bodies. Though they were a lot smaller than when they had first entered the dungeons, but now they were shorter than two meters tall: a small-size mode! Through this special mode, which sacrificed their bulk and weight to reduce the size of their tough bodies, their destructive power that came from their weight would be reduced, but their speed would overwhelmingly increase, and was better when they needed to move quickly, like right now. Of course, this wasnt originally amand from the Limited Order Bone Core, but Lee Shin Woo possessed a senior administrative authority and was able to unlock themand. "There are a lot of forked roads." "This way." They went as far as to so seamlessly hide the location of the winery, so it wasnt surprising that there was an absurd amount of forked roads; however, whenever they came across one of them, Lee Shin Woo would boldly choose a path. Jin couldnt help but be curious as he followed behind him. "How are you making a decision so quickly?" "There are periodically some traces of where humans and vehicles went. Actually, to be exact, there are traces of mana being used to erase those tracks." "..." The traces were erased by magic to conceal the tracks, but what did it even mean to grasp the traces of that very mana being used to erase those tracks? It felt as though the businessmen several dozens of years ago were ying in the palm of his hand. Compared to finding the traces of Anti-Skull, this is nothing. Ten minutes of running and following Lee Shin Woos perfect navigation through the railroad, Lee Shin Woo suddenly stretched his palm towards the sky. The Lighting Tooth appeared, spun round and round, and shot forward. The Lightning Tooth flew through the darkness and for a few seconds remained silent; then, for a moment, sparks scattered through the air. [Gguahk!] [You have hunted a Lv3 Root Eater.] Far-sight was affected by agility, so Jin could see it this time too. There was arge and hideous insect stuck to the ceiling, several kilometers in front of them; the insect emitted an unpleasant sound and approached them, but the Lightning Tooth cut through it and it fell to the ground. However, that was only the beginning. After it cleaved through the monster, it easily turned directions, and whilst maintaining its full power, found a new target and rushed towards it. The insects that came crawling towards them fell one by one; he began to hunt them resolutely. [Kihik!] [Shaah!] As the group dashed towards him, they emitted a sound; aside from that, the underground passage had beenpletely quiet before, without even the sound of a rock rolling on the floor. However, the underground passage was soon filled with screams. Lee Shin Woo remained focused on the battlefront, and Jin wondered whether he should start running or not, and eventually half-heartedly ran. At that moment... "Jin, stop!" "Ok!" Lee Shin Woo ordered, and at that very moment, the final forked road appeared. It divided into three paths and while nothing came out of his objective, the middle path, monsters poured out of the left and right paths as if they were waiting for him. He felt repulsed from the sight of these insects, which hed never seen on Earth and were bigger than humans. They were all level 3 or 4. He also saw some elites. [Kiheeeeeehk!] [Kik, Kihiiik!] Hed never absorbed their bones before, so he wasnt sure, but it seems like they were uneasy. They werent even humans they could eat, but bones, so they mustve been uneasy that nothing good came. The moment when those picky eaters gathered in the middle passageway, he burrowed the Lightning Tooth in the middle of their group. It pierced through a few gigantic insects and burrowed deep into the ground; intense sparks were discharged from it, paralyzing all of the bugs in the area. Lightning and acid; they both have their advantages. Lee Shin Woo thought and willed the Lightning Tooth; at that moment, without giving the bugs a chance to recover and move... the Lightning Tooth exploded fiercely! [Critical Hit!] [The Rule of Bone skill has be Lv5. All stats have increased by 3.] The lightning cloud engulfed the passage. Various parts of the passageway copsed and emitted an awful sound; fortunately, the ceiling didnt copse. Since so many bugs screamed at once, it sounded like dozens of ckboards being scratched at once. "Charge! Just keep the right side open!" [Following yourmand!] [Assault mode!] Lee Shin Woomanded the golems to charge, summoned the Drake Horn Lance, and gripped it. He targeted the insects that were still intact and running out of the explosion, and charged with a force that would rip them to shreds! "What about your mana!?" "Im fine!" The weighty, cone-shapednce discharged dark blue sparks. The entire weapon was d in a fierce lightning. He couldnt do anything about the weapons element, but Lee Shin Woo was already able tofortably wield the lightning element, so doing this much was extremely easy for him! The weapon tinged with lightning established an even greater harmony with Bursting Thunder, and was naturally able to release more destructive power. This was what it meant to wield the power of an element with ones own effort. [Preparing for collision. Switching to thorn gloves.] [Destroying all enemies...] [In front!] Around the time Lee Shin Woo had finished his preparations to attack, the three golems simultaneously dashed into the front. Regardless of whaty before them, they pushed through it and lived up to their name; as level 5 golems which were more powerful and tougher than other level 5s none of the bugs could pierce through them. [Kihiiiiiik!] [Shaaahhk!] The insects, which were running around flusteredly due to the explosion, werent able to avoid the golems properly. Because of that, the bugs escaped to the right corner, the only location which the golems couldnt cover. But naturally, Lee Shin Woo rushed over there. He used the Iron Golems, which were akin to an impregnable fortress, in order to lead the bugs into one ce. [Kushaaaaaaaaaahk!] [Ggureureu, Ggureureureu!] "Heuuuup!" Compared to when he had pierced through an Iron Golem in a single blow, this group of bugs was nothing. Lee Shin Woo grabbed the Drake Horn Lance, which was roughly discharging electricity, with both hands and thrust forward, speeding forward with Jin. It was lightning that ran atop the earth: Ground Lightning! [Critical Hit!] The primarily discharged sparks made it so that the bugs couldnt move very well, and the followingnce thrust brutally tore through their bodies. The blue sparks that came from the cone-shapednces cutting edge made them look like a falling star! Then, they followed behind the golems and pushed through the passageway. The passageway was filled with the sound of screams, sparks, and reeked of a nutty smell. Hed never been so relieved that he could stomach this. [1] [We have destroyed all of the enemies in the area.] [Releasing thorn gloves.] The golems said mechanically, and right after they stopped, Lee Shin Woo and Jin stopped as well. He thought there might be more, so he turned around, but all he saw were the bugs corpses. "Why did you throw your weapon at the beginning if you were just going to go through them?" "I wanted to provoke all the guys on the ceiling. Theres no reason to do the same thing twice, right?" But after saying that, Lee Shin Woo clicked his tongue. "I guess we do have to do the same thing twice. Golems, collect all of the bones and Perium." [I understand.] [Followingmand.] "You..." Seeing Lee Shin Woo treat the golems like ves, Jins goblin fire narrowed. However, Lee Shin Woo actually muttered something even more brazen. "Should I bring along a few golems, even though theyre a bit slow...?" There were insects hidden within the remaining passageway as well, but Lee Shin Woo and the golems thoroughly trampled them. Even if pest exterminators went at it, Lee Shin Woo was sure that they wouldnt do a more perfect job than them, and Lee Shin Woo ultimately ended up arriving at his destination. It was a vineyard. [1] E/N: Even though he doesnt have a stomach. Chapter 17 part4 From the start, he hadnt expected the vineyard to be intact. Regardless of how prosperous the Underground Empire had been, living vegetation couldnt be expected tost when neglected for so many years. It was different from ripening and storing alcohol. "Theres no way the vineyard couldve been maintained. There was a time I thought so as well..." "Its still growing though, isnt it...?" Thats right. The field, so vast that it felt unmeasurable, was filled with grapevines that emitted a fresh vigor, andrge grapes hung upon each vine. Lee Shin Woo, who didnt know much about the development of nt life, just knew that this wasnt normal. "Shin Woo, look. The fields goes on and on, yet there isnt a single dead vine." "Does this mean the Underground Empire possesses the greatest magic on the? ...Huh?" But while marveling at the vineyard, Lee Shin Woo discovered an unusual trace. Contrary to the vineyard, there was no sign of magic involved, but there were traces of the ground being unearthed just a short while ago. That wasnt all. There were traces of the nearby grapevines unnecessary branches being cut off, as well as signs that grapes were harvested from the other grapevines. "..." "Shin Woo?" "It couldnt be an undead." Of course, that didnt mean an undead couldnte into a dungeon. Since there was an instance of him killing a hero that had turned undead and gone into the dungeon. But if thats the case, there should be traces of the death energy that they emitted, but he didnt see it at all. That meant there was only one possible answer: there was a living being managing this field. Yeah, now that I think about it, there was a bulkhead protecting this field from the undead insects. Even though the insects had be undead, they had a tendency to instinctively seek out fruit and move ording to that instinct. They were only gathered in the underground passage, and the fact that they couldnt enter the orchard meant that someone was protecting the vineyard. "Golems, stealth mode." [Concealing magic and standing by below ground level.] Lee Shin Woo said one line, and the three golems instantaneously burrowed into the ground and crawled in. In the blink of an eye, the golems concealed themselves; seeing that, Jin just blinked his eyes and Lee Shin Woo called for him. "Jin." "Why are you calling me so seriously again?" "You can cover yourself up with that magic armor, right?" "Magic armor... Ah, Steel Heart? Yeah, probably." "Then use it right now. Use it so that you dont look like an undead." "Why do you want me to... never mind, I got it." Jin knew that there was no way Lee Shin Woos intuition was wrong, and wordlessly covered his body with steel, making it so that no one would be able to tell he was a skeleton from the outside. Confirming that, Lee Shin Woo activated the Jokers innate skill, Disguise. [Using the Disguise skill, you are disguised as someone you arepletely familiar with.] He had originally nned to primarily train this skill after parting ways with Kratia, but now that itse to this, there was no helping it. Immediately after acquiring the Disguise skill, he had thought about this. Hed already dispelled the misunderstanding between him, Kratia, and Ye Jin Jin and be friendly with them, but it wouldnt be this easy from now on, so he decided to act like he was human through the Disguise skill. "H-How did you...!?" "It only changes my exterior appearance. Calm down." Jin looked at him in shock, but Lee Shin Woo just calmly replied and examined his body. His arm, which had beenposed of ck bones, was covered in skin. Thats right. He was currently disguised as a human being. It was his first time using the skill, so even he himself was a bit surprised. It was truly a perfect disguise from the outside. "Hey, how are you so calm right now..." "Here." "..." Lee Shin Woo ced his human-looking hand atop Jins head, who was agitated and about to scream. At that moment, Jin really calmed down. Though it had the exact same feel of a human hand... it was extremely cold. "Are you the exact same on the inside...?" "Yeah. Of course, if I were to use fire, I could mimic human temperature, but in the end, its still a disguise." "I see..." Lee Shin Woo replied bitterly, and Jin replied in an almost dreary voice and drooped. Lee Shin Woo could understand him. Since Jin saw a chance of turning back into a human from his undead state in Lee Shin Woos Disguise skill. As he thought, he shouldve told Jin about the skill before using it; Lee Shin Woo slightly regretted it. Especially because the skill is so imperfect right now. Id originally wanted to disguise myself as an extremely ordinary human being... Originally, the Disguise skill possessed some really troublesome conditions. Since he could only mimic the appearance of someone who he waspletely familiar with and remembered. Right now, he could only disguise himself as a few types of skeletons, a golem, and his own appearance when he was alive on Earth; amongst them, the only one that looked like a hero was his human appearance. "But when you were still on Earth, was your face... Shin Woo, theyreing." "Yeah." Lee Shin Woo never knew when the person managing this field would arrive, so he had disguised himself beforehand just in case. However, Jin, whose five senses and agility had grown, confirmed that there was a living beinging. At that moment, Lee Shin Woo stopped thinking about anything else and started to act as if he were just a normal human hero. "...You there, stay where you are." Around the time he heard Jin and braced himself, he heard a voice carried by the wind from afar. Lee Shin Woo realized that this was a high level wind technique. They would actually be far away, but the technique allowed them to speak as if they were close by. Calm down. They havent figured out who we are yet. Im d were not toote... Sorry, but you have to start acting like a horse from now on. Lee Shin Woo used his Assimtion skill to inaudibly converse with Jin, and told him to calm down physically and mentally; then, the voice continued speaking. It was a refreshing and clean girls voice. "Who are you? ...Mm, are you human? A hero?" "Its nice to meet you, Senior. My name is Lee Shin Woo." "Ah, Lee Shin Woo!" As soon as Lee Shin Woo disclosed his name, the womans voice became noticeably relieved. Lee Shin Woo suddenly realized that it was a voice hed often heard in the chatting channel, Erian Rupartes voice. He thought someone other than a hero was managing the field, but this made things easy. That was one less unnecessary variable. It was a relief that he was able to learn and use his Disguise skill before it was toote. Hed like to avoid saying Stop, friendly fire! like he had against Kratia from now on. "Its nice to meet you, Senior... Ruparte?" In many ways, Lee Shin Woo felt rxed, and turned around to greet her as calmly as possible. At least, he wanted to, but... when he saw her, he ended up stuttering. "Youre as handsome as Jin Jin said! ...Ah, is it your first time seeing an elf?" "Uh, yes. There werent any elves in my world..." Lee Shin Woo replied powerlessly and she lowered her bow that had been aimed at him, smiling sweetly. She was garbed in simple colored clothing, but that simplicity seemed to entuate her beauty. She was dozens of kilometers away from them, but Lee Shin Woo could see her with just one nce; seeing her longish rising ears, Lee Shin Woo couldnt hide his astonishment. She was really an elf that hed only seen inics before! "Ill go to you." "...I understand." Though Lee Shin Woo looked like a human, he felt fundamentally different; from the start, she felt like a heavenly beauty that couldnt be reached by a human. If Lee Shin Woo were a normal man, he wouldve been surprised by her beauty and either faint or go crazy over her. However, his heart was calm like a beach without even a single gust of wind. On the contrary, Jin was surprised. Shes really pretty... Jin, you really are a man... Hey, wait. I didnt make fun of you this time. Hey! Jin shook his back up and down for no reason, and Lee Shin Woo protested Jins bullying. Erian Ruparte suddenly leapt towards them here and there, and approached them. He perceived elves as being extremely nimble, but it seemed like that was actually true. Considering her short-term speed, it seemed as though she could evenpete with Jin. It seemed like her staying power wasnt bad either, as she quickly arrived in front of them. "Hueut. Youvee so far Mr. Lee Shin Woo, so you muste from a world thats developed magic, but it must be quite a peculiar world to not have elves in it. Its nice to meet you. My name is Erian Ruparte." "As Ive said, my name is Lee Shin Woo. This guys a horse I was lucky enough to get here." "He...hehe." Jin was trying his best! Fortunately, Erian Ruparte didnt notice that Jin was strange. "Its a miracle that you found a living horse in a dungeon, but you also trained it? Aha, you mustve been a knight, Lee Shin Woo! Right?" "Its quite embarrassing, but yes, in my original world I was a knight." Lee Shin Woo naturally lied and started to wonder whether he needed to learn more about how to act like a knight. No, that wasnt important right now. "As I thought, you were managing this field, Senior?" "Of course. Itd be difficult to create a field so teeming with life, but not for an elf." A peculiar facet of elves was that they were extremely prideful; Lee Shin Woo decided to keep this in mind. Erian Ruparte spoke with a friendly smile to the nodding Lee Shin Woo. "Take as much as you want. Im nning on leaving this area soon." "Ah... Thank you." "I knew you were in a danger level 2 zone, but I didnt think wed meet like this. Jin Jin is always talking about you, so it feels like I already know you. Lee Shin Woo, I had a lot I wanted to tell you if we met." "Of course. ...Id like to hear what Ye Jin Jin said about me as well, Senior." "You can call me Erian." Lee Shin Woo harvested the grapes with Erians help, and they started to speak about various matters. She nned to leave here and join up with Lloyd H.K., and Lee Shin Woo told her about how he got here (it was obviously a lie), and about other corresponding matters. Lee Shin Woo subtracted roughly 80% of his achievements until now and ryed the remaining 20% to her, but even that 20% put Erian in a state of unceasing admiration. Just by telling her about how he defeated a few elites a higher level than him caused her eyes to shine. "What amazing courage! I already heard about it from Jin Jin, but I didnt think youd be that good! Arent you afraid of death!?" "I wonder. That fear makes me want to challenge myself even more. If Im not a bit courageous now, I feel like Ill face off against an unstoppable foeter on..." "...Splendid. Ill remember that." From the very beginning, Erians perception of Lee Shin Woo was pretty much the highest it could be. He could understand why, but whenever he said something, her response would contain Jin Jin in it. "Have you contacted Jin Jin?" "Jin Jin would be happy if she knew that." "Jin Jin is always..." Before long, Lee Shin Woo realized that Erian hadpletely mistaken his rtionship with Ye Jin Jin. And that misunderstanding was probably for good reason. After all, theres no smoke without a fire. He clutched his aching head and replied as calmly as possible. "I did private chat with her before, but..." "I see. Thank you very much. Shes kind, but the one who caused that once weak girl to diligently work hard is you, Lee Shin Woo." "Ha, haha..." Lee Shin Woos inventory was soonpletely full, and he then acted as though he was putting the rest of them into his own inventory while he was actually putting them in Jins inventory. It was possible because he was using his Assimtion skill to its maximum potential! He couldnt reveal that he was a skeleton and he was packing them because he had no other choice, but it did feel truly pointless. Kratia was the only one doing something important. "Hoo. It felt regrettable just leaving this field, but its a relief that youre here." "Thank you again." "Im the one who should be thanking you. Since I grew the fruit to be eaten." Around the time the vineyard waspletely cleared out, Lee Shin Woo figured out that while Erian was aware of the vineyard, she waspletely unaware of the winery. As expected, she only took the route to the vineyard. Furthermore, he figured out that Erian seemed to like Lloyd, but hated the Prince. However, that wasnt really important information. "To be honest, the moment I saw you, I wanted to entrust this orchard to you, but..." "Ah, Senior. Thats..." That would be a pain in the ass. Kratia might want it, but Lee Shin Woo didnt need grapes! However, when Lee Shin Woo thought about how to refuse, Erian said something that caused him to prick his (nonexistent) ears. "However, thats impossible. Honestly, I wanted to tell you this from the very beginning... arge force of undead ising this way. We have to leave this area before we encounter them." Chapter 18 part1 Therge force of undead probably consisted of wandering skeletons from outside themercial city. Lee Shin Woo acted calm, and spoke whilst nodding his head. "Is the reason that youre leaving now because...?" "To be honest, even after bing level 6, I couldntpletely give up on this field. However, once I learned of the impending undead force, Ipletely gave up on it. I asked Lloyd for his opinion, but he thought that this force may be troops under the 12 generalsmand. You see, a force thatrge and disciplined is not thatmon." Not only is a corps under the 12 generalsmand dangerous, but theres also the possibility that they could get involved with the 12 generals themselves if something went wrong. Therefore, it would be a good idea to avoid them for now... When Lee Shin Woo heard her say all that, he honestly couldnt believe it. Theyre pretty much giving us an opportunity to find out more about the 12 generals, but youre just going to throw that all away? If he fought against the corps under the 12 generalsmand, hed not only gain a ton of information, but he might cause some sort of change amongst the 12 generals by facing off against their force, which would be a huge advantage in and of itself! There was nothing he could do if there were other heroes nearby, but he could at least consult the chatting channel once beforehand. Lee Shin Woo thought about mentioning it, but ultimately didnt express his doubts aloud. Erians vibe wouldnt permit it. "Fortunately, we still have some time before they arrive. Im not bragging, but we elves have sharp eyes, so I could tell early on that they were on the move. Since its a huge corps, they should take at least four days before they pass by here." "What direction are theying from?" "So... Ah, share your minimap with me. They should be around here." Lee Shin Woo justughed when he saw the coordinates shed marked on his minimap. It did feel like this was what was happening, but... those coordinates were extremely close to themercial city, Kehebe, that he had left from. "I see. We should leave before we encounter them." "Ah, thats a relief. I was concerned that you might say youd fight them..." "Im well aware of my limitations. I know the difference between courage and foolhardiness." "Hoo... Im d. It seems like Ill be seeing you for a very long time." Despite sounding somewhat pissed, Lee Shin Woo nevertheless replied as though hed made up his mind. Hearing that, Erian was genuinely relieved and smiled simply. She also proposed a ce worth going to. "Theres a hignds in the west thats filled with level 4 Bronze Golems. To be honest, I wanted to hunt them, but they arent a good match for me... Moreover, I want to join up with Lloyd as fast as possible, so Ill give up the spot to my junior. Youre probably already well aware of this, but one golem is connected to all the others in the group, so lure them well and destroy them." "Thank you." This was likely extremely generous for a hero who wandered around looking for strong foes. Of course, Lee Shin Woo knew more about these hignds than anyone, but he just acted like he was thankful for now. Erian nodded her head in satisfaction and extended her hand to him. "I pray that we meet again someday. Itd be nice if Jin Jin was with us then." "Yes, I hope we all stay safe until that dayes." Lee Shin Woo unhesitatingly stretched his hand forward and shook her hand. Erian felt the warmth of a human from his hand, as well as the sense offort and peace she would feel whenever she came across another hero. She smiled once again in relief feeling that she wasnt the only one clinging on to life and struggling in this world filled with death. Seeing that, Lee Shin Woo responded with his own smile, confirming that he had indeed fooled her, and the two parted ways amicably. "Lee Shin Woo, what are you going to do now? Do you think that girls already left?" Erian lead them outside and parted ways. Lee Shin Woo and Jin ran towards the west hignds, and when they were sure that they were outside the range of Erians hearing, Jin spoke. Naturally, he was talking about both her and Kratia. "I feel like Kratia will just butt heads with anyone whoes her way." "Yeah, its a relief since it wouldve been difficult to hunt with just the two of us." Jin spoke nonchntly and Lee Shin Woo chuckled. From the very beginning, he never intended on simply running away like Erian had suggested. Jin was already well aware that there was no way Lee Shin Woo would back off without even knowing their enemies number and levels. "Then dont we need to hurry back to the city? That girl wouldnt know if we changed directions now. We dont know how long Kratia will be able to hold them off..." "You dont need to worry about Kratia. Since I already sent reinforcements." The moment Lee Shin Woo realized that an undead corps would invade Kehebe, he ordered the three Iron Golems to use the underground passageway to return to the city. If the golems were there, it wouldnt be too difficult for her to protect herself and fight off the undead. "But we dont know howrge the corps is, so Im thinking of sending over some shields as well." "Shields? What are you... Ah, aah." As expected, Jin was quick on the uptake. When he thought about it, they were headed towards the hignds, where the Bronze Golemsy dormant! From the start, the reason Lee Shin Woo had followed Erians words to the letter was because of that! "Well arrive soon, so get ready." "It doesnt even feel like its been a few minutes. Youre frighteningly fast." No matter how often he experienced Jins speed, it was always a thrilling and new experience. They arrived in the hignds instantly; the nearest Bronze Golem noticed them and stood up... At that moment, the Steelworker seal floated atop his palm, as if he were an inspector taking out his badge. [Wee, Steelworker.] [Wee.] [Welc...] At the same time, he heard the golems voices resound in various parts of the hignds! As expected, they seemed to be exactly the same in this one aspect whenpared to the Iron Golems. Lee Shin Woo saw all of the numerous Bronze Golems speak in the same voice and stand up. He then immediatelymanded them. "Sprint mode! Release mana limiter! [Releasing mana limiter. Miniaturizing body as much as possible in order to use sprint mode.] Unfortunately, the Bronze Golems didnt have the ability to significantly downsize their bodies like the Iron Golems. Instead, there was amand that caused them to remove their armaments, and run faster than before; he ced those armaments into Jins inventory since he still had space. That speed was truly quick; it was as if they were running a simtion! Jin was speechless and just kept his inventory open. After cing all of their armaments into Jins inventory, Lee Shin Woo turned around and yelled vigorously! "Nice. Then lets go to the city now!" [Following Steelworker!] "Youre always going beyond my expectations." Hundreds of Bronze Golems were forcefully following behind a running horse whilst Lee Shin Woo maintained a human disguise! Thats because there was the possibility that Erian Ruparte could be following behind them. However, around the halfway point, they were absolutely sure that Erian Ruparte hadpletely left the area, so Lee Shin Woo released his disguise. Seeing that, Jin asked. "...Shin Woo, are you going to keep acting like a human from now on?" "At least when we encounter heroes, yeah. Wouldnt it be easier for us if I acted like a human in front of them?" So long as he possessed a means to disguise himself as a human being, there was no need to approach as an undead and make them feel repulsed; instead, it would be better to pretend like he was a human. It was fine to interpret that as their inferiorityplex. He was doing well as a Skeleton Hero, and was satisfied with himself now; if someone else sympathized with him in this regard, he wouldnt be able to take it. He didnt want nor need pointless hostility or consideration. Yeah, he didnt want to feel inferior to the other heroes. Though theres nothing I can do about people like Kratia or Ye Jin Jin who already know, but... I suppose Ive been lucky. Whether it be good or bad, the two of them both were unaffected by the Underground Empire. Well, they were newbie heroes, so it made sense that he could meet them. While he was on the topic, Lee Shin Woo requested a private chat with Ye Jin Jin, and told her that he not only met Erian Ruparte, but also sessfully fooled her and hid his identity. Hearing that, she got worked up and bothered him by asking how he managed to fool her, but he didnt have the time to respond. [I feel... I feel a living beings energy! Theres an impudent living being upying a castle of the Empire!] [Attack... For our ever glorious Empire, that living being, ugh, we must kill any who rebels against the Empire!] Jin had already arrived at the castle walls, where an intense battle was taking ce. The three Iron Golems were spread out in a line and in the center of the castle gates, and were taking a beating; countless undead were charging at them and attacking them in order to get into the city. "Whoa..." Jin, whod confirmed the size of the enemy force, spoke discouragingly. It was a huge force of more than 10,000 troops! Though they had defeated about 10,000 soldiers inside the city, the quality of these soldiers was worlds apart! It makes sense that Erian ran away. Thats...? Lee Shin Woo could understand why she assumed it was a force directly under themand of the 12 generals. He couldnt believe his eyes; unbelievably, they were all at least level 3! There was one level 4 Skeleton Knight inmand of every one hundred level 3s. Also, ten of those knights weremanded by one level 5. He could understand what discipline meant now. Even if a few heroes worked together, they couldnt defeat a force of this size very easily. [Undead loyal to the Empire. A powerful living being is inside the city. We should give them the gift of eternal life as well!] [Eternal life, the light of the Empire!] But there was something more important above all of them. There was a level 6 elite in the rear giving orders to the entire army and was guarded by level 5s! Lee Shin Woo took a glimpse at the elite; it was seemingly a magician. "...Shin Woo, what are you going to do?" "For starters, lets take down the leader." "Yeah, I thought youd say something like that." Since hed gotten to level 5, Lee Shin Woos confidence soared. It wasnt even very long since hed said that he didnt want to fight head-to-head against a level 6 opponent, yet here he was suggesting that they take down a level 6 elite! Of course, Lee Shin Woo had something in mind. If he was up against a physically powerful knight, he wouldve used his Avenger skill and fought after making various preparations. However, what if his enemy was a magician? A magician, whose magic was much higher than their health, honestlycked in attack power, and he felt as though he could kill it. Though that imprable wall of knights guarding him is a problem... Meanwhile, the undead corps were blindly charging the castle walls! Lee Shin Woo instructed Jin to throw all of the Bronze Golems armaments onto the floor and ordered the golems to equip them once more. Before the undead corps noticed them, Lee Shin Woo and the golems went their separate ways. The golems dashed forward towards the city walls, while Lee Shin Woo and Jin aimed for their leader. "Lets distract them with the golems and kill their leader." "Will it be ok? Its a really simple n." "I originally thought about using the golems to take care of those knights, but... we should be fine. I dont know about the undead army, but Kratia shouldve noticed us by now." The moment Lee Shin Woo said so, an enormous clump of ice rose into the air. It was Kratias Catalyst Magic! "But doesnt it look a bit different fromst time...?" "Itd be nice if Kratia knew what I was aiming for, but for now... Jin, run! Shadow Sprint!" "Hoo... Alright. Id only die once anyway! Lets go!" This was how frightening it was to get used to taking risks! When Lee Shin Woo and Jin were far enough from the golems, Lee Shin Woo simultaneously activated Shadow Sprint and Assimtion. They were instantaneously concealed within the darkness and began to run towards the leader. If they were the only ones here, the undead with good senses mightve discovered them, but because of the huge clump of ice in the sky, none of the undead were watching their surroundings. And to add to that... [Following Steelworkersmand.] [We willy down our lives to defeat Steelworkers enemies!] He activated the finalmand inputted in the Bronze Golems, Core Release causing the Bronze Golems to dash towards the undead corps. By melting the core, which both produced and managed their mana, they would temporarily be able to exhibit more than their maximum power, and only those with the Steelworker seal could order them to do so! [Golems!?] [Stop them! The golems are going crazy!] No, this isnt enough. Lee Shin Woo had already taken out his Drake Horn Lance, gripped it, and grit his teeth. Despite the sudden change in the battlefield, the knights didnt show any signs of moving from the magicians side. Even if the Bronze Golems exploded all at once and attacked the knights, what would happen if they couldnt break through? When an ambush is no longer an ambush, it bes a greeting at best. If they got surrounded by the knights, then it would get tough for even Lee Shin Woo. A level 6 magicians spells would be even more troublesome. [Grand Ice Spear!] "Huh...!?" However, when Lee Shin Woo was thinking about how he would get past the knights and attack the magician, the floating clump of ice slowly began to change its form. Hundreds, thousands, or even tens of thousands of ice crystals stuck to the clump of ice and formed into a single enormous spear! It wasnt arge-scale spell meant to attack the entire undead corps. That overwhelmingly cold clump of ice was aiming for only one enemy. It was aiming for none other than this armys leader, the Ghoul Wizard! "Is that her way of saying that she wont lose it to us?" "Uhh... Maybe. Probably not." The knights, who protected the magician, tensed, and drew their swords; they changed their battle formation and now there were Skeleton Magicians in between the knights. Lee Shin Woo exerted strength into his grip and now all he needed was the right opportunity. "In any case, theres one thing Im sure of." Lee Shin Woo aimed hisnce at the magicians head, stiffened his chin, and smiled. "Well start this battle off by taking out the leader." Chapter 18 part2 Around the time Kratia was able to somewhat use the Limited Order Bone Core, the core vibrated and the three Iron Golems came back. She obviously thought that Lee Shin Woo and Jin would return with them, but that wasnt the case. [Steelworker ordered us to return first and protect Kratia Melloi.] [Henceforth, we will obey the cores orders. Our top priority is to protect Kratia Melloi.] "Shin Woos not back and its just you guys...?" She wanted a more detailed exnation, but so long as the golems had their orders, they wouldnt say anything more. Still, if there was one thing she realized, it was that Lee Shin Woo was worried about her safety and had sent the golems to protect her. In other words, something dangerous wasing towards this city. As long as I know that, its fine. Then, she drew out her magic and focused on the Orb of Eternal Ice, the growing ice artifact shed gotten from God. One second of her preparation would mean the death of 100 enemy soldiers. When she was almost finished with her task, she sensed the huge force of undead on the move. Not only was it indeed a huge army, but she could easily tell that each and every one of the undead were elites. "How did Shin Woo know about this...? No, I shouldnt be surprised at this point." Kratia thought of that viinous skeleton and shook her head. She thought that what hed shown her thus far was certainly impressive, but she was well aware that there was a lot he still hadnt shown her. However, what was most impressive was his imagination and his mental condition, which allowed him to limitlessly expand the ways in which he could use magic. If he was a magician, he wouldve been a legend. It was so unfortunate. Kratia clicked her tongue and meticulously examined the undead force. The force was mostlyprised of level 3 undead, which she didnt need to worry about, but she had to be a bit on guard against the level 4 Skeleton Knights and Skeleton Magicians. Obviously more so when it came to the level 5 Elder Knights. "Protect the front gates. Keeping that safe is the same as keeping me safe." [Judged as a rationalmand. Following order.] [Following the coresmand.] Kratia realized that it would be tough for her if the undead got through the front gates and into the city, so she hurriedlymanded the Iron Golems. Lee Shin Woo had already released all their limitations, so even if the Elder Knights attacked them all at once, they wouldst for several minutes. "Mm." She dispatched the golems and stood atop the walls, but when she noticed the level 6 elite, her face stiffened. Its skin was extremely pale, like an emissary of death, but its body was filled with mana! It was neither a zombie nor a skeleton; if it wasnt for the artificial sunlight, she mightve thought it wasnt dead. It barely retained what could be considered a human form, and the power she sensed from the undead was considerable. A ghoul... Thats a ghoul. Plus, its eaten several corpses and regained its reasoning. When I consider that magic pattern... could it be a Ghoul Wizard!? The Ghoul Wizard was located furthest in the back and was guarded by level 5 Elder Knights, so that couldnt just be a coincidence. At that moment, Kratia realized how dangerous this corps was. They not only had a solid system ofmand, but also a clear goal; it wasnt an army that had turned undead, but rather, an armyposed of undead! Of course, the undead that inhabited this city, Kehebe, had relied on their memories to maintain an army, but the difference between this citys undead and them was like the difference between a sleepwalking patient and a normal person. If thats the case, I have to take out the leader first. If he gets closer to the walls, itll be tough. But because those knights are guarding him like an imprable wall... There was no way to retreat; it would all be decided with a single spell between magicians. If she couldnt kill him with her spell, she would lose. Currently, shed discovered the enemy first, and had already gathered her magic, so Kratia looked like she was in the lead, but it was already prepared for an ambush, as the knights guarded it. No matter how she attacked, she would have to deal with the knights first. If thats the case, did she even have a means of dealing with both the knights and the wizard in a single blow? It would be possible if she developed her Catalyst Magic some more, but she had just created the spell, so that was impossible right now. If Shin Woo were level 6, he wouldve been able to do it. Kratia thought she wouldnt lose to anyone in terms of talent, but she naturally thought this. She was just amused with herself. However, she also thought that if she didnt ept reality, she wouldnt be able to progress in the future. Because of that, rather than feeling inferior, she felt a greater desire to improve herself. When a magician epts that something is not impossible, they are then able to make the impossible possible. He sent the golems already, so Shin Woo should being. If thats the case, I just need tost until hees. I can keep them from getting close to the walls by using my Catalyst Magic. She didnt even think about running away. Kratia was fundamentally a hero, and diligently performed her duty as one; plus, she wasnt the type to get scared when she didnt even know how the battle would turn out. [Crush the golems!] [The golems protecting the living are our enemies!] [Executing the trespasser!] Then, the undead vanguard shed with the golems. Of course, level 3 undead couldnt beat the golems and were helplessly crushed, but the problem was that there were thousands of them attacking! "Sseup, it cant be helped." Kratia grit her teeth and came forward. Her Eternal Ice floated in the air, and the mana in the entire area was influenced by her own. She would stop them, even if it meant freezing the entire wall! However, as she bravely resolved herself, she saw something. "Golems...?" Hundreds of level 4 golems were charging with considerable speed. Were they aiming for the wall? No way. Their destination was clear. They locked on to the level 4 and level 5 knights and were attacking them! There were way too many of them to just make a dent in their formation! Then that means... Kratia hurriedly turned her gaze. She had studied his magic for the past ten days, so she could sense a faint presence from beyond. He was... not fighting together with the golems! Lee Shin Woo was charging straight for the leader! He really is bold. [1] Ah, theres bold, and then theres Lee Shin Woo bold. She thought that if she were to tell Lee Shin Woo that, she would get hit, and instantaneously modified her spell. She knew now that both of their goals were the same, so she had no reason to hesitate. If they both struck the boss, one of them should seed! [Grand Ice Spear!] Her miraculous artifact absorbed the worlds mana, and gradually chilled the area; through her deep study of magic, she could agglomerate mana and change it with frighteningly high efficiency. Finally, using those two as a catalyst, she changed the worlds mana and clumped it together, creating a giant ice spear that went beyond a level 6s ability. "Hoo... Heup!" After taking a short deep breath, she poured all of her mana into the ice spear and shot it in a straight line towards the wizard. The midair ice spear homed in on the Ghoul Wizards magic, and sped up like crazy! [The living beings attack ising. Move it!] [As youmand!] [Were protecting the Third Corps Commander! Get to your positions!] [Dont look down on our defense zone!] The Elder Knights in Kehebe had looked as though they had run off far away; on the other hand, when these Elder Knights heard the ghoulsmand, they really did look like knights of the Empire, as they stepped forward to protect the Corps Commander. They would eliminate anything that came in close proximity to their defense zone; if one knight couldnt cover an area by himself, another knight would help, creating a tight perimeter around the Corps Commander. That was the reason the Empires knights were powerful. A defense zone... I knew about this since Ive roughly absorbed their memories, but I suppose thats how you make it, huh. Even Lee Shin Woo, who was running straight for the magician, was impressed seeing them. At the same time, he thought that hed be able to add an element to that to make an even more perfect defense. At the very least, there was some value in trying it out once! But not now. Finally, the Grand Ice Spear struck their defensive zone. The knights at the forefront died without a trace, without even being given a chance to retaliate. However, the knights on standby behind them shaved a bit of it with their spears and the third row of Elder Knights were able to cut even more of it, managing to slow down the speed of the Grand Ice Spear. [Knights who pledged their loyalty to the Empire. We will attain victory through your sacrifice! Show that impudent living being how frightening and powerful ck magic is!] The Ghoul Wizard watched as the knights were sacrificed and began casting a spell. He traced the ice spear back to its source, Kratia, and was casting a spell to intercept her. However, right before hepleted the spell, while the knights were busy with the ice spear, Lee Shin Woo forcefully shot hisnce at thepletely wide open Ghoul Wizards back! "I see your backkkkkkkkkkk!" All the conditions for his ambush had been met. From the start, the Ghoul Wizards target wasnt Lee Shin Woo, but the living being, Kratia. His subordinates were busy with the Iron Golems, Bronze Golems, or the Grand Ice Spear, so they couldnt check their surroundings, and the Ghoul Wizard was likewise busy casting a spell to intercept Kratia. Furthermore, his Shadow Sprint, using Assimtion as a base, was much too perfect such that even Lee Shin Woo lost sight of where he was. However. [So there was an undead who wasnt loyal to the Empire!] Despite that, the split second that Lee Shin Woo threw hisnce, the Ghoul Wizard diverted all of his magic to defense and blocked Lee Shin Woos attack. To be more exact, the Ghoul Wizard possessed an ability that automatically diverted his mana to defense when it was hit. The spell seemed to consume at least 30% of his mana, but he still had an awful lot of mana! [Critical Hit!] Dozens ofyers of mana shields formed in the extremely small gap between the Ghoul Wizards head and thence; the force behind thence, as well as Bursting Thunders lightning was canceled out by the shields. The moment they crashed into another, at least half of the shields instantly broke and the remaining shields broke one by one. But at this time, Lee Shin Woo realized that his ambush had failed. Thats because there wasnt enough force remaining in thence to pierce through the wizards head and kill him. Damn it...! As expected of a level 6 enemy! Lee Shin Woo gritted his teeth and prepared to follow through; in the middle of preparing his next attack, the Ghoul Wizard pushed aside thence before his head and yelled as loud as he could. [Protect me from that coward who ambushed me from the rear...!] "How about this!?" [Kuheok!?] However, the knights didnte back in time. Thence broke through all of the shields and had seemingly lost all of its power, yet somehow forcefully shot forward like a cannonball; the Ghoul Wizard was pushed into the air! Obviously, this was done through Lee Shin Woos Rule of Bone; this was the result of him controlling the bone. [You bastardddddddddddd!] The Ghoul Wizard had invested all its mana into the shields, so he couldnt resist properly, and was thrown into the air. In an instant, thence pushed the ghoul hundreds of meters into the air! That sight was akin to seeing fireworks being shot into the sky. "Man, that ghoul sure is flying." [Rescue the Corps Commander!] The knights who had survived the Grand Ice Spear didnt think about attacking the ambusher, Lee Shin Woo; rather, they each jumped into the air to save the Corps Commander. When they became about level 5, they may not be able to use magic, but they could at least jump hundreds of meters high no problem! A few of the knights were able to jump high enough to barely touch the Corps Commander with their hands. Obviously, at that time, Lee Shin Woo exploded thence! With all of the mana he had left remaining! [Critical Hit!] The explosion was truly magnificent. Thence, tinged in his dark red mana, split into hundreds of thousands of pieces and scattered! Since thence had already pierced halfway through him, the ghoul couldnt block at all, and broke into bits and pieces. The nearby Elder Knights were also heavily injured and helplessly fell to the ground. Lee Shin Woo looked up at the fancy explosion, seemingly blinded from it, and spoke enthusiastically. "Man, you really got to look at fireworks from below." "It doesnt matter whether you look at it from below or from the side. Remember, that thing aint a firework." Jin, who had focused all his efforts into charging with Lee Shin Woo, replied in a discouraged voice. Theyd somehow managed to kill the Corps Commander. All he had to do now was to somehow get through this outrageous number of undead with no mana and get away. [1] T/N: She actually uses themon Korean idiom of ones liver being outside their belly, which means theyre bold/reckless. The next sentence literally talks about how all of ones inner organs would have to out of their body to be like Lee Shin Woo, but I already tranted the idiom to English. Chapter 18 part3 [With superb teamwork, you and yourrade managed to ambush and kill a Corps Commander of 10,000! All stats have increased by 2. The Low Rank Command skill has be Lv9.] The moment they were sure of the Corps Commanders demise, Lee Shin Woo moved quickly, as he didnt have a moment to spare to read the message. They had one thing left to do before the knights and soldiers surrounded them: collect the loot! "I dont have any mana, so Im counting on you Jin! We have to collect it all before we leave!" "Youre such a ve driver!" [Grab him and bring him to his knees before he escapes! We cannot bring shame to Sir Metafels name!] Hed killed the Corps Commander, who had been in the middle of them, right before their very (nonexistent) eyes, so the knights who were responsible for guarding him were enraged. At the very least, it was a relief that most of the level 5 knights were dead, but the entire force was concentrated on Lee Shin Woo and Jin, so how could Lee Shin Woo even suggest that they collect all of the loot and get through them!? "Even so, we have to get the loot!" "SSeup... I guess it cant be helped!" Jin resolved himself and sprinted at full speed towards the glittering Perium and bones that fell from the sky. He utilized Steel Heart to create sharp horns atop his head, and plowed through the skeletons that swarmed them from all sides! Jins considerable speed, as well as the cutting force behind Steel Heart worked as one, destroying level 4 Skeleton Knights with ease. It was such a cheat skill that he wouldnt have to be jealous of most other heroes blessing. "Now... Jump!" "Heup!" It truly goes to show how far the Drake Horn Lance had pushed the Corps Commander and the Elder Knights into the air as the loot they left behind was still falling from the sky. Jin, who somehow managed to move freely through the undead group unscathed, jumped at his signal; with his shocking leg strength, he instantaneously reached the loot. Lee Shin Woo, who had been waiting for that moment, quickly reached out his hand and collected the loot. [You have acquired the Lv6 Ghoul Wizard - Vitas skull.] [You have acquired 950,000 Perium.] [You have acquired a Lv4 Corrupted Guides Staff. Through Bone Reinforcement, the weapon transforms, and has be a Lv4 Bifurcated Snake Spine.] [You have acquired the Lv5 Skeleton Elder Knight - Verons jawbone.] [You have acquired the Lv5 Skeleton Elder Knight - Turains...] Lee Shin Woo firmly nted himself on Jins back, and then wildly stretched out his hands, holding the loot in his arms whilst inspecting the ground. There were some knights that had followed suit and jumped behind them, as well as soldiers shooting arrows and magicians casting magic at them; with just a quick nce, he could tell all of the undead force was aiming at them. [Kill them!] [The living is our enemy. And that undead... in any case, just kill him!] [Youre already dead!] [1] However, Lee Shin Woo stayed firm, despite receiving the murderous looks of more than 10,000 undead. His body, which had beenpletely empty of mana due to exploding the Drake Horn Lance, was slowly generating new mana. Intermediate Mana Bone was indiscriminately gathering the surrounding mana. Soon, he gathered enough mana to use a skill. And Lee Shin Woo had already chosen what skill hed use. "Youll soon find out who the hell youre messing with!" "Hoo." Jin predicted what Lee Shin Woo was going to do, and just decided to not worry about it and be calm. Yeah, it might be better to think about where he needed tond for them to survive after Lee Shin Woo uses his skill. Jins goblin fire rolled around and while he looked for the best ce tond, Lee Shin Woo finally opened his mouth. "You bald headed bastards! Listen to me; Im the one who killed your Corps Commander!" "Youre bald too!" Even Jin, who had beenposed, couldnt help but retort! Lee Shin Woo was forgetting himself; his high pitched yell resounded far throughout the battlefield, causing more than 3,000 undead to flinch! [You used Shriek of the Dead, causing your enemies to fall into a confused and fearful state.] [You used the skill to great sess! With such a perfect provocation, the skills effectiveness and range have increased! You have seeded in making a portion of the enemies lose their minds, and their fear temporarily puts them into an obedient state! The Low Rank Shriek of the Dead skill has be Lv9. Magic has increased by 3.] However, Lee Shin Woo invoked two unexpected effects. Shriek of the Deads range was much wider than usual and broke down the minds of the undead in that vast area! Not only that, they were affected by a new status ailment! [Bald!?] [C-Corps Commander!] [The Corps Commander is alive!] Even Lee Shin Woo, the one who used the skill, couldnt believe what was happening causing his goblin fire to flicker. The center of the battlefield gradually was filled with shock, terror, and groans. [Kuaaaak! Who the hell called me bald!?] [It was you! You still have some hair left!] [I-Its a helmet! Im telling you its a helmet! Damn it, you crazy bastard!] There were two reasons his skill was such a resounding sess. The first was extremely simple. While people werent really receptive of hispliments, it seemed as though they were more receptive to his insults; they responded more sensitively to his insults and each and every one of those undead was affected by his skill! [Who insulted the Corps Commander!?] [The Corps Commander isnt dead. Hes right over there!] [The Corps Commander has said the word. That we must kill you bastards who are rebelling against the Empire!] The second reason was the current situation. The Corps Commander was dead and Lee Shin Woo tormented them with the term Corps Commander; as a result, a portion of the confused and fearful undead actually considered Lee Shin Woo the Corps Commander and began mobilizing! "This is... quite the new discovery. I need to do more research on it." "Research? What the hell do you mean research!?" Lee Shin Woo, whod originally thought that all he needed to do was scream for Shriek of the Dead, thought that this was a chance to change his mind. Of course, Jin simply thought Lee Shin Woo picked that offensive term to piss off the undead, but was speechless seeing what Lee Shin Woo had wrought! "In any case, its be easier for us tond now!" "Thats true, but... hold on tight!" [A horse is plummeting from the sky!] [What the hell are you talking about... Kuheok!] Jin, whod already figured out where hednd, straightened his front two legs and descended. The steel thorns that protruded from the ends of his legs cleaved through the skeletons en route to hisnding spot, and they safelynded on the ground. It was truly a cleannding! However, Jin didnt have the time to admire his perfectnding as he started running again. "Well be safe if we get to the spot where the golems are clumped together!" "Heup...!" [Stop right there, you louts! Well definitely get revenge for the Corps Commander, kuak!] [Dont you dare speak the Corps Commanders name with that dirty mouth of yours!] It was a skill that targeted thousands of undead. Although it was a resounding sess, he couldnt put all of the level 4 Skeleton Knights in the various areas into a confused state. However, even if there were skeletons unaffected by the Shriek of the Dead, they still didnt possess the ability to restore the sanity of the crazy undead. Even if there were skeletons that were still lucid and attacked Lee Shin Woo and Jin, they would be blocked by the other skeletons. [Dark Arrow! Pure darkness, punish those who have be corrupted and forgotten the curse!] "Magic!? Jin, dodge..." [Corps Commander, well take care of this!] [Kuaaak!] "..." Even if they were magically attacked by Skeleton Wizards, there were simrly some who were afflicted by the obedience status ailment, and would block the magic attack, counterattack, and kill the wizards... "Wait a sec." "You..." Lee Shin Woo gave the signal and Jin instinctually stopped running. They were still quite far off from the golem troops, but he felt like he understood why Lee Shin Woo asked him to stop. "Please tell me youre not doing what I think you are." "I think I can do it, dont you?" "But the skills effect is only temporary!" Even so, Jin didnt move an inch. The hostile skeletons that approached in all directions lost their lives to the skeletons who considered them their Corps Commander. Honestly speaking... they didnt really need to run away. "Listen, Jin. Im at an important juncture right now. My skills potential is limitless, and its my job to choose which direction the skill develops. I can definitely do it now, like when wed created the Assimtion skill together." "I was really proud of the Assimtion skill, but hearing you say that makes me hate myself." A skill was like a living organism; depending on the way its used, its characteristics, mana, and goal would change. The Horseback Riding skill, which just made his ridingpanion run faster, evolving into the ridiculous Assimtion skill, and Stealth evolving into Shadow Sprint was all because of that. And as those skill went from the low rank level to the intermediate level, they went through a dramatic change. Lee Shin Woo thought that Shriek of the Dead could likewise do the same. "Maybe this skill will evolve to best match my karma, the Joker." "You..." [Corps Commander! Ill assist you!] At that moment, an obedient Skeleton Knight approached him. Lee Shin Woo looked at him and replied extremely naturally. "Rebels have infiltrated into our corps. Lead those who will follow your orders and quickly kill them. Once youre done cleaning up, Ill give you your next order." [I understand, Corps Commander! Follow me, proud soldiers of the Empire! Lets go kill those maggots ndering the Corps Commander!] "..." Anyone who saw this would think that Lee Shin Woo had been in charge of this corps for about 5 years, as hemanded in such a haughty and firm tone! Lee Shin Woo replied naturally, and the Skeleton Knight had certainly recognized Lee Shin Woo as his superior, taking a more active role in this battle than before! [Corps Commander!] [How dare you mention the Corps Commander... Kuheok!] [Corps Commander. Pleasemand me as well!] Then, the number of undead willing to follow his orders had increased significantly. Those who had been in a confused and fearful state saw their allies follow his orders and became his troops as well! "Yeah... You heard me too, right? Take care of the sane soldiers! Show those traitors the might of the Empire!" [As youmand!] [I will follow your order!] Seeing that, Lee Shin Woo suddenly felt like he saw the confused state in a different light. Until now, hed used Shriek of the Dead to make the monsters fight amongst themselves, and thought that that was the only way he could use it, but felt like that waspletely wrong. I was toocent. While it was originally a monsters skill, when it became mine it changed. He thought hed developed in several ways aftering to this world, but he was still far off. If it was him, who possessed both the Acting and Disguise skills, he should be able to do more than just confuse them, and was speechless at the fact that hed wasted all the opportunities to do so. "But it doesnt matter. Since I can just figure it out now." "You really are going to start..." It still wasnt toote. Especially since Shriek of the Dead was at low rank level 9 and was about to level up; he thought he was lucky. Lee Shin Woo sported a smile and took a stance. The Corps Commanders bone in his hand naturally melted away and was absorbed. [Initiating Bone Reinforcement by consuming the Lv6 Ghoul Wizard - Vitas skull. Magic has increased by 8. The Intermediate Mana Bone skill has be Lv3. Magic has increased by 10. Low Rank Fire element has be Lv6. Magic has increased by 6. Absorbing a portion of the targets experiences and memories.] [General, Im just a magician, and Im not good enough to lead one of your corps. ...If you still wish for me to shoulder such a heavy responsibility, then I can only promise you one thing. Our corps will never lose until the day I die. - Mercenary Magician Vitas] Its impossible to perfectly disguise myself as the Ghoul Wizard by just absorbing this bone, but my acting will be much more convincing now. He wondered at what level his Disguise skill would have to be for him to perfectly disguise himself by just absorbing a single bone. Lee Shin Woo thought inquisitively and grinned. And then he yelled. "Before we are soldiers of the Empire, we are mercenaries who follow the Mercenary King, Sir Metafel! Show those ruffians who dirty that name the strength and ferocity of true mercenaries!" [You used Shriek of the Dead, causing a portion of the enemies to fall into a confused and fearful state!] [A resounding sess! Most of the enemies who have fallen into a confused and fearful state have be obedient! The skills range has expanded uncontrobly!] He used the information from the absorbed bone and provoked the undead with a singlement, upending the entire battlefield! [Ooooooooooooooh!] [As youmand, Corps Commander!] [Ugh, the Corps Commander truly is...!] [Metafel! Metafel!] Lee Shin Woosment had confused even the once sane undead! Another factor was that not a lot of undead could see him because there were so many of them. Thus, the chaos spread uncontrobly... eventually, around 3,000 undead were temporarily ced into an obedient state. This was the moment when thergest civil war since the heroes entered the Empire urred. [1] E/N: ref: Omae wa mou shindeiru Chapter 18 part4 "What is this...?" Kratias grand magic had fulfilled her objective of killing the knights protecting the Corps Commander, and she safely retrieved the Eternal Ice, which served as the core for the ice spear. By the time she had enough time to sigh, the battle had already be aplete mess. "Listen up everyone! Dont even dream of national security if you cant even restore discipline within the army! Show no mercy. Kill those who defy mymand!" Lee Shin Woo and Kratia had worked together to kill the Corps Commander and that had gone well, but contrary to her expectations, he didnt run away. Rather, Lee Shin Woo had entered into the undead force and was vigorously spewing out lies. Kratia gazed at Lee Shin Woo, who looked even more noticeable atop an imposing steel horse (from the outside, Jin lookedpletely like a steel war horse), and was speechless. However, what was even more stunning was the fact that each and every word he said riled up the huge undead force. [The Corps Commander has given themand! Those who insult the Corps Commander are guilty and sentenced to death!] [Dont listen to that strange skeleton! Hes tricking you all right now!] [To think youre still spouting that nonsense! Kill them!] Why were undead he didnt even know following his orders, and why were there so many of them following him!? Whats worse, whenever Lee Shin Woo shouted, more undead followed hismand. Kratia sensed traces of magic that affected their minds. [Y-You fools...! Just look at him! Hes neither a ghoul nor a magician!] [How dare you suspect the Corps Commander; I feel like a fool for following you until now!] [Hes the Corp Commanders enemy too! Execute him in Sir Metafels name!] The high ranked level 5 undead werent affected by Lee Shin Woos shallow machinations, but the problem was their subordinates, who originally followed their orders. Lee Shin Woo boosted their morale through the Command skill, and they were unfortunately bewitched by Lee Shin Woos words, and attacked their previous superiors! "What is that guy doing..." She wasnt saying that because she didnt know what he was doing; she was saying that because she couldnt believe what hed done. Lee Shin Woo was swaying and breaking up the army through a perverse method! To think hed be pretending to be the Corps Commander after killing him right in front of them; and to think that it was working! Because Lee Shin Woo read the mood and the flow of the battle, he was able to control that flow. What should she even call him? If she were to give him a title, she would call him a Joker. [Attacks against the walls have decreased.] [Located Steelworker. Checking with core owner first. May we go back to guarding Steelworker?] Kratia wasnt the only one who noticed the unexpected change in the battlefield. The Iron Golems, who had been protecting the walls and ready to give their lives in its defense, noticed that the attacks against the walls had lessened. Plus, they noticed Lee Shin Woo on the battlefield, so they requested Kratias permission to return to his side. The invaders wouldnt have the energy to attack the walls any longer, so Kratia unhesitatingly sent the Iron Golems on their way. "Ah, you can go now." [Returning to protect Steelworker. Destroying structures that get in the way.] [How dare you, kuheok!] [Charging! Killing anything in the way!] [In the name of Steelworker!] It was as if they were waiting for that very moment as they immediately turned around; they indiscriminately killed the undead and charged directly towards Lee Shin Woo. The Iron Golems, which were superb whenpared to other level 5 elites, charged side by side. The infighting undead couldnt stop them and were pushed back! It was as if they were erasing the undead with an eraser! [Reaching core limit. Self-destructing core!] [Self-destructing core!] Whereas the level 4 Bronze Golems, which had recklessly charged into the undead force to repel them, reached their limit by the ones and twos and executed their final codedmand: self-destruct. The surrounding undead were swept away by the explosions and were crushed, falling to the ground in mes. [Self-destructing!] [Keoheok! Theyre exploding!] [Magicians, stop the mes!] The Bronze Golems exploded in various parts of the battlefield, spreading both fire and chaos. It was difficult for the entire corps working together to deal with the explosions, but since this all urred while they were fighting amongst themselves, the damage was maximized. [Ah, is that Captain over there!?] [The Captains in danger!] [Lets save our Captain! Lets give peace to the imperial army whove lost their reasoning!] [Huh...? Paul Zero!] [Paul Zeros a good person. Ill help in saving him as well!] However, there were guys trying to get in the middle of all the chaos; they were none other than the Pauls, who temporary left Lee Shin Woo to grow! Whats worse, their numbers had doubled. The other Pauls mustve been drawn to them and joined up! [Let them rest in peace!] [Paul Zero!] [Captains over there!] Although they were up against an undead force nearing 10,000 strong, they didnt submit and entered the battle; they emitted their poison, curse, and dark magic, and swung their weapons. The twelve level 4 elites led a force of 40 elite undead, causing amotion! [Rescue the Captain!] [The Corps Commander is alive!] [Paul Zero!] [Self-destructing core!] [That guys not the Corps Commander. Hes not... ugh!] [Protecting Steelworker!] Thus, they just babbled on and gathered in one ce, creating a absurd ruckus. Of course, all thatmotion was focused around Lee Shin Woo. It really was a mess. "Phew... its chaos." Kratia watched the chaos unfold and thought about whether she would have a chance to intervene, but no matter how she thought about it, things would be settled without her having to get involved. "...Lets just meditate." In the end, she began to meditate in a safe spot. She decided to gather some mana for now, but she wasnt sure that there woulde a time where she needed to use it. [The Low Rank Command skill has be Lv10, and evolves into the intermediate level. You can nowmand several subordinates at once. You can protect your subordinates from mental ailments. All stats have increased by 3.] On the other hand, Lee Shin Woo, who was in the very center of that chaos, ordered the undead whilst killing those that approached, while moving hectically. Around that time, his once depleted mana was replenished and he could wield the Lightning Tooth again, but he didnt do so. Instead, he wielded the transformed staff, the Bifurcated Snake Spine that hed gotten off the Corps Commander. [Bifurcated Snake Spine] [Lv4] [Durability: 950/950] [Attack Power: 280 - 420] [Magic Attack Power: 400 - 500] [Options: Magic +40, Calction assistance] [Passive skills: Elemental reversal - Absorbs an element and releases the opposite element.] The staff likely had a different ability ordinarily, but he couldnt know anymore. Regardless, Lee Shin Woo was quite satisfied with the transformed staff. It was something that could normally only be wielded by magicians, but he could also use it, as one who could wield the elements themselves! The owner of this staff, the Corps Commander Vitas, was originally a mercenary, yet was a genius to be able to use such clean and pure elemental magic. And his staff likely helps in casting elemental magic as well... Knowing that much was enough. It looked different from Vitas, but if the magic he used looked simr, then it would be beneficial in confusing the skeletons! And the elemental magic that Vitas used most when he was still alive was... "Ill freeze you all! Frozen Cloud!" [Its here. The Corps Commanders technique! To think Id be able to see it once more!] [Once used, that technique would freeze everything aside from allies!] The skeletons who heard Lee Shin Woos high pitched scream were ted and yelled. Of course, Lee Shin Woo couldnt use magic like Frozen Cloud. He would just stuff the fire element into the staff and the other fork would spit out ice! Fortunately, he had a superb control over mana, and had caught a few nces of frozen clouds in Vitas memories, so he was able to spread the cold mana into a simr shape. Hed infused quite a bit of mana inside, and the result was truly astounding; hundreds of undead troops werepletely frozen solid! [H-how can this be? Was he truly the Corps Commander all along...!?] [That power; that range! How could that be anything but the Corps Commanders strength!?] It was the result hed been expecting. The undead in fearful and confused states saw Lee Shin Woos poor imitation (though Lee Shin Woo thought it was a poor imitation, his extraordinary aptitude in mana caused his spread of the ice element look like a perfect Frozen Cloud) and werepletely fooled! [I will follow yourmands, Corps Commander!] [C-Corps Commander...!] [How can this be. How can this be... Kuaak!] Those whod followed him in an obedient state were more sure than ever that he was the Corps Commander, and those who were confused, but not obedient turned obedient after seeing that magic once. Those who were neither confused nor obedient were both shocked and flustered, so they were just attacked and fell. Rather than the magics power, the magics symbolism was a more effectiverge-scale attack. His skill reflected that sess as well. [The Acting skill has be Lv12. Your acting ability has be even greater. You feel something supernatural moderately improving your acting ability.] Something supernatural, huh. That may actually be the case. Lee Shin Woo grinned and yelled to finish things up. "Punish all those who attempted to dirty Sir Metafels will with their vile machinations! We are the forces under the directmand of the Mercenary King!" [Yeaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!] [The Corps Commander has spoken! Punish them all!] His scream resounded out, covering all of the enemy forces this time! Just because they were in range of his skill didnt mean that they would inevitably be affected by it, but Lee Shin Woos shout just now was able to bring around half of the undead troops to his side. The moment Lee Shin Woo sessfully dirtied Sir Metafels name through his vile machinations to attain victory...! [The Low Rank Shriek of the Dead skill has be Lv10 and has evolved into the intermediate level. You have continued to train this skill, which is nothing more than a mere scream; by doing so, you can utilize your karma to its maximum potential. You have created a skill whereby any who hear your cry will be dizzy and confused, and you may order them around as you please. The Jokers innate skill, Instigate has been born! All stats have increased by 10!] "A innate skill, huh. Heh, everything is going ording to n." "Stop lying..." He thought itd be interconnected with the Joker karma, but he didnt think hed create an innate skill all on his own. Lee Shin Woo muttered, being unable to contain his pride. On the other hand, Jin retorted with an incrediblyposed voice. It didnt even take 2 hours before the battle hade to its end, and the skeletons went back to where they belonged. Chapter 18 part5 Around the time Lee Shin Woo decided that there werent any more enemies left remaining and lowered his Bifurcated Snake Spine, a message appeared before him stating that the battle was over. [You have defeated a corps under the directmand of the 12 generals! You have acquired 3 permits to Gods secret shop. All stats have increased by 10. Proficiency in allbat rted skills has increased. The Intermediate Combat Sense skill has be Lv5, and Agility has increased by 10.] [You single-handedly manipted the corps and ultimately destroyed it. Your achievement is unbelievable. You have acquired the title, Corps Destroyer. All stats have increased by 20. Whenever you fight against a force of at least 1,000, the effectiveness of all skills increases by 30%.] Lee Shin Woo could onlyugh upon seeing that his achievement had increased his stats by a total of 80. If he added in Gods reward, then his stats had increased by 120! [1] If he told his seniors about this... No, even if he were to tell Kratia, who was up on that wall, she wouldnt believe him. "Corps Destroyer, huh. Thats my kind of title." "You werent really the one doing the destroying, though..." Jin recollected the chaos and destruction Lee Shin Woo had caused and shook his head. Lee Shin Woo clicked his (nonexistent) tongue and Jin ridiculed him. "Well, what matters is that we cleaned everything up nicely." "That kind of result-oriented thinking is what makes kids with so many dreams feel so wronged. ...Though it was clean." Because Lee Shin Woo had split the undead force into two and made them fight against each other, all of them had died. To be honest, that wasntpletely urate, but during the chaos, Lee Shin Woo had either taken care of them himself, or had the golems take care of it; ultimately, he was satisfyingly able to ensure mutual destruction! [Completed task. Standing by.] [Absorbing mana to restore damaged parts.] The level 4 Bronze Golems had sacrificed their cores, so they had beenpletely annihted, but the level 5 Iron Golems were different; they either killed the level 5 undead or began to fight seriously once the undead were afflicted with status ailments, so they were safe. Though their armaments were heavily damaged, they would automatically be restored when they replenished their mana. Of course, it would probably take quite a bit of time, but it was much better than them beingpletely destroyed. "Good work. Rest and replenish your mana." [Its an honor.] [Captain!] Lee Shin Woo knocked on the Iron Golems andplimented them. At that moment, the final participants of the battle approached him. They were the Pauls. [Captain, are you alright!?] [Paul Zero!] "Ah, they were here too." The Pauls were the only factor that he hadnt taken into ount. How would he have known that theyde back at such a good time!? Because they had intervened after chaos had reigned over the battlefield for some time, they were able to participate without any casualties. Honestly, one could call that a miracle. "Good work all of you. I see new faces joining us." Lee Shin Woo smiled broadly and faced them. Hed been thinking about how hed dispose of the rtively useless level 3 bones strewn across the battlefield anyway. [Its been a long time, Paul Zero. Im surprised you took these guys as your subordinates, but seeing you do all this, it makes sense somewhat.] [Captain, youre really amazing!] "Enough with the ttery. You all, scatter and collect all the loot and bones. I have something I can do for you as well." [Perhaps...? Its an honor, Captain!] [We have bones we gathered from our own hunting, so please look after us!] "Alright. Ill let you inherit the wills within those bones. Now get a move on." Jins goblin fire swayed, seeing Lee Shin Woo use the Pauls whenever he wished, but Lee Shin Woopletely ignored him. The Pauls moved enthusiastically, and it wasnt long before they cleaned up the battlefield of all the loot. [Captain, were back!] [Heres the Perium. This is all your karma, so please dont hesitate and take it!] "Alright. Then Ill take it. Good work all of you..." [You have acquired 17,291,080 Perium.] "..." Lee Shin Woo epted the Perium the Pauls had brought him all at once and couldnt believe his eyes. It wasnt 170,000 or 1.7 million, but 17 million? Hed only received 2 million Perium from cleaning out the entire city! Whats worse, Lee Shin Woo had separated the loot from the level 5 Elder Knights that Kratia had killed with her Grand Ice Spear, yet this was how high the total was! "It wasnt calcted wrong, was it...?" "It doesnt seem like it?" However, when he thought about it calmly, this seemed only natural. The undead in the city had been level 2, and the undead in the corps were level 3. No matter how little a level 3 undead drops, they would drop at least 1,000 Perium; 10,000 of those would drop 10 million Perium. And if he added the level 4 and level 5 undead to that, it seemed only natural that hed umte this much. "Ha, haha... I think I could buy a level 7 elite bone with this much..." "I knew youd say something like that." Lee Shin Woo suddenly realized how impressive it was that hed crushed the undead corps. However, the truly impressive part was starting now. [Captain, well leave the weapons over here!] [Well divide the bones based on level and ce them over here, Captain!] Most of the undead corps carried weapons. There were several exceptional weapons that were at least level 2. There were a few level 3 weapons that were good enough that Lee Shin Woo wanted them. However, the bones were more exceptional than the weapons! There were too many level 3 bones, so he couldnt count them all, while there were around 400 level 4 bones, and 78 level 5 bones. Was there only one level 6 bone; the one from the Corps Commander that Ive already absorbed...? At the beginning, I thought there would be dozens of level 6 Corps Commanders, and even some level 7 undead as well, since its under the directmand of the 12 generals. Lee Shin Woo looked upon the separately divided heaps of bones and suddenly had that doubt. Arema Steelworker, who was one of the 12 generals, was level 8, and his subordinate, Guillotine, was level 7. But Metafels Corps Commander was only level 6, even though Metafel was one of the 12 generals? They were both generals but theres a huge difference in the strength of their forces. "Even so, is it because theyre mercenaries? Or did this corps only consist of the leftover troops... If not that either, then maybe the golems are a special case and are especially powerful." "Youre seriously saying somethingpletely different from what you were talking about a second ago." "If not, then perhaps the Corps Commander mightve been powerful for a level 6..." That was probably it. Lee Shin Woo had reinforced the Drake Horn Lance significantly through Rule of Bone, assimted with Jin, and used Shadow Sprint; through all of that, he drew out his maximum power, charged, and lunged at the Ghoul Wizard. Even though the ambush was perfect in so many ways, the Ghoul Wizard was able to cancel out his attack. That was proof of the considerable stat differential between them. If Lee Shin Woo hadntunched the Drake Horn Lance immediately through Rule of Bone, he probably wouldve died right there. When he thought back, it was dizzying moment. "If I had been able to use Avenger, the fight wouldve been a lot easier." "But we got him, didnt we?" "It wasnt perfect, though. I thought this before, but the stat differential was too severe." Because hed advanced in various ways from this battle, he came close to a total of 2,000 stats, but 2,000 stats was still very low for a level 5. He felt as though increasing his stats by just 10 counted as growth, but if he were up against an opponent with stats higher than his by 2,000, 3,000 or even more... When he thought about the fact that he needed 3,200 stats at least to reach level 6, it wouldnt be surprising for his enemy to possess stats doubling or even tripling his own. Moreover, theres a disparity between the effectiveness of their status as well! "Besides, we even ambushed him, a magician who possesses a frail body, without giving him the opportunity to cast any magic, yet it wasnt perfect. I had too much faith in Rule of Bone and Bursting Thunder. I should really try harder from now on..." "Yeah, lets y it safe from now on. Please." "But all we need to do is not fight them face-to-face, so dont worry so much." "That just makes me worry more." Lee Shin Woo listened to Jin, grinned, and raised his head. The Pauls, who stood side by side in a line, gazed at him with bright eyes. He was already well aware of what they wanted. "Then, shall we begin? Step forward, those who wish to inherit the wills of the Empires soldiers and knights!" [We heard from Paul 47... I would like to inherit their wills and dreams as well!] "Good. You seem determined. Then well start with you, Paul 39." [Yes!] Honestly, the level 3 bones didnt really have any value to Lee Shin Woo or Jin. However, it was different for the Pauls. The level 3 bones would reinforce the Pauls, and even the level 4 Pauls could increase their stats by absorbing several level 3 bones. Lee Shin Woo intended to turn all forty three of the Pauls here into level 4s, so he decided to focus Bone Reinforcement on the Pauls who hadnt reached level 4 yet. [Ahhhhhh! So thats how it was! Im being filled with their wills, their strength, and their memories! Its overflowing!] [Thank you, Paul Zero... No, Captain!] His Bone Reinforcement was at a level where he could continuously reinforce the other Pauls with dozens of bones in only 1 second. Light radiated in various ces, and Lee Shin Woo managed to awaken the Pauls! [Ill follow you, Captain!] [Im thest one, Captain!] "Ah, so you were doing that again." Around that time, Kratia had finished her meditation and came down from the wall. All shed done in the battle was manifest and throw a Grand Ice Spear, but it had a huge effect on the battlefield, so she received a lot of rewards from her achievement following the battle. She was busy with her magic, so it had taken quite a bit of time for her to get down and ept all of her rewards. "Kratia, just stay put and watch. Ah, and thats your share of the loot. Ill buy the level 5 knight bones. Youll sell them cheap, right?" "Then thatll clear my debt of gratitude to you, as you let me stay with you longer." "Ok." Lee Shin Soo smoothly finished the deal with Kratia and went back to reinforcing. The level 3 Pauls, who originally had high specs and were close to level 4, were quickly reborn as level 4 Doom Factors. On the other hand, the Pauls who had rtively low specs inparison were indiscriminately reinforced until they couldnt take the barrage of Bone Reinforcement and leveled up. Obviously, Lee Shin Woo got something out of it too. [The Bone Reinforcement skill has be Lv7. When you use Bone Reinforcement on someone else, the effect is increased and you can now absorb arge portion of it as well.] Was it because of the Pauls strong will to inherit their fellowrades wills? It only took three hours before he was finished reinforcing them. He had used all of the level 3 bones, as well as the bones they had brought with them from hunting, and had managed to transform all of the forty three Pauls into level 4 elites! However, that wasnt the end of his Bone Reinforcement. After he separated the items that seemed special or increased stats, he suddenly reinforced the remaining bone weapons with each other to create an even more powerful weapon! [Bone Reinforcement has failed!] [Failed.] [Seeded.] [Failed.] [Failed.] [Failed.] [Seeded. The Lv2 Bone Thorn Spear has evolved into the Lv3 ck Canine Tooth Spear!] "Nice. Ive never seen this shape and material before. Plus, it increases stats too. Pass." "Youre really persistent, you know that...?" Thats how he used all the weapons hed collected from the battlefield, and ultimately, he created 50 level 3 weapons. There had originally been about 20 guys wielding level 3 weapons, so he had 70 level 3 weapons in total. To top it off, he had the level 4 weapon, the Bifurcated Snake Spine! "Then are you going to fuse those together now too to create an even better weapon?" "Im not crazy. Why would I do something so wasteful?" "Then are you going to give them to the Pauls...?" "Thats what Ill do if I have any left remaining." Before, Lee Shin Woo liked absorbing bones more than bone equipment to strengthen himself. However, after he acquired the Weapon Tricksters bone, and learned the Bone Armory skill, that thought changed a bit. He thought he needed to make use of all the weapons that he could. Because of that, this was his decision. "Now lets fill up the storehouse (Bone Armory)." [1] E/N: 130, he forgot the Agility increase apparently. Chapter 19 part1 Bone Armorys potential was as limitless as Rule of Bone. Even if the level of the equipment was low, he could use the information from other pieces of equipment to reinforce the low leveled ones. Like what happened to his level 3 armor, which leveled up due to the Acid Skull Helm. "In other words, the diversity of the equipment is as important as the level. Since I canbine that countless information and create something that fits the situation." "Youre an alchemist..." "As I thought, the one thing my bone skills have inmon is that theyre all fraudulent skills!" Most level 3 equipment had stats attached to them. Of course, absorbing bone equipment was like absorbing bones; the more bone equipment of a simr type he absorbed, the less effective it would be. However, that wasnt the case right now. He watched the reborn level 4 Pauls examine themselves and decided to visit the buffet... start his own Bone Reinforcement. First up was the bone staff, the Bifurcated Snake Spine which helped him impersonate the Corps Commander. Kratias eyes lit up at the sight, but Lee Shin Woo calmly ignored her. In any case, she wasnt the one who took him down! If she asked for it as part of her share, then he was prepared to pay for it with Perium. Since he wasnt a thief. "Then... Bone Reinforcement." [Absorbing the Lv4 Bifurcated Snake Spine. Magic has increased by 40. The absorbed Bifurcated Snake Spine is affected by the other equipment in the Bone Armory and is buffed.] The information of the other absorbed equipment in the Bone Armory was applied, and the absorbed information was analyzed and buffed, transforming into apletely new piece of equipment! Lee Shin Woo didnt wait for the result and absorbed the next piece of equipment. This time, it was a level 3 helmet thatpletely covered his face. [Absorbing the level 3 Full Skull Helm. Health has increased by 7. The absorbed Full Skull Helm reinforces the Acid Skull Helms information. You can now summon the Acid Full Skull Helm.] This time, there wasnt any need for analysis; it immediately transformed. Since the information update only applied to a specific piece of equipment! Moreover, Lee Shin Woo was even more pleased, as it was the oue hed expected. The options werent updated, but he was now able to summon a helmet that better covered his face and its defense naturally increased. Just this made it worth it to absorb the helmet. "Is level 3 equipment normally thismon?" "If undead corps of at least 10,000 strong aremon in this world, then yeah, theyremon." "Bone Reinforcement! Bone Reinforcement!" Lee Shin Woo ignored Kratia and Jin, who were watching from behind and talking nonsense, and continued to absorb the weapons. While some equipment only raised his stats by like 1 health and 1 strength, which was nothing to write home about, other equipment raised his stats by so much that it made him wonder is this really ok for a level 3 weapon?, as the stat gain was shocking. "Bone Reinforcement! ...Hmm, this." Especially if there was a piece of equipment that was already stored within the Bone Armory that shared a great affinity with the absorbed equipment; in cases like that, the item would change dramatically, bing greater than he expected. A gold mine amongst these was... [Absorbing the Lv3 Spine Whip. Strength and Agility have increased by 7. The absorbed Spine Whip is affected by the other equipment in the Bone Armory and is buffed. You can now summon the Lv5 Bifurcated Spine Whip.] "To think the information of level 3 equipment and level 4 equipment couldbine to make a level 5 weapon..." "Youre really rubbing salt in the wound. Since I cant even equip armor, Im not jealous one bit." "Show me! Show me the level 5 equipment!" While Jin seemed uninterested, Kratias eyes brightened like a little kid. Rather than the effect of the item, she was likely interested in how the twos information mingled together to create a new piece of equipment. "Fine. Then..." "Oooh...!" Lee Shin Woo summoned the Bifurcated Spine Whip for Kratia. The level 3 Spine Whip possessed a t grip, and above it, was a 2 meter long, unpleasant human shaped spine. On the other hand, the level 5 Bifurcated Spine Whip had a different grip feel, and the menacing spine split into two, stretching up to three meters with thorns protruding from it; the overall feel waspletely different. "As I thought, a level 5 weapon looks a lot different." "I-Its really pretty..." Perhaps Kratias feeling really disappointed right now... Kratias eyes brightened even more when she looked upon the Bifurcated Spine Whip, causing Lee Shin Woo to inwardly mutter. [You have 2 level 5 weapons stored inside of the Bone Armory. The Bone Armory skill has be Lv4. Health and Magic have increased by 10. The number of equipment you can summon and maintain at one time has increased to 4.] "Yes!" Bone Armory had leveled up, so he could finally summon upper and lower body armor, a helmet, and a weapon as well! Hed suffered for quite a long time since first attaining the Bone Armory skill, but now he finally recovered his fully armed state! However, this wasnt the end of his happiness. He had alternated between absorbing weapons and armor, and while the pieces of equipments information hedcked was slowly being filled, he apparently fulfilled some sort of condition he wasnt aware of and this message appeared: [You havepleted the Lv4 Acid Bone Full Armor. You can summon the pieces separately, or you can summon it as a single,plete set.] "Wait, does this mean..." The moment that message appeared, Lee Shin Woo de-equipped all his equipment, even while he was in disbelief. Jin was shocked and whether or not he yelled wasnt his concern; he immediately summoned the armor again. Seeing that, Jin tilted his head and spoke. "Huh? Maybe its because the equipment information was updated, but it feels like the armor has a greater sense of unity than before." "Your high agility makes you quite sharp. Youre right. This has been unified." The Acid Bone Full Armor was one set. In other words, the three pieces: the helm, the upper body armor, and the lower body armor, were considered one piece and could be summoned as a whole! Naturally, the mana consumption was reduced, and the armors joints became tougher. To think he would achieve a unification here, when he couldnt do so in his own homnd...! Lee Shin Woo was deeply moved and examined his body. Hed absorbed dozens of equipment and because the strong points of the armor and weapons were applied, his armor was both refined and functional. Above all, there werent any chinks in the armor and it covered his entire body. From an outsiders perspective, one wouldnt be able to tell whether he was living or undead! I can mimic a living persons mana, so if Im in a jam, Ill act while wearing the armor, and when I take it off, Ill disguise myself. Its perfect...! Of course, if the situation necessitated it and he needed to y a different role, he would need to change the appearance of his armor a bit, but because hed absorbed so much equipment, he wasnt worried about changing his armor. "Nice. As I thought, it was an excellent decision." After that, Lee Shin Woo, who had be more flexible, absorbed a few more pieces of equipment. Around the time no more meaningful changes urred, he stopped his outstretched hand. Seeing Kratias eyes brighten up, Lee Shin Woo firmly shook his head and exined. "Since they were simr types of soldiers, the weapons they use dont have much variety to them. I think this is enough. Any more is meaningless." Hed absorbed around forty pieces of equipment, and obtained at least 200 stats. That meant his stats increased by 160 if he excluded the 40 magic hed gained from the Bifurcated Snake Spine. In many ways, the suddenly appearing undead corps had helped Lee Shin Woo. It was to the point that Lee Shin Woo wanted to kowtow before one of the 12 generals, the Mercenary King Metafel. "Then what about whats left...?" "You guys. Whoever doesnt have a level 3 weapone over here and pick whatever you like." [Captain!] [Thank you, Captain!] Lee Shin Woo was offering them the leftover weapons and acted as though he was doing this out of the generosity of his heart, but even so, the Pauls couldnt help but be touched by his actions. Honestly, he was only doing this because theyd defeated a force of 10,000. Normally, level 3 equipment wasnt easy to find. If one wanted to buy this kind of equipment from the secret shop, they would need to possess considerable funds. "If its that expensive, why dont you just sell it at the shop?" "I thought about that too, but the sales charge pisses me off. In terms of cost performance, giving these guys the equipment to increase their strength is probably better." "..." Originally, Lee Shin Woo hadnt had any consideration for the Pauls. However, as he realized that he could make them into his subordinates, as well as use Bone Reinforcement on them to transform them into level 4 elites, he began to have a small hope for them. If the numbers kept increasing like this and he increased their levels, he might be able to create an independent force! "The more variables there are, the better. Investing this much into them doesnt feel like a waste." "You... youre really amazing." "Lately, Ive been thinking that a bit too." Lee Shin Woo replied honestly, and went to thest thing on his agenda. Naturally, it was to reinforce himself and Jin with the level 4 and 5 bones. "That wouldnt work on me, right?" "Come back when youre only bones." "No thanks." If he were to exclude Vitas, the Corps Commander, the other remaining bones didnt really have any exceptional options. The level 4 knights and magicians memories and experiences was useful, and the stats and skill proficiency from the level 5 Elder Knights and Wizards was tremendous. [The Intermediate Bursting Thunder skill has be Lv2. Strength and Magic have increased by 5. You can better incorporate lighting into your weapon and, using that lightning, you may swing your weapon faster.] [The Intermediate Shadow Sprint skill has be Lv2. Agility has increased by 10. Your running form looks a bit more like a shadow.] Lee Shin Woos total stats were now 2,272 due to the stat gain from the bones, as well as the experiences that further improved his skills. He needed 928 more stats to reach level 6. Though hed obtained hundreds of stats from one battle, Lee Shin Woo wasnt satisfied. Thats because he knew that he still had a long way to go. "Uuuuuuugh." "Dont be so dramatic. You didnt even absorb half of what I did." "U-Ugh." In order for Jin to more effectively absorb the undeads experiences and memories, he twitched on the floor while Lee Shin Woo calmly sorted through the experiences and memories. This was his time to organize thebat and magic techniques hed acquire from the knights and magicians; it was simultaneously a time for him to organize his information on one of the twelve generals, the Mercenary King Metafel, as well as the corps he led using the Corps Commander Vitas memories. Their past... and if its possible, their present as well. Lee Shin Woo calmly organized the memories and at some point, he opened his eyes wide open. His waning goblin fire looked as though it had suddenly burst out. "W-Whats wrong?" Seeing that, Kratia was slightly scared and asked. Lee Shin Woo replied extremely calmly. "Its nothing." "Liar." "Yeah, Im lying." "..." Kratia pouted at Lee Shin Woos extremely confident attitude, while Lee Shin Woo just grinned. Then, he spoke amicably. "Lets do our best for the remainder of our contract." He spoke as if he had drawn the line there, and he would never tell her no matter what. Realizing that, Kratia felt the urge to increase the contract duration, but unfortunately, she had no way of doing so, so she ultimately disappointedly nodded her head. Chapter 19 part2 All beings possess a magic inherent to them, and the properties of this magic gradually change as one umtes karma and grows. For example, if one were to train in ice magic, their magic would be colder, and if one used magic to reinforce their sword and body, their magic would be heavier. However, Lee Shin Woos magic was a bit different. Since he had such a variety of abilities, and had used these abilities so diligently, his magic didnt have a chance to go in a specific direction. No, thats what he had thought in the beginning, but that wasnt actually the case. His magic was... "That means the innate quality of my magic can change case-by-case!?" "Yeah sure, why not?" Kratia couldnt understand how Lee Shin Woos magic could so freely change, and made her hair even messier than before, but Lee Shin Woo just shrugged his shoulders. In the process of creating a golems mana, he had a small realization: his mana had be a part of him, and was something he could fabricate like his speech, his expression, or his clothes. He could say that even his mana had be an extension of the Acting and Disguise skills. "If I attempted to do it consciously, the magic loss would be too severe. But you... can control it freely. Yeah, thats the characteristic of your mana. The quality of having an indeterminate form that can change into anything!" "In other words, my magic is like Xitto... [1]" Considering the fact that Lee Shin Woo could control three of the elements themselves, Lee Shin Woos magic already possessed limitless potential. Kratia recognized that she couldnt do what Lee Shin Woo could do before, yet even so, she couldnt stop her research. What she said next was something that would be helpful to Lee Shin Woo as well. "My Catalyst Magic was an attempt to replicate your ability to change mana. Since its hard for me to change my own mana, I decided to change the naturally existing mana instead." "That sounds even harder!" "No, its not hard. Because a lot of techniques already exist that induce the naturally urring mana to change. But in the process of analyzing your mana, I was able to create a new mana pattern that has better mana cohesion and efficiency." "Mm, I understand it all, so keep going." Lee Shin Woo decided to memorize everything Kratia was saying and insisted that she continue. She sighed and continued. "If the focus of your ability is to change your own mana, then mine is to change external mana. And my way of barely doing so is through a catalyst. So what Im saying is..." She paused and raised a small orb. It was the growing artifact she got from God, the Orb of Eternal Ice. As expected, that evesting ice crystal was the catalyst of her magic. "I was narrowly able to induce the magic to change. It hasnt been long since this child was born, so its course hasntpletely been set yet, so... in a lot of ways, I was lucky. Since its now easy to impart a will upon an item." "So are you trying to brag about your artifact to me or what?" "More importantly, dont you feel something from looking at this orb...?" "Its big and beautiful." "Liar." Lee Shin Woo gazed at the orb piercingly, the orb being daintier than Kratias white hand. Kratia pushed the orb forward, as if she were ok with him holding it and gazing at it, but Lee Shin Woo shook his head. "If I touch it, it might change into bone." "What a terrifying ability." Lee Shin Woo examined the orb more carefully than before. He felt a vortex of ice cold mana within that was expanding even now. Hed used ice mana a bit before through the elemental reversal ability. He expected that hed be able topletely master that element as well, if he practiced just a bit more with the Bifurcated Snake Spine. But thats not the issue right now. The pattern that caused the mana to remain inside the orb was extremely unique. That was probably why Kratia had told him to take a look. Looking at it once wouldnt be enough for him to memorize the pattern; it wasnt that easy. This whole thing was a magic circle! If the difficulty of creating a golems seal was increased by 100x, then this is what it would look like. "Ultimately, this technique just allows me, whos proficient in ice magic, to use the ice artifact, Eternal Ice, to change the surrounding mana into ice, but... you should be able to learn something from this." "Yeah... Alright. Ipletely understand it." Like always, Lee Shin Woo maintained his poker face and spoke calmly, but Kratia knew that Lee Shin Woo had no idea how it worked. "...Should we increase the duration of the contract?" "No. If all I need to do is memorize it, I can do it within a day." "Tch." The moment her n to continue apanying Lee Shin Woo and acquire some magic inspiration from him failed... Thats right. This was thest day of their contract. Starting tomorrow, hey had to go their own separate ways. Kratia inwardly spewed out curses at Lee Shin Woo, as he failed to acknowledge her passion for magic, but outwardly, she endured with a slight pout. Being angry would be a waste of precious time. "In any case, Ill continue exining. I was barely able to manifest the magic through a catalyst, but youre capable to transforming your mana into anything. Right?" "I cant transform it into anything. Just what I know." "In other words, if you figure out how this catalyst works, you should be able to turn your body itself into a huge catalyst. At least, thats what Ive been thinking." Time froze at that very moment. As expected of a woman who handles ice magic; her skills were peerless. "You know, youre saying something really frightening right now." "Its not that frighteningpared to yourtent potential." Lee Shin Woo dwelled over what Kratia had said so nonchntly, and his body slightly quivered. I can be a catalyst, huh... If that happened, hed be able to control the mana in the entire area however he pleased. Especially because Lee Shin Woo could freely change his mana. If he could actually change his mana into a catalyst, the products that came about from it would be limitless. "I cant even imagine it." "Itll be possible for you someday. As long as I help you." "Why are you going so far to help me?" "Since I want to see it happen." Kratia replied unhesitatingly, her eyes surging with a delicate enthusiasm. It mightve been unbing for an Ice Magician, but Lee Shin Woo thought that this pure passion of hers may have been the driving force behind her growth to level 6. "Even so, Im not extending the duration of the contract." "Why not!?" Kratia yelled, genuinely frustrated, and Lee Shin Woo just grinned and replied. "Whats wrong with you? Its not like were never going to see each other again. We can just form another team when we meet again. Ill probably be stronger than you by then." "You seem plenty strong now..." "Im not interested in strength that can only be used in a self-contained situation." If he didnt have the strength to ovee an enemy face-to-face, he would ultimately have to rely on unconventional tactics each and every time. Lee Shin Woo was confident in his unconventional tactics, but he also believed that he couldnt rely on such shallow methods forever. Rule of Bone, Bursting Thunder, Mana Bone... I can be strong. As long as I strive for it. Lee Shin Woo forcefully balled his hands into fists and suddenly resolved himself. He didnt show what he was feeling very often, but before he knew it, hed begun to trust Kratia more and had done so unconsciously. Seeing that, Kratia felt that they fundamentally werent very different and was very slightly relieved. Meanwhile, Jin had been ignoring everything else and was training his Steel Body. [The Intermediate Mana Bone skill has be Lv4. Magic has increased by 10. Any action concerning the use of mana is buffed.] Before it became dark, Lee Shin Woo sessfully memorized the Eternal Ices structure, and that was enough to cause his Mana Bone skill to level up. That meant the knowledge shed passed on to him was something extraordinary. Kratia also gained something from this. Lee Shin Woo lent her his Bifurcated Snake Spine, and demonstrated how he changed the elements; that deepened her understanding of her own element and naturally caused her Catalyst Magic to develop further as well. If she were still on her home, the two of them wouldnt be able to separate, as they had shared so much of their information and experiences with each other. They would be together until death. "Its unfortunate that we cant." "Haha, youre funny Mr. Feynman [2], but you cant do that here." "Ill contact you when I can private chat." "Alright. About what I requested. You can do it, right?" "Of course." Kratia firmly nodded her head, holding the Limited Order Bone Core that Lee Shin Woo had remodeled. She wasnt finished studying the core, but it was still Lee Shin Woos, so she was about to tearfully return it to him. However, Lee Shin Woo said it was fine if she kept it and instead asked her to fulfill a request of his. If you find any golems on the way, dont destroy them. Instead,mand them to go to a specific ce. Originally, others couldntmand golems with the core aside from Lee Shin Woo, unless they were temporarymands. Lee Shin Woo had drastically increased the functions of the core, and in the end, seeded in infusing the core with the Steelworkermand authority. His goal was to maintain an army of golems! If he were able to gather golems, they would be a reliable fighting forceter on. Of course, Lee Shin Woo also nned on giving any golem he encountered the samemand. "Ah, thanks for the grapes. I feel like I could just eat grapes until I die." "Make sure you get enough nutrients." The two extended their arms and shook hands. A warm heat transmitted to his bare bone hand. It felt like hispletely empty heart was being warmed as well. It felt qualitatively different from when he had shook hands with Erian; for a moment, Lee Shin Woo felt a bit regretful as he mightve been able to form a rtionship like this with Erian as well, but... Lee Shin Woo soon erased that thought from his mind. Since it was my choice. He didnt just have to part ways with Kratia. Lee Shin Woo had to part ways with the forty three Pauls, who were reborn as level 4 elites. [We are truly... in your debt, Captain. Id like to always serve by your side, but...] "Its not yet time. I told youst time, but I still have a lot I need to do." [Captain...] "However, I promise you. There will be a time when we fight together. Therell be a day when the curse is lifted from the Underground Empire." [Well do our utmost to prepare for that day! We wont trouble you, Captain!] Originally, they trusted and obeyed Lee Shin Woo because of his connections to both Anti-Skull and General Seagald. However, once they became his subordinates, they didnt really think about General Seagald. He was just someone they once pledged their loyalty to; their lives already belonged to Lee Shin Woo! "Ill give you the golems. Ill save those who are wandering through the darkness like you and send them to you." [I understand, Captain!] If his final goodbye with Kratia felt like a story of youth, then his final goodbye with the Pauls felt like a war story. Kratia, who hadnt left yet, saw that and was deeply touched; that was the icing on the cake. [Well return no matter what, Captain! No matter what!] "See youter. Dont die." "Yeah, dont die." The Pauls, apanied by the three Iron Golems which had reduced their size, and Kratia, who wielded the orb and core in each hand, went in separate directions. Lee Shin Woo sent them off with a smile. "Theyrepletely gone now, right?" "Yeah." And when they couldnt see them anymore, Lee Shin Woo secretly lowered his hand. He wasnt even doing something that made him feel small, but pointlessly felt as though he couldnt hold his head up high. "...Good. Then, shall we go?" "Go by yourself." "You have nothing to be afraid of..." Lee Shin Woo smiled bitterly at Jins firm reply... he now had four permits to Gods secret shop due to the battle; he used one of them and entered Gods secret shop. [1] T/N: Pokemon reference. [2] T/N: May be referring to Richard Feynman, but Im not really sure. Chapter 19 part3 "Guten abend! [1]...Oh my, you came by yourself?" "Hello, Pleine." The secret shops owner, Pleine, always greeted him with the same expression, whether it was when he was level 1 and didnt know anything, or now, when he was level 5 and realized that the events in the Underground Empire arent progressing as simply as a retro games scenario. "Is the hot cocoa good?" "Would you like some? Ah, I forgot you cant drink it." Moreover, she would always be eating something with a blissful expression whenever he entered the shop; she never failed to get under his skin! The red haired beauty set down her cup of hot cocoa, which had been pressed to her lips, andughed while Lee Shin Woo just grit his teeth. Then, she spoke a bit more seriously than before. "Last time I said I didnt think youd be able to gather all that Perium, but how about it? Did you gather 1.3 million Perium?" "Of course I did." Was it time to fight back now? Lee Shin Woo smiled faintly and Pleine was sure that he made a lot of money. "The time between visits was a bit long this time..." "Ah, thats because I went to Gods garden in between, so I needed some time to gather some more permits." "You visited God!?" As expected, it seemed as though Pleines information was indeed limited. Upon saying that he went to Gods garden, Pleine started bombarding him with questions, and Lee Shin Woo just replied adequately. When he told her about how hed asked God for a quest to kill the undead heroes, sheughed uproariously. "You made a choice like a hero whos been underground for dozens of years!" "Im not actually sure if this was a good idea or not, but..." "Youre probably already aware of this, but theres a limit to the karma she can bestow upon a human. A piece of her grace, the Gods garden which can only be reached by gathering permits is also the same. Thats the reason she cannot give you such a tremendous blessing, no matter how much she might want to." If God could unlimitedly bestow her power to others, the curse would already be gone. The reason Lee Shin Woo could receive a greater blessing than the other heroes was because he traded his life for it. At the time, he couldnt understand, but now he understood it well, as if it were only natural. "Thats true." "What if she doesnt personally bestow that grace, but does so indirectly; and what if that blessing can only be bestowed upon you by using your own karma as a foundation? Naturally, the limitation widens significantly. Thats the reason you were able to obtain the information regarding the scattered undead heroes in the Empire." Lee Shin Woo had made that request because he had a rough idea of what would happen. He thought itd be much more profitable to get the quest rather than an item, but... In terms of results, hed hit the mark. It was fine if he epted it like that. "Pleine, do you know about Ethan Cruz?" "Ah... if youre asking specifically about him, does that mean you know?" Lee Shin Woo wordlessly nodded his head and Pleine looked like she was at a loss. "Youve realized something that the other heroes have yet to realize. But regarding that person... I can only tell you to avoid him. I dont trade with him because I like him. Please understand that I cant carelessly pass on his information so long as he remains a hero." "Is it really ok for a hero to kill another hero?" "Its not really forbidden. Normally, heroes cant absorb other heroes strength by killing them, and even if they gain karma from killing them, theyll also umte bad karma, so theres no reason to do something so foolish..." Ethan Cruz must possess an authority that makes that bad karma beneficial to him, or maybe he has a skill that does it. Thats probably enough information. Pleine looked really troubled, so Lee Shin Woo just shrugged his shoulders and decided to go on to the main topic. "Anyway, I have some goods that Id like to sell this time around." "Goods youd like to sell? Ah, is it food?" Pleine knew that Lee Shin Woo possessed an ability that allowed him to utilize most items, so she quickly came to a conclusion, and sported a deep smile. "You mustve acquired it in a dungeon, so it should be fruit or vegetables. No, is it meat? Both are fine. Because every other hero wants food, youll be paid handsomely." "How about alcohol?" "Alcohol?" Pleines eyes momentarily shimmered, like the stars on the ceiling of aarium. At least, thats what it felt like to him. "Alcohol is sold at an expensive price above ground as well! The unit price is different, the unit price! Please take it out. How many bottles do you have!?" "You sell goods above ground as well?" "Oh my. I have to make a living too, so I cant just trade with heroes, who only bring gloomy things, right? You havent taken the alcohol out yet? What type is it? Whiskey? Rice Wine? Vodka? Ah, but wine would be the best." Was it the mood? It felt like Pleine would drink the alcohol whenever he took out a bottle... Lee Shin Woo slightly opened his inventory and took out a bottle of wine. Pleines eyes definitely shimmered like stars this time. "Its wine!" "Please take a look." "This is from Kerr Century!? There was still a Kerr Century remaining underground?" "Ah, yes..." If he told her there was an entire winery still there, it felt like she would take everything he had. Around now, Lee Shin Woo realized that the goods hed brought werent ordinary. "Ah, theyre not vintage. But this much wine... Mm, alright. It has a premium, so I can give you 20,000 Perium for it." "Thats not all I have. I have other types, so please take a look at them." "Others!? 381... This is a great vintage! This is vintage as well! This isnt... Ah, but its still great wine. Since only novices are so concerned over the vintage." "I have no idea what youre talking about, so do as you please." Before he entered the secret shop, it felt like he was going to a wholesale dealer to sell his wine, but now it felt like he was having a sommelier examine his wine. Lee Shin Woo took out all the wine he had, which was a bit less than 50 bottles, and she looked distressed, with the most serious expression hed ever seen from her... then, she opened her mouth. "Ill buy them all for a total of 1.5 million Perium." "...Thats quite a lot." "Theyre that valuable. Wine requires countless peoples effort and finances to create, so the karmic value is considerable. Thats especially true for older wine. Finally, theres a saying that Kerr Centurys wine is so delicious that you have to bow before drinking it, even though its the cheapest." "I see... Then Ill sell them at that price." "Wait a sec." Lee Shin Woo spoke nonchntly, and Pleines eyes glittered. her red hair surged up, as if it were ame. "Them? Do you have others as well?" "Yes, I have the biggest one left." "The biggest one!?" This time, Pleines hands wriggled unpleasantly. She showed him so many expressions that hed never seen from her before with just one word, alcohol, and obediently took out the alcohol like she wanted. Well, one barrel for now. "What is... Huh?" Pleine looked vacantly at him as if saying you said youd bring out alcohol, but whats with this wooden barrel?, but soon realized what it was. "I thought youd brought way too much, but... you didnt." "I took everything that was in a winery. I have others besides this one." "Kyaa!" Until now, Pleine had only moved her hands from behind the stall and hadnt even bobbed her head up and down, yet for the first time, she abruptly stood up from her seat. Lee Shin Woo watched her and his goblin fire gently swayed. "Are you nning to drink it all yourself?" "I-I cant do that. I cant... Though it would be easy..." Even while speaking, she instinctually extended her hand towards him. Since he knew what she wanted, Lee Shin Woo helped her touch the wooden barrel and the next moment her hand slightly shook. She had read the information on the wooden barrel. "Kerr Century... 395..." "..." Pleine, whod ascertained when the wine was made, gently closed her eyes. Her throat slightly wriggled. The sight of her trying to restrain her surging emotions actually shocked Lee Shin Woo. He could understand why she felt so conflicted without even asking her. She didnt look it, but she was someone connected with the fall of the Underground Empire. "I suppose... even then... they were still fermenting alcohol..." Pleine, who had struggled to open her eyes, strained herself to say that. He acted like he hadnt heard her. However, she continued. "Well, I suppose thats what happened. Thats when everything was overflowing with life. They had never failed with magic before. The harvest was bountiful..." "...Can I call you granny?" "Customer, do you want me to hit you? Do you? Do you want to get hit?" He teased her in an attempt to cheer her up, but he ended up pissing her off. However, it wasnt like it waspletely ineffective as she soon left her sentimental thoughts behind; she fake coughed with an ahem and returned to her normal calm voice. "Mr. Lee Shin Woo, please act as if you didnt hear what I just said. Ah, and please remember that Im seventeen." "Yes, I understand." Getting involved with a merchant who calls herself seventeen when shes not cant lead to anything good... Lee Shin Woo suddenly felt relieved that he was a skeleton, and Pleine made an offer. "The wines own value, as well as its historical value... Thats excluding the rating as well. This alcohol is way too valuable to exchange for Perium, so lets trade instead. Ill trade for them with whatever you wish for, Mr. Lee Shin Woo." "Thats good. I want bones." "I knew you would say that." Despite the fact that the barrels had significantly lower value as they werent bottled, each barrel stored several dozens of liters of wine, so each wooden barrel was valued at at least 1 million Perium. Hed cleared out an entire winery, so he would be able to easily buy a level 6 elite bone. "Then Ill take them out." "How many do you have? Id like to get a rough estimate, so I can give you suitable products in exchange..." Pleine, who sported a joyous expression and had been rummaging under the counter, saw Lee Shin Woo take barrel after barrel out of his inventory, and her face gradually stiffened. "Wait a sec. How many barrels do you have!?" "I think there were about 100 barrels... I counted about 2,000 liters." "2,000 liters. Then that means... Eek!" She didnt think just one hero would be able to sell so much that she would go eek! Pleine just let that moment pass. Lee Shin Woo was flustered, and Pleine quickly straightened herself out, stood up... and made an offer. "Mr. Lee Shin Woo... Theres an item that was stored many years ago in this shop and none like it have ever entered the shop again. Would you like to see it?" "I told you I wanted some bones." "Yes, its a bone. Its also the best bone we have." Could it be? Lee Shin Woo thought, and the moment his eyes lit up... Pleine nodded her head as if his assumption was correct and spoke. "Its the only bone in this shop that costs 30 million... Its the level 7 elite, the Giant Fennos bone." [1] T/N: German for good evening. Chapter 19 part4 "It took quite a long time." While Lee Shin Woo was visiting the shop, Kehebe remained quiet. Jin mustve been really bored being stuck in the city alone as he weed him back. Lee Shin Woo grinned and replied. "Thats because we were setting the price of each and every barrel of wine." "So? How was it?" Jin asked whether the wine was sold at a high price or not, and Lee Shin Woo simply replied like this. "I took all of the level 6 elite bones they had. It seems like there arent a lot of people killing level 6 elites." "..." "Yet theres still a barrel of wine leftover." "Why didnt you just sell it and buy a weapon or something?" The only thing Lee Shin Woo didnt sell was the first wooden barrel hed discovered in the winery containing the Kerr Century Dellocus 395 (52 L). While he could obtain all the bones without selling it, there was another important reason to it. "Ill probably use itter somewhere." "It doesnt seem like wed have a use for it, but... No, do what you want." He was probably being considerate, but it didnt really work. Lee Shin Woo chuckled and changed the subject. "Then shall we start reinforcing?" "Oh no. Dont." Lee Shin Woo possessed 120 million Perium in total; this came from selling all the wine that hed gotten from the winery, as well as from the battle that ensued with the corps. With that 120 million Perium, hed brought something that cost as much as 30 million! That was a level 7 elite, Fennos bone. And with the remaining 90 million he bought all of the level 6 elite bones, which ranged from 1.5 million Perium to 7 million. As a result, there were 24 bones on the ground emitting light; 23 level 6 bones, and one level 7 bone. "Life is all about luck." "Its scary just looking at it all..." What theyd acquired from selling all of the wine trumped everything that Lee Shin Woo and Jin had acquired thus far through their blood, sweat, and tears! However, Lee Shin Woo knew that life was like that. What was most important in life? It was luck. Lee Shin Woo was just happy that luck was on his side right now. "Right now, the most important stat for you is magic. So lets put all the bones that increase magic in your direction." "Level 6 bones... The level 5 bones hurt like crazy, so do you really think that I can absorb the level 6s?" "Ill help you. You should be able to endure it." "Ugh..." In the end, Jin resolved himself. He couldnt back off for his own sake, and he couldnt back off for Lee Shin Woos sake as well, since he wanted to be more helpful to Lee Shin Woo. Lee Shin Woo realized that Jin was all ready, so he raised one level 6 bone in his hand. It was a bone which was radiating an extremely deep blue; it was quite obvious that in terms of pure magic, the original owner of this bone was greater than Vitas, who led a corps of 10,000 strong. "Were connected, so it shouldnt be that hard." "Hoo... I got it. Lets go." "...Alright." As the level of his Bone Reinforcement increased, he was able to share almost all the memories within the bone when used on another person, so it was certainly an important moment for Lee Shin Woo as well. He softly ced the bone atop Jins head, who was gently closing his eyes and concentrating, and activated Bone Reinforcement. At that moment the magic knowledge and the immense magic within flooded Jins mind and instantly filled it to the brim. [Executing Bone Reinforcement on Jin Taylor by consuming the Lv6 Skeleton High Wizard, Pras skull.] "Urgh...!" "No, you can take this much. Itll end soon." "What about you!? Ugh!" Lee Shin Woo calmly bore with the countless, confusing memories and organized them one by one. He epted the information that wouldnt be helpful to Jin, and helped him to absorb the knowledge that would help him to utilize mana. If it werent for his joint research with Kratia, this wouldve been difficult for him as well, but now that wasnt so. He hadnt be a magician; hed just be very familiar with the method in which they umte their knowledge and skills! [The Empires magic is too outdated.] [Why didnt my teacher tell me his ns and leave on his own?] [A Royal Magician? Theyre just worms without a speck of talent.] There were some fragmented memories that came along with the experiences that he judged to be ineffectual and unimportant; he was absolutely sure that the original owner of this bone possessed a sharp temper and was quite arrogant. Big talk for someone whod died when he was only level 6. However, there would be a ce where he could use these magic patterns, so he at least decided to memorize all of them. Since a Joker could absorb one thing, mix it together with something else, and create three or four new things! [Jin Taylor is reinforced through Bone Reinforcement. A significant amount of memories and experiences are divided and shared. Magic has increased by 3. Low Rank Fire has be Lv7.] Bone Reinforcement was sessful. Because the bones original owner used fire magic, Lee Shin Woos fire element had leveled up. It was the first element hed acquired, and humiliatingly, it was also the lowest level of his elements, but if he leveled it up just a few more times, it would be at the intermediate rank, and would exhibit a simr level of power as acid or lightning! "How about you? It seemed like he was a magician who specialized in Fire Rain, so did you get a skill simr to that?" "Nope. Im sad. Id rather be the falling rain." Because he was dealing with the awful deluge of magic and knowledge, Jin became way too sensitive. Although Lee Shin Woo picked out and organized only the helpful parts, it was a level 6 bone, so the original owners thoughts and power were on another level... "Shin Woo, its way too hard for me to absorb magicians bones. This much magic knowledge is plenty, so couldnt you just give me a stupid warriors bone instead..." "I guess it cant be helped. Then lets go with a monster without intellect instead." Since elite magicians bones were really rare, he only had two anyway. But he did have several monster bones which emitted tremendous amounts of mana that Jin couldnt refuse. [Jin Taylor is reinforced through Bone Reinforcement. Arge portion of memories and experiences are divided and absorbed. Magic has increased by 2. Proficiency in the Intermediate Mana Bone skill has increased by 9%.] [Jin Taylor is reinforced through Bone Reinforcement. Arge portion of memories and experiences are divided and absorbed. Magic has increased by 1, and Strength by 2. Proficiency in the Intermediate Mana Bone skill has increased by 4%.] [Jin Taylor is reinforced through Bone Reinforcement. Arge portion of memories and experiences are divided and absorbed. Magic has increased by 4...] Because hed absorbed 10 bones in a row, Jin looked half-dead. They were level 6 bones, plus they were all bones focused on magic, which Jincked in, so his magic stat had increased by almost 200! Lee Shin Woo had gotten a portion of those stats and his own magic increased by 30, so nothing else needed to be said. Moreover, his fire element increased by another level, so now it was at low rank level 8. Lee Shin Woo trembled at the power of money. "So thrilling, so refreshing. Money truly is the best!" "Id rather die! Kill me!" "Im done with your share, so just keep rolling over there." While Lee Shin Woos fire element was the only thing that leveled up, it seemed as though Jin gained three or four new skills. Most of them were skills that supplemented his magic, so they should help him use Steel Heart from now on; Jin would have to develop and evolve those skills in a direction that suited his growth. "Its my turn now..." Lee Shin Woo examined each of the lined up 14 bones in order. The level 7 bone was the main dish, so he had removed it forter, and the other 13 bones were ced in order by how much mana they emitted. If there were one thing he regretted, it was that all the level 6 bones seemed much weakerpared to the level 6 bone hed gotten in the past, the Weapon Tricksters bone. I suppose thats obvious. It seems like the Weapon Trickster was an extremely rare karma... and it was also the reward of an important quest. He decide to ept it, as the bone hed acquired as a quest reward was just that good. Lee Shin Woo carefully reached his hand towards a bone. It was a red bone; amongst the bones, it seemed like it would increase his health significantly. "Bone Reinforcement!" [Executing Bone Reinforcement by consuming the Lv6 Big Mino Fighter, Eldurs head horns. Health has increased by 14, and Strength by 3. You have learned the active skill, Lv8 Low Rank Twin Horn Charge.] [Grr... My charge wont stop until it breaks either you, or me. - Mino Charge Commander, Eldur] "Huh?" He thought that it would be impossible for him to learn new skills the more he and his skills leveled up, because the scope of his skills became wider, but that was just arrogance at work. Until now, hed relied on Jins charge skill, but now he had his own charge rted skill. "Twin Horn Charge." Lee Shin Woo said softly, and two tough horns,prised of mana, formed atop his bone helm. At the same time, he felt as though someone was forcefully pushing him from behind. He would let the skill take over, dash forward, and strike his opponent with the twin horns; that was the technique. "Youre really like a monster." "Nothing new." Jin, who had stopped rolling on the floor, looked at Lee Shin Woo and gave him his honest opinion; Lee Shin Woo replied curtly and deactivated the skill. It was definitely a good skill that would increase the power of his charges, but it wasnt really his type of skill. However, he had a chance to refine this skill. Fortunately, the mana pattern that manifests this skill isnt veryplicated. You charge quickly with the Twin Horn Charge skill, and simultaneously focus your strength in the horns; the Minos created this skill for that very reason. If I change that part around a bit then I might be able to... He didnt think for very long. Lee Shin Woo was really eager to work on the skill, but it wasnt that easy to solve. It was more important to absorb the rest of the bones for now. [Executing Bone Reinforcement by consuming the Lv6 Great Hos reinforced exoskeleton. Agility has increased by 8, and Magic by 4. Proficiency in the Intermediate Acid skill has increased by 27%. Proficiency in the Intermediate Bursting Thunder skill has increased by 11%.] [Executing Bone Reinforcement by consuming the Lv6 Corpse Eaters jawbone. Strength has increased by 5, and Health by 11. Proficiency in the Rule of Bone skill has increased by 16%. Proficiency in the Bone Reinforcement skill has increased by ??%.] [The Lv6 Dotorus toe bone...] Each level 6 elite monster possessed their own inherent quality and growth. In the process of absorbing their various skills, Lee Shin Woos skills advanced more than hed thought they would. Amongst them, this was the greatest one. [Executing Bone Reinforcement by consuming the Lv6 Bewitchers rib bone. Health has increased by 7, and Magic by 9. Proficiency in the Acting, Disguise, and Instigate skills have increased by 19%.] Mm. A Bewitcher was a rare monster that used their own mana to captivate and control their enemies. They used a type of mana that possessed an extremely dangerous property, and when he absorbed its bone, the proficiency of all three of his Jokers innate skills increased. Lee Shin Woo learned quite a bit from that. A Bewitchers mana... If I can master this mana, I should be able to grow significantly as a Joker. Of course, it wasnt that easy. If he were able to proficiently use a Bewitchers mana by just absorbing one bone, then Lee Shin Woo wouldnt have had to study a golems mana for so long. But its true that Ive gotten a hold of a hint. If I meet another one of theseter, then... Lee Shin Woo engraved the Bewitchers pattern that both manifested and controlled their mana deep within his mind. He promised he would practice using the Bewitchers mana pattern the next time he used his Joker skills. He now only had one bone remaining. It was none other than the level 6 magicians finger bone that Jin had refused. "You didnt change your mind, right?" "Donte this way with that thing!" "Alright, alright." Jin was really startled, and continuously rolled on the floor; seeing that, Lee Shin Woo snickered and activated Bone Reinforcement. Then... [Executing Bone Reinforcement by consuming the Lv6 Royal Magician, Celon Von Betadorns finger bone. You have exceptionalpatibility with the target, so the skill is a resounding sess! Magic has increased by 14. Absorbing Celon Von Betadorns experiences and memories more deeply.] The message, which hed only seen once before, was apanied with a sudden surge in his interior mana. When had he seen that message before? Right. It was when hed absorbed the Anti-Skull cooperator, Gerrits bone! Hed seeded in preserving his memories, but the moment Lee Shin Woo sported a joyous expression, his consciousness faded. Chapter 19 part5 It was an extremely dark, underground secret room. It had the same vibe as the Anti-Skull secret facilities hed found. "Youre a disappointment, Gerrit." "Senior..." He could hear the two mens voices through his ears; one of their voices was familiar, and the other was unfamiliar. "Senior Betadorn... Did you really have to go this far?" "It wouldve been better had we had just taken it easy." At that moment, Lee Shin Woos consciousness became clear. He quickly realized what kind of situation he was in, perhaps because this was his second time experiencing this. Hadnt he experienced something like this when he had absorbed the level 4 magician, Gerrits bone? It was a yback of memories that came about due to Bone Reinforcements resounding sess! As he acquired the much too clear memories and experiences, he would feel a sense of unity with the bones original owner, to the point that he felt one with them! Gerrits here too. Seeing the owner of a bone hed absorbed right before him was quite a strange sight. Moreover, it looked like Gerrit was heavily injured, causing his feelings to abate. The perpetrator was... the one whose consciousness he was inhabiting: Celon Von Betadorn. "Take it easy... Senior, you dont understand the true nature of your research!" "Youre the one who doesnt understand, Gerrit." Celon sighed, and drew his mana. He felt the immense mana saturating Celons body whirl around him, increase in power, and focus into one hand. Eventually, what manifested in his hand was a high ranking magic, one which Lee Shin Woo couldnt understand at all! "That, kuhahk!" The moment light radiated from his fingertips, Gerrit wasnt even able to resist and fell to the floor, as if he had been bound. Perhaps it restricted both ones body and mana, as Gerrits mana peculiarly didnt respond thereafter. "Senior! In the end... do you really have to go this far!?" "I hoped that I wouldnt have to kill one of my precious juniors... Ill ask you onest time." Celons voice was ice cold. Lee Shin Woo could feel the torrent of mana that amassed in his palm so well that he trembled. He had felt this from Kratia as well, but his mana couldntpare with that of a level 6 magicians. "Tell me what you know about the Anti-Skull organization in detail. Whos in charge?" "Urgh, dont you already have an idea as to who... ugh!" A portion of his mana extended like an arrow and severed one of Gerrits arms. Celons eyes were tinged with spite. "Youre missing the point, Gerrit. Youre a magician." "Youre the one whos missing the point, Senior." "...Is that really what you think?" "Then can you really say youre not!?" "You fool...! You only think about yourself!" It was only for a mere moment, but he felt Celons eyes look upon Gerrit with an unbearable amount of loathing and contempt. Even whilst groaning in pain, he suddenly yelled at him. "Im not the only one! Youll kill not just me, but the entire Empire itself! Everyones crazy! Eternal life? Thats just an illusion!" "We know that already! If it were that easy to attain, it wouldnt be eternal life!" "Then why!?" "...Hoo." Gerrits throat was congested with blood. However, Celon wouldnt speak on Gerrits terms any longer. Was it because hed decided that there was nothing he could gain from speaking to Gerrit? Once more, mana was concentrated within his hand. Unfortunately, the pattern he used to control his mana wasnt very different; however, experiencing his smooth and skilled technique of handling mana would help Lee Shin Woo for a long time toe. "I didnt really need to get any information from you. I was just trying to give you an opportunity, as we were once alumni... You have only yourself to me, Gerrit." "Youre making the wrong choice..." Celons magic shot in a straight line. The focus of such magic was to burn away the opponents magic, and said magic would overpower the opponent with solely mana quantity. Obviously, Gerrit wasnt able to resist the spell and vanished; ultimately, only two bones that radiated light remained. "This is... a keepsake of his teacher, huh. ...He sacrificed himself for the Empire. You respected him so much, yet you joined an organization like Anti-Skull..." Celon mulled over whether he should incinerate the two bones, and ultimately, he decided against it and ced them within his breast pocket. Lee Shin Woo recollected that Gerrit had collected his teachers bone, and had now realized something. I mightve already absorbed Gerrits teachers bone. Lee Shin Woos consciousness became dim after that final realization. Even till the very end, Celon was gripped by anger and a bitter regret. What exactly caused Celon to be so angry, and why did he agree to cooperate with the Emperor when he didnt think that eternal life was possible? Unfortunately, Lee Shin Woo couldnt find the answers to these questions and was dragged back to the present. Since it wasnt something he could know just yet. [You have be skilled in drawing your mana without any waste. The Intermediate Mana Bone skill has be Lv5, and mana has increased by 20. You have be able to more adeptly absorb the mana around you.] Celon Von Betadorn was definitely extremely talented. Since Lee Shin Woos Mana Bone skill, which had leveled up to level 4 from his exchange with Kratia, had leveled up again! However, Lee Shin Woo couldnt feel happy about that forever. Seeing Gerrits death, as well as the confrontation between Anti-Skull and the researchers for eternal life caused him unease. Furthermore, everything that Celon had said had bothered him. At that very moment, a quest appeared, as if it understood him. [A quest has urred!] [Anti-Skulls objective] [The horrific curse that came about due to the Emperors struggle for eternal life. Anti-Skull did everything they could to stop it, but they ultimately failed. And you have sessfully caught a few glimpses of their actions.] [However, thats not enough. Somewhere in the Empire, theyre still waiting for their time to strike. Find a member of Anti-Skull who is an executive or higher to get closer to finding out the secret of the Empire.] [Quest rewards - 3 permits to Gods secret shop, a corresponding amount of Perium] "...Its been a long time since Ive gotten a quest." This quest was iparably vaguepared to the quest hed begrudgingly epted from God. Also, the words were cryptic. It didnt even tell him where the Anti-Skull members were located, nor did it tell him what to do once they met; it was a really unfriendly ending. He sported a sour expression as he looked over the quest once more, and Jin, who seemed to be done rolling on the floor He sported a sour expression as he looked over the quest again. Jin, who seemed done rolling on the floor, stood up, dusted himself off, walked over, and asked.. "You got a quest, right?" "Yeah. So youre at the level now that you can sense this flow of mana, huh. Im proud of you." "You know, that tone of yours kind of pisses me off..." However, his abilities concerning magic were nothingpared to Lee Shin Woos; plus, Lee Shin Woo was the reason he was able to increase his magic this far, so he couldnt really retort very strongly. Finding no alternative, Jin promised to get revenge by shaking like crazy once Lee Shin Woo rode on him next. "You dont have to worry about it too much, as its a quest that I cant really do anything about right now. This guys more important than the quest right now." The secret to the Empires curse? Thats important. Anti-Skull? Thats important too. Level 5 Intermediate Mana Bone? Thats obviously important. However, he held something more important than all of those; it was the only level 7 elite bone that hed bought from the secret shop! "When you think about it, that probably means that there arent that many high leveled heroes." "You told me that most heroes only hunt monsters that are a level lower than them. When you think about it that way, doesnt that mean that theres at least one level 8 hero?" "They told me that this bone entered the shops dozens of years ago." "Ah..." That meant that there werent any level 8 heroes right now. Of course, Lee Shin Woo didnt approach the subject so simply. A level 8 hero may not have encountered a level 7 elite monster, they may have defeated it and a bone didnt drop, or they may have encountered a level 7 elite, but decided against fighting it, as they didnt think that there was any need to fight it... "Well, this bone is whats important right now." "I respect your bravery." Jin saluted him, as Lee Shin Woo was attempting to absorb a level 7 elite bone; it was already difficult to absorb a bone that was one level higher, yet he was absorbing a bone two levels higher. Seeing that, Lee Shin Woo chuckled and grabbed the Giant, Fennos bone. Befitting a Giant, the bone was enormous; it was longer than the Drake Horn Lance. It was about 4 meters in length, was incredibly tough, and there was a horrific amount of mana concentrated within! "My consciousness shouldnt get sucked in again, right?..." Lee Shin Woo resolved himself and after calming himself down as much as possible, he executed Bone Reinforcement. At that moment, the shin bone broke apart into pieces and pervaded his entire body... not his shin! [The Giant, Fennos shin bone reinforces your entire body. Strength has increased by 30, Health by 20, and Magic by 15. Absorbing a significant portion of the targets memories and experiences!] What a relief. He didnt get a yback of the Giants memories. The Giant was much too detached and overpowering for Lee Shin Woo to share his senses with. Lee Shin Woo thought of it as watching a movie. Perhaps it was because it was a level 7 bone, but the memories within were almostpletely intact when absorbed by Lee Shin Woo. Lee Shin Woo thought about the frightening product of a Giants body and magic, and wondered whether it would be possible for him as well. A Giants mana... Their bodies are builtrger and sturdier, and this is probably some type of authority. I dont know what the basis for it is, but all of their mana is concentrated in reinforcing and erging their bodies, so I could say that theres a certain harmony between magic and body at work here... A huge body saturated with overpowering mana; they would infuse these two powers into their weapons in their entirety and swing them. This was a Giants power! Lee Shin Woo clearly memorized it all: the powerful flow of mana that whirled around their bodies, the properties of said mana, as well as the chemical process that ured as that mana touched the body. His body didnt evenpare to a Giants body, but he would at least be able to use that mana someday. [I am! Descended from the Giants! I said Im a descendent of the Giants, Fennos!] A descendent of the Giants. He didnt know what exactly that meant, but for some reason, that line was engraved deep within his mind. That memory was what finished the Bone Reinforcement. As well as... [Inheriting the will of a mortal who attempted to reach the realm of God. Low Rank Avenger has been terminated. You have acquired the special passive skill, Lv1 Rebellion. All stats have increased by 5.] "...Huh?" Hed acquired a skill he hadnt expected at all. Chapter 19 part6 [You have fought against all who have stood in your way. This is an expression of rage towards God, who brought you to this illogical world; at the same time, it is also a desperate struggle to find the essence of who you are.] [Rebellion is a skill that uses strong emotions as fuel, the final destination of all skills. You resist in any unfair situation, and will never surrender. You can use this ability when you are ambushed, fight against an opponent a higher level than you, or fight against several opponents.] [Whenever you attempt to ovee a particr situation with another, the effect of Rebellion will be further increased, based on your connection with the other.] [You became undead through contract fraud. You intend to rebel against this situation. All stats are increased by 10% at all times. This effect is also shared with the contracted, Jin Taylor, who is also in the same situation.] "Ah, so this is what I get..." Lee Shin Woo felt the energy within his body rise, and sported a troubled expression. Jin, who suddenly gained an increase in ability due to their contract, was alsopletely shocked and leapt up suddenly. "What is this? What the hell is this?" "Mm, we just a got skill that gives us a way to fight back." Though he exined the core of the matter, Jin unfortunately didnt really understand. Lee Shin Woo couldnt be bothered, so he just exined it away as a special buff, and Jin could understand that much. "Rebellion, huh..." Changing ones emotions into power was good enough for it to be called a highest level (MAX) skill. Since the moment he gained the skill, his stats increased by 10% because he was a skeleton. It was probably able to manifest in this form because it had fused with his previous Avenger skill. Truthfully, its effect was quite simr to the Avenger skill. It was quite a versatile skillpared to Avenger, which was way too choosey as to when it could be used. If there are several special situations ovepping, it may increase my abilities by as much as a level. Moreover, the skill level is still at level 1, so the growth is limitless... Tch, is that it? Hed secretly wanted an active skill befitting a Giant that would reverse a situation in one go, so he was slightly disappointed; but since he knew just how important stats were in this world, he soon changed his mind. Moreover, he hadntpletely lost a hold of a Giants ability. Since hed memorized the flow of mana within Fennos body, as well as how he utilized it, he would be able to use that method someday soon. He hadnt given up on his dream to turn into a Giant! "Fine. In any case, I only have 600 stats to go before I hit level 6." "You monster." "Now its time for us to go." "You have a ce in mind, right?" "Yep." Honestly, he had a lot of ces to choose from. It sounded fun taking control of all the golems in the various areas, and it wouldnt be bad to start exterminating some of the undead heroes for Gods quest. If not, he could use the faint memories held within the bones hed absorbed to find the Bewitchers or Giants, which he didnt feel would be a waste of his time. "However, we have to go somewhere first. To be honest, I acquired some interesting info in the process of wiping out Vitas corps." In the process of directly or indirectly absorbing the memories of all the undead in the corps, hed gained detailed information on one of the Empires 12 generals, Metafel. He knew where the undead general was right at this very moment, as well as the movements of the soldiers he led. "Youve got guts... Oh wait, never mind. [1]" "It seems like youre misunderstanding me right now. Im not crazy enough to go fight one of the 12 generals myself. I just got a hold of some interesting info while I was going through the memories." "You dont still think that the way you think is normal, do you?" Lee Shin Woo looked at the uneasy Jin, grinned, and exined. "Vitas corps was supposed be double its size. However, he lost half of his troops while they were on the move. Why do you think these guys died?" "On the way, they encountered Treasure Eaters holding a choirpetition?" "Funny, but no. Theres something more formidable there." Lee Shin Woo said and nodded as if satisfied, but seeing that, Jins goblin fire swayed uneasily. "Youre not saying that were going to go kill those formidable guys, are you?" "Bingo!" "Stop, you crazy bastard! You just said that they killed half of the corps!" "Nope. Jin, listen closely." Lee Shin Woo experienced the same anguish that all the undead had felt, and that source was none other than acid. It was such a powerful acid that it melted away the bones filled to the brim with mana and nullified it! It was definitely a more powerful acid than the one used by the Great Slime or the Acid Ghoul. "Vitas thought he might have to sustain heavy casualties to escape and ended up sacrificing half of his troops; then, he turned his corps around and marched. Why? Its because most skeletons dont possess Acid Resistance." "You..." Jin already realized what Lee Shin Woo was trying to say. Lee Shin Woo spoke in a strong-willed tone, as if he wouldnt take back his decision, regardless of what Jin said. "But we have it. We have Acid Resistance!" "You said it had stronger acid than the Acid Ghoul!" "Jin, a person cant lose their aspirations. Just because we increased our magic or physical strength a little bit doesnt mean we should keep fighting against skeletons or golems; if we do, well eventually face an opponent that can use a powerful element that cannot be ovee with just stats and thatll be our ticket to the afterlife." "Were going to the afterlife right now. Right now!" "Oh, cmon. I keep telling you not to worry." He had been feeling troubled because he hadnt had much of an opportunity to train his Regeneration skilltely, as most of his fights would end in a single round. However, hed gotten information that there were monsters that used acid that inhabited a particr region, so he couldnt not be happy! "Then the reason youre not telling Kratia about it is...?" "Yeah. Shes definitely strong, but shes not really helpful when I want to train my skills." That was the expected response. Jin was sure that he wouldnt be able to change Lee Shin Woos mind, now that hed made his decision, so he weakly asked. "So, who are they? The ones that use acid. A Hyper Ultra Acid Ghoul?" "Nope. Trees." "Trees..." Jin couldnt understand at all and tilted his head, but Lee Shin Woo couldnt really say anything else to clear it up for him. Because ording to their memories, the undead had indeed been killed by the acid poison spewed out by the numerous trees in the forest! "In any case, theyre trees, so they cant move, and theres no way itll be a waste of time. Thats why I want to go there first." "Mm, theyre trees... so can you even get something from ughtering all those trees? Arent they just nts?" "Youve adapted quite well to this world now, havent you? The fact that every action remains as karma. Dont worry, it definitely wont be a waste of time." After he had roughly exined the location, as well as their objective there, Lee Shin Woo lightly kicked off the ground and embarked on Jins back. Jin turned his body to the direction of their destination, even as he sighed. Due to the Assimtion skill, he didnt need to be told where to go. "With your speed, it shouldnt even take a few hours." "Hoo, is this really a good idea..." After the two skeleton heroes were finished with everything, they finally left Kehebe. Due to Jins speed, the sight of the city quickly became distant, and eventually, around the time they could only see it as a speck, Lee Shin Woo sighed (that kind of feeling); the sigh was mixed with both regret and relief. In a short time, they had not only purified the city, but also discovered a winery nearby, met an elf hero, and even exterminated a corps under the directmand of one of the 12 generals. However, to Lee Shin Woo the most important moment was when he exchanged information and knowledge with Kratia. Because of her, my magic fundamentals increased significantly too. It also wasnt bad that he had secured an ally in a talented hero. Furthermore, Jin, who was in a simr situation to him, gained a sense of emotional stability, as well as other emotions from her due to their talks; though he wasnt able to tell her that because he was shy, she yed a huge part in helping him. Though he had be a Joker who fabricated his own feelings, it didnt mean that he didnt need his feelings. Rather, it was because he had to do so that the exchange of feelings was so important. Kratia had filled in that deficit for him. "Youre thinking about Kratia right now, arent you?" Then Jin, who had silently been running, suddenly opened his mouth and spoke. Because they werent deeply using the Assimtion skill, Lee Shin Woo responded a bit surprised. "Youre really sharp..." "..." "The fact that youre talking about Kratia means that you like her, right? Ah, what is it? Why are you shaking?" "The grounds just bumpy, thats all." Jin lied unconvincingly and harassed Lee Shin Woo. As expected, did Jin have some sort ofplicated feelings for Kratia? The feelings didnt seem romantic, but he couldnt really make any sort of guess. With thoseplicated feelings, he essed the chatting channel. It had halfway be a habit to ess the chatting channel when he travelled long distances. [Mr. Lee Shin Woo has entered.] [Lloyd H.K.: Oh, I was worried, but you came out safe.] [Lee Shin Woo: Its a relief that youre safe, Senior. I was able to escape beforehand because of Senior Erian.] No matter howplicated he was feeling, as soon as he essed the chatting channel, he would unhesitatingly and skillfully begin to lie. If he were to say actually, I killed them all, it would be quite troublesome. [Prince Altania: I wouldve been able to take care of them.] [Lloyd H.K.: Though you might be able to inflict a lot of damage with a preemptive strike, it would be difficult for you to win against the entire corps. Youre still quite a ways away from level 7, right? Lets not be unreasonable until we hit level 7.] [Prince Altania: Ugh...] [Yasunori Akira: It requires quite a bit of courage to realize that you cant do something and back off. Good job, Lee Shin Woo.] He didnt even run, yet he was beingplimented for running; Lee Shin Woo wanted to get out of this situation as soon as possible. However, he had just entered, so he couldnt just exit immediately with the excuse that their attention was too burdensome on him. Like always, he would need to bear with it a bit more so that he could hear whats going on from his seniors. However. [Shino Rendu: But there are also situations where you cant run away, no matter how much you want to.] [Lloyd H.K.: Shino?] [Mentes Orun: ...Are you in danger?] Ah, a senior hed never seen before had appeared! Moreover, he seemed like quite the veteran! However, now didnt seem like the time to introduce himself and say that its nice to meet him. Shino Rendus voice was unusual. [Prince Altania: Hey, it hasnt even been very long since Ye Jin Jin almost died. I thought you were good at running away.] [Shino Rendu: Those pointless provocations of yours feel quite warm right now... But I dont think Illst very long this time. I think Ive been caught by one of the 12 generals.] [Lloyd H.K.: What? You...] [Mentes Orun: You should all know that the undeadmunicate with each other, starting from the level 3 danger zones. Its possible to get caught by one of the 12 generals if theyre close by. And weve already told you guys about that once.] [Shino Rendu: Im not trying to me you, Senior. Honestly, Im not trying to me anyone.] [Yasunori Akira: You musclehead...] Even Yasunori Akira, who always spoke coldly, spoke in a withdrawn voice. So much so that Lee Shin Woo could even hear his voice break. The mood was bing the same as when Ye Jin Jin requested for help. Of all the times that Lee Shin Woo could enter the chatting channel, this was the worst. He clicked his tongue. Moreover, he was caught by one of the 12 generals, so no matter who went, no one would be able to help him. [Shino Rendu: Newbie... No, Lee Shin Woo.] [Lee Shin Woo: Yes, senior.] [Shino Rendu: Dont die like me. Dont overdo it for the sake of quickly advancing. Since the only thing on our side here is time.] [Lee Shin Woo: ...Ill keep that in mind.] [Shino Rendu: Is Seira not here right now... Someone please tell Seira that I always yearned for her. I know her hearts frozen and she wont ept anyone, but in the end, I...] [Prince Altania: You surprise me, even to the very end. Thats the kind of thing that hurts people the most, you idiot.] [Shino Rendu: And... no, thats enough. At any rate, I was given a second chance at life. Its been great.] With that, Shino Rendu left the chatting channel. No one said anything, but then, Prince left without a word. Following him, Akira left, and then Lloyd. Lee Shin Woo was about to leave the channel, but the final remaining senior stopped him. [Mentes Orun: Youre Lee Shin Woo, right? When you hit level 6, send me a private chat. ...Ill tell you about some level 3 danger zones that you can go through rtively safely.] [Lee Shin Woo: Thank you, Senior.] [Mentes Orun: Its been a long time since Ist entered the channel, but I feel really shitty... Im going to go drink the wine thats new at the shop now. Damn it.] Finally, that senior left as well. This senior wasnt superfluous, nor did he have any sort of suspicious, secret n; he just purely wanted to help his junior as much as he could. The fact that that senior was so sick of entering the chatting channel must have meant that countless heroes have died in the Empire. Then... Ah, theres another one now. There was another mark indicating a new undead hero on his minimap. He would be able to get there in two days with Jin. And that meant that it was highly likely that Shino Rendu was killed by the Mercenary King, Metafel, of the 12 generals. I cant go that way for now. To think that he was thinking this way, despite the fact that Shino Rendu, a senior that hed conversed with a few times, had died. Lee Shin Woo was surprised by hisposure, and smiled bitterly; then, he left the chatting channel. There was still a bit of distance remaining until he reached the forest containing the trees that spewed Acid Poison. [1] T/N: Its an idiom regarding his liver again (being bold/reckless/gutsy). The second part is referring to the fact that Jin is btedly remembering that Lee Shin Woo doesnt have a liver. Chapter 20 part1 This was a world where skeletons and golems walked the earth, and where rats could speak. Because the world was such, Lee Shin Woo wasnt surprised in the least at the thought of trees spewing Acid Poison. "Ugh. The energying from the forest is no joke..." "Hmm, guess not." "What?" But when they arrived at the forest, which had cut Vitas troops in half and caused him to retreat, Lee Shin Woo had to correct his past judgment. The forest wasnt just filled to the brim with trees. No, to be more exact, there was something else aside from the trees. "Maybe Erian wouldve known..." "That girl... Wait, why are you talking about an elf? Because its a forest?" "It just feels like an elf would be more ustomed to dealing with things like that." Lee Shin Woo looked at the vast forest before them... and shrugged his shoulders, observing the area spewing out rotten and withered mana. The undead, who didnt even possess clear egos, mightve seen it as the trees attacking all of a sudden, but to Lee Shin Woo... "I see something stuck to the trees. They might be spirits." "Ah, now that you mention it, it definitely seems like..." It possessed an extremely paleplexion, and looked like an expressionless olddy; the ones stuck to the tree didnt seem to be in healthy condition. [Lv5 Corrupted Dryad (Elite)] [Lv5 Acid Great Tree] "Ah, as I thought." Lee Shin Woo, who could ascertain their identities, was naturally given information pertaining to them as well. Dryads, or spirits who live in the trees! If dryads were to be undead, thats exactly what he thought theyd look like. "Did they be like that because the dryadstched onto the trees, which shouldve withered and died, and supplied them with mana?" "If thats the case... Thats kind of sad." As a result of their efforts to save the trees, the Dryads and the trees both became ghastly. Though Jin sported a bitter expression, Lee Shin Woo patted his back andforted him. "But because of that, we can kill both the dryads and the trees. Thats all karma." "..." There were a ridiculous amount of trees within the forest, whereas there werent that many Corrupted Dryads managing the trees. That meant that the dryads were skilled enough to transform all the trees in the forest into level 5 monsters, despite being low in number! "If theyre that skilled, then well get a better reward topensate. Plus, they seem like a rare species." "Your cruel way of thinking has made my budding tears wither and die." "Good. Lets cry after we send them all off!" "Seriously, what color is your blood!?" [1] Lee Shin Woo activated the Assimtion skill prior to entering the forest, and shared his Acid Resistance to the best of his ability, like what hed done when he had first fought Kratia. Back then, hed only had a connection with Jin through Horseback riding, but now that his Assimtion skill had developed significantly, he was able topletely share his level 9 Low Rank Acid Resistance with Jin. "The effectiveness of your own Acid Resistance should go up as it levels." "Youre not nning on quickly breaking through, right?" "Yeah. Im going to cut them down one by one. Just think of the acid as a mist sauna." There probably werent a lot of people who could call immersing their body into acid the same as a mist sauna. Jin sighed and took a step forward towards the forest. Lee Shin Woo performed a final inspection of his gear before they entered the forest. He obviously wore the Acid Bone Full Armor, as there really wasnt any other option. This full armor, which covered his entire body, increased the effectiveness of his acid type abilities by 40%, so it would naturally increase the effectiveness of his Acid Resistance. Therefore, he could say that he was all set. And my weapon will be the Melting Bone Double Axe. The Melting Bone Double Axe likewise had an option that increased the effectiveness of his acid type abilities by 20%. Even though Lee Shin Woo knew that the acid mist within this forest was more powerful than the Acid Ghouls, the reason he entered without any hesitation was because this was a ce where he would be able to improve his Acid Resistance. "If I use some other tricks, I can reduce the acid damage even further, but Ill make that call after seeing their acid attacks." "Yeah, youre so amazing." They werent low leveled enemies, and each and every tree was level 5, yet Lee Shin Woo didnt think of them as anything more than a training center for his skills! Even as he asked whether they could really go on like this, he continued to run forward, finding no other alternative. The moment they entered the forest, a Corrupted Dryad that seemed to act as the chief gatekeeper and wastched onto a giant tree noticed them! [Ggyaaaaaaaaaahk!] "Ugh!? Its not even a banshee!" Lee Shin Woos goblin fire contorted at the sudden sound wave attack. This was no joke; someone with eardrums wouldve sustained considerable damage from the attack! "These senile old bags, how dare they try to teach me a lesson in screaming..." Lee Shin Woo grit his teeth, thinking about what method he would use tond the first strike, but soon changed his mind. Hede here not to grow as a Joker, but to develop his Acid Resistance and Regeneration skills. "Shin Woo, theyreing!" "Yeah. I see them too!" The Dryads scream was the signal; all the trees began spewing out their Acid Poison all at once. It wasnt a simple Acid Poison, as it seemed as though there was a suspiciouspound mixed in. Fortunately, it seemed it didnt really have much of an effect on Lee Shin Woo and Jin as they were undead. [You are being affected by a high ranked Acid Poison that has spread throughout the entire area. Reducing the damage of Acid Poison by at least 70%!] Of course, that wasnt the end. After spewing the poison mist, the trees extended their branches towards Lee Shin Woo, as if they had be living organisms. The branches stretched like rubber bands, and were swung at them like whips! "Heup!" However, Lee Shin Woo was already well aware of how they would attack through the skeletons memories, and skillfully swung his axe, cutting bundles of branches that came flying towards him. The tree branches possess a powerful Acid Poison as well, so when they made contact with a weapon, theyre supposed to corrode them. However, the Melting Bone Double Axes element was acid, so its de remained intact despite cleaving through dozens of branches. "Ugh. The poisons getting worse...!" "Concentrate on our connection!" "I got... it!" In the process of cutting through the branches, the Acid Poison liquefied once more and spewed out; the cut branches more violently spewed out a higher volume of acid. In terms of level, the Acid Poison was perhaps at a high intermediate level, and dozens or even hundreds of trees stacked that horrific Acid Poison, causing the effect to be even more violent than before! If it was like this from the start, he couldnt imagine what itd be like when they got deep into the forest. "Shin Woo!" "Yeah, I know. Its ok." Jin wasnt the only one suffering. Even his reinforced resistance couldntpletely block the poison, as it started to slowly melt away his armor. Lee Shin Woo calmly cleaved through the branches thaty beyond the poison, and inspected the condition of his armor. He carefully ced his hand atop the armor and muttered. "Regeneration." Regeneration. It was an ability that restored his body. However, like Lee Shin Woo had roughly expected, it activated properly and regenerated the melted armor. At that moment, his Regeneration skill, which he hadnt had an opportunity to use in such a long time, leveled up. [The Low Rank Regeneration skill has be Lv8. Health and Magic have increased by 2. Regeneration speed increases.] Good. As I thought, it does work. Normally, Regeneration could only be applied to the body. Thats why he had de-equipped all of his gear when he had trained his Acid Resistance and Regeneration with the slimes. Thats right. Previously, his Regeneration skill could only be used on his body. No, to be more exact, thats how it was even to this day. There was only one thing that changed: the identity of his equipment. I was sure after seeing that Rule of Bone applies to the equipment formed through Bone Armory... The equipment summoned through the stored information of Bone Armory are all considered my body. If his equipment were treated as his body, there wouldnt be any reason for his Regeneration skill to not to work on his equipment too, would there? Lee Shin Woo had thought so, and in reality, he had been right on the money. As a result, Lee Shin Woo wore his full set of armor and started training. Jin saw that moment of fraudulent healing, and screamed, his goblin fire quivering, even in the midst of enduring the Acid Poison. "Thats unfair!" "You have Steel Body which protects your entire body." "Eek..." As they were affected by the Acid Poison, their respective resistances grew, and at the same time, Lee Shin Woos Regeneration skill (Steel Heart for Jin) was trained as well. Since the skills ultimately used mana, his Mana Bone skill was trained as well. This training method was like killing three birds with one stone. [Ggiaaaaaaaaahk!] "Shut... up!" At the Dryads excitedmand, the branches flew towards them as one; Lee Shin Woo cleaved through the branches before they reached them, and in the spur of the moment, decided to train his defense zone as well. It was no longer killing three birds with one stone, but four. Lee Shin Woo hectically swung his axe with both hands, clearing away the branches, and inwardly nodded his head in approval. This ce, with branches flying in every direction, was perfect for training his defense zone with Bursting Thunder applied to it. Its not perfect yet, but... this is good enough. Its much better than when I had to use my fists! Lee Shin Woo recollected his past training, even though it hadnt been a few months since, and suddenly felt a sense of longing. Level 5 seemed so far away back then, yet hed already reached it. Things had be a lot betterpared to back then! Above all, what he was most prideful of was the fact that he hadnt died even once since then. "Heup!" [Gguaaaaaaaaahk!] [Ggiiiiiiik!] He cleaved through the tree branches that flew from various angles, and proceeded 1 cm forward every minute for a while. As if answering the old dryads screams, Lee Shin Woo forcefully struck with his axe and finally seeded in toppling one of the trees. Hed verified before, but they were indeed normal level 5 monsters; with Rebellion in effect (status +10%), as well as reinforcing his axe with Rule of Bone, the trees couldnt withstand a few blows and toppled to the floor. [Ggiaaaaaaaaaaaaahk!] As soon as he cut through the rotted tree, the nearby Dryads emitted a truly horrific scream. Though they had be hideous, they seemed to retain their love for trees. The old womens screams were of genuine sadness, and even Lee Shin Woo felt a stir in his heart. [You have acquired an Acid Tree Root. It is transformed through Bone Reinforcement. You have acquired a Melting Bone Root.] [You have acquired 17,560 Perium.] "Ugh. Ill purify you all so that you dont have to suffer any longer...!" "I saw you smiling, you asshole!" The skeleton who couldnt help but smile, Lee Shin Woo, was bombarded by countless tree branches and Acid Poison once more. Lee Shin Woos goblin fire zed as he swung his axe once again. It was time for the skeleton lumberjack to begin his felling operation in earnest. [1] T/N: I couldve just interpreted this as "are you really human!?", but it could also be a reference to the Japanese series, Hokuto no Ken. Its very simr to Reis line, "what color is your blood?" E/N: even though he has no blood... Chapter 20 part2 About three days after entering the forest of rotten trees that was under the Dryads control, Lee Shin Woo had be trapped deep into the forest without knowing where hed evene from (without looking at the minimap of course). "Its still like this despite cutting down every single tree that came our way..." "I want to just set this entire forest on fire." "No way. At least, not yet." [Kyaaaaaaaaaaahk!] The Dryads screamed with such great timing, as they were finished with their conversation. As if waiting for that signal, a group of Acid Trees sharp branches stretched towards them in all directions. Lee Shin Woo tightly gripped his axe with both hands and swung while on horseback; he cleaved the approaching branches, with the closest taking priority. "Hoo... Heup! Lightning Scatter!" It wasnt possible without maintaining his speed; no, he needed to be even faster than that! His defense zone had been incredibly clumsy at the beginning, but it was easy to see that hed fine tuned it now. To the point that he could feel what part of his body he needed to reinforce. [The Intermediate Bursting Thunder skill has be Lv4. Strength and Magic have increased by 10.] "Holy crap. It felt like this was going to happen, but Bursting Thunder did actually level up. I was training my Acid Resistance, but now Im just training my weapon skills." "What are you talking about? Youre training your Acid Resistance and Regeneration plenty." Honestly, Jin was right. For the past three days, Lee Shin Woo and Jin were affected by the Acid Poison spewed by the Great Trees without even a second of rest. Like they were enjoying a mist sauna! If someone else saw them, they mightve thought that the two werent in any sort of pain, but despite them being undead, they did feel pain; and the forests Acid Poison wasnt a tingling sensation, but it felt more like thick metal thorns violently piercing their bodies. It was the same now as well. "Kuuuuuu.... This doesnt hurt for you?" "It does hurt. But I knew this is what it would be like beforeing in." "Ah, seriously." Though Jin had a strong urge to just escape the forest by himself, he managed to endure with a peculiar athletes spite that, Lee Shin Woo is enduring just fine, so I cantin. Of course, the results of that were clear. Lee Shin Woos Acid Resistance became intermediate level 2, while Jins became low rank level 7. Even his Regeneration skill, which was quite difficult to level up had already gone up to low rank level 9. This guy couldnt have been just some ordinary guy on his homeworld. Jin suddenly recollected the pain hed endured over the past three days, but when he saw Lee Shin Woo calmly swing his axe from atop him, he grit his teeth. Even if he considered the fact that Lee Shin Woo was undead, and possessed a skill that protected against mental ailments, no ordinary sryman would be able to endure that kind of horrific pain! At least, thats how it was in Jins original world. I wonder what Shin Woo did in his original world? Was he like me? Damn it, were partners, yet theres too much we dont know about each other. No, am I just too concerned about the past when itspletely useless here? "Jin, one step to the left... Jin?" "Yeah, I know." "Nice... Heup!" [Kyaaaahk!] Even while inwardly gritting his teeth, Jin moved his body at the optimum time, assisting Lee Shin Woos own movement. It was like they were moving as one. Thats right. Lee Shin Woo and Jins connection (Assimtion) was developing by the day. [The Intermediate Assimtion skill has be Lv3. Agility and Magic have increased by 5. You can now match your breath with your target. You can guess what the other is thinking without even saying it.] Because his Assimtion skill had risen from level 2 to 3, Lee Shin Woos own Acid Resistance was almost fully applied to Jin, and Lee Shin Woo seeded in sharing Jins dynamic visual acuity, as well as the reflexes that came from his agility. "Heup!" [You have acquired 17,220 Perium.] [You have acquired two Melting Bone Roots.] From the start, the reason he wanted to train his defense zone was because he wanted to maximize the effectiveness of those sluggish movements; as a result of his struggles... The range at which he could perceive attacks through his dynamic visual acuity became wider, and because his reflexes likewise improved, he was able to stop attacks with his concise body movements. His defense zone had improved significantly, to the point that even a senior knight would click his tongue at the change. "As I thought, it was a good idea to pick this spot." "Are all the other heroes like this? They go to strange ces to train?" "Uh... maybe?" He didnt know about fighting against an entire undead corps, but he thought that the other heroes would definitely like this ce, as it offered invaluable training (Acid Resistance, Regeneration, mana, weapon techniques) and wasnt particrly that difficult if one possessed Acid Resistance (thats what he thinks). Therefore, he did feel like telling the other heroes about it, but... "Its pointless telling the others about this ce since this ce will be gone by the time we leave..." "You say such scary things in such a nonchnt way." [Ggiiiiiiiiiiiiik!] "Hmm, maybe I should train my fire element as well." "In the end, youre going with what I suggested. Youre going to burn the forest, huh..." Lee Shin Woo uninterestingly swung his axe and, as they passed by a tree that a Dryad had inhabited, Jin muttered in amazement. Lee Shin Woo didnt hate the other heroes, but he fundamentally thought of himself first! [You have acquired 16,800 Perium.] [You have acquired a Melting Bone Root.] In the beginning, he swung his axe several times just to get past them, but now, the trees always died in one hit. Though he had indeed figured out the way to kill them, the fact that he killed them in a single blow meant each and every strike was a critical hit. Lee Shin Woo thought it would be strange if someone couldntnd a critical hit, despite the fact that their enemies couldnt move as their roots were embedded into the ground. However, the difficulty in cutting through a gigantic tree when there were hundreds of branchesing his way in all directions was beyond imagination. Ive somewhat grasped the basics of the defense zone. Now I have to more proactively use it... Fine, I can do it. Lets try it. He had honestly only intended to train his Acid Resistance in the beginning, yet it had now be a time to train hisbat fundamentals. It was worth doing, and was quite the satisfying situation! Lee Shin Woo inwardlyughed satisfyingly. Jin, who seemed to have read him like a book, desperately yelled. He needed to desperately absorb the surrounding mana so that he could maintain Steel Heart! "You idiot! The poison mist is still pervading our bodies! Were still training our Acid Resistance!" Two days more passed, and his Acid Resistance had leveled up once more. At the same time, another skill leveled up as well. [The Intermediate Acid Resistance skill has be Lv4. Magic has increased by 10. Your understanding of acid deepens, and have acquired proficiency in acid type skills.] [Intermediate Acid has be Lv5. Magic has increased by 10. The acids density control has increased.] Hed thought that this might happen, but his Acid element had leveled up following his Acid Resistance! Though Lee Shin Woo was happy about the level up, he couldnt wait to acquire Fire Resistance or Lightning Resistance. While his elements wouldnt hurt their master, would he have to make it so they could to obtain those resistances? If Jin heard about this, he would say that hes a crazy bastard! "You crazy bastard!" Even though he couldnt read his mind, Jin condemned him anyway. Of course, there was a different, valid reason for that condemnation. "Why are you taking off a piece of your armor?" "Well, since my resistance leveled up too fast, their poison isnt really working on my anymore... so I took off a piece of armor. See, my bone is melting. Now this is how you level up a skill." "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!" He was normally calm andposed and even had some cool parts to him, but why did he be so crazy over skill training!? However, what pissed Jin off the most was that when one gets familiar with that stupid behavior, they realize that he can only make those calls because hes taking into consideration the most effective way to train! [The Low Rank Regeneration skill has be Lv10 and has evolved into the intermediate level. Severe injuries and status ailments can be restored. Health and Magic have increased by 10.] As expected, maintaining a harsh training environment resulted in his Regeneration skill going up to the intermediate level in about another day! Now, aside from the Twin Horn Charge that hed gained recently, as well as the low rank level 8 Fire element, all of his skills had grown to the intermediate level! "Ah, my Steel Heart went up to the intermediate level too..." "See? It was effective training." "Yeah, youre right..." Jin replied while desperately gritting his teeth. Then, Lee Shin Woo discovered something, stopped his hand which had been swinging the axe, and spoke. "More importantly, look over there." "...Huh?" Jin raised his head at Lee Shin Woos call. There was a Dryad that had fallen ande out of the tree that Lee Shin Woo had just felled that flew deeper into the forest. "Man, theyre helplessly running away again. Youre really not killing them?" "Youre supposed to save the best dish forst. And..." Whenever the Dryads saw Lee Shin Woo, they would scream andmand the trees to attack him, but they didnt dare show up in front of Lee Shin Woo. And when hed destroyed all the trees in the vicinity, they seemed to retreat into the deep depths of the forest. Of course, Lee Shin Woo had a method of stopping their retreat, but he didnt do so. Thats because the Dryads who retreated deeper into the forest were acting as signposts for him. "Signposts?" "Yeah. The answers there when you think about why the Dryads are protecting this dead forest and attacking trespassers." "Isnt it instinctual? Theyve bepletely corrupted, and their sense of self seems faint." "No. Though their consciousness has be weak, theyre still spirits. Moreover, why would they so desperately attack trespassers, and when they fail in defending it, why do they lose that hostile attitude of theirs and escape deeper into the forest... That means." "That means?" It definitely meant that there was something they wanted to protect deep within the forest. That meant that they had something they wanted to protect, despite being corrupted! Lee Shin Woo was absolutely sure. Hearing that, Jin was in awe and muttered. "Wow, youre such an asshole." "Why? I was just making a rational inference." "Youre letting them escape so they lead you to that valuable thing of theirs." "You noticed that? Youve really grown..." He was right. Of course, his primary goal was to train, but if he could, why not kill two birds with one stone?! Since the Dryads were so desperately trying to protect it, that meant that it was definitely not something ordinary. "Maybe it was their intention to allow this rotten forest to spread. The undead corps tried to pass through here, yet they had to make a detour, remember?" "Yeah. Im sure they didnt imagine that a demented bastard would call this ce a training area and willingly enter it..." Its much easier to run away than personally face something dirty. That was the same for heroes and undead. But what others considered dirty, Lee Shin Woo considered worth exploring. "In our country, theres a saying that heaven assists those who can help themselves..." "Theres a saying like that in our country too; it also says that heaven will protect those who are honest." "I dont believe in God!" "You liar!" Would heaven aid Lee Shin Woo, or would it abandon him? Lee Shin Woo, whod just decided be an atheist, didnt really concern himself with whether it would or wouldnt, and quickly urged to follow behind the Corrupted Dryads. Jin stretched his legs, sighed, and began running after them. Chapter 20 part3 Ten days had already passed since hed entered the forest protected by the Corrupted Dryads. Lee Shin Woo had managed to increase his Acid Resistance and Acid element by one more level, and became more adept at incorporating lightning into his weapon; it felt as though Bursting Thunder would level up soon. However, he thought about something else whilst felling trees and diligently training his skills. He was thinking about what the Dryads were protecting! "Isnt a world tree most likely?" "Then shouldnt undead elves havee out rather than Corrupted Dryads?" "It would be nice if it were a world tree..." A rotten world tree; what a cool name! It felt like he would be subject to all the worlds misfortunes if he broke off a branch and held onto it. Plus, he could make a great weapon out of it! "Enough with your delusions. Swing your axe already." "I am swinging it." Lee Shin Woos swung axe carried lightnings powerful cutting power. Before the trees seeded in perforating him with their outstretched branches, Lee Shin Woo cut right through them! They roared as he axed through them all at once. Following an inspection, he sighed in satisfaction. [You have acquired 21,050 Perium.] [You have acquired 2 Melting Bone Roots.] The deeper they went into the forest, the stronger the Acid Great Trees were. There was a huge difference between a level 5 close to 1,600 in stats, and a level 5 close to 3,200 in stats. The fact that they left behind more Perium was proof that they were stronger than the ones from before. However, Lee Shin Woo continued to kill the Acid Great Trees in a single blow, regardless of the fact that they were gradually getting stronger. His attacks were gradually bing stronger as well! "Hoo... Heup! Hap!" [Ggiaaaaaaaaaaaahk!] Though hed made great strides in Bursting Thunder and the defense zone sinceing here, hed learned how to strike at ones weak spot the most; in other words, critical hits. Critical Hit was a skill at first and was absorbed by Bursting Thunder. However, just thoughtlessly swinging my weapon around wont improve the skill. I have look into it and develop it myself. Bursting Thunder is a skill thatbines all closebat skills and is a top rankedbat technique, but its also incredibly difficult to level up precisely because its a top ranked skill. Furthermore, leveling up the skill didnt mean that he would be proficient in every skill contained within it. The world wouldnt give him anything cheap. In order to master this supreme skill, Lee Shin Woo would have to put in the effort in various fields. Among those various fields, he felt like his current critical hit training was a key factor in mastering Bursting Thunder, which allowed him to attack quickly and explode forcefully. [You have acquired 22,510 Perium.] [You have acquired a Melting Bone Root.] "Hoo, heup." He didnt have the chance to regain his breath, even if he toppled a tree. Suddenly, other tree branches came at him from all directions. The deeper Lee Shin Woo got by following the Dryads, the more desperately the trees tried to stop him, and at some point, roots began bursting from the once unscathed ground. Of course, it was Jins job to deal with those. "Theyre cutting through my armor!" "Calm down, and cut the ones closest to you first." "Easy for you to say!" "Hoo... more and more of them keeping." There were hundreds of them attacking from above, below, and the sides; fighting off the tree branches and the roots made Lee Shin Woo think of someics and films hed seen on Earth. It wouldve been a nice scene if the branches were attempting to tie up an elf, rather than a skeleton horse and a skeleton, but... reality is cruel. "Damn it, their movements are disgusting...!" "Thats why I told you to cut them before they tie you up. You have to protect your body too." "Ill break my back trying to match you...!" It took only about two days for Jin to get adjusted to the protruding tree roots, and consequently Lee Shin Woo had to endure atop Jins back, as if he were in a rodeo. However, Lee Shin Woo shared Jins dynamic visual acuity and reflexes that came from his high agility, while Jin shared Lee Shin Woos calm and keen movements, as well as his situational awareness. He didnt do so often, but when he was in a desperate situation, Jin would use all of Lee Shin Woos ability to his advantage to survive. And the result of that was clear. [Critical Hit!] "Hoo, we got out." "Heup!" Jin was able to cut through the roots and Lee Shin Woo cut down the weakened trees one by one, toppling three trees in session. Then, he finally managed to take a breath. Because they had cut down all of the trees nearby, they had temporary created a safe zone where they wouldnt be attacked. [Ggyaaaaaaaaahk!] Hed heard that scream so often that it sounded sweet to him now; he followed the Dryads scream and turned his attention to the source, and was close enough now that he could see the Dryad flying away. When he confirmed that he was indeed close, Lee Shin Woos goblin fire rotated round and round. "It looks like the Dryads are gathered in one ce... We might be able to see something interesting if we y our cards right." "Like a level 6 elite?" "Ha!" [1] Lee Shin Woo began thinking about whether he had revealed to much of his intentions to Jin, but it was toote to start thinking about that. He smiled awkwardly and marked their corresponding location on his minimap. Then he turned his body around. It was in the opposite direction that hed seen the Dryads go in. "What?" "Id love to go over there right now, but were not done training." "..." Lee Shin Woos Acid Resistance still wasnt at a level where it would prevent all of the trees Acid Poison mist damage! He had no ns of going to the center of the forest until he reached his goal. "Moreover, if you consider the fact that their Acid Poison bes stronger the deeper you go, the boss fight at this end of this will..." "Wont it have a high rank Acid Poison...?" "Maybe." "Ugggggggh." Jin, who was already imagining that moment, silently screamed. This was much too harsh an environment for Jin, who had just reached Intermediate Acid Resistance. "Thats why we should keep training. We cant let the sacrifices of the Dryads and this forest go to waste!" "I dont think anyone thinks theyre sacrificing themselves for you..." Lee Shin Woo crisply ignored Jins muttering. His Acid Resistance was still only intermediate level 5. He didnt have any time to waste if he wanted to train his Acid Resistance to the point that hed take no damage from acid! [The Intermediate Assimtion skill has be Lv4. Agility and Magic have increased by 5. Sensing the range of assimtion gradually increasing.] Two weeks had passed since theyd entered the forest. Now Lee Shin Woo could endure the Acid Poison with only a helmet on. The Acid Skull Full Helm possessed an option that increased the effectiveness of acid rted skills by 20%, but that alone wouldnt be able to effectively protect Lee Shin Woos body from acid, and Lee Shin Woos body was still melting. But because of that, that allowed him to train his Acid Resistance and Regeneration skills, so there was nothing better. [The Intermediate Regeneration skill has be Lv2. Health and Magic have increased by 5. Regeneration speed increases.] "Good, good. Its going smoothly. Rather, it feels like I still have some mana left over. I feel like I can melt a bit more..." "I want to learn that Regeneration skill too..." "If we meet a Rural Rat Queenter, lets have a talk with her then." Lee Shin Woo said, as he rubbed bone powder on the half dead Jin. As he thought, that dungeon was an unusual and difficult dungeon. Hed found a few other rat dungeons after that, but he hadnt been able to find any other queens. "It seems like were still far off from going to the center since you still sound like youre dying." "Are you nning on training all of your resistances like this from now on?" "Uh... If I can...?" This was more efficient whenpared to randomly hunting monsters and undead. In the process of training a variety of skills, not only do his stats increase, but his fundamentals improve as well. Lee Shin Woo wasnt a sick bastard who derived pleasure from the training itself, but he was the type that could endure the pain of training for the results. "But using the defense zone is too easy now. Im confident that theyll never break through my defense." "Then should we go further in now?" "We cant, since our resistance training isnt finished yet. ...Fine, I guess I have no choice but to use this method." Whenever Lee Shin Woo was about to try something new, Jin wouldnt be able to hide his unease. What the hell was he attempting this time? How would it affect him? Jin was concerned and couldnt put up with it. Suddenly, the Melting Bone Double Axe appeared in the air. It was different from the one Lee Shin Woo wielded. That meant it was created through Bone Armory. "You...?" "Im training Rule of Bone. It takes a lot of concentration to control the flying axe, so itll be harder to use the defense zone." "..." "In my home country, theres a saying that goes the hardships of youth are invaluable." "In my country, they say that hardship leads to sess... No, lets stop." As expected, Lee Shin Woo made the right call. It was no joke controlling the axe midair with Rule of Bone while maintaining the defense zone with the other axe. He almost died a few times, but Lee Shin Woo didnt give up on controlling the axe. Ultimately, three more days passed. Now he could maintain his defense zone with the axe in his hands whilst controlling the axe in the air; which cleaved through the trees and branches from afar. Then, Lee Shin Woo summoned another axe and controlled both at once while maintaining his defense zone! "Ah, it bes so much easier when I use two axes to slice through the nearby trees. I should send these guys a bit farther." "You dumbass!" Jin screamed. It was business as normal, so Lee Shin Woo didnt pay attention to him. Soon, the Rule of Bone skill leveled up and further increased his control. Though that just made Lee Shin Woo attempt to do things that were even more difficult... [The Bone Armory skill has be Lv5, and you can now maintain five pieces of equipment at one time. Health and Magic have increased by 5.] Time passed like that for a bit longer, and his Bone Armory skill finally leveled up. Because of his proficiency in the skill, he couldnt even imagine not being able to equip armor! However, the moment Lee Shin Woo cheered at the skill level up, something else unexpected came with it. [Your magic stat has surpassed 1,000! You have acquired the title, One Loved by Mana. Magic has increased by 10. Your body is reborn more magic friendly than before. There is highpatibility with your species, so Magic has further increased by 10.] "Huh...?" Lee Shin Woo muttered as he felt a slight change in his body that apanied the message. His magic stat had already surpassed 1,000; that in itself was surprising. But he could understand that, since most of his skills had a close connection with magic. However, he suddenly gained a title and his body had undergone a change, so he didnt take this lightly. The chatting channel... I dont want to cause another uproar, so Ill have to ask Kratia about thister. When Kratia gained the private chat function, she would message him first, so he decided that hed ask her then. Lee Shin Woo nodded his head and continued hunting. He didnt see any signs of his training ending any time soon. [1] T/N: This is more like a gasp, but English doesnt really have a good onomatopoeia for this. Chapter 20 part4 [Intermediate Acid Resistance has be Lv8. Magic has increased by 5. You no longer fear acid.] [Intermediate Acid has be Lv8. Magic has increased by 5. You are now confident that you can melt all metal and bone.] [The Intermediate Bursting Thunder skill has be Lv6. Strength and Magic have increased by 5. You should be able to cleave through lightning that descends from the sky.] [The Intermediate Mana Bone skill has be Lv6. Magic has increased by 20.] [The Rule of Bone skill has be Lv7. You have be more adept at reinforcing and handling bone with just your will.] A month and a half had passed since hede to the forest of the Dryads, training his Acid Resistance, Regeneration, Bursting Thunder, defense zone, Assimtion, Mana Bone, Rule of Bone, and Bone Armory; though hed originallye to just train his Acid Resistance. Then, Kratia finally contacted him. "So... it only happens the first time?" [Yeah. You get that title for the first stat that reaches 1,000.] Kratias voice was so cold, even through the chatting channel, that Lee Shin Woo could imagine her expression. Lee Shin Woo really liked her calm and restrained voice. Especially because he knew what would cause that cool-headedness to break. [Its kind of like how level 5 determines what path youre going to take. You be specialized in one stat, and in order to be more familiar with it, the stat develops even further. Of course, my stats magic since Im a magician, but I heard that others specialize in a different stat.] Lee Shin Woo wasnt a magician, so he ended up bing a bit uneasy. "So it only happens the first time, huh... It makes me feel a bit uneasy." [If you just consider yourbat abilities, you might think that your other stats shouldve grown first, but when you think about it, all of those abilities are connected to magic, so I think the oue was inevitable.] "Tch, thats true." [Your bones are magic anyway, so it turned out well.] She was right. Around that time, Lee Shin Woo decided to ept it. Then, Kratia changed the topic. Her voice became slightly sharp. [So did you find anything good in the ce you kept a secret from me?] "Haha, what are you talking about? There are no secrets between us." [...You seem to have gotten a lot out of it.] He felt like Kratia was trembling, andughed merrily as he imagined that, but Jin pressed him all of a sudden. "Left!" "I know, its fine. I see everything." [Ggiaaaaaaaaahk!] Obviously, Lee Shin Woo was in the midst of battle. Lee Shin Woo hadnt stopped fighting even once in thest 45 days. Even though it was possible for him, as he was a skeleton, the mental strain was indescribable; nevertheless, he endured. Though, it was one of the main factors that elerated his growth. Of course it was the same for Jin as well. [But its fine. Since I found something interesting as well.] He was still talking with Kratia. Lee Shin Woo perversely thought that chatting with someone whilst fighting would help train his concentration, and listened carefully to what she had to say. "Oh? And whats that?" [Its a secret... is what Id like to say, but Ill tell you. Since Im different from you. Im an adult.] "Yeah, yeah. Youre so mature." Lee Shin Woo swung his axe, and shattered the clumped up branches that spun like a drill. Beyond that, the airborne axes flew to the trees main body and toppled it. Aside from that, the other Acid Great Trees in various areas were being ambushed by the other axes within the air. Hed summoned one or two axes initially in order to train his defense zone, and at some point, that number had increased to 4. In other words, Lee Shin Woo waspletely naked... or a nude skeleton. [1] [Ive found traces of one of the 12 generals too.] "Really? If its this easy to figure out, then our other seniors must know about it already." [Probably.] They hadnt yet realized that they were the greatest of the heroes that hade to this Underground Empire. [I killed some undead who were formerly royal magicians, and luckily managed tobine their mana into a single magical form. One of the artifacts that they had responded to that, and released information.] Of course, the information contained within wasnt very important. If the Empire still existed, then it wouldve been considered a third ss secret; it was report data on the n to expand the training facility for magicians who defended the capital. The problem was the one who prepared that data. [Head of the royal magicians, Feotane. He mentioned himself that he was one of the 12 generals, so hes definitely one of them.] "Head of the royal magicians..." Lee Shin Woo nodded his head naturally. Not all of the 12 generals would swing a sword or spear on the frontlines andmand their troops on the battlefield. It was a fantasy world, so it made sense that a magician was a general. "You just figured out the name? Nothing else?" [I learned a bit about theirmunication system and codes. All thats left is to inspect the training facility recorded in this report. Im going to go over there right now.] "Alright. Dont die." [Its connected to a magician, so I might ask for your help soon.] "Im not a magician..." [Hoo... Rx. You may not consider yourself a magician, but someone else does.] "I feel like Ive heard something like that before." By the time Lee Shin Woo finished his conversation with Kratia and raised his head, the area waspletely cleared of trees. Lee Shin Woo sighed after retrieving the Melting Bone Double Axes that were violently spinning in the air. "Their juniors are trying so hard, so would it kill our seniors to at least kill one of the 12 generals?" "Youre probably hoping that they sell that bone to the secret shop." "Exactly. The effect of a level 7 bone is tremendous, so what would a level 8 bone be like?" "I dont think any of the 12 generals are going down until we hit level 8..." Honestly, Lee Shin Woo thought the same. Their seniors may be heroes, but they were also humans with only one life, so there was probably no helping it... He sighed again and spoke. "Lets just do what we can." "Are we finally doing it?" "Yeah. When I hit intermediate level 8, it didnt seem like my Acid Resistance would level up no matter what I did, so it cant be helped." Lee Shin Woo said stiffly. All that was behind them was a vast in. For a month and half, which seemed both short and long, they started from the outskirts of the forest andpletely cleared out all the other areas except for the center of the forest where the Dryads ran off to. When killed, the trees would turn into mana and vanish, leaving only their loot behind, which was characteristic of this world; there were no traces remaining that indicated that this was a forest, and if one were to walk past this area, they would be oblivious to the fact that there was originally a forest here. "Its time to open the box of choctes. [2]" "Thats from Forrest Gump! You really were from my world, werent you?" How was this possible? Jin didnt react when he referenced animation, but as he thought, movies were a no-go! However, Lee Shin Woo acted two-faced, even in a situation like this. "Maybe. The name of the book I read was different." "A book...?" As expected, he was able to fool him with a simple lie! Lee Shin Woo acted as though he didnt see Jins puzzled expression, and activated Bone Armory. Then, his body waspletely equipped with a helmet, upper body armor, and lower body armor. He unsummoned one of his axes, but he still retained three other axes, excluding his own. "...But will it really be ok?" "Yeah. By reducing the number to three, my controls gotten a lot better." "Youre such a scary bastard..." Lee Shin Woo had started training his Rule of Bone skill in order to perfect his defense zone, and had be even more powerful than before as a result. To sum it up, awareness and control. If he was able to control his equipment with Rule of Bone, then he would be able to use them to attack his enemies, even in the midst of an intense battle. Moreover, if there was only one target to attack, he could control them as one, making it twice as easy to control them. "I leveled up my resistance as much as I could, but I dont know how high of a level the enemy is. So you have to concentrate on our connection as much as possible." "Youre the one who let all the Dryads go." "Haha, thats all in the past." The final Dryad had fled just a few minutes ago, but Jin couldnt retort. "There shouldnt be any more Dryads left in this forest." "Yeah. If we exclude that area, that is." The deeper Lee Shin Woo followed the Dryads into the forest, the drearier and more frightening the energy became. At the end of it, the area was explicitly ck, iparable to the other areas of the forest. It seemed as though the essence of the forest was gathering in one spot, like a slime being burnt to a crisp and leaving behind only its core. "If the other areas were a level 2 danger zone, then that area seems like a level 3 or 4 danger zone..." "Were level 5, so its ok. Its not as scary as it looks." "Can you stop trying to calm me down like Im a kid..." They carefully began to move. With every step, they became more in sync, and their assimtion rate became even higher than before. Their respective Acid Resistancesbined and became one, increasing their effectiveness. They shared their stats, senses, and the advantageous parts of skills. They were changed. Now that itd been about two months since hed learned the Assimtion skill, they didnt sleep as they were undead, and would maintain the skill in most situations; therefore, they were inplete sync. [Donte...] "Ah, what a typical starting line for a boss fight...!" [Youll get hurt...] "Doesnt it sound like their voices are ovepping?" "As I thought, it looks like theyre fused together." Hed let not one, not ten, but more than a hundred level 5 Dryads go. How monstrous would they be if they were tobine all their strength together into one body?! "Shin Woo, the outer trees are..." "I see them." Though the trees would attack with their branches or their roots, they would never move on their own ord. However, they were uprooting themselves right now and going deeper into the forest! "No, theyre not moving of their own ord." Lee Shin Woo denied in the next moment. To him, it looked like the mana the Dryads spewed out was controlling and moving the trees. Lee Shin Woo trembled. He realized that they were responding most splendidly to his decision to let them go. "Most people would copse, saying that theyre screwed..." "Jin, I said that they were level 5 before, right?" "Yeah." Though Jin didnt want to keep moving forward, he had no choice; Jin walked forward with a tearful face and replied. Lee Shin Woo (inwardly) smiled in satisfaction and spoke. "That was a lie." "Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!" Jin screamed with such great timing. The trees all around them uprooted themselves and walked towards the center of the forest. After that, a huge living being stood up from within.. No, it was because the trees had exposed it. [Lv6 Corrupted Tree Golem (Elite)] [You have encountered a fused monster. This gatekeeper was created through the umtion of countless Corrupted Dryads wills, as well as the mana from the remaining withered trees! The Empires curse will weaken if you destroy it!] Though they had prepared for it, arge scale, nonstandard boss fight had begun. [1] E/N: In case you forgot (like I did), Bone Armory only allows him to summon 5 pieces of armor or weapons at the moment (4 flying axes and the Melting Bone Double Axe). [2] T/N: I believe this quote is loosely referring to the "life was like a box of choctes" quote from Forrest Gump, which means they dont know whatsing next. Chapter 20 part5 [You have encountered an enemy a higher level than you. Rebellion increases all stats by 10%! Because of your partner, your stats increase by an additional 5%. All effects are shared with your partner.] "Shin Woo, what did you do?" "Oh, its just a buff. Its a buff that lets us ovee the insurmountable wall before us." After Lee Shin Woo confirmed that his Rebellion skill had activated, he nodded his head with satisfaction, and raised his head. The cause of the buff... was the enormous boss monster that seemed like an agglomeration of the forest. [Lv6 Corrupted Tree Golem (Elite)] The Corrupted Tree Golem was entwined with countless trees, and the Dryads wills had entered in the spaces between, allowing for the creation of this fused monster! They gathered a simr type of karma into one spot, sublimating it into an even greater karma; though its appearance differed, the fundamental principle behind this fusion was simr to the slimes transformation, where they would fuse with other slimes and be reborn as a high ranked slime. [Donte...] [Ill kill you.] [Dont...] [Come!] Lee Shin Woo had experience hunting a level 6 elite, the Corps Commander Vitas. However, Vitas was a magician, as well as amander, and he had even been distracted by the magic cast by a level 6 hero. However, this foe was only aiming for them, was iparablyrger than Vitas, and possessed a special ability! [Ill kill you!] "Shin Woo, its poison...!" The golem, which was essentially one huge tree, shook its body, spewing out an overly deep concentration of ck poison mist that instantaneously covered the entire area. Lee Shin Wooforted Jin, who was watching with an uneasy expression, with a calm voice. "Our connection. Dont forget." "Hoo, heup...!" The mist covered an extensive area, so it was impossible to escape it. As a matter of fact, doing so would essentially be giving up on the fight. He no longer possessed the Avenger skill anymore, so he didnt need to run away ande back anymore. [You are being affected by High Rank Acid Poison Mist! Intermediate Acid Resistance is reducing the damage by about 50%!] It was as Lee Shin Woo had expected. The Tree Golem, which resulted from merging the energy of the forest into one being, could spew out High Rank Acid Poison! If he hadnt equipped armor specializing in acid, he and Jin wouldve been a handful of bone powder by now! "Mm. Surprisingly... I can take this much." Lee Shin Woo watched as the Acid Poison spewed by the enormous golem quickly began melting the surface of his armor. If he had activated Regeneration a bit slower, his ribs wouldve been melted away as well, but Regeneration and Acid Resistance worked well together, so he could endure. No, he could actually... "Please say it aint so. Please. Youre not doing what I think you are, right?" Jin knew exactly what Lee Shin Woo was going to do and spoke with a quivering voice. He was also enduring as Lee Shin Woo shared his Acid Resistance with him, but if he lost that Acid Resistance for even an instant, he figured that his leg would get melted away; so he was slightly afraid. Though Lee Shin Woo, who was maintaining his connection with Jin, could understand how he was feeling, he ultimately spoke like this. "Now that were here, why dont we level up our resistance to high rank before we go?" "Please no." "We need to analyze it to figure out how it attacks; our analysis might take a little bit longer, though." "Ah, I thought as much..." Maybe this was Lee Shin Woos intent from the start. The moment he could no longer properly train his resistance with the ordinary trees, he made up his mind to train his resistance through the boss monster! Jin realized that there was already no turning back, and when he resigned himself, Lee Shin Woo said something meaningless. "You have to start concentrating. We need to thoroughly analyze its techniques and attack patterns." "You mean while we endure all the Acid Poison, right?" "Exactly." He was saying that hed train his Acid Resistance while scouting out the boss. Even at this very moment, the Tree Golem stretched out its wooden arm and attacked; at the same time, it violently spewed out its High Rank Acid Poison! [You have being affected by High Rank Acid Poison Mist! The mana in the entire area is contaminated by acid!] "Heup." A high rank didnt just mean it was powerful; there was also the contamination of mana! At this level, the Acid Poison covered the entire area, contaminating the air, mana, and everything else! Even though Lee Shin Woo and Jin didnt need to breathe, as they were undead, they naturally absorbed mana, but by doing so, they would instead absorb acid into their bodies. "Damn it. Im not taking any damage because of my resistance, but when I filter all the acid out, I dont have much mana left...!" "I guess this is how an enemy possessing the ability to use a high rank element fights. Itpletely controls the area by changing it to its own element and prevents its enemy from moving; ultimately, its not much different from a game of Go." But even as he said this, Lee Shin Woo sported a smile. Comparing it to Go was only applicable when both yers pieces were different colors. Unfortunately, Lee Shin Woo possessed intermediate level 8 Acid Resistance! "Jin, tell me when youre running low on mana. Ill give you mana when you need it." "Are you ok!?" "Yeah, I have plenty of mana." He was indeed overflowing with mana. Lee Shin Woo had more mana now than when he started the battle. It didnt matter whether the surrounding mana had been contaminated by acid or not. He would draw in both acid and mana through his intermediate level 6 Mana Bone! You can change mana into acid, so it isnt very difficult to do the reverse. This situation... is actually in my favor. It mightve been different had it been High Rank Acid Poison, but he didnt sustain any damage from mana mixed with a lower concentration of acid, and was able to transform the acid into mana. It felt like his Acid Resistance, Acid element, as well as his mana were undergoing training right now. "Hooo... Nice, my manas rising." Lee Shin Woo felt his Acid Resistance and Acid element growing sharply and his jawbone rattled in satisfaction. Whenever the golem spewed out the mist, he felt like his Acid element grew slightly... it really wasnt so bad. "Moreover, I may not know what its protecting, but its not moving from its spot. It may not have been so easy if we had gone in and recklessly attacked, but it should be an easy win if all we have to do is dodge and defend." "Its not easy, you know? My bodys already melting away, so it feels like Im dying!" "Keep it up. Another branch ising!" "Ahhhhhhhhh!" As Lee Shin Woo said, the golem acted like it was desperately defending something, even though there was nothing remaining in the forest; it firmly remained in that spot, guarding it with its life, spewing acid and stretching out its branches. If it had started to move, Lee Shin Woo wouldnt have had any other choice but to respond more aggressively. However, he didnt need to evade or block its Acid Poison, and as long as he dodged its extending arms, he didnt really have anything to worry about. [Stop hurting the forest!] "Dont worry. Theres no forest to hurt anymore!" [Gguaaaaaaaaaahk!] Hundreds of thick tree branches shot out from the golems body and stretched like whips towards Lee Shin Woo and Jin. Each branch possessed a frightening amount of force, as it was a level 6 elite. [Critical hit!] However, before those branches could skewer them, a rotating Melting Bone Double Axe in the air swooped down and cut past the branches. Dozens of branches broke with a cracking sound, fell to the ground, and emitted Acid Poison before vanishing. [Kuaaaaahk!] "Its not over yet!" Then, two more axes swooped down and violently cut through the branches. The sight of the axes, reinforced by Rule of Bone, going into flight formation and cleaving through the branches was truly magnificent. Not a single branch coulde close to Lee Shin Woo or Jin. Thats right. Only Lee Shin Woo was able to protect himself with this expanded defense zone as the axes followed his will, the one who possessed Rule of Bone! He could cover a certain range with these axes and anything that came within that range would be destroyed! "You dumbass! You should be shooting those tentacles at someone else, not me!" [Kuaaaaaaaaaaaah!] As soon as he perfectly guarded against the attack, the infuriated golems branches burst forth, but Lee Shin Woo calmly controlled his axes and blocked them as well. It wouldve been a bit harder if it had attacked him from all sides, but because it consolidated its attack, it was even easier to guard against! [Die! Dieeeeeee!] "Tch... Heup!" Because it was a level 6 elite monster, there was quite a hefty weight behind each and every branch, but because he had prepared for this moment by training his Rule of Bone skill, Lee Shin Woo wasnt pushed back the whole time. If there was something he couldnt cut through with one axe, then two or three axes attacking simultaneously should do it! "Im a lot different from when I fought Vitas! To be precise, my stats have increased by about 1,200 since then!" [Donteeeeeeeeee!] Whenever a branch shot out, Lee Shin Woos axe would block it, so the golem started rampaging about. Because of that, the Acid Poison that it was spewing intensified as well. That was exactly what Lee Shin Woo was hoping for. "If I y my cards right, my skill should level up within a day." "Youre saying that I have to avoid this awful bastard for an entire day..." Jin had a hunch that what Lee Shin Woo was waiting for had finallye. Now he had no choice but to die. There were several moments until now where he felt like he would die, but this time, hed die 100%. He would just hang out with a level 6 elite monster for an entire day? It was finally his time to die. But at the very least, it was a relief that his Blessing of Deaths revival ability had increased to three as he had gone around and fought several high leveled enemies (in other words, enemies deeply affected by the curse) with Lee Shin Woo. "Its alright. We can do it. Its not much different from the rest of our fights in the forest... Uhmp." [Kyahaaahk!] Meanwhile, had the Tree Golem figured out Lee Shin Woos abilities? All of a sudden, the Tree Golems tree branches became tougher. To be exact, the branches entangled with other branches, taking the form of a twisted bread stick; it had begun shooting out the dried branches. He couldnt take care of those branches with just the axes he controlled from afar, so he had to move his body. "Shin Woo, wont ite at us with a huge attack at this rate?" "No, it shouldnt. This is probably the best it can do... Heup!" Well, as long as we dont get any closer that is. As they were barely out of range, the tree couldnt attack them personally by swinging its arms and legs. The golem would never attack them personally and just attacked them with its Acid Poison and by extending its branches. They would have to get closer to take down the main body, but Lee Shin Woo still needed to train his Acid Resistance, so there was no way hed do that. Right now he was worried that cutting the branches would weaken its poison! [Donte... Donteeeeeeeeeeeeee!] Even when it changed its tactics, Lee Shin Woo didnt die and the golem spread its acid as its temper red even more. The Dryads, which the golem had absorbed, shrieked with the voices of old women that struck Lee Shin Woo and Jin like a curse. However, Lee Shin Woo and Jin possessed the ability to ignore the curse, so they didnt cower in the least! "Man, what the hell are you even protecting? Youre really pissing me off...!" "I think I know what theyre protecting now." Lee Shin Woo swung his axe once more, cleared the branches, andughed. If what they were so desperately protecting couldnt be seen above ground, then there was only one answer there. "Theres a space under its feet." And the space under its feet was probably a dungeon. They went so far as to be corrupted to protect it... he really wanted to figure out what it was immediately, but was prudent. Right now, training his Acid Resistance took priority. [Dieeeeeeeeeeeeee!] The Tree Golem wailed. Lee Shin Woo tightly gripped the axe, and his goblin fire zed. The lengthy battle had just begun. Chapter 20 part6 [Lloyd H.K.: It was huge. Its mana was tremendous as well. I could feel how powerful it was, even though it was so far away.] [Prince Altania: Isnt it just a big creature? I think I could take it...] [Yasunori Akira: Why dont you go over there then? I wouldve gone myself if I was nearby. Oh well.] Itd truly been a long time since the other heroes had entered the chatting channel and they were excited in a different way. After Shino Rendu died, the channel had be stagnant, but because theyd discovered a new elite monster, they were all starting toe back. [Lee Shin Woo: Is the monster so powerful that even you (seniors) wouldnt dare face it?] Lee Shin Woo leisurely cut that powerful monsters outstretched branches, and spoke in the channel. Hed fought the Tree Golem for a few days now and had be bored, so he entered the chatting channel to increase the effectiveness of his training! [Erian Ruparte: We dont know. Since we havent gotten close and personally ascertained its level. However, if it truly was created in the Melting Forest, one of the renowned areas of the Empire...] [Ethan Cruz: Oh my god. Youre talking about that forest in the northwestern outskirts of the Empire, right? Once you enter, youre helpless as your gear starts to melt right away, and lets not talk about your body.] [Prince Altania: Heng, a forest? Then its simple. I just need to use my special fire magic from afar and burn it to a crisp!] Prince acted conceitedly and Erian snorted. [Erian Ruparte: Unfortunately for you, Sir Altania, I believe theres a strange energy protecting the forest. You would likely be unable to burn a single tree before youpletely remove that energy.] [Prince Altania: What? A stronger force can ovee a weaker force.] [Erian Ruparte: What Im saying is that itd be difficult for you, Sir Altania, as theres quite a bit of that energy there.] [Prince Altania: Ugh...] [Lee Shin Woo: What do you mean by a strange energy...?] She was definitely talking about the Dryads, but Lee Shin Woo feigned ignorance! It had the feeling of oh, theres a ce like that? I wouldnt even dare going there!, so Erian replied satisfyingly. [Erian Ruparte: I believe theyre corrupted spirits. They were called Dryads in my world. If theyre really Dryads, then... its truly miserable and depressing. Dryads treasure trees, and love anything that is alive...] "So what youre saying is..." [Kuaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!] At that moment, it seemed like the golem couldnt take any more of this slow paced battle, and wailed loudly. Thousands of tree branches rose into the air and fused into one! Thatpleted giant tree hammer fell upon them like an arrow. Jin was startled, moved his body, and evaded it. But then, the hammer impacted the ground with a kwang!; following that, the hammer transformed into an immense concentration of Acid Poison and thickly spread everywhere. That powerful acid, which looked like it would melt any type of equipment like Ethan Cruz had said, covered Lee Shin Woo and Jin simultaneously. [You are being affected by the High Rank Acid Hammer! Intermediate Acid Resistance reduces the damage by about 60%!] "Kuhek... I really want to stop doing this! I did enough... Shin Woo, we can stop now, right? Right?" "Bear with it a bit more, Jin. We cant stop now!" It was only for a instant, but Lee Shin Woos armor waspletely melted away, as well as half of his arms and legs. It was the same for Jin as well. Although he possessed intermediate level 9 resistance, he couldnt avoid taking a significant amount of damage from the poison; that was the golems power. "I cant, Ill die. Ill really die. See youter, Shin Woo..." "You wont die. Dont worry." And it went exactly as Lee Shin Woo said. His hastily activated Regeneration skill restored not only his own body, but Jins melting body as well. Of course, this was all due to his Assimtion skill, which had grown to intermediate level 5! [Erian Ruparte: That acid is much too powerful for us to endure, and will not only melt through metal, but our bodies as well. Even if you can use magic well, youd have to sacrifice both your skin and muscles to block it. You must not recklessly approach the forest.] [Yasunori Akira: Haha, it certainly is interesting, but you cant throw away your life just because youre curious.] While his seniorsughed with a haha or hoho, and forbade entrance to the Melting Forest, Lee Shin Woopletely healed his body. Jin, who was unable to finish this fight, sighed and asked Lee Shin Woo. "...What level is your Regeneration skill?" "Intermediate level 7." "It leveled up by 5 levels!" "Well, weve both been melted so many times..." Since he could absorb a portion of the acid as mana, he was overflowing with mana. He used all of that mana for Regeneration, and after repeatedly using it on himself and Jin, his skill grew quickly. Skills always grew quickly in extreme situations, and objectively assessing the situation the two were in would result in something like this: theyre fighting a seemingly unbeatable foe and have miraculously endured for three whole days! [Erian Ruparte: I dont know how that monster was created, but the only thing we can do is either wait for it to calm down, or... wait for it to leave the forest.] [Lloyd H.K.: Lee Shin Woo, werent you around there? Are you ok?] [Lee Shin Woo: Im ok since I took Senior Erians words to heart and went in the opposite direction. However, even I can see its head from where I am. Its quite frightening.] [Yasunori Akira: ...Dont overdo it, Lee Shin Woo. Since youre growing rapidly, even now. You said you passed 2,500 stats?] [Prince Altania: You monster. I have to get to level 7 before you catch up.] [Lloyd H.K.: Youre west, right? Are you finding any dungeons?] [Prince Altania: Ah, dont know. Stop acting like youre concerned about me and enjoy dating that granny elf!] [Erian Ruparte: Granny? Granny!? What did you say Sir Altania!?] Ah, the chatting channel is filled with lies! Lee Shin Woo would feel bad if he lied anymore, so Lee Shin Woo stopped listening to his seniors and left the chatting channel. Over the past three days, the Tree Golems body had shrunk significantly, so he could see it all with a single nce. Ive been continuously cutting the branches, so its been shrinking. But no matter how many branches he cut, the mana in its main body wouldnt diminish, and the smaller its body became, the sharper and tougher its branches became. Lee Shin Woo had given up on cutting all the branches, and was in the middle of picking out its weakest branches and cutting them with his three axes, but perhaps that wouldnt even be possible soon. If that happens, then Ill really have to take down the main body. Since theyd been fighting the Tree Golem for three days already, Lee Shin Woo already knew all of its special characteristics. He was also aware of the difference in stats between them. Lee Shin Woo and Jins teamwork was good enough to ovee that stat differential. It filled in all the gaps that the Rebellion skill couldnt cover. Therefore, he wouldnt hesitate when his resistance went up to the high rank level. He would cleave through its body and burn it to a crisp! Lee Shin Woo inwardly made that decision. However, a problem urred before he could make that happen. [Ah... Ah.] "Hmm?" He cut the golems fired branches with his wless axe technique, and absorbed as much of the spewed acid as he could; then, Lee Shin Woo heard something that made him flinch. He thought it might be an illusion, but it wasnt. [How is this... possible?] "Huh!?" In the center of the Tree Golems body, where countless screams had been emitted, one of the voices suddenly changed to that of a young girls. Was that all? A portion of the branchesing towards them stopped midair as well! Lee Shin Woo realized this and stood in shock; the small, but distinct girls voice continued. [Ah. In the end... In the end, we became like this...] [Gguaaaaaaaaahk!] [Donte!] [Die...! Please die...!] Her refreshing voice was apanied by the other old womens voices, which actually made the mood even gloomier! Lee Shin Woo cleared the branches flying towards him and yelled. "Have you gotten a hold of yourself now?" Hes actually acting like someone whose original n was to awaken the Dryads! He was always ready to act anywhere and anytime depending on the situation at hand, which was why he could respond so quickly. Because he acted so naturally, the Dryad didnt find him suspicious and replied. [I remember everything. You didnt attack us ever since entering the forest. In the end, you protected us, even going so far as to risk your life...!] "I just couldnt harm you Dryads, the protectors of this forest! I didnt have a good way of saving you, and I was just being foolish...!" "Bleh." Jin retched at Lee Shin Woos despicable acting. Even while doing so, he skillfully avoided the branches that came flying at them. Hed be skilled enough that he could dodge them in his sleep. [That mysterious ability of yours to absorb the curse... I see. Its because of that ability of yours that Im briefly able to regain my sanity... It must be because of that ability that youre able to remain sane even after bing a skeleton.] "Yeah, youre right." So this all happened because of Jins ability to absorb the curse! Lee Shin Woo acted calm and replied, but was actually astonished on the inside. Then again, they had fought the same opponent for three whole days while Jin remained in contact with the nearby mana the entire time, so it wasnt very strange that they made this new discovery. He needed to look into this more in the future. He thought it was just a skill that revived him, but this was proof that there was something more tremendous thaty hidden within Jins skill. [Thank you for your efforts and sincerity. However, its much toote now. I didnt think wed be corrupted to this extent...] "..." [I have a shameless request for you, who risked your life to protect us Dryads. Could you please listen to my request? Right after regaining her sanity, she had a request? It must be considerably urgent. If not, then she must deeply trust Lee Shin Woo, as he was the one who protected them. Either way, this was the result of Lee Shin Woos Acting skill. [Is it... too much?] "...No, go ahead." Lee Shin Woo felt slightly conflicted, but ultimately nodded his head. Then, the Dryad spoke happily, as if she knew he would do that. [Please seek out the General, Dana Von Etliber. She should be safe from all of this, as shes loved by countless spirits. Please tell her where we are... and please give her this.] Suddenly, something shot out of the golems torso and fell before Lee Shin Woo. Lee Shin Woo cut through the branches without much difficulty and picked it up. It was a crystal radiating a pale green light. [Spirits Spring Key Fragment] [A precious artifact made of pure mana that is only given to the worlds spirits. It can only be given to someone approved of by a spirit, and is also a token of friendship. Using this and a few other materials, you can open a passageway that allows you to enter the spirits spring.] "This is..." [You just need to give that to her. As soon as possible... If you do that, shell take care of everything. And with that, our kind will somehow...] She spoke with a lighthearted voice, as if she had just let go of a heavy burden. The Dryad wouldnt have imagined that Lee Shin Woo could see the crystals information as he was a hero. [Please go find her. Hurry! Theres no hope for us. Ill lose my sanity soon; please run while I can still maintain control over this golem! Run away and give Dana Von Etliber...!] "Hey. Hey!" Lee Shin Woo called the Dryad with a sincere and refined voice akin to a Skeleton Knights, but she couldnt respond, as she used the rest of her energy into stopping the golem! At that moment, he thought it might, but the Acting skill did indeed level up. [The Acting skill has be Lv13! Who are you an ally to, and who are you an enemy to? Perhaps you yourself do not know the difference anymore.] Shin Woo, what do we do? Jin used his connection through Lee Shin Woos Assimtion skill to speak. Lee Shin Woo replied seriously. Lets act like we cant run away and take it down. Shes trying to not tell us anything. Yeah, you really are the worst. Cant you just call me the winner of our battle of wits? They acted as though the Acid Poison prevented them from escaping; ultimately, the Dryad wailed, telling them to run away, and lost consciousness. He worried that the crystal shed given him would disappear as well, but after confirming that it was safe, Lee Shin Woo smiled in satisfaction and raised his axe once more. "Then, shall we begin training again!?" "Lets give it a rest, you demon..." Jin weakly replied, yet moved as Lee Shin Woo wished. Truthfully, he didnt want to finish off the golem yet either! There was still some time before their battle with the golem came to a close. Chapter 20 part7 "Why..." Lee Shin Woo muttered in despair. Two more days had passed since hed acquired the Spirits Spring Key Fragment from the Dryad. "Why isnt my resistance leveling up...!? Im almost there!" "I suppose not everyone can get a high rank skill." Jin replied, uninterested. He was evading the golems fists and feet from up close, and it was for no other reason but to be exposed to a higher concentration of Acid Poison. He went through all this painstaking effort to train his resistance. [Gguaaaaaaaaaaah!] "Shin Woo, ept reality. That guys at his limit too." "..." Lee Shin Woo raised his head at Jins words and examined the golem. At the beginning, the golem was so massive that it seemed to reach up into the heavens, but now, it had shrunk to a mere 5 meters. It was only natural, as hed cut so many of its branches. "It seems like it cant even replenish its mana that well anymore. The concentration of its Acid Poison seems to be lessening, and its attacks are gradually getting weaker." "...Damn it. It must be at its limits if you can sense it too." As they fought against the golem, Lee Shin Woo and Jins dramatic growth that came about due to the intense situation. Their skills made the battle feel much easier than it shouldve been, but they had to face the facts. Lee Shin Woo bitterly agreed and tightly gripped his axe. "Its time to let it go, right?" "Yeah. We have to let it go. We can finish it now..." [Gguhaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!] The golem wailed with superb timing. What was the golem trying to convey? Was it a wail of misery? It was the boss of the Melting Forest, an area which even level 8 heroes were afraid of, yet it had been used to lower level heroes. If not, then was it weeping, as it was regretting asking such a wicked skeleton to fulfill its request? Honestly, he didnt really care. "Hoo... Alright. Lets widen the distance a bit. Lets go with the big gun." "Ok." Theyd scuffled with the golem for about 5 days now, and Lee Shin Woo didnt just swing his axe and talk in the chatting channel during that time. No way. Hed figured out the golems characteristics, as well as its skill pattern, which used mana. Therefore, Lee Shin Woo had run a few simtions on how to kill it the best way. Lee Shin Woo had spoken to Jin several times, and created a move that would kill the Tree Golem. But in order to execute that move, they would need to widen the distance; it seemed as though the golem misunderstood their intent. [T-Theyre leaving!] As soon as Lee Shin Woo and Jin widened the distance, the golem yelled as if to cheer. They didnt even spew their Acid Poison and just saw them off. However, Lee Shin Woo left them a present, as if responding to them. That present was the three Melting Double Bone Axes that remained in the air for the past 5 days. Surprisingly, the three axes contained the maximum amount of magic they could hold within them. If hebined the three, they would easily surpass Lee Shin Woos maximum magic! The fact that Rule of Bone and Bone Armory grew might just be the best thing I got from this battle. As he fought the Tree Golems, he hadnt just gained mere skill level ups; hed learned ways in which he could better use these skills. Just a little while ago, he hadnt thought of separately infusing mana into equipment hed summoned and controlled through Bone Armory. He would either shift his mana to the weapons to increase their power, or simply use the skill. But because of Rule of Bone, Ive figured out a way to maintain the mana Ive imbued the faraway weapons with. Normally, theres a limit to how much mana he can store in his body at one time. That was Mana Bones limit. That limit has steadily increased with his level ups, his skill level, as well as his magic stat. But ultimately, he had a level 5s mana capacity. "Shin Woo, right about here, right?" "Yeah. My weapons are on standby too!" [Gguaaaaaaaah!] But as soon as he was able to store his mana into the equipment summoned through Bone Armory, as well as maintain that mana, he was essentially able to increase his maximum mana capacity. By shifting his mana to his equipment, his bodys own mana supply would be empty. However, as he replenished his mana, the mana contained within his equipment wouldnt diminish. Ultimately, if he were to replenish his mana, Lee Shin Woo could control more mana than before: his own supply, as well as what was contained within his equipment! He infused his mana into his axes in the moments he could spare whilst fighting the golem. Thus, his three axes were filled to the brim with mana (Lee Shin Woo decided to call this fully charged). "Were far enough, right?" "Yep. Im changing my weapon to the Drake Horn Lance... then lets get started! Twin Horn Charge!" "You got it!" He switched to the Drake Horn Lance and took a charging stance. The moment Lee Shin Woo gave the signal, Jin kicked off the floor and began sprinting at an explosive speed! [Kuwaaaaaaaah!] The golem was scuffling with the axes that Lee Shin Woo had left behind, and once it realized that Lee Shin Woo was approaching once more, it screamed and attempted to spew its Acid Poison again. But with just that much, it wouldnt be able to even slow them down by 0.001 seconds. "One!" With hismand, one of the axes in the air exploded spectacrly! He didnt have high expectations for its acid damage, but the force of the explosion, as well as the shrapnel were enough to confuse the golem. "Two!" [Gguaaaaaaahk!] Following that, the second axe exploded! Its outstretched branches were broken apart, and due to the force of the explosion, the golem, or to be more specific, the Corrupted Dryads which controlled it, screamed awfully. Because it was weakened from the battle of attrition over thest 5 days, it sustained considerable damage from the fully charged Melting Bone Double Axes. "Shin Woo! Were about to crash into him!" "We need to get a little closer...!" The first two explosions were nothing more than a guidance system for thest axe to explode as smoothly as possible. Lee Shin Woo had thoroughly analyzed the Tree Golems weakness, its center; its center was where the Dryads wills, as well as the golems mana were controlled! At the beginning, the Dryads waited in the center of the forest, and when faced with Lee Shin Woo and Jin, created the Tree Golem, burrowing themselves deep into its chest. That was the Tree Golems sole weakness. "Alright, now!" Ordinarily, the Tree Golem would always protect its chest, but it panicked due to the two continuous explosions, exposing its chest to the sky. That was exactly what Lee Shin Woo was waiting for. [Critical Hit!] The axe flew through the tree and bone pieces, then precisely burrowed into its chest and exploded! [Gguaaaaaaaaaah!] The Dryads scream was the most shocking and hair-raising scream hed heard yet. But despite that, it still remained standing. The bark covering the center of the golem was the toughest, as it was its weak spot. The impact removed the bark, but its core was still intact. Indeed, its bark had been removed. "Jin!" "Heuaat!" Lee Shin Woo and Jin hurriedly seized the opportunity that resulted from the three continuous explosions, and Jin, whod gotten close, leapt with all the speed hed built up! He couldnt have even dreamed of doing so before, but it was possible for him now that he had the Steel heart skill. "Heup!" Lee Shin Woo had aimed hisnce at the Golems center ever since Jin started running, without even shaking it once. The outer bark was removed, revealing the ck inner flesh, as well as the Corrupted Dryads within. Rising... The Drake Horn Lances red energy mixed with the Bursting Thunder dark blue sparks to form a violet light. He wanted to add the Twin Horn Charge to the tip of thence as well, but he hadnt trained it enough yet. However, this should be enough. Thunder! It was such an embarrassing name that Lee Shin Woo inwardly muttered the technique name, and forcefully thrust hisnce. The violet sparks rushing towards the tip of thence was truly magnificent. [Kuoooooooooh!] At thest moment, the golem twisted its body and attempted to dodge his attack, but... Lee Shin Woo had already let go of thence, and with its explosive speed, burrowed deep within the golems center before it could even react! [Critical Hit!] Lee Shin Woo nned to explode thence if that didnt work, but unfortunately, he didnt need to do so. Thence had burrowed deep into the golems center, and immediately after the electric discharge, as well as a reverberating scream, the golem just stopped. "...Is it over?" "Its a pain, so dont try to revive it." Jin muttered, and Lee Shin Woo scolded him; immediately after, the golem turned into mana particles, dispersing everywhere, andpletely disappeared. At the same time, Lee Shin Woo, who was free falling with Jin, got a message informing them of their victory. [You fought against a high leveled foe, and after tirelessly enduring for several days, achieved the feat of finding its weakness and taking advantage of it. All stats have increased by 3! Proficiency in the Bursting Thunder skill has increased!] [You have acquired the Adventurers karma token. Agility and Health have increased by 5. It is absorbed by the Joker karma.] "Oh." Itd been quite a long time since hed acquired a new karma! It seemed like enduring for several days against a high leveled elite monster were points in his favor. Maybe he might get something even better if he were to endure for even longer! While thinking that Jin would pale in fear if he told him about this, theynded. The Perium and loot from the Corrupted Tree Golem fell from the sky. [You have acquired 395,070 Perium.] [You have acquired a Lv5 Dryads Bow. Through Bone Reinforcement, it has changed into the Lv4 Unchanging Bone Bow (+5).] [You have acquired a Spirit Stone containing the corrupted power of the Dryads.] [You have acquired an Unmelting Bone Root.] "Kek, ooh..." Lee Shin Woo had been having a lot of sess with Bone reinforcementtely, but when the level 5 artifact was degraded into a level 4 artifact, he felt truly thrilled. Now that he thought about it, it wouldnt always change for the better! On the other hand, the Spirit Stone containing the Dryads power was radiating a murky, rusty color, perhaps due to being corrupted, and was simply a mass of mana that even Bone Reinforcement couldnt do anything about. He didnt really know what to do with this, and decided to put it into his inventory for now. "And..." The final piece of loot, the Unmelting Bone Root looked like an item that seemed better geared towards Acid than the other Melting Bone Roots hed gotten from the other Acid Great Trees. Whenever he absorbed a Melting Bone Root, he was inwardly disappointed as they would increase his Acid element rather than his Acid Resistance, but this... "Nice. Bone Reinforcement!" Lee Shin Woo had a strong feeling about this and used Bone Reinforcement without dy. Contrary to its title, the Unmelting Bone Root possessed a powerful mana and Acid element within that was transferred in its entirety to Lee Shin Woo! [Executing Bone Reinforcement by consuming the Unmelting Bone Root. Health and Magic have increased by 10. Absorbing a portion of the Corrupted Tree Golems experiences and memories.] The high physical strength of these trees that made up this forest as well as their powerful mana... as well as... [The Intermediate Acid Resistance skill has be Lv10 and has evolved into the high rank level! Magic has increased by 20. You take almost no damage from acid.] [You have achieved the feat of acquiring a high rank skill! All stats have increased by 10!] He didnt even really need to check his messages. The moment he felt a definite change on the inside, albeit a small one, Lee Shin Woo smiled (that impression). He had achieved his primary objective ofing to this forest. Chapter 21 part1 "Now, shall we go find out what the Dryads were hiding?" "You know, I dont hate that part of you; that fickle side of yours." "Thanks. I like that part of myself too." The moment Lee Shin Woo fulfilled his objective of raising his Acid Resistance to the high rank level, which was something he seemed willing to stake his life on before, he decided on a new goal. He spent only 3 minutes at best reveling in his aplishment. "I wonder what the Dryads wanted from the Spirit General?" "They wanted us to tell her about this ce, so the answers probably inside somewhere. Its easy to find, too." Lee Shin Woo began searching and quickly found the secret the Dryads had left behind... in other words, the entrance to a dungeon. Even though he was watching Lee Shin Woos every move, Jin didnt understand why Lee Shin Woo was so sure. "The traces the golem left behind are too thick, so I cant really tell." "But its a lot easier to sense than the winery? If you can grasp the Dryads mana, then it should be easy to find." There was an even easier way: find the ground that wasnt very damaged, despite the fierce battle! Lee Shin Woo suddenly drew his mana at the ce the golem was guarded. With just that, the ground softly vibrated and dirt stairs appeared leading down. [Level 5 dungeon - You have acquired the permit for Mellonias Laboratory. All stats increase by 10 within the dungeon. The dungeons information is added to your minimap. All actions are buffed within the dungeon.] There was no way of knowing who Mellonia was, but he was sure that the Dryads were using this facility differently than the way it was intended upon creation. Because the entrance was so tiny, they (especially therge Jin) had to hunch their shoulders to enter the dungeon. Soon, the entrance closed, and hundreds of stairs appeared. It was a relief that it was wide enough for Jin to go down. "Hoo, well reach the bottom soon." "Its too quiet..." "No, theres breathing. You can tell if you sense the mana." [!?] The moment Lee Shin Woo spoke decisively, he felt something recoiling in fear from within the darkness of the dungeon. He chuckled, and stepped onto the floor at the end of the stairs. However, before they went deeper into the darkness, they heard a voice which caused them to stop. [Who... Who are you!?] It was a pure and youngdys voice... It was different from a humans voice, as it had a peculiar echo to it, and contained magic in it as well. Lee Shin Woo suddenly realized that this was an uncorrupted Dryads voice. As expected, the thing that the Corrupted Dryads wanted to protect the most above all were the Dryads who werent corrupted... That was the moment that their hidden treasure was revealed. It was obvious when he thought about it. The Corrupted Dryads appearance had been so shocking that Lee Shin Woo had erroneously assumed that there werent any normal Dryads left. If thats the case, then what the Corrupted Dryads wanted from the Spirit General was probably... When he acquired the final puzzle piece, the Dryads, the answer became quite obvious. They were probably hoping that the Spirit General would protect the remaining Dryads that hadnt been corrupted. Giving him the key fragment that allows passage to the Spirit Springs was also likely an extension of that as well. They probably wanted the uncorrupted Dryads to leave this dangerous world and live in the Spirit Springs instead, or something simr. Though Lee Shin Woo got in the middle of it and made everything a mess. Alright, Lee Shin Woo. Calm down. If I can talk to them, then I have to give it a try. Just blindly killing them all was the dumbest idea ever. There was probably something else he could get from this scarce spirit species. If thats the case, then there was only one thing of importance: acting. "Im Paul Zero." For Lee Shin Woo, switching to acting was easier than even breathing; he spoke in an extremely peaceful and attentive voice. "Id like to talk with you." [T-Talk...?] "Yeah, talk." Lee Shin Woos voice was extremely calm. The representative Dryad seemed to be confused, as Lee Shin Woos appearance didnt match that of a high ranking skeleton at all; however, while hesitating, the other Dryads began to speak by the ones or twos. [A trespasser! Its a trespasser!] [How can a skeleton...?] [How can a mere skeleton be talking with us...?] The Dryads young, beautiful voices were pleasant to his ear, but it felt like the voices that came after the first were a bit older. Soon, the noise spread uncontrobly. [You idiot, dont you feel that overflowing elemental power? Hes not a normal skeleton.] [Now that you mention it, youre right. Is he an Elementalist?] [A skeletons an Elementalist?] Themotion was gradually increasing! The once dark dungeon began brightening up, allowing him to see within. They were spirits that looked like beautiful women of various ages... he saw both these Dryads, as well as the trees that they were protecting. "...Its rotting." [Ugh!] Lee Shin Woo muttered subconsciously, and one of the Dryads couldnt help but respond. That meant hed hit the mark! The trees within the dungeon were rotting. Naturally, that meant that those withering trees were having an effect on the Dryads as well. "Mm. Hoh." [Keuk!] [Kuuu.] Lee Shin Woo, whod noticed the withered trees, looked inside the premises, and found several Dryads who looked quite old. They could feel his zing goblin fire, and they shrank at his seemingly piercing gaze; immediately after, they became angry. [What have youe for, Skeleton!? Youre not much better off than we are!] [Shes right. Youvee tough at us, havent you!? Even though youre a skeleton with power over nature, youre still a skeleton!] The Dryads voices of resentment increased. The youngest looking Dryad (in other words, the one that seemed least corrupted) sported a fierce expression and stepped forward. This was the Dryad who had first yelled who are you?. [We dont want to talk with you! If you have any kind of respect, then leave before you spread the curse onto us!] "Ha." Of course, Lee Shin Woo had no intention of powerlessly leaving after finding the dungeon, as well as discovering the mystery. He had two choices: either kill all of them, or fool all of them. Fortunately for them, Lee Shin Woo had decided upon thetter. Now then, it was time to start in earnest. Lee Shin Woos goblin fire zed immensely. "It seems like youve been infected by the curse since a long time ago. No... you guys werent born in the dungeon, were you? Werent you originally affected by the curse?" [Keuk!] Lee Shin Woo painted a perfect picture in his head. The Dryads had realized the severity of the curse which uprooted the Empire, and had pushed their uninfected kin and trees into the dungeon. But the problem was with the trees. Because the tree seeds were corrupted, the Dryads inside the dungeon couldnt avoid being cursed. They were able to prevent themselves from bing like the Dryads on the outside, as they entered the dungeon before it was toote, but they would eventually be just like them... "How is it? My assessment is spot on, right?" [Keuuuuuuk!] The Dryads couldnt object. Though it wasnt 100% urate, they couldnt disagree that the resulting situation was as he said. Seeing that, Lee Shin Woo sported a satisfied expression while Jin looked at him speechless. Then, at that moment, Lee Shin Woo, who had shut all the Dryads up, spoke, as if he were giving them medicine. "Ill help you. Thats why we came." [What...?] Lee Shin Woo lied through his teeth, and the Dryads sported vacant expressions. The youngest Dryad acted as their representative and asked, her tone urgent. [How? Why?] "Considering how youre already asking how must mean its quite urgent." [Kuuuuuu...!] The sight of the angry, beautiful girl stamping her feet on the ground was cute. So this is what it felt like to make fun of a little kid! However, Jin hit Lee Shin Woos back with his head, so Lee Shin Woo decided to just go on to the main point. Honestly, it was something he started thinking about once seeing the withered trees. "I know a ce filled with living trees. Also, its a lot safer than this ce. Ill take you there." [!?] At that moment, the Dryads were seized with both shock and terror. The Dryad was so shocked that she left her mouth open. Of course, that wasnt any different with the other Dryads. A ce with living trees in this Empire filled with the curse! The Dryads froze, as if they couldnt understand what he was saying, yet soon thawed out. No, they were actually seething. [Trees!] [Living trees!] [Filled to the brim! What kind of trees are they? How many?] It seemed as though they couldnt just leave it to one representative anymore as the Dryads all began to speak. This was the kind of response he expected from spirits that lived together with trees! With one nce, Lee Shin Woo could tell their minds were elsewhere, and he ended up justughing. "Theyre grapevines. Theyre hundreds of them." [Grapevines...] [Mm...] [Were really thankful. If we look over these grapevines, they can thrive.] [I want to see living trees. Its too difficult for these children to endure for much longer.] Hed never heard of Dryads tending to grapevines before, so Lee Shin Woo had been somewhat doubtful, but their response was quite nice. It was likely because their situation was just that bad! "Youre thinking of taking them there? To the underground orchard?" "Yeah. Its a safe and healthy ce." There was no way it wouldnt be healthy, as an elf had been tending to it just a short while ago. Though hed taken most of the grapes, if the Dryads were to tend to the orchard, the grapevines should grow well and survive. Of course, it was for security reasons as well. [Take us there!] [Take me there! Please, Skeleton!] [When I felt your power over nature, I knew you were a good person... a good skeleton!] Several Dryads suddenly changed their attitude towards him andtched onto Lee Shin Woo! Even five year old children wouldnt be so honest with their desires! [Ill do whatever you want if you bring me there!] [What do you want me to do? Should I bear your child? Ah, youre a skeleton.] [What would make a skeleton happy?] [Hurry. Tell us what you want!] Lee Shin Woo had been preparing all sorts of lies in order to fool them, yet the Dryads acted as though they would offer him anything; seeing that, Lee Shin Woo felt a bit skeptical. But then... [So you just came to find us and help us? Thats too suspicious. Whats your goal here? And how did you find us?] There was actually someone who still didnt trust him! It was none other than the representative Dryad! Was her mind still clear because she wasnt corrupted at all? It was such an obvious response that Lee Shin Woo actually felt happy. It was a relief that he was able to use the lines that hed prepared for this very moment! He unhesitatingly and firmly spoke in an honest tone. "I met the Dryads on the outside that were too corrupted to be saved. They gave me a request. To help you guys before you became like them." [Thats...] Lee Shin Woo was even twisting around their request to the Spirit General, Dana Von Etliber however he wished! When he took out the Spirit Spring Key Fragment and showed it to her, the suspicious Dryad shed a tear. No matter how suspicious she was, she was still a kid. [Our mothers... made that request for us...!] "...Youve done well." [Kuheuk, euuuuu...] [Dont cry, Sinea...] [Dont cry.] The Dryad (it seemed like her name was Sinea) began to cry, and the other Dryads approached her and hugged her tightly. It was such a touching scene that Lee Shin Woo apuded, and Jin, like always, came over and rammed into his back. They were still connected through Assimtion. What are you thinking? Theyre just like the Pauls. Wouldnt it be interesting if I add another variable? Itd be a much more fun result than killing them at least. ... Lee Shin Woo replied unimportantly, and Jin had nothing else to say. Only Jin could hear Lee Shin Woo chuckling like a Joker. How about it? Should we go look for other spirits too? Jin couldnt offer up any suggestions. He had no idea what sort of chaos Lee Shin Woo would stir up if he found more spirits. "Alright. So everyones epting my offer, right?" [Yeah... Yeah! Of course!] [Thanks, Skeleton! No, Paul Zero!] [Thanks a lot! Youre our savior!] And so, Lee Shin Woo had ended up saving the Dryads in the Spirit Generals stead (he didnt even know where she was). To them, this was the best method. However, the Dryads would someday regret their choice. The fact that they hadnt asked the price for their salvation! Chapter 21 part2 [But well be exposed to the curse on the way there. What do we do about that?] [Even if we travel as quickly as possible, well still be affected by the curse. Ugh... Im concerned that we might spread the curse to the healthy trees.] Though the concerned Dryads had been convinced to move by Lee Shin Woo, they werent stupid. Ultimately, they asked something that had to be addressed. However, Lee Shin Woo was sporting a rxed expression. "Dont worry. Its not perfect, but I have something in mind." [Really?] [As expected of Zero Paul! So, whats that method?] "So thats..." Lee Shin Woo momentarily turned his attention to Jin. Jin, who had been observing how the situation was progressing, panicked and retreated. What are you trying to do? No. I was just thinking that you could absorb the curse from them with your ability. Thats right. The reason Lee Shin Woo thought itll all work out somehow was because he trusted Jin. And Jin also... had a rough idea why. Like when we restored the sanity of that Corrupted Dryad? Also, theyre in much better shape than the Corrupted Dryads. Can you do it? Mmmmm... Jin was anguished. After all, at the end of the day, his curse absorption ability was a by-product of his resistance, not the main facet. He couldnt intentionally control his absorption ability. It wasnt easy to tell whether or not it would be possible. Even if it is possible, I cant do it by myself. I need your help. I suppose it cant be helped. Of course, he roughly expected him to say something like that. Lee Shin Woo chuckled, approached Jin, gripped his back with one hand, and activated his Assimtion skill. Now they could extremely naturally tie both their consciousness and mana together. How is it, Shin Woo? Mm, good... I can roughly tell how it works. Really!? Jin himself hadnt even figured out how his ability worked, so how did Lee Shin Woo figure it out!? He suddenly felt frustrated, but thats what it meant to be talented, so there was nothing he could do. Lee Shin Woo more deeply analyzed the curse absorption ability... which couldnt be considered a status or even a skill, and added. Yeah. Since its an ability that absorbs the curse, it probably wouldnt have any effect on those who have already be undead, but it should be able to absorb the curse from these spirits. Thats amazing. This ability is impressive. Itd be hard for me to rece the absorbed curse energy with life force, but maybe if I were to apply it in a different way... Shin Woo, youre not forgetting what youre supposed to be doing, are you? Tch, it cant be helped. Jins curse absorption ability was such an innovative ability that it made Lee Shin Woo wonder why he hadnt seriously looked into it before. Perhaps that ability would have a positive effect on Lee Shin Woo, as he could freely transform mana however he wished. Ill look into it more in depthter, but for now... Lee Shin Woo was now sure that it would work, and stretched his hand towards the closest Dryad. "You. Could youe over here?" [Sure!] The Dryad obeyed doubtlessly. While the other Dryads nervously watched her, Lee Shin Woo stretched out a hand while keeping the other on Jins back. [Take care of me.] The Dryad firmly grabbed his outstretched hand without question. Though the spirits body possessed a differentposition, the sensation she conveyed from touching him felt the same as any other living being. Her hand felt extremely soft, and he felt a refreshing energying from somewhere; he grabbed the Dryads hand and Lee Shin Woo suddenly felt sad. Damn it. If I were a human, I wouldve... Hey. Your thoughts are leaking out. When Jin pointed that out, Lee Shin Woo became docile, and earnestly began absorbing the curse from the Dryad. The curse had burrowed deep into the Dryads body, so it wasnt easy to find at first, but because Lee Shin Woo was tenacious and in control of Jins ability, he was able to gradually, very gradually draw out the curse. [Oh!?] [Whats wrong?] [Whats going on?] The Dryad was momentarily surprised and shouted, so the other Dryads yelled in shock. The Dryad kept holding Lee Shin Woos hand and yelled exuberantly. [The curse within me is being drawn out!] [How!?] [It seems like he has an ability that lets him draw out the curse!] [Is that why Paul Zero is different from the other skeletons?] [I thought it was strange ever since feeling his power over nature!] The Dryads opinions were quite intelligent. Lee Shin Woo let their lively voices stay in the background and focused on sucking out the undead curse. She wasnt very corrupted anyway, so Lee Shin Woo quickly pulled out the root of the issue. [Wow... Wow.] The Dryad, feeling the curse that had caused her heart so much difort leave her bodypletely, touched her body all over while ck-jawed. Was it just him? She looked a bit younger too. [The curse is gone!] [Its true. The curse is really gone!] [Thanks Paul Zero!] While the Dryads made a huge fuss, the cured Dryad stroked Lee Shin Woos head while holding onto him tightly. He felt her soft skin all over his body, yet his heart felt calm, like an ocean without a single wave. [Youre my savior!] "I get it, so could you stop stroking my head? Now, youve seen how it works, so next! I think I can do several at once." [Waaaaah!] [Me first, me first!] As soon as Lee Shin Woo gave the signal, the Dryads cheered and rushed towards him, as if they were waiting for that! Lee Shin Woo and Jin were suddenly buried in spirits. You must love it, huh? You already know that I dont really like it. It was such a relief that he was a skeleton that didnt need to breathe in times like this. Lee Shin Woo calmly began to suck out the curse from the Dryads everywhere and send it over to Jin. Jin possessed the ability to absorb the curse, not Lee Shin Woo, so Lee Shin Woo would just act as the passageway that gathered the curse. Because of that, the amount of times Jin could revive through the Blessing of Death suddenly increased. [I feel free!] [Me too!] [Aw. I was freed, but the trees werent, so I feel so sorry for them.] It didnt take much time before all of the Dryads in the clearing were cleansed of the curse. They cheered, and even pped, but also mourned for the trees that couldnt be saved, as they were already dead. Lee Shin Woo removed his hand from Jins back and pped his hands. "Dont separate yourselves from me even when you get outside! Remember that!" [Yes!] [Well stick to you like glue!] Their responses were reliable. Lee Shin Woo felt like he had be a teacher leading kindergarten students around. "Good. Then shall we go?" [Before that, Paul Zero.] The Dryads representative, Sinea, who looked the youngest amongst the living Dryads and wasnt corrupted at all, as well as seemingly being the highest ranked Dryad here, opened her mouth. [We dont need them, but there are things inside that other people might need. You see, the belongings of the original owner of this dungeon are still there.] "Ah, now that you mention it." Obviously, the Dryads hadnt made this dungeon. Lee Shin Woo had decided to put off thinking about the message hed seen when he entered the dungeon, as it seemed like this Mellonia figure made this dungeon so that spirits could live in it as they pleased. But after listening to Sinea, it seemed as though Mellonias belongings were still inside this dungeon. It was unexpected news for him as he had been so focused on the Dryads that he hadpletely forgotten about the dungeon itself. [We thought you might want them, so we brought them. How about it?] "Mm..." Sineas green eyes brightened (if someone couldnt tell that she was a Dryad from her green eyes, then her hair was also a light green as well) and Lee Shin Woo turned his attention to the loot shed put on the floor. There were a few gems and gold nuggets, earrings enveloped in a cold magic, and finally, books that Mellonia seemed to have personally wrote. Sinea watched as Lee Shin Woo examined the loot. She must be checking to see if he liked her present. Lee Shin Woo was indeed satisfied and replied. "Thanks. Theyre exactly what I wanted." [Thats a relief.] [Oooh!] [Skeletons like the same stuff humans do!] Sinea smiled in relief and simultaneously, the Dryads behind her cheered. Honestly, he didnt need gold or gems, or even earrings, as he didnt have ears to put them on, so half of the presents were meaningless to him. However, acting as though he loved the presents was an important step in solidifying a good rtionship with them. Even now, Lee Shin Woo was still acting. However, her handwritten books might be usefulter. Though the use would differ based on what she did as a human. Lee Shin Woo carefully ced the precious metals, the pile of books, and the earrings into his inventory. However, the moment his hand touched the earrings, they transformed unexpectedly. [The Lv6 Silver Ice Tigers Cold Whisker Earrings has been modified through Bone Reinforcement. You have acquired the Lv6 Silver Ice Tigers Canine Tooth.] Damn it. He only briefly touched the chilling, hair-raising earrings, yet their original shape disappeared in an instant, and in their ce was only a tiny silver tooth. It was ridiculously light, and the tooth was so cold that it felt like it would freeze the air. Lee Shin Woo was dumbstruck. The earrings were changed by my skill, but the formpletely changed this time. Whiskers can change into teeth? He knew there was nothing more stupid than questioning how Bone Reinforcement changed the material of something, but even so, he couldnt help but be surprised. When a piece of equipment changed in the past, it would change into another piece of equipment. But this time, an essory was changed into bone (through Bone Reinforcement), so how could he not be surprised!? [Whats that?] It seemed like she was equally surprised, as Sinea questioned Lee Shin Woo. Lee Shin Woo pondered for a moment, but decided to ask her honestly. "It seems like its an Silver Ice Tigers tooth, but do you know what a Silver Ice Tiger is?" [A Silver Ice Tiger is a spirit!] [A Silver Ice Tiger!? They were still alive?] [You idiot. Theyre all dead. Thats why theres only a tooth of them left.] A spirit...? Lee Shin Woo was wondering, so he asked Sinea. "Was the dungeons original owner an Elementalist?" [Yep. As I thought, fellow Elementalists can tell each other apart! She was friendly with Dryads. She let us use this space, even when she was dying.] Lee Shin Woo decided to reflect on his previous thoughts of them upying the dungeon without permission. To think theyd been allowed in here! "Do you guys contract with Elementalists too?" [No? Spirits only form contracts with Elementalists when they need mana... Mm, so basically, only the aggressive spirits form contracts. We just need trees.] He didnt understand what she was saying in the least, but he could at least understand that not all spirits form contracts with Elementalists. Perhaps the books hed recently acquired would exin that. Lee Shin Woo was satisfied that he had unexpectedly procured knowledge regarding a field he knew little about. He was indeed satisfied, but bones were different. Bone Reinforcement! Lee Shin Woo soon reinforced himself with the Ice Tigers Canine, as the Dryads watched with great interest with their brightening eyes. The best way of knowing more about this bone was to absorb it! [Executing Bone Reinforcement by consuming a Silver Ice Tigers Canine. Strength and Magic have increased by 8. You have acquired a basic knowledge of spirits. You have learned Intermediate Ice Lv1.] Mmmm... Lee Shin Woo thought hed be able to acquire the Ice element sometime soon, as he possessed the Elemental Reversal ability, and because of that, he wasnt very surprised or happy about it. What he was surprised about was the vast basic knowledge on spirits. This is more like the Elementalist Mellonias memories than the Silver Ice Tigers. This clear knowledge regarding spirits or elemental techniques was like a wee rain for him. So much so that he felt that he couldve been an Elementalist had the curse not befallen the Empire, causing everything to die. [The canine is gone!] [No, Paul Zero absorbed it! How strange!] [I feel more elemental powering from Paul Zero!] [Hows that possible? Can he use ice spirits as well?] The Dryads were in awe. They adamantly believed that Lee Shin Woo was an Elementalist. "Im done with the Silver Ice Tiger, so lets go." [Ok!] [Im excited!] Thats how the mass migration of spirits and skeleton began. Anything involving Lee Shin Woo was always like this; if another hero saw this, they wouldnt believe their eyes. Chapter 21 part3 [Were finally outside!] [Kek. Look at that mist; it was formed from the curse clumping together... The outside world has gotten worse.] [If you feel like you cant handle it, you have to get close and grab onto Paul Zero immediately!] [Ahhh, we cant even find traces of our mothers anymore...] The Dryads seemed ted at first when they got outside, but they soon became depressed upon realizing how appalling the situation was, as the Underground Empire was covered in the curse. Even though the forest was a lot cleaner than the other areas as undead couldnt trespass deep into the forest! [Eww, this wasnt the world I was looking forward to.] [Its so unfortunate. You cant call it a world when all the living beings are dead.] [Is there nothing we can do for this world...?] [Paul Zero, lets hurry up and go.] Sinea spoke as the representative of the drooping Dryads. It was difficult to even say anything right now, so Lee Shin Woo silently nodded his head. "Yeah. Follow me quickly." [Ok...] [I want to hurry and see living trees.] [Me too...] They ran silently. As Dryads couldnt live without trees, the strength they could exert was diminished, yet they were able to follow behind Jin who ran at full speed. He was thinking about whether he needed to slow down or not, but both Lee Shin Woo and Jin were shocked. [This horse is really fast!] [I didnt think itd be able to run as fast as a spirit!] Even depressed, they marveled at Jins speed. Jin didnt show it, but it seemed like he was a bit happy. Some spirits found the conversation about Jins speed as their opportunity to speak, and after one or two of them began speaking, they changed the subject of their conversation to Lee Shin Woo. [Why is Paul Zero special?] [What did you do before you died?] "I was just a wandering knight." [Youre an Elementalist too, right? Right?] "Actually, Im not an Elementalist." [Thats impossible!] Lee Shin Woo exined himself to the Dryads using the Paul Zero profile hed set up. They were in disbelief and shock when he exined that he could use the elements themselves, but they eventually came to this conclusion. [Is Paul Zero actually a spirit?] [A skeleton spirit...!] [How cool! I knew he didnt feel like a stranger!] "..." Because it was gradually bing troublesome to reply, he decided to let them think what they wanted. He wouldve preferred if some undead monster appeared, but because he was moving with a force of level 5 Dryads, it seemed like the undead instinctively sensed the danger and avoided them. How many hours had they run? When they were close to the vineyard, Lee Shin Woo performed a final check on the Dryads for the curse. Since it would be best if they werepletely clean before entering. "If you feel uneasy from the curse,e over here." [Ok. Excuse me.] Sinea, who hadnt been corrupted thus far, seemed like she wasnt immune to the curse onceing outside, and as soon as she heard Lee Shin Woo, immediately approached him. But when he actually checked Sineas condition, he couldnt help but be surprised. "You seem pretty clean to me..." [...Really? Thats a relief.] As expected, was Sinea special amongst her people? Lee Shin Woo thought, as hepletely sucked out what little curse she was afflicted with. Perhaps Sinea knew what he was thinking about; she tightly gripped his hand and just gazed into Lee Shin Woos sktal face. "Were here." [This is it? I dont feel anything though.] [You idiot. Theres no way living trees would be above ground.] [Oh, I see!] Lee Shin Woo arrived at the exit that he and Erian had used to leave the vineyard. It was quite far from the winery. "Here." [Ooooh!] [It was a dungeon!] With a bit of control, Lee Shin Woo opened the dungeons entrance; the Dryads cheered and scrambled to get inside the dungeon. As more than 300 Dryads entered instantaneously, Sinea turned around to look at Lee Shin Woo and tilted her head. [Paul Zero, youre not going in?] "Ill go in after setting up the safety device." [Ok. Thanks.] As soon as all the Dryads went into the dungeon, Lee Shin Woo crouched down and tinkered with the entrance. The threads of mana that came from his hand cut off the branches, and Jin asked. "What are you doing?" "Nothing much. Im just trying to copy the winerys safety device." "...You can do that?" "Why not?" Jins expression became dazed. Though Lee Shin Woo went beyond his expectations all the time, he felt as though Lee Shin Woo had gone to a ce he couldnt even begin toprehend after undergoing various experiences with him. "You said you didnt know how to use magic." "Its simple once you learn the trick to it. You cant even call this magic. Its more like intuition." Jin had his own hunch the moment he heard that. The intuition Lee Shin Woo was talking about was definitely different from the intuition he knew about! "Im finished... Now most people wont be able to harm the spirits inside. Good, lets go inside." "I have no idea what you did to finish up, though..." As soon as Lee Shin Woo and Jin entered, the entrance softly shut and was camouged with the surroundingndscape. It would be impossible to discover it unless someone like the 12 generals was involved. Even Lee Shin Woo wasnt aware of it, but his mana abilities were growing at a considerably fast rate. [Waaaah!] [Theyre really grapevines!] [Its filled with trees! Its overflowing with life!] By the time they went down, the spirits had already sensed overflowing life energy and found the orchard filled to the brim with grapevines. The two sources of such refreshing energy met, permeating the room with brightness. To be more specific, the Dryads voices prickled his ears, to the point that it was unbearable. [Theyre really alive...!] [Ah, there really were living trees left...!] The girls, upon discovering the lines of trees emitting such vigorous energy within the vast, underground orchard, each cradled one of the trees and expressed joy with their entire bodies. The grapevines selected by these Dryads emitted an even greater vigor than before. [These children are so healthy!] [How could they be so pure again when they were dirtied by human hands? This is...] [An elf. Its an elf!] As expected, these Dryads, as tree specialists, quickly figured out what had happened to these trees. Then, upon discovering Lee Shin Woo, who had juste down, the Dryadstched onto him and asked. [Paul Zero, were you an elf before you died?] [I had that feeling about you!] "Nope, this ce was already like this by the time I found it." [I see...] [There might be an elf still living in the Empire.] [I want to meet that elf!] But that elf wasnt born in the Empire... Lee Shin Woo smiled bitterly and approached them. He was trying to suck out any remaining curse within them just in case. The Dryads obediently allowed Lee Shin Woo to do so and eventually, he purified thempletely. "Now were finished." [Were all done?] "Yeah. You guys can just keep living here now." [Ah...] Lee Shin Woo had safely moved them to their new home, and just like he promised, had provided them with living trees. Hed also blocked off the entrance so that not just anyone could enter, and had absorbed the curse from them in its entirety, so they were nning on doing whatever he wished in return. [Thank you so much for helping us, Paul Zero.] [But we dont know what we can do for you.] [We couldve been a lot more helpful back when there was much more of our kind.] This was after Lee Shin Woo had exined to them just what he did outside (while lying about a considerable number of things). His (seemingly) noble intent of purifying the Empire and destroying the undead had impressed them. Only Jin gazed at him as if he were a swindler, but that didnt concern him. [Paul Zero.] Then, Sinea stepped forward. She had picked the toughest and most vigorous grapevine as her own, and perhaps because of that, the grapevine was already starting to emit a brilliant energy. [Youre our savior. We can never fully repay you for that, but we want to repay you in any way possible. We must.] "...Mm." They would probably look favorably upon him if he said that he didnt do it seeking a reward, but Lee Shin Woo didnt respond like that. Because if he lied too much, then there was a chance that the Dryads would get suspicious of him. "To be honest... there is something I wanted from you." [Just tell us. Well do anything in our power to help you.] Sinea was actually happy that he told her he wanted something from them. They truly were gullible, as it seemed like they would be fooled by anyone. But even now, Lee Shin Woo couldntin as he was fooling them while receiving high praise. "I told you that I was trying to purify the Empire, right?" [Yeah. To be honest... I think itll be difficult.] "There are people who are helping me. Theyre fighting somece else right now. Some of them are undead, and some of them arent." [...] They already had Lee Shin Woo as an example, so they werent surprised. Hearing that, Sinea momentarily stood still and slowly nodded her head. [Youre saying that theres still hope in this world... like these living trees that have survived in this seemingly dead world.] "Yeah. And I want you guys to be a part of that hope." [Mmm.] He wasnt asking something from them, but was asking them to stand alongside him. Sinea murmured to herself. It wasnt an easy decision as the representative of the Dryads. However... "Just staying here is enough for now. However, there may be a day when I need your help. You just need to help out a bit then." [...Hoo.] Sinea anguished over it, but could ultimately only respond in one way. Plus, it was something that all the Dryads wanted anyway. [I... as well as everyone else want to purify the Empire.] "I appreciate you thinking that way." [Im the one... whos thankful.] Lee Shin Woo stretched his hand out first, and Sinea stiffly grabbed onto it. It was truly a surreal sight. "Ah, and now that you mention it." After they finished shaking hands, Lee Shin Woo took a step back; he suddenly remembered something and searched his inventory. He took out a stone radiating a turbid green. It was none other than the spirit stone that contained the power of the Dryads. [T-Thats...!] "I know how you feel, but just wait a sec." When hed first acquired it, he thought he wouldnt be able to do anything to it, but now that he could suck out the curse with Jins ability, it was a different story. As soon as Lee Shin Woo nced at Jin, he shrugged his shoulders and nodded his head. [Does that contain our mothers strength...?] [Look. The lights gradually bing clearer.] It mightve been difficult for Lee Shin Woo and Jin had the spirit stone been an ordinary item, but because it was an item that contained the power of spirits theyd encountered already, it was much easier than normal to suck out the swirling curse within. Wow, Blessing of Death has increased again! Now I can die five times! Thats nice. Though the darkness that permeated the spirit stone was quite strong, once he gained momentum, he was able to vigorously draw out the curse. Ultimately, the spirit stone returned to its perfect, clean state in less than a few minutes. [Spirit Stone holding the power of the Dryads] Firstly, the items exnation changed. The vividly green spirit stone was filled with so much elemental power that it felt like it would explode at any moment! Though it felt like he could absorb it himself... it would be better to give it to the person who could absorb it best, rather than absorb it just to increase his magic a bit. "Here, take it." [Youre giving it to me...?] "Of course. It belongs to your people." [Ah...] Sinea epted it with trembling hands. Hed somewhat expected this to happen, but at that moment, the magic within the spirit stone harmonized with Sinea and emitted an explosive light! Lee Shin Woo watched closely as Sinea absorbed the magic from the spirit stone and was reborn. The other Dryads also silently approached and watched without saying a word. It seemed like they knew what exactly she was going through. [Lv6 Dryad Princess - Sinea] When the spirit stones light disappeared and Sinea could be seen once again, the spirit stone no longer remained in her hands. But the fact remained that her level and her position had changed, as well as her power; the power she emitted was iparable to before, proving that the spirit stone hadnt disappeared in vain. [Thank you so much, Paul Zero.] There wasnt much change in her physique, but she possessed much more mana than before, as well as that mana bing clearer. As she wasposed of mana, her dress became more splendid. He supposed that that was proof that she was a higher level spirit than the others. [Were... we will keep our promise to you. Always.] Her voice was trembling with effervescence and happiness. He could tell how she was feeling purely through her voice. As expected, these spirits really were messed up. Lee Shin Woo inwardly muttered. [Even if we die at the end of it, we will always...] "No, itd be pointless if you died, so you dont have to go that far." Sinea dered as she gazed more deeply at Lee Shin Woo, and Lee Shin Woo replied humbly and thought. Everything is going as nned. Chapter 21 part4 [Paul Zero, you have toe see us again!] [Heuk, heuk [1]. Paul Zero, dont leave me.] [Bye, Paul Zero!] When Lee Shin Woo dered that he would leave immediately, the Dryads reactions were quite the sight. There were those who grabbed his hands, and there were those who acted like they were parting with their lover, as tears streamed down their cheeks. Their initial reactions of him being a skeleton and being astonished were nonexistent at this point. This is usually what happens. While a first impression seemed like it was of utmost importance, they had ultimately forgotten all about it. "I said Ide back." [You have toe back!] [Since we want to repay you for introducing us to such lovely trees!] "Yeah. I promise toe see you again." Though he had established his rtionship with them through a false name, Lee Shin Woo suddenly thought that perhaps his rtionship with the Dryads was actually more "truthful" than his rtionship with the heroes he conversed with in the chatting channel. [Paul Zero, whenever you need our help, just give us a call.] Sinea, as the representative of the Dryads, stepped forward, softly embraced Lee Shin Woo, and said her farewells. He softly tapped Sineas shoulder with his bone hand. "Yeah, Ill do that. I promise." [Take this.] She said, and simultaneously passed Lee Shin Woo a small grapevine branch. As it possessed Sineas magic, who had been reborn as a Dryad Princess, he thought it might be the material for an artifact, but fortunately him grabbing the branch didnt transform it into bone. [If you break this branch, Ille to your side, no matter where you are.] "...Thanks." He felt like his lie had worked almost too well, but Lee Shin Woo obediently took the branch. Sinea looked relieved when she saw Lee Shin Woo pocket (into his inventory) the branch and then kissed his forehead... his frontal bone, and whispered so that only he could hear her. [An undead whos not undead; without the energy of death. I hope that one day I can return to you your true appearance that has been hidden by the appearance of a skeleton.] "..." Lee Shin Woo was slightly surprised, but his reply didnt really give that away. It seemed like his silence was enough for her, as Sinea smiled softly and stepped back. She had instantly gained amanding appearance upon absorbing the spirit stone and being reborn as a Dryad Princess. Good for you. Ah, knock it off. Jin was jealous that Lee Shin Woo monopolized all of the Dryads attention, and left the orchard whilst inwardly quarreling with him. Of course, they werent going above ground immediately. They were using the railway to travel to the winery and leave through that exit instead. And by doing so, Lee Shin Woo wouldnt have to worry about the Dryads for some time. They had everything they would need underground already, so as long as nobody disturbed them, they should be able to stockpile energy and grow from within. Moreover, their leader, Princess Sinea, had promised to aid him unconditionally, so he couldnt ask for a better result. If he was a human, he probably wouldve sighed refreshingly right now, but it was quite unfortunate that he couldnt. "In any case, were finished with this." "When Im with you, everything bes so hectic that I cant even remember what we were originally trying to do." Jin pointed out, and that resonated with Lee Shin Woo a bit. When he thought about it, he hadnt originally set out to save the Dryads. Hed just gone to the forest using the knowledge of Vitas troops to level up his Acid Resistance. However, even when he thought about it himself, he couldnt really give a good reason as to how the situation had be like this. He could only say that he had acted ording to his instincts and this was the result that followed! "But you were able to rest a little because of the Dryads, as weve been fighting all this time. Plus, you were able to see some beautiful women too." "If this constitutes taking a break, then how much do we have to move around for it to be called hectic? ...Besides, all those beautiful women were flirting with you!" "Haha." It seemed like Jin had umted a lot of stress from acting like a normal horse in front of the Dryads. Moreover, they had spent almost two months training their Acid Resistance skills, so they had managed to escape the throes of death. Maybe hed achieve the feat of being the first undead that died from overworking himself. "I got it. You used your curse absorption on them, and youve been working really hardtely, so lets take our time for now." "Thats not what I wanted to say, but... you said it, not me, so no take backs." "Alright. We wont do anything regarding resistances or dungeons for now." "...Hmm." Jin sounded quite satisfied! However, as soon as Lee Shin Woo ryed his next destination to Jin through Assimtion, he soon uttered in a stiff voice. "Hey. This is where that senior who turned into an undead is." "Yep." Lee Shin Woos destination was an area that was somewhere between a danger level 2 zone and a danger level 3 zone. It was also the location where Shino Rendu had died and been reborn as an undead! It had been some time since, so he wanted to see if Metafel had left as well. "You said we wouldnt do anything regarding resistances or dungeons!" "While were taking it slow and sightseeing, I wanted to see how our senior is doing." "And hunting him." "Why do you have to say it like that? I just want to inherit my seniors will. If I can, his abilities as well." "You cruel bastard..." Though Lee Shin Woo responded sarcastically, he didnt actually feel all too good about this. There was no way he could be happy about fighting against his undead-turned senior when he had never treated him badly. Although he was both a swindler and an actor, he wasnt a psychopath. ...Even so, its not something I can avoid. And its not something I should avoid. Especially because it was highly likely that Shino Rendu had encountered the Mercenary King, Metafel in his final moments. If those memories are intact, he had to acquire them no matter what. He didnt have time to waste on pointless affection. "Youll go, right?" "Fine, you asshole." "I wasnt joking when I said we should go slowly. You dont need to go full speed." "Whats the asion?" Jin inclined his head, looking for the direction the sun rose, even though no such sun existed in the Underground Empire. Seeing that, Lee Shin Woo just shrugged his shoulders. "Since weve been growing too rapidly thus far. We need the time to examine and get used to our abilities." "That really doesnt sound like something you would say..." Even though Jin snorted in astonishment, he did as Lee Shin Woo said and began moving slowly. Though he was still moving so quickly that others couldnt even see him, this speed was walking slowly for Jin. Good. Right now my abilities are... Lee Shin Woo had befortable on Jins back, as if it were the living room of his house, and examined both his stats and skills. Thus far, hed encountered simr enemies and fought simr battles in the Forest of the Dryads, and had concentrated on using his skills. If he didnt meditate over his skills and adapt to them at times like this, he might destroy himself [2] from using those skills over and over again. Ill forget about Acid Resistance for a while. The same goes for the Acid element as well... However, the method I figured out at the end of my training wasnt bad. Since he was thinking about it, he decided to summon some weapons into the air. If he excluded the armor set he was wearing right now, he could summon four pieces of equipment. All of the summoned weapons were the Lightning Tooth. When he fought in the Forest of the Dryads, the axe was the most appropriate weapon as it was of the Acid element, but in normal situations, the Lightning Tooth was the best, as it emitted powerful lightning. On the other hand, the Drake Horn Lance was... obviously an impressive weapon, but it bothered him that it didnt possess its own element. "Youre not going to throw those somewhere, are you?" "Dont worry. Just look forward." Magic. The mysterious energy that inhabited all existence. It could possess an infinite number of properties depending on the wielder. However, one such property of magic was that those properties couldnt be maintained for very long when magic is poured into something from the outside. However, that rule isnt applied to my bones, which are both my equipment, as well as my body. To be more exact, Lee Shin Woo made it so that rule didnt apply. It sounded easy, but it required a substantial amount of willpower, as well as concentration. As he split his magic into four different streams and inserted that mana into his weapons, he absorbed the outside surrounding mana within him, replenishing his magic. It wasnt easy, but if he was able to do this naturally, hisbat ability would increase as well. Rather than trying to explode the weapons with the infused mana, I need to be proficient in collecting that mana back and using it. If he did so, his Bone Armory wouldnt be just a simple storage house, but an extension of his body. And if it did be an extension of his body, Lee Shin Woo could gain power that couldnt be measured strictly through levels! Now that I think about it, my stats are already at a total of 3,093. I only need to raise my stats by 107 to get to level 6... Hed bragged that he could get to level 6 in just a month when he was still level 4, and ever since hed reached level 5 to now, hed made the best choice he could in most situations, so it would be strange if Lee Shin Woo hadnt grown by this much. Unfortunately, there was a huge gap between Lee Shin Woo and Jin now. When they had first met, Jin had been a higher level than Lee Shin Woo, but now, there was a difference of about 500 stats between them. Still, at the very least, Jin possessed the Child of Light skill, which increased his agility stat gain by three times, so the disparity hadnt grown anyrger than this. The number of skills we have are way too different. Jin only had a few skills he could use (Steel Heart being the main one) and concentrated on those few skills, whereas Lee Shin Woo trained the variety of skills hed gained from Bone Reinforcement as much as possible. Most low rank skills wouldnt increase ones stats very much even when they leveled up, but when they reached the intermediate level, even the most lousy looking skills would increase ones stats by at least 5, so there was no way there wouldnt be a gap between the two. It doesnt seem like Jin can obtain as many skills as me, even if I reinforce him with the same amount of bones as me... It cant be helped. This might be the directions of our respective karmas. There was only a fixed number of bones that Jin could absorb, so there was a difference in the amount of bones the two could absorb; it would probably be better if he gave up on equalizing their stats. Of course, it wasnt like Jin wouldnt be helpful if his level dropped below Lee Shin Woos. Jins sprint rted skills, his body designed for running, and above all, the imbnce of his high agility stat with his other stats that resulted in his speed, would certainly increase Lee Shin Woos strength. "Shin Woo. Shin Woo!" "Yeah?" "Look over there." Lee Shin Woo, who was thinking far into their future, was awoken by Jins voice. Because of their connection, Lee Shin Woo immediately knew what Jin was pointing at. It was a city. The amount of death energy being released from the city confirmed that it hadnt been purified by the other heroes. "What do you think? Should we stop by?" "...Yeah. I suppose we could stop by and then continue." It should be ok, as it had nothing to do with resistances or dungeons. Lee Shin Woo shrugged his shoulders and followed Jins offer. Both Lee Shin Woo and Jin were unaware of this, but Jin had been considerably corrupted by Lee Shin Woo. Exactly three hourster, they managed to purify the city. Anyone hearing that theyd purified a level 2 danger zone city within three hours would be shocked, but unfortunately, the two skeleton heroes had already forgotten what it meant to be normal. [1] T/N: Crying sound. [2] E/N: His identity as a Joker and/or his adaptability. Chapter 21 part5 [You have perfectly purified the intermediate city, Buote where countless merchants from small towns gathered! You have acquired 2 permits to Gods secret shop. You have acquired 100,000 Perium. Proficiency in allbat rted skills increase. The finding friend location function has been added. If yourrade permits you to do so, you can track their location.] [You defeated every undead in the city with a single blow! You are powerful enough to be called the most powerful level 5, as you easily overpowered simrly leveled undead. All stats have increased by 3.] Lee Shin Woo had experience in clearing the simrly sized city, Kehebe, so he didnt even need to worry about conquering this city, and just ughtered every undead that came his way. But perhaps because of that, he achieved another feat and his stats increased. Well, hed repeatedly killed level 5 elite undead in a single blow, which couldnt bemon within the ranks of level 5 heroes. Even if Lee Shin Woo was right about to level up to level 6, that is. "So thats how it is. The strongest level 5..." Lee Shin Woo felt like that title was exposing his location, so he wasnt all that happy about it. No matter how much he boasted, he was still only the strongest amongst level 5s! However, he quickly regained his spirits. Someone might pick a fight with him if he were self-conceited or became too rxed. It was always important to strive to improve oneself; even his own parents had told him that. "So what did your parents do for a living?" "Whats with you all of a sudden?" In the process of conquering the city, he had consumed all of the level 5 elites bones hed acquired, but the effects werent worth writing home about, so while he was here, Lee Shin Woo investigated all of the sewers as well. There was nothing in the sewers this time too. There were some Anti-Skull hidden facilities remaining, but there was no one inside of them, so he felt twice the dejection. Was he bing careless after recruiting the golems and Dryads as allies? He became angry, even though it didnt really matter. "Maybe the guys in here were smarter than the rest and regained their intellect on their own and left." "How unfortunate." "Its not that unfortunate, you know." Lee Shin Woo left the city gaining essentially nothing, and began running towards his destination with Jin once more. A few more hours passed like that. Mmmm... I think Im done with this now. After hed infused mana into the weapons, he maintained it, as well as drawing out that mana to use for his skills; in less than 4 hours of training, Lee Shin Woo mastered that technique. At the very least, he wouldnt make a mistake while controlling this few weapons. Im done checking my stats too. Lee Shin Woo clenched and unclenched his fist a few times, and then nodded his head. He checked his stats, his skills, and even the titles hed acquired thus far. His self-inspection was perfect. Even if he encountered a level 6 elite monster, he would be able to take it on without any problems. Then, I suppose I should start resting a bit... Of course, it was just called resting, as Lee Shin Woo couldnt waste his time with that. He took a deep breath, opened his inventory, and took out a book from it. It was the book seemingly left behind by the Elementalist Mellonia, who had an amicable rtionship with the Dryads. There are a total of 5 volumes... Its sorted by number. He opened the first volume. Though he was given the ability to speak and read this worldsnguage, because he had absorbed countless undeads memories and experiences, he didnt really need to use that ability anymore, and was able to read the letters naturally. Perhaps because of that, he could understand the meaning behind each and every letter. [I hope that this bookes into the possession of one who loves spirits.] The 1st volume started with such a cliche and pretentious line, and could be considered an introduction to spirits that was written personally by Mellonia. As he read the first volume, Lee Shin Woo was able to supplement his knowledge considerably with the absorbed Silver Ice Tigers canine. There was a difference between theory and actual experience. Heughed at the fact that he was able to acquire both from Mellonia. High ranked knowledge and experience; it was easy for him to tell that Mellonia was someone renowned when she was alive as she possessed both. But even Mellonia is saying that an Elementalist cant use elemental power themselves, but instead uses the spirits to acquire it... Based on the experiences hed acquired from the earring, elemental power just referred to elemental magic. But contrary to Lee Shin Woo, who had realized that he could transform his mana into said elemental power, Mellonia stated that one must form a contract with a spirit to do so. Of course, Mellonia was wrong. Since Lee Shin Woo was proof that she was wrong. If thats the case, then I dont need to contract with a spirit as I can already use elemental power. However, it didnt seem like that was actually the case. As Mellonia said, spirits are as smart or smarter than humans, so they can also move independently, and the more authority the spirits have over an element, the more powerfully they can wield that element... [Above all, they lead their contractor to immortality.] As Lee Shin Woo read that section, his goblin fire zed. It was a phrase that he really didnt like. Since entering the Underground Empire, the term immortality could cause Lee Shin Woo to shake. Moreover, if one could actually achieve immortality from contracting with spirits, then Mellonia shouldnt have died. [A spirit causes their contractor to slowly, very slowly be like them. These spirits do not have the physical constraints of an aging body, but areposed of magic and a soul; in theory, they possess eternal life. But as the contractor slowly starts to resemble these spirits, what would happen to them in the end?] [The contract between a spirit and an Elementalist is like the rtionship between trees and the Dryads who parasitize them. It bes easy to understand byparing the Elementalist to the tree, and the Dryads as the spirits. The moment the Dryads attach to these trees which have no ability or will of their own, the trees begin to obtain a certain spiritual power.] [In the process, the trees be a ce where Dryads are born, as well as the resting ce for the other Dryads. Ultimately, the tree bes a new spirit. One of the reasons I made a research facility in the Forest of the Dryads is because I wanted to thoroughly observe the trees changes.] It seems like Mellonia hadnte to the Forest of the Dryads with innocent intentions, contrary to what the Dryads had thought; it didnt seem like she spent her days pleasantly researching by strolling through the forest, and breathing in the aroma of the forest. She said that she didnt want any harm toe to the Dryads, yet she was clearly a researcher who studied the Dryads. [This is my supposition based on the Dryads rtionship with trees. One day, an Elementalist contracted with spirits will lose their body and will be a pure astral body. If thats the case, can we even call that an evolution? Can we call that immortality?] Lee Shin Woo didnt think so. They wouldnt be a different species regardless of if they had a physical body or an astral body. There would be living organisms with superior physical bodies, as well as living beings with inferior astral bodies. One couldnt conclude whether one was strictly better than the other. And if turning into an astral body was indeed considered a form of evolution, he wouldnt walk that path. Giving up one thing to gain another; he was sick and tired of those kind of deals. He wanted it all now. Hoo... Lee Shin Woo had already read 3 of the 5 volumes and inwardly sighed. He had attempted to learn a specific method of handling spirits, but the history of spirit theory was extensive, and there was a lot of knowledge and usage of spirits which seemed to be filled with only subjective opinions. Of course, that wasnt bad. It wasnt bad, but it felt like he was licking an extremely delicious and sweet fruit. Or the feeling of figuring out the history of the painting, but not providing the winning bid at an auction. What about the other two remaining volumes? ...Huh? The 4th volumes contents were much shabbier than the previous three volumes, yet it was the book detailing the method of contracting with spirits. It was the book Lee Shin Woo had been wanting to read the most! Plus, the contents are dry. Volume 1-3 had exined spirits quite enthusiastically, yet when he actually got to the method of contracting with spirits, it was extremely abstract, stating that one must find a ce abundant with the energy of nature, which wasnt very helpful and only stated things that were discouraging. [Spirits are living beings. Without life, there are no spirits. You must find a ce most abundant with life.] [If one can be a knight through their own efforts, and a magician is heaven sent, then an Elementalist is chosen by nature. Personal training isnt really instrumental in bing an Elementalist. An abundance of mana is important, and above all, luck is paramount. Thats because one must be chosen by a spirit.] [An Elementalist must try to take after nature. Spirits love the most natural mana. Next, the more captivating you look to the spirits, the better.] The first half of the 4th volume evoked the feeling of Conquer them! Make the spirits fall for you! The makeup thatll make them fall for you!. And the second half sounded like something a guru cultivating himself in a forest would say; the disconnect really bothered him. "Its exactly like I thought." "What about?" "It was impossible to contract with spirits in this Empire, as the curse had already taken root." "Thats quite unfortunate." If he went into a dungeon, would spirits be in there? Even if there were, they wouldnt easily form a contract with him. Moreover, he would need a charming exterior appearance; so long as Lee Shin Woo didnt continually maintain his Disguise, the clear conditions were impossible! Since he was a skeleton! "Ah, I already knew it all, but I read it thinking that maybe... Damn it. Theres only thest volume remaining, so I should read that." "Are you the type that cant stop reading a series even when it goes to shit?" "Dont traumatize me." After Lee Shin Woo quieted Jin down, he started reading the 5th volume. It was Mellonias journal, and seemed like it was written after she had be an Elementalist. The dates were all mixed up, but they were properly arranged by time. [His name is Silver. They say all Silver Ice Tigers are like this, but Silvers the only Silver Ice Tiger for me.] [Silver lead me to a different world. I was able to meet other Elementalists as well, and I, who was once a stupid countryside girl, was able to be a Royal Elementalist and wear nice clothes. Everything feels like a dream.] To think she didnt erase this section of her journal, the time when she was so naive. Perhaps this was thest thing Mellonia could remember? He felt slightly resistant in reading further, but Lee Shin Woo resolved himself and went to the next page. [It seems like I have an aptitude for magic. Since I have an aptitude in magic, and Im also loved by a spirit, I can be a talented Elementalist. Im not used to gettingplimented by others.] [Someone more talented than me entered. Theyre only 7 years old, yet theyve been chosen by 3 high ranking spirits. Moreover, shes the royal princess. Is it really ok for someone to have it all?] Lee Shin Woo stopped at this part. If they were clearly this powerful, then perhaps Lee Shin Woo would meet themter. But if that were the case, then Lee Shin Woo had to read further. He continued onto the next page without rest, and was able to obtain more information regarding the princess from Mellonia. However, Mellonias diary which detailed her life in the pce, ended abruptly with one sentence. [Silver died.] After that, what was depicted afterwards was dark. Reviving a spirit, the research involved, leaving the pce, as well as regarding where she disappeared to (the Forest of the Dryads)... And. [When I had no way out, and had fallen into despair, they found me.] [They said they would give me all the materials I needed, so I n to follow them.] [I knew their resistance, their treachery would end in the worst way possible, but...] [But still, it doesnt matter. A world without Silver can go to hell for all I care.] That page ended with that final line. Ultimately, this was clearly rted to his quest of uncovering the secret of the Empire (but not telling him about how things progressed beforehand)! Lee Shin Woo sported a discouraged expression and wanted to burn the diary to a crisp, but he suddenly saw something written very small on thest page. [Does anyone have the Key to Heavens Gate? At the very least, that is something that doesnt belong to either Anti-Skull or the Emperor.] "...?" Putting aside the fact that she knew about Anti-Skull, whats with this clearly suspicious line...? Lee Shin Woo tilted his head. However, Jin called Lee Shin Woo at just the right time. "Shin Woo, weve arrived." When Lee Shin Woo raised his head, he saw apletely ruined city before him. It looked a lot bigger than any other city hed seen before, but because everything was broken, it felt truly empty. Above all, what was most peculiar was the disorderly traces of undead in various ces, yet they had already left the city. As well as the presence of a hero whod be an undead... that had died alone silently within the city. "What are you going to do?" "What do you mean?" Lee Shin Woo shoved the five volumes of Mellonias books into his inventory and gripped one of the swords in the air. He pushed away the various thoughts in his head and sharpened himself, like a de. He could progress the questter. That was the appeal of quests: he would have a bunch of them at once and eventually hedplete them one by one. There was only one thing of importance right now. "Hes my senior, so I have to pay myst respects." Chapter 22 part1 [You are fighting against a higher leveled enemy. The Rebellion skill increases all stats by 10%! All stats increase by an additional 5% because of your partner. All effects are shared with your partner.] Good. Im all ready now... Lee Shin Woo gripped his sword and red at the zombie. Unfortunately, he couldnt approach from behind without him knowing and attacking. The moment they got close enough to recognize their enemy, the zombie... Shino Rendu also noticed them. Well, even a level 6 magician wouldve noticed their approach, so it wouldve been strange if Shino Rendu, who looked like a warrior, hadnt noticed them approach. It was pretty much impossible to hide, as well as ambush a higher leveled enemy! Especially because Shadow Sprint isnt a perfect stealth skill. It would however help in concealing his appearance, as well as making it difficult to perfectly grasp his attacks. Before he was the one taking the first hit, he acted without wasting any time. All of his sprint rted skills had activated. [By activating Intermediate Shadow Sprint, you be one with your shadow. Your sprint speed and your secrecy increase. It has be more difficult for your opponent to grasp your form.] [You have activated Low Rank Twin Horn Charge. The force of your charge increases. The moment you ram into your opponent with your horns, your destructive power increases overwhelmingly.] If I knew it would be like this, I wouldve summoned a Drake Horn Lance as one of them. Lee Shin Woo hadnt looked far enough ahead. If his n was to execute a charging attack on his opponent as soon as he noticed him, then he shouldnt have summoned four Lightning Tooths; instead, he shouldve summoned a single Drake Horn Lance just in case. However, he didnt have enough time to unsummon one of his Lightning Tooths and summon a Drake Horn Lance right now; plus, it was a waste of mana. He patted Jin whilst taking a mental note of not making the same mistake in the future. "Lets go!" "Heup!" The hero whod be undead, Shino Rendu, looked exactly like a human from a side view, but the moment he noticed Lee Shin Woo and Jin, there was a sudden kwang sound from the floor! He had struck the floor and piles of rocks shot up everywhere, hiding him. Lee Shin Woo could tell that Shino Rendus physical strength was much higher than his own after seeing that move. Fighting him face-to-face is risky. A red light went off in Lee Shin Woos head. They could only win with a hit and run strategy! However, Jin turned directions at that very moment. Immediately after, Lee Shin Woos head passed by a rock. "Hes throwing them!" "Hoo...!" Itd be great if he hit them, and even if he missed, he would cause Jin to dodge, which would reduce his speed, as well as the resulting force; was that his intent? That was the moment that Lee Shin Woo realized that their opponent retained his reasoning somehow, despite being undead. If thats the case, then thest thing he needed to check was... The moment Lee Shin Woo gripped his sword, Jin knew what he was nning, and charged once more, dashing through the area covered in thick dust. It seemed as though they had instantaneously closed the gap, yet then they would seemingly be far away. It was because Jin had intentionally turned around. 3, 2... Now! Kuu! And in the next instance, Jins steel covered legs momentarily stretched in a direction that they normally shouldnt be able to. Then, he kicked off the ground; Lee Shin Woo and Jins bodies bent at a 90 degree angle and turned to the right. This was their intention from the start! Theyunched towards the impact area like a rocket, and that impact area was where Shino Rendu was. He threw another rock at them, had missed due to Jins charge, and tilted his head! "Hit!" Shino Rendu, who had btedly noticed Lee Shin Woo, raised his arm, but at that moment, Lee Shin Woos sword burrowed deep into Shino Rendus head! [Kuhaahk!] After Lee Shin Woo had stuck his sword into the back of Shino Rendus head, he gave it up. Lee Shin Woos sprint skills, as well as Jins frightening speedbined, resulting in the power that would blow away their enemy, regardless of if they were a level 6 elite. "Good job, Jin. Nice drift." "That guys standing up!" "He cant stand up." What would be the point of filling the Lightning Tooth with mana if he didnt blow it up? Lee Shin Woo didnt give Shino Rendu, who was arduously standing from the floor, even a little bit of time as he immediately exploded the Lightning Tooth stuck in his head. And Shino Rendu emitted an awful scream. [Kuaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!] "Tch, did I screw up?" "Youre sure you didnt kill him?" Lee Shin Woo muttered, and Jin replied, stunned. However, immediately after, Shino Rendu dashed out of the explosion. Lee Shin Woo gazed at Shino Rendu and was speechless. He didnt think he would be able to instantly kill an undead who was once a hero, but... Hes regenerating, too. It happened immediately after the burrowed Lightning Tooth burst into a lightning explosion. It wouldnt have been strange if his bones crumbled and his rotten flesh was burnt. However, the ipital region of his head was regenerating from the Lightning Tooths explosion, as if time had been rewound. His bones, his brain, his blood, his skin, everything! [Kuhahk...! U-Undead...!] "Hes even talking now." What the hell was that unbelievable super regeneration that even restored his brain? The warning bells rang in Lee Shin Woos head. He was sure that his regeneration didnt evenpete with Shino Rendus! "Hoo." Lee Shin Woo looked upon Shino Rendu, who stumbled while standing up, chuckled, and got back into position. He called another Lightning Tooth into his empty hand, and summoned a new weapon from Bone Armory to fill in the gap. The Melting Bone Double Axe. If lightning doesnt work, then I have no choice but to go with acid this time. His Acid element had grown substantially. If acid didnt work, then nothing else would work; he could just run away if it didnt work. In any case, it was clear that they were ahead of him in agility. [Undead...! D-Die!] In between, Shino Rendu had regained his posture, stretched out his right arm and charged at them. His right arm was just as impressive as his super regeneration. It was his right arm that had struck the floor upon discovering Lee Shin Woo; if he exerted force into his right arm, it would temporarily glow with a red light, turning his arm gigantic. That gave him supernatural strength, proving his authority as a hero. And his supernatural regeneration ability is the same. Hes got both strength and regeneration, so hes pretty much invincible. Are all the other heroes this monstrous? ...But when he thought about it calmly, Shino Rendu obviously wouldnt have died to one of the 12 generals if he were invincible. There was probably a limit to his strength, and there would likewise be a limit to his super regeneration. Lee Shin Woos goblin fire didnt fade. No, it actually zed even more than before. If I fight against a strong foe and defeat him... Ill grow even quicker! Jin responded to the charging Shino by kicking off the floor himself. He was nning on using the same movement that they just used, but Shino Rendu smashed the floor with his fist, as if saying that he wouldnt fall for their scheme a second time. Pieces of stone surged in all directions! Was this a skill as well? Each and every rock possessed an unusual amount of force. "Tch... You thought that would work!?" Jin responded so quickly that their connection temporarily became faint, breaking through the area the skill was in effect. Lee Shin Woo grit his teeth and gripped the Lightning Tooth in preparation for theing collision. His goal was to not get hit while simultaneously lodging his sword into the back of Shinos head. [I wont... fall for that twice!] But before Lee Shin Woos sword came into contact with his head, Shino stuck out his right arm, as if taking Lee Shin Woo head on; his stuck out right arm created an intense pressure on the surrounding area. Despite not personally crashing into him, both Jin and Lee Shin Woos bodies simultaneously felt his absurd strength! His physical strength was augmented by a magical force as well. "Tch...!" "Gguaaaaahk!" Lee Shin Woos body suddenly stopped midair. He momentarily thought it was a waste, and shot one of the Lightning Tooths that had followed behind him into the air. Shino attempted to intercept this one was well, but the Lightning Tooth, filled with an abundant amount of mana, was able to disperse the pressure, and struck the middle of Shinos forearm. It softly cut through the arm as if slicing through cheese, as it was powered by an overwhelming amount of magic! [Kuaaaaaaaahk! You bastarrrrrrd!] "Heup!" Shino cried out, and forcefully iled his arm, but at that moment, the pressure that prevented Lee Shin Woo from moving was released! At that very moment, Lee Shin Woo stuck his Lightning Tooth into Shinos arm. It was a truly lightning likebo! "Heut!" Lee Shin Woo had seeded in his attack, and the moment he retreated, Shinos arm cut through the air emitting a menacing piercing power. If he were hit by that, a part of his body wouldve been smashed to bits regardless of his defense; fortunately he had attacked after Lee Shin Woo was quite a distance away. "Explode!" [Kuaaaaaaahk!] The two Lightning Tooths simultaneously exploded and Shinos arm broke into pieces. Lee Shin Woo, who had evaded the explosion by retreating, gripped hisst remaining Lightning Tooth and pressed Jin to dash forward again. If he regenerated his arm, things would be difficult! "Heuuup...!" [You undead bastards...! You hateful...!] He had already activated his super regeneration, and his bones, as well as his muscles were beginning to heal starting from his shoulder. Lee Shin Woo, who thought that he would miss his chance to attack in just a few seconds, gritted his teeth and stretched out his sword. [Kuahk!] Shino Rendu attempted to hold Lee Shin Woo back with his left arm, which was tiny inparison to his right arm, but unfortunately, his left arm wasnt able to stand up against Lee Shin Woos Lightning Tooth. Immediately after sparks were emitted atop the de, Shinos left arm flew into the air. "Then... Rest in peace, Senior!" "Did you really have to say something like that!?" Lee Shin Woo, gripping his sword, immediately lodged his sword into Shinos head. With a cracking sound, his head was cleaved in two. Before his super regeneration repaired that crack, his previously summoned Melting Bone Double Axe which he had poured mana into and charged prior, precisely burrowed into the crevice. Even Lee Shin Woo thought that his control was hair-raising. "Explode, the both of you!" [Kahahk!] The final remaining bombs exploded. Lee Shin Woo and Jin werent able to dodge the ensuing explosionpletely, and were swept away by the rear st. However, it wasnt as bad as having their head blown off. "Hoo..." "Huuu..." Lee Shin Woo inspected Shino Rendu, who had fallen t on his face, and sighed deeply. Jin also spoke as though he was sapped of all his energy. It was a battle where they used all avable means to win in such a short time. He had used up all four Lightning Tooths saturated with mana in an instant, and even the Melting Double Bone Axe as well! [..., ...!] But in exchange, it was truly that effective. Perhaps because Shino had lost both his arms and his head in one fell stroke, his super regeneration had slowed down, and the addition of Acid Poison following the explosion would melt away his body, even if those body parts were restored! We won. Lee Shin Woo smiled pridefully, and stretched out one arm into the air. The weapon hed summoned and gripped was none other than the Drake Horn Lance. Since he was his senior, should he give him a magnificent end? Screw that. Despite using up all of his weapons, he hadnt yet died and endured, so Lee Shin Woo had no choice but topletely end him. "Youre ready, right Jin?" "Hoo... Ok." As it was a short and intense battle, Jin was likewise pushing himself. He had been continuously turning his body here and there whilst pushing his concentration to the limit. As a result, he had sustained damage in various ces on his body. If he werent undead, he wouldve fallen over already. Likewise, if it werent for Steel Heart, his lumbar vertebrae would already have been broken. "Good, then." [Did you say... Senior?] But then, Lee Shin Woo heard a voice that made his body feel cold. Were his vocal cords restored during that time!? Of course, there were several who could speak without vocal cords in this world, so it wasnt actually something that surprising! [Yeah. Im a... hero...] "No, youre undead." [Undead... Im undead...] Lets finish it here. It would be better to finish it here than let things get out of hand, right? Lee Shin Woo nodded his head and raised hisnce high up into the air. Calling... With the mana (hed stored a ton of mana into his Lightning Tooths, so he had about 80% of his mana left) he had remaining, Lee Shin Woo infused his mana into the tip of thence, creating a dark blue lightning. [I dont want to...] "Thunder..." [die... though.] Why was it? The moment he heard that, Lee Shin Woo lost all strength in his body. He tried to figure out why, but his actions just came out as obviously illogical to him... Despiteing to that conclusion, he ultimately spoke like this. "...Do you want to live, even at the cost of living on as an undead?" Chapter 22 part2 Shin Woo!? I have a lot on my mind right now, so dont talk to me. That arm containing superhuman strength and that super regeneration. It was obvious that if he were to obtain both of those, he would be much stronger. [Can you even... call this living...?] "Fine then. If you want to die, then..." [No...!] But because he noticed Shino Rendu was clearly regaining his reasoning, he couldnt thrust hisnce. It could aptly be called a whim, but he didnt feel inclined to pierce hisnce forward and end Shinos life. [Let me live... Even if I have to live as an undead...] "Alright. Sure, Ill let you live." [Ah, ahh...!] Immediately after he said that, Lee Shin Woo chuckled as he suddenly looked back at the thoughts hed had the day he rescued Ye Jin Jin. That it would be more advantageous to do that. How absurd. A human cannot always calcte the oues of a situation and then act. Life isnt a game. He didnt know if he would regret making this decision, but... perhaps this decision would be the greatest decision hes ever made. He didnt know how the future would turn out, so it was an especially attractive choice. It was a choice that followed his heart. As a Joker, he couldnt make any other choice. "My names Paul Zero. Whats yours?" [Shino... Rendu...] Although he was undead, Shino Rendu was different from the other Pauls and precisely remembered his name; perhaps this was because he was a high level before he died. Lee Shin Woo nodded his head and spoke. "Do you hate humans?" [No way! I was... human...] "But youre not now." [...] He remained silent for a second, and examined his body. At the sight of the rotten flesh on his right arm being regenerated, as well as the sttering ck blood, he epted that he was an undead. [A dead body...] "How about it? I can kill you if youve changed your mind." [I want to live... Let me live...] "What do you want to do if you live?" [Revenge...!] He had roughly anticipated that. Lee Shin Woo replied harshly. "Who do you want revenge on?" [Metafel...! The undead!] "Good. Thats enough." Since itse to this, he couldnt help but ept it. His memories of being human were intact, and was acting in ordance to his goals as a human... Shino Rendu was undergoing the same phenomenon as the other Pauls. He didnt know why that was. Since other heroes who became undead couldnt all go through the same phenomenon. If thats the case, is it because he met me? No way. Lee Shin Woo justughed at his unbelievable assumption. These guys possessed the disposition of bing like this. Their strong tenacity, as well as their deep-seated grudges would meet, allowing for them to be awakened! "Follow me. Ill help you get you revenge on him one day." [Im...!] "Anything else and Ill kill you. This isnt an offer, nor is it a request. Its an order." [Keuk...] Lee Shin Woo spoke in an excessively strong voice, and stopped Shino from voicing his opinion. There were two reasons for him wanting to make Shino Rendu his subordinate. Firstly, he couldnt let someone so dangerous free without some restraints on him. Secondly, if he cant have his abilities, then he would only be satisfied by owning the possessor of those abilities. "Will you follow me?" [...Ill follow you.] Sparks flickered across the Drake Horn Lance. He raised thence into the air and then thrust it into the ground. Blue sparks spread everywhere, causing Shino Rendu to tremble. Lee Shin Woo spoke quietly. "Again." [I will follow you, sir.] "Good, Shino. Henceforth, youre my subordinate." Once Shino Rendu understood, and obediently epted Lee Shin Woo as his master, an unbreakable master-servant rtionship was formed between them. Once that connection was formed, ck light surged from Shino Rendus entire body. And Lee Shin Woo knew exactly what that signified. It was the same light that would appear when a Paul was reborn as an elite! [You have seeded in making a higher leveled individual your subordinate. It was difficult to tame him, but so long as you seed in taming him, he will be your greatest helper. The Intermediate Command skill has be Lv3. All stats have increased by 1.] [The Lv6 Zombie Elite has transformed into the Lv6 Undead Avenger - Shino Rendu.] Lee Shin Woo thought that was it, but he was wrong. In fact, they were only now moving onto the main topic. [You have sessfully inspired a ruined hero who had forgotten his past with a new purpose! Revenge is the most simple and most powerful emotion. That will allow him to remain an undead that is not truly an undead. Proficiency in all corresponding skills has greatly increased.] [The Acting skill has be Lv14. You can induce the desired response from an individual with even the simplest of words.] [The Instigate skill has be Lv2. Magic has increased by 10. The emotions of those who hear your voice can be more easily moved.] [The Rebellion skill has be Lv2. All stats have increased by 3. Whenever you satisfy a condition for the Rebellion skill, stats increase even further. Currently, stats are increased by 12%.] Because he hadnt killed the hero, he wasnt rewarded with the quest reward, but as he had expected, a variety of his skills had grown. Leveling up his Instigate and Rebellion skills was especially huge. Though he didnt really know why those two skills had leveled up! [Hooooo...] Around the time Lee Shin Woo was finished reading all the messages, the light began to wane, and Shino Rendu was revealed, being reborn as a never before seen ss, the Undead Avenger. Not only was his once injured head and armpletely healed, but the pitch ck magic formed a bleakly glowing armor that covered his entire body, likely in exchange for the equipment that hed lost from fighting against Metafels undead army. Those guys get some cool armor once they turn into elites, but what about me? Then why dont you stop being a hero and just start being an undead? My bad. After Lee Shin Woo honestly apologized to Jin, they approached Shino Rendu. Shino Rendu briefly examined his body, but soon nodded his head as if satisfied. [Its not bad... sir.] "How much do you remember from before you died?" [Not... much.] Once he became an Undead Avenger, he talked more naturally than before. Lee Shin Woo was bing more and more envious of this guy. He was an undead in name, but he had flesh on his bones. As expected, the higher leveled they were when they died, the more vibrant they were when they revived. If the starting point was a skeleton, then one would end up as a skeleton. Shit! [But... I do remember that I was originally a hero that was dispatched here. And that I had to kill all of the undead. Thats all I remember. Ah, andstly... that Metafel killed me!] "Very good. Thats plenty." [...] It was ament befitting an Undead Avenger, who acted based on their hatred and vengeance. Pleased, Lee Shin Woo nodded his head as Shino Rendu nced at him perplexingly. [Who exactly... are you?] He sure was quick to ask. Of course, they had attacked each other when they first met, so he didnt really have the time to ask. [An undead that goes around hunting other undead... Moreover, that intellect, as well as that peculiar ability. Are you also an undead who was once a hero?] It seemed like this guy became a lot smarter than when he was alive!? However, he couldnt be honest with him, so Lee Shin Woo roughly concocted a suitable response. "I wonder. Perhaps I was a hero some time ago. Its been a long time. Right now, I just cut through any undead I encounter." [I see... How peculiar. I wonder why Ive just been killing all of the undead Ive encountered thus far. Why didnt I have any doubts about that?] "...What about now?" [On the contrary... it feels like I can see things more clearly now.] Shino Rendu said. Lee Shin Woo could see the pitch ck goblin fire beyond Shinos helmet; That was proof that he wasnt human, but undead. [I see this world differently now.] "Thats a relief. ...More importantly, since you fought against Metafel, you should know his special characteristics. Tell me about those in detail. Since well face him someday." [Alright. Ill tell you everything I know.] Lee Shin Woo listened as Shino Rendu told him everything he knew then and there. The tens of thousands of troops that the Mercenary King Metafel lead, as well as the fearsome strength of the level 7 Metafel... "Level 7?" [Thats right. He has a few level 7 undead troops as well, but Metafels strength is on another level...] As expected, Metafel was weaker than the other 12 generals! He had thought so ever since hed fought against the level 6 Corps Commander, Vitas, but it seemed like he was right. Lee Shin Woo inwardly marked Metafel as the weakest of the 12 generals. [Moreover, Metafel... often eats his subordinates to increase his strength. I feel like he was... a ghoul. He was likely a high rank ghoul at that...] "Mmm, thatll definitely be troublesome." A ghoul normally eats corpses, restoring its vitality and mana. If there was plenty of prey, there was no enemy harder to face than a ghoul; that hard to face ghoul was the leader of a corps! He was just like Popeye who carried spinach around with him everywhere! "Hmm? If hes a ghoul, how did you manage to keep your body?" [I was buried in debris during our fight... He ordered his troops to look for me, but because all of those troops were low rank...] "Theyre all idiots, so they couldnt find you. You remained hidden until the very end." [He was just too strong for me, so I was buried under debris. Thats all. I was... lucky.] Lee Shin Woo remembered the superhuman strength that Shino Rendu exhibited. To think that Metafel was even stronger than that; though he considered Metafel the weakest of the 12 generals, he was still one of the 12 generals. He was pissed that he wasnt at that level yet, but he had no choice but to ept it. [So, I became level 6 in the middle of the fight... yet I still died.] "Tch." Shino Rendu had definitely spoken like that. That he attempted to grow too quickly, and would die as a result. He had died after achieving what hed wanted, so he couldnt even begin to describe the bitterness he must feel. Lee Shin Woo thought that perhaps that bitterness allowed him to maintain his reasoning even after bing an undead, and felt strange. "Why did you go that far?" [I had a junior who was so talented... Everyone liked that junior. Especially Seira...] "...Huh?" [Heroes... wee exceptional heroes. I... just wanted to be like that as well.] "..." Thatment made Lee Shin Woo feel dirty. After all, that junior he was talking about was him! Moreover, he had wanted to be just like Lee Shin Woo; he shouldve been careful with what he wished for, as he became an undead just like him. How could something so stupid happen... Lee Shin Woo sighed (even though nothing came out), and clutched his forehead. "Fine. Forget about the past. Youve decided to live on as an undead. You dont have to concern yourself with heroes any longer. Youre not a hero, youre an Undead Avenger." [...Of course.] He sounded like he was full of regret, but Lee Shin Woo ignored that. Didnt Shino Rendu say it himself? That the heroes would kill the undead no matter what. If they forgot about that, they might be faced with a horrific end. [Then what... should I do now?] Shino Rendu asked. However, thats what Lee Shin Woo wanted to ask himself. He had wanted to pay his final respects to his senior, as well as gain some abilities, but he hadnt even paid his final respects; instead, he had resurrected him... "I have some other subordinates Ive taken in already." But the Joker, Lee Shin Woo had already reached the pinnacle of acting. He subconsciously moved his lips after finding the best possible scenario. "Join up and lead them, and destroy the undead." [I understand.] To think he already had other subordinates; he truly was an extraordinary individual! Shino Rendu became certain of this and after clearing his mind, and nodded his head. While Lee Shin Woo caused trouble here and there for no reason, the beginnings of an undead force that destroyed other undead was gradually bing visible. Chapter 22 part3 There existed something amongst his subordinates that allowed them to instinctually find each other. Hed be sure it existed after observing the Pauls, and sure enough, Shino Rendu didnt really need to ask where Lee Shin Woo wanted him to go, because he was able to figure out where they were. [There are quite a lot of them.] "Itll just get bigger from now on." [...What do you wish for?] "The purification of the Empire." [Like the heroes.] "...Perhaps." Lately, he thought of something else, aside from just the purification of the Empire, but didnt say it out loud. Even he himself thought it was unreasonable, so the moment he spoke it out loud, he felt like hed just be ridiculing himself. "Are you ok with just that?" [I originally fought with my fists. There were times where I fought with a greatsword as well...] Fists and greatswords; those two definitely fit his image of Shino Rendu. Moreover, that fist. He shouldnt have needed another weapon aside from that fist. [Moreover, the moment I was reborn as an Avenger, all the karma within my inventory disappeared and was transformed into this armor... Because of that, Ill be able to better use my authority.] "Huh?" Lee Shin Woo tilted his head, and Shino Rendu seemingly knew that he wouldnt be able to understand what he meant by his inventory disappearing, so he exined starting there. [The inventory is exclusive to heroes. Its like a subspace storage house... I became unable to use my inventory when I became an undead, and all of the karma within my inventory turned into this armor. All my umted Perium thus far... the bones I hadnt sold... equipment... everything.] "Huh...!?" Lee Shin Woo momentarily couldnt believe his ears. However, he soon shuddered as he realized that he didnt even have any ears. He didnt hear wrong. Shino Rendu was saying not only were bones used in the formation of his armor, but also all the karma he possessed! Was that always possible? Well, it probably was always possible. Didnt the shop owner, Pleine tell him before? That it wasnt possible for Lee Shin Woo to change Perium into a different type of karma at this point in time. That meant that it was possible to change the karma into a different form so long as one had the ability to do so! [Its strange for me as well. It seems like it wasnt something normal.] "It was the moment your karma changed from being a simple zombie to an Avenger, so I dont think its that weird." [...Indeed. If you think about it that way, its not hard to understand.] Seeing Shino Rendu calmly nod his head at his words, Lee Shin Woo pledged that he would examine every type of karma he acquired from now on. Especially Perium! Since there werent any bones he could buy at the secret shop anymore, he might be able to create something more effective than just weapons or skill books! [Then, Ill get going immediately.] "I already told you, but try to avoid heroes as best you can. They wont believe that youre Shino Rendu." [Ill keep that in mind.] It looked like he didnt understand based on his expression, but so long as it was a direct order from Lee Shin Woo, he had no choice but to obey. That was also the reason he formed a master-servant contract with him. In this world, contracts were absolute! He was probably the one most informed about contracts amongst his fellow heroes. "Good. He left." "Ah. In the end, another Paul was created." When Jin could no longer see Shino at all, he opened his mouth. It wasnt like he was really trying to hide his identity. Its just that conversing with the undead was kind of awkward. Plus, he was an undead that was originally a hero! Talk is cheap; one wouldnt even think of talking with the undead, unless they were Lee Shin Woo that is. "Are you going to do that for every undead hero we meet from now on?" "That sounds interesting, but Im not sure I can do that every time." Lee Shin Woo still wasnt very sure as to how he made Shino Rendu into his subordinate. If he met one or two more undead heroes, he should be able to figure out how he did it. He shrugged his shoulders and changed the subject. "Shino Rendu definitely said that once they figured out he was a hero, one of the 12 generals was summoned here, right?" "Still, its a relief that the men brought by one of the 12 generals were taken care of." "...It feels kind of disappointing to leave like this, so lets take ap around the city." Unfortunately, this city, which had been trampled by Metafels troops, left nothing to do or explore as it was all ruined. Lee Shin Woo got on top of Jin and took ap around the city; Lee Shin Woo searched the surrounding area with mana, which was an ability that level 5s couldnt possibly have. But even with his senses, he couldnt find anything of note. No matter what they did, they couldnt figure out how the troops contacted Metafel. "The sewers... are just regr sewers. Indeed, it doesnt seem like the right ce for Anti-Skull to hide." "Its possible that they awakened on their own without needing us, and joined up with Anti-Skull." "Thats probably what they did, but still, I wanted to find those traces and follow them to Anti-Skulls headquarters." "Headquarters, huh..." Lee Shin Woo had been given a quest where he had to find an executive from Anti-Skull. Of course, he would eventually be able to clear the quest as time passed, but if given the chance, Lee Shin Woo thought it wouldnt be so bad to search for them and find them on his own. The faster he found them, the better his n would y out. "...n? What n?" "What are you talking about all of a sudden?" Lee Shin Woo reprimanded him, as it seemed as though Jin didnt know about his n. "Theres an organization thats resisting the Emperor amongst his troops. Theyd be useful; theres nobody better. You didnt know that this quest was given to me as a hint that I should use Anti-Skull?" "Thats what it meant!?" "Oh, so you didnt know about it." Lee Shin Woo softly patted Jins neck, as if saying that he should work harder. That really pissed off Jin, and consequently began to shake his body like a rodeo; but because Lee Shin Woo was so familiar with this rodeo, like he was a cowboy, he didnt drop from Jins back. Ultimately, Jin could do nothing but ept his defeat. "Its an organization thats involved with one of the 12 generals, Seagald. Theres a lot we could get from them." "Youre... Youre always looking so far into the future." "Alright. Now that you mention it, lets start moving actively, now shall we?" This was their first time entering a danger level 3 zone, but it was still the same as usual. There were still plenty of sewers that they hadnt cleared within the level 2 danger zones (though they had cleared most of the sewers in the level 1 danger zones)! There should still be several Pauls waiting to be rescued, and before he earnestly moved on to the level 3 danger zones, he nned to finish saving them all (a.k.a. brainwash them). If he could, he would level up in the process. "What about undead heroes?" "Aside from Shino Rendu, most of them are beyond the level 3 danger zones... Of course, there are some in the level 1 or 2 danger zones as well, so Im nning to do both at the same time." "Itd be quite the sight to see if you made all of them your subordinates and put them all in one ce." Jin recalled Shino Rendu bowing his head before Lee Shin Woo and snickered, finding itughable. Lee Shin Woo sighed and shook his head. "Even I think youre getting out of hand, so lets leave it at that. And it makes me feel ticklish when youugh like that, so stop." "What?" Once they were finished with their very short break (if one can consider entering a level 3 danger zone and fighting a level 6 undead hero a break), they went back to the danger level 2 zones. With Jins remarkable speed, as well as sometimes using the golem train, they began to go around to every city in the Empire. "What about dungeons?" "Ah... I dont think those will really be helpful to me, so Ill leave them be. I have to leave something for my future juniors." "When were you so considerate of your juniors..." Of course, there werent as many hidden facilities in the level 2 danger zones as there were in the outskirts of the Empire. However, if they found one, they would find a considerable amount of Pauls that hadnt awakened yet. [Pauls 118 - 150 will only follow yourmands, Paul Zero!] [Were not Anti-Skull, but well try to be even greater than them!] "Oh... R-Right." After Lee Shin Woobored in vain a few times, he gained 33 level 4 Doom Factors as subordinates, and realized that this entire region was an endless gold mine. As expected, the higher the danger zone, the higher quality the Pauls would be! [Paul Zero!] [Paul Zero! Paul Zero!] He moved around busily, searching the level 2 danger zone cities; the more he searched the sewers where these Anti-Skull hidden facilities were located, the more materials he gained. Anti-Skulls history, their test methods, as well as the location of each hidden facility! The chance of finding nothing lessened, and he was able to easily find the most hidden of facilities, as well as exponentially increasing the amount of Pauls. [How can this be... This man must be a hero sent by God to purify the Empire!] "Somebody already said that before." [I was touched by your iron will. Why... Why did we cower within this dark storage house!?] "Probably because theres a giant level 5 poisonous snake lurking outside." Of course, there werent a lot of monsters that could threaten Lee Shin Woo and Jin in the level 2 danger zones. Because Lee Shin Woo and Jin had to split the bones they absorbed, their rate of progression had gotten a bit slow. However, Lee Shin Woo trained his skills any every moment, without wasting even a second of his time, which was allowing him to progress forward. [Paul Zero, thats too much for us!] "Tch. Watch and learn. Paul 807." [How can this be... Thats...] [Lightning. Its lightning. Lightning just came from the sky...!] Gradually and precisely. It was less than during the time of his explosive growth, but nevertheless, everything he had absorbed and learned thus far gradually connected and fused together; they harmonized, reforming his abilities once more. "Your... Your name is...!" [Im... Im... Keuk, Kuhaaaaaaaahk!] "Tch. As I thought, it doesnt work on all of them." "How unfortunate." "I dont know who you are or when you came from, but... rest in peace, Senior." [You have acquired 2 permits to Gods secret shop, and 1,275,910 Perium.] [You have brought peace to arade who had gone past the point of no return. You have satisfied a portion of the quests conditions, and have acquired 1 additional permit to Gods secret shop. The maximum level of Invisible Heart increases by 1.] Perhaps he needed an opportunity like this before. When constructing a tower, doesnt one always have to worry about the foundation? Because Lee Shin Woo had only been fighting against higher leveled foes, he was only ustomed to irregrity; in the process of killing monsters weaker than him or possessing simr abilities to him, he was able to train his abilities from the ground up and further strengthen them. [Silene Viesa - Its been a long time, Senior!] [Lee Shin Woo - Oh, its a relief that youre ok.] [Prince Altania - You act like he has the highest seniority around here.] [Silene Viesa - At the very least, I feel as though Senior Shin Woo is more experienced than you, Senior Altania.] [Prince Altania - What did you say!? By the way, why are you calling me by myst name when youre calling him by his...] [Ye Jin Jin - Please congratte me. Ive finally reached level 5!] [Lee Shin Woo - Oh, that was really fast. Congrattions.] [Ye Jin Jin - Hehe...] [Erian Ruparte - Ha... It really does sound like Shin Woo is more experienced than Ye Jin Jin.] [Prince Altania - Ive had enough of this. You guys are just outright ignoring me now!] After parting ways with the now undead Shino Rendu, they had been on the road for 2 months going through the level 2 danger zones; it had only been half a year since Lee Shin Woo hade to the Underground Empire. In the meantime, Ye Jin Jin had be level 5, and another extremely talented newbie entered in after Kratia. None of the other heroes had died, and were enduring in this dangerous Empire. It was truly awkward to say that living in this awful environment that was an empire of undead was everyday life, but the other heroes were all leisurely growing. And... [The Intermediate Combat Sense skill has be Lv7. Agility has increased by 5.] [Your stats have surpassed 3,200. Your preparations are slightly, no,rgely, perhaps even unbelievably perfect. It seems disrespectful to even ask if you are ready to ept your karma. Would you like to ept your karma?] Shin Woo was finally qualified to be level 6. Chapter 23 part1 "How unexpected." "It turned out well, didnt it?" Lee Shin Woo and Jin got off the final golem train that passed through a level 2 danger zone, and rushed into the city, clearing it of the undead, as well as exploring the sewers. After they were done fighting in the final level 2 danger zone city (there werent any hidden facilities), Lee Shin Woos Combat Sense skill leveled up, as if it were waiting for this very moment; thus, his stats had surpassed 3,200. "Once we level up to 6, we can move on to the level 3 danger zones." "...Yeah, right. Its about time we move on. I was kind of spacing out for a bit wondering what we should do once we hit 6." The moment Lee Shin Woo heard Jin talk about level 3 danger zones, he thought he mightve been livingfortably for way too long. Its not like hes been resting thus far; he was doing everything that needed to be done, yet he thought that perhaps somewhere along the way, hed adapted to that calm and risk-free everyday life. "No. Its not like we havent been in any sort of danger..." Jin thought Lee Shin Woos response was absurd. Though they hadnt fought higher leveled enemies that often, they had fought more than thousands of enemies, and they had even been surrounded by level 5 elites before. Since a level 2 danger zone area wasnt really safe for 2 level 5 heroes in the first ce! But the problem was that their abilities, especially Lee Shin Woos abilities, had grown so much that these enemies no longer posed any sort of threat to them. Didnt the message say so? That he was more than qualified to level up. "Jin, youre still not there yet, right?" "Im at around 2,950. I caught up quite a bit though, right?" "You caught up because I gave you most of the bones. ...In any case, Ill level up first." "Dont talk like youre leaving and noting back." Lee Shin Woo chuckled at Jins curt voice, and disembarked from him. They hadpletely cleaned up the vicinity, so there werent even any level 1 skeletons. There wasnt any better ce to level up. "...Alright, Ill ept all my karma now." The moment Lee Shin Woo decided to ept his karma, blinding light burst from his body. His currently equipped equipment were released all at once, and his body began to noticeably develop! [You have be a level 6, Powered Elemental Bone Joker. In the pursuit of countless changes, your strengths have been maximized. Your control over nature has be more powerful and diversified; as a result, you have sessfully broken free from the limitations of being a skeleton.] [You are no longer restrained by the title of skeleton, a low rank species. After training a variety of ways of handling bone, you have be the one and only swindler, the Bone Joker, to both yourself and to the world. All stats increase by 20. The Intermediate Mana Bone skill has be Lv8, and Magic has increased by an additional 20.] [All elements grow. Intermediate Fire has be Lv2, Intermediate Ice has be Lv3, Intermediate Lightning has be Lv5, and High Rank Acid has be Lv2. Magic has increased by 110.] So am I a skeleton or not? Lee Shin Woo inwardlyined. Whileining, his bodys bones becamerger, thicker, and glistened with mana, resulting in a whiter light than before. It was truly ironic. His bones had continuously gotten darker until he turned level 4, but starting from level 5, it went in the opposite direction! Lee Shin Woo took a look at the magic that glistened from his bones. Mana which possessed the potential to change in an infinite number of ways... that blinding and resplendent mana could harmonize no further with his Joker karma. [You have be able to handle mana more broadly and diversely than before. The Disguise skill has be Lv3. You can disguise yourself well with even less knowledge of your target.] His growth to level 6 affected almost all of his skills and wasplete. Lee Shin Woo was still an undeadposed of all bone, but the harmonization of the mana that made up his bones was vastly different from before. "Who the hell cares? Im still made up of bones. Are they messing with me or what?" "Someone said you werent made of bones?" "No. Apparently, theyre saying Im not a skeleton anymore." "But you are a skeleton." "No ones arguing with you." Lee Shin Wooined, as if enthusiastically agreeing with Jin, and checked his status; it had been a long time since hed checked it. Though it was true that his body had undergone some fundamental changes, he still needed to check his status. [Lee Shin Woo] [Powered Elemental Bone Joker] [Corps Destroyer; 4 others] [Lv 6 (Status effectiveness 200%)] [Strength - 681, Agility - 698, Health - 699, Magic - 1,380] [Passive skills - Acting Lv15, Invisible Heart Lv3, Rebellion Lv3, Intermediate Bursting Thunder Lv7, Intermediate Mana Bone Lv8, Intermediate Shadow Sprint Lv5, Intermediate Command Lv6, Intermediate Assimtion Lv5, Intermediate Combat Sense Lv7] [Active skills - Disguise Lv3, Instigate Lv2, Bone Reinforcement Lv7, Rule of Bone Lv7, Bone Armory Lv5, Intermediate Regeneration Lv8, Sacrifice Lv1, Emergency Evasion Lv4, Low Rank Twin Horn Charge Lv9] [Elements - Intermediate Fire Lv2, Intermediate Ice Lv3, High Rank Acid Lv2, Intermediate Lightning Lv5] [Resistances - Holy: MAX, Curse: MAX, Acid: High Rank Lv1, Ice: Intermediate Lv2] "So I need 3,000 more stats from here to get to level 7, huh... Its starting to feel really far off." "You know, you said something like that when you were level 5. Moreover, you got a 200 stat increase once you hit level 6, so youre really making a big fuss over nothing." "The problem is that most of that stat increase is in magic." Compared to the others, only Lee Shin Woos magic stat increased incredibly fast. That was because most of his skills used magic as their foundation. But even so, he needed his other stats as well; it was troubling for him that his magic stat was almost double that of his strength or agility stats. "Hoo. No choice but to divide the bones evenly from now on. For now, youll take care of the magic bones." "What!?" That wasnt all. Another problem was that hed only been training the skills that increased magic thus far. Of course, he didnt really have many skills that didnt increase magic, which was a problem, but if he looked amongst them... "Thats right. Theres this." "Ah... that." Jins goblin fire zed subtly, watching two horns protrude from Lee Shin Woos head. Thats right. It was the skill that hed acquired from absorbing a bone from the shop: the Twin Horn Charge. It was certainly a closebat skill, as it increased the force of a charge, as well as increasing attack power through the horns. Twin Horn Charge was also a skill that hed only been able to level up by 1 these past two months as there werent any strong foes to use it on. "Lets get moving after I get this to the intermediate level." "Just saying, werent you not using that on purpose?" "...Thats true." There was only one reason for that. It was because Lee Shin Woo didnt have any horns. Because of that, he couldnt effectively make use of the Twin Horn Charges increase in attack power, and couldnt hastily increase the skills level to the intermediate stage, causing him to worry. "But Ive been training my others skills, so I have a rough idea of how it works. Moreover, as I leveled up, my mana senses further developed as well, so its time I try it out." What were horns? They were a means to attack. And in situations where charging is required, Lee Shin Woo had thence. In that case, the answer was simple. "I just need to use the Twin Horn Charge in tandem with mynce." "Sorry, but I dont get it, so do what you want." Jin retorted, distanced himself from Lee Shin Woo, and began to run by himself. Jin knew that studying the skill would take some time, so hed given him some space beforehand. That was also its own type of skill training, so Lee Shin Woo didnt stop him. "Tch." In the past, Jin would stand next to him, almost with a question mark above his skull, and genuinely listen to him, but now... Lee Shin Woo wished that Jin was like that again, and began to study, no, remodel his skill. Hed already told Jin what he wanted to do: he wanted tobine the Twin Horn Charges horns with thence. In other words, he would be changing the release of magic, as well as the intrinsic pattern a bit. Twin Horn Charge aggressively speeds up the mana, and pushes the body in the direction of the attack. In the process, the twin horns naturally jut out. The twin horns form at the target destination thats designated by the elerated mana... In other words, if Im able to change the direction of the skill to mynce, then... When that charging technique isbined with Jins speed, its force would be beyond his imagination! Lee Shin Woo was sure of himself, nodded his head, and began to study the skill immediately. Hed taken out the Drake Horn Lance simply because they were both horns; thus, he thought that maybe they could work together somehow, but there wasnt really any meaning to it. "Hey, monsters areing! Ill take care of them myself ande back, ok?" "Dont forget to bring back the bones." In a sitting position, Lee Shin Woo repeatedly activated and cancelled his skill a few times, and studied the change in mana upon the skills activation, as well as the flow of mana. Between these two, he would probably have to keep the change in mana the same, and control the flow of mana. However... Its not hard. Lee Shin Woo was quite surprised. He seemed to grasp the changes in the mana upon activation of the skill, and was likewise able to figure out how the special flow of mana was created without difficulty. The only thing left to do was to change the structure slightly, but even that was way too simple. Is it because its still a low rank skill? No, that wasnt the issue here. It was just Lee Shin Woos extraordinary ability of handling magic. While he was at it, he added another skill as well. It was Shadow Sprint, which was treated like a charging type skill. Shadow Sprint had the special ability of adding a shadow to the charge, whilst also increasing ones secrecy as well as their speed. It was certainlycking in terms of destructive force. He was attempting to fill in that weakness with the Twin Horn Charge, but it wasnt very natural to use two simr types of skills at the same time. Shall webine them? Though his skills hadbined with other skills on their own in the process of evolving, Lee Shin Woo had never actually tried to fuse the characteristics of two skills on his own before. It was clear by his face that the thought had never even urred to him before. But I feel like I can do it now. Lee Shin Woo focused on controlling his interior mana. He activated both Twin Horn Charge and Shadow Sprint simultaneously, and tied both their mana properties together. Stealthily, yet sharply. Agile, yet weighty. All of those characteristics were fused into one to create a forceful thrust...! "I got all of them. Huh...?" "Hoo..." Jin, who easily swept away the group of level 4 monsters, saw Lee Shin Woos body engulfed in a dark red energy and stopped in ce. The two horns that burst from his head slowly receded, and a giant horn appeared on thence in his hand, as if engulfing it. And soon, thence was covered in a ck mana, causing its form to be unclear. Even though he was staring at thence with both of his eyes, he couldnt tell exactly what it looked like! "Shin Woo...?" "...I did it." Immediately after Jin carefully called for Lee Shin Woo, Lee Shin Woos eye sockets zed with dark red goblin fire. The dark red energy that tinged thence blended together, and covered thence. [The Low Rank Twin Horn Charge skill has be Lv10 and is evolving! Absorbing the Intermediate Shadow Sprint skill. You have learned the Intermediate skill, Shadow Horn Lv1! Strength and Agility have increased by 10.] "Ah, crap." "Whats wrong? Didnt it turn out well?" But the moment he created a skill that would overpower anyone, Lee Shin Woomented quietly. Jin, who couldnt tear his eyes off thepleted Shadow Horn, asked why and Lee Shin Woo sighed deeply and replied. "It became abat skill like Bursting Thunder rather than a sprint skill. Its a skill that elerates the speed of the thrust itself, not the charge..." "...So you focused too much of the charging force into the weapon, huh?" "Shit. I should turn it back into a charge type... forget it." Lee Shin Woo could feel it instinctively. That this skill he made might actually be amazing, and with this amazing skill he might be able to grow! He had seeded inbining the two skills charging force, stealth, and attack power into one skill. Lee Shin Woo thought it might be better to leave the skill as is. If thats the case, then theres only one answer. "Im going to go visit the secret shop." After clearing out all the bones in the secret shop, he didnt really feel like he needed to go there, even if he leveled up. He had no choice but to find a new charging skill in Gods secret shop. Chapter 23 part2 "Gute Nacht...[1] Congrattions on the level up. Then, sleep well." "No wait. Please dont lie down." Perhaps hede at a bad time; the merchant behind the counter, Pleine, congratted him whilst wearing a nightgown and bent her body over the counter. Lee Shin Woo, taken aback, stopped her, and Pleine, as if expecting it, sighed and raised her head. "I dont usually take customers when Im about to sleep..." "So you have times when you dont take customers, huh." "But youre special Mr. Lee Shin Woo... Hoo." She said, and tapped her own cheek. It was a teasing gesture, but it seemed to work, as she awoke slightly and barely opened her eyes. "Thank you for the consideration." "Haam [2]... You understand me how I feel, right?" As there was a empty wine bottle rolling atop the counter, even Lee Shin Woo, who didnt understand women very well, could tell exactly how she felt. He was sure that she was a woman who loved her alcohol. "It was such good liquor that I wanted to drink it with someone else. Would you like to drink with me? Ah, thats right. You cant drink it, Customer. Hehe." Pleine, who was always teasing him, sounded tipsy. Lee Shin Woo felt like it would take quite a long time to do his shopping, shrugged his shoulders, and approached the counter. Pleine still looked at him with drowsy eyes and spoke. "Is it urgent today?" "No. But since I used up one of my permits, Id rather finish my business or itd be a waste." "Are you saying you have some time? Then... please listen to my story." "?" She wasnt asking him to tell her his story, but rather, she wanted him to listen to hers? What was this granny talking about? With that in mind, Lee Shin Woo looked at Pleine vacantly. It seemed like shed understood the doubt within his goblin fire, so Pleine added on. "Ill give you a 20% discount on one item. In exchange, please dont tell this to anyone else." "Then please go ahead. I dont have ears, but Im still a really good listener." To think shed deduct 20% of the price off an item just by listening to her story! Lee Shin Woo knocked on his chest, as if he were ready to listen at any time, and sat down. Pleine chuckled at Lee Shin Woos trustworthy figure, and opened her mouth, releasing a pink sigh. "Youre fine in this regard, Mr. Lee Shin Woo, but given the opportunity, the other male customers will hit on me. You know that, right? You see, today..." "Wait a sec. Where did you just look? Where were you looking when I said you were fine!? You know thats sexual harassment, right!?" "I suppose you cant even sexually harass me. At any rate, that customer bought wine, drank it on the spot, and kept sticking to me; I should put up a sign saying no eating or drinking because seriously..." Pleinepletely ignored Lee Shin Woos protests, and continued to speak. Pleine started with that drunk customer (Lee Shin Woo felt like he knew who she was talking about for some reason), who drank alcohol and attempted an unbing trick on her. She also told him about how much her usual customers pestered her, as well as the fact that she couldnt meet with God very much and all the things she was trying to figure out, like Gods intent... "Its better above ground. Since Im just one merchant amongst many up there. Its just a clean, business rtionship up there..." "...How is it up there?" "Itspletely unscathed. Everything is plentiful and peaceful up there, excessively so. I wonder if theyre even aware of their impending doom..." She started by talking about business, but when he thought about it, this was the perfect chance to hear about what happened on the surface, as she had a link to it. Lee Shin Woo asked her naturally. "I heard that there have been times where heroes were dispatched to the surface as well." "Its only happened a couple of times. You should already be aware of this Mr. Shin Woo, but this curse that haspletely covered the Empire... hasnt invaded the surface yet." "Itll invade the surface at some point though, right?" "I believe the humans above ground wont allow it to." "Excuse me?" This was news to him. Lee Shin Woos (nonexistent) ears pricked his ears. Before she continued, Pleine brought out a new wine bottle, and immediately bit her lips. As she was beautiful, even the sight of her vigorously drinking from the bottle was quite nice. "Gulp, gulp... Puu. You see, theyre overconfident in their strength. After they received the first oracle, they sent heroes down underground a few times; when they didnt return, they just decided to seal off the underground." "So did they seed!?" "They thought they did at least. But no... At this rate, the curse will someday take over the surface as well. This is the price of their arrogance, and... their sin." "Sin..." "Thats it with the bonus information. Mmm, paa..." It ended at the most exciting part. But, as Pleine could read Lee Shin Woo like a book, it didnt seem like shed tell him anything more about the surface. While Lee Shin Woo clicked his tongue, Pleine continued to curse at the secret shop customers. "So, about the customer I hadst time..." "Whos your most handsome customer?" "Lloyd H.K.?" "Then what about the prettiest?" "Seira... Von Retadane." She replied, and then nodded her head. "Shes a beautiful woman, though shes quite rude." "Really?" "Hoo... I suppose its time I let out all the curses Ive been holding back." Pleine cursed at Seira Von Retadane for quite a long time, as if it was the right time. Pleine looked so happy as she cursed at Seira with every single word; Lee Shin Woo couldnt even think of stopping her, and just stood still whilst listening to her. Thus, two hours passed. "Oh my. Its already thiste? Ill be going to sleep now." "Go after youve sold me something." "Tch." Pleine inly clicked her tongue. He looked at her in astonishment as she looked like she was saying you couldve just let me go. Before she yed another trick on him, Lee Shin Woo cleanly and firmly spoke. "Please give me the best charge type skill you have." "A charge skill? Are you saying that you havent acquired a single charge skill, even though you possess the Bone Reinforcement ability, Customer? Elite monsters all have a couple of charge skills." "I had two, but I fused them together, and it became abat skill, rather than a charge skill." "You fused them!? ...Just for reference, what is that skill?" Lee Shin Woo created the Shadow Horn with his bare hands, and showed it to Pleine. This skill was a special passive skill like Bursting Thunder, and would passively buff (faster, and stealthier) his thrust like attacks, but it was still possible to physically manifest the skill by using mana. By doing so, shadows would envelop the weapon, turning it into the shape of a sharp horn, but it was also possible to activate the skill with his bare hands. "...This skill. This wasnt gifted through Gods grace, but was actually created by you, Mr. Shin Woo?" "Yes." "There are some parts that are sloppy, but... this is tremendous. Divine skills that are recorded as legends are typically born this way. Like the Bursting Thunder you possess, Mr. Shin Woo." She soon pped her hands and made a suggestion. "Would you like to reinforce this skill by adding in more skills? Itd definitely be possible with your ability, Mr. Shin Woo!" "I said I wanted a charge skill." "I think itd be better if you became even stealthier. In terms of power... it was originally based on horns, so Ill go find some materials from other tough monsters. Youll be able to extract their characteristics from them." She had already stopped listening to Lee Shin Woo. Seeing Pleine rummage through her inventory here and there, Lee Shin Woo felt like he was out shopping with his girlfriend. Of course, he didnt have a girlfriend. "Here, I only picked out two." "Whats this... Giant Growth. So this is where it was. Though its only one part of it..." Just from looking at them, Lee Shin Woo could tell that the skill books Pleine had brought out were really subtle. The first was Intermediate Horn Giant Growth, and the second one was Low Rank Shadow Extension; just by reading the skill book names, he couldnt help but feel that they were unclear, such that he couldnt even describe them. "The first can only be learned by those with horns, but that shouldnt be a problem for you, Mr. Shin Woo, as you possess the Bone Reinforcement skill which can absorb anything. The second skill is also a skill that is meaningless unless you can control shadows, but this should also be no problem to you, Mr. Shin Woo." Pleine stressed that there were no defects in her goods, and Lee Shin Woos goblin fire softly zed. "How much are they?" "Both skills are extremely subtle, but also extremely rare, so theyre quite valuable. In total, itll be 16 million Perium." "You swindler." "Since we agreed that thered only be a 20% discount on one item!" He thought theyd gotten closer, as hed listened to her drunk talk for 2 hours, yet it seemed like she would only allow the discount on one item. As expected, he couldnt take this merchant lightly. If he had his wish, he wouldve just asked for a charge skill, taken it, and then gone home, but... "Dont you feel it? That you can strengthen the Shadow Horn skill significantly with these skills!?" "...Ugh." She was right. As expected of an outstanding merchant; Pleine had brought out items that Lee Shin Woo really wanted to buy. Horn Giant Growth would increase the destructive power of his horns by increasing their size, and was a truly simple skill that was effective in an extremely limited range. On the other hand, he didnt know how effective the other skill would be, as it would disperse shadows and confuse his opponents. However, if he applied Shadow Extension to Shadow Horn, he would be able to create quite the diverse skill... "Ugh..." Because hed gained so much money from going around the Empire, especially from cutting down the Forest of the Dryads, he had enough money to buy both skill books. He possessed 57.52 million Perium. It wasnt an easy sum to acquire for even the level 6 heroes who had been in the Empire for a few years. However, perhaps shed expected that as well. No, was her story for two hours also a way to lower his decision making ability!? "...Probably not, but Ill take them." "I love you, Customer!" Pleine smiled beamingly, and Lee Shin Woo sighed as he epted the skill books. He immediately learned the two skills. Pleine gazed at him with wide eyes. "Youre not going to try it out right away?" "Im not a genius, you know. Ill attempt it after Ive studied both of the skills." "I feel like the fact that you were even able to fuse two skills together makes you a genius... Here, this is the charge skill you were looking for. Youll probably like it." Perhaps she had prepared it beforehand, as she ced a book onto the table without dy. It looked a lot different from all the other skill books hed found or bought before. The edges of the book were decorated in gold, yet the cover of the book was in tatters. "This is... Keuk? The moment he stretched his hand towards the skill book, the book emitted sparks that flickered across Lee Shin Woos hand. It was powerful lightning! The glitter in Lee Shin Woos eyes changed as he gazed upon the book. Pleine spoke with a satisfied expression. "Spirit Arts - Lightning Sprint. Its a high rank skill, but... I believe you should be able to use this skill, even without the help of spirits, Mr. Shin Woo. What do you think?" "I really like it. How much is it?" Pleine smiled brightly. Seeing that smile, Lee Shin Woo felt slightly uneasy. "With a 20% discount, it costs a clean 41.5 million Perium, Customer!" [1] T/N: Good night in German. [2] T/N: Yawning sound. Chapter 23 part3 "She got me again..." "Why did youe back sote... Whats wrong with you?" Jin looked at Lee Shin Woo oddly, whod just returned after beingpletely robbed at the secret shop. He wondered whether he should tell Jin that hed been caught up in Pleines business acumen and only had 20,000 Perium left, but decided against it. "Did you get a charge skill?" "I was able to get a good one." "Thats a relief... But wait, why were youte in the first ce?" Jin was extremely curious, but Lee Shin Woo didnt tell him the details. Thats because he had promised Pleine that he wouldnt tell anyone else what theyd discussed. Therefore, when Jin suggested that they practice the charge skill together, Lee Shin Woo shook his head, saying no to that as well. "Lets try it after I gain Lightning Resistance." "Lightning Resistance!?" "Its a good skill, but I didnt think itd have that kind of a problem when I bought it... No, Id probably still have bought it even if I knew about it beforehand." After paying a sum total of 41.5 million Perium, hed learned the high rank skill, Lightning Sprint, which would wrap the entire body in lightning and charge with an impressive speed and destructive force; a wild skill. Ordinarily, the skill could only be used when one is contracted to a lightning spirit, but Lee Shin Woo was able to use the skill without any problems, as he could create lightning by himself. It also had a highpatibility with Bursting Thunder as well. "High rank skills arent often sold in the shop, but when they are, theyre sold immediately. But it seems like this one hadnt been sold because of the troublesome conditions." "Youre saying that youve satisfied all the conditions, but you cant use it because of me, huh..." There was no way the lightning would inflict damage on its caster, but the problem was Jin. Because it would create such intense lightning, befitting its high ranking, he couldnt use it before Jin learned at least intermediate lightning resistance. If he himself possessed lightning resistance, he would be able to share it with Jin, but he didnt have it. "I could also just not ride on your back and use it, but thats pretty pointless." "Thats true." The reason Lee Shin Woos charge attacks possessed such destructive force was because of Jins formidable speed and reaction time. He couldnt match it, even with a high rank skill. "They dont sell lightning resistance in the shop?" "Its not just lightning. They dont sell any resistances. I didnt really know, but apparently resistances are really amazing. "Ah, yeah. That sounds about right..." There was the problem of obtaining the resistance, but there was also the issue of training it. Resistances level up when one is heavily damaged by an element, but most people werent stupid enough to continuously put themselves in that kind of situation... Even if one possessed resistances, low rank to intermediate would probably be the max for them. "But that means that you cant use that charge skill of yours." "I guess we have no choice but to substitute it with your skill and Shadow Horn for now..." Though he spent pretty much all his money to buy these three skills, he couldnt even use a single one of them immediately! It felt as though hed been robbed, but hed already learned the skills, so he couldnt get a refund. Jin threw something out there. "Why did you even go to the shop again?" "It hurts enough without you reminding me, so could youy off?" Lee Shin Woo, whod been hurt both physically and mentally, travelled to the closest golem train station. There were only two trains that went to level 3 danger zones, located in either the western or eastern part of the Empire. They were areas he couldnt have even imagined going to when he first rode on the train, but now they had to go to at least level 3 danger zones to grow. They wouldve moved on to the level 3 danger zones earlier had it not been for the Paul expansion n. "When I look back, weve travelled through about 60% of the Empire in a few months." "But the tough part starts now." After theyd heard an exnation regarding the concept of danger zones, a few months had passed, yet nothing changed amongst the other heroes. Most of them were still residing near the level 3 danger zone satellite cities that were connected with therge cities. Apparently, they would only be able to see level 6 or level 7s in level 4 or higher danger zones; so it could be said that Lee Shin Woo and Jins experiences were just a taste of what is toe. Their adventure, as well as their Bone Reinforcement had just begun. "Level 7 elites... Bones that are tasty and good for you..." "Man, youre already starting to talk about that?" This wasnt the first time that hed looked at Lee Shin Woo and thought, I guess Im going to die this time, but it seemed as though that time was actually quickly approaching this time. Even after hed seen firsthand that Shino Rendu had died after invading a satellite city, Lee Shin Woo was still ready to attack it! "Even I wont do something as stupid as Shino Rendu. Yeah, Im going to attack the city, but Im going to get out quickly too." "So in other words, youre going to invade the city and then rely on my mobility." "You noticed that? You really are the best partner." "Yeah, though you dont have any of that sense." "Who, me?" Whilst conversing with Lee Shin Woo, Jin had be uneasy, and checked how many Blessings of Death hed umted. Because of Lee Shin Woos instruction, Jin was better able to absorb the surrounding curse and had umted nine lives. However, he was still concerned whether or not this was enough. "The speed at which your Blessing of Death stockpiles will increase from now on as well." "Were going to a ce really close to death, arent we...?" The two arrived at the train station and unhesitatingly rode the train. They were now used to the sudden eleration, and Lee Shin Woo was no longer weak enough to fall from its speed. Lee Shin Woo had realized just how much hed grown from such an unexpected source. However, the moment the train stopped and they got off and onto the tform, Lee Shin Woo felt a powerful but familiar wave of mana. He tilted his head, and instinctually hid his mana. "Huh?" [Its been a while, Paul Zero.] In the center of the tform where all nine trains were on standby, they saw Guillotine Steelworker, someone they hadnt seen since being given authorization to use the trains. It seemed as though hed confirmed that the train had entered the tform and hade directly over. "Its been a long time... Were you waiting for us?" [Thats right.] Guillotine looked quite serious, causing Lee Shin Woo to inwardly feel quite uneasy, yet he maintained a calm expression. To be honest, the only thing he needed to do was keep his goblin fire zing at a steady rate. "But we havent been causing much troubletely." [Youre right. Youve also been disposing of the low rank golems for us... I was thinking about spying on you, but I chose not to. I wasnt waiting to interrogate you.] "Then, do you have a request?" [Youre really quick on the uptake, you rascal.] Guillotine sported a bitter smile at Lee Shin Woos words. Despite being a golem, the way the skin on his face moved was truly sensitive. And when he thought about it, he was also jealous of his natural hair. It wouldnt get like that through hair transntation. I hope you lose all your hair! [You should already have some idea, but weve been keeping an eye on you whenever youvee and gone from this ce. Since we had no choice but to be suspicious.] "So whats your request...?" [Yeah. Were not as suspicious of you as we once were. At the very least, were sure that youre not one of the Emperors men.] "I told you that at the beginning, didnt I?" [Haha.] They both knew, whether it be the ufortably speaking Lee Shin Woo or the awkwardly smiling Guillotine. That they couldnt truly trust one another. But they could agree that they wouldnt act to harm the other. It had taken this much time to reach that conclusion. [Like you said, I have a request for you. It may be difficult for you, as youre level 5, but it should be possible with the help of your group.] Lee Shin Woos eyes gleamed for two reasons. Firstly, Guillotine didnt get his level right. That meant that Lee Shin Woo was concealing his mana from a higher leveled individual. And secondly... "I dont have a group backing me though." [Lets leave it at that.] Lee Shin Woo only inwardly smiled bitterly at Guillotines reply. At the time, Lee Shin Woo had told him that both he and Jin were the result of their test, and that only they were the survivors of the test; but so long as the golems werent idiots, there was no way theyd just trust him. It was obvious that theyd assume that there were others backing Lee Shin Woo and Jin. And from the very beginning, that was what Lee Shin Woo was aiming for. A small lie is exposed when trying to hide arger lie. In order for them to believe my lie that Jin and I were the only survivors of the test, I clumsily acted like I was hiding the fact that there was a group behind me. And they focused on that... Thus, they thought of Lee Shin Woo as some sort of secret agent for some unknown group. Just like he had nned. Doesnt it hurt your head to always be thinking soplicatedly? Surprise. I dont even have a brain! Lee Shin Woo and Jin exchanged trifling jokes through their connection, and Guillotine Steelworker went to the main point. As expected, he had quite a serious tone. [Do you remember what the General told youst time... regarding our creation?] "Of course I remember." [Good. Then that quickens things. At the time, the Emperor sacrificed promising knights for his own protection. The Golden Army was established with 500 members, but thousands were sacrificed in order to make that 500.] "Thousands..." [So what wouldve happened to the thousands of knights sacrificed? They were discarded. In order to conceal how wicked the Emperor was, the testing facilities werepletely buried.] "...No way." Lee Shin Woo momentarily froze at an awful thought that came up. Guillotine Steelworker nodded his head calmly. [Its probably as youve imagined. They likely were resurrected and became undead. We made a mistake; we shouldve cremated them, but we didnt...] "Thats... I ended up hearing something that puts a bad taste in my mouth." [If I could, I would take care of it myself, but... the day following the curse, the General forbid any of us from going outside. Thats why Id like you to do it in my ce.] "Huh?" He spoke as if it werepletely unrted to him, but the conversation ended up going back to him. Lee Shin Woos goblin fire narrowed. Guillotine Steelworker continued. [Its time for them to rest. I hope that youll let them rest in peace in our ce. Ill tell you where they are. Its near the satellite city, Kadinan. Youll be right there if you take that train.] "Is that all?" [Of course.] Lee Shin Woo momentarily didnt respond to Guillotines unnecessarily brisk response and acted as though he were thinking about it, but... like always, he made his decision right away. "Fine. Ill take up your request. Theres a reward, right?" [If you return, Ill give you something beyond your expectations. I promise, as Guillotine Steelworker, one of the Four Commanders.] Considering that he called himself one of the Four Commanders, there must be three other level 7 golems aside from Guillotine. Lee Shin Woo roughly nodded his head at Guillotines confident deration. Though Jin looked like he was feeling uneasy, Lee Shin Woo just ignored him. "Then I trust youll keep your promise and go immediately." [Good luck.] Guillotine, who was worried that Lee Shin Woo would ask some more questions, saw Lee Shin Woo ept his request unhesitatingly and immediately get on the train. Once they were inside, he smiled without them knowing. The train soon departed. Guillotine was the only one remaining and turned around, but suddenly, he heard a dignified voice from within his head. It was Arema Steelworkers voice. [Guillotine, I believe that was an order I gave to you.] [I wanted to reduce our casualties. Moreover, theres reports that the other generals are getting more involved now, so I thought that wed be discovered if we went outside, no matter how careful we were.] [But if they were to discover the facility...] [Even if they were to find it, they dont have the right to enter it.] Arema hesitated once he heard Guillotine, and Guillotine continued to press. [Paul Zero only possesses general administrative authority. Unless youre a golem, one cannot possess an authority any higher than that. Isnt that what you said, Sir Arema?] [... Its plenty surprising already that he acquired a general administrative authority from just studying a golem. Thats why I originally thought he was one of the Emperors men.] [Indeed, it is surprising. Its something we need to pay attention to. Thus, if he were toe back safely afterpleting the task, Im nning on watching him through hidden surveince. This task was a good excuse to give him that.] [...Mm...] Arema, who had been pondering, was persuaded by Guillotine and looked favorably upon his n. [Fine. I entrusted you with this, so do as you please. But you have to take responsibility for it as well.] [Ill keep that in mind, my lord.] As soon as Arema Steelworkers voice, which took hold of both his mind and body disappeared, Guillotine instinctually ended up sighing. Then, he walked over to the production facility in order to create a Surveince Unit Zero to give to Lee Shin Woo. Chapter 23 part4 "What could possibly be hidden for him to act like that? Are they trying to kill me? If not, then are they trying to use me to provoke someone?" But unfortunately for Guillotine, Lee Shin Woo didnt trust his words at all. He spoke, once he got off the golem train and stepped into a new area. "Shin Woo, cant you try trusting in people some more?" "Its not between people; its between a skeleton and a golem. The genrespletely different, so whats the point?" "..." Even as Lee Shin Woo spoke, he activated the administrative seal naturally, like flowing water, and came into ownership of the abandoned golems on standby in the production facility. Hed already be quite familiar with the process, as hed done this several times already. [In honor of Steelworker.] [I will protect you with my life.] "Yeah, yeah. Oh, its a level 5 one!" [I am an Iron Golem. I will protect you, Steelworker.] [I will protect you as well.] "Its not just one!" As hed roamed the Empire, Lee Shin Woo had a rough idea as to the value of golems. Firstly, level 3 Stone Golems were pretty much worthless to him, while the level 4 Bronze Golems were normally quite strong. However, they were pretty pointless once he surpassed the level 2 danger zones. However, its different when referring to the Iron Golems, which were level 5 elites. Theyre definitely the bully of the level 2 danger zones! They would probably be useful, even in the level 3 danger zones with their level of durability and power. "But I havent found any golems that are a level higher than them..." "Theyre probably in those rooms that they didnt let us in, right?" "There might be some of those golems in the level 3 danger zones already." "Yeah, theres a high chance of that." The two chattered on whilst Lee Shin Woo lead the golems outside. There were five golems standing by in the underground facilities, with another five outside as well; so in total, there were 10 Iron Golems by their side. [Waiting for your orders, Steelworker.] [Its an honor to be guarding you, Steelworker.] [Command us.] "Theyre quite loyal..." "Mm, so Arema Steelworker doesnt really care about the level 5 Iron Golems, huh..." "Huh? Thats what this means?" "Look. There are Iron Golems right outside the train underground even without us going above ground, so they didnt bother picking them up. That means that these Iron Golems hold no value to Arema Steelworker." The fact that Arema Steelworker sent them on their way on the train, despite knowing that there were Iron Golems there meant that he considered these Iron Golems trash yet to be disposed of. However, Arema treasured the level 6 golems. Lee Shin Woo and Jin were able to roughly estimate the level of the golems in the areas where they werent permitted to enter. He didnt care about the level 5 golems, but he did care about the level 6 ones. There was one thing that suggested as such. "He has no way of creating cores. If he were able to create cores, he wouldve collected the level 5 golems, and even the level 4s and taken them apart. And wouldve created more level 6s, but the fact that he didnt means that..." "Ah, youre probably right." The Iron Golems cores were high-ss, and were very simr to the Original Core. Honestly, Lee Shin Woo was confident that he would be able to make an Original Bone Core with just four or five of them. However, Arema Steelworker was leaving those Iron Golems alone. "...I wonder what Arema Steelworker is thinking about? What does he intend to do? Why did he send us here?" "I wonder. ...I suppose thats for us to find out." If there were one thing he was sure about, it would be that Arema Steelworker made a huge mistake; he hadnt taken into ount Lee Shin Woostent potential and had thoughtlessly revealed his secrets. It didnt take long for Lee Shin Woo toe to that conclusion. "You guys go back. If we keep going like this, we should be able to reach the level 2 danger zone without any danger." [As youmand, Steelworker.] [I will follow yourmand, by working together with myrades.] Though hed just gottenmand over the group of golems, Lee Shin Woo sent the golems away in the next moment. To be exact, hed sent them to the designated gathering ce for his troops in the level 2 danger zone. "Go to the meeting ce as soon as possible, but if you think theres any danger to your cores, run away and take a detour immediately. If you cant escape, collect yourrades cores and keep them with you. Remember that." [I understand!] [Thank you for taking us into consideration, Steelworker.] Once they grouped up with the other golems, their mission would be to roam around the Empire, collecting information and hunting monsters. If they dont overdo it, such that they dont incur casualties and cut down the number of undead, they would help in gradually, very gradually purifying the Empire. If they worked together, they would at worst be as effective as 1 hero. "Unlike the Pauls, the Golems cant grow." "But the bones that they collect can be used to reinforce the Pauls, right? Moreover, theres something else Im thinking about, too." Lee Shin Woo sent the golems, which departed for their long journey, off with a delighted smile. Lee Shin Woo had frantically picked up the Iron Golems while Arema Steelworker had thrown them away and considered them useless. From the outside, it clearly seemed like apletely one-sided superior and subordinate rtionship, but it was strange, as it felt like if it were Lee Shin Woo, it might be different. "Then, shall we get going, secretly?" "How? You dont have Shadow Sprint anymore." "Ah, thats right." At the beginning, Lee Shin Woo thought hed be able to change skills as he wanted like how he could so naturally change mana as he wished, but he couldnt. If it were that easy, they wouldnt be skills. If it had a particr element to it, then he mightve been able to recreate it, but the Shadow element didnt exist in this world. "Whenever I try, I just keep making Shadow Horns. Damn it..." "It cant be helped. If we need to, we can just run away. Lets go." "Sseup..." Like with all of the golem production facilities, their destination was in the hignds, northwest a ways away from the center of the Empire. When they looked down, they saw the satellite city that Guillotine had told them about, Kadinan. He inwardly thought that this city mightve been cleared out by the other heroes, but considering the abundance of mana he felt, it meant that the undead were still stationed inside the city. "Is the lord about level 6? Level 6..." "Dont smack your lips. Yeah were going to charge in, but nows not the time, right?" "Youre right. First, we..." He didnt know if it was done on purpose, but the golem testing facility was quite a ways off from the production facility. Kadinan was at the center, and the testing facility was at a ce that they could only reach by departing from the hignds and going all the way around. Kadinan was like a basin, and the testing facility and the hignds all felt like a part of the enclosing mountain range. "Its really strange. How did they make this kind of natural environment underground..." "You know, if the Emperors this good at magic, to the point that hes able to do something like this, then isnt it pretty much guaranteed wed lose?" "...Its not the result of some transient magic. Lets go with the idea that hes stockpiled power over many years." They chattered on like usual, but as they travelled, Lee Shin Woos expression stiffened unexpectedly. "Theyve way too many patrols." "Weve already gone past a lot of patrols thus far. Whats wrong with you all of a sudden?" "No, Im saying... that therere way too many people patrolling around our destination." "..." Hed thought it unusual, but it seemed like they already took notice of them. Lee Shin Woo was dumbfounded. Did Guillotine look down on him? If not, then was he not truly aware of what was going on around here? Either way, it didnt matter. Lee Shin Woo was starting to be curious as to whaty at his destination. [Hey you, stay there.] It wasnt very long before Lee Shin Woo was discovered by one of the patrolling Skeleton Knights. Since he didnt even have Shadow Sprint, it was impossible for him to move without being discovered. However, both Lee Shin Woo and Jin looked rxed. [Woah!? W-What a nice horse!] "My thanks for thepliment. Are you a knight under the lordsmand?" Nine times out of ten, someone who doesnt recognize him would say something like this. [T-Thats correct. If its not too much trouble, may I ask where you came from...?] Even after dying, knights and aristocrats were idiots and still respected ranks of power! Regardless of how suspicious he mightve looked, he wouldnt be able to treat him so thoughtlessly! Moreover, Lee Shin Woo was currently garbed in luxurious armor (he purposely kept his helmet open so that others could see that he was undead) and spoke gantly (for someone who cant even breathe, Jin acted as if he could and drew out his breaths). The knight couldnt help but wonder about his identity! "I am one of Marquis Satepens men." [One of Marquis Satepens men!?] Marquis Satepen was the lord with the highest standing amongst the lords that controlled the level 2 danger zone cities! He had retired to the countryside after passing hisnd over to his son, and he was sure of the familys power and position; Lee Shin Woo had cleaved his skull and absorbed his bone, so he was able to nigh-perfectly imitate him, but he was purposefully posing as his knight instead! "You know of these unruly and strange individuals moving around throughout the Empire, yes? The Marquis was quite worried about this, so he sent me and some other knights throughout the Empire. Thus, it is my duty to capture and torture these flies, and report back to the Marquis." [As expected... As expected of Marquis Satepen! A noble loyal to the Empire, even after passing his position to his son!] "Thus... What are you all doing within? I have already discovered quite a few knights patrolling around." [T-Thats...] The Skeleton Knight was flustered and stepped back. He had already epted that Lee Shin Woo was Satepens vassal! But if he was too forceful, the knight may be angry with him, so Lee Shin Woo purposefully made his voice less forceful. "As a mere knight, I have no ns of interfering with the lords work. We are all loyal to the Empire, are we not? I just asked out of concern, so there is no need to be rmed." [Ha, haha. Thank you for your consideration. Ah, what is your name...?] "You can call me Seta." [Sir Seta, it wasnt something that I couldnt tell you, as youre under orders from Marquis Satepen. To be honest, the lord received an imperialmand.] "Hoh." He even told him about the imperialmand; seriously, dumbasses like this are the best! [This is what the Emperormanded. Rebels will definitely appear here, so if anyone suspiciouses, then we should report immediately. Then, one of the 12 generals wille and personally execute the rebels...!] "Is that so?" Lee Shin Woopletely understood now. For some reason, the Emperor was sure that Arema Steelworker would appear here, and Arema Steelworker was also aware of the Emperors motives. If I thoughtlessly entered, then around the time I exited the dungeon, one of the 12 generals would be there to meet me. Was Aremas n to get rid of him? No, if it was, he wouldve just told Guillotine to kill him. In other words... it was a test. It was a test for Lee Shin Woo, as well as his group (Arema trusted that a group backing him existed), so Arema could gauge their abilities. There could be something else as well, but this is probably it for now. He could just figure out the rest starting now. Lee Shin Woo nodded his head and spoke. "So you were following the imperialmand. If it is not too much trouble, may I help as well? I will go and talk to the lord personally." [Ooooh, it would be a great help [1] to us if you were to assist us, Sir Seta! I will personally guide you to the lord!] The deeply touched knight yelled! Jin, who had heard it all, inwardly cried out. What the hell are you doing!? I mean, if we just barge in, one of the 12 generals will show up soon. Even so, we cant just go back. Im too curious as to whats going on in there. So!? So henceforth, were beginning operation [Operation: Bro [2], why are you there?]! ...You. There were so many parts about that statement he wanted to retort about, but Jin decided to concentrate on only the one he was truly confident about. The two operation words were ovepping! [3] [1] T/N: In Korean, he says something along the lines of saying that hes simr to a force of a thousand. Its just a saying that emphasizes how helpful he would be. [2] T/N: Hyung, or big brother. As itsical, bro is the more contextually correct English trantion. [3] T/N: The first operation uses the Korean word, while the second uses the English pronunciation spelled out in Korean. Chapter 24 part1 [As expected... Impressive, very impressive.] "Youre too kind." Lee Shin Woo was meeting with Count (or who used to be) Nellopa, the lord of the satellite city, Kadinan in a reception room. He was like a mummy who was all skin and bones, and ording to Lee Shin Woos assessment, his name showed up as [Lv6 Undead Commander]. He was already well aware that the higher leveled the undead, the more likely they were to not be bound by the form of a mere skeleton or zombie, so he wasnt very surprised by it. At the same time, he could easily tell that the lords intellect... was higher than a normal undead as well. [Ahem... Is Marquis Setapen... doing well?] "I have not been in contact with him, as it has been some time since he left his estate, but there are trustworthy knights by his side." [Marquis Setapens knights... are renowned for their valor. Indeed. I had thought he would pass on all of his forces along with his estate, but to think that he had kept people like you by his side; what a sly old fox... Ahem, hes a powerful man.] The undead were truly mysterious. Even if the undead possessed a simr level of intellect, when thrust into abat scenario, several undead recklessly threw themselves into the fight; on the other hand, if they met other undead, and remembered their status when they were alive, they would act the part. There was an extremely thin line between insanity and normalcy for them; only by understanding and arbitrating between that line would one be able tomand them. For the past half year, Lee Shin Woo had encountered countless undead and had roughly been able to ascertain how to do this. [But... is it really alright for you to help us?] "The Empire is in danger. Must I say anything else?" [Hmm... Youre right. Absolutely right. You truly are extraordinary!] That sense that allowed him to turn the conversation to the present situation, regardless of what the other was saying! He didnt know how he felt about Marquis Setapen, but now wasnt the time for Lee Shin Woo to be worrying about something like that! As he thought, because of his statement advocating their cause, the Undead Commander, Count Nellopa nodded his head in satisfaction. [Then, could I ask you to do something? Since surveince has been tough with just the knights we have.] "Of course. Please do." And thus, Lee Shin Woo much too casually and sessfully infiltrated the city, Kadinan. The lord didnt call one of the 12 generals, Lee Shin Woo had entered the city, and they got the opportunity to scout out the area all at once. Jin was speechless as he saw Lee Shin Woo march out of the reception area (as Jin obviously couldnt go in), where the level 6 undead lord, the Knight Leader (a level 5 Elder Knight), as well as undead wizards resided. Youre really... Nice. Then, shall we begin? Now, operation Bro, why are you there? had begun in earnest! Lee Shin Woo volunteered to patrol the outskirts so that he would avoid the lords suspicion; he pricked his ears and activated his mana senses, and then began patrolling his allotted area. [Sir Seta. Thank you for all your hard work!] "Youre working hard as well. Are you on your way back from patrolling?" [Thats correct. I was patrolling an important, protected area. Hundreds of knights go through dozens of routes in order to patrol so that theres no gap in our defenses.] "Impressive." And in the process, Lee Shin Woo got closer to the other knights, and obviously acquired some information as well. For reference, they were telling him about the protected area; all the knights that had participated in human testing were buried there. [Your horse is quite splendid, Sir Seta.] "Haha, thanks. Youre a full-fledged knight as well; dont you have a horse as well?" [Thats... For some reason, all of the living horses in the city died. There are countless knights in the city without a horse.] To think that all of the horses had died. There should only be dead horses in the Empire by now... is what he thought, yet Lee Shin Woo didnt utter those words. "How unfortunate. If I have the chance, Ill find a good horse for you." [Thank you very much!] Therere two over here. And it looks like theyre the only three disguised on the western outskirts, but theres actually one more hiding there as well. Though they were all undead, the dead in Kadinan, and especially the knights, trusted Lee Shin Woo, as he emphasized loyalty to the Empire. The most important virtue for a knight within the Empire was strength, while the second most important virtue was loyalty. "Hmm. It seems that the north sides defense isnt up to par. Shouldnt we adjust the patrol route a bit?" Moreover, Lee Shin Woo made it seem like he was concerned about the defense of the city and their patrols while in actuality, he was fishing for information; he acted like he actually had some rmendations for them, so the undead didnt even suspect Lee Shin Woo in the slightest. There was no way for them to be suspicious of him. [You truly are perceptive, Sir Seta. However, theres a hidden magic trap over there, so...] "As I suspected. As I thought, Kadinan is truly an impressive city." Ok. I wondered if they knew about it, but it seems like these guys really dont know that their magic trap is broken and still think its working... If thats the case, then I can say that therere really no reserve troops over there. Lee Shin Woo enthusiastically continued patrolling and collecting information; as a result, he figured out their patrol routes, the scope of the patrol, when they changed shifts, and even the route by which they were deployed and returned. It only took him a couple of days to sessfully figure this all out, and organized the information in his head such that it was much simpler. "Good. Then we should..." "How the hell did you get such detailed information!?" Jin, who had definitely been with Lee Shin Woo at every moment, watched as Lee Shin Woo organized the information on paper. He started with the outskirts and theirplicated patrolling routes. Once he saw Lee Shin Woo detailing where and when the knights were stationed at each and every moment, he couldnt understand how he hade up with it all. However, once he looked over the details, he couldnt deny that it looked urate. "This is way too easy. We can already infiltrate the facility, huh?" "...Then lets get rid of that operation or whatever you call it, and just go for the facility right now." "But think about it, Jin. Do you really think all theyre doing is patrolling the area with some knights? Especially when theyre so protective of this ce? Even when they have a way tomunicate with the 12 generals in ce?" "Then?" There was a single level 6 magician along with several level 5 magicians in the city. Above all, Lee Shin Woo was most wary of the magicians, whose ability was to change mana to enact miracles; he had no idea what they could do! Lee Shin Woo was sure that they were involved in all this, so he couldnt move in haste and make a mistake that shows any sort of weakness. Rather, now was most important! [Ah, Sir Seta. Thank you for all your hard work!] [Sir Seta, please rest well!] "You guys worked hard, too. Good work." One would think that you were born as an aristocrat. Lee Shin Woo, whodpletely explored the outskirts in only two days, was off duty, and after changing shifts with other knights, observed the magicians movements in a way that wouldnt arouse suspicion, whilst also searching for the hot line that he assumed allowed the lord tomunicate with the 12 generals. In order to do so, he would need to get closer to the lord. "My lord, it is I, Sir Seta." [Ooh, Sir Seta. Have you beenfortable here?] "Yes. I am quitefortable due to your consideration." Though that consideration only really included amodations outside where he could keep his horse, that was more than enough for Lee Shin Woo. The location of his amodations was also excellent. Though he could inspect the outside from the inside, the same couldnt be said of the reverse; in order to watch their movements, one would have to get within a certain distance, which was especially pleasing to Lee Shin Woo. [Then, what have youe for? ...If you wanted to ask about the imperialmand, I apologize, but I cant tell you much. Its not because I cant trust you. Its quite sensitive information, so please understand.] "Ah. Please dont apologize. I dont have the authority to ask for such information. Rather... if its alright with you, my lord, I could take over some of the patrols in the inner city that have been ignored as a result of the knights following the imperialmand." Announcing his intention to break away from the main task at hand, upholding the imperialmand, meant that, in other words, Lee Shin Woo really wanted to help, but he wasnt really interested in detailed information! [Mm, you truly are...] The lord was slightly moved by his words. This man was genuinely trying to help him! He was acting loyally to the Emperor, without any suspicions or putting up any fronts! To think that there was still a knight like this in the Empire...! Of course, Ive already explored as much as I could on the outside, so now its time I look inside as well. Seeing the Undead Commander, who waspletely moved by him, Lee Shin Woo inwardly smiled a rotten smile. If Jin was with him, he would be shocked by how the meaning of words changed based on how one said them. [If thats really what you want, then... then can you do it for me? This is also a part of upholding the imperialmand.] "The more important the mission, the more one must focus on the task. My lord, you are the one who was issued the imperialmand. Does that not mean that your safety is paramount, my lord?" [Indeed. Marquis Setapen mustve felt reassured having you by his side. Hohoho!] Though it was a special situation because he was upholding the imperialmand, Lee Shin Woo was much too easily able to gain ess to the inner city. Since most of the knights were assigned to the mission area, Lee Shin Woo could move freely through the inner city. Of course, because he didnt know who was watching and where, he kept up the facade of a truly earnest guard. He wasnt even this perfect when he was in the army and assigned to a guard post. "How is it over there?" [Jin Taylor - There are magicians above the walls, but theyre not really doing anything special.] "Move around and look for ces that have an excessive concentration of mana, or check if they make any sort of suspicious hand gestures." [Jin Taylor - Ok, I got it.] If hes going to search the inner city, then Jin would be responsible for exploring the outskirts. Lee Shin Woo asked if it was ok if Jin could move around, since he would be bored being tied down. The lord readily nodded, stating that so long as Jin didnt cause a fuss, there was no reason that his horse couldnt move around freely. And that was really a mistake. Of course, it wasnt easy to figure out that Jin was an undead horse, let alone a hero, especially when the other heroes couldnt easily figure it out either! There are quite a few magicians, but there are a lot less of them than the knights. If I can just figure out when they all gather in one ce, it shouldnt be difficult for me to wipe them out all at once. Outwardly, it looked as though Lee Shin Woo was emitting a cool-headed vibe, but in actuality, Lee Shin Woos head was turning, busily studying the state of the soldiers deployed on the outskirts and the inner city. All while keeping a close eye on the movements of the magicians, especially on the level 6 Magician Leader. If this guy cant, then the lord must be the one who canmunicate with the 12 generals. Im sure of it. If he could just figure out which one for sure... then Operation: Bro, why are you there? could move on to the next stage. Lee Shin Woos goblin fire zed; the n was going really smoothly. Chapter 24 part2 "There arent that many magicians over here." "What...?" Itd been three days since hed patrolled the inner city, and this was the result hede to afterparing information with Jin. Hearing that, Jin was momentarily dumbstruck, but soon retorted. "You said those guys were the ones you needed to be most wary of. That it wouldnt be so simple; that it wasnt just knights patrolling around." "Thats what I thought, but when I actually looked around, I found that it wasnt all that. Thats what you found in your patrol too, right?" "Thats... Thats true." There had been a time that Lee Shin Woo had assumed that all high leveled magicians would be on par with Kratia. However, that wasnt the case. Kratia was the exception. Then again, she was a hero; she wouldnt be a hero if she wasnt the exception. Moreover, its pretty obvious that their intellect went down considerably when they turned into the undead, though Im not sure about their magic. Normally, there werent that many undead that could even use magic. Even if they could, most of them could only focus on one or two spells. Thats because they wouldnt be able to properly cast the spells without the calctions; the spells that they could cast were ones that theyd often used while they were still alive and were deeply instinctual. Of course, the higher leveled they were, the more they regained their abilities and intellect, so more higher leveled undead could use magic. However, the effectiveness of their magic was still a few levels down! "Then what about that feminine looking undead? Theres a level 6 undead in the castle." "Yeah. There is one magician in this city that I have to be wary of." Though there were few that were defending the inner city, the reason that the lord was so willing to send most of his knights to the outskirts was because he had someone he could count on in the inner city. It was none other than the level 6 Magician Leader! The Magician Leader was dreary and feminine (the fact that he could ascertain what gender she was made it clear that she was a high rank undead), and like the lord, looked emaciated. At first nce, she looked slender, but she possessed impressive magic. It was at a level that didnt trail behind Kratias, whose magic hed checked before they parted ways. "But that just means I have to be wary of her during battle. Thats all. Im sure of it. Hermunication abilities, surveince abilities, and even her skill in basic magic searching is worse than mine. Even if she saw normal patterns that moved magic, or if I used magic to secretly provoke her, her response was always the same." "If you provoke her, she might report it to the lord!" "Including all that, dont we need to see how she responds to such a provocation?" "..." That meant that he was confident that his identity wouldnt be exposed, regardless of how she responded to the provocation. Jin felt sick of hearing Lee Shin Woos confident attitude. The most surprising thing was that it wasnt arrogance; that confidence always came from a thorough analysis. "And as a result of my tests, she wasnt able to sense my magic until veryte, and was barely even able to sense it. Next, I released magic a few times into the air. Ultimately, it seemed as though she thought she was seeing things and returned to what she was doing." "That trait of finally sensing magic but then not really doing anything about it really fits an undead..." "Right?" In other words, no matter how powerful they were, their brains were damaged, and thus, they were idiots. Her magics offensive capabilities were likely unquestionable, but this wasnt the first time hed fought against a powerful opponent; Lee Shin Woo was even confident enough that he could get close to and take care of her before she could even start casting her magic. "The magicians arent really following the imperialmand. The rms in the city or the patrol routes arent covered by magic, and their only real purpose is to act as artillery troops..." "Then theres nothing to be afraid of now. Lets go to the secret facility." "No, not yet. Theres just one more thing I have to do before we can move on." It was to find theirmunication line with the 12 generals. If he just found it, and either destroyed or secured it, then he would have nothing to be afraid of. And now that hed figured out that the magicians werent all that strong, the thing he had to look out for was... "The lord." "Youre just doing this for fun, arent you?" "Im doing this so we can avoid danger and get a clean victory, you know? Ah, Jin. Starting now, figure out how to covertly get into the city without being seen." "Cant we just kill the lord and prevent them from contacting the 12 generals?" "Well, youll see." Lee Shin Woo wasnt blowing everything out of proportion just so that he could fulfill Guillotine Steelworkers request. He wanted to use this chance of infiltrating the city to figure out how the Empire operated... He also wanted take over the level 3 danger zone city as well. To do that, he couldnt just kill the lord and run! But if Jin knew about this, he wouldnt really cooperate with me. Hed already experienced clearing several level 2 danger zone cities, but the level 3 danger zones and up werepletely different. There were three level 6 elites in this city alone, and there also some normal level 6s on top of that... there were also hundreds of level 5s. If he added in the level 4 knights as well, they couldnt take on those numbers. It would be barely doable to fight straight-up if he had all of the Pauls and Golems with him. However, Lee Shin Woo couldnt use up his valuable resources here. Those guys... I should be able to use them. He left his lodgings and returned to doing his duty whilst his brain turned hectically. How could he destroy this city whilstpleting his objective... He was gradually estimating how he would go about it. [Now... give your regr report...] Huh...? It had only been a day since hed marked the lord as his primary target, yet surprisingly, things were progressing much faster than he expected! While Lee Shin Woo was on his regr patrol and wasnt even bothering to hide his presence, he began to see a peculiar magic reaction, though it seemed like the lord hadnt expected him, a mere knight to see him. [Where, here... this way...] Lee Shin Woo didnt miss the lords flow of magic from beyond the bedroom door, and clearly remembered it. It seemed as though the lord wasnt guarded in the least and was letting the world see his magic. Its not really that difficult. To be exact, it was about the same level as the Anti-Skulls security. It was so easy to figure out that he actually felt uneasy; after the magic pattern was disyed, he heard a small sounding from inside the room. At the same time, he felt an odd magic reaction... it seems as though the lord had just taken out an item that he had been hiding. [Mm...] At that moment, the mana pattern that the lord exhibited changed again. If the first was to unlock the security around the castle, then this one was to activate the magic tool that hed taken out. This isnt very tough either. It wasnt very difficult for someone who possessed general administrative rights. Of course, if the other heroes knew, including Kratia, theyd be pissed. Lee Shin Woos magical ability had developed significantly; to such an extent that they couldnt even begin to imagine. [Greetings, Lightning General.] After Lee Shin Woo hadpletely memorized the magic pattern, he listened carefully to the suddenly speaking lord. Unfortunately, he couldnt hear the other speaker, but he could at least tell that the one he was speaking to was one of the 12 generals, or more specifically, the Lightning General. [There are no abnormalities. Yes, of course.] [Our defense remains imprable. A golem, or even a single fly wont be able to get through. But what kind of golem... No, its nothing.] If Lee Shin Woo still had lips, he would be smiling bitterly right now. It was apparent that the lords back was bent and that he was kowtowing, even through the wall. Lee Shin Woo could also observe their one-sided rtionship. That must prove just how high a Generals position was. But then... [Unimportant changes...? But, mm...] Because the lord kept repeating the Lightning Generals instructions, Lee Shin Woo was able to hear what the Lightning General was saying. As he thought, once an undead gets around the General level, theyre able to surpass the limited intellect of an undead, which was slightly worrying to him... [Theres nothing like that. Yes, you can trust me to carry out your orders.] Fortunately, because the lord was an idiot, the lord didnt mention Lee Shin Woo at all! Of course, even if he did mention him, he was still acting as though he was an undead loyal to the Empire, so it wouldnt be such a big deal. However, it was obviously much better to just pass over him than to draw attention to him. [Then in a month... Yes, of course. Ill contact you if those golem bastards show up. His Imperial Majesty... its a relief that hes still healthy!] The lord was sycophantic to the very end of their conversation. Lee Shin Woo had acquired some information: he gave a regr report to the general once every month! Moreover, their conversation had ended without any mention of him, so as long as he stole the device that allowed the lord tomunicate with the general, he would be able to clean everything up. Hoo... Lee Shin Woo had a hunch that his n could move on to the next stage. However, he didnt act immediately. Im going to aim for a time when I can kill the lord without any suspicion. Whats most important is the aftermath... I have to focus on that first. He patrolled through the inner city, and it wasnt only the lord or the magicians that he was keeping his eye on. Lee Shin Woo watched the undead who regrly visited the lord, as well as the lord himself, as he called them and gave them their orders... in other words, he watched how the undead within the citymunicated with each other. The knights who were finished patrolling would have to report to the lord, so the lord wasnt left alone most of the time. There was a reason that this was a level 3 danger zone. But still, its not like the lords protected 24/7. High leveled undead ept their death and move on. They ept the fact that they have died, and build a new life and order for themselves. Obviously, these undead, whove epted their deaths, are much scarier than those who roam around, rejecting that theyve died. Despite that, there was still one habit that they couldnt leave behind: sleep. Even though they know that they cant sleep, theyy on their beds in order to retain their sanity. The higher ranked the undead, the more likely they were to do so. And this lord is the same as well. That time was now! The lord, who had activated the lock again and hidden the crystal, slowly walked outside. Lee Shin Woo acted as though he met him by coincidence as he passed by the area, and calmly bowed his head. "My lord." [Good work, Sir Seta.] "This level of work is nothing if I can help uphold the imperialmand." [Mm, very impressive. Ill call youter separately and reward you.] He responded, called over one of the knights nearby on standby, and went towards a different room. It was the room where the level 6 Magician Leader was staying in; it seemed as though these two were lovers before they died who always slept in the same ce. There was no way to tell if these two still were sexually active, but Lee Shin Woo prayed that they werent. Nice. Then lets see where theyre going. Lee Shin Woo saw the two join up and head to the bedroom, and naturally entered into the room the lord had once inhabited. Hed already perfectly memorized the patrol routes for the inner city, and knew that there wouldnt be anyone guarding the lords room for 7 minutes. [Code 0819 Communication Line] [A high rankmunication line that enablesmunication by using a special frequency.] "Nice. Now I wont encounter one of the 12 generals through this." He unlocked the extremely simple lock and had extracted themunication line that had been hidden in the room. After Lee Shin Woo had ced it into his inventory, hefortably escaped the room. And realizing that he had time to spare, grinned, and went towards the lords bedroom. Chapter 24 part3 While patrolling the inner city for the past few days, Lee Shin Woo had figured out exactly where all the knights and soldiers were stationed. From first nce, their defense looked imprable, with no avenue of getting through, yet the corridor leading to the lords bedroom chamber wasnt watched. And above all, so long as one wasnt discovered as soon as they entered the lords chamber, no one would even try to stop them from exiting through the corridor. [Thank you for all your hard work, Sir Seta.] "You too. Is the lord asleep?" [Yes, he is. With the Magician Leader. Ahem.] The knight sheepishly ndered the lord. Lee Shin Woo imagined their skin and bonesing into contact with each other, entwined in lovemaking, and felt truly disgusted. But that just meant that this was his opportunity! "If youre aware of that, why are you standing here? We should just let them enjoy themselves and leave them be." [Actually, Ive already sent the other soldiers away. Ive already confirmed that its safe, so I was going to go...] "Alright. I should go rest too." Since a level 6 magician was with the lord, more protection shouldnt be necessary. As such, with just one sentence from Lee Shin Woo, the knight obeyed and left without any suspicion. His n probably wouldnt progress as smoothly if the level 6 Knight Leader were here, but as soon as Lee Shin Woo had entered the inner city, the Knight Leaderpletely trusted in Lee Shin Woo and continued with upholding the imperialmand. Everyone in the city trusted Lee Shin Woo! Yeah, this moment is when its most exciting. When he was sure that the knight had left and there was no one left that could see him, Lee Shin Woofortably walked through the corridor. Soon, he gripped a Lightning Tooth in his hand. At the very least, they fortified the room with magic in case of intruders. Even if its rotten, its still a Herring, huh. The lords bedroom wasplicatedly equipped with rm and defense magic. But that was all. To Lee Shin Woo, who could ascertain the very base structure of magic, it was even more useless than a physical wall. "Hut." Lee Shin Woo swung his de, emitting powerful lightning, while curving it intricately; the next moment, all the magic that had been set-up vanished. If a smarter magician had set this up, then the moment that the magic was forcefully dispelled, there would be an additional measure, like a magical form that trapped the invader. But unfortunately, the citys Magician Leader wasnt that talented. "Hmph." But regardless of how stupid the magician was, they should at least be able to quickly recognize when their magic was released. Therefore, Lee Shin Woo didnt hesitate and walked through the room. To an onlooker, seeing the two bare undead would cause severe psychological damage; the man and woman looked shocked and locked eyes with him. [Huh!?] [Youre...] He hadnt acted very covertly, but he had been quick; the moment he entered the room and they discovered him... Lee Shin Woos Lightning Tooth shot out like lightning, and struck the Magician Leaders neck, cutting her off from speaking. No matter how much Lee Shin Woos stats had gone up, or how powerful Rule of Bone was, an elite level 6 undead wouldnt go down from just a single strike. However, what he used wasnt just a regr sword. It was artifact that contained the lightning element, an element that hed unleashed to its full potential. [Ga...ah...] "You probably cant move. Yeah, it seems like you dont have lightning resistance either. I wouldve preferred if you did, and could still move around..." Amongst all of his other elements, lightning was by far his most powerful. The lightning element was inherently quick, and was ridiculously powerful as well. Aside from that, the lightning element possessed a special ability: the electric current would paralyze the recipient for a short time. Even if he wasnt able to kill them, the fact that he was able to momentarily impair their movement meant that he had an advantage. Moreover, the electricity prevented one from speaking, so it was suited for covert operations. [What are you...] The lord stood up and attempted to yell at Lee Shin Woos brutality, but from out of nowhere, a Lightning Tooth flew like lightning at the back of his nape, striking true. Of course, the lord was likewise silenced. If the two hadnt been bare naked, with no defensive equipment on, and hadnt been engrossed in each other, things probably wouldnt have progressed so easily. As I thought, they cant stop themselves from engaging in their habits... Because they werent able topletely give up their humanity, they die so emptily. The lord and the magician had stiffened in ce, but Lee Shin Woo didnt be careless, and struck them with another two flying Lightning Tooths. This was because their paralysis would soon wear off. [Guah...] "..." Lee Shin Woo, whod acquired so much time to finish the job, gripped the first Lightning Tooth that was still embedded in the magicians neck, and discharged all the lightning,pletely blowing her head up. A truly clean and explosive strike, befitting of the name Bursting Thunder! Lee Shin Woos lightning had paralyzed her mana, so it was impossible for her to guard against it, even if she had attempted to use her magic to do so! Ultimately, the level 6 elite magician pitifully lost her life in an instant. [You have acquired 157,550 Perium.] [You have acquired the Lv6 Kadinan Magician Leader, Soulrits finger bone.] Lee Shin Woo collected the loot with his free hand that wasnt gripping a sword, and turned his head. The lord was bare naked like his lover, Soulrit, who had been the first to go, but when Lee Shin Woo looked over the lords unattractive body, and in particr, a specific part of his body, he became more and more pissed off. "Im a level 6 undead too, so why...!?" [Gaahk...!] Of course, it was because they were bare naked that he was able to kill them so easily, but even so... why!? He couldnt go any further, as saying anything more left a bitter taste in his mouth. Lee Shin Woo gripped the sword burrowed in the lords neck and forcefully twisted. A powerful electric current was quietly discharged, afflicting the lords body with a horrific pain, but... contrary to Lee Shin Woos desire to torment and curse at the lord for hours on end, the lord soon died. [You have acquired 210,780 Perium.] [You have acquired the Lv6 Undead Commander - Nellopas lower jawbone.] [You have acquired the Lv6 Undead Commander - Nellopas sphenoid bone.] It had been a long time since one of Bone Reinforcements abilities, Lucky Finish had activated, but because of it, hed acquired two level 6 elite bones. This shouldve been a happy asion, but he didnt feel all that happy about it right now. Hed definitely killed the lord with his own two hands, yet it felt unbearable, as it felt like hed been defeated by the lord! Lee Shin Woo had acted it up, but Lee Shin Woo simrly couldntpletely give up on his humanity. "Damn it... Huh?" However, whilst muttering in frustration, Lee Shin Woo turned his attention elsewhere, looking at the table next to the bed where the lord and the magician had ced their clothes. n A was progressing well, so this was something he definitely needed! "The equipment will probably transform. But the clothes that have no abilities should be fine..." Lee Shin Woo steeled himself and grabbed the pile of clothes, but he felt something else inside of it, something that wasnt cloth. The moment Lee Shin Woo tilted his head, he saw an odd light. Fortunately, the clothes hadnt changed, but an item that was hidden within them had changed! [You have acquired the Lv5 Heart Evolution Pendant. Through Bone Reinforcement, the item has transformed. You have acquired the Lv6 Bone Evolution Pendant.] "Oh!?" As soon as the light subsided and a message appeared, Lee Shin Woo hastily grabbed onto the... level 6 pendant that had been inside the clothes. The pendant shined a clear, dark grey and wasposed of bone as expected. He didnt know what it was originally made of, but he could strangely feel that it was extremely durable! "I didnt expect to get something like this... Moreover, its a level 6 artifact. As I thought, level 3 danger zones sure are different!" Lee Shin Woo was deeply touched and muttered. Moreover, this was the second level 6 essory hed gotten since the earring! Itd evolved from level 5 to level 6, so he felt like he could tell what its special characteristics were; moreover, all he had to do was wear the pendant around his neck, so he could actually equip it, unlike the earring! He checked the items information in genuine happiness. Then... [Bone Evolution Pendant] [Lv6] [Durability: 570/570] [Options: Health +30, Magic +30] [Special Passive Skill: Bone Evolution - Through this skills effect, your bones gradually, and permanently be stronger. In effect, as your health increases, your body evolves.] "What!?" Putting aside that vague description of evolving his body, it would increase his health permanently, so he could understand why it was a level 6 artifact! But if thats the case, then did the earring that hed picked up before have a simr permanent growth ability? Unfortunately, before he could check its info, it had transformed into bone, so he didnt have a way of checking its previous ability. Wait, no. Theres nothing to feel bad about. This pendant is a good enough find. Moreover, this pendants growth ability was created due to its evolution from Bone Reinforcement. Just because it was a high level item didnt mean that every high level item would have this kind of ability. Now then, theres one thing left... "Do I just equip this or absorb it?" Even so, the skill was too special. He was worried that he may not gain the skill if he so recklessly absorbed it. But on the other hand, even if he didnt absorb the skill, he would be able to call it from Bone Armory. "...Yeah. Dad always used to tell me this. Things will work out. It didnt take long for Lee Shin Woo to make his decision. Honestly, he didnt have much time to even think things through right now, which helped him quickly make his decision. He immediately raised the pendant and activated Bone Reinforcement. [The Bone Reinforcement skill has be Lv8. The amount of information you can extract from each and every bone has increased.] [Absorbing the Bone Evolution Pendant. Health and Magic have increased by 30. The Bone Evolution skill is absorbed, divided between Rule of Bone and Bone Armory. Both skills abilities have increased.] [The Rule of Bone skill has be Lv8. Bones under the effect of Rule of Bone will gradually and permanently evolve. All stats have increased by 5.] [The Bone Armory skill has be Lv7. You can now summon six pieces of equipment at a time. All equipment information recorded in the Bone Armory are gradually and permanently upgraded. Health and Magic have increased by 20.] "Oh, oooh...!" Right after he checked his messages, Lee Shin Woo was sure that his gambit was a sess. He hadnt acquired Bone Evolution as it was; he had fundamentally improved his two core skills: Bone Armory and Rule of Bone. He had attained a much better result than merely absorbing Bone Evolution. From the start, hed always reinforced his bones through Rule of Bone. Absorbing the skill was the right choice, as Rule of Bone had attained the Bone Evolution skill. But thats not all. Bone Armory was affected as well. If he were honest, he was much happier about Bone Armorys evolution than Rule of Bones. All his weapons information would be upgraded because of Bone Evolution! It was extremely radical to say, but as time passed, he would be able to summon level 6, maybe even level 7 equipment! Id just infiltrated the level 3 danger zone to find out what was going on inside toplete the golems quest, yet I found an unimaginable treasure here. When he thought about it, it was always like this. Obtaining his current karma, the Joker, as well as core abilities, Bone Armory and Rule of Bone, was all due to luck. Of course, he hadnt obtained all of that just because he was lucky. Hed worked diligently in multiple areas so that he could collect different pieces of karma; the moment those pieces gathered into one, that karma had simply sublimated into something greater. The growth of Rule of Bone and Bone Armory was simr. "...Nice. Then..." He felt like he could destroy the entire city all by himself, but Lee Shin Woo wouldnt act purely out of self-confidence. Lee Shin Woo sighed deeply, even though nothing came out, and examined the loot hed acquired with a calm gaze. Whether Operation - Bro, why are you there? would proceed with n A or n B relied on this loot, the lord... Nellopas lower jawbone and sphenoid bone. Chapter 24 part4 Meanwhile, Jin was finding a route where he could travel unseen from the outskirts of the city. Most of the undead only saw him as a skeleton horse as he roamed around, so they werent overly concerned about him. Therefore, one could say that his task was an easy one. Sure, its a lot easier than Shin Woos job of infiltrating the inner city teeming with undead, but... that idiots gathering information right in the middle of enemy territory, so... Despite Lee Shin Woo exining his actions most of the time to Jin, Jin still didnt really understand what goes on in Lee Shin Woos head. It was like when his math teacher had exined mathematical forms to him; no matter how patient and kind his teacher exined the subject to him, he wouldnt understand it at all. Damn... I feel like weve gotten closer, but it feels like were actually growing further apart... Even though Im working hard not to fall behind, even if I cant surpass him... Jin momentarily thought about Lee Shin Woo and naturally recollected the time hed met God for the second time. He didnt really know why, but he had asked God about Lee Shin Woo, not himself. [You may never speak to me again, yet thats what youre asking...? Youre an entertaining child as well. But sure. Ill tell you. At least, all that I know.] ording to God, heroes were individuals from different worlds that didnt live their full lives; amongst those who died, those with incredibletent potential would be brought over to this world and turned into heroes. But even God herself didnt clearly know which direction that potential would lead. [Especially that kid. The power I granted him wasnt that strange. I thought hed be a true hero once he used up all his revives, but he wentpletely astray.] Jin recollected what God had told him about Lee Shin Woo and looked upset once more. Hed asked her about Lee Shin Woo so that he could learn more about him and understand him a bit more, yet even God didnt really know what was up with him. [He hasnt even shown his limits yet. You dont need to try so hard to stand beside him.] [...Please send me back. I want to try out my new skill.] God didnt even know the limits to Lee Shin Woos potential. Jin wasnt a little kid, so it wasnt like he was jealous or anything, but whenever he felt the gap between their abilities grow farther and farther apart, he asionally felt anxious. I know that a persons personality and potential differ based on the individual... There was nothing worse than having an inferiorityplex towards onesrade. Of course, if he wereparing himself to a normalrade, Jin wouldnt sigh like this, but this was Lee Shin Woo he was talking about here. Rather, he should feel reassured by his teammate, but... [Lee Shin Woo - Jin, are you about ready?] But in the midst of his restlessness, a private message from Lee Shin Woo appeared. Startled, Jin replied. "Im about done. I can fight at anytime." [Lee Shin Woo - Were going with n A, like weve discussed. Apparently, almost all of our reinforcements have arrived, so get out without being seen and join up with the rest of them.] "...So whats n A anyway?" [Lee Shin Woo - I already told you!] Of course, he did indeed listen to his exnation on n A. The next step of the n was simr to what Lee Shin Woo had told him to do. First, he would join with their reinforcements and then enter into the city without being seen with the aforementioned route. From here, Jins role was incredibly important. With his incredible mobility, he would lead all of the monsters (the undead, level 4 Skeleton Knights and up) outside! In other words, he had to gather the mob! "I know that far. But its hard enough to find them one on one. What do you n to do by dragging them out all at once?" [Lee Shin Woo - I already told you about that too. Im going to Instigate the mobs and take them down.] "Instigate..." It was indeed an impressive skill, but was it possible to control all of the undead within the city? Jin felt like Lee Shin Woo was being overconfident and felt uneasy, but he knew that Lee Shin Woo wasnt the type to change his mind once it was made up. [Lee Shin Woo - See youter.] "...Alright." Jin finished the conversation by replying in an unsatisfied tone. As if waiting for that very moment, someone else messaged him, and that person was none other than... [Kratia Melloi - Im here. Can we really get in undetected?] The moment Lee Shin Woo had entered the city, he messaged his reinforcements, a.k.a. Kratia. Jin was aware that Lee Shin Woo and Kratia often talked with each other, but he hadnt expected him to call her when he realized that he needed help. [Kratia Melloi - Are you listening?] "...Im listening. Ille out to meet you." It wasnt really a secret; Jin didnt really like Kratia very much. She was talented enough to have a discussion with Lee Shin Woo as equals... since she was human, unlike him. And she was so eye-catchingly beautiful! Whenever he saw her, he felt like he was seething inside. Even though she didnt really feel anything for Jin, he couldnt speak to her kindly. Especially when he saw her talking to Lee Shin Woo! "Why do youe running just cause Shin Woo asks?" [Kratia Melloi - Because its a fair trade. I scratch your back, you scratch mine. Plus, we share any gathered knowledge. Mm. Excellent.] "...I wont take very long. Just wait." Yeah, this really pissed him off. But because Jin would never in a million years tell anyone why it pissed him off, Jin just kept his mouth shut and ran along. And his form, which ran so quickly and covertly so that no one could witness it, was truly beautiful. In just seconds, Jin was able to leave the city and arrive at their designated location. Kratia was already waiting there. "Hey." "...Yeah." Hed heard about how she was doing from Lee Shin Woo, but itd actually been a few months since theydst met. Jin replied, equally as curt as Kratia, and observed her. Shes way too pretty. You shouldnt even be able to take care of it here, so how? Kratia looked even prettier than before. Her light purple hair, which extended every which way, was the same, but even that had be more distinctive, looking more charming than before. And her contrasting sky blue eyes looked straight at Jin. "If youve be so much stronger, then Shin Woo mustve gotten way stronger." "Dont talk to me like Im the odd one out. Hell beat you too." "Hoo." Jin said petntly, yet Kratia justughed rxingly at his remark. Could it be...? Jin examined Kratia, but he couldnt gauge her level at all. "Then lets go. We have to try our hardest not to fight anything and just drag them out, right?" "Yeah. ...Get on." He really didnt like someone else riding him, especially when it was Kratia, but... now wasnt the time to be swayed by such trivial feelings. Kratia looked a bit apologetic and got onto his back. "There are undead everywhere. They looked really organized." "Are you doubting me? Just stay there and watch." Jin replied coldly and soon began to run. Unlike Lee Shin Woo, Kratia wasnt able to adapt to his speed and cried out, holding onto Jin as tight as she could whilst shivering. Jin felt just a bit better. He was well aware of how childish it was. "Well be there soon." "Keuk, guuuek." There were definitely undead patrolling around in their immediate vicinity, but Jin had alreadypletely figured out where they were, where they looked, and even their movements; he was in the same area, yet they didnt notice him at all. It was possible bybining Jins unimaginable reflexes and the route that Lee Shin Woo had mapped out. "We have 11 seconds. We have to get in within that time." "Gueeek... O-Ok..." From the outside, it looked like a normal, empty space within a forest, but to Kratia, whod been updated on the situation by Lee Shin Woo, soon realized what was being hidden over there. She barely managed to ovee her motion sickness somehow, and took out an item: the Limited Order Bone Core that Lee Shin Woo had remodeled. [Confirming general administrative authority. Opening facility.] An enormous door suddenly appeared on the ground of the vacant lot, and screeched open such that one could barely make their way through the door. Kratias expression stiffened once she sensed the awful death energy from within. "Do you think well be able to get out safely...?" "I guarantee you that well get out safely, so long as none of our opponents use magic." Likewise, Jin spoke stiffly. "But the real problems what happens after we drag all these guys out." "Ah, youre right." "Lets go in before the undead catch on." There are enemies everywhere, yet they were adding more enemies to their list. If the other heroes were to hear about this... No, theres really no reason topare themselves to other heroes for every single matter. The situation made Jin wonder whether Lee Shin Woo was really a hero or not! "Its closed." "Can you open it again?" "Yeah. Thats not a problem." As soon as the two heroes entered the facility, the door closed automatically. Though they were thrown into the dark all of a sudden, Jins zing blue goblin fire dimly lit up their surroundings. "Do you see anything?" "..." Kratia was a typical magician. While Kratias other stats were fairly high, as she was at a high level, her magic stat was almost ten times that of her other stats. It was impossible for her to assess her surroundings with her agility. "Keep your defensive magic up." "Got it." But Jin, who possessed a ridiculously high agility stat, immediately realized that this ce was an abode of demons once hed entered the facility. Hed heard an exnation from Guillotine Steelworker, but he hadnt imagined that it would be such a mess. "Huh? I can sense a golems magic... Werent they failed test subjects that were buried? Then why are there golems here?" "At the time, they mightve just been failed test subjects, but..." Kratia asked whilst activating her defensive magic, and Jin replied stiffly. He had already been thinking about how hed have to move so that he could protect himself from them. [Mm, I sense someone.] Then, one of them noticed them trespassing. At that moment, the pitch-ck facility lit up all at once, illuminating the entire area. [A human...] [Its a human!] [An administrator?] [The Emperor?] "..." The testing facility was definitely a lot bigger than theyd expected it to be, and it looked like it had been buried, as it overflowed with sand, as well as messily abandoned unknown cables, machines, golems bodies, and piles of metals. As well as... [Are the tests... over...?] "These crazy..." All of them were fused together, as if their bodies were glued together, forming a singr monster. One was a human body inserted into the center of a torso, embedded with a core rather than a heart, and in another monsters body, there was a human body bizarrely affixed to it. [Lv5 Golem Chimera] [1] [Lv5 Flesh Golem] [Lv6 Chimera Golem] One thing they were sure about was that none of them looked like proper golems... no, none of them even looked like proper undead. [If not... then did we fail...?] [Failure...] [Are they... alive...?] [Theyre alive...?] These golems that theyd found oddly stumbled here and there whilst speaking hoarsely and gradually approaching. Kratia tightened her fists at the horrific sight, and Jin sighed deeply. "Hold on tight!" "Gyaaaahk!" And just like Lee Shin Woo had told them, he began running. In order to awaken this facilitys nightmare thaty dormant for dozens of years. [1] T/N: Im not sure if this is intentional or not, but the author writes "Golem Chimera" and then inverts it with "Chimera Golem" below. Chapter 24 part5 [Mr. Lee Shin Woo has entered.] [Lloyd H.K.: Its been a while. Im d youre safe.] [Erian Ruparte: Im d youre safe.] [Mentes Orun: Oh, youvee.] When he couldnt move, the chatting channel was the best. He had to stay in position right now, so Lee Shin Woo entered the chatting channel, though it had been a long time since hedst entered the channel. Like always, there were several of his seniors that happily greeted him upon entrance. Lee Shin Woo very naturally began to act and replied. [Lee Shin Woo: Im d youre all safe as well, Seniors.] [Mentes Orun: What are you doing right now?] [Lee Shin Woo: Im waiting for the right time.] Thats right. The right time. Lee Shin Woo was waiting for the right time to attack. Life was all about timing, and it was even more important against the undead. And right now, Lee Shin Woo was beginning to realize how to adjust that timing. [Mentes Orun: The right time...?] [Lloyd H.K.: Is it an ambush? That must mean youve figured out where the undead troops are going.] [Lee Shin Woo: Something like that. I have to ambush the undead troops, as the size of their force is a bit too much for me.] To be exact, it wasnt a group of undead, but an entire citys worth; it felt like he was attacking both the inner city and the outskirts simultaneously, not through physical means, but mental. They wouldnt understand, even if he exined it to them, so he just concocted a story for them. [Silen Viesa: Ive been hiding and picking off the undead one or two at a time, but youre amazing, Senior!] [Mentes Orun: Those one or two undead are at the same level as you; plus, theyre elites. Man, its been tough holding out over here, but I feel a lot better with such talented juniors appearing.] [Lloyd H.K.: Now that you mention talented juniors, I met that girl before. That newbie that entered the chatting channel briefly, but then left. Dont be shocked, but shes not weaker than me.] [Erian Ruparte: ...That strong girl, who happens to be unnecessarily beautiful as well. Youre talking about her, right?] [Mentes Orun: Eh, why are you getting upset again, youngdy?] Lee Shin Woo had already heard about it from Kratia. That shed managed toe across other senior heroes. She thought that they might be trouble, but because Lee Shin Woo had given her information on them beforehand, it seemed like nothing bad happened. [Prince Altania: You dont think she was level 7, do you?] [Lloyd H.K.: Im not sure, but Im sure that shes either at my level or stronger. Ah, and shes a magician too.] [Prince Altania: A magician... Hoo, then well just have to see whos better sometime! Show her whos boss, am I right?] [Lloyd H.K.: Heroes shouldnt fight amongst each other, you dumbass.] Lloyd spoke, and it seemed like the conversation was briefly paused... but then, a calm voice continued, as if it were amander deciding whether or not he should press the nuclear missile button. [Lloyd H.K.: Perhaps... well be able to take on the 12 generals soon.] [Prince Altania: ...] [Lloyd H.K.: You (their seniors) told us before. There are level 7s amongst the 12 generals. If thats the case, we should be able to take down one or two of them if we work together.] [Mentes Orun: Dont be hasty, Lloyd.] [Lloyd H.K.: ...Senior.] [Mentes Orun: Ive seen four level 7 heroes die all at once because they were just as hasty as you. ...So be stronger while its still safe. Dont be too hasty, nor toox... since were still going to die here.] [Lloyd H.K.: ...] [Prince Altania: ...] Ah, the mood in the chatting channel suddenly turned for the worst! They had finally gotten over Shino Rendus death, but it seemed like they were still deeply affected by it. Lee Shin Woo softly sighed. Who would think of them as heroes, acting like this!? But then, he received a message. Kratia had arrived. [Kratia Melloi: Were in the middle of gathering them all and leaving... Shin Woo, save me.] "Nice work. You gathered them a lot faster than I expected. Then Ill get going now too." [Kratia Melloi: Wait, no. Help me first...!] Kratia sounded like she was dying, but it probably wasnt from a severe injury. It probably wasnt easy for her to ride atop Jin when she had neither the Horseback Riding skill nor the Assimtion skill. He pictured the small, almost doll-like and beautiful Kratia, dizzy and banging her head atop Jins back, and grinned. Then, he stood up, wore some clothes over his wrinkled and dirty flesh, and finally, looked over at the broken mirror. "Nice. Its perfect." The mirror reflected the appearance of Kadinans lord, Count Nellopa. "Ah, aah. Aaaaah." The Disguise skill was also capable of changing ones voice. Lee Shin Woo smiled after confirming that his voice had indeed changed to the lords dreary and dismal one. As if reflecting his mood, the reflected emaciated flesh twisted around. How could I feel like Im worse than this undead? He couldnt hide his misery or his distress, but it didnt matter; the lord was dead. He couldnt stand again. In any way! "Hoo... Nice, its a lot better than I thought it would be. Its almost perfect." He had somehow managed to raise his Disguise skill to level 4 in the past few months, and contrary to when the skill was level 1 and he had to be familiar with the target to barely imitate them, he could now imitate an undead with a simr form with just the information from one bone (this was also due to his Bone Reinforcement developing as well). However, he had been uneasy as he didnt know how Disguise would work with the Undead Commander; after all, he was apletely different species... But he hadnt expected him to drop two bones simultaneously! At that moment, Lee Shin Woo was sure of it. The fact that hed be able to progress with n A. Thats right. Lee Shin Woos n A of Operation - Bro, why are you there? is... "As Kadinans lord, Imand you. All forces, assemble! To battle!" [M-My lord!?] [The lord came personally... whats going on...!?] n A was unbelievable: kill the Undead Commander, act as him, andmandeer Kadinans forces! [The Lord has given themand. To battle!] [But, wait...] [Do you n on defying the Lordsmand!?] [No, of course not!] The knights were considerably flustered once they saw the lord yell out hismand right after exiting his bedroom. Even so, they couldnt defy the Lordsmand and immediately ryed hismand to all of their forces. The once stagnant satellite city became excited in the blink of an eye. [What about the soldiers charged with a mission...?] [Recall them all! Its the Lordsmand!] [Magicians! Equip your magical devices and get ready to depart immediately!] [But, the leader isnt...] [Wait, now that I think about it, the leader isnt here...?] Only after creating a huge fuss did the undead realize that the Magician Leader was absent. Both the Magician Leader and the Knight Leader were missing, and the undead didnt know what to do; they shifted responsibility, as if ying hot potato, but ultimately, one of the level 5 Elder Knights who had heard hismand approached him. [My apologies, but wasnt the Magician Leader with you, my lord?] This was the question he had been waiting for. He couldnt tell them himself, but he could wait for someone to ask! Lee Shin Woo took a deep breath without anyone knowing and simultaneously activated Acting and Instigate, and opened his mouth. "The ce we were protecting... There was an intruder at the Sanctuary. The Magician Leader was the first to notice and attempted to defeat them, but was defeated instead." [As expected of the Magician Leader!] The Sanctuary was ng for the area they protected under the imperialmand. Of course, they were dumbasses that couldnt tell that his lie about the Magician Leader was bullshit, but it seems like the words Magician Leader were quite effective on the undead, as they didnt find his lie suspicious at all. But because it was a lords castle filled with level 5 undead or higher, not everyone let it go and questioned him. [If thats the case, then wouldnt it be prudent to contact one of the 12 generals first, my lord...?] "That was my first course of action; I contacted the general and reported what had happened. But even so, do we just stand still and do nothing? When we couldnt prevent the intruders from entering the Sanctuary?" [T-Thats not my intent...] "I cannot wait until the Lightning General arrives. Its not only to prove my loyalty to the Emperor. I must punish these intruders myself. This is... this is..." Lee Shin Woo replied. He briefly evened out his breathing and looked as though he were pushing down his anger. The Elder Knight saw this intense anger and gulped, even though he didnt have any saliva to swallow down, and stepped back. Lee Shin Woo was satisfied with that. Good. It seems like faking my facial expressions is perfect as well. Hed never been in a rtionship before, so he obviously didnt know what it felt like to lose a lover. However, he remembered how sad he was when his scary friend in elementary school stole one of his grilled beef patties from his precious lunchbox that his mother had bought for him, so when he recollected those feelings, theypletely bought his lie. "We will uphold both the imperialmand and at the same time, beef patties... I mean, it is also vengeance for the Magician Leader, Soulrit. ...Understood?" [Kuheuk...] [The lord...] Lee Shin Woos simmering anger and regret lead to one thing: vengeance! His feelings were clearly conveyed to the rest of the undead, causing them to feel both grief and pity! And sure enough, at that very moment, his skill leveled up. [The Instigate skill has be Lv4. You amplify the emotions of your listeners and can cover for any contradictions or scanty evidence.] Whenever his skill leveled up, the skill exnation would always be nothing more than is this really ok like this?, but Lee Shin Woo kept a positive mindset, thinking that its a great skill and decided topletely ignore the message. He needed to concentrate on all the undead focusing entirely on him right now. Ah, and he needed to focus on his partner, as well as his temporary partner, who were being chased from afar! [Everyone, line up! We go to uphold the imperialmand! Remember that, and focus!] [As youmand, my lord!] Lee Shin Woo saw more than 10,000 troops lining up outside of the outer walls, and yelled without even twitching an eyebrow. The knights, charged with missions and that were in other areas, led soldiers and assembled as well; their numbers began to swell once more. [I trust that you know what the situation is!] Lee Shin Woo used Instigate with each and every one of his words, his voice resonating and rying his orders to the troops. This was to ensure that none of them became suspicious of him while simultaneously being a show of strength that would inspire them. [The ones who dared to invade the Sanctuary are there. Our mission is extremely simple. Executing all those who oppose his majesty! Do you understand!?] [I understand!] [As youmand, my lord!] Thousands of undead shouted all together, responding to his call. Hearing that, he calmly nodded his head, and if anyone were to see this, they would see him as an unimaginable big shot. "Jin, when the two groups start fighting, take Kratia and run. I may be controlling them with my skill, but I dont know how theyll react to seeing someone alive." [Jin Taylor: I got it. I got it, but... how exactly are you going to do that?] Lee Shin Woo didnt reply. Instead, he ordered his entire troops to advance. [To battle!] [Dont die in vain! You may not die until you uphold the imperialmand!] [Uooooooooooooh!] Around that time, most of the knights and soldiers that had been guarding the Sanctuary (there were several undead that had already been killed from Jin andpany) hade under his leadership, so he had around 20,000 soldiers under hismand. It was truly a reassuring sight. "All forces, halt! I see our enemy!" [Our enemy!? But... our enemies areing!] That moment came faster than Lee Shin Woo had expected. After leading his troops and advancing for only a few hours, he saw a horse kicking up a dust cloud on one side... as well as formidable monsters that were chasing after him fiercely. "Wow, thats crazy. What the hell are Golem Chimeras...?" He didnt know if the group that chased after Jin and Kratia would be at least level 5 or not, but when he checked the levels of the thousands of monsters, he smirked. But once his subordinates, the other undead, saw a mob of powerful enemies appear, they felt uneasy and took up their battle positions. [Jin Taylor: Hey, I can see the undead troops! But where are you!?] Hed gathered mobs and even ran whilst allowing Kratia to ride on his back. Ultimately, Jin saw the undead force and was shocked at the force that numbered in the tens of thousands; he opened a private chat and messaged Lee Shin Woo. Lee Shin Woo calmly replied in the private chat. "Im right over here." He said and calmly waved his hand. At first, Jin couldnt see where Lee Shin Woo was, as he was protected by the level 6 Knight Leader, as well as a number of high leveled undead. However, he soon realized what Lee Shin Woo was doing and gaped. [Jin Taylor: Youre...] He was at the center of the undead force; he was protected by them, instead of being the recipient of their attacks. No, from first nce, it just looked like Lee Shin Woo had just be the Undead Commander. [Jin Taylor: Why are you there!?] Once he heard that, Lee Shin Woo was sure that Operation - Bro, why are you there? had seeded perfectly. Chapter 24 part6 "Its them!" Lee Shin Woo yelled, as if hed found the bully who had taken his short rib patties. "Those wicked beasts are our enemies!" [The lord has given the order: annihte them!] [Follow the lordsmand!] Once the Knight Leader repeated Lee Shin Woosmand, the surrounding undead responded by raising their weapons and advancing. It was as if their spirits could even topple a mountain! However, a few of them hadnt been caught up in the mood, and timidly asked. [I feel a living beings energy in front of them...] "Is that really important right now!?" [Kuheok!] Lee Shin Woo yelled. To an undead, being hostile to the living was paramount over all else; no, he supposed that their deeply ingrained instincts were just as important, so they wouldnt just meekly nod their heads and obey his order when a living being is present! Therefore, he needed to request that they ovee their base instincts. "Were upholding the imperialmand! We can take care of themter!" [I-I understand!] Because of how intimidating Lee Shin Woo was, the thunderstruck undead halted any hostilities towards Kratia and Jin, and focused their attention onto the Golem Chimeras. Lee Shin Woo sent a message, telling them to take this opportunity and get out, and Jin, though dumbfounded, instinctively moved his body out of range of the undead. Though they were well within the range of the undead magicians, the undead magicians were now focused entirely on the Golem Chimeras and thus, let Jin and Kratia go unscathed. [Un...dead...?] [We... will... enemy...] [Kuhik... Kill them, kill them!] [Youre... trying to kill us again...!?] [Im sick of... the Empire... and the Emperor...!] [Kill them! Kill them all!] Around that time, the Chimera troops, which had been chasing after Jin and Kratia like madmen, turned their attention towards the undead troops led by Lee Shin Woo. Though the Golem Chimeras, who had been asleep within the facility and recently awakened by magic stimuli, deeply resented Kratia, who possessed a healthy, living, and intact body while they themselves did not, their resentment towards the knights and soldiers that charged in the name of the Empire was considerable as well. Jin and Kratia sure did well gathering those guys. Whether it was a chimera with a normal golems body, but with human limbs attached, or one with two cores inserted into a human bodys twisted flesh, all the chimeras had a simrly bizarre fighting spirit, which was truly an astonishing sight. However, the undead troops morale was no joke either. [How dare you murder the Magician Leader! Kill them with extreme prejudice!] [As youmand, my lord!] [Stop these awful beasts from reaching the rest of the Empire! We have to take care of them ourselves until one of the 12 generalses!] [Kill themmmmmmmmmm!] Thus, thousands of level 5 Flesh Golems, and the undead force, six times the size of the Chimeras and averaging at level 4, crashed into each other! "Hoo... Nice. Shall I try acting like the Undead Commander?" In this world, numbers alone cannot ovee a qualitative difference in strength; thus, it was quite obvious that Kadinans forces should lose. However, Lee Shin Woos level 7 intermediate Command, as well as his Instigate skill could make up the difference! Now was the time for him to test just how much better his Command skill had gotten after absorbing the Undead Commanders bone and leveling up! [Theyre just worms rebelling against the Empire! Are you going to lose without even fighting back!?] [Kuheuk...Kuaaaaaaaaahk!] [We are... knights of the Empire! The swords of the Empire!] [The swords of the Empire! We are the swords that cleave evil! [1]] The synergistic effect between Instigate, which steered peoples emotions a certain way and amplified them, and Command, which boosted the morale andbat abilities of his troops, was ridiculously high. But the effects were so pronounced that even Lee Shin Woo himself was thunderstruck; almost as if on cue, organized messages courteously appeared before him. [Instigate amplifies the effect of the Command skill. All friendly forces morale has almost been raised to its limit. All offensive and defensive capabilities of your forces increase by 20%! A part of your subordinates can now use Bone to Bone; staking their lives to inflict a critical injury upon their enemies no matter what.] His voice reached all of his troops due to his Instigate skill, and a faint red energy covered their bodies. Moreover, a portion of his troops, picked at random, would gain a skill that would even enable level 4 Skeleton Knights to inflict a critical injury onto level 5 enemies! A skill? Does this effect manifest when my Command skill levels up even more? If not, then is it because of the Instigate skill? ... And more importantly, Bone for Boneis kind of... It wasnt flesh for bone, but bone for bone [2]. Lee Shin Woo didnt really feel like that change was necessary, but he soon realized that it would be incredibly disrespectful to the skill if he kept thinking like that. He heard the sound of bones cracking across the battlefield, as well as powerful strikes that caused the Chimeras to clearly falter and retreat. [Proud knights of Kadinan! Give up your lives for the lord!] [If I can help the lord, even with this rotten body, then I will do so for so long as he asks it of me!] [Should this body die again and again a hundred times over...! [3]] Lee Shin Woo was deeply moved as he saw the weak knights resolve themselves and sacrifice themselves to inflict damage upon the Chimeras. What a profit! [Knights of Kadinan, show them your loyalty towards the Empire! Magicians of Kadinan!] [Uoooooooh!] [Well burn all those wretched worms and show our loyalty to the lord!] [We (Kadinan) are one!] Lee Shin Woo enthusiastically raised his voice, inciting the troops further, and the undead responded in kind; they raised their swords and wands, and shouted along with him. An outside observer might think that Lee Shin Woo had been their lord for 30 years! "Is that really Shin Woo?" "Yep." "Why is Shin Woo there?" "I dont know. But Im kind of curious as to who the Bro would be in n B..." "Huh!?" Meanwhile, Jin and Kratia had sessfullypleted their mission and had escaped from the battlefield. They watched as the undead troops led by Lee Shin Woo, and the Chimeras that theyd gathered from the facility fiercely fought against the other, and cordially voiced their opinions vacantly. Upon reuniting, they both instinctively watched the other (obviously, there was no ill will there) and even argued with each other, but upon watching the spectacleid out for them by Lee Shin Woo, they had no other choice but to put aside their differences. "You might be right. I cant keep up with that. The genrespletely different." "What did I tell you?" They watched the battle between the two forces whilst resting and rxing the overwhelming tension from gathering the mob from the past few hours. The difference in strength due to the level disparity was clear, but Lee Shin Woos Command and Instigate skills were still being used. Actually, Lee Shin Woos troops were starting to win, bit by bit! Perhaps his skill inmanding was even better than the Undead Commander, Count Nellopa, who possessed the Commander karma. "What exactly have you guys been doing...?" "You saw a bit of it before when you were with us, didnt you?" Then again, this was Lee Shin Woo, who had split apart an army and caused them to self-destruct. If she thought back to that, it wasnt really that surprising that Lee Shin Woo hadmandeered an entire army to fight against another army. "It seems like hes gotten a lot stronger too." "Actually, his increase in strength is a lot more pronounced than these other abilities. Hes been fusing skills..." "Fusing skills... It must be tough travelling alongside a monster like that..." "Dont call my partner a monster." "Oh...?" Shed thought that theydpletely reconciled by now, but it seemed like they were still at odds. Kratia pondered whether or not she should say anything at this point and her lips parted, but she ultimately decided to change topics. Not to mention that there was something that was bothering her. "Are you sure youve stopped one of the 12 generals froming?" "Seems that way." "The seniors I met before told me go unnoticed in the level 3 danger zones. That I shouldnt make a fuss, and if I did, a big shot would show up." "I feel like its been several hours since Shin Woo started making a fuss." "I see..." From the very beginning, the reason Lee Shin Woo infiltrated the city and acted was to avoid an encounter with one of the 12 generals. He had used all the means avable to him to tie up all the loose ends and move as quickly as possible; so long as the general didnt have rockets on his feet, he wouldnt be able to catch Lee Shin Woo. Lee Shin Woo was daring, but he wasnt an idiot. Hed made this n after carefully assessing his own abilities. "Thats whats scariest: it wasnt made out of pride." "Im a bit scared too." Fortunately, things got a little better between Jin and Kratia again. They watched the undead free-for-all, as if they were enjoying some sort of war movie. Eventually, Kratia finished recovering her magic and stepped forward, as if she intended on helping. "It seems like theyre evenly-matched, so it should be fine if I were to cut down both sides, right?" "But you cant let them aggro onto you." "I know at least that much." Kratia replied leisurely, and covertly raised her magic. Jins goblin fire zed immensely as he observed her. Jin hadnt noticed before, as they had only intended on provoking the Chimeras in the testing facility, but now that he had a chance to watch her draw upon all of her magic, he realized that the quantity was absurd. "You..." "Huheut." Kratia simply offered a subdued smile to the shocked Jin and disyed her magic. First, she would look for a wide area, and once cast, therge-scale debuff would freeze the mana of all those within that area, as well as disrupt their teamwork. Before she could cast the spell, she had topletely understand all of the magic in the area, so it was an incredibly difficult task. While it was difficult to use, its effects were covert and immediate, so there was no better spell to use... in this situation... "H-Huh...?" However, she couldnt continue with the spell. Kratias face momentarily paled. Though her face was normally quite pale, herplexion was pale enough to now resemble an ice statue. "Did you fail?" "No, thats not it." Kratia firmly denied, and demanded a clear answer from Jin. "You said one of the 12 generals wasnting!" "Theyre not. Shin Woo guaranteed that they werent." "Then what the hell is that!?" "I have no idea what youre talking... about... huh...?" Jin replied in frustration, but finally saw what she was talking about with his high agility. The moment he saw it, he looked into its identity and was dumbstruck; then, he messaged Lee Shin Woo. [Jin Taylor: Shin Woo, is that part of your n!?] "Advance more aggressively... Huh? What do you mean if its part of my n? Its perfect." [Jin Taylor: No, its be imperfect just now!] "Huh...?" Lee Shin Woo had noticed its approachter than Kratia or Jin, not because his abilities were worse than theirs, but because hismand over the undead was just that important. In any case, it was fortunate that he was able to figure out what they was talking about after listening to Jins warning. "T-The hell..." There was something pushing through the dense, rotten trees beyond the mountain range at an incredible speed. It was violently emitting a ridiculous amount of mana, and his eardrums, which he didnt even have, threatened to burst from its scream; the familiar face that was violently running towards them was... "Bro..." Lee Shin Woo couldnt help but acknowledge that his n, Operation - Bro, why are you there? had beenpletely derailed. [Lv7 Treasure Eater] "Steve, why are you there!?" [1] T/N: Could be a reference to Sanger Zonvolt from Super Robot Wars. [2] T/N: A Chinese saying adapted to Korean. Sacrifice your flesh to take their bone. Basically, take a superficial injury to inflict a severe injury. But Toy Car reces the "flesh" part with bone because theyre skeletons and they have no flesh. It really doesnt trante well as a skill name. [3] T/N: A reminder. The words of Jeong Mong-ju of the Goryeo dynasty. It describes ones steadfastness, loyalty, etc. Chapter 24 part7 [You have encountered a higher leveled foe. The Rebellion skill increases all skills by 14%! Half of the effects are shared with your subordinates!] Lee Shin Woo hadnt really thought about it very much, but Bone Armory pretty much stored all of his equipment in his body. All the recorded equipment didnt disappear, but instead became one with Lee Shin Woo; the equipment was also maintained by his body, and whats worse, developed in his body. Hed absorbed countless pieces of equipment and stored them in his body, and fused different attributes together in order to create even greater equipment. Thus, Lee Shin Woos body was like a treasure house. The moment any Treasure Hunter sensed his presence, it was obvious that theyd turn their attention to him! Plus, Kratias rare, growing artifact was enough to draw the Treasure Eaters attention as well. It made sense that a Treasure Eater would appear when both of these treasures were in the same ce. "But why did he have toe now?" Lee Shin Woo was sure this issue came about due to his terrible operation name, and grit his teeth. But while he stared vacantly at the Treasure Eater, the Treasure Eater continue to advance, sending parts of the undead force flying; thus, he didnt have any more time to spare. [What is that?] [The lord... Protect the lord!] [Kuahk, these monsters wont let us go!] The undead realized that Lee Shin Woo was the Treasure Eaters target and even in their confusion, attempted to stop it from getting to him. But because they were definitely categorized as enemies by the Chimeras, they continued to tactlessly attack the undead troops, ultimately resulting in further undead casualties. [Kuaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!] To make matters worse, Steve used the Treasure Eaters patented technique, the Shriek of the Dead. Should he say as expected of a level 7? Its shriek instantaneously affected the entire area. [The enemy has used Shriek of the Dead! However, Invisible Heart haspletely protected you against mental status ailments.] Lee Shin Woo momentarily did a double take and turned around. He was worried that Jin wouldnt be able to endure it, especially because he wasnt currently linked with him. Fortunately, Kratia had used her magic to protect both her and Jin from the shriek. As expected of a high level magician. [That monsters using ck magic!] [Dont be afraid! The lords watching over us!] [Lets stab its limbs with our spears!] The undead are also... Good, theyre fine as well. He had roughly expected this oue. Firstly, his troops were under the effects of his Command skill, which protected them from status ailments, and secondly, his Instigate skill had already taken affect; both the Shriek of the Dead and Instigate were the same type of skill, but Shriek of the Dead was definitely a lower ranked skill than Instigate. Therefore, Shriek of the Dead wasnt very effective. [Ku-Kuhahk... Y-You bastards...!] [The Emperor? The Emperor is... No, I wont participate in it!] [Dont take me there. Not me...!] However, the Chimeras, who werent protected by either Kratia or Lee Shin Woo, were affected by the Shriek of the Dead. While the Chimeras were physically enhanced to the very limit, they were susceptible to mental ailments and were all affected by the Treasure Eaters Shriek of the Dead. The deeper ones regret and resentment, the more effective Shriek of the Dead was. It was as though the Golem Chimeras were born to be affected by the Shriek of the Dead. [No, no. Dont nod your head! Dont!] [You cant. The Emperor lied to us!] [Please dont!] Were they remembering the time when they became sacrificialmbs for the experiments? The Chimeras cried tears of blood as they screamed and rolled onto the floor. Thousands of level 5 monsters had be unable to fight from just one skill! Lee Shin Woo felt a bit sad when he saw them, but because of the Treasure Eater, the undead army could now breathe easy. [Its time!] [Gouge its bones! Charge!] [Guoooooooooooh!] The undead troops suddenly pushed past the Chimeras and charged at the Treasure Eater! Lee Shin Woo shouted quickly in an attempt to stop their indiscriminate attack, but because of the sudden turn of the events, the undead werent capable of properly essing the situation. Ultimately, he couldnt stop half of them, and hundreds of undead rushed towards the Treasure Eater. Lee Shin Woo clicked his tongue and had no other choice but to watch the ensuing battle. Now that itse to this, I suppose I have to sacrifice them to find out my opponents abilities... He clearly remembered when hed first fought against the Treasure Eater, his desperate battle against the level 3 Treasure Eater, and even when hed fought against the level 5 Treasure Eater. Lee Shin Woo would get screwed whenever he encountered a Treasure Eater as it would always possess a unique ability. Plus, this Treasure Eater was level 7, so he wouldnt be surprised if it could teleport and take a bite out of his heart. [Guoooouuuuh!] And just as Lee Shin Woo expected, the Treasure Eater had a special ability. Fortunately, it wasnt teleportation, but when it screamed, hair fell off of its body; then, blue light seemed to spew from its body, which ended up being lightning! [Kuaaaaaaahk!] [M-My lord!] The Treasure Eater twisted its body, discharging lightning everywhere. The undead that came into direct contact with the lightning screamed, but they were better off than the rest. The weaker level 4 and level 5 undead couldnt even scream before they vanished. Lee Shin Woo gritted his teeth at the power that the level 7 elite disyed. He was frustrated at how it seemed no weaker despite using such an attack. I barely got control over this army, yet they be a barbecued bone tter in the blink of an eye...! It didnt matter whether it was against a level 1 skeleton or a level 5 skeleton; there wasnt much difference between how long it would take for it to grill them anyway. Therefore, it would be stupid to just stand still and do nothing. Lee Shin Woo, whod inwardly made his decision, used his Instigate skill to its very limit and yelled. [All troops, retreat! Well fight him in the city!] [B-But my lord...!] [All forces! Protect Kadinan!] [I... I understand!] None could refute Lee Shin Woos sternmand, and all of the undead there turned around. Their movements were so organized and systematic that... Lee Shin Woos movement, orck thereof was quite noticeable. [M-My lord!?] "His targets me." Lee Shin Woo said bravely. "Ill keep him busy, so you return to the city and evacuate all of the civilians from the city. Once Im sure that everyone has been evacuated, Ill bring him over." [Its too dangerous, my lord!] [I cannot allow it!] "You dare doubt me!?" Lee Shin Woos booming voice even startled the most powerful undead in Kadinan, the Knight Leader, Selloin. Of course, Lee Shin Woo was the lord he served and was a level 6 Undead Commander, but the Knight Leader had thought that his abilities surpassed the lords. However, once the Knight Leader heard the strength in Lee Shin Woos voice, he realized that that might not necessarily be the case. "Go now. Even now, our precious soldiers are being sacrificed! You fool, I dont n on dying in vain. Kadinan and I are one. I will not fall, so long as Kadinan stays standing!" [M-My lord..!] [Kuheuk, as expected of the lord we serve...!] The Knight Leader, as well as the surrounding knights, were touched by Lee Shin Woos brave deration and were on the verge of tears. Hed managed to fool thempletely. Though Lee Shin Woo was nning on destroying Kadinan in its entirety so that he could safely annihte the Treasure Eater! "Go. Go tell them. Arm yourselves and be ready to die for Kadinan!" [All the citizens will follow yourmand!] [My lord. At least let me stay by your side...] "You fool. Only you canmand in my absence! Dont say anything so foolish and go!" [Keuk... I understand! I will carry out yourmand perfectly, I swear it!] Even as he cursed at him, Lee Shin Woo reminded the Knight Leader that he was the next inmand and that he had to be responsible for the troops in the lords absence; his words spurred him to act, causing the Knight Leaders eyes to ze with a bit of goblin fire and turn around. Even the undead that had been indiscriminately attacking the Treasure Eater began to assemble to the best of their ability. At least 20% of the troops had been burnt to crisp already, but it wasforting that most of their casualties were level 4s. [Guaaaaaaaaaah!] Of course, from the very beginning, the Treasure Eaters target had been Lee Shin Woo and Lee Shin Woo alone. Therefore, when the obstructing skeletons got out of its way on their own ord, it seemed thankful and beelined towards Lee Shin Woo. Some of the knights couldnt help themselves and turned around, drawing their swords, but Lee Shin Woo restrained them once more. "I wont say it again! Go!" Lee Shin Woo said, and once he raised his sword in one hand, they resigned themselves and turned around. It seemed like it hadnt urred to them that they had never seen that sword before. "Now lets see how good a lightning element monster is...!" Once he confirmed that the undead troops had fully retreated, Lee Shin Woo moved his body quickly and infused mana into the Lightning Tooth, as if to lure in the Treasure Eater. Lee Shin Woo transformed all of his mana, which was at a frightening level, into pure lightning and infused it into the Lightning Tooth. The de was covered in flickering blue sparks, and looked as though God had sent this lightning herself. Seeing that, the Treasure Eater snorted and opened its mouth. [Guuuuuuoooooooooh!] "Heup!" A lightning sphere popped out of its mouth! But because Lee Shin Woo had already figured out that its mana was mainly concentrated in its throat, he had already expected what kind of attack wasing beforehand. Lee Shin Woo threw his body out of the way, dodging the sphere, and forcefully shot out with the Lightning Tooth in turn. [Kihahk!] With Rule of Bone, it seemed like the Lightning Tooth actually shot out at the speed of lightning, and burrowed into the Treasure Eaters throat before it could close its mouth. Once it became level 7, it became like some sort of dragon, as it had attained thick and durable scales. Even so, its inner organs had to be much less durable than its scales! Lee Shin Woo immediately exploded the Lightning Tooth, and funnily enough, despite it being level 7, it writhed in pain and made one full rotation on the floor. [Kihaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!] "Keuk!?" But that was all. Though it should be in a considerable amount of pain, as well as sustaining severe injuries from the lightning covered de and the resulting explosion, the momentarily moaning Treasure Eater immediately regained its posture and charged straight at Lee Shin Woo! "Come out, fortress!" Lee Shin Woo, startled by the Treasure Eaters unexpected speed, summoned a giant shield from Bone Armory (the reason hed shouted so loudly was because he wanted to), ced it in front of him, and retreated. The giant shield, which was embedded into the ground and created by weaving giant bones together in strands, truly looked like a fortress. [Bone Fortress] [Lv5] [Durability - 2,250/2,250] [Defense - 1,200 - 1,400] [Options - Effectiveness of defense +50%] Whether one looked at the level, the ridiculous amount of defense, or its even more ridiculous option, there was no way this couldnt be considered a treasure! Hed gotten this shield from killing one of his undead seniors, but once it had been absorbed into his Bone Armory, it had been remodeled. Of course, it was an item that was bestowed upon a hero by God, but... [Kuaaaaaaaaah!] "Uuuuuuhk!" The shield couldnt even withstand the Treasure Eaters charge for 1 second and broke apart! It had be weaker after smashing through the Bone Fortress, but its charge still retained an absurd amount of power; it got close and almost hit Lee Shin Woo. The resulting force flung him several meters, and left him with no other option but to endure the pain. In pain, Lee Shin Woo diligently restored his body and thought. Damn, this is... 100%. He hadnt expected it to recover from the shock and charge so quickly. Now he was sure. The Treasure Eater possessed Lightning Resistance. It had the full package! He had a hunch when it had unleashed its lightning, but now that itde to this, he could say that he was sure now. It cant be helped. I have to take it down. He was thinking about how he could somehow lead it somewhere else whilst finishing up all his business here, but upon realizing that it had something he wanted, he knew he had to take it down. "This probably wont be enough..." Nothing good woulde of him leading it to the city. Even if he did, the undead would just be sacrificed to reduce its mana. Thats all. But even taking that into consideration, it wasnt enough to take down a level 7 elite. Even if he added in the Chimeras, which were rolling around, as well as Kratia and Jin, who were behind him on standby, it wouldnt work. "Then." Lee Shin Woo evaded its next attack and hectically moved his body around; he steeled himself and took out a small marble-like object. This was the obvious course of action. Since there was an opponent he couldnt beat with his n... "The Lightning General, the great sword of the Empire. I, Nellopa, the Empires loyal servant, have an urgent report for you." Then he just needed to make a new n! Chapter 25 part1 Once Lee Shin Woo had seen Nellopas movements, he was able to understand the magic pattern immediately. He formed the connection extremely quickly and naturally. Themunication line didnt show faces and only transmitted ones voice, so it was quite simple. [Mm... Is that you, Nellopa?] "Yes, General." He wasmunicating with one of the 12 generals, the Lightning General. He realized that themunication line would enable him tomunicate with only the Lightning General after going through Count Nellopas memories. But that was actually quite fortunate. Count Nellopa knew quite a bit about the Lightning General, as he worked under him, and that was the primary reason Lee Shin Woo took the risk of summoning one of the 12 generals. [You already gave me your regr report. An invader? So the golems finally... did they show up?] The Lightning General, Hansen Von Dorthe, replied, and Lee Shin Woo spoke in an urgent tone. He wasnt lying; the situation was quite urgent. Since the Treasure Eater was running wild, in an attempt to swallow him whole! "Its not the golems. But a considerably powerful monster appeared...!" [The Emperors order was clear: execute the golems, who are rebelling against the Empire.] "But the city will fall! If that happens, we wont be able to uphold the imperialmand, General!" [...] If the city responsible for protecting the Sanctuary fell, then they would obviously be leaving the Sanctuary unattended. It was such obvious reasoning, so why did he have to think it over so seriously? Lee Shin Woo wondered whether all the 12 generals were idiots. [Hoo... Fools. To think youd be put into this kind of situation from a mere monster... It cant be helped. Ill go myself.] "Its an honor, General!" [Keep as many soldiers alive as possible. If youre right, then me going is pointless if all your forces, which are meant to protect the Sanctuary, are destroyed.] "Indeed!" Hed nned on sacrificing his troops to ensure his safety, but Lee Shin Woo didnt tell him that and cut the line. He hadnt given the general any particr information on the monster, but it seemed like the general didnt care. Well, he was one of the 12 generals. The 12 generals had nothing to fear in the Empire, aside from the Emperor! Good. A resounding sess. However, if the general had been told, he wouldnt have been able respond as calmly as he did. That his opponent, the Treasure Eater, was a high rank level 7 elite, capable of unleashing powerful lightning, as well as possessing Lightning Resistance! The Lightning General, Hansen Von Dorthe, is level 7 and is one of the weaker generals. But because hes a swordsman who wields a powerful and quick de d in lightning, as well as utilizing a powerful element, hes about as powerful as a level 8 in a one on one fight. Thus, the Emperor uses him as an hitman (a contracted killer). Plus, hes one of the generals whos independent and works alone withoutmanding troops. Even Lee Shin Woo wouldnt be privy to this detailed information had his Bone Reinforcement been a lower level, or had he not gained two bones from Nellopa rather than one, or if Nellopa wasnt someone connected with the Lightning General. However, all the conditions had been met, so hed acquired plenty of information on Hansen Von Dorthe, and had seeded in calling him over. He wouldnte over with bothersome high rank undead, and his match up against the Treasure Eater was the worst; the Lightning General wont be able to win easily. If Lee Shin Woo seeded in pitting them against each other... he would be able to take down both the Treasure Eater, and one of the 12 generals. No. He put all this effort into calling him; he had to take him down. Im confident I took the best course of action, but... I may die a few times. To think he actually managed to call one of the 12 generals over here. He thought about how shocked Jin would be if he heard about this, and chuckled. With that in mind, the Treasure Eater shot out lightning once more. [Kuaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah!] "Yeah, yeah. I heard you. Jin, get over here quick! Im dying over here!" "Im on my way!" Unfortunately, Lee Shin Woos agility wasnt high enough for him to dodge when fighting against a level 7 monster using its full strength. He attempted to stifle its approach by either using Bone Fortresss, or spewing Acid Poison, but if he made even one mistake in this intense battle, hed lose his head! "Heup!" Then, the Treasure Eater struck the floor with its giant tail, shooting lightning spears; at that moment, Lee Shin Woo knew that he couldnt block the attack. He leapt into the air while the lightning spears struck his body. The Treasure Eater began shooting him withrge-scale attacks and its body temporarily stiffened. The fact that only its rotten eyeballs were moving and tracking his movements was truly goosebump inducing. "Get on!" "Ok!" "Gyaaaaaaaaahk!" Right when the Treasure Eater could move again, Jin skillfully jumped, approached Lee Shin Woo, and called for him. Lee Shin Woo grabbed onto Jins back and did a half-turn, safelynding on Jins back! Immediately after, the threended at a location quite far from Treasure Eater. [You have joined up with your partner. Rebellions effect are fully shared with your partner!] "Nice. This is perfect." "That was really close, you know!?" "Ueehk..." Jin had easily avoided the Treasure Eaters impressive lightning attack while advancing forward; he then jumped, catching Lee Shin Woo in the air and evennded perfectly... Kratia was reminded once more that Jin wasnt normal. Her motion sickness was the price she had to pay for underestimating him. "Run slowly... Ugh." "Just let it out while were running. Youll feel a bit better that way." "If you vomit on my back, then Im dropping both of you!" Jin yelled in astonishment as Lee Shin Woo patted Kratias back. Jin decided to ask about their current predicament. "How long do you think we can keep avoiding it for without fighting it directly?" "Rebellion increased your stats, so... probably as long as we want?" "You... youre a good guy." Lee Shin Woo smiled bitterly at Jins refreshing reply. It still didnt change the fact that Jin was level 5, no matter how close he was to level 6, while their opponent was an elite level 7 monster; to think hed still be able to say something so confidently. No matter how high Jins agility was, or how much his stats were increased through the Rebellion skill, the effectiveness of their stats shouldnt be able to match a level 7s! Now that I think about it, theres more to Jin than just his agility. Lee Shin Woo suddenly realized. There was more to Jin than just his high agility. Jin possessed several skills that allowed him to use that agility to its very limits, or even beyond its limits. ording to him, each of Jins reflex rted skills immediately increased his speed. Moreover, Steel Heart further increased his mobility, so it made sense that he was still confident. "So why did you tell the undead to back off, Shin Woo? You couldve sacrificed them to weaken it a bit." "I sent them back to the city. Since itd be better to fight within the city if we want to take advantage of our numbers." And in the process, he stayed behind to keep the Treasure Eater busy, further cementing their loyalty to him. If the undead could still shed tears, then his troops wouldve been sobbing during their retreat. "And Im going to group up with them soon." "So what about those guys? You should be able to control them, right?" Originally, the Golem Chimeras had been their objective, but now, no one cared about the thousands of Golem Chimeras. Kratia didnt doubt that Lee Shin Woo would be able to control them and use them to inflict damage upon the Treasure Eater. And if that happened...! "If I can consolidate all our forces into one single force, we may be able to take down a level 7 elite. Since Im level 7 now too!" "You really are level 7, huh?" Lee Shin Woo thought there might be some truth to Lloyds statement regarding Kratia in the chatting channel, but he hadnt expected her to actually have reached level 7! That meant that she was at the level of a high rank level 6 when they first met. However... he was surprised and knew that she was talented, but it wasnt something that would change their situation very much. "Mm... Its not like your n wouldve changed if you knew that I was level 7 beforehand." "n? What n? Isnt your n over with now?" Jin, who had been busy concentrating on evading the Treasure Eater, stuck his nose into their conversation. Lee Shin Woo genuinelyughed and replied. "You probably wouldnt know, but theres one part left of Operation - Bro, why are you there?. I prepared something in case an unexpected, powerful enemy appeared: n D...!" "n D...!?" Of course, he was lying his ass off, but Jin waspletely fooled and replied in astonishment. Before he exined n D, he asked Kratia. "Kratia, something unexpected happened. You could get hurt, so you can leave if you want; I dont mind. You helped us attack the testing facility, so I can reward you too." "Hmm...? I told you, Im level 7. Didnt you hear me?" Was he intending on taking her, a level 7, out of his n!? Her expression was no longer of disappointment; instead, she poked Lee Shin Woos back with a face marred with confusion. But because his back was entirelyposed of bone, her finger just ended up hurting. "I heard you." "What kind of n takes out a level 7? Theres no way Id run away unless one of the 12 generals was..." As expected, she realized midway what his n was with her impressive intellect. "Youre going to bring one of the 12 generals into this!?" "One of the 12 generals!? Why would a generale here!?" Jin, who had been listening, was startled and yelled! However, Lee Shin Woo smirked and nodded his head. "Yep. I called a general. I know about him through Nellopa." "Are you insane!?" "What are you going to do!?" Kratia and Jin were shocked and demanded a clear answer out of Lee Shin Woo, who treated this like he were inviting a close friend over. Jin especially, as he pledged that they would live or die together. However, Lee Shin Woo remained calm as ever. He was actually really nervous, but he was well aware that if he showed his unease, he would just further exasperate his teammates own anxiousness. "Listen carefully. The Lightning General, Hansen Von Dorthe, ising, and hes one of the generals who works alone." "Ah, I heard that there were generals that acted independently, but hes still a general! Hes on another level, even to another level 7!" To be level 7, one needed to attain 6,400 total stats, and Kratia had barely made it past that to be a level 7 magician. However, that didnt mean that every level 7 was the same! Those whod reached 6,400 stats were level 7, but one needed 12,800 stats to reach level 8; and those who were really close to that threshold... like those with 12,799 stats, were still considered level 7. A general would be closer to level 8 than 7! "Seriously, just listen. He specializes in one on one fights, so the Emperor uses him as his personal hitman. And hes best at using lightning." "Lightning...?" His exnation caused Kratia to furrow her brow. For a while now shed been vacantly thinking a level 7 elite really is different from the norm after seeing the level 7 Treasure Eater continuously discharge lightning. "Then, youre going to make it fight against the general and then...?" "Even a general shouldnt be able to take it down so easily when it has such a powerful lightning resistance. Of course, itll be tough for the Treasure Eater to take the general down too, but if it gets into a melee fight, then the Lightning General loses his advantage." "Well, thats true, but..." Lee Shin Woo was conjuring up some ns that would depend on the situation in case the general was much stronger than he expected. Since he held all the cards. "So what are you going to do, Kratia? You want in or not?" His final card was Invisible Heart. Even if he did his best and prepared a myriad of strategies, he wasnt confident that he could take down a big shot like a general without dying in the process. But if Kratia nodded her head... he could rece Invisible Heart with Kratia. With her, it would be a perfect hand: a royal straight flush. He was sure of that. "Im..." The great level 7 magician anguished over his offer. Ultimately, she made up her mind. Chapter 25 part2 [Kuaaaaaaaaaaaaah!] "Shin Woo, you really think we can just leave them like that?" "Yeah." He sent Kratia away, and when it was about time that they return to the castle, Jin asked Lee Shin Woo a question. Them was referring to the Chimera Golems that were still rolling on the floor and grunting. The fact that they were still like that, despite the fact that Shriek of the Dead shouldve worn off by now, must mean that they were suffering from PTSD. "I feel like theyll just stay like that if we leave them here." "They dont have a part in my n for the time being. We should just leave them like that." "So... youre saying that you are going to use themter?" "Of course." Lee Shin Woo nodded his head, as if saying wasnt it obvious? why are you asking me that?. They were already on a Jokers stage; they couldnt leave unless he said so. They would either dance to his tune, or die; he would only allow one of those choices to pass! The Golem Chimeras wereprised of a group of undead that were at least level 5. He was confident that he could inflict damage upon a general, so long as he used them properly. "What if something goes wrong?" "Well, then I suppose Ill die a few times or something. Dont worry about it too much." Jin was well aware of the fact that Lee Shin Woos words were just hot air. They exchanged a few words before the battle, and in the process, Jin once again realized just how determined Lee Shin Woo was; then steeled himself as well. [Kuwoooooooooooh!] "Keuk. How long do you think itll take before the general shows up...?" "To be honest, even Nellopa didnt really know how long itd take for him to show up. But Im sure it wont take very long. Since he had ns that would let him hold out until the general showed up, no matter the situation." Lee Shin Woo said, and looked backwards. The Treasure Eater was chasing after Jin and was close to catching them. Light was steadily radiating off its body, and it seemed as though it would let out a big one soon. "Though I have no idea how long we canst against that guy..." "Why the hell did that thing appear here, when its so hard to even find a level 7? You said that there was only one level 7 elite bone in the secret shop!" "Instead of asking me, why dont you ask him?" Lee Shin Woo was also speechless. This operation was supposed to be rtively risk-free and safe, and he had nned to finish things up without any problems! Hed let the chimeras and the undead destroy each other, and then loot everything in the facility; the fact that things had gotten so out of hand was all because of that asshole Steve. To think that a level 7 Treasure Eater actually existed; even if he had assumed one did exist, how was he to know that that level 7 Treasure Eater would appear right before him? ording to his seniors, Treasure Eaters were such a rare species that meeting one was like winning the lottery on Earth! "Since itse to this, we have to get that thing to pay us back for making us walk on such a tightrope." "Your voice is really scary right now..." [Guoooooh!] Then, Steve began attacking. However, Jin was able to avoid it easily by momentarily elerating; the lightning cannon ball barely missed, and vanished after leaving behind a crater several meters wide. If they had been directly hit by that, they would have been reduced to bone power; they wouldve died on the spot. "...Just one of these would destroy the castle walls." "Its alright. Shall we use the undead as meat shields?" Fortunately, it seemed as though that skill wasnt something Steve could use often, as it was apparent that Steve had gotten weaker; its speed at which it chased them had slowed. While it was slowed, Lee Shin Woo and Jin moved hurriedly and arrived in front of the outer castle walls. One of the soldiers atop the walls, surveying his surroundings, noticed Lee Shin Woo and yelled happily. [The lord has returned!] [Oh, the lord...!] [The lords returned safely. Hurry, open the front gate...] But before the undead opened the front gate, Jin let out a heup, and seemed to put pressure in his legs. The soles of his feet, or rather his hooves, suddenly changed shape. Lee Shin Woo caught a glimpse of it, and to him, they looked like spinning helical springs. "Huh...?" Did Jin just get an ability like that one X Fruit!? [1] Lee Shin Woo was astonished, but at that very moment, Jin mmed his feet onto the ground, leaping high into the air. Hed leapt to a ridiculous height in such a short period of time that even Lee Shin Woo was shocked! Seeing that, the undead seemed confused, and Jin calmlynded above the castle walls. It was such a softnding, belying the powerful leap. Hows that? Awesome. Hut. Jin snorted at Lee Shin Woos honest appreciation and was quite happy. It seemed like Jin had been considering various ways in which he could make full use of his ability. Honestly, there was arge degree of freedom in the way he could use Steel Heart, which enveloped his body in mana steel, and hed thought that he could develop it any way he wanted. But... to change a certain part of his body into springs... it was both a simple and extremely effective idea. [My lord, isnt that horse Sir Setas...!?] [Now that you mention it, I dont see Sir Seta anywhere. Did he perhaps...] "Sir Seta left this horse to me. He... was a knight who fought loyally for the Empire till the bitter end." [Ooh...] The knights took the death of this imaginary figure, Sir Seta, hard. There were several holes in his story that didnt make sense. For example, why Sir Seta had stopped appearing around the halfway point, or how he died, or how hed bequeathed his horse to the lord. However, those trifling matters didnt matter to them right now. [That monster will fall by our hands no matter what!] [Thats not all. Well punish those disgusting bastards who invaded the Sanctuary in his majestys name!] [Follow Sir Setas example! Remember his will!] [Uooooooooooh!] Jin didnt do anything, but his existence managed to boost the morale of the undead. By the time he tilted his head, the pursuing Treasure Eater forcefully rammed into the outer castle wall and showed itself to all of them! [Kuaaaaaaaaaaah!] [Kuak!] The Treasure Eater, its gigantic body several meters long, had substituted its speed for its weight in order to deliver such a powerful charge! It was truly a horrific impact. It seemed as though the castle walls would crumble then and there, and within the vibrations, Lee Shin Woo yelled out in a calm, confident tone. Charisma was everything to a lord. "Who defends Kadinan!?" [We do!] "Then, defend it! Show that monster that it cannot look down on us!" [Understood!] Jin couldnt believe his eyes. The knights and soldiers atop the castle walls then took the plunge, free falling to the ground. Several of the knights hadnded properly, but the soldiers let out a horrific sound uponnding, as if that alone would kill them; yet the other soldiers followed suit and took the plunge! What the hell is that?!? Suicidemandos. Lee Shin Woo replied objectively, as he started to push them. He didnt want to waste the precious knights, so he insisted on fielding the low leveledmoners and soldiers first. With one order from the Lord of Blood and Iron, the citys undead stood before the castle walls without a speck of suspicion or fear! [Guwooooooh!] [For the Emperor!] [For the lord!] [For the... Kuhak!] Skeletons from everywhere fell to the ground! The Treasure Eater charged once more, but it collided with the umted heaps of skeleton bones, and it had to be satisfied with just breaking through the piles of bones. It was both the result he was praying for and expecting. Honestly, sacrificing 100 level 1 or 2 skeletons to stop one of the Treasure Eaters attacks was well worth it for Lee Shin Woo. You... this is... "Show them your spirit; the spirit of a warrior who wont let that monster through!" Those warriors had already turned into bone, and if one were to look for them, no one would be able to find them. "Take after their courage! Show them that Kadinan will not fall today!" [Uoooooooooh!] [We cant lose to a mere monster!] [Its time we repaid the lord for his grace!] These level 1 and 2 skeletons, which really didnt serve any other purpose than to be a momentary shield, fell to the ground in droves. However, it didnt matter. There were about 100,000 skeletons in the city that werent part of the army. Good. With this, the inner city shouldnt fall before that guy arrives. This isnt something a human being should be doing... Im a skeleton, remember? And those dying to the Treasure Eater were also either skeletons or zombies. Lee Shin Woo grinned as the Treasure Eater threw a fit and rampaged at the never-ending additional reinforcements that kept falling from the castle walls. It didnt matter whether it decided to tackle them with its body or fire its lightning. Because hundreds, if not thousands woulde to reinforce them! The Treasure Eater was already quite tired as its fired off severalrge-scale attacks while chasing Lee Shin Woo. [Kuhieeeeeeek...!] The undead would gather and prevent it from advancing, like a rising tide; seemingly realizing this, the Treasure Eater gave up on advancing rapidly and reserved its magic and stamina, as if saying lets see who holds out until the very end. It seemed like the Treasure Eater had opted to break through the skeletons slowly. "Show that monster that our will is even harder than these very walls!" [Glory to the Emperor!] [I will stake my life to protect you, my lord!] And so, the meat shield n began in earnest. One by one, the undead climbed up the walls and fell towards the Treasure Eater. The Treasure Eater destroyed those skeletons and umted bones... Wow, look at that line. "Fall one by one! Remember, one by one!" There was now a queue for skeletons to climb the castle walls. Like they were lining up to ride an amusement park ride! Jin watched the Treasure Eater that restlessly shattered the skeletons and zombies, as well as the man who sent these skeletons and zombies to their deaths one by one, and thought it looked like a trainer tossing a lion food at a zoo. Youre only doing this because fighting it would be troublesome, so youre passing on the job to him, right? You know me too well. Lee Shin Woo checked the time and effectively used the skeleton volunteers. 10,000, 20,000, 30,000... In just a few hours, Lee Shin Woo had managed to clear the city of about 70% of the citys level 1 and 2s. When they died, they left behind a heaping mountain of bones, and as such, the Treasure Eater would have to put in the effort to destroy the umted bones. Since they were bones that contained the very essence of the undead, it seemed as though the bones were more durable than when they were still alive, which caused the Treasure Eater to expend even more energy. You dont need to collect those? Level 1 or 2 bones are useless to me now. However, level 3 or 4 bones are different. Jin, you got it, right? ...Are you telling me to go and collect them? Exactly! One fortunate aspect of this n is that even though he was continuously throwing bodies at it, the Treasure Eater wasnt losing any strength; rather, it seemed to be gradually getting stronger for some strange reason. Because hed never fought a Treasure Eater for this long before, Lee Shin Woo wasnt really aware of it, but considering its power, as well as its hostility towards Lee Shin Woo, it seemed as though an increased obsession for treasure gradually increased the power of a Treasure Eater. Perhaps it might be an innate skill of the Treasure Eaters. [Youre enduring well! The general will be here soon!] [Uoooooooooooh!] [My lord, Ill go as well!] And finally that time hade. All the citys low level undead were gone, and now the level 3 and higher elite forces had to intervene. Lee Shin Woo nodded his head and yelled. [Your tenacious spirits will protect our city, no, our Empire!] [You inspire the allied undead through the Instigate skill! The Command skill is temporarily strengthened, and a portion of your subordinates are able to use the skill Meat Shield!] [The Intermediate Command skill has be Lv8. All stats have increased by 3!] Hed hit the jackpot again. It was just like with Bone for Bone; a part of his subordinates could use a skill called Meat Shield that would increase their defense by three times when sacrificing themselves to protect another. [I will... protect this city!] [My lord, please watch over me!] The skeletons that had acquired the skill fell with redoubled courage. Of course, even though they have three times the defense, their enemy was a level 7. Instead of futilely dying in 1 second, now they would futilely die in 10. Lee Shin Woo watched as they died, and sported a indistinct expression. But inwardly, he was telling Jin what he wanted. Collect them after they umte a bit. Before they break. Ok? You demon... And three hourster, when Lee Shin Woo assessed that they wouldnt be able to stop it from reaching the outer walls, Lee Shin Woo abandoned the outer walls and allowed the Treasure Eater to destroy them as it pleased; they shut themselves in the inner city and began their second siege. Time passed by even quicker. All the level 3 soldiers had died, and all the level 4 knights had died as well. At least half of the level 5 Elder Knights had died, and the few level 6 elites they had realized that it was their turn soon and were extremely scared. Then... [Ah... You fools...!] He had arrived. [1] T/N: Toy Car has a tendency of censoring really obvious references. I believe this one is referencing the Devil Fruits from One Piece, or more specifically, the Bane Bane no Mi (allows the user to turn their limbs into springs). Chapter 25 part3 The Lightning General, Hansen Von Dorthe rode upon a well embellished skeleton horse and was enraged upon seeing the destroyed outer walls, the ruined city, and the about half-way destroyed inner city. [You fool! I told you to save your forces!] Before he even saw his opponent, the Lightning General harangued him! Naturally, Lee Shin Woo had no choice but to likewise reply loudly. "I attempted to save as many of our troops as possible, but because the enemy was so strong... Im sorry!" [You worthless, pathetic fool! To think that his majesty trusted you and gave you an imperialmand!] Lee Shin Woo acted as meekly as possible and observed the general without giving anything away as he tried to calm the general down. This was the first time hed been so close to a general ever since hed met Arema Steelworker! There was still some of Count Nellopas memories left remaining, but actually seeing him up close waspletely different! [Lv7 Lighting General - Hansen Von Dorote] [Lv5 Powered Bone Steed] Firstly, his steed looked bothrge and powerful, but it also seemed as though its abilities were far inferior to Jins. It seemed as though Jin also came to that conclusion, as he softly snorted with a hut. Is he feeling prideful right now or something? But the Lightning General riding on top of it... let out a dignified air; so much so that the words 12 generals would naturallye out. This power that could only be attained through a bnce of strength, magic, and agility! If he fought against him one on one, Lee Shin Woo was sure that hed lose in 5 seconds. Hes definitely stronger than Guillotine. Then again, there was no way a general would be weaker than a generals subordinate, even if they were both level 7s. Unfortunately, that was all he was able to find out about him. Lee Shin Woo figured out that the Lightning Generals stats were about three times higher than his, and no matter how skilled he was at manipting mana, fighting the general was impossible for him. Though the Treasure Eater was there, he suddenly realized how ballsy he was in calling one of the generals here. But if he couldnt take the general down, then that ballsiness would just be foolhardiness. In any case, that guy... To be honest, neither the generals power or magic was what impressed Lee Shin Woo the most. He was most impressed by how he looked. He possessed arge build and was about 2 meters tall, but outwardly, he looked so simr to a human that one wouldnt be able to tell the difference. His skin was pale and bluish, and he couldnt feel any life from it. That was the only evidence that proved that he wasnt human. The moment he noticed that he hated him so unbearably much! [Huh? This guy is...!] While Lee Shin Woo was busy assessing the general, the general himself finally saw his enemy. Its body was dozens of meters long, and possessed an odd magic... he could tell that its level of strength was unusual. [Guaaaaaaaaaaaaah!] Of course, the Treasure Eater, who had continued to charge with the intention of toppling the entire city, recognized the new challenger and roared. It was a frustrated cry as if saying How long are you going to make things difficult for me?. Even though hed juste for the treasure! [A Treasure Eater...!? Why is one of those rare monsters here!?] Against a simrly leveled opponent, a Treasure Eater would always be a high rank elite! Knowing this, Hansen realized that Lee Shin Woo hadnt called him for nothing. However, he was a general, and couldnt show any fear against a mere monster... With that in mind, Hansen raised his sword. The hilt was rather long, and the de was also quite wide; a bastard sword! The metal that made up the swords de was extremely blue, which reminded him of the heros sword, Thunder Lasting before it was transformed into bone. [Cry out, Thunderbird...!] The bastard sword vibrated and was covered in a blinding blue light. The sound of sparks almost seemed to make the entire area go silent. That was a generals magic! He specialized in closebat, so he had thought that perhaps his magic would be low, but a general was a general after all. He shuddered at the generals ability to concentrate all his magic into one sword and the fearsome power that came with it. The Treasure Eater seemed quite nervous as its body shook. How nervous could it be for it to momentarily ignore its target, Lee Shin Woo, and turn its attention to Hansen Von Dorote instead! [Die, you insect!] [Guaaaaaaaaah!] Hansen, whod finished using his skill, lunged without dy! At that moment, the lightning gathered around his sword shot out in a straight line and struck the Treasure Eater. It was like aser! The moment Hansen stretched out his sword, it was impossible to dodge the attack. Even Jin thought he wouldnt be able to dodge it, so a mere Treasure Eater wouldnt be able to dodge it either. [Hoo...] The lightning erased everything in its path, and the moment it struck the Treasure Eaters head, Hansen assumed that it either killed the Treasure Eater or caused a severe injury, and wasnt worried in the slightest. However... [Ku... Kuhaaaaaaahk...! Kuoooooooh!] [What!?] The moment the attack hit, the Treasure Eater yelled so loudly that it seemed like it would tear the world apart; Steve soon turned his anger onto Hansen instead of Lee Shin Woo and screamed. Hundreds of lighting spears surged from the ground and flew towards Hansen! [Can this guy resist lightning... Keuk!] He was so flustered that he was hit by the spears directly. His horse, being only level 5, died on the spot, but now wasnt the time to be worrying about his horse. [Kuhaaaahk!] [Why did it have to be... Damn it!] The skill that Hansen had put his full power into... Heaven Piercing Thunderbird. He wasnt bragging, but it was a fatal move that even the level 8 generals would have a hard time recovering from! It wasnt just the overwhelming mana held within the lightning; the lightning would also paralyze both the opponents body and magic as well. This was only possible because of Hansens lightning elemental affinity. Yet, the Treasure Eater had not only received the attack and recovered immediately, but it had also counterattacked as well! Moreover, its own attacks consisted of lightning, so he was sure that this Treasure Eater was both powerful amongst the Treasure Eaters and had the ability to use lightning. [How could the rare lightning element be...] "Go! Go! Lightning General!" [Is he making fun of me right now!?] "Do your best, general! Oh, itsing from the left!" Hansen, who was tense at the realization that his opponent was someone he couldnt look down on, heard Lee Shin Woos loud cheers. Lee Shin Woo was yelling in genuine hope that the general woulde out on top, and he couldnt get pissed right now. [Lightning General, please do your best!] [I trust you, sword of the Empire!] The surviving undead, influenced by their lord, raised their voices and cheered the general on. He couldnt help but appreciate the fact that the Treasure Eater was taking him on, as hed rather fight it than stand there and listen to them. However, their honest feelings were properly passed on to Hansen. [You ipetent and loud-mouthed brats... Ill punish you once Im finished with this annoying thing!] However, it wasnt enough to be fully focused on fighting against the Treasure Eater. Since he couldnt use his lightning against the Treasure Eater, even a general like him couldnt take it lightly! The Lightning General, Hansen Von Dorthe stamped his feet on the ground and grabbed his sword with both hands. His sword was infused with an overwhelming magic once more. It was the magic of one of the 12 generals. [Even without my lightning, Im still one of the 12 generals. Insignificant creature! Ill show you the price of your ignorance and interference!] [Kuaaaaaaaahk!] He fought against this insignificant creature that couldnt understand what he was saying and found that getting into a proper form was impossible. He gritted his teeth and lunged at the Treasure Eater. And thus, a bloody battle with two high rank elite level 7s began. Nice. Really nice. Lee Shin Woo spectated the battle and smiled pleasingly. Lee Shin Woos estimation of the Lightning General, Hansen Von Dorthes power was spot on. Of course, Hansen was still stronger than the Treasure Eater, except for in lightning, as he was one of the 12 generals. But even so, it would take a considerable amount of time before any kind of conclusion was reached. With this, all my preparations for battle areplete. Lee Shin Woo grinned at the Drake Horn Lance that secretly rose beneath his feet. Hed infused as much mana into the Drake Horn Lance as possible, but he hadnt stopped at one; he had five of them. Thats right. He hadnt spent the time by justmanding the undead to their deaths. Hed summoned weapons beforehand and filled them to the brim with mana in preparation for his fight with the general! Now all thats left is the Lightning Tooth in my hand. Because the lord didnt normally wear armor, he was, unfortunately, unable to equip his armor. However, he believed that to be a boon instead. One hit of those level 7 elites wouldve smashed his armor to bits. [My lord. What are those?] "Ive prepared them just in case the general is in danger." [Ooh, as expected of you, my lord!] Perhaps because the Instigate skill had affected them for so long, his undead subordinates were unfortunately not the least bit suspicious. At first, hed considered brainwashing them even further and epting them as Pauls, but the fact that they had so much faith in the Empire and the general caused him to think that changing who they were fundamentally was impossible. If thats the case, I should start killing these guys. If these guys couldnt fight against the general, then they had no use to him anymore. If he just let them be, they could get in the way, so now that the conditions had changed, he needed to take care of them. "Focus on the Lightning General. He is the sword that represents the Empire. He is the shield that protects us!" [Oooooooooooooh!] He used Instigate, inciting them again and again until the undead stopped thinking altogether. The Drake Horn Lances, which were fully charged and radiating with a gentle light, began to move. He needed to be careful so that the general didnt get suspicious. Lee Shin Woo was indeed talented in manipting mana; if not, then his Instigate skill mustve gotten stronger, ridiculously so in fact, as the undead didnt even realize what their lord was doing. Until death was at their very doorstep! [Kuheok!] [Kureuk...!] Soon, the death throes of the undead resounded throughout the city; frighteningly, several undead didnt even notice, as they werepletely enraptured by the Lightning General and Treasure Eaters fight. Then again, the sound of the two level 7 elites fighting was incredibly noisy as well. [Guahk...] [W-Why...] Lee Shin Woo controlled the five Drake Horn Lances as they flew through the air freely; the Drake Horn Lances mercilessly shattered the level 5 elites heads and crushed their bodies. It wouldnt be difficult to break their heads and melt them in a single blow if he just added a bit of acid in. [Huh...?] Only after everything had gone to hell did the level 6 Knight Leader, Selloin, who had been vacantly watching the Lightning General and cheering for him, notice what was going on and turn his head. He felt like it had gotten quiet all of a sudden and in no time, all of the knights at his side were gone. [These guys didnt even protect you, so why... My lord?] "Haha. As I thought, youre loyal." Lee Shin Woo was already in front of him. Five Drake Horn Lances were floating in the air, and despite them all aiming for thepletely brainwashed Knight Leaders head, the Knight Leader didnt suspect him in the least and just tilted his head. Before his eyes... Lee Shin Woo finally released his Disguise and revealed himself. [...What!?] "So Ill send you to him now. Arent you happy?" Needless to say, the disturbed Knight Leaders eyes shot wide open and when he was about to say something, five Drake Horn Lances simultaneously struck his head and body. Even when its rotten, its still a herring. The level 6 closebat elite didnt die from that and was holding on, but... he thrust his Lightning Tooth into the Knight Leaders face and the six weapons began to spew out high rank acid poison simultaneously. The Knight Leader couldnt do anything and just melted away. [You have acquired 174,880 Perium.] [You have acquired the Kadinan Knight Leader, Selloins arm bone.] [You have acquired the Kadinan Knight Leader, Selloins sphenoid bone.] "Awesome." "Youre really..." With this, all of the undead in Kadinan werepletely taken care of. Now, it was time for him to deal with the two happily rampaging level 7 elites. Chapter 25 part4 Lee Shin Woo released his lord cosy, betraying the guilt-free skeletons and massacring them. Yet the Lightning General and the Treasure Eater had no idea, as they were still fighting against each other. The Lightning General didnt have the time to look away, as his opponent was freakishly strong and tenacious! [Kyahaaaaaaaahk!] "Tch. Whats making you so desperate?] [Kuaaaaaaaaah!] Since they both knew that lightning wouldnt work on each other, they instead used their mana purely to reinforce their bodies. It seemed as though both were thinking why did it have to be him?, regardless of who was more intelligent or not. [Die!] [Kyahak!] Hansen swung his bastard sword with enough power to topple a mountain, and the Treasure Eater matched his reinforced de with a reinforcement of its own; it concentrated its mana into its tail to reinforce it, and then used it to block the iing sword! The moment the sword and tail met, there was arge boom and thend quaked; the entire area sunk. Their collision caused the geography of thend to change; so much so that either side had the credentials to be called a cmity. [Tch, another draw...] Though it was frustrating for Hansen to admit, their strength was about equal. Hansen possessed higher strength and agility, but the Treasure Eater was a monster that possessed an unusually high amount of magic, even whenpared to other like-leveled monsters! It covered its weakness in strength and agility with its magic, and as a result, they were evenly matched. If thats the case, then killing it quickly was no longer an option. Hed have to take advantage of its mistakes and cause it to umte injuries over time. If not, then hed have to userge scale techniques... he was going to continue like this for now and observe. Theres no way a monster like this would appear anywhere... Theres still something here that I dont know about. A Treasure Eater wouldnt appear in a ce devoid of treasures. The item had to be amazing to entice a level 7 Treasure Eater... Hansen thought of taking the treasure that the Treasure Eater was hoarding, as well as the treasure that it sought. With that in mind, Hansen was relieved that he hadnt reported to the Emperor regarding this excursion. Hed thought that it was unnecessary to bother the Emperor when it wasnt regarding the golems capture, yet it was an opportunity for him to get something on the side! Is it the lord? Yeah, he had to have obtained a treasure recently. Hed already figured out prior that the Treasure Eaters target was the lord. The lord must be happy that he can use him to take care of the Treasure Eater, but after hed taken down this guy, he would snatch that treasure off the lords hands as the price for telling a general toe to him! So, smile while you still can... Huh!? However, during the small moment after hed dodged the Treasure Eaters charge, Hansen turned his attention to the lord atop the castle walls and couldnt believe his eyes. To the point that he believed that his eyes had finally rotted awaypletely after dozens of years of being an undead. The lord who was smiling and looking down from the castle walls was...pletely different from before! Especially because the skeleton, who stared back at him with ck goblin fire in his eyes while riding a horse, possessed power that caused him unease, albeit for a mere moment. W-Whats this!? Is that the lord? Plus, I dont see any of his subordinates atop the castle walls; am I seeing things wrong? No, I remember the lords face and energy; I remember everything! All beings possess an inherent energy that they cannot change. That is represented by magic. Even though there were cases where the shape of mana continuously developed, changed form, and developed again, it wasnt possible to instantaneously change its fundamental nature. But that guy is... Kuheok! Is it because he paid too much attention to this unbelievable situation? Hansen was hit directly by the Treasure Eaters body tackle and was thrown into the air. He wasnt the only one aiming for his opponents weaknesses; the Treasure Eater was as well. Because Hansen was so shocked, he had momentarily forgotten about the current battle! How...? Once hed been struck by the Treasure Eater and was thrown into the air, he barely managed tond and return to a proper stance. Even so, Hansen couldnt take his mind off of Lee Shin Woo. Even as he swung his bastard sword and blocked the Treasure Eaters charge, he continued to think about Lee Shin Woo. How did he disguise himself as another? If thats truly possible, then when did he start? Was it when he called me? No, it shouldnt be that easy to release the lock on themunication device...! The more he thought about it, the less he understood his current situation. No matter how he thought about it, he came to the conclusion that it was impossible! Of course, it was Lee Shin Woos ability that had caused the general such confusion. Thats what it meant to step onto the Jokers stage. [Kuaaaaaaaah!] [Tch...!] Until now, Hansen had a slight advantage against the Treasure Eater, but because of his confusion, the tides of battle had turned. The Treasure Eater rushed him, as though it was capitalizing on this opportunity. Even though he knew that he shouldnt get distracted, his head was still in the clouds. Did I fall for a trap? If so, then whos? Is it Anti-Skull... No, thats unlikely. Then the golems? Is it Arema Steelworker? Yeah, it wouldnt be impossible for them to make a golem with such a strange ability...! The one thing Im sure about is that that skeleton isnt the mastermind behind all this. From that point, Hansen had already gone astray. He couldnt believe that Lee Shin Woo had nned this all by himself and surmised that there had to be someone behind him! But unfortunately, Lee Shin Woo no longer made him feel afraid or tense. Rather... ...Theres no point in thinking about this anymore by myself. Pull yourself together, Hansen! Even if its rotten, its still a herring. No, actually its a general. He halted all thoughts that came about from this chaotic situation and instead raised his fighting spirit. Realizing early on that using his brain isnt his job, and focusing on what hes good at is. That was the first thing he realized in his life! It doesnt matter. Whoever it is thats pulling the strings... Ill show them that a general isnt to be taken lightly...! At the very least, the only level 7 he could sense here was the level 7 Treasure Eater. If thats the case, then it didnt matter what obstacle he faced; he would be able to ovee it with his strength. He, the Lightning General, was sure of it. He possessed the strength that would make that possible! No matter who it is or what they do, Ill just burn them to a crisp...! Once he was finished taking care of the Treasure Eater, the skeleton atop the castle walls with chaotically burning goblin fire was next. He was surprised by the fact that he had been vexed by the lord just a little while ago, as he was sure that the lord wouldnt be able to match him in strength. Of course, there was something that was waiting for him after too. But it didnt matter. They would burn from his lightning! [Ill burn you and break you into pieces! Witness my true strength, the strength of the Lightning Shadow [1] General, Hansen Von Dorthe!] He fended off the Treasure Eater, and the moment it was pushed back, Hansens body was covered in lightning. If he knew that lightning was useless against his opponent, then why? Of course, the lightning wasnt for an attack. [Watch, you insignificant creature. This is how you use lightning...!] He forcefully discharged the lightning and slowly gathered the lightning inside his body. At the same time, his body started bing fainter and fainter! No, it wasnt bing faint. The lightning covering his body was rotating much too quickly and was emitting sparks; he was making it so that it was difficult to see where his body even was. In the midst of that, his body and mana surpassed their limits, and it was almost as if his body and the lightning had be one. Holy shit, thats really intense...! Seeing that, Lee Shin Woo held his breath. Lee Shin Woo had never met anyone outside of monsters with such a strong elemental affinity, and it goes without saying that Hansens technique interested him. From the position of someone who could use the lightning element, he couldnt miss a single moment of this! [This is... true lightning!] [Kuaaaaaaaaaaaaah!] Lightning Shadow described a lightning so powerful that could only be seen as a shadow. It wasnt merely something like attacking quickly and covertly. The key point of this technique was to hide ones body within the powerful energy! [How much longer do you intend to trouble me for... Die!] It was difficult to even ascertain the true nature of the technique, and it was simrly difficult to avoid it or defend against it. Even if he possessed lightning resistance, it couldnt be easy to focus that tremendous magic and heat, that surpassed that of ordinary lightning, into a single point! [Kyaaaaaaaaahk!] The Treasure Eater channeled its energy in an attempt to resist. However, before its defenses were ready, Hansen forcefully struck out with his bastard sword. The energy surrounding his bastard sword made it look like a several meter long greatsword. No, it was like the lightning of a god that descended onto the mortal world! [Ki-Kihik...] [Hoo.] Hansen had pierced a giant hole in the Treasure Eater. Seeing that outrageous sight, Lee Shin Woo thought that he mightve made the wrong decision. That attack that the Lightning General had unleashed wasnt something that could be blocked with mere lightning resistance. Then I guess I really will have to be prepared to die one or two times... Huh? [Guu... Guuooooooooh!] But then, the Treasure Eater showed its own secret weapon. Hansen grinned fromnding such a huge attack, but the Treasure Eater then spawned dozens of tentacles from its injured area that attached to Hansen. Lee Shin Woo thought Ive seen that somewhere before as the tentacles wriggled around, sucking Hansens energy. [Kuahk!?] [Kuhuaaaaaaaaah!] Both Hansen and the Treasure Eater screamed. The Treasure Eater absorbed the powerful lightning that surrounded Hansens body and was healing its injuries! Absorbing elemental power was an offshoot of an element; it wasnt just the Lightning General who had been waiting for his opportunity. [You... You bastard!] Hansen, whod lost a tremendous amount of energy, swung his bastard sword, and severed all of the attached tentacles. Theres no use crying over spilled milk. The Treasure Eater had almost fully healed the injury it had sustained by absorbing Hansens mana. [You dare... push me this far!] [Kihaaaaaaaah!] Lee Shin Woo watched both Hansen and the Treasure Eater as they gasped for breath; both of them had run low on magic and health. And judged strictly, earnestly, and solemnly. "Mm, this is a draw." "I was wondering why you werent saying anything." "But more importantly, Jin, its about time we started moving." If one were to ask if Lee Shin Woo was just leisurely watching the fight, then the answer would obviously be no. He had absorbed all of the level 5 and level 6 bones from his betrayal (hed stored all of the level 3 and 4 bones in his inventory, which totaled in the tens of thousands), and increased his stats significantly. At the same time, he had infused the Drake Horn Lances with his replenished magic and had been waiting for the right time. Two, three, four, five... My armors all set too. He had the five Drake Horn Lances, and because he had returned to his original form, he had unsummoned the Lighting Tooth and had instead summoned his armor set. He decided to act when he had finished infusing his armor with magic as well! "They went back and forth, but the generals still stronger, right?" "Yep. If it keeps going on like this, the Treasure Eater will definitely lose." And from Lee Shin Woos position, that wasnt a very fun conclusion. It was time to add another variable. "Alright... Finally, its time to set [Operation - Bro, where are you going?] into motion." "Man, all that means is that were running." As expected, he didnt get fooled anymore. Lee Shin Woo clicked his tongue and got onto Jins back. Hed collected all of the bones and had finished absorbing them as well, so there was no point in being here any longer. Jin jumped from the castle walls and began to run! [Huh!?] [Guoooook!?] Their destination was obviously where the Golem Chimeras that were experiencing PTSD and rolling on the floor came from... the Sanctuary, the Empires testing facility! [1] T/N: Naruto reference to Raikage (Lightning Shadow). Lightning Shadow General is more literally correct than Lightning General now that Toy Car has given us the Chinese characters (Ӱ). Chapter 25 part5 [That heretic!] [Guaaaaaaaaaahk!] At Lee Shin Woos sudden departure, the Lightning Shadow General and the Treasure Eater, as if under mutual agreement, halted their fight and chased after him. However, one of them was nigh depleted in magic, while the other had just recently recovered from a critical injury. Jin utilized all his Sprint skills simultaneously while fully charging himself with the surrounding mana, and ran at an outrageous speed, so even a level 7 elite wouldnt be able to catch up easily. "The Rebellion skill is really amazing...!" "More running, less talking!" Lee Shin Woos Rebellion skill was at level 3. And whenever the Rebellion skill leveled up, its effect would increase by 2%; that 2% definitely wasnt something tough about. His stats, which were passively increased for no other reason than the fact that he was a skeleton, had gone from a 10% increase to a 14% increase. And the increase from fighting a high leveled enemy right now was also 14%! He also gained another 9% because he was with his partner, which totaled a stat bonus of 37%; that entire effect was likewise applied to his partner, Jin, as well! [Youre good at running away... Stop right there!] [Kyaaaaaaaahk!] Of course, when the Lightning Shadow General and the Treasure Eater had fully recovered, they should be able to catch Jin eventually, but they wouldnt be running away forever, so it was ok. Thats right, soon... He could see it! [No, you cant!] [Dont stick that in my body! Guaaaaaahk!] They passed the dense forest, arriving at the vacant lot and were greeted by the happy faces of the Golem Chimeras. Thousands of Golem Chimeras were rolling on the floor and were letting out such agonized cries that a weak-hearted man might faint on arrival. "Ah, like I thought, theyre still like this." [You bastards... Ive finally caught... Huh?] Immediately after they arrived at their destination, the vacant lot, Hansen Von Dorthe drew close, and was momentarily speechless when he saw that there were people here before him. The Golem Chimeras looked so horrendous that even he, who had witnessed countless monsters before, felt queasy, but it felt like hed seen them somewhere before...! [Guaaaaaaah!] [Tch, you annoying bastard!] But when it felt like hed found a clue, the Treasure Eater rushed into the lot and attacked Hansen, so he couldnt afford to be immersed in his thoughts any longer. There were probably several reasons that the Treasure Eater attacked Hansen first, rather than its target, Lee Shin Woo, but the primary reason was that it needed to take care of the dangerous one first and then it would be able to eat at its leisure. [Guoooooooooooh!] [You dull monster...! You were used by that skeleton too!] [Guaaaaaaaaahk!] Obviously, speech didnt work against a monster. Hansen gritted his teeth and faced the Treasure Eater. Hansen knew that he needed to take down the Treasure Eater as quickly as possible, as he didnt know when Lee Shin Woo would start running again. However, Lee Shin Woo didnt run away. This was his destination. The Golem Chimeras right before their eyes were his targets. He slightly straightened his neck out and steeled himself. [Activating the Acting skill, the Disguise skill, and the Instigate skill simultaneously. Effectiveness of each skill increases exponentially.] Then, the moment he got back onto the stage... [You guys!] Lee Shin Woos voice caused Jin to tilt his head. That definitely wasnt Lee Shin Woos original voice. If thats the case, where did he hear it before? He definitely recalled hearing it before from somewhere, but he didnt know from where. [How long are you going to act so pitifully?] [Gu...aah...] [That... voice...] The low and dignified voice. Strangely, the Golem Chimeras, which had been rolling around till now, responded to that voice. They stopped rolling around and flinched, but it was shockingpared to before, when they ignored any and all external stimuli. [Wait, you... that voice...] [Kuaaaaaahk!] [You bastard, are you serious!?] Whats worse, the Lightning Shadow General, Hansen Von Dorthe, reacted as well! Of course, the Treasure Eater attacked immediately after, taking advantage of hispse in attention, which forced the general to focus on the fight once more. When Jin saw that, he got a sense of who Lee Shin Woo was imitating. "That voice... is it Arema Steelworkers?" [Rise, you fools! Those who made you like this still live and walk this earth, so where do you think youre running off to!?] [General...!?] [T-This voice is...!] Thats right. Lee Shin Woo was imitating Arema Steelworkers voice! Of course, he never acquired records of Arema Steelworker, but he had some experiences with him, albeit indirectly, so he could imitate him, just not perfectly. Though his impersonation didnt need to be perfect! He just wanted to wake them up, and drag their conscious minds to the surface. That much was enough of a sess. [R-Revenge...] [Revenge... on whom...?] As expected, Arema Steelworkers voice affected them, and there were more and more Chimeras that regained their cognitive functions. Seeing that, Lee Shin Woo continued speaking even more passionately. The Acting skill and the Instigate skill harmonized together, and he infused his magic into his voice! The Chimeras minds had dimmed from the Shriek of the Dead, and Lee Shin Woo pieced together their egos through sheer will. It wasnt actually that hard. [He whopelled your loyalty and sacrifice...! The one who made you like this, despite knowing the experiment would fail! The Emperor still lives in the Empire!] [Y-Yes..] [The one who made us like this...] [Making us neither dead nor alive...!] [B-But Im still loyal to the Emperor... Yet hes the one who...!] That wasnt something Lee Shin Woo should say, as he had pushed countless of Kadinans undead to their deaths to sacrifice themselves for him, but unfortunately, the Chimeras had no idea of what he did! [What did your Emperor give you in exchange for your loyalty? He gave you that rotten flesh and a golems heart! He does whatever he pleases with your loyalty, and when you had no further use to him, he even tried to discard you! You and the facility were buried; thats the truth!] [Hes right...] [The Emperor... didnt even ask me...!] [Keuk, Guheuk!] Of course, that mightve not been the Emperors intention at first. How would Lee Shin Woo know what the Emperor was thinking at the time? But in any case, all of them came to the same end. The result. The only thing that matters is the result! When the process disappears, then the result is all thats left! [You need not me yourself or regret. Rise! Rise up and take your revenge! Take revenge on all of those who used you!] [Hes right.] [Were in such pain, so why are they...] [I want revenge.] [Ill take my revenge!] A portion of the once squirming Chimeras rose up. Whether they were a golem or a corpse, their twisted faces were enraged. However, that wasnt enough for Lee Shin Woo. He knew that hed be able to make all of them rise. [Rise up... Take your revenge! Are your wills not the same!?] "Hey, youre acting totally like a viin." [Regain the spirit you thought long dead. Fill your empty hearts with your will. The will of revenge!] [Revenge...!] [Revenge!] He stopped talking with Arema Steelworkers voice now. To be more specific, he was Paul Zero speaking to his subordinates now. There was no reason to worry himself over his voice anymore. Lee Shin Woo had awakened all of their egos, and the Chimeras themselves began to motivate each other! [What the hell is that bastard doing right now...!] [Kuhwahk!] [Keuk, so youre giving it ast-ditch effort... Fine, Ill end you soon!] While Lee Shin Woo was diligently brainwashing the Chimeras, Hansen was hard at work fighting against the Treasure Eater, and finally had a chance to win. He knew that the Treasure Eater possessed the ability to absorb lightning, so he was careful to stay far away except for the moment he attacked, and would cut the tentacles beforehand. He caused the Treasure Eater to steadily umte damage and then hit it with arge-scale attack skill! If he were an ally, Lee Shin Woo wouldpliment him, saying it was a perfect attack. I need to turn it around...! The Treasure Eater was already halfway dead. Noticing this, Lee Shin Woo felt rushed. If he used the general to kill the Treasure Eater, it might be an achievement, but it would just be stealing thest hit after calling him all the way over here! He hastily yelled. "One of the Emperors spies is over there. While you guys were floundering around in your own delusions, hes been living and enjoying life. Are you just going to leave him be?" [No, I cant...] [I cant forgive him. Ill make him experience the same despair we did...!] There were still some Chimeras who were idling around, but there were also those who awakened early on and followed Lee Shin Woo, causing others to follow suit. Lee Shin Woos voice, which goaded them with one single emotion, was way too enticing for those who had roamed around and lost everything! "Take your revenge! Ill help you!" [Ill take my revenge...!] [Ill take my revenge!] [Kuaaaaaaaaaah!] But then, something shocking happened. One of the Chimeras who had regained his mind seemed to grab a hold of one who hadnt yet, and his core radiated an extraordinary light... Following which, the core devoured its body! [Lv6 Chimera Golem (+1)] "Wait, Ive seen that somewhere before...?" "Shin Woo, thats suddenly happening everywhere!" The high leveled Chimeras possessed a clearer ego than the lower leveled ones, and they were the ones most affected by Lee Shin Woos voice. Then a few of those high leveled Chimeras began absorbing other Chimeras. They didnt discriminate among a golems core, a golems body, or a humans body. Those absorbed would either disassemble into mana, or attach onto the surface of their bodies, increasing the respective golems energy. Lee Shin Woo could tell that that kind of fusion was only possible because of the cores, as he saw the cores radiating light. "Ugh... Thats disgusting." "Theyre in the process of (forcefully) inheriting theirrades wills. Its such a cool sight." There were definitely thousands of Chimeras at the beginning, but their numbers had dwindled sharply as the fusions urred everywhere. Lee Shin Woo could guess what would happen next, and as he expected, there was a sudden surge of ck light from the middle of the crowd! [Lv6 Chimera Avenger (Elite)] [Lv6 Chimera Avenger (Elite)] Whenever a light shed, the Chimeras would absorb dozens of theirrades and would be reborn as Chimera Avengers. Instead of rotten pieces of flesh, they had gained proper bodies as elites! Countless cores, golem bodies, and knight corpses were fused into one, and the Chimeras were reborn as elites; their once rotten bodies didnt look as bad as before because in the process of their rebirth, their bodies reached a state of bnce. [Revenge...!] [My just revenge!] They possessed gray flesh, as though iron and flesh were fused together, and their pupil-less eyes were both red and ck. Their backs and shoulders sprouting other arms was plenty bizarre, but it was much better than before, when they were a clump of bodies. One might believe they werent even undead. [Hooo...] After countless fusions, there were a total of 38 Chimera Avengers! The strongest amongst them stepped forward and faced Lee Shin Woo. Information appeared above his head that only Lee Shin Woo could see. [Lv7 Chimera Avenger (Elite)] To think that one of them would reach level 7. He realized that hed created something absurd once again and just smiled bitterly. But then, the level 7 Chimera Golem spoke in a subdued voice. [We... What should we call you?] There were several voices mixed into one, and made it seem foolish to even attempt to find the root of the voice. Hearing the voice(s) of the golem assuming a no-nonsense pose, Lee Shin Woo was inwardly in a cold sweat, yet replied extremely firmly. "Paul Zero. The one wholl bestow upon you your new name." Chapter 25 part6 [Paul Zero...] The level 7 Chimera Avenger repeated him, and nodded his head in satisfaction. Most of the other Chimera Avengers either had four legs or had another two armsing out from their backs, but aside from his gray skin, or his pupil-less eyes, this Chimera Avenger looked no different from a giant human being. It looked so natural that it was unbelievable that it had been created through the fusion of dozens of knight corpses and golems. Lee Shin Woo felt jealous once more upon seeing its appearance. Could he be like that if he fused with something else!? [Then are you going to give us that thing now, a name?] "When those guys are taken care of." [Indeed. Ill take care of them immediately.] The level 7 Chimera Avenger nodded his head and quickly assumed a running position. Then, he gripped the spear that naturally came out of his hand. It seemed like there were some traces of being a golem after all. But it does seem like the cores werepletely dismantled and absorbed... Regardless of whether one thinks they know how progression, evolution, and how to control of mana works, they really dont in this world. Though it had to be good, as things were going his way! Each golem assumed a running posture like the level 7 Avenger, and Lee Shin Woo ordered them coldly. "That guy over there. Stop him, hes the Emperors hunting dog. You dont need to risk your lives. You just need to keep him busy for a bit." [Ah, keeping him busy is good and all, but... it doesnt matter if we take him down, right?] "No, absolutely not. Your priority should be to keep yourself safe. Are you going to stop after taking down just one hunting dog? Our goal is killing the Emperor, not dying here!" [Keuk...] The people who talk like that always end uping back dead, so one cant afford to even joke around about that kind of thing. Lee Shin Woo red and ordered them once more; after seeing the Avenger agree and nod his head, he ran forward with the other Avengers! [Keuk, you insects. You dare... know your ce...!] [The Emperors hunting dog. Pay for your sins!] [Revenge on the Emperor!] As soon as the 38 Avengers entered into the fray, the once hectic battle turned into chaos. Hansen, who was about to corner the Treasure Eater, was forced into parrying dozens of swordsing at him whilst letting out his frustrations; the Treasure Eater didnt lose sight of that opportunity and attacked the general as well! [You hybrids!] [Hybrids huh... and whos the one who made us into hybrids!?] [Hes strong!? Is this guy level 7...!?] The level 7 Chimera Avenger definitely stood out! Because he had just recently evolved into a level 7, he was objectively much worse off in terms of stats than Hansen, but because the Treasure Eater, as well as the other Avengers were attacking and Hansens attention was all over the ce, he could certainly inflict damage onto him! [Youre just the beginning. Well tell the Emperor someday as well, that he made the worst decision possible!] [This energy is... Are you guys golems!? How dare you refuse His Majestys grace and betray him!] [How dare you speak of betrayal!] [Kuwaaaaaaaaahk!] Everywhere, mana and armaments crashed into each other. The Chimeras threw caution to the wind and attacked recklessly, and Hansen couldnt respond to all of their attacks properly. On the other hand, the Treasure Eater had be rtively safe inparison, and leisurely attacked Hansen. And thats exactly what Lee Shin Woo had been waiting for. "Nice. Now the Treasure Eaters not marked anymore." "You sure act so carefree, like you knew that this was how it would turn out..." "No, I didnt. But I was hoping to get a simr result through numbers before." Hes said it once, and hell say it again. In this world, quality is much greater than quantity! The was a really satisfying result to Lee Shin Woo. How could it not be? Since the Chimeras, which hed thought would be consumables, could be usedter on if he yed his cards right! [All of you, get lost!] [No matter what... Well kill you no matter what!] [Kwaaaaaaaaaaah!] The Chimera Avengers intervention caused the battle to turn into chaos instantly. Lee Shin Woo pulled a Drake Horn Lance towards him that was floating in the air, gripped it, and thoroughly surveyed his surroundings. Jin, whod sensed that the end was fast approaching, turned his back hoofs into springs and prepared to charge. "Were taking down the Treasure Eater first, right? ...Then when are we going?" "Its still a level 7 elite, so just taking it down like that seems wasteful. Were going right after it expends its energy and hits the Lightning Shadow General with a huge attack." "..." Jin was speechless at Lee Shin Woo, who spoke as though he saw the future, and he was sure that the Treasure Eater would have no choice but to follow the actions that Lee Shin Woo described. The important part was how they would act following that attack. Lee Shin Woo knew that he couldnt kill the Lightning Shadow General himself. Thus, while the Lightning Shadow General was temporarily paralyzed by the Treasure Eaters attack, Lee Shin Woo would attack. No matter whats going on with the others, Lee Shin Woo just needed to swoop in, kill it, and run out. "So, Jin. The timings really important. In that small moment when it attacks the Lightning Shadow General and turns around to me... we have to get the first hit in." "Easy for you to say... Shin Woo!" Jin, who had beenining about Lee Shin Woos request, suddenly called for Lee Shin Woo. Like Lee Shin Woo had said, the Treasure Eater was channeling all its mana, and was about to release a huge attack on the Lightning Shadow General! [You idiot! Insignificant creature, even till the very end, youre in the palm of his hand!?] [We wont let you get away!] [Grab him!] The Lightning Shadow General had realized what the Treasure Eater was up to, and attempted to block it and counterattack, but the Chimeras got in his way and he couldnt move as hed liked. With one strike of his sword, Hansen cut one of the level 6 Avengers to pieces, but then, two other Chimera Avengers held onto his back, keeping him from moving. [You insects!] [Kuhwaaaaaaahk!] The moment he realized he had been caught, he channeled powerful lightning within his body and flung them away from him, but they had achieved their goal. In that extremely short moment following their skirmish, the Treasure Eater shot a mana shell from its giant mouth, striking true! [Keuuuuuk!] Now! Hansen screamed and passed out. Seeing that, the Treasure Eater cheered and turned around, but at that very moment, Jin kicked off the ground and ran. Ridiculous eleration; it seemed as though Jin had almost reached light speed, albeit for just a moment! The Drake Horn Lance in Lee Shin Woos hand seemed to radiate red, and turned into a single, giant ck horn! "Shadow Horn!" [Kyaaaaaaaaaahk!] The moment of impact, the Drake Horn Lance burrowed deep into the Treasure Eaters neck area. Lee Shin Woo felt his shoulder and wrist holding the spear creak, unable to withstand the strain. It hurt so badly that Lee Shin Woo wanted to just pop his arm out and throw it away. Of course, he wouldnt even have the time to regenerate it. Since the Treasure Eater, having taken a good hit from its prey, was infuriated, and was drawing its remaining mana to burn him to a crisp! [Gugeugaaaaaaaaaahk!] "But it wont work...!" Where was Lee Shin Woosnce? It was in the area where Hansens Lightning Shadow technique had struck. Though it had absorbed Hansens lightning and regenerated itself, it wasntpletely healed. Thats where Lee Shin Woos mana infused spear had pierced through. "Melt away!" That was enough to injure it, but Lee Shin Woo revealed his hidden card. That was none other than his level two High Rank Acid Poison! Thence, which was filled to the brim with mana, exploded with acid poison and permeated the injured area. [Gugeuaaaaaaaaaaaaahk!] The Treasure Eater leapt around, as it couldnt endure the awful pain from the poison seeping deep into its body. However, Lee Shin Woo didnt stop there. Since he still had four other Drake Horn Lances that were fully charged! "Eat another one!" [Kuaaaaaaaaaaaah!] As if a guillotine fell, a Drake Horn Lance vertically fell from the air and precisely pierced the area that Lee Shin Woo had hit prior. He exploded thence once again, and spread the acid poison throughout its body once more! [Gu...gureureuk...] Though the Treasure Eater was a high rank level 7 elite, it couldnt endure anymore. It had been too much for the Treasure Eater, as it had fought continuously without rest and its body had been injured. Upon finding Lee Shin Woo, it had continuously ran, rammed into the castle walls, destroyed 100,000 skeletons, fought against a general, and had its body pierced through once... the Treasure Eater remembered all these past events and rotten discharge welled in its eyeballs. Even though it just wanted the treasure; even though that treasure was right before its very eyes... "Youve done well, Steve." [Guaaaaaahk...!] Lee Shin Woo spoke calmly and opened his palm. The other three Drake Horn Lances floating in the air burrowed into the Treasure Eaters body, side by side. He didnt even need to blow them up. With just that, the Treasure Eater had reached its limit. [You have safely hunted a high leveled foe using every dirty means possible! But so long as you do not take care of the other cmity that you called here, you will not be properly rewarded for this achievement. If you would like your actions to be legitimized, please defeat him as well.] As he defeated the Treasure Eater, a tremendous amount of Perium dropped, as well as two bones (!); plus, a shiny treasure popped out as well, but before he collected it, Lee Shin Woo saw a message that spoiled the mood. Of course, he had somewhat expected this message, so Lee Shin Woo didnt let that get to him and collected the loot. [You have acquired 7,893,450 Perium.] [You have acquired the Lv7 Treasure Eaters jawbone.] [You have acquired the Lv7 Treasure Eaters rib bone.] [You have acquired the Sacrificial Gate. Through Bone Reinforcement, the item is transformed! You have acquired the Lv8 Bone Gate! You have acquired the title Treasure Master. You can now more easily find all the treasure hidden in the world!] [The Bone Reinforcement skill has be Lv9! All abilities rted to the Bone Reinforcement skill have be stronger!] "What...?" He knew a treasure woulde out of the Treasure Eater, but he didnt think that that treasure would increase in level through Bone Reinforcement. Moreover, a Bone Gate? This tiny bone is a bone gate? And with that in mind, he rxed and checked the item... [Bone Gate] [Lv8] [Durability - 1,550/1,550] [A treasure that allows one to create a gate leading to a designated area by sacrificing a bone. Currently, the possessor can only create gates leading to areas he ispletely familiar with, and it is impossible for the possessor to cross dimensions. As the item is imperfect, the amount of people able to use the gate is significantly limited.] As expected, it was an amazing item befitting the title of treasure. It was a transportation item that wasnt limited by distance! Moreover, its price was bone; though he didnt know what its previous price was, he had plenty of bones. So for Lee Shin Woo, it was essentially an insignificant price. [You dirty son of a bitch... how dare you! You vulgar, wicked insect! How dare you covet whats not yours!?] The moment Lee Shin Woo collected the loot from the Treasure Eater, he heard a loud yell from behind him. That was obvious the Lightning Shadow General, Hansens voice, who had a huge role in taking down the Treasure Eater. However, Lee Shin Woo didnt even look back and spoke. "You guys can still fight, right?" [Of course.] [For... revenge!] More than half of the Chimera Avengers had fallen, but surprisingly, there were only a few who had died. Monsters boasted an odd life force that couldnt be seen from the outside. This was especially true for the level 7 Chimera, as its life force was extremely healthy while Hansens body was damaged, albeit slightly. They quickly recovered and then, they extracted a new weapon and attacked Hansen. There was no one better at buying time! "Nice. Then keep him busy for a bit. Jin, this is yours. Can you absorb it? Even if you cant, you have to." "I wouldnt have had to absorb it if only one came out. Uaaaaaaaaaah...!" First, he stored the Bone Gate into his inventory very carefully, and after quickly using Bone Reinforcement on Jin with the Treasure Eaters jawbone, Lee Shin Woo absorbed the Treasure Eaters rib bone. Then, at that moment... [Reinforcing your partner, Jin Taylor, by consuming the Lv7 Treasure Eaters jawbone. You have learned Lv1 High Rank Lightning Resistance. Magic has increased by 15.] [Reinforcing your rib bone by consuming the Lv7 Treasure Eaters rib bone. Health and Magic have increased by 20. Intermediate Lightning has be Lv8. High Rank Lightning Resistance has be Lv2. You have learned Lv1 Element Absorption! Magic has increased by an additional 30!] [Guuuuuaaaaaaaaaaaah! (Precious... My precious...!) - Treasure Eater] Hed obtained the final puzzles pieces to defeat one of the 12 generals. Though, thats a lie. Chapter 25 part7 "Guaaaaaaaaaah!" "But you got what you wanted, right?" "Yeah, I got it, but... Uaaaaaaaaaah." When Lee Shin Woo and Jin were finished with their respective reinforcements and turned around, the Lightning Shadow General, Hansen Von Dorthe felt quizzical, even through the pain left behind by the Treasure Eaters attack and his anger towards Lee Shin Woo. That guy... He feels different...? It felt like Lee Shin Woos strength had changed from before he defeated the Treasure Eater. But that was impossible if he thought about it withmon sense. All Lee Shin Woo had done was take down a monster that hed brought to near-death, so he shouldnt have received much karma off of the kill! In fact, it seemed like it would be a negative karma to him instead. While he did acquire the loot the Treasure Eater left behind, there was no way he could change so drastically. There was no way theyd be stronger as the treasures it had dropped werent rted tobat. "Youre really tired too, right? Lets finish this, Hansen." [You impudent bastard...!] But upon seeing Lee Shin Woos confident attitude, Hansen discarded any such inquiries. That strength, which seemed to have changed, felt like an empty boast to him. [How dare a mere ant try to reach the heavens!] He was still a lousy level 6, and though he possessed a fast horse, that was all. While Hansen was indeed weakened from the Treasure Eaters attack, he was still a high rank level 7 general! The reason he looked weak was because the Treasure Eater hadnt been a good match for him. This simpleton hadnt even realized that simple fact and had be reckless; he would just cut him down with a single lightning sword strike! "Dieeeeeeeeeeeeee!" [Thats my line. Ill kill you with a single strike!] The Treasure Eater, who wasnt affected by lightning, was already dead. Now there was no reason for him to hesitate using his lightning! [Get lost, you insects!] [Kuahk!] [Revenge...] Hansen paralyzed the Chimeras that continuously bothered him through a powerful electric discharge, and swung his bastard sword crossways, pushing all of them away. With this, there would be none who could interfere with him, albeit temporarily. [Huaaaaaaaaaahp!] Hansen raised his bastard sword, charged with powerful lightning, and shed downwards at Lee Shin Woo, who was rushing towards him! The lightning sword attacked Lee Shin Woo with the power to cut both mana and space. Seeing this, Lee Shin Woo hastily blocked it with a manufactured sword, but the moment Hansens attack and his sword shed, the manufactured de shattered into pieces and a horrific amount of lightning spread through his body. "Kuhak...!" [To take heavens fury head on; what a fool. Youre just a greenhorn who doesnt know his ce! ...Huh?] Hansen chattered on confidently, yet the man he expected to be burnt to a crisp was surprisingly enduring it unscathed. Then again, he wasnt unscathed. Both shoulders were destroyed immediately, and a few of his ribs were broken as well. But the moment Lee Shin Woo took damage, he began regenerating his body, and soon, his body was healed. That was like... like... the Treasure Eater, which had absorbed his lightning and healed its body! [You, what is that... Keuk!?] He was taken aback by Lee Shin Woos appearance, as he resembled the Treasure Eater he had fought a short while ago, and was careless for just a moment. In that moment, Lee Shin Woo aimed for that gap in his awareness and the Drake Horn Lances flew one after another, burrowing into Hansens stomach. Lee Shin Woo had struck where the Treasure Eaters mana shell had hit him! [How...!?] Even if its rotten, its still a herring. The moment he saw an indication that Lee Shin Woo was attacking, he instinctually swung his sword, but there wasnt just onence, there were three; and the moment the general was sure of his victory, Lee Shin Woos shocking appearance unnerved him, and of the three remainingnces, the general was only able to cut down one. Whats worse, the moment he split thence in half, a foul Acid Poison spewed out, and attacked him! As his de was a treasure, it didnt melt, but the powerful acid was enough to melt away the generals armor. "I guess you didnt see Steve die. Right?" [Tell me, you bastard! How did you stop my lightning...!?] Lee Shin Woo had regenerated his body in no time, and provoked him. But the moment the infuriated Hansen attempted to yell something, the two Drake Horn Lances inside his stomach exploded simultaneously. It was an obvious sequence of moves. [How foolish!] The moment Hansen sensed an extraordinary flow of magic, he created a magical shield that blocked it, but he couldnt block the Acid Poison created through mana that was concentrated to its very limit. [You dirty bastard...] Hansens armor and skin melted away, exposing the rotten flesh underneath, and spurted out rotten, ck blood. His exterior had been damaged during the fight with the Treasure Eater, but not on the inside; but Lee Shin Woo, whod properly taken advantage of the opportunity, was able to see his hideous appearance as a result of his elemental attack. The injured region that was affected by the Acid Poison was especially severe. Because hed been injured by a lower level opponent, it was a bitter injury in many ways. "Hoo. As I thought, when it gets to the high rank level, its effective against a general." [Thats only because I was weakened... Its all because of your dirty tricks!] Not only was Lee Shin Woo at a lower level, he remained unscathed after taking a direct hit from Hansens lightning; hed even injected Acid Poison into him through a ridiculous trick! [Ill kill you!] Lee Shin Woos provocation was truly effective. If he didnt tear that bastard to pieces, then he wouldnt be able to bear it. Hansens eyes rolled back and drew upon hisst remaining mana to activate Lightning Shadow. [You... mocked me long enough...!] "Jin, can you do it?" "Nope, I cant. Not possible." Jin, whod already confirmed that Lightning Shadow sharply increased Hansens speed and reflexes, firmly denied Lee Shin Woo. It was so merciless that it sounded heartless. [Die... What!?] But it was ok. The Lightning Shadow General was only focused on Lee Shin Woo right now. And that meant... [The Emperors hunting dog!] [You insects!] After hed activated his Lightning Shadow and was about to charge at Lee Shin Woo, the Chimera Avengers attacked from behind! Of course, now that all of his abilities had improved significantly, even level 6 elites were mere flies to him, but the problem was the timing. Just maintaining this ability cost a tremendous amount of mana! [Get lost!] [And who are you to decide that!?] [Thats our new lord!] It was extremely simple for him to cut through the Chimera Avengers and move forward. However, the Avengers rushed at him, heedless of their own lives, and cutting through each and every Avenger got him closer to mana depletion. Ultimately, the Lightning Shadow General became hasty. As all the blood rushed to his head, he realized that hed made a rash decision, and was now beginning to ept that fact. [You... you bastards! You fools that cannot understand His Majestys intent!] [Remember that despair.] The final obstacle was the level 7 Chimera Avenger. His palm had be a giant shield and he assumed a defensive position; Hansen even witnessed his resolve, that he wouldnt let anything past him. [That deep despair. Thats what made us like this.] [Shut up!] The lightning de cut through the air once more. The giant and durable shield was cut into pieces in one fell stroke, while the Chimera Avenger sustained a deep injury and was powerlessly flung away. Though the Avenger had sustained a severe injury, he didnt die, and following that attack, thest remnants of the generals Lightning Shadow vanished from his body. However, there were no more obstacles in his path. Lee Shin Woo was right in front of him. Yet, Lee Shin Woo seemed unafraid and ck goblin fire zed in his eye sockets, as though he were ridiculing him. "You dont have any more mana, right?" [So what?] Hansen raised his sword and pointed it at Lee Shin Woo. It was a stance that seemed to convey a heavy strength. [Even if I dont any mana left, Im still stronger and faster than you. My umted stats, as well as my level are proof of that.] "So in any case, youre out of mana." [Die!] Lee Shin Woo nodded his head and Hansen forcefully charged. In the connected state, Lee Shin Woo urgently moved his body and managed to dodge it, but was unable to dodge itpletely; a part of his arm was severed. It was truly a powerful strike Hansen could be proud of. [Ill fight you like this for a little bit until Ive replenished by mana. Perhaps you wont even be able tost that long!] "Kratia!" As he dodged the generals sword strike, Lee Shin Woo yelled boomingly. His shoulder was cut, and his lower jaw was a bit cut as well. One of his fingers went flying into the air. Even his hastily summoned Lightning Tooth was cut apart. [Kratia...?] The unfamiliar name caused the Lightning Shadow General to furrow his brow. Was it the name of a technique? An item? If not, then a persons name? But aside from the scattered Avengers, no one else was here. Only he, the skeleton, and the horse covered in steel... But he thought of it as a bluff, and intended to cut off Lee Shin Woos mouth so that he couldnt talk anymore. He swung his sword once again, but at that moment, there was something that stopped him. Lee Shin Woo struck with his sword and cut through ayer of skin. [Keuk...?] At that moment, he felt as though his movements were messed up, and attempted to swing his sword, but once again, his movements felt unnatural. He couldnt move very well, as if his joints were frozen stiff. Lee Shin Woo took advantage of that opportunity and this time, his sword cut a part of his fingers! It wasnt a coincidence. Someone had made him like this. Moreover, his opponent, Lee Shin Woo was entirely unscathed! But then, who was it? [Ku...hahk...?] "...Hoo." His head creaked and turned around. At the end of his sight, he saw a young girl beyond the testing facilitys doors. She was much too beautiful and pure white, having the appearance of a girl in the winter. "You really did it." "I told you the request wouldnt be so difficult. So how many minutes do we have?" "5 minutes. If we take into ount other variables, then three at most." "Ok." The winter girl spoke and Lee Shin Woo replied to her. That meant they were working together. It was a fact that the girl was the one making his body like this. But how? "A level 7 magician." Kratia cradled the Eternal Ice that was slowly rotating in the air, spoke briefly, and went back to being silent. It was as though that much of an exnation was enough. And in truth, it was enough. That girl cast such a powerful debuff on me? And thats the reason this skeleton got me to use up all my mana? The more powerful ones magic was, the less likely a debuff would affect them. Thus, debuffs were cast when ones opponent was weak, so that their sess rate was at its highest. A debuff was especially effective when ones mana is depleted... and if thats the case, that meant that Lee Shin Woo provoking him into using Lightning Shadow was all part of a bigger n. [...Ha, haha.] He waspletely tricked. Hansen had thought that there was someone backing Lee Shin Woo, but when he saw himmanding the Chimeras, he thought it was Arema Steelworker... To think that a level 7 magician would appear at this time and cast a debuff on him from an unknown location! [5 minutes. You can only be so foolish. If I just survive for 5 minutes, Ill be able to kill you all!] "Are you an idiot?" Lee Shin Woo grinned and spoke. "I prepared so much just to catch you... You dont think shes all I got, do you?" [...] To be honest, she was all he had left. If this didnt work, then he would have to be prepared to die a few times and fight. ...But Hansen was intimidated, as hed experienced all those traps that Lee Shin Woo had prepared, so this time, his lie was actually quite effective! [I dont know who you guys are, but... Im one of the 12 generals, one recognized by the Emperor as the Lightning Shadow General, Hansen Von Dorthe!] He gritted his teeth and tried to raise his sword with his unmoving arm, but as he was disheartened and debuffed, the swords edge shook finely. Seeing that, Lee Shin Woo grinned and likewise raised his weapon. His weapon soon changed into the shape of ance, the weapon which first pierced through his body. "I know. Thats why Im trying so hard to take you down." Lee Shin Woo was filled with a powerful green acid. The moment Hansen saw that, he instinctually predicted his own death, but even so, he couldnt stop. That was the pride of one of the 12 generals. And for the first time in a long time, one of the 12 generals was killed. Chapter 25 part8 Lee Shin Woo mercilessly attacked the Lightning Shadow General, whose entire body was frozen stiff; by the end of it, Lee Shin Woo managed to pierce through his neck and kill him without dying once. [I am... His Majesty...] "Shadow Horn!" [Kahak!] He thought it might be a bit cowardly, but he nheless blew him away as the airborne ice crystals evaporated. Since the result is all that mattered! And the result that appeared right after was... [You have hunted a member of the 12 generals, the Lv7 Lightning Shadow General, Hansen Von Dorthe. All contributing heroes acquire 30,000,000 Perium, and all stats increase by 100. You have acquired 10 permits to Gods secret shop. Proficiency in allbat rted skills has increased dramatically!] [The Intermediate Bursting Thunder skill has be Lv9. Strength and Magic have increased by 10.] [The Intermediate Mana Bone skill has be Lv9. Magic has increased by 10.] [The Intermediate Shadow Horn skill has be Lv4. All stats have increased by 6.] [The Intermediate Command skill has be Lv9. All stats have increased by 3.] ... ... [Intermediate Ice has be Lv4. Magic has increased by 5.] [The Element Absorption skill has be Lv2. Magic has increased by 10. You can more effectively absorb energy from the elements that you possess.] There was a stream of messages that appeared! All the skills that he used in battle, as well as those he hadnt used in battle, leveled up instantaneously for no other reason than the fact that he had defeated one of the 12 generals. The amount of stats hed garnered from defeating the general, as well as the stats from his skill level ups, was enough to make his head hurt. But wasnt this good for him? There were still some messages remaining, notifying him of his growth. [You are an excellent example of a Joker! Even in a situation without allies, you faced a variety of enemies and managed to incite them and trick them; in the end, you won fair and square! All stats have increased by 20. The Joker karma has be even stronger. The Jokers innate skills have grown.] Apanying this message was a notification that his Acting skill leveled up to level 16, as well as his Disguise skill leveling up by two, up to level 6. He knew just how much these skills changed whenever they leveled up and was surprised, almost gaping in response. But thinking about it carefully, a general had stood upon his stage, so he should obviously gain this much. [You have received Gods grace. The Invisible Heart skills maximum level has increased by 10.] His achievement was rounded off by a present from God. When he thought about it, the quest hed received from God, which was the quest to hunt undead heroes, increased the maximum level of Invisible Heart as well, but hed only killed one undead hero (hed fought against two of them, but he made one of them into his subordinate). This time, the maximum level of Invisible Heart had increased by 10, to a total of 111. "So this means that my lives have increased by 11, huh..." He thought about it suddenly, and realized that Gods blessing was truly amazing! Lee Shin Woo recognized that God rarely did things out of the kindness of her heart, and just decided to be happy about it. Lee Shin Woo nodded his head, as Kratia and Jin danced with joy from beside him. Though they werent rewarded as much as him, he could tell that they were rewarded based on their contributions. But then, Jin suddenly yelled. "Shin Woo, Im going to level up!" "Ah, alright. Its not dangerous here anymore, so take your time." Jin had barely not reached level 6, and had acquired hundreds of stats as a reward from this battle, so it would be even stranger if he couldnt level up! Lee Shin Woo vacantly watched as Jin was engulfed in a sphere of light and leveled up, whilst he neatly picked up the loot the Lightning Shadow General had left behind with his own two hands. To be honest, the Lightning Shadow General was considered an intermediate boss, so he thought itd be nice if he dropped a bundle of loot, but it was quite cold-hearted. [You have acquired 15,230,550 Perium.] [You have acquired the Bayran inner map.] [You have acquired the Lv5 Divine Lightning Sword. Through Bone Reinforcement, the item transforms. You have acquired the Lv5 Thunder w (+5).] [You have acquired the Lv7 Lightning Shadow General, Hansen Von Dorthes wrist bone.] Other than that, he saw an item that looked to be a bracelet possessing tremendous magic. However, Kratia hade over when he called without anyints and had not only helped with the mission but had also contributed towards defeating the Lightning General, so he decided that this would be part of Kratias share. "This is a magic reinforcement essory! Its extremely rare!" "Ah, was it? I thought he specialized in closebat, yet his magic was really high." As he thought, leaving that piece of loot as part of her share made her really happy. Lee Shin Woo asked if she wanted him to change it through Bone Reinforcement, but she firmly shook her head. Yep, Kratia was someone who didnt like taking risks. "Hoo, it seemed possible, but we really beat one of the 12 generals... I knew it, if youre there, everything bes dynamic, Shin Woo. "My existence is dynamic, so it cant be helped." Kratia giggled and said. Lee Shin Woo replied uninterested and examined thest remaining pieces of loot in his hands. First, the Bayran inner map seemed to detail secret passageways and facilities within some inner city, but he didnt know where Bayran was or what it was, so he stored it into his inventory for now. However, the rest was amazing. "As expected, once they be a general, they have to be carrying a level 5 weapon." "Ah, this bracelet is level 6, though." "Please trade." "Dont want to." Lee Shin Woo suddenly felt regretful. However, Lee Shin Woo used lightning, so even if she did ept his offer, he would have to back out. The original Divine Lightning Sword, and now the Lightning w was definitely a treasure that would make the lightning lethal. He felt slightly burdened, as Kratia watched with bright eyes, yet he absorbed it without dy. [Recording the Lv5 Thunder w (+5)s information into the Bone Armory. Strength and Magic have increased by 20. The Lightning Tooth and the Thunder ws information have been mixed and have be a new weapon!] "Huuuh!?" The moment Lee Shin Woo absorbed the Thunder w, he sensed an intense change within his insides, or more specifically Bone Armory, and shook. Of course, it would be lying to say that he wasnt looking forward to this. Hed absorbed another lightning element weapon, so if both of those weapons supplemented each other, he thought it might create a greater weapon. But to think it would mix the two weapons info and create an entirely new weapon... Kuuuuuu. Bone Armory wasnt something separate from Lee Shin Woo; it was an equipment storehouse within his body. Lee Shin Woo felt a huge migraineing on due to the intense reaction going on inside. His health, magic, and all of his skills were involved in creating this new weapon. Countless information that came from the outside would bebined, and ultimately, a weapon only he could wield would be created. One wouldnt be able to understand it at all from looking from the outside, but what he was doing was akin to a cksmiths work! When I think about it, something like this happened before. Thats right, the whip. The staff and the whips info werebined, creating the Bifurcated Whip. However, it wasnt this intense of a reaction back then, and perhaps this weapon would be much greater than the whip; in other words... [You can now summon the Lv6 Breath of the Lightning God! The Bone Armory skill has be Lv8. You can now summon seven pieces of equipment at a time. Health and Magic have increased by 10.] Yeah, a level 6 weapon...! As his vague wishes hade true, Lee Shin Woo momentarily observed the weapon and remainedpletely still. He feared that if he took his eyes off the message, then the weapon would disappear into bubbles. But as time passed, the message automatically disappeared; Lee Shin Woo sighed transiently and raised a hand. Of course, he knew that the Breath of the Lightning Gods info was stored in the Bone Armory. Since all the weapons info was meticulously recorded in his head! But he couldnt help the fact that his outstretched hand, which was to summon the weapon, was shaking. "Shin Woo, Shin Woo?" "Im finished with leveling up... Whatre you doing?" "I guess hes going through some kind of ritual we dont know about." While he shook due to how moved he was, Jin and Kratia became really noisy. Lee Shin Woopletely ignored them and concentrated. To be honest, he didnt really need to go that far, but he wanted to keep brooding over this item hed created, but couldnt adjust himself to. "...Summon." After investing approximately 40% of his mana, (it was 40% after improving his mana, so it was a truly considerable amount) the weapon appeared, revealing itself in all its glory. In many ways, its shape looked more like the Thunder w than the Lightning tooth, as it was also a bastard sword. "Oh, oooh." "Its beautiful..." The pommel was both sharp and ck; the hilt was long and uneven, reminding him of a dragons scales while the guard took after the Lightning Tooth... And arge blue de on top... The end converged into a sharp tip, and it seemed capable of both stabbing and shing. "...Hoo." From an outside view, it just looked like an extremely luxurious sword; the de could be either bone or metal. Its sheen made it indistinguishable while also making it look distinctive, but... Lee Shin Woo was fascinated by the fearsome energy contained within, especially the electrifying lightning energy within the de. The others reacted simrly. "Is that the weapon you just absorbed, Shin Woo? No, its not. It looks a lot stronger." "It is a lot stronger." "Hows that possible!?" After hed pried off Kratia, who would always stick to him and watch closely for any mana-rted phenomenon, he called for the items info. In the process of recreating the weapon, hed figured out everything there was to know about it and nned it out, but he really wanted to see the official information on it. [Breath of the Lightning God] [Lv6] [Durability: 4,300/4,300] [Attack Power: 1,200 - 1,550] [Element: Lightning Lv6] [Option: Effectiveness of lightning element +50%] [Active skill: Thunder Arrow - Summon a lightning arrow in order to attack from long range. The more powerful the users lightning and the more mana is infused, the more powerful the skill bes.] "Ooh, Ooooh." This was the first time hed seen a weapon with an active skill attached! Of course, it wouldnt be very difficult for Lee Shin Woo, who could use the lightning element, to create lightning arrows and shoot them, but it feltpletely different when the skill was included with the weapon! Moreover, the skill bes stronger as his lightning element bes more powerful. This was an advantage that could only be seen in standardized skills. It was funny to say, but it felt like hed finally attained an item that befitted a fantasy protagonist. "I want to test it out, but... I probably shouldnt right now." Lee Shin Woo smacked his lips after hed securely fastened his summoned sword to his waist. Because hed infiltrated the city on arrival and had so much to do afterward, he hadnt been able to rest properly. He had struggled, as he had fought against the general face to face, even though Kratia had cast a debuff at thest minute. Even if he was just barely grazed by the generals sword, his arm would fly off and his ribs would be crushed, so regenerating it all was a pain. It had been a really good learning opportunity; a general isnt a general for nothing... "Ah." "Whats wrong, Shin Woo?" "...I forgot I said Id look after those guys." He hadpletely forgotten about the Chimeras and finally remembered after rejoicing over the loot. When he looked back, the Chimeras Avengers wereying on the floor exactly like before. "They werent dead?" "Dont kill off my subordinates as you please." Kratia tilted her head. After Lee Shin Woo had smiled bitterly and replied, he walked over to the Chimera who looked to be in the worst condition... the Lv7 Chimera Avenger. He thought it might feel unsatisfied that he hadnt looked after him following the battle, but there was nothing but cheering from his face. [Were we able to... do our duty?] "Yeah. Because of you, I was able to kill one of the Emperors agents." [Very... good. Your strength and your intellect... Ive decided that you are good enough to serve as our Lord. So...] The Chimera Avenger spoke. Not just one, but all of them simultaneously. It was a frightening sight, as only their heads turned to face him as their bodies remained on the floor. [[Now, please give us a name.]] "Alright, Ill give you one." Lee Shin Woo nodded his head seriously and calmly spoke. "Your name is Chi Paul." [Chi Paul...! Henceforth, I will be Chi Paul and serve you! Until the day we kill the Emperor, no even beyond that!] Lee Shin Woos face didnt even hint at his true feelings as he nodded his head, firmly epting Chi Pauls resolution. Chi Paul was deeply touched by his name, but Lee Shin Woo couldnt tell him that the Chi was just short for Chimera. Chapter 25 part9 Aside from the seven Chimeras that had died in battle, Lee Shin Woo named the remaining thirty-one Chimeras Chi Paul to Chi Paul 31. Because they were already elites, they didnt evolve again, but surprisingly, their stats increased slightly followed by a change in their information. Lee Shin Woo was suddenly shocked at how much power a name held in this world. Even so, he hadnt nned on putting much effort into their names. So long as he could tell them apart, any name was fine. "Chi Paul 31, youre thest one." [I see... seven of us died.] "Its more impressive that only seven of you died against that ridiculous guy." He reinforced the weakest seven Chi Pauls with the bones of the fallen Chimeras, and used a portion of the bones hed umted to heal their wounds. After healing them, the Chi Pauls looked at him as if he were a mother bird, and began to respect Lee Shin Woo. [As expected, you are indeed qualified to say that you will kill the Emperor.] [His power has changed since defeating the Lightning Shadow General. Its almost like he lives in a different world from us.] One of the Chimeras pointed out sharply, but Lee Shin Woo ignored them. And he returned to the task hed put off, as he had to take care of the Chimeras. Absorbing the Lightning Shadow Generals wrist bone! "The Lightning Shadow General, a higher ranked bone than even the Treasure Eater..." Hed absorbed a Giants level 7 bone from the shop before, and while the giant was quite powerful, he was no match for either the Treasure Eater or the Lightning Shadow General. The reason his stats had increased so much was because he was just that weak at the time. Though hed gotten quite a lot stronger since then, the Lightning Shadow Generals bone may surprise him and increase his stats significantly...! "Ah, there may be a bit of a backst, so keep an eye on me." "You can count on me." "So all I need to do is watch this woman so that she doesnt do anything strange to you, right?" "Jin, you really are a rude gi... person." Lee Shin Woo remained quiet, and felt a bit left out as he watched a horse and a person converse. As he was a skeleton, he wasnt thinking about getting a beautiful girl to like him, or to pursue a serious rtionship, as there wasnt any reason to do so. But he didnt think hed be beat out by Jin too, who was a skeleton horse! "It seems like Shin Woos thinking about something strange again." "...My condolences." "Alright... Bone Reinforcement!" [Executing Bone Reinforcement by consuming the Lv7 Lightning Shadow General, Hansen Von Dorthes wrist bone.] He ignored their chat and boldly executed Bone Reinforcement. The Lightning Shadow Generals wrist bone in his hand began to spark and disassemble, and was then absorbed into his body. At that moment, his mana momentarily transformed into pure lightning! [Your interior energy has been activated to its very limit! The Intermediate Lightning Element has be Lv10, and has evolved into the high rank level! You can utilize lightning more naturally than before, and your resistance to it has been strengthened as well. Magic has increased by 30.] His intermediate level 8 lightning element had leveled up twice in one go and had evolved into a high rank skill! Lee Shin Woo knew how wide the gap between an intermediate level skill and a high rank skill was, and cheered at the improved quality of his lightning. But surprisingly, this was just a by-product. Now Bone Reinforcements usefulness would reallye to y! [You have acquired a skill with great sess, as your affinity with the target is incredibly high! Strength has increased by 30 and Magic by 45. Absorbing Hansen Von Dorthes experiences and memories more deeply.] Lee Shin Woo barely thought it might be him experiencing Hansens memories, and then lost his consciousness then and there. When he opened his eyes, he was... surprisingly in a world overflowing with life. There were flowers and grass growing in thewn with flies flying in between... there were tables here and there, as well as delicious looking food and drinks. Lee Shin Woo was familiar with this kind of thing. This was a party. "Hansen, are you nodding off again?" "Mm. No, I wasnt nodding off at all." "What a smooth talker." He heard Hansens young voice, who hed fought just a short while ago, as well as a slightly older voice who was rebuking him. Lee Shin Woos consciousness was inside as... Hansen raised his head. A spirited middle age man was there, and for some reason, he felt close. "Im not lying, Sir Seagald. More importantly, what about the guard in the west? Youre Seagald!? Of course he felt close! Hed heard so many stories about Seagald! However... Lee Shin Woo felt somewhat strange. Seagald was the head of Anti-Skull, and was well aware that he was hostile towards the Emperor and his subordinates. Yet, Seagald was approaching Hansen, one of the 12 generals, with such intimacy, so he realized that this must be a time far in the past. "It seems like her majesty, the Princess, didnt like the party. She went back to the pce immediately. So, henceforth, I will be guarding his majesty, the Prince instead." "Itd be nice if I could just return to the pce as well..." "Dont nod off until his majesty orders your return." "Yeah, yeah." Hansen replied briefly by nodding his head, but then raised his head and asked. "Now that I think about it, the party isnt that big this time. Did the 1st Princesse to the party today? "Dont overstep." "Yes, sir. But still, I think Id be a suitable husband... Hui." Hansen barely avoided the formless energy that came from Seagald. And like Lee Shin Woo always did when he experienced someones memories through Bone Reinforcement, he engraved their fight into his memory. He thought they might be weaker, as this was so far in the past, but after watching their recent quarrel, it seemed like both Seagald and Hansen were in their prime. "If I hadnt avoided this, my face wouldve been split apart. Seriously, why are you only like this to me?" "Youve be stronger since you became a general, Hansen. Once youre done with your escort duty, shall we spar?" "That sounds good. This is my chance to see my future brother-inws skill... Uaah." This time, mes shot up. Lee Shin Woo had learned that Seagalds mes were different from the norm! On the other hand, Hansen was moving desperately in order to dodge them. From within Hansen, after Lee Shin Woo had felt Hansens mana rotating quickly and instantaneously turn into lightning, he nodded his head. As I thought... There was a reason I felt a bit of superfluousness in his movements. The lightning was indeed powerful, but contrary to Lee Shin Woo, who transformed mana into lightning itself, Hansen would quickly circte his mana through a special pattern before he transformed it to something that felt like lightning magic, and then used his skill. Though it was powerful, it was still inefficient... Originally, Bursting Thunder was a skill that had that same feel, and aside from Lee Shin Woo, who could utilize the elements freely, most people probably used the elements like this. "Shes a saint." "Then at least the second princess." Even while Lee Shin Woo was organizing his thoughts regarding the elements, Seagald and Hansen continued to talk. It seemed as though Seagalds younger sister, the Princess, was incredibly pretty, as Hansen held on persistently. "Shes still a priest." "Our religious order doesnt forbid marriage!" "Hoo..." Seagalds tone seemed to say even after all this, he still doesnt understand, and he sighed magnificently. Then, he took a look around, and Hansen followed suit; they noticed people were gathering. In the center, there was a luxuriously dressed middle aged man. "Is this some kind of entertainment youve prepared for us?" "No, your majesty. It was just us joking around..." "I, the Crown Prince, will allow it. Show our guests just how great the swords of the Empire are." "Ehk..." "I understand, your majesty." It was an order from the Crown Prince (who he protected); he would have to fight against someone who he couldnt beat in front of all these people. Hansen was shocked, but on the other end, Seagald had already drawn his sword. Whats worse, Seagalds eyes were big and bright, meaning that he was going to discipline him, a manner-less brat, for coveting his younger sisters. "Come at me whenever, Hansen." "Please stop ring at me so strongly. This is a spar, a spar." "I know. Though asionally, real sword spars result in casualties." "Are you trying to kill me?!" However, there was already no way for Hansen to escape. Once the Crown Prince pped his hands, men wearing impressive uniforms came running out, clearing the area, and creating a space for the match. Hansen sported a expression looking as though he was a condemned criminal in an execution ground, and was forced to draw his sword. It as the sword that had be a part of Lee Shin Woo, the Divine Lightning Sword. To think Id be able to experience a fight between generals. Ive really hit the jackpot, havent I!? Hed acquired memories regarding a party that had nothing to do with the Empires struggles, or even its secrets, so Lee Shin Woo had been grumbling that he would have to stay put and just watch men and women talking the entire time, but he had no idea it would end up like this! "If youre not attacking, then I will." "Hoo..." He did his very best to focus on the current situation. Hed already killed Hansen, and it felt like he would never have to fight Seagald in the future, but it was quite a big deal that he was able to experience the battle between two big shots so clearly! "If youre giving me the first move, then Ill dly take it!" Hansen said while turning his magic into lightning; He then charged at Seagald with a blinding speed. It was the same Lightning Shadow technique hed used during their fight! Ah, this should be easy. Lee Shin Woo definitely had talent in the ways of manipting mana, so the moment he experienced it firsthand, he figured out the core of the technique. The goal of Lightning Shadow was to eliminate the boundary between the body and magic by rapidly circting ones magic and expanding it through the interior of ones body. Right now, Hansens body was akin to a thunderbolt! He was ridiculously strong and fast. To the point that he could face a level 8! Of course, not only did it consume an overwhelming amount of magic, but just using the technique would damage ones body. However, it was an incredible technique that took that into consideration and would momentarily increase ones power exponentially. You could probably use the skill the same way with another element, but... it seems like the lightning element is most effective. Next would probably be wind. As expected, the lightning element was powerful. Lee Shin Woo could understand how Hansen had be the Emperors hitman, despite being level 7 amongst the generals. And at the same time, there was something he realized... If I be familiar with it here, then my Lightning Sprint might get stronger as well. Lightning Sprint was a charge skill that was based on high rank spirit arts. Ones body would be engulfed in lightning and the skill would give its user overwhelming eleration and destructive force. If Lightning Shadow was like changing the inner gloves, then Lightning Sprint was like changing the outer gloves! But at their core, the techniques were simr, so it didnt feel like it would be very difficult to learn both at the same time. And if he were to seed as well, he would be able to use two skills with ridiculous synergy. After hed created the Shadow Horn skill, he mustve gotten a taste for fusing skills together, as Lee Shin Woo wanted to study the skills immediately. However. "Heup!" Using his skill, Hansen charged forward quickly, and Seagald charged as well, blocking Hansen mid-way. He easily deflected Hansens de and simultaneously kicked his stomach. Hansen spun his body and tried to respond with a kick of his own, but by then, the back of Seagalds de forcefully struck Hansens head. Dozens of moves had urred within the blink of an eye, and ultimately, before the duration of Lightning Shadow ended... Hansen was on his knees. "Kuheok. I lost." "Mm." Even though Lee Shin Woo had been experiencing the battle in Hansens body, he still had no idea what had happened and how he had lost so badly. He would need to think back to this battle several times in the future. "Thats the secret technique you invented, right? Mm, its certainly powerful and quick. However, your mind couldnt keep up with your body. Thats why you cant beat me." "Kuheuk, youre right..." The party members apuded. Of course, the party members didnt really know what had happened, but they at least seemed to realize that Seagald had won overwhelmingly. Plus, Hansen had gone all out from the very beginning, yet Seagald hadnt even drawn his fire sword! As I thought, Seagalds a swordsman who specializes in fire. While Lee Shin Woo nodded at the flowing memories, Seagald slightlyughed and extended his hand towards Hansen. "I cant give you my little sister, but you have gotten stronger." "Im d youre not my enemy, Sir Seagald... Hoo." Hansen grabbed Seagalds hand, stood up, and spoke. Seagald thought he was exaggerating and grinned. "So long as I serve his Imperial Majesty, that will never happen. I promise you in the name of the house Retadane." "Ill be part of the family soon anyway... Uoooooooh!" Seagald twisted Hansens hand and threw him aside. At that moment, Lee Shin Woos consciousness became faint. The rich and plentiful experience was finally drawing to a close. No, wait a sec. But Lee Shin Woo, who was returning after acquiringbat experience and skill know-how, was shocked at something that Seagald had said. Retadane... is that what he said? At that moment, his consciousness faded. What terrible timing. Chapter 26 part1 [The Bursting Thunder skill has be Lv10 and has evolved to the high rank level! Strength and Magic have increased by 30. The powerful lightning can now draw upon the energy of the heavens.] [The Intermediate Combat Sense skill has be Lv9. Agility has increased by 10. You will have a foggy idea of what your opponent will do next.] [You have learned the active skill, Lv1 Lightning Shadow.] Hed not only learned how to further progress as a warrior who used lightning, but also gained a new skill he could potentially fuse, and had an experience that was especially profitable; yet, Lee Shin Woo stared nkly, as though he had left his soul behind. Jin and Kratia quietly examined Lee Shin Woo. "What couldve happened for him to be like that?" "I wonder. Maybe he got a lot less stats than hed expected from the bone?" However, Lee Shin Woo didnt hear the twos voices. He couldnt forget thest thing Seagald had said. Retadane... He definitely said Retadane. There was no way hed heard wrong. Moreover, the memory of the experience was still fresh, and he could yback the memory if he wanted. He was sure. Seagald had said Retadane. Wait... Now that I think about it, Retadane would react whenever I talked about Seagald. At the time, Lee Shin Woo had responded to her as naturally as possible, but he inwardly thought it was strange. Because Retadane didnt really react when the other 12 generals were mentioned. Thus, he had hypothesized that Retadane had already met Seagald once before... If thats the case, then is she his descendent...? Shes probably not his daughter, so maybe his granddaughter? When hede to the Underground Empire, he had definitely heard God say this in passing. Before she had summoned heroes from other worlds, she had turned her worlds people into heroes. They all failed, but she didnt say that they had all died. But to think a citizen of the Empire would be included... Not only that, but a citizen of the Empire who wasnt affected by the curse. Its not impossible, right? She mightve been born in a dungeon. So long as she operated as a hero, there would be no problem for him, regardless of whether Seira Von Retadane was a citizen of the Empire, lived above ground, or just lived in this world. He was a bit curious if the other heroes knew about this, but... anyone would be able to figure out the truth if they knew Seagalds family name, and it wasnt even really a huge secret either. If I get the chance, Ill ask Pleine. But Lee Shin Woo realized that he didnt really need to go out of his way to ask Pleine. By defeating the Lightning Shadow General, hed gained 10 permits to Gods secret shop! Defeating a general greatly contributed to Gods goal of purifying the Empire, so it seemed as though God gave those contributing heroes the chance to meet her as a reward. If thats the case, then asking God would give him the most clear answer! "Alright. Strike the iron while its hot." "What? Theres still more we have to do?" "Nope. Were finished. Its been a while, so lets go meet God. Why dont youe too, Kratia?" Jin looked uneasy, while Kratia briefly looked like she had no idea what was going on. She ruminated over the message right away, and nodded her head. "Now that I think about it, I remember you (Shin Woo) talking about that." "You dont need to be afraid. All you need to do is badger her for a ability or an item." "Alright. ...Ive changed my mind a little." Kratia still didnt like the idea of God affecting her abilities, but the conversation changed if God could give her a new artifact. Kratia, who wanted a new ability for her artifact, nodded her head at his words, and ultimately, entered Gods garden. "Then, shall we go too?" "Do we really have to?" "You never know, we might get better abilities. Plus, I have something personal I want to ask God. But if you really dont want to go..." "...No, Ill go." Jin sighed quietly, nodded as if he had resolved himself, and stood beside him. Lee Shin Woo had no idea what he had been thinking about, but thought it wasnt strange that Jin had his own problems to think about, and used the permit to Gods garden. [The party is entering Gods garden through the use of the permit.] When he softly closed his eyes and reopened them, he was transported to a beautiful garden that hed been to once before. Perhaps because hepletely epted himselfst time, he didnt appear as a human, but as a level 6 Powered Elemental Bone Joker. Of course, Jin wasnt anywhere nearby... [Good job!] "Ugh." He felt someone touch him. Lee Shin Woo felt an aggressively warm and soft feeling spread over his body and the sweet aroma made it so he momentarily couldnt get a hold of himself, but was soon able to calm down through Invisible Heart. The situation was quite clear. God was hugging him! To think she could agitate him, an undead; she wasnt a God for nothing. One who goes beyond the norm; an individual who goes against logic... Lee Shin Woo was unnerved by that aggressive charm. "Please get off me." [To think youd beat one of the 12 generals! Its been so long since thats happened!] "I said get off me." God was still excited and didnt let go, but soon, Lee Shin Woo forcefully pushed her away. Sheughed, patted his back, and stepped back. [Try to understand. I like to express my happiness as well.] "...Its a relief that you feel so happy." To be honest, Lee Shin Woo had questioned Gods intent of wanting to purify the Empire before, but seeing her current attitude, he realized that her intent wasnt a lie after all. He really couldnt figure her out. Maybe she was just psychotic. [You probably cant understand me, huh?] "Yes." Lee Shin Woo replied honestly. God smiled bitterly, pulled over a chair from a nearby table, and sat down. Then, likest time, she propped her chin on her hands, and spoke calmly. [I just... you know, dont you feel happy when you get a goal despite it being a lost game? You mightve gotten around twenty goals repeatedly.] "Thats really not something a goddess should say in front of a hero." [Be happy. Im only talking about this because its you. Since it seems like youve already realized quite a few things on your own.] God was weird. And Lee Shin Woo, who was simrly weird, was forced into bing herrade through her previousment. Hed thought it may not be true, but this Empire, no this world had no hope! "Nice of you to bring me to this despair ridden world." [Thats what I thought at first, but now I think you may be this worlds new hope. Ethan is already beginning to dawdle, but if its you...] "Please dont forcefully put all your hopes on me. Im just doing as I please." [So about the reward...] God, whodpletely ignored Lee Shin Woo, gently gazed at Lee Shin Woo and said. [Youre not nning on getting another quest again, are you?] "Is there even anything else I can get from you?" [There are still one or two things I can give you.] God replied humbly towards Lee Shin Woos snobbish soundingment. God probably knew more about histent potential than he did, so she wasnt lying. Lee Shin Woo briefly ruminated over it. But because the abilities God granted werent inherently hostile, he just nodded his head, especially because he didnt really want another quest from her. "Well, lets hear it." [An element.] The conversation turned in apletely different direction. Lee Shin Woo, who had beenpletely uninterested in what she said before, was somewhat surprised. [Even I didnt think you would be able to use elemental power so naturally. It would normally be impossible to bestow an element onto a hero, but... it should be no problem if I were to bestow one onto you.] His abilities had grown and he was extremely talented, so if God were to give him a small nudge, he could awaken a powerful ability. And he pretty much understood what God was saying. It didnt matter if it were fire or lightning; being given a small opportunity was plenty. God was giving him that opportunity. [And if you ept this, it should be much easier for you to fight against Ethan.] "Didnt you say that he was a good hero?" [He cantpare to you at this point.] Looking at her statement in a different way, she was saying that if Lee Shin Woo hadnt defeated one of the 12 generals, then even if he had been done in by Ethan Cruzter, she would just pass it off with augh. "... Youre cruel. Seriously." [Youre one to talk.] Lee Shin Woo thought that beings who had surpassed the limitations of humans were different, but God looked at him and snorted. It was as though she saw him as the same as her. [Now, focus.] "Alright." The amount of time allotted to them wasnt very long. Lee Shin Woo softly closed his eyes and God released her energy. Lee Shin Woo immediately felt something enter his body, and it was infinitely dark and somber... It was simr to the curse that lingered in the Empire. No, that wasnt all. It was quite simr to the curse that he experienced often... what was it? While Lee Shin Woo pondered over the identity of this energy, that energy responded, and Lee Shin Woo lost all feeling in his body. His mana, which possessed no inherent properties, met with the energy as it released, and... it assimted it, and he could feel a change. And soon, a terse response showed up before him. [You have acquired the Lv1 High Rank Element - Darkness. Magic has increased by 100.] [Curse Resistance - MAX has transformed into Darkness Resistance - MAX. Magic has increased by 20.] [Darkness is one of the great elements that makes up half of this world. It is peaceful, the power of shadows, the opposite of light, and the power of rtionships.] [But darkness magic makes one forget that they are dead or alive, and can even force them to forget what they are. An imperfect and improper connection results in a twisted appearance... and this causes people to be afraid of it.] [You have be aware of this power, which originated from within you, due to outside stimuli, and have sessfully grasped it. However, if you use too much power, others may be afraid of you. And ultimately, those natural rtionships will break down and be twisted.] "...This is..." Lee Shin Woo realized why he felt familiar with this power. The rtionships hed created with others... his partnership with Jin, epting the Pauls as his subordinates... or even more broadly speaking, using the Command skill or Instigate skill to affect others and manipte them was all because of the darkness element! However, at the same time, if what he felt was right, then this power was... "Didnt the cursee from this element!?" [Youre right. To be exact, it was darkness magic that was used as the foundation. Your Curse Resistance changed into Darkness Resistance, right? You probably couldve brought about that change.] God acknowledged him and nodded her head, as if she wasnt spilling a huge secret. [Youre probably well aware of this, but while you werent consciously aware of this power, you used it bit by bit. I just awakened it and made it so you could actually use it in a proper form...] "..." [So, your existence has be much more shocking. Perhaps your karma is heading in that direction.] Though she was a god, could she not peruse his stats? At the very least, she didnt show any indication of knowing that he was a Joker. Perhaps this was also an effect of the Joker karma. [Theres a huge difference in the results of those who use magic. I know that better than anyone else. So, make sure you work hard. ...I hope you dont be like the Emperor or Ethan.] "..." [Then, get going. I was so happy that I ended up giving you way too much.] "Ah, just one second. Id like to ask you about Retadane..." [Its impossible for even I to give you information on other heroes more than is necessary.] "Shes a hero, right? Shes an ally, right?" To top everything off, Lee Shin Woo asked God about his conclusion, and God justughed and replied. [Of course she is. Shes a trustworthy hero, more than anyone else.] Chapter 26 part2 [Theres nothing more for you to gain here. So, donte here anymore... and try to gather them.] God said enigmatically, and Lee Shin Woo was chased out of Gods garden. As expected, Jin seemed to havee back before him, as he was waiting with a sour expression (Lee Shin Woo could see past Jins Steel Heart armor now and could tell what expression he was making). "Hey Jin." "Whats up, Shin Woo." "Why do I feel even more confused than before I went to clear things up?" "You shouldnt be asking me. Im dumb, so dont ask me anything in the future either." "Its nice to see you so confident... Hooo." By meeting with God, Lee Shin Woo realized that he was the center of this situation. Thats just how powerful the ability hed gained was. ...To be honest, it was really troublesome. He had clearly done his best to roam around the world, as well as figure out the truth, grow step by step, and focus only on ensuring his own safety, but he hadnt really nned on bing the protagonist and go wild on the main stage. "After you gain great power, you get caught up in trouble, huh." "I feel like Ive heard that line before..." Jin tilted his head and Lee Shin Woo continued to y dumb; and in no time, Kratia returned. Even though she was the first to leave, she was thest to return. ...But there was a reason for that. "Shin Woo, take a look at this." Once she found him, she rushed over to Lee Shin Woo, put her palms together, and pushed them forward. There was a tiny ice crystal floating above them... it was the artifact that exponentially increased her strength, the Orb of Eternal Ice. "It got a lot smaller." "Itll eventually get so small that you wont be able to see it. But thats not whats important right now." She yelled and tightened her palms together causing the orb to instantly break apart! Lee Shin Woo was shocked, yet Kratia remained calm... Soon, he found that the energy thatprised the orb flowed through her body. Her once light purple hair and sky blue eyes turned silver, and were radiating light. Lee Shin Woo could feel the power of that light, as it seemed to push her magic in a certain direction. "Is that Lightning Shadow?" "No, its different from that idiotic technique. Think of my goal as assimting the Eternal Ice, the high rank magic form. And the power I gain from doing so is..." He could tell without listening to her exnation. Since Kratia had invoked her catalytic magic through the Eternal Ice. Lee Shin Woo was well aware that now that shed assimted the Eternal Ice, the surrounding mana was quickly being sucked into her and turning into cold air. Contrary to before, where she used the orb to transform the surrounding mana, gather it, andunch it, she could now finely control her magic. It was all due to concentrating the Eternal Ices mana internally.. Therefore, it was like she had gone from Imperialdramon Dragon Mode to Pdin Mode. [1] "To make this, I had to use the artifact you gave me, but its ok since its ability is still intact." "But if you were going to do this, wouldnt it have been better to ask to absorb it instead?" "Im not you..." "Ah, thats right. My bad..." She talked about how amazing this technique was, and how much stress it put on her body; she made sure to emphasize a few times how a humans body was unable to handle catalytic magic, so she used this inconvenient method of storing the orbs power into her body, and that he wouldnt be able to understand her. And she added just one more thing. "You should be able to turn yourself into a catalyst without this." "I told you I cant." "Watch and learn!" "You know its not something I can just watch and learn!" No matter how he thought it, Kratias expectations of him were way too high. Kratia released her catalyst mode, and pestered him a bit; after that, Lee Shin Woo sighed (though nothing came out) and stood up. Then, he watched over to the Lv7 (Elite) Chimera Avenger that had... just been watching him until now. [What will you do now? Are you going to go look for another general?] "No. We were only able to defeat him because of our information, and our adaptation of the situation. But things wont go this smoothly next time, so now we have to thoroughly prepare and gather our strength." [Gather our strength...! How right you are. Then how should we do that?] The other Chi Pauls heard him and their eyes gleamed. It seemed as though they were still misunderstanding something, so Lee Shin Woo decided to be honest with them. "You guys will move separately from me. You need to be stronger your own way, and I have to get stronger my own way as well. Of course were not going our separate ways forever." [How can that be... We werent going to continue to travel with you?] [Thats... I dont feel that we can burn with hatred and revenge without you there to guide us.] Lee Shin Woo smiled bitterly at their response. Of course, they were a powerful force. They were a group of level 6 elites with even a level 7 elite as well, so if he were to travel with them, he wouldnt die in most situations. ...However, objectively speaking, neither side would be able to properly grow. It would almost be like a restriction on them. It would be restricting to both Lee Shin Woo and the Chi Pauls. "I dont n on controlling you through your hatred alone. For now, go where your feet take you. Watch the current world with your own two eyes... there should be something you get from it. Its fine if its hatred or apletely different emotion. In the end, youll be able to get even stronger." [The current world...] Rather than bring them along with him, itd be better to release them onto the worlds stage. Moreover, he could just bring them when he really needed them. Theyll eventually fight together, even if he didnt want to. So, for him, as well as for the purpose of purifying the Empire and their own growth, it would be best to go their separate ways. [We still dont really understand. Its much too vague.] "Ah, before you go, theres something I need to show you. It might even encourage you." [A ce you need to show us?] [Something that will... encourage us?] "Yeah." Lee Shin Woo looked at the Chi Pauls... hispletely destroyed surroundings, Kratia, who was nkly staring at him, Jin, as well as the copsed satellite city, Kadinan. He smiled bitterly. His original n had been so much simpler, so how did things turn out like this? "Now, shall we go and see whats hidden within the secret facilities?" "Are you going to show me too?" "Whats with you all of a sudden?" Kratia became a bit happy at Lee Shin Woos words. To be honest, he thought it would turn out like this when he had first asked her for help, but it wasnt a bad feeling to be recognized by ones information sharing partner. "Hey, hes a skeleton." "I know. Hes a skeleton whos really good at handling magic." Jinmented from beside her, but Kratia tilted her head as if to say and what about it?. Lee Shin Woo heard their chat, but he had no idea what they were even talking about. "So you got a request from the golems?" "Yeah. Weve been in contact even before then." [Are you saying that there are knights who seeded the experiment...?] Lee Shin Woo led the party, entered the facility, and exined the events to Kratia. It was also an exnation to the Chi Pauls, who were turned into golems and sacrificed for the experiment. "The Golden General, Arema Steelworker..." "The reason I didnt tell you earlier was because I was concerned that you might go looking for him. Plus, it wouldve be a pain for us, as we need to use the golem trains." "...I understand." Kratia agreed; if it were her from a few months back that was extremely curious about how golems worked, she mightve stuck with Lee Shin Woo and been a pain in the ass. Of course, she was different now. She knew when she could be greedy and when she needed to resign herself. "If they figured out who I am, they would be suspicious." "Assuming that they know about every single hero in the Empire, theres no reason to link us with the heroes. As you know, we dont look like heroes, right?" "Yeah. So long as we dont know their intent, theres no reason to tell them about the heroes." While conversing, they explored every nook and cranny of the facility. The Chi Pauls heard Lee Shin Woo talk about other golems, as well as finding traces of other knights being sacrificed as test subjects just like them and began to feel a powerful emotion that they couldnt define. [The test seeded, but they were indeed sacrificed. To think that theres a core capable of making someone absolutely loyal.] [Yet, that core is what allowed us to be reborn. Though theres no trace of it anymore.] [Do you think theyre hostile to the Emperor as well?] [Theyre probably not like us. Moreover, Arema Steelworker? I remembered when I heard his name. It seemed like he wanted to hide it, but... we saw it.] One Chi Paul spoke in the middle of the other Chi Pauls. It seemed as though its intellect was far greater than the other Chi Pauls, probably as much as the level 7... itpared the memories of countless knights imperfect memories and extracted them,ing into possession of a massive amount of intact memories. [Isnt it him? The one who rmended this damn n to the Emperor?] [Is that true?] "...What did you say!?" Thats the first even Lee Shin Woo had heard of it! He immediately turned his head, and the Chi Paul stepped back slightly, as if flustered, and bowed his head. [Im sure. I couldnt be sure before, due to the fragmented memories, but... I can tell now. The one who rmended that the Emperor turn knights into golems was... No, the one who first introduced the technique of making golems came from him.] "...Is that so?" Arema Steelworker was definitely the one who proposed the experiment, but hed never told Lee Shin Woo who hade up with the n. Moreover, at the time of the experiment, he had volunteered himself and pledged his loyalty to the Emperor, so he hadnt lied. The truth was merely hidden; it wasnt a lie. Even so, its still deception. Lee Shin Woos mouth gaped, as though his jawbone would fall out, but he was smiling. Thats because hed gotten a hint from a ce hed never expected to get one from. He sent me here himself, but to think Id hear about this from the knights who were supposed to be buried in the past... Moreover, he probably didnt think that there was a way to gather all the knights fragmented memories and rebuild them. Of course he wouldnt know. Lee Shin Woo hadnt known either! "Even so, was there anything that changed? They just went from loyal psychos to people who got a hold of themselves and ran away following the Emperors activation of the curse, no?" "Well, that could be it. But if Arema Steelworker was the one to rmend the formation of the golem army, then..." Lee Shin Woo was remembering. All the golems possessed a mark that allowed the Emperor to control them, and under that, Guillotine Steelworker and the others held a high rank administrative mark. Then under that was a general administrators mark. "But from what I remember, Arema Steelworker possessed a mark for just himself... one that wasnt the Emperors mark, or even the Steelworker mark." Of course, he probably needed it to control the golem army. Rather than the Emperor giving orders, it would be much better for the general, Arema Steelworker to bemanding the troops in battle. However, if he was the one who started everything... and if he had a different intention in mind... "What if Arema Steelworkers mark is even higher than the Emperors?" "..." His sharp statement caused everyone to keep their mouths shut. At that moment, Lee Shin Woo, who had been feeling up the wall, stopped his hand. At his fingertips, the Steelworker mark was radiating a blinding light. Hed finally found the facility within the facility; the entrance to the secret area. [1] T/N: Digimon reference. Just a way of saying shes reached her "final form" or something. Chapter 26 part3 A dark secret and a buried testing facility. Within that facility was another hidden area. It was an area that could only be opened with the Steelworker seal, not the general administrator seal. ...Wait a sec, Steelworker? "Ha." The Steelworker seal was revealed, and while he was studying the lock, he discovered some information; Lee Shin Woo grinned because he didnt think his hypothesis would be confirmed immediately. "Only a Steelworker can enter." "The Emperor cant go in?" "Yep. Its not just Arema Steelworker who can ess it; Guillotine Steelworker and the other level 7 golems can get inside as well. Aside from them, theres no one who has permission to enter. Which means that the Emperor cant go in." "How did you figure that out by just looking at it... Nope, never mind. Dont look at me like that." Jin looked quizzical and was about to ask further, but thought better of it. He kicked Lee Shin Woos eye sockets with his forelegs, as Lee Shin Woo had turned around to look at him. Lee Shin Woo hastily evaded his kick and continued with his exnation. "If I hadnt heard what the Chi Pauls had said before, I mightve just thought that this ce was for staff only. But after hearing what they had to say, and seeing another hidden instation..." [Are you saying that Arema Steelworker, as well as those who hold the Steelworker name had a different secret n? So... a n that he started not out of loyalty for the Emperor?] "Mm, it probably wasnt a pure motive." [How can that be...?] Once they heard Lee Shin Woos conclusion, the Chi Pauls were infuriated. Of course, they didnt have even a shred of loyalty towards the Emperor anymore. However, when they thought about the fact their pure feelings had been used, they felt an unrestrained rage! However, these infuriated Chi Pauls focused on Lee Shin Woos calm voice. "Calm down. You cant do anything with just anger." [However...!] "Arema Steelworker is a powerful level 8. He has a few level 7 elite subordinates around him, and he has several level 6 golems under hismand. Im saying that hes not an opponent you can ovee with just your powerful emotions." His rational and cool-headed statement caused the Chi Pauls to be silent. Lee Shin Woo ced a hand on one of the Chi Pauls and softlyughed. He didnt speak to just one Chi Paul, but spoke loud enough so that all the others could hear him. "Dont let your emotions just burn; use them as fuel and temper them. There are countless ways for you to get stronger in this world, and if you work at it, its not impossible for you to surpass Arema Steelworker. Do you want to be controlled by your emotions and be a tiger moth, or do you want to take control over your emotions and be a phoenix? Thats up to you." [...] The Chi Paul, no all the Chi Pauls mustve felt something from Lee Shin Woos speech, as they nodded their heads in silence. Lee Shin Woo smiled faintly, and Jin hit his back. Shin Woo, youre so sickening that I feel like Im going to throw up. Speaking earnestly works on these types of guys. Look, their eyes are sparkling. Youre really scary... Lee Shin Woo, who had silenced Jin with a short reply, confirmed that the Chi Pauls had calmed down, and returned to the main topic. "The existence of a secret facility that only a Steelworker can ess, and the Emperor who ordered the undead to watch this entire area... This has made it clear. The Emperor knew that something was hidden here. And he mustve known that this was what Steelworker was aiming for." "And Arema Steelworker is..." "He knows what the Emperor is doing. Thats why he wanted us to attack from the front. After I had diverted the Emperors attention and had taken care of the vestiges of the testing facility... he mustve been nning oning here quietlyter." [Either side is... ridiculous...!] The Chi Paul was right. You could only look down on people so much. Of course, it was a relief that Lee Shin Woo wasnt someone who took things lying down, but... Lee Shin Woos expression was actually rxed. There was no shaking in his goblin fire. "If Ipletely clear this ce and return unscathed, then they wont be able to look down on me anymore. Thats when itll start in earnest. Will they perceive me as a threat and try to take me out, or... will they try to use me?" Lee Shin Woo thought it would be thetter. Like they had said, their enemies were the same; thats the only thing he was sure about. And to be honest, that wasnt really a bad thing for Lee Shin Woo. Why...? "If I know what theyre thinking to a degree, then it shouldnt be difficult to get them onto my stage." He finished speaking and simultaneously, the Steelworker mark above his hand radiated light. It looked a bit different from when he had first used it, but he had been continuously studying the mark. This was the result of his improvements and calctions. It possessed some additional function as well, but... the most prioritized additional function was secrecy. Lee Shin Woo was concerned that the information would get back to Arema Steelworker, so he had added this function in; it was an additional function he had created so that wherever he was, or whatever he was doing wouldnt be reported. It was a fundamentally high level and shocking security feature. [Opening the facility. Wee, Steelworker.] They wouldnt know right away that Lee Shin Woo had even entered the facility. Of course, even if they came to find him themselves, they would have no way of knowing that Lee Shin Woo had entered the facility! "Uwah." "Waaaaah." Jin and Kratia simultaneously eximed. It was only natural as the lock was released, revealing a secret passageway. Contrary to the outside, where the passage of time was readily apparent, as it was corroded everywhere and had umted dust, the passageway was ridiculously clean and refined. There was no rust anywhere. Rocks which radiated light by themselves were embedded everywhere and illuminated the passageway. There was no way of knowing how they had made such a thing. "For now, lets take these with us since they seem expensive." "Youre terrible!" There wasnt a use for them really, but they looked expensive, so he decided to extract them. Hed benefited off of collecting all of the wine from the winery before, so Lee Shin Woo thought he might be able to profit again. "Why dont you take some too?" "It seems like itd be useful for when I want to read a book in the dark, so Ill just take one." "Thatll make your eyes go bad, so dont do it too much." Lee Shin Woo ordered the Chi Pauls to collect all the rocks. He told them to bring one over to him, and when he looked it over, he found that it was made of sunlight stone. It possessed the energy of the sun, and would emit a light equivalent to the rays of the sun; it was an incredibly rare ore. He checked the information and thought that perhaps the light that shined on the Empire came from here. No, when he thought about it, the magical device set up in the vineyard the Dryads were staying at was seemingly made of the same ore. "But there was only one of them there, so what were these golems indulging..." "As I thought, they seem like a separate group." "Hey, on your hand." "Ah, aaah." Lee Shin Woo was speechless and Kratia suddenly looked at the Steelworkers as enemies; at that moment, Jin suddenly called out to Lee Shin Woo. When he checked why he was calling him... the sunlight stone made a frightening sound and began transforming. [Through Bone Reinforcement, the sunlight stone is transforming! You have acquired the Sr Fossil!] "I told you, fossils arent bones... Ah, whatever." Before the change, the sunlight stone looked like a rock that emitted light, but once it had finished changing into a sr fossil, it turned into a gray color and emitted powerful light and heat from within. Its properties had definitely been reinforced. Unfortunately, the diffusion of light decreased, so he could no longer use it as a light source, but Lee Shin Woo didnt really care about any of that. "...Im going to trying absorbing it." Lee Shin Woo tried to absorb one of them. Then, surprisingly, his magic increased by 1, and his fire element proficiency increased by a little! At that moment, his eyes became serious. He thought that these stones might be more important than whatever was hidden within the facility. "Bring all of those to me." [I understand!] Besides the one sunlight stone that Kratia wanted, Lee Shin Woo changed all of the other sunlight stones through Bone Reinforcement. He had obtained a total of 223 Sr Fossils! If he could, he would absorb all of them right here, but it seemed as though it wasnt such a simple matter; so he would set some timeter and patiently study them. [...] "Ah, thats right. Ill give you one too." [Thank you!] Lee Shin Woo, who had finished changing the sunlight stones into sr fossils, called over a Chi Paul and allowed him to absorb it. He had only given them one as he didnt want to be the one who hoarded all of them, but it had a surprising effect. [How can this be... Look at this, Sir Paul Zero.] "Ooooooh!?" me burst forth from the Chi Pauls hand, which emitted an intense heat. The Sr Fossil allowed him to control fire! Of course, Bone Reinforcement was a cheat skill that allowed one to absorb a bones abilities, but even so, absorbing one of those bones and gaining the ability to wield fire was plenty amazing. Perhaps this was only possible because it was a Chimera? [Uooooooooh, fire ising out of my hand!] [Keuk, Kukeuk... The ck me Dragon sealed within my right arm is finally...!] [1] The excited Lee Shin Woo finally made the other Chi Pauls absorb a single Sr Fossil each, although only a third of the Chi Pauls awakened an intermediate level of fire. It was obviously impossible for them to handle it so naturally like Lee Shin Woo, but despite that, they were still at the level of an intermediate monster who could manipte fire. The Chi Paul forces power had been upgraded instantly. [Thank you, Sir Paul Zero!] [To think that you could bestow a new power upon us so simply...!] The Chi Pauls had gone beyond admiration or loyalty and looked to be in awe of Lee Shin Woo now. He had just been lucky! Kratia and Jin, who had both been watching the process from the side, thought that Lee Shin Woo looked like some sort of pseudo religious sect leader, but they didnt actually say it out loud. If they argued about what was right or wrong, it felt like the Chi Pauls would start to stare at them unkindly. "Weve arrived." "Are there no more sunlight stones?" "Ah, theres a really big one over there." "Remember to extract it before we leave." [I understand.] At their unexpected increase in power, all the Chi Pauls were excited, and at that moment, they arrived at their destination. The sunlight stone embedded into the high ceiling illuminated every area of the facility. There was a bookshelf on the surface of one of the walls filled with materials. He assumed that this was both theboratory and the conference room. "These materials... Theyre all rted to golems!" Lee Shin Woo was sure hed hit the jackpot. The more Lee Shin Woo surveyed these lottery ticket... no, lotto... no, these Powerball! materials, the more excited he got. He looked over the materials detailing a golems inner structure, and an anatomical chart that detailed the part that connected the golems body to a core, and felt his excitement reach its peak. His goblin fire zed so much that it threatened to engulf his skull! "...With these, I should be able to make my own golems, right?" "Oh, really...?" "...Oh, holy crap." Jin was freaked out by Lee Shin Woos muttering. But Kratia, who had just as much interest in golems as Lee Shin Woo, managed to find another area while he was looking over the materials. She called for Lee Shin Woo, though her voice was quivering. "Look here, Shin... Ah, I mean Paul Zero." "Hmm?" Lee Shin Woo ced the entire bookshelf into his inventory and turned around. It seemed like there was another small passageway in the corner of the facility, and when they followed that path... "How many of these... are there?" "..." The moment he discovered it, Lee Shin Woo thoughtlessly clenched his fists. The sunlight stones are more profitable than the contents of the facility? What a joke. There was aboratory there, with countless rows of gleaming silver cores. [1] T/N: Im pretty sure this is another reference to "Love, Chunibyo & Other Delusions". I think this refers to the main characters "chunibyo" persona, the Dark me Master. Dont ask me how a golem knows what that is. E/N: They dont have to reference a show to be a chunni. Chapter 26 part4 [Original Core] [A power source capable of producing Lv6 golems] There were of 277 cores lying around. Lee Shin Woo and Kratia were mesmerized by the cores, and just watched them silently. The Original Core. They were definitely the original form of the Original Bone Core. Lee Shin Woo had barely gotten one or two of them by destroying all of the low ranked golems in an area, yet there were so many gathered here. "If..." Lee Shin Woo spoke automatically. "If there were this many cores gathered here, it makes sense that theyd want them back." "This many cores would interest not only Arema Steelworker, but the Emperor as well." "Thats probably why he kept a general on standby." Though that general was now dead. He didnt know when the Emperor would get news of that, but he didnt need to worry about that right now. "You get stronger if you absorb these, right?" "No. When you absorb bones with the same power, the effectiveness drops. Now I cant really get anything out of them. So, with these..." "Youre going to try making golems?" Kratia was quick on the uptake. Her eyes glittered with curiosity. That was what Lee Shin Woo was looking for; no matter how talented he was at magic, it was still just talent. Because he wasnt knowledgeable in magic theory, he knew that he would need someone elses help if he really decided to make a golem. To be honest, he couldve taken down the general by himself if he did well; the reason he had asked for her help was because he knew something like this would happen once he discovered the facility that Arema Steelworker tried to hide. "Itd be hard to make them right now, so lets move the equipment for now." "Lets say that you can move them because you have an inventory, but do you have the space to store them?" "Of course I do." Lee Shin Woo grinned and spoke while Kratia just tilted her head. He let her be, and deliberated on what he should do with the Original Cores. The main point of deliberation was whether he should just store the Original Cores or change them into Bone Cores first. "It would probably be ok to change them. Since all of the materials for making golems will be changed through that ability of yours." "Giving the materials a sense of unity... Hmm, youre right. It doesnt sound like a bad idea." Kratias rmendation was decent. Of course, Bone Reinforcement wouldnt always upgrade the material, but the cores were one of the few exceptions, as the quantity of magic within wouldnt change with the transformation. It wasnt like he couldnt use them as cores once they transformed into Bone Cores; also, there wouldnt be a loss from transforming them, so there was enough value in doing so. Lee Shin Woo changed all of the cores in one go and stored them into his inventory. Because his inventory had expanded significantly following his level up, there was a lot of free space. "Now, shall we start storing them?" "Alright. Ill take the left side." "Then Ill go over there." The party collected the cores, turned around, and removed and collected the equipment as well. To be honest, there were some amongst them that shouldnt have been thoughtlessly removed, but Lee Shin Woo and Kratia, who had a good grasp of magic, skillfully separated them, meticulously inspected them, and collected them so that there wouldnt be any trouble. Only five minutes had passed, yet nothing valuable had remained within the facility. "The golems will probably get mad if they see theseter, right?" "Its alright. They wont see it." Lee Shin Woo said, and ordered the Chimeras to collect therge sunlight stone. Because the sunlight stone was sorge, the transformation was an incredibly unusual sight. Once he ced it into his inventory, the facility immediately became dark. The only words that woulde out of his mouth were oh,e on. "You guys go first." "Shin Woo?" "I need to install a bomb before I go." "...Are you serious?" They hadnt noticed the six Drake Horn Lances floating in the air from behind Lee Shin Woo. No, when they thought about it, there were three or four of them floating behind them when they first entered... Jin recollected that and realized that thats when Lee Shin Woo had decided to blow up the facility. "You can make it so they dont know it was us?" "Therell probably be no traces left." Lee Shin Wooughed briefly and sent the rest of the party away. Then, whenever a Drake Horn Lance was fully charged, he would burrow it here and there. Because hed already demolished much of the equipment that protected the facility, so long as he calcted the location and installed them properly, the six Drake Horn Lances should be able topletely destroy the ce. "Nice. This is perfect." However, while Lee Shin Woo was finishing with the bomb instation and leaving the passageway, he felt his chest vibrate. It was themunication line that Kadinans lord had possessed that enabled him tomunicate with Hansen. Hansen was already dead, so who was it? He didnt n on asking something so boorish. Who could it be? It was obviously either the Emperor, or one of the Emperors men. Lee Shin Woo grinned and raised themunication line. He inputted the bothersome mana seal, and epted the call. It was then, hed left the facility, closed the door, and turned around. [Kadinans lord, Nellopa. Did the Lightning Shadow General return?] He could feel the military discipline within the extremely stiff voice. As expected, it seemed like the Lightning Shadow General had someone supervising him, even though he worked alone. Also, considering the fact that he didnt add an honorific to his name, it was possible that he was talking to someone really high up. And if thats the case, there was a high chance that this person was one of the 12 generals as well. Obviously, showing this guy his identity, even a little bit, wasnt a good idea. He activated Acting and Disguise simultaneously. It happened in the blink of an eye. "The Lightning Shadow General is..." Nellopas voice naturally flowed out of Lee Shin Woos mouth, and he heard the other whisper, so he was justte. The sound of his small sigh had to be a sign of relief. He decided to break that apart. "The Lightning Shadow General... passed away." [What!?] Lee Shin Woo reported, sounding as though he were stifling his tears, and quickly turned the situation around. The other individual raised his voice immediately. [Who dares!? How!? A golem!? Was it a golem!?] "Kuheuk, thats correct. Arema Steelworker..." [We expected the fourmanders, but to think Arema Steelworker would act in person. Is he starting an all-out war...!? But its too early. How can he be so confident!? Moreover, how did he conceal his energy and move so secretly!?] Thats right. Arema Steelworker was probably too scared to act in person, as he didnt want to be seen. Thats why he had sent someone from the outside, like Lee Shin Woo, despite it being an important mission to collect more than 200 cores! Lee Shin Woo, who knew that it wouldnt be easy for them to believe it, gave them something to convince them. "Theyre... on the same side of these guys called Anti-Skull! Kuahk!" [Anti-Skull!? Seagald...! Tell me in more detail! ...No, is there someone else there?] "Theyre listening in on us! You have to close the connection... Kuaaaaaaahk!" He said, and forcefully broke themunication line. Plus, the six Drake Horn Lances exploded early, making it so that the sounds of the explosions were transferred through themunication line. With this, they would think that, the enemy was watching Nellopa, and aftermunicating for a bit, he resisted at the veryst moment. He was hit by one of the enemys powerful attacks, lost his life, and themunication line was destroyed. "Nice." Lee Shin Woos acting skill had improved rapidly. He then walked away from the copsed facility andughed. Even from his own point of view, his acting was pretty good. Now they couldnt be unaware of Steelworker or Anti-Skull anymore. "Now that Ive finished everything up, lets go." "You..." However, when the party, who were just watching Lee Shin Woo, were about to leave, Jin retorted. "Why did you drag Anti-Skull into this all of a sudden!?" "Hmm? Their headquarters is way too hard to find, so I thought I could use the Emperors side to draw them out. Plus, it would make me sound more credible." "..." "Of course, I want the Steelworkers to expose what theyre nning as theye outside and act, so I involved Anti-Skull... Why are you looking at me like that?" "I wont be mad, so tell me honestly... Youre a demon, right?" Lee Shin Woo wanted to pass it off as a joke andugh, but Jins burning goblin fire looked extremely honest. He ended up getting slightly hurt. [What an amazing act!] [As expected of Sir Paul Zero!] Though the Chi Pauls revered Lee Shin Woo, they were likewise shocked. No, hed just done something anyone could do, so why were they...!? Lee Shin Woo looked at Kratia as hisst hope. As expected, Kratia didnt betray his trust and gave him a thumbs up. "Nice explosion. So much so that I want to recreate it with magic." "Ah, is that so?" When he looked back, because of the huge explosion inside, the entire area had caved in. It seemed like the fissure would affect them soon, so they prioritized evading that area first. He decided to part ways with the Chi Pauls there. [Ill get stronger no matter what!] [Ill collect a lot of bones! Call me whenever you need me!] [Im sure that if were with you, Sir Paul Zero, that we can kill the Emperor and Arema Steelworker. I will only follow you from now on!] It seemed like his acting had left a huge impression on them, and their attitude towards Lee Shin Woo suddenly changed to that of military discipline. Lee Shin Woo ruminated over whether he should be happy or sad about that... In any case, he had formed a subordinate rtionship with them, so he decided to just ept reality. "Go well, Chi Pauls! Get stronger, so much so that you can take on a general!" The Chi Pauls gathered in one ce and quickly sprinted off. Lee Shin Woo waved his hand at them as they began vanishing into the distance. Then, Kratia quietly asked Lee Shin Woo a question. "Shin Woo, how many of these guys have you been catching and releasing?" "You wont believe me even if I told you." "Im confident that Id believe you, even if you said you were the hidden 13th general." "Whenever you talk with a hero, you just say whatever you want. They exchanged jokes as they moved towards the golem production facility, or in other words, the golem train that led to Arema Steelworkers headquarters. Of course, it didnt take very long for them, and when they reached the top of the hill, they suddenly realized exactly what they had done. Kadinan was wiped out, and the secret facility had blown up and copsed... there was no way anyone would be able to tell what had happened by just looking at it! "Then, I just have to go here and wait?" "Yeah. You shouldnt take very long, right?" "Yeah." They temporarily parted ways with Kratia. She, who was a level 7 and possessed the ability to teleport, checked the designated location and nodded her head. If need be, Lee Shin Woo would test out the Bone Gate he had received, but she left without saying a word, so he felt a bit disappointed. "Then lets get going too." "But Shin Woo, if theyve already figured out what weve done and try to kill us, then...!" "Then we can just die a few times and then get out. Dont worry so much." Jin was afraid of Lee Shin Woos bold n, as he was marching over to Arema Steelworkers headquarters just to flip him off, but in terms of their results, the golems werent yet aware of what they had done. ...No, rather than be aware of what they had done, they actually greeted them affectionately. [Did you put them all to rest?] "...Hmm. I just wanted to let you know how disappointed I am in you guys. If we made a mistake, we wouldve had to fight against a general." [As expected, they... Ahem. We just wanted to know if we could work well together in the future. Listen, you already knew, right?] "Ha. So with this, youve realized that Im no pushover, right?" [Of course. We know now that you guys are skilled enough to fight alongside us.] I wonder. It seems like you dont really know yet... Lee Shin Woo inwardly mocked Guillotine. Then, Guillotine unexpectedly extended a fist. Is he asking for a fist bump? Without even realizing, Lee Shin Woo extended his own fist, but then, Guillotine opened his hand, revealing the contents within. "This is...!" [This is the reward we promised. Treat it well. Since its something that we poured all of our technical skill into making.] Guillotine said, and Lee Shin Woo automatically nodded his head. He opened his own hand. Above Guillotines handy a... golem that resembled a small bird. [Lv6 Observer Golem] This quest was nowplete. Chapter 27 part1 Once Lee Shin Woo and Jin had parted ways with Guillotine, they wordlessly took the golem train and returned to the level 2 danger zone. The facility was close to the area where the past city, Kehebe had been. But there was something cheerfully chatting by their side while they were being silent... [Please take care me, Sir Lee Shin Woo. Henceforth, I am in charge of supporting you in battle and scouting. Please give me a name.] [Please give me a name. I will exin my abilities again. I possess high agility and strength, but my health is incredibly low, so please handle me with care. I have some magic as well.] [Please give me a name. My most effective ability is the subspace. With thetest techniques that were created through high rank magic engineering, I can hold a maximum of 4,000 zeta...] Lee Shin Woo finally raised his head. He had almost arrived at his destination... the Kerr Century Winery. Before then, he needed to fix this guy. "Is it a relief that theyre misunderstanding us?" "Misunderstanding?" "Yeah." They held the unyielding belief that the Steelworker seal could only be obtained by a Steelworker. That pride. That was Guillotines sole mistake, and also his worst. Because of that, Lee Shin Woo was able to clear out the entire facility without garnering any suspicion, and even now... "Ill give you name, soe over here." [I underst...] Lee Shin Woos hand came closer and tightly grabbed onto the Observer Golem. He could tell that this guy was sent to spy on him, even without seeing its name. But he didnt know who exactly ordered it to spy on him, or whether he should either extract information from it, dispose of it, or try to find some other use for it; to find that out, he had been observing it, so he hadnt acted immediately. If this guys orders could only be changed through the use of Arema Steelworkers seal, then I wouldve had to give up and just dispose of it. However, that wasnt the case. This guys maker, as well as administrator were Guillotine. Maybe Arema Steelworker trusts Guillotine a lot? He couldnt say that this entire quest was due to Guillotines decision, but Lee Shin Woo was sure that Guillotine possessed quite a bit of authority. And... If its at this level, then I can change it as much as I want with my own authority. Lee Shin Woo no longer had a pure Steelworker seal. After countless improvements, he had sessfully acquired an independent authority, and it was simple for him to erase Guillotines order as if it werent there and add in his own. And here... He hadnt had the Observer Golem for very long, but right now, he had plenty of time to experiment. Lee Shin Woo made that decision, activated his administrator seal whilst simultaneously infusing in apletely different mana. [N...Name...] That radiating, gentle gray energy was none other than his high rank darkness element! Because darkness was the element that controlled contracts, he thought that he would be able to ignore the preexistingmand authority and create a new rtionship with it; thats why he had tried it, but the effect was truly outstanding. [...Recognizing highestmand authority.] When the administrator seal epted the darkness element and radiated an even more intense light, a ck light spread throughout the Observer Golems body. It sounded like it was breaking, and at that moment, something seemingly burst out of a part of its body. Then, it spoke in a much more calm voice than before. [Pausing record. Deactivating surveince function. Deactivating information transmission function.] "Information transmission... So when were you going to send a report to Guillotine Steelworker?" [In a week.] "Id like to make up a report so that they dont get suspicious, but can you input that kind of information? [Of course.] More energy surged from Lee Shin Woos hand and permeated the golem. The golem only processed the information that would be ok for Steelworker to see and which could be transmitted to him, and obviously, it was incredibly difficult work, but... Fortunately, Lee Shin Woo had a book he could reference! "Lets see... Wait just a second, Jin." "..." In one hand, he carried an opened, worn-out book, and in the other, he held the small golem. Lee Shin Woo, who was constantly emitting ck energy, looked like he was from some kind of evil cult at best. As always, Jin didnt really know what Lee Shin Woo was doing, but he decided to do as he was told and watch his surroundings. Lee Shin Woo closed the book after several minutes. "Alright. I can... Mm, is this much ok?" [Any deficient areas can be fixed at ater time.] "Nice. Ill make some more adjustments after Ive studied some more and when the time is right.] [I understand.] However, Lee Shin Woo didnt let go of the golem. He thought that at this rate, when or if Arema Steelworker intervenes, his authority could get taken away. And the only way to create a firm rtionship which cannot be disturbed by anyone is...! "Lets change the programming a bit, shall we? Ill program it with the absolute concept that ownership is higher than mand authority." [...Its possible. In order to prevent a few minor bugs from doing so, I will prioritize removing Steelworkers ability to intervene.] "Go ahead." Jin couldnt understand their conversation at all, and after they spoke a few more times, he saw manaing out of the golems body finely, while Lee Shin Woos mana filled the vacancy. Lee Shin Woo meticulously examined the entire golem once more, and thenughed with certainty. The power of the darkness mana, both absolute and able to transcend logic, altered the golems very structure. And at the moment of his sess... [The mode isplete, Master.] From the outside, the small golem looked like a living, breathing hawk. Its eyeballs, made of gems, focused on Lee Shin Woo and shined whilst speaking the word master. This was proof that the absolute authority had been safely created; something which hadnt existed before. What would Guillotine Steelworker think if he knew that Lee Shin Woo hadpletely remodeled the surveince unit and made it devote itself to him? Of course, he would never know. "Nice. From now on your name is Rem." [1] "Your naming sense is really too much!" With thebination of his golem knowledge and his darkness magic, he had created his first child, so he gave it a proper name. Hearing that, Jin was shocked. As Lee Shin Woos orders were absolute and it had bepletely loyal to him, the observer golem could not, unfortunately, even voice itsints, as it didnt even have that function. [I understand, Master.] Lee Shin Woo gave it a name, and right at the moment when it epted its name... arge quantity of mana was released from Lee Shin Woos body, and automatically changed into the darkness element. He felt that deeply, and suddenly realized just how important a name was in a master servant contract. No, maybe his mana had responded like that because he thought the name was important. [The Observer Golem, Rem, has beenpletely subordinated! Because of your achievement, you have caused a huge change in Rem.] "Huh?" A message simr to when he had established a master and servant rtionship with the Pauls or the Chi Pauls appeared, and at the same time, Rems body was engulfed in darkness mana. Lee Shin Woo heard a crackingsound from within the mana, and gritted his teeth at Rems changing appearance. "If I knew this was going to happen, I wouldve name it Rem Paul!" "Yeah, yeah." The transformation process wasnt very long. Rems now exposed form was truly shocking. What had originally looked like a living hawk from the outside had changed into bone! Though its body was made up of bones, they werent thin bones. On top of its tough, bony frame was anotheryer of bone, covering it like skin. It resembled a hawk and its lovely ivory, curved bone looked like it was chiseled by a sculptor, making it look extremely refined and beautiful. It looked as though it werent even a golem or an undead; it gave off the feeling that it was a living being made up of bone. "Id be happy if I got to look like that." "Its definitely pretty, but... when Guillotine asks for it, how are you going to show it to him?" Lee Shin Woo was both in awe and concerned as he looked at the transformed Rem. However, a message appeared in front of him that he hadnt expected in the least. [Through your ability and mana, this golem has been bestowed with a karma. By acting as though it were an ally, it will approach other golems, imnt your darkness into them, and ultimately cause them to change and be reborn. It has awoken this ability called "Mana Parasite".] [You have created a Jokers pet, a cuckoo. The cuckoo will share a portion of your innate skills, and based on its role, its abilities will be even greater. Perhaps an even more dramatic evolution awaits it in the future.] [Lv6 Cuckoo Golem - Rem] "I thought it was a bit small. It wasnt a hawk, but a cuckoo...!?" "Why? Did you make something weird again?" "Yeah, and its really strange this time." The skill that Rem had awakened was much too amazing for him to dismiss it as weird. It seemed as though him using both the administrator seal and his darkness mana, as well as acquiring the ownership authority had had a considerable effect on Rem. To be honest, Lee Shin Woo himself didnt really know how this kind of change had urred. "It probably wouldnt work on the Steelworkers, though..." "Mmmm?" "No, its nothing." From now on, Lee Shin Woo thought he would use the same process that hed used on Rem on any high rank golems he encountered (level 6 golems or greater that were under Steelworkers direct control), but with this, things got a lot easier. He was especially pleased by the fact that Rem could share a portion of the Jokers innate skills (Acting, Disguise, Instigate). It meant that, at the very least, it wouldnt be discovered by Steelworker. Moreover, based on this guys growth, it may be able to do something more amazing in the future. [Please call me Rem from now on. Master, please take care of me.] "Alright, Rem. Take care of me too." He didnt know if Rem was aware that it had done a 180 and gone in apletely opposite direction from its original mission, as it naively perched upon Lee Shin Woos shoulder. That looked a lot better. It had gotten a lot stronger in various aspects when it transformed into a Cuckoo Golem, so he could actually use it in battle, and it also possessed a subspace, so it would help in various ways. Above all, the best part was that it had gotten smaller, so it was easier to carry around. The reason he had refused the Pauls, the golems, and the Chi Pauls from apanying him was not only because they wanted to change the Empire, but because they were way too big, so they would get in the way of his work! "Wait a sec. If this guy has a subspace and can move quickly, then... Cant this guy collect loot!?" [It is possible to change the location of my subspace, as well as automatically send anything inside to that location.] "Oooooooooooooh!" They marveled at Rems subspace ability, the newest addition of their party, and hurried towards the winery. Rems Mana Parasite ability, which came from Lee Shin Woos karma... unfortunately, Lee Shin Woo didnt know just how amazing that ability would be in the future. [1] E/N: The ? character here is the same Rem as the one used for Rem in Re:Zero... seems like a loose reference due to being a servant. Chapter 27 part2 When Lee Shin Woo arrived at the winery, he found that, surprisingly, Kratia had gotten there first. He told her about the lock on the winery and opened the door; whilst going down, Kratia couldnt hold herself back and asked a question. "Whats that?" [My name is Rem. I am a golem who serves Master Lee Shin Woo.] "I told you about it before. That they would try to use me. It was intended to be a surveince unit." "Was, huh... Tell me more about that." Kratia was different from Jin. Jinpletely gave up on understanding Lee Shin Woo, but Kratia, once she learned that Lee Shin Woo possessed a unique ability that she didnt have, somehow understood it, opened her mind, and attempted to invent apletely new technique, even while knowing that it wouldnt be able to replicate Lee Shin Woos ability. Lee Shin Woo wasnt the stingy type who withheld information and told her in fair detail about how hed reprogrammed Rem and created a newmand authority of ownership. "The darkness element..." Shed already heard about the ability that Lee Shin Woo had gained from God (though its more urate to say that it was awakened), but when Lee Shin Woo exined that hed achieved a new feat by using the remodeled Steelworker seal in tandem with the darkness elements mana, Kratia smiled bitterly. "Thats impossible for me. Though I can think of a few ways to defend against it." "Nice, tell me. So I can make it even better." "Sure, as much as you want... is what Id like to say, but before that." Kratia stretched out her hand and pointed at the corridor behind them. It was filled with equipment designed to preserve wine. It was originally a winery, so it seemed obvious. "Help me clear all this up first." "Mm, Im not going to clear those out. You see, Im going to dig up a new space right next to it for the golem making equipment." "Still... Isnt this equipment useless?" Kratia was cutely tilting her head. Thats right. Lee Shin Woo realized that he hadnt given her a proper exnation regarding this winery. Of course, it would be fine if he didnt exin... it would probably be fine... "Before that, shall we form a new contract, Kratia?" "Its scary, so donte over while spewing ck mana." There was no way she wouldnt be afraid of a skeleton approaching her whose eye sockets zed with a ckish red goblin fire, and spewing out ck mana with one hand. However, he had made the bteral contract fairer, so that she would agree to the terms, and she soon realized that Lee Shin Woo was trying to help her make a solid contract. "Its a promise with mana, right? Then were partners now too." "No, not really." "Youre colder than the Winter Queen..." Partners would be the best word to describe their rtionship. They would help each other when they were in range of each other, and they wouldbine their abilities for joint research. Of course, there was a chance that that rtionship became even deeperter along the line. "Well keep each others secret, and if were in range, we help each other out. This is good enough, right?" "Yeah." Once she consented with the terms of the bteral contract, darkness mana spread from Lee Shin Woos hand and intertwined both their hands. Soon, the darkness mana just melted away. A simple message appeared before Lee Shin Woo. [You have formed a cooperative rtionship with Kratia Melloi. When you stand on the same battlefield as her, the effects of the Rebellion skill are partly shared with her.] "How many abilities do you even have?" "How many species live in this world... Im joking." Hed formed a proper contract with Kratia, so he didnt need to hide anything from her. He, Kratia, and Jin went past the winery and entered the underground passageway. Because Lee Shin Woo had increased the security on the underground passageway the other day, Kratia still wasnt aware of its existence until he opened it. "Im so frustrated!" "I just moved these security devices, which hid and maintained the facility even during the time of the Empire, so it makes sense that you didnt notice it." "But you said youre the one who moved them!" Moreover, he didnt just move them. Lee Shin Woo had remodeled and reinforced them. It was originally veryplex, but he had made it even more so; therefore, it seemed obvious that Kratia wouldnt been able to spot it. ...And whenever Lee Shin Woos abilities grew, the security system would only grow stronger. "What exactly were you hiding here? ...Ah, a vineyard!" Kratia remembered that Lee Shin Woo didnt want to clear out the wine facilities, as well as when he gave her an overwhelming quantity of grapes, and quickly made a conjecture. However, she soon tilted her head. "You havent been growing grapes here, have you?" "Yeah, I wasnt growing grapes." "Then were the grapes you gave me from the winery? It didnt seem like it though..." "Mm, probably?" On Earth, grapes were definitely divided between those for wine use and eating. Grapes meant for eating would make the wine tasteless, and wine grapes, which would create a heavenly sweet tasting wine, were bitter when eaten. But in Heguroa, or at least the Underground Empire, Heita, there was a very thin line dividing the two. Brewers had repeatedly experimented so that they could create a delicious wine regardless of what kind of grape they used. This was because they used magic, which didnt exist on Earth. "But there are two other factors influencing our vineyard right now." "Two...?" "First, the power of an elf. There was a time when an elf was nearby. The reason you were able to eat those delicious grapes was because of our elven senior hero, Erian Ruparte." "So the elfs power still remains in the vineyard?" "Yeah. And the second one is..." Then, they arrived at the end of the passageway. Hed already exterminated all the insect type monsters that had crawled into the passageway before. Lee Shin Woo checked to make sure, nodded his head, and at the end of the passageway, released the lock that he had set up. Once he did that, the vineyard was revealed, as well as... [What is it?] [Who is it?] [Paul Zero...] [Its Paul Zero!] [Paul Zerooooo!] Did the centurys superstar arrive or something? Kratia looked puzzled and looked around, but she soon received confirmation of the identity of that superstar. More than 300 Dryads lunged for Lee Shin Woo all together. At the beginning, Kratia thought it was an attack and prepared to cast her magic, but... she soon realized that that was unnecessary. [What took you so long!?] [Paul Zero, your elemental power has gotten even stronger!] [Everyone, look! Paul Zero is using the darkness element. As I thought, you really are an elementalist!] [It really is true. Youve be even cooler! Your head looks even smoother than before. Look here. Squeak, squeak...] "Thats probably just you misunderst..." [Paul Zero!] [Master, shall I attack?] "No, please hold back..." Soon, Lee Shin Woos body was buried underneath the Dryads and he could no longer be seen. What was so good about this skeleton that caused them to shriek andtch onto him!? Kratia, who stood beside Jin and had be a third wheel, froze at the overwhelming sight, but then asked Jin a question, who wore a tired expression and looked familiar with the situation. "What are... these guys...?" "Dryads. Shin Woo... Paul Zeros diehard fans." Kratias eyes narrowed even further. Jin sighed and whispered to her, giving her a rough exnation of what had happened. While they were doing that, Lee Shin Woo had finally gotten out of the aggressive weing, and was able to speak with the Dryad Princess, Sinea. She nodded her head and listened as he spoke to her about Kratia, who he said was a trustworthy ally, as well as the real reason he hade to the vineyard... grape harvesting. [Paul Zero, you can take as many grapes as you want. Weve had a huge effect on the grapevines, as weve been showering them with affection.] "Thanks. Then Ill take a look at them first." Lee Shin Woo followed Sineas hand gesture, stretched one of the grapevines, and grabbed a bunch of grapes. They were much livelier than the ones he had harvested with Erian a few months ago. "Its almost like the grapes are shining..." With the power of an elf and the dryads, as well as the magic facilities that maintain the vineyard, it had resulted in a masterpiece! He would need to checkter if he could use these to create great wine, but at the very least, he was sure that these grapes were of greater quality than any normal grapes and would be hard to find anywhere. "Shin... Paul Zero, this is just a basic question, but whatll you do by making wine? ...Mm, you cant even drink it." As expected, Kratia asked the straightforward question. Lee Shin Woo calmly acknowledged her without looking the least bit hurt. Although he regretted not being able to eat or drink, he wasnt stupid enough to take it out on a person who had nothing to do with it. "But I can sell it." "What are you..." "At an extremely high price too. So, how could I not try to make my own wine? Would you like to try some grapes?" "Ive already eaten plenty because of you, but... yeah, Ill try some." Lee Shin Woo gave Kratia some grapes as his jawbone ttered. She carefully plucked a grape and ced it into her mouth, and at that moment her eyes shined in an all natural color. The only thing he could tell was that it was incredibly delicious. But that wasnt all. "Its abundant in magic. Mmm, Im sure. You can use it as a material for potions." "...Really?" "Really." But unfortunately, Kratia didnt know how to make mana potions. From the start, he had only one course of action avable to him. [Everyone, please harvest the grapes.] [I understand!] In the time that he hadnt seen her, the Dryad Princess, Sinea, had be much firmer. Once she gave the order, the Dryads moved in perfect order and collected the grapes. Seeing that, Lee Shin Woo realized that all those grapes wouldnt fit in the winery, even if he used all of the free space. "As I thought, we have to expand." [Paul Zero, is there anything else we can help you with?] "Not yet. Ill tell youter when I need your help." [...Ok, until then. You still have the twig I gave you, right?] Mm, it felt weird looking straight at the Dryad Princess, Sinea, as it felt as though his every thought was right out in the open. He knew her feelings were pure, so it felt even more awkward than when he had met with God, who he and his fellow heroes were affiliated with. Lee Shin Woo tried his very best to not look her straight in the eye, and nodded his head. "Ill be in the area for a while. You see, I n on making wine." [Then well be able to see each other often.] Sineaughed softly, as though she knew everything Lee Shin Woo was thinking, and kissed his cheekbone. Seeing that, Kratia flushed and lightly apuded. "The romance between a skeleton and a spirit... How romantic. Ow!" "Stop spouting such crap." While Kratia and Jin quarreled over something trivial again, the other Dryads began to shower Lee Shin Woo with kisses, as if they were saying that they wouldnt lose to Sinea. Even though he told them that he would be in the area, and that they would see each other often, it was no use. They were extremely faithful to their instincts. [Gliddery...] [Squeaky.] [Paul Zero, dont go and y with us!] [Lets stay here together!] [Master, shall I attack?] "I told you to hold back." It took Lee Shin Woo 4 minutes before he could escape the Dryads. But by the time hed escaped, Kratia and Jin had disappeared. Were they jealous? Lee Shin Woo reminded himself to ask the Dryads to be affectionate with Jinter as well, and followed after them. [Master, behind you...] "Hey, dont follow me." [Ugeuk.] Three dayster, Lee Shin Woo had finished with expanding the winery, and could begin manufacturing. Chapter 27 part3 In order for Lee Shin Woo to set up golem manufacturing equipment, he first needed to poke a hole through the passageway that was connected with the winery. Just in case, he strengthened the passageways foundation so that it wouldnt copse. He then ced a sturdy pir in the center, allowing him to expand the corridor. It wasnt as easy as it sounded to make more space in a dungeon, but Lee Shin Woo and Jin were assisted by Kratia, a level 7 magician, so it actually wasnt that difficult either. Moreover... [I just need to make it here, right?] "Yeah, thanks." [First Ill toss it... Alright, grow!] Because the Dryads realized that Lee Shin Woo was doing something underground, they kepting out of the vineyard and meeting with him; since they were there, he asked them to help out with the construction. They were surprisingly helpful. He used their power to cut off a branch of the grapevine, nt it, and make it grow, causing it to support the ceiling whilst supporting the ground as well. It was extremely durable and reduced the construction time significantly. In fact, it was so tough that he couldnt believe it came from a grapevine. "Dryads... as I thought, theyre amazing." [Compliment us more!] The environment down here was much too different from that of the surface. Technology was much less efficient than magic! Lee Shin Woo cheered at the reduced estimated construction time. As long as he came up with a proper design, it seemed like he would be able to expand the dungeon about ten times more without worrying about copse. However, he didnt have any ns on expanding the dungeon that much as of yet, so he stopped at a suitable point. "Theres a lot of space left over, even if we put in the golem equipment." "Yeah. Theres a lot of space remaining." "Then... how about a bedroom for me?" Lee Shin Woo wanted to snort at her wishful thinking, but unfortunately, he didnt have a nose to do so. Seeing how hard she was trying to get her own room, Lee Shin Woo could only shrug. "Im thinking of making the remaining space into a waiting room for my subordinates. Of course, I told them to roam around the Empire and hunt undead, but... we need a ce for them to store the loot they pick up on the way, as well as a ce to meet for emergencies." "When they do gather, and the other heroes identally find this ce, I wonder what theyll think..." If the other heroes were to see this mixed force of Skeleton Golems, Chimeras, and Dryads, they might assume that they are the Undead Empires secret taskforce and may make a huge fuss over it. "Alright, this way. The wires will go through the walls." "Uaah, this is heavy." "Is the device broken? ...Im going to kick it softly." "Hey, dont!" After Lee Shin Woo had finished setting up the equipment and tested them (he had brought the equipment that could manufacture golem cores, but he didnt have the resources to use it right now, so he would have to leave it alone for a while), he worked on the entire areas security, so three days just flew by. "Is that it? Nice, were right on time." "What do you mean?" Lee Shin Woo took a look around the facility and muttered in satisfaction. Seeing that, Kratia tilted her head. He grinned and led his party outside towards an empty area outside of the winery. A ferocious wind was blowing. Where did this winde from, and where did it go...? Kratia thought absentmindedly, but then just tilted her head. She saw something that she hadnt seen before the winds had started blowing. "Is that... no way." "Youre right. I told you Id use it as a waiting room." Lee Shin Woo lightly nodded his head. He spent three days organizing the facility, but at the same time, he was waiting for them. So, who were they? They were... [Captain, wevee!] [Weve gathered just like you asked.] [Complying with Steelworkers call.] The Pauls and the golems who were spread out through the Empires outskirts! Aside from the Chi Pauls, who hed just sent away, all of his forces had gathered here. Aside from asionally calling a portion of these guys and reinforcing them, theyd never fully gathered before. "Wow..." Kratia justughed at the sight of a force exceeding 1,000 at the very least. Of course, the Limited Order Bone Core that Lee Shin Woo had let her borrow allowed her control golems, but she couldnt even imagine that it would lead to something like this. [Sir Zero Paul, its been a while.] "Yeah, it has. Thanks foring." The Undead Avenger, Shino Rendu was there as well. Hed made him themander in chief of more than 800 Pauls, and Shino Rendu had taken the elite Pauls who were close to level 5 with him and hunted in the danger zones. Though his strongest subordinate was technically the level 7 Chimera Avenger, Chi Paul, Shino Rendu possessed an ability that quite closely resembled his authority as a hero, so it would beughable to say that one was stronger than the other. [But is that girl next to you a...] "I met her by chance. Shes a hero. Since shes not as rigid as the other heroes and I could actually talk to her, weve decided to cooperate." [...As I thought, you truly are amazing, Sir Paul Zero. Im...] "Did you meet any other heroes?" [I couldnt even think of myself doing so.] Since Lee Shin Woo had given him thatmand. However, even if Lee Shin Woo hadnt given thatmand, Shino Rendu wouldnt have attempted to make contact with another hero. Because he, as a hero in the past, knew exactly how heroes reacted to the sight of an undead. "Not all heroes are like her. Try to avoid other heroes from now on if you can." [...I understand.] "Hi." Lee Shin Woo said and then, Kratia greeted Shino Rendu, who was nodding, with a clear voice. It seemed like he had flinched for a moment, but he soon nodded his head and greeted her back. [Im an Undead Avenger.] "Yeah." [Youre that magician from back then!] [Im awed by your open mindset of working together with humans, Captain.] "Yeah, yeah. Just follow me." Around the time the past hero and the current hero finished exchanging pleasantries, the other Pauls cut in and began praising Lee Shin Woo. Because he was already used to this, Lee Shin Woo just nonchntly ignored it and led them all to their new meeting ce. In the process, he taught the team leaders or higher the magic password necessary to enter. It was hard figuring out something from nothing, but memorizing a magic pattern wasnt hard, so they were able to memorize it without much difficulty. "This is your meeting ce from now on. If I call, you just need to gather here. Also, all the loot you gather from around the Empire should be stored in the storehouse here." [I understand!] [Ooh, its a truly secretive facility.] After gathering all of his subordinates, Lee Shin Woos first agenda was using Bone Reinforcement on the Pauls. With the bones that they and the golems had gathered thus far! Of course, level 1 or 2 bones were pretty insignificant, so he gathered them separately. He was nning on using these bones as consumables for the gate that would transport him to other ces. [Ooh, Sir Paul Zero! Because of you, I have...!] [I feel my bones bing tougher. The acid within me is bing stronger...!] In the process, the Pauls grew to level 4 elites, and dozens of Pauls starting from Paul 41 became level 5 elites! The Pauls who were once Doom Factors gained a new, cool name: Doom Soldier. "Even so, their growth is way too fast..." "Isnt it because you awakened your darkness elements mana?" "Mmm." The darkness elements mana had an effect that strengthened ones ties with the contracted target. Thus, it was safe to assume that his darkness mana had a positive effect on them, who were contracted with him through a master and servant rtionship. Moreover, his use of Bone Reinforcement on them was like a type of baptism! He was sure that the darkness element strengthened the effect of Bone Reinforcement. After he pushed the joyous Pauls to one side, he called over the next hitter up to bat. "Now, next up are the golems." [I understand, Steelworker.] "Rem, lets start." [I understand, Master.] Contrary to the Pauls or the Chi Pauls whopletely recognized Lee Shin Woo as their superior, the golems only followed him because he possessed the Steelworker seal. If another Steelworker were to appear, then he would have to terminate them! Thats why he had been ignoring them so that he wouldnt catch their attention. But now, the situations different. Rem, which had been infused with Lee Shin Woos darkness mana, flew between the lined up golems and spread the mana. Its ability, Mana Parasite, was an absolute ability that was effective so long as its target was a golem, but because these golems obeyed Lee Shin Woosmands, it didnt take much of his mana. With just a small spray of mana... [Bug modificationplete. Its a pleasure, Master.] [I await your orders, Master.] [Scrapping Steelworkers authority. Modifying program...] Hundreds of level 4 Bronze Golems, as well as the dozens of level 5 Iron Golems, recognized Lee Shin Woo as their sole master instantaneously. With this, even if they were to meet Steelworkerter, or were destroyed, they would never obey Steelworker again! "Nice. Since were scrapping the unnecessary code, they should be able to disperse their magic and ultimately increase their average amount of magic. These guys cant even level up, so I have to at least strengthen them like this." "You do such ridiculous things as if it were nothing." Unfortunately, he couldnt expect regr golems to grow. They were puppets that followed inputted orders and acted ordingly, and they werent autonomous. That was one of the reasons that the Emperor wanted to imnt knight souls into the golems. Golems dont umte karma. Thus, one couldnt expect them to change. But in return, when they hunt, they gain arge amount of Perium. Its as if the karma that shouldve gone to them is turned into Perium instead. "But will it still be like that in the future?" "What?" "These golems... Can they really not grow?" "Thats one of the prerequisites to a golem. They obviously shouldnt be able to, right?" Kratia didnt immediately reply to Lee Shin Woo and she just gazed at the cuckoo golem, Rem, which had finished its mission and had returned to Lee Shin Woos shoulder. Rem, as if knowing that she was staring at it, tilted its head, its appearance like bone craftwork. "It awakened a skill it didnt have before, so I thought maybe they could grow too." "Huh?" Lee Shin Woo thought what she said wasnt entirely wrong, and observed Rem, but like with Kratia, it just tilted its head. Now that he thought about it, he definitely remembered seeing a message saying that the Mana Parasite ability would grow... I just have to wait and see I guess. If it was the involvement of the darkness elements mana that brought about the change, then he would be able to figure it out immediately; Lee Shin Woo thought that would be entertaining and pped. "Then shall we start in earnest?" "Finally!" Kratias eyes shined. Lee Shin Woo vigorously gave outmands. "Pauls, you guys have to find an underground mine. Silver or gold is best." [I understand!] "A gemstone mine is fine too. In any case, you need to find a mine with metal that can contain arge quantity of magic. For the time being, you guys wont be fighting, and your main priority should be searching!" [Ill keep that in mind!] The Pauls responded vigorously, and they soon departed, but contrary to Lee Shin Woo, who looked at them imposingly, Jin and Kratia looked on vacantly. They were expressions that seemed to indicate that they couldnt understand why he gave them that order. Lee Shin Woo shrugged his shoulders and exined. "Did you really think wed be able to make golems right away? We cant make them with just the cores. We obviously need the metal that makes up their bodies." "How can you not make them with the materials you have on hand?" Lee Shin Woo knew exactly what Kratia was talking about. She wanted him to make golems with bone. Of course, Lee Shin Woo knew that it would eventuallye to this. And thus... "I have to use the high leveled bones to strengthen the Pauls. So, Ill change metal or gems into bone and create bones that way. The right man for the right job." He didnt know if using high leveled monster bones would be beneficial in the construction of golems, but to be blunt, it was a huge waste of resources. One golem would require hundreds or even thousands of bones to create, so using those high leveled bones on the Pauls would be much more effective inparison! However, what if he were to transform the gemstones or the ore? They were inefficient to use on skeletons, but they should be effective in the creation of golems! "Ill definitely be able to create golems that wont lose out to the ones Arema Steelworker has." "Then... what are you going to do while the Pauls are looking for a mine?" Kratia, who thought theyd be able to manufacture golems once the facility wasplete, was disappointed and asked. Lee Shin Woo grinned and turned around. It was there. The Kerr Century Winerys equipment that was used for the best wine in the Empire...! "We have to make wine with our obedient golem friends!" "..." Kratia wanted to back out, but she realized that Lee Shin Woos cooperative contract forbade her from leaving whenever she wanted, and bitterly hit the ground. That was the moment that the newbie hero, Kratia, had realized that she couldnt recklessly sign a contract. Chapter 27 part4 Because of Lee Shin Woos job on Earth, he had quite the diverse skill set, and hispetence was praised by those around him. But even so, that didnt go into producing wine. The reason he even attempted to make wine was because the winery kept the technicians records. And in addition, there was someone he could trust... "Hello, Pleine. Im here." "Guten Morgen! Oh my. Now that I think about it, it hasnt been that long since west met, Mr. Lee Shin Woo." Pleine greeted him enthusiastically, waved her hand at him, stopped, and tilted her head. Soon, her eyes moved in a crescent motion. She wasughing with a satisfied expression, so she was definitely thinking about something weird. "Did you make some money in that short period of time? No, theres no way you did. No matter how badly you want to see me, you cant waste your permits to the secret shop. Didnt I tell you that each and every permit was like a portion of Gods grace?" "I have a lot of money, though." "You dont need to try so hard to lie... Mm." Lee Shin Woo said calmly, and his lips curled upwards; at some point, Pleine, who had been probing him, blinked quickly. Was she trying to brag about her eyshes? Of course, it didnt have much of an effect on Lee Shin Woo. Then, her eyes shined. She let go of her chin, and asked seriously. "This would be unbelievable, but the one who defeated one of the 12 generals..." "Oh, that was me." "Oh, God..." It had been a long time since Pleine had looked to God for help, as it seemed like she didnt even really like God that much. She shouldve heard about the generals death from God herself, so it seemed like she just didnt know who had killed him. "I believe that your growth is incredibly fast, and that you have abilities much greater than your level might imply, but to think you already defeated a general. What are the other heroes doing?" "Id like to ask the same thing." Lee Shin Woo sighed and replied, but recognized that it was tough to expect the same things from the other heroes. He utilized his karmas unique properties to infiltrate the city, borrow the strength of several undead, and had even manipted the Treasure Eater, which hade at an opportune time, to defeat Hansen. "Thats good news. You see, I heard that someone had killed a general, but I didnt know who exactly did it or how. To think that you were the one who killed him! Youre free, right? Please tell me all the details." "If you want to hear about it, then you need to help me. You see, I have something I really want." "Mmm, alright. So hurry up and tell me all about it." It mightve been the vibe, but Pleine seemed a bit rushed. Lee Shin Woo tilted his head, picked out the core details, and told her about what happened. She looked intrigued at around the midway point. "Hansen Von Dorthe... I see, he is indeed someone that you could face. Most were reluctant to face him 1 on 1, but you possessed a simr ability to him, Mr. Shin Woo." "To be honest, certain parts of his ability were strange." At that final moment of their 1 on 1 fight, and then experiencing those dense memories by absorbing his bone. At the time, Lee Shin Woo felt that his swordsmanship was a bit familiar. He wasnt just talking about Hansens ability to use lightning. Though Hansen had been debuffed, he had been able to predict his swords course and the power behind it, so it wasnt very difficult for him to dodge. In other words, that meant... "Youre right. God created Bursting Thunder by gathering several skills. The Lightning Shadow Generals swordsmanship is also in there." "As I thought." Now he understood why he could absorb so many of Hansens memories. It was because he already knew swordsmanship that was closely rted to Hansens. He had solved the puzzle, so he sported a refreshed expression, but was faced with a truly mysterious expression; he didnt know whether Pleine was looking at him in wonder, or if she was relieved. "I can understand why God was so excited now. I thought youd die several times against a general and would have to aim for their weak spot to win. Of course, that in and of itself is plenty amazing, but God raising the maximum level of Invisible Heart was to take that into ount..." To think that he would take down a general without losing a single life. Rather than using any lives, hed just increased his maximum lives with Invisible Heart. Moreover, whenever he defeated an undead hero and put them to rest, the maximum level of Invisible Heart would increase, so it wouldnt be impossible for the maximum level of Invisible Heart to continue to increase. "Whats the point in even stockpiling them?" "Please just save them. Theyll be really helpfulter when youre faced with a lot of danger." And if he managed to save them to the very end... Lee Shin Woo let it go, shrugged his shoulder, and discarded such thoughts. His abilities were stillcking, and the chance of that was quite slim. "In any case, my goal is to have a quiet and peaceful life no matter what it takes." "How can a level 6 hero who took down a general say that? Any hero passing by wouldugh at that." "Of course they would. They would say what kind of hero is that?." In the process of defeating Hansen, Lee Shin Woo realized that his actions and his ns werent all that praiseworthy. Of course, he didnt feel anything like embarrassment, and although he never really cared about other peoples opinions and was satisfied with the Joker karma... "But you know, youre probably the most hero-like out of all the heroes Ive seen." "...Thats quite surprising. Did you actually hear my exnation?" Pleine spoke with such a serious expression, so it became a bit embarrassing for him. Because it was embarrassing, he decided to just ept thepliment and move on, but Pleine added more. "Since you cant hide your good-heartedness, no matter how cynical you may act." "I really hate human drama." "Thats quite a coincidence. I really hate human dramas as well. However..." Pleine smiled mischievously. "My friend once told me. There is not one person loved by spirits who is a bad person. Yourepletely covered in the marks of the Dryads, so I guess thats not really persuasive." "..." As expected, this misunderstanding was because of the Dryads! He needed to exin how he got involved with the Dryads, but that would just prove that he was rotten to the core, so it felt kind of weird. However, he then thought back to Sineas pure gaze and felt that it wasplicated, so he decided to just let it go. "Just sell me some stuff." "Ah, how embarrassing." "I want the bone of a wine manufacturer. Please cooperate like you promised." "A wine manufacturer!?" Pleine, whose head had been filled with ways of teasing Lee Shin Woo, changed immediately! She pushed her body across the counter in an instant and tightly grabbed Lee Shin Woos bony hand. "Are you going to create a winery!? Ah, now that I think about it, you told me that you cleared out an entire winery... Theres a vineyard thats still alive! Are the winerys facilities still intact?" "Correct answer." "But you usually wouldnt even think to create wine from there again...!" "I have some manpower." "Keuk, Kerr Centurys wine... Theyre renowned for their extremely sweet and delicious wine thats created through their special ripening process. Ripening them for dozens of years may be impossible, but if you continue to go in that direction...! No, I have to find that bone no matter what, no matter what...!" Pleine seemed to talk a lot more than usual, and eventually, she was lost in her own little world. However, when Lee Shin Woo engaged her in conversation, Pleine stood up suddenly and yelled. "Ill find it no matter what!" "Ooh..." "Ill give you some books on wine, so please read those while youre waiting! You know how important theory is!" "Ah, I understand." Lee Shin Woo, who was frightened by Pleines sudden drive, meekly sat down and perused the books shed given him. Before he could work on replicating Kerr Century Winerys technique, he needed to have a basic understanding of wine, so these books, whichid out the basics for him, were incredibly helpful. He quickly read through a few volumes, and when he thought about buying these books and going home, he raised his head. "I found it!" Pleines eyes glimmered, and stuck out a few bones towards him. There were two level 1 bones, one level 2 bone, and surprisingly, one level 4 elite bone. "Fortunately, I had these in storage. Why are you so surprised? The reason for the Kerr Century Winerys groundbreaking technique and security was because it was protected by a renowned family of magicians for generations." "I see. Thank you... So how much is it?" "30,000 Perium." No matter how he thought about it, that was a really low price for a bundle including a level 4 elite bone. However, Lee Shin Woo just decided to pay at her asking price. [Absorbing a Lv4 Skeleton Wizards skull through Bone Reinforcement. Absorbing a significant amount of memories and experiences.] [This facility is alive. That is how we made it... in order for it to be in the optimum environment for fermentation and maturation - Unknown Magic Master Craftsman] Pleine, who had been watching him, snorted once he was done absorbing the bones, and asked. "How is it? Do you know how to do it?" "No, the information is tooplex, so... It seems like Ill have to learn by doing." "Do your best...! The revival of the Kerr Century Winery lies in your hands, Mr. Shin Woo!" Pleine grabbed onto his hands tightly and yelled desperately. It seemed as though she thought the Kerr Century Winery was more important than killing a general... Lee Shin Woo just responded with a smile. "Please let go. So I can go and try." Once Lee Shin Woo had left the shop, amongst all those waiting for him, a Dryads reacted first. It was one of the Dryads that really liked and followed Lee Shin Woo. [I smell another womans scent on you, Paul Zero.] "You know you cant do that is third on my personal ranking of lines I want to hear a woman say at least once in my life, so thanks." "What are you always doing over there that makes youe back sote?" "That woman seemed quite unpleasant." They kept showering him withints, and once Lee Shin Woo checked the time, he realized that four hours had already passed. He told them about what hed talked about with Pleine, and exined that hede backte because he had to wait for her to find the bones. "You may understand if you watch what Im about to do." "Mmmm?" "Ah, could you call a few Dryads over? I feel like Ill need your help to make wine." [Of course! Just wait sec. Ill bring some!] The Dryad rushed over to the vineyard. Lee Shin Woo gathered all of the golems, took out arge container, and poured all the grapes out. "Alright. Then shall we start with mashing the grapes? In order to create this years Kerr Century Nouveau...!" "Ah, you just said Nouveau, right!? Thats French!" Lee Shin Woopletely ignored Jins retort, and started mashing the grapes. The level 4 golems followed his lead and began moving diligently. The Bronze Golems and up had the basic ability of synchronizing with each other. "The fact that youre using this many golems to do this is..." "Shin Woo, youre always so surprising and exhrating..." "Thats not enough! Watch, and follow me more closely!" Lee Shin Woo was saying something strange again, but Jin and Kratia, who were both used to his entricity, didnt say anything in response. No matter what they said, the golems would just continue to mash the grapes. The Pauls were searching the Empire for a mine, and Lee Shin Woo and the golems were making wine. Work was in full swing. Chapter 27 part5 Lee Shin Woo mashed grapes with its skin and seeds, and ced the gruesome looking contents safely into an oak barrel and then ced the stopper into it. After that, he sighed, and dered that their work was done. That was theirst oak barrel just now. "We dont need to worry about these for about two days. Bring all of them to the fermenting room." [I understand.] The hundreds of golems moved the oak barrels to the fermenting room one by one. Due to the magical equipment set up by the wine makers, the temperature was thoroughly regted 24 hours every day, all year around; thus, it was one of the two facilities that served as the core of the winery. The other was obviously the ripening room, which was used after the fermentation process wasplete. "The other processes are helpful, but... if I master how to ripen and bottle the wine, I can just keep a few golems here to make sure everything goes smoothly." "Thatd be a real wine factory..." At the very least, the golems possessed a good grasp on how to copy a humans movements. Moreover, they were strong and possessed infinite stamina, so only a few golems had been needed to manage this huge winery. Moreover, so long as he had the Dryads aid, he had an infinite supply of grapes, and he could keep the winerys equipment semi-permanently active! "Lets say that we can sell that wine at a good price... What are you going to do with that money? Are you going to buy the secret shop?" "Mm, you bring up a good point." To be honest, there wasnt really much for Lee Shin Woo to buy in the secret shop. Skill books were so popr that whenever they came in they were immediately sold, and he didnt need food from the very beginning. Bones... they might work on the Pauls, but Lee Shin Woo and Jin had grown too much to develop further through the secret shops bones. Then equipment? Unfortunately, Lee Shin Woo had already absorbed a variety of level 2, 3, and even level 4 equipment. Of course, when he absorbs a new and unique piece of equipment, he does gain some stats, but the more those types or characteristics ovep, the less he gains from them, so even they were limited. What about finding a way to use Perium independently? Unfortunately, Lee Shin Woos abilities were stillcking for him to do so. Lee Shin Woo had already made up his mind from the start. "Im nning on buying materials for golem cores. Since I want to start that properly first." "..." "..." "Itd probably be a good idea to buy other materials that make up a golems body. Though it would be best if the Pauls find a mine." "A wine factory and a golem factory..." It was the coboration of the century. If he were to sessfully create wine and sell it, and obtain golem cores and create golems... what would be the result? Even the very thought of it was scary, so he decided not to think about it. "Kratia, lets begin in earnest." "Hoo, Ive been waiting for you to say that." Because he was fermenting the grapes, Lee Shin Woo used the remaining time to study golems with Kratia. They read all of the books that they took from the secret facility, and remodeling the techniques that were out of their reach was their first priority. Next, Lee Shin more thoroughly analyzed his transformed Bone Core, and would adjust it to design golems. He decided to form a broad n that could respond regardless of what material was used for the golems. "In the end, youre going to make them with all bones, right? The materials have the same core properties, so it shouldnt be very hard." "Lets assume I turn them all into bone. It feels like we wont need this part..." "But I feel like this joint region should be reinforced." "How about making specialized armaments that are split into various patterns, depending on the characteristics of the transformed bone?" "Ah, that sounds good. Cool." "..." Jin felt alienated as their uninterruptible conversation progressed; he saw Kratias face, who was excitedly chatting with Lee Shin Woo, and he felt a feeling that was difficult to describe. "But if you do that, then the movement form over here is... Jin?" "Im going to go for a walk." Jin remained still, and thought he might end up venting his anger on Lee Shin Woo again, even though he was innocent, and went outside. Contrary to the inside of the dungeon, which overflowed with life energy, the outside was still filled with a bleak and heavy air. "Hoooooo." The curse that permeated the Empire. Though the mana and essence Lee Shin Woo had gained was simr to it, it had manifested in apletely different form, and Jin absorbed it. Lee Shin Woo had taught him the know-how, so if he wanted, he could absorb the curse four to five times faster than before. The curses mana rushed towards his body, and during the duration of the absorption, he felt refreshed. Because of that, he could get a hold of himself. "...Seriously, what the hell am I doing?" He remembered how much hed overreacted when he saw his partner interact with someone else and sighed. No matter how preposterous Lee Shin Woos actions or words were, he was only focused on bing stronger. That was the whole point of making wine as well as creating golems. And he didnt really think about his rtions with the Dryads, Kratia, or the shopkeeper, Pleine. Thats because he was nothing more than a bony skeleton. Thinking about it doesnt help me at all. I have to work harder. Hed pledged several times that he wouldnt slow Lee Shin Woo down, yet whenever he seemed to catch up, Lee Shin Woo would already be a step ahead, which made his efforts seemughable. However, he couldnt allow that to happen anymore. Theyd already taken down one of the 12 generals. All hed done to contribute in that battle was allow Kratia and Lee Shin Woo to ride on his back and run. Lee Shin Woo told him that that was plenty, but Jin couldnt ept that. If he was just going to run fast, then he wouldnt be any different from his past life. He wanted to be a bit more helpful to his partner. [If youve decided to give it everything youve got to keep up with him, then this ability will surely shine brighter. Mm, Ill make it an ability for you alone.] Then, Jin remembered what God had told him. When Lee Shin Woo had acquired a new element from God, Jin obviously gained a new ability from her as well. Hed wanted a powerful ability that would be effective against the powerful opponents Lee Shin Woo faced, and God refined his skill. That was Jins first high rank skill. Good. Lets surprise him. He grinded his teeth, and began to run. Because Lee Shin Woo was busy with his manufacturing, Jin decided to use his free time to practice this skill so that he could use it freely in battle. [High Rank Magic Breath Lv1] [You draw magic to your body, change it into destructive energy, and shoot it in a straight line. It can contain the power of an element, and if it does, the destructive force increases.] The skill was one of the two skills hed gained from the Treasure Eaters jawbone (the other skill was Lv1 High Rank Lightning Resistance), and God had reinforced it with her power. Because the skill was originally only usable by those who could wield lightning, it waspletely useless to Jin at first. God had processed it so that Jin could use it. Its funny, an undead breathing... But alright, Im gathering it. "Huwaaaaahk!" [Kuhak!?] Once Jin had gathered enough mana, he opened his mouth and spewed the energy. A highlypressed, soft blue manaser was shot out in a straight line; after he emptied about half his energy, a undead panther roaming around the ins waspletely melted away, creating a giant hole in the ground. Its pretty weak for a high rank skill... its like Im firing a nk. He could use the skill like this, but the skill could only unleash its full power by using it in tandem with an element. Jin couldnt use the elements, but if Lee Shin Woo were to help him a little, he would be able to contain acid, fire, ice, lightning, everything. It would bepletely useless without Lee Shin Woo. Jin was finally able to gain a skill like this. Hed grown significantly since he had first been dropped into the Empire, just running in order to escape reality. Alright. Lets make sure I got it down and then go. Jin steeled himself and began to move. First, he needed to be able to freely control the output of Magic Breath, and then, he needed to be able to use it whilst sprinting, or at least several times in battle... He considered every application of the skill and went through intense training. If it were Shin Woo, he wouldnt allow it to feel unnatural. Lee Shin Woo was both hot-blooded and calm duringbat. How could he contribute in a way that removed all the variables and achieved victory... Jin kept those in mind and moved his body around, losing track of time. Three weeks had passed in no time, and then, Lee Shin Woo contacted him. [Lee Shin Woo: Were about to make history here, where are you? Its my fault, soe back.] "Make history? Are you finally making a golem?" [Lee Shin Woo: No, the wines done.] "..." This guy, hes definitely making wine to get stronger, right...? Now that he thought about it, Jin remembered that this was just the type of guy Lee Shin Woo was, sighed, and returned to the winery. Jin, who had run everywhere and practiced his skill, had even gone through a level 3 danger zone; when Lee Shin Woo wasnt riding him, he could run at a speed akin to light, so he was able to return in just a few hours. "Youre notte!" "What about the golems?" "We finished adjusting the basic equipment just yesterday, but the Pauls havente back yet." Recreating the technique of making golems, considered the most difficult field in magic engineering, in a few weeks was quite impressive; but Jin didnt really understand any of it and just nodded his head. "Then lets put the wine into the bottles I bought from the secret shop..." [As youmand, Master.] His assistants, no, the golems followed Lee Shin Woos demonstration and busily moved around, bottling the wine which had finished ripening. Lee Shin Woo raised the firstpleted wine bottle and checked its information. [Kerr Century Elemental 451] [This wine was created by Kerr Century Winerys sessor, with grapes that thrived with the love and affection of the spirits and an elf. Its still somewhatcking in terms of technique, but the raw materials, which are extremely difficult to obtain, emit a rich smell and have the right acidity to mask that w.] [It is a masterpiece that shows the quality of the ingredients. Even after it was bottled, the magic within the materials causes the wine to ripen gradually, so the longer you leave it, the more valuable it bes.] "Huh?" "Did you fail?" "No... Thats not it." Lee Shin Woo had put his heart and soul into the gathering and juice extraction, and then the fermentation and the ripening, so there was no way he couldve failed. He saw the quality of the grapes and they would make a great Nouveau, so thats what he made, yet... thepleted product wasnt a Nouveau. "Is it because theyre grapes affected by the Dryads...?" "But it just means that you can sell them for more, right?" "Yeah, you can say that." He was still tilting his head, but he decided to let it go as it had turned out well. No, before that. "Kratia, Im counting on you to try it." "...Its an honor." Kratia, looking slightly anxious, held out her wine ss, and Lee Shin Woo poured the wine. She took a sip of the wine, and Lee Shin Woo, Jin, the Dryads, and the golems all focused their attention onto her. "How is it?" "...If it sucks, you can spit it out." [I want to try it too...!] "...Good." A brief moment passed, and Kratia, whod swallowed down the wine, quietly gave him a thumbs up. Then, she carefully pushed her ss forward once more, so it seemed like she really liked the wine. Through the power of the spirits, the Kerr Century Winery had returned. Chapter 27 part6 He was able to earnestly start making golems around the time he finished making the wine. His elite troops, led by Shino Rendu, had found an abandoned emerald mine! Lee Shin Woo couldnt help but be excited. "There was nothing more I could hope for if it were silver or gold, but to think they would find an emerald mine!" In this world, gems can generally store arge amount of mana, and was much easier to infuse mana intopared to regr metal. That was the reason most magical devices were created out of gemstones. Of course, because gems were so valuable, Lee Shin Woo had previously thought that finding a mine with enough gems would be impossible, yet... [We found a mine shaft, but it feels like it hasnt been long since it was mined. I believe it should yield enough for you to build hundreds of golems.] "Alright. Just start collecting!" Lee Shin Woo led the Pauls and the golems, finished with making wine, towards the emerald mine. Who could stop them, when his troops were at least level 4 elites? They pushed ahead and went into the mine immediately. It seemed like there were monsters that were inside originally, but Shino Rendu and his group had killed them all without a trace. "Theyre not at the entrance..." [If youe in a bit more, then youll see something like this.] The gemstone, radiating a green light, was the size of Shino Rendus fist. If he cut it a bit, then it would probably emit an even prettier light, but it wasnt like he was going to sell it, and their ultimate goal was golem production! He nned on getting rid of any unnecessary steps! [But it seems like theres a small problem. Do you see the thick curse energy that has gathered inside?] "Ah, youre right." Mines werent dungeons. Which meant that they were continuously exposed to the curse. As emeralds absorbed any sort of mana, none of them had be weak or broken apart. However, they were filled to the brim with the curses energy. [Emerald Gemstone] [A gemstone capable of containing arge amount of mana, as well as distributing it. But because it was exposed to the curse for hundreds of years, it is filled to the brim with the curse, and will not be easy to process.] "Its not really such a big deal. It might take a while, but I just need to absorb it all. Above all, Ive be able to use the darkness element, so... Ah." He had definitely forgotten what his ability was for a moment. By the time Lee Shin Woo realized that, the emerald was already changing... in other words, it was ossifying. But that process was quite dramatic. The curse within began to resist, but it soon seemed to realize that it was an unwinnable battle, and all at once, became pure darkness energy! Magic spread throughout the ossifying gemstone, and radiated a calm, dark green light. It was an incredibly capricious and charming light. [Dark Emerald Bone] [A bone created bypressing the gemstones essence. It is charged with a powerful darkness energy, and is now unmatched in terms of hardness and magic.] "Oh... I dont know what really happened, but it seems like youve taken care of it." "Youre always like this." Kratia, as though she had already expected this to happen, was given the Dark Emerald Bone. Though it was smaller than the original gemstone, its hardness and magic were much, much higher, so it had be a different ss of material altogether. "Its probably because this gemstone previously contained the curses magic as well." "Yeah. It seems like it responded to my darkness element, and the curse energy changed into pure darkness." [The darkness element... I see, thats the reason you are able to fight against the curse thats covering the Empire.] It seemed like Shino Rendu, who was listening to their conversation, was having a huge misunderstanding, but since it didnt matter what he thought, Lee Shin Woo just let it go. "Then, shall we begin mining!? Everyones ready, right!?" [Of course!] [Were ready whenever!] "Good. Start!" And so, 800 Pauls and 400 golems began the extensive mining. There was no way the mining wouldnt progress quickly, as there were 1,200 of them that were at least level 4, rather than being level 1 miners! Even if the mine shaft copsed while they were at it, they would be able to get out unscathed due to their strong bodies, so there was no need to progress safely! "What do we do in the meantime? Should we help with the mining too?" "Weve never been here before, so lets explore and clear any nearby dungeons we find. If theres a city nearby, itll be a pain in the ass, so well look into that as well." "Ok." Lee Shin Woos party left the mine and began exploring. Fortunately, there wasnt a city in the vicinity, and he thought that that mightve been the reason that this emerald mine hadnt been properly developed. "Its an empty area. We were lucky. The closest satellite city is an hour away with Jins speed." "Then, for the time being, we wont be getting into any fights." Because there wasnt a city nearby, there was a high chance that there werent any other heroes in this area either. However, as if waiting for him to say that, Rem, which was on top of Lee Shin Woos shoulder, suddenly shook. [Master, I sense golems.] "Youre not talking about the ones mining, right?" [No. I sense golems that are under Stake Steelworkers control.] "What a delicious sounding name..." [1] The movement of golems under one of the Four Commanders control. Why were they here? Lee Shin Woo thought that their objective might be the same as his. They were looking for gems so that they could make new golems. Fortunately, Lee Shin Woos party had made the first move, but if they had encountered the golems on the way, it wouldve be a bit troublesome. They definitely dont know about how I cleared out the hidden facility and destroyed it. If not, then they mightve sent a collection team over there, and simultaneously, sent golems over here as well. He did several things that hurt them, but... there was no way he could just let them go. "Stake Steelworker? Has he shown up personally?" [No. Twenty level 6 elite golems are moving secretly in a group.] "If you say so." He didnt need to think about it anymore. Lee Shin Woo raised his hand and removed his equipment, starting from the helmet all the way down to his boots. Then, his armor turned blue, and he held the Bifurcated Spine Whip, so he didnt look anything like his preexisting image. "Rem, you go first. Weve found some rare specimen, so theres no way we can kill them." [I understand.] Arema Steelworkers Golden Army usually moved stealthily. The reason Lee Shin Woo was even able to notice them in advance was because he had Rem, who possessed a specialized ability for sensing their presence. I think this is the first time Ive seen (his) level 6 golems act. Thats just how cautious Arema Steelworker was. That meant that this mission was important enough for someone as cautious as him to mobilize his golems, but why did they have to run into Lee Shin Woo? Perhaps... perhaps Arema Steelworker was giving him a freebie! Theres nothing more I can ask for if I can study a level 6 golem personally before making them. "Want help?" "No, Im good." Though it hadnt been very long since hed turned level 6, because hed achieved so many feats, Lee Shin Woos stats were greater than 4,800. Plus, when he took into ount his Rebellion skill, which passively increased his stats, no level 6 would be able to threaten him. "Plus, its not like Im staking my life on their capture. Theyre golems, so theyre not very dangerous. So just rx and wait here." Lee Shin Woo said, and with his other hand, softly stroked Jins back. Jin was shocked and his body shook. "Geuik!? Hey!" "Dont make such strange noises. Youre good now, right?" "Mm... Mm?" He wasnt being crabby for no reason. With his soft hand movement, Lee Shin Woo had activated his Disguise skill on Jin as well. His armor was covered in ice, and Lee Shin Woo and Jin, as a matching set, looked like an ice spirit. "Kuuu... Still, you shouldve told me something!" "Oh, my bad." Jin had been indifferent until now as he realized that patience and introspection were pointless with Lee Shin Woo. Lee Shin Woo reacted a lot stronger than he thought he would, which confirmed that he did indeed realize that he was in the wrong. When working as a team, team members will often not need to speak their mind and will move without being told, as they trust their teammate. Though they faced life and death together, that may have been too much to ask for from Jin. "In the future, Ill tell you beforehand. You see, I only recently thought about the fact that I could use Disguise on you as well." "Thats not the problem here... Ah, whatever!" Seeing that, Kratia chuckled, but when her eyes met with Jins zing goblin fire, she closed her mouth shut. Jin thought about giving Kratia a good kick when he got back, and changed his back feet into springs. Now he could change them into springs in the blink of an eye. "Then... Im going!" "Hey, youre too fast!" Lee Shin Woo and Jin were soon able to see the golems that were moving slowly from afar. Even in the cloudy weather, their bodies shined, and they possessed an overwhelming magic. They were unmistakably level 6 golems. He gazed at their bodies, shining in silver, but even if he didnt see them, he would be able to figure out what they were. [Lv6 Silver Golem] "As I thought." "Is it ok if we just leave them be until the cuckoo infects them all?" "If we wait for that, then theyll find the mine. The lower the magic, or the weaker they are, the more effective Mana Parasite is. So, we have to suck out their magic." And they ran towards them, unintentionally going at an outrageously fast speed! [Encountering unknown enemy.] [Intercepting. Preparing magic.] [Long distance attacks... are impossible; the enemy is approaching!] The golems noticed them, and each raised their weapons and magic, but before they could even attack, they were struck by a whip and stopped moving. Lee Shin Woo continuously attacked with his whip, which was d in ice energy in order to quickly lower their magic resistance. [Status ailment. Attempting to remove it by infusing mana. Failed. Trying again.] [Judged as an intermediate status ailment. It is only minor damage, but it will take a long time to recover from the status ailment. Self-recovery is impossible.] "Yeah, just keeping talking!" The Bifurcated Spine Whip emitted a horrifying sound, and stretched out. It was as if two snakes were moving through the air and had found their prey. "Heup...!" In an instance, Lee Shin Woo snapped the whip, and swung it. It bent flexibly, and in a short time, battered the golems dozens, if not hundreds of times, causing ice flowers to instantaneously spread on the twenty golems! [Situation critical. Impossible to continue mission.] [Reporting to superiors. ...Cannot connect.] The reason they couldnt connect was because Rem had infiltrated into their ranks and disabled their reporting program while Lee Shin Woo and Jin were fighting them. If they prioritized disabling their means ofmunication, then Lee Shin Woo would be able to take his time. Going through theirmand system was next. "Nice. Then, shall we finish this up quickly?" Atst, Lee Shin Woo summoned another whip and gripped it in his free hand. He turned all of his magic into ice energy and began whirling around his two whips. Jin could feel that and requested. "Let me assimte that." "So... the ice?" "Yeah." "Wait, why... I got it." Lee Shin Woo constantly swung his two whips and the golems, which were slowly approaching from all sides, were slowed. On the other hand, he shared his mana with Jin. He could do it easily if he were to just apply a portion of the Lightning Sprints mana pattern. "Hueuuup." "Huh!?" Then, Jin used that ice as a medium and gathered mana in his mouth. Lee Shin Woo felt the instantaneously amplified mana and his goblin fire swayed. "Breath!?" "Heup!" A thick cylindrical cannon came out of Jins mouth. No, thats what it looked like at first, but soon, it curved outwards. It looked like a trumpet, and therge quantity of ice within... "Puhwaaaaaaaahk!" The mana was discharged through the trumpet shaped cannon, spreading everywhere! The twenty golems were well within the attacks range, and were instantly frozen solid. "You..." "How is it?" It wasnt just a simple Magic Breath; he could create a varied cannon to adjust the attack to match the situation. This was Jins firstbined skill. Lee Shin Woo automatically pped at the boasting Jin and said. "If you had just told me about it from the get go, I wouldnt have had to rush in." "Shut up." Lee Shin Woo really couldnt understand Jin, so Jin acted like it was a rodeo and shook his body. Then, Rem finished with his Mana Parasite. By attempting to resist the ice, they hadpletely used up all of their mana, so Rem could use his Mana Parasite without any resistance whatsoever. [Awaiting your orders, Master.] [Pleasemand me.] Seeing the twenty level 6 golems that had be his subordinates, Lee Shin Woo realized that he was just one step away from actually creating golems. [1] T/N: Lee Shin Woo thinks Rem is saying "steak", rather than "stake" (stake makes more sense, as a stake is a metalworkers small anvil). E/N: Stake Steelworker is another of the 4manders under Arema, Guillotine being one of them. Chapter 27 part7 [Stake Steelworker wonte here himself.] [He hasmanded us to make use of all our abilities and collect as many emeralds as possible.] Silver, like gold, was an ore renowned for its ability to absorb mana. But the way it was used was a bit different; for example, gold was more geared for offensive magic, while silver was used for more practical magic. So the magic that these Silver Golems focused on was... "Subspace, huh. They were trying to clear out the entire mine with just these guys." [Its a lower rank subspace than the one I have. It seems to be the limits of the material.] Rem added. Thats right. The subspace that these Silver Golems possessed wasrger than Rems own, but in exchange they were muchrger. In terms of efficiency, Rems was much better. It wasnt a difference that resulted from pure technical skill. The material that Rem was made of... was an incredibly rare metal; it pissed Lee Shin Woo off, but it would be difficult for him to acquire it right now. "In any case, weve gained moving storehouses because of them." "These guys were elites that were probably sent after much deliberation..." Kratia recollected Jins ice breath and smiled bitterly. Of course, she could always do something simr if she used the same type of magic, but it would be difficult for her to gather all the mana in the surrounding area, change it into an element, and shoot it straight forward. "Its abination skill. Impressive." "...Its not like that, you know." Whilst Kratia had fun teasing the embarrassed Jin, Lee Shin Woo acquired all the information he could from the golems, nodded his head, and returned. Of course, he had sent them to the mine so that they would help his other subordinates mine for emeralds. "They definitely have no idea that Ive cleared out the secret facility. And they probably... wouldnt expect me to have stolen these Silver Golems as well. How arrogant." That was their overconfidence in the Steelworker seal. So long as they remained confident in it, Lee Shin Woo would always have an absolute advantage over them. However... "However, I cant becent." "Of course you cant. If the Silver Golems dont return for some time, then their superiors might take action, so we have to clear out the mines as soon as possible and leave. However... Hmm." "...Youre thinking of something bad, arent you?" Jin pointed out sharply like a drakes canine, and Lee Shin Woo flinched. "I was just thinking. When the Steelworkers send golems to a certain area, and we know where theyre sending them, then we could get there before them and acquire more golems like this..." "You really are a demon." [If you figure out their departure point, then it will be easy to ascertain their destination. Since it is possible for me to sense a golems mana pattern.] Then, Rem intervened. Lee Shin Woo had known about Rems detection abilities ever since Rem (a level 6 golem) had noticed the golems approaching before even Kratia (a level 7 magician), but it really was amazing. From what he heard, it was a secondary ability that was a part of Rems Mana Parasite skill; Lee Shin Woo just naturally nodded his head. But understanding and astonishment were two different things. "Shin Woo... what kind of monster did you make?" "My secretary did everything. I know nothing." Kratia, who had been snickering at Lee Shin Woos deceit (like always, Jin just remained speechless), suddenly thought of something and nodded her head. Her eyes shined clearly like ice. "If we do well, we may be able to grasp all of the golems movements." "You say some amazing things like its nothing, you know that?" "There was an item that could make that possible! If Rem is able to use that...!" Lee Shin Woo made a look with his goblin fire at Kratia and seemed to ask what item, and where is it?, and Kratia replied vigorously. "The Royal Magician Leaders training facility. It seems like they left the main area, but there were magic traps set up everywhere, so it was a great ce to train my magical ability." It seemed like Kratia had reached level 7 in a short period of time, not because she thoughtlessly hunted monsters (of course, she probably did her fair share of that), but because of her experiences in the training facility after following the traces of the Royal Magician Leader. Lee Shin Woo remembered her exining that she had found a lead on one of the 12 generals, and nodded his head. "There was definitely something like that..." "Its still there. It hasnt been broken through yet, so Ill go with you, Shin Woo." "Huh?" "The artifact is there. Lets go together." "Oh... Im not a magician though." "Itll help you train your other abilities too." Her exnation just made him feel more anxious, but it didnt seem like a lie. It seemed like she had wanted to drag him over there right after she helped him take down Hansen, but because he had so much work with the golems and what not, she had pushed it back. It seemed like Lee Shin Woo didnt have the right to refuse. "Alright, then I suppose we can go together." "Hoo." Kratias sigh of relief confirmed that she was still hiding something. However, Lee Shin Woo decided not to question her and turned around. He wanted to go through the hardship of getting involved with a general too. There was no reason to doubt her, considering the fact that had grown to level 7. "But right now, we have to make sure the group is safe. One of the 12 generals troops might be nearby." Why would his seniors, who were at least level 6, die? Because they were met with unforeseen danger. Even a level 7 couldnt rx in a level 3 danger zone, as it was filled with dangerous elements! A hero shouldnt put their focus into battle; they should be focused on their survival. "Oh, I found a dungeon." "Where!?" "Its hidden over there. On the edge of the rock cliff with the raging wind." Of course, that was somewhat meaningless to his party. In the past, he was much weaker than the other heroes, so he had to tread with caution, but now that hed gained so many abilities and had so many lives, he moved calmly and boldly without being impatient; therefore, there were many cases like right now where he would find a hidden dungeon. "Ah, there really is one. Its hidden by the naturally formed wind magic. Kuuuuuuu...!" "The fact that you can keep thinking of Shin Woo as a rival makes me jealous." "Lets first mark that on our minimap... lets go over here next." They had discovered a dungeon, but they didnt enter it immediately. Since they were still in the middle of reconnaissance. Their first priority? Looking for anything that might approach the mines and endanger their operations! For the next two hours, they scoured the entire area. Ultimately, they faced a fewrge level 6 and level 7 undead. [Guwooooooooooooh!] "Tch, youre too loud!" "Be captivated by the Winter Queens hands!" [Kuwohk!] They werent elite monsters, but when they get to around level 7, they be huge. Even though they werent giants, most of them were at least several meters tall. But Lee Shin Woo and Kratia struck a bnce between close range and long range, so the monsters werent strong enough to be a threat. While Kratia was casting a debuff, Lee Shin Woo approached and cut the monster into pieces with a few powerful strikes. [You have acquired 74,150 Perium.] [You have acquired the Lv7 Venomous Steel Snakes fang.] [You have acquired the Lv7 Venomous Steel Snakes leg bone.] "Its just a normal mob, but its still a level 7, so whats with this Perium?" "Perium doesnt increase with level. This guy was really weak." That was definitely true. Lee Shin Wooined and absorbed the fang while he gave the leg bone to Jin. Though it was level 7, his strength only increased by 2, and his health and agility by 1. Jin was quite happy, so he mustve increased his stats much more. "My strength only increased by 1, but in exchange, my agility increased by 6." "Yeah, you must love that Child of Light skill." No matter how he thought about it, Jin possessed an imbnced skill. Lee Shin Wooined like crazy and collected the Perium. "Lets go to the dungeon now. Shino Rendu told me that it would take about two more days topletely clear out the mine, so lets go clear the dungeon and then... Huh?" "Shin Woo, whats wrong?" He knew roughly how to get to the dungeon from where they were. He closed his eyes, called the minimap, and spoke in a doubtful voice. Jin tilted his head and asked what was wrong while Kratia waited for him to continue. "Theres a group of our undead seniors moving together." "Cant you just call them undead heroes?" "There are about seven or eight of them moving together in a group. That means that..." "Are they working together?" Does that mean these undead heroes, who, like Shino Rendu, retained their sense of identity, had created their own n!? Kratia thought that it was cool in its own way, and Lee Shin Woo retorted. "Itd be great if that were the case, but if we were to logically consider it, the chances of that are low. Thats..." Why was it? At that moment, Lee Shin Woo recalled Ethan Cruz, who had treated him kindly. What was he trying to do by approaching promising heroes? And what was his ability that had to do with darkness and curses...? To be honest, he had guessed early on. ...But he just didnt have confirmation. "Lets go back to the mine. Kratia, is it possible to hide the entire mine? Erasing our presences and making us look like a mountain is plenty." "Ill need your help, but I can manage." "Alright. Then lets go right now." They were still quite far away, but they would pass by the mine in a day. They hurried and returned to the mine, and as Lee Shin Woo had requested, Kratia cast arge scale magical form on top of the mine to disguise it. It was a spell that not only used Lee Shin Woo and Jins mana, but also Shino Rendu and the rest of the golems, and created a huge barrier that hid the existence of the mine. Then, exactly 16 hours after they had returned... "So long as the enemy doesnt intend to attack first, I can make it so no traces of magic leak out." "As expected of a magician." Its a relief that Kratia isnt our enemy, Lee Shin Woo thought and smiled bitterly. Even though the Royal Magician Leader had turned into an undead, he would probably wield extraordinary magic, so if he were to fight him, Lee Shin Woo decided that he would make sure that Kratia was in his party. "How is it? Are theying this way?" "Fortunately... their objective wasnt the mine." After Lee Shin Woo had told the Pauls to continue with their work, he looked outside. Though they were physically quite far away, he was level 6; if he were to use his magic to improve his vision, he would be able to see several kilometers away. How many hours did he wait like that? He was finally able to observe the group of undead heroes moving. "..." "Thats..." Jin and Kratia watched from beside him and had their own respective reactions. Lee Shin Woo could understand what they were feeling... at the same time, he was sure that his assumption was correct. "Theres a living person... in the middle of them." "Sh... Paul Zero, that means..." "Youre right." To be exact, there were eight high rank undead gathered together, and the man, riding atop a spectral horse... was a cool-looking, middle-aged man with ck, curly hair and purple eyes that seemed to suit him. They felt life energy linger around his cheeks, but they could recognize the ck energy that wrapped around the rest of his body even several kilometers away. The dreary and deep energy that would make one shudder felt like a concentrated version of the Empires curse. "...Ethan Cruz." The words just naturally came out of his mouth, as he confirmed his identity. "Hes a Necromancer." Chapter 27 part8 A Necromancer. A magician who raises the dead and controls their bodies. And because the Empire was teeming with the undead, one could say that an individual who could control them was a necromancer as well. Lee Shin Woo had his suspicions early on, but it wouldnt be an exaggeration to say that he himself was also a necromancer. But the way in which he controlled them differed. Rather than using magic, he used a variety of innate skills to control them. "But it... doesnt feel like he found those undead heroes through luck." "...Are you saying that he deliberately killed heroes so that he could make them his subordinates?" "Maybe." If not, then he couldnt exin why Ethan Cruz had directed him to a special area. He wanted to help him level up quickly? Probably. Since he didnt want weak undead. "Then can you really call him a hero?" "I wonder. At the very least, God considers him a hero. For now." "...Disgusting. So much so that it makes what youve done thus far look cute." "Why are you getting me involved?" They remained on guard and maintained the barrier until they could hide thoroughly from Ethan Cruz and his group of undead heroes. When they were about an hour away with Jins running speed, they let go of the barrier. They had noticed their opponents advance beforehand, and hadpletely avoided them, but... even so, Lee Shin Woo couldnt hide his bitterness. As I thought, Im still too weak. No matter how many skeletons had be his subordinates, or the fact that he could now manufacture golems, he still had to put in this much effort just to avoid one person. Even if he took into ount that Ethan Cruz was special, it was still quite frustrating. ...But thisll be thest time. It wont be long before Ie for you. Lee Shin Woo had discovered Ethan, while Ethan still knew nothing about Lee Shin Woo. This would be a deciding factor in their fightter. Lee Shin Woo was sure of it. In the close future, Ethan Cruz would stand upon his stage. If that happened, he would pay him back for treating him like a chess piece! "It seems like their goal is... Ah, its where you died." [...Me?] They had been so busy maintaining the barrier until now, and Shino Rendu, who was on standby beside them, replied in a truly bitter voice. Until his death, he had respected and followed Ethan Cruz, so Lee Shin Woo could understand how he felt. "Yeah. It seems like he just figured out where you died and came here. ...Hmm, then that means that theres someone whos following his orders and scouting around for him." If he got the chance, he would catch and extract some information from the scout. Lee Shin Woo nodded his head and Shino Rendu was still unable to ept reality, wrapping hisrge fists around his head. [Why would a hero not care about following Godsmand...?] "It must be more entertaining that way for him. Hes strange. He looks like hed be able to easily defeat one or two generals." The undead he brought along with him were at least level 6. There were a few level 7s mixed in as well, and Ethan Cruzs own magic was quite extraordinary. If thats the case, then he should be able to defeat generals like Hansen... Then why wasnt he doing that? "Moreover, why does he only use undead heroes? ...Ah, does his necromancy only work on other heroes?" "Its likely. Though darkness mana is the power to link the living and the dead together, Ive heard that if the previous rtion is of enemies, then the link wont work well. However, just by them previously being heroes, their karma is quite simr. It makes sense that the darkness element would work then." Kratia, who would talk at length whenever the subject was on magic, exined and Lee Shin Woo acknowledged her. If thats the case, then it made sense why Ethan Cruz wasnt actively hunting the 12 generals. He would continuously wander the Empire, waiting for the heroes to die so that he could make them his subordinates. There was no need for him to hurry and attempt to kill the 12 generals. Rather, they were a precious fighting force that would kill heroes for him. [...Are you saying that theyre the reason that I died and became an undead?] "Yeah. In any case, hes still a hero, no matter what anyone says, and hes fighting against the Emperor, so when he thinks that his army is ready, hell fight against the Emperor. If you look at it that way... you could say that hes definitely an outstanding hero." [Everything else about him disgusts me, so I cant help butugh.] The goblin fire within Shino Rendus eye sockets zed intensely. He was a special species of undead that fed off feelings of vengeance. With just their conversation about Ethan Cruz, Lee Shin Woo was sure that the next time they met, Shino Rendu would be stronger than before. However, if Lee Shin Woo were in Ethan Cruz shoes, he mightve done the same thing as him, so he couldnt say anything more. If there was a more effective way to get stronger, then it was obvious that one would take that approach. But then, Shino Rendu added something surprising. [Its such a relief that I became your subordinate, rather than his.] "What?" [Paul Zero, you ept us as we are. You didnt lead us; you gave us the will to go where we want to go ourselves.] "...Huh?" What the hell is he talking about? Hed only said that to them so he could better control them... While Lee Shin Woo was taken aback, Kratia chipped in from beside him. "You can tell by just looking at the quality of Shin... Paul Zeros mana." "Mm?" She was talking about Lee Shin Woos darkness element. Indeed, Lee Shin Woo was capable of forming contracts with regr undead, undead heroes, golems... or even humans like Kratia through the darkness element, which was definitely different from Ethan Cruz application. Just by looking at another darkness element user like Ethan Cruz, one would be able to tell that that wasnt normal. "I feel like your karmas affecting it too. Since the way in which magic of a simr element is used depends on the individual." "...Yeah, you could be right." It seemed like the Joker karma was outside the norm in many ways. But it was ultimately because of his Joker karma, not his consideration for others, that caused people to follow him. However, it would look bad if he were to correct Shino Rendus misunderstanding by exining his wickedness, so he just kept his mouth shut. ...This seemed like something he had thought about just a little while ago. "Then, get back to work. Well return to our base once wevepletely cleared out the mine." [I understand.] The golems immediately returned to mining. At longest, it should take about another day for them topletely empty the mine. With so many raw materials, he should be able to create golems with the cores he had and still have a lot of materials left over. "Then I have to go to Pleine to sell my wine." "Though I wonder how many cores you can make with the money you get from selling the wine." "I should be able to make a lot." Kratia spoke, not knowing just how much the Kerr Century Winerys wine had increased in value, and Lee Shin Woo replied with a grin. Then, he took his party to the dungeon that they had found two days ago and cleared it. [Level 6 dungeon - You have acquired a permit to enter the Eagles Cliff. All stats are increased by 20 within the dungeon. The dungeons information will be added to your minimap. All actions will be buffed within the dungeon.] Surprisingly, it was a level 6 dungeon withrge, flying monsters. However, by keeping in step with Jin, who turned his hooves into springs, and fiercely swinging his whip around, they were able to safely clear the dungeon. They couldnt forget about Kratia, who cast arge scale debuff on their enemies, which slowed down all of their movements. [Executing Bone Reinforcement on Jin Taylor by consuming the Lv6 Shadow Cliff Eagles wing bone. A considerable amount of the effect is shared. Agility has increased by 2, and Magic by 1.] [Kyuruuuuuuuuuuuu! Kihiooooooh! - King of Eagles Cliff] "How is it? Does it feel like youll grow wings?" "Nope." "Tch. As I thought, it had to be a level 7 elite for that..." "Nope!" Anything between 3,200 and 6,400 stats constituted level 6. In a level 6 dungeon, the dungeon boss would possess stats much greater than the ordinary monsters, yet they would often not reach level 7 and would still be level 6. So it made sense that Bone Reinforcements effects were getting weaker! But contrary to Lee Shin Woo, who was disappointed that Jin didnt sprout wings, Jin looked at him with frigid eyes. It seemed only Kratia was allocated a reward that she actually wanted. "Then lets go back. It seems like the golems are finished mining." "How much did your stats go up, Shin Woo?" "If I include the stat gains from my ice element and my intermediate elements, my stats increased by 50." "...You really are a cheater." Lee Shin Woo thought that they might encounter troops under a generalsmand, or another hero on the way back to their hideout, but fortunately, that didnt happen. Instead, on the way back there was one topic of interest in the chatting channel. [Lloyd H.K.: It feels like the high rank undead are on the move more.] [Prince Altania: Tch, why now? Lloyd, do we need to group up?] [Lloyd H.K.: Im fine, since Im with Erian right now. Im actually worried about you.] [Mentes Orun: Those bastards periodically make a huge fuss, so dont be so worried. The Emperor probably ordered the 12 generals to go on arge-scale patrol.] [Ye Jin Jin: Ugh, danger level 2 zones should be fine, right...? Mr. Shin Woo, are you ok?] [Lee Shin Woo: No problem as of yet.] Lee Shin Woo replied as he sweated profusely. It seemed like they hadnt noticed his unease and went on with their conversation. [Ethan Cruz: Even so, their movements are a bit excessive... Would I be overreacting if I were to say I feel like theyre going to war?] [Mentes Orun: War...? Whos fighting who?] [Ethan Cruz: I wonder. I dont know that much. However, you know that therere several groups that move independently aside from us.] [Lloyd H.K.: The 12 generals agents are already too much for us, but youre saying that therere other groups out there...?] [Prince Altania: Heng! Lloyd, wait a bit. Ille over after I get to level 7.] [Lloyd H.K.: Yeah, yeah. Youre really reliable. I trust you.] [Seira Von Retadane: ...Everyone, please keep yourselves hidden and do not make anyrge movements. It isnt the right time yet.] [Prince Altania: You be careful too, Seira. Though I have no idea where you are!] [Seira Von Retadane: Please call me Retadane.] Lee Shin Woo couldnt take it anymore and exited the chatting channel. Including the questions he wanted to ask Seira, which made his mouth itch, there were many things on his mind right now. It was too clear that Lee Shin Woo was the cause of this war that Ethan Cruz was talking about. Was his misinformation making the Emperor uneasy right now!? "For the time being, we shouldnt go to the golem main base." "I really like your way of causing trouble for others and then getting out of the situation by yourself." It seemed like his misinformation regarding the secret facility that both the Emperor and the golems wanted was in full swing, and causing chaos within the Empire. The reason Lee Shin Woo hadnt known about any of it was because he had been concentrating on making wine and golems! "In any case, lets think positively. They cant just ignore Anti-Skull anymore!" "How can you be so evil..." Lee Shin Woo led his party (including his recently acquired Silver Golems) and safely returned to his base without anyone knowing. Regardless of whether or not the Empires undead found the golems or Anti-Skull and caused chaos, Lee Shin Woo wouldnt get himself involved. Chapter 27 part9 [Dark Elemental Bone] [A bone gem with all the unnecessary elements removed, and contains the essence of pure darkness mana. It is a never before seen treasure that can contain a muchrger quantity of magic than its appearance might suggest.] "Nice. A lot more was removed than I expected, but now Im done processing the raw materials." "The cores are ready too." Lee Shin Woo and Kratia had spent a few days after returning to base processing the materials, and would finally be able to start producing golems. Looking back on it, it seemed like it had taken so long to get to this point, but it had actually taken less than a month. He hadnt been able to hunt much, but there had been so much to do, going from here to there, so it was obvious that it felt like it had been so long. "Pauls, you did well. Form your groups and go out hunting again. Ah, and dont forget to report if you find a mine." [Whenever you call us, we wille.] Shino Rendu, who had be more dependable than when he was human, said his goodbyes and left with the Pauls. Almost 1,000 troops had left in an instant, so it looked like the base waspletely empty, but there were still hundreds of golems left. "You guys go too. You know what to do if you meet a Steelworker, right?" [Only you are our master.] He said his farewells to the golems which had their minds tampered with by Rem. He left behind 10 golems in order to manage the winery and produce the wine. As they continue to do their job, theyll make big and small mistakes, and eventually be specialists in making wine. Ah, the Silver Golems were on standby for now. [Paul Zero, youre not done yet?] "Nows the important part, so just keep watch." [Ooh, then Ille by to y when youre finished!] The Dryads, who didnt know that Lee Shin Woo was leaving the winery as soon as he was finished, returned to the vineyard. Lee Shin Woo and Kratia then began to produce golems in earnest. They called it making golems, but they already had everything mapped out, so all they had to do was follow the ns in order and make the golems. Normally, just inserting the raw materials and the core in separate facilities was enough to manufacture a golem, but he needed to try doing it once manually. "Ah, theres a partial w. Kratia, wait a sec." "Guu, as I thought, it was a problem with the knee joint... Ill fix it right away. Wait just a sec." "No. Lets get rid of this and instead, use the magic in the raw materials to fuse it." During the manufacturing process the two engaged in a conversation that Jin couldnt understand once more. However, he decided that he wouldnt leave this time. Since he wanted to at least be there when Lee Shin Woo created his first golem. Fortunately, the errors in their ns werent too big, so they could progress without much issue. There used to only be a core at the center of the worktable, but in no time, there was a body attached to it, and then limbs as well, which was quite the spectacle. "Done. The legs are moving." "But is the cores AI ok like this? You dont need to imprint anything else?" "We have the darkness mana. Look." Perhaps because the Dark Elemental Bones very birth was affected by Lee Shin Woo, it naturally absorbed Lee Shin Woos darkness magic. It looked as though the golem would be fully loyal to Lee Shin Woo before it was even finished... Kratia just sulked a little bit. "But Im making it with you too." "Thene back after youve learned how to use darkness magic." "Kuuuuu." From the very beginning, Kratia had been interested in manufacturing golems, not taking ownership of them. Honestly, in the process of studying the magic applied to golems, she had increased her knowledge of magic theory beyond her imagination, so she did achieve her objective, but... "It feels weird. Its like the feeling a mother has when her baby, that was born through a joint effort between parents, only follows the father around, rather than the mother." "Did you have a kid in your original world...?" "No, I didnt! Im talking about our kid, ours!" "!?" The process went smoothly. It felt like it wouldnt go this smoothly when Arema Steelworker made golems. The speed at which the golems magic, which had fused with the darkness magic, circted incredibly fast, and the connection between the core and its body was quite solid. "Itd probably be hard to use the magic in a different way." "It doesnt have that ability, and it wouldnt be efficient. Since these are weapons forbat." "Then... I think its done. Shin Woo, the assemblys done." Theyd only started building the golem less than an hour ago, yet there was a 4 meter tall humanoid golemying atop the worktable. Though it was a simr height to the level 5 Iron Golem, its abilities were iparable. At least in terms of design. "Will it really move...?" "Itll definitely move. Im more worried about whether this thing is a level 6 or not." "We used a level 6 core, so it should be. ...The raw materials and the process were perfect, so it could be an elite as well." He couldnt help but shake. Lee Shin Woo had only focused on a singr goal: creating a golem. However, if they actually seeded in creating a golem, then their status would change in an instant. Thats because he would be able to control hundreds of level 6 elite golems, entities that made even the other heroes nervous. Lee Shin Woo softly closed and opened his eyes. His heart was pounding, and he wanted to sigh, yet he couldnt as he didnt have any respiratory organs. Not having any means of breathing never hurt so much. "Shin Woo. ...Try activating it." "...Alright. Im doing it." In the end, he steeled himself and ced his hand atop the core. Of course, the core was protected by an especially durable material, but if Lee Shin Woo were to just let out his magic, it would reach the core immediately. Thats how impressive the mana conductivity of the material was. "Activate." He unconsciously spoke a word that was strictly unnecessary, and emitted darkness magic from his fingertips. A skeleton and a golem... normally, these two entities couldnt easily be linked, but the darkness magic made it almost too natural. [Activating...] His powerful will was transmitted along with his magic, and the core seemed to prioritize its absorption; the core, which emitted a gentle light, vibrated like a heart suddenly pounding, and emitted darkness magic everywhere, filling each and every part of the golems body. [Checking to see if all parts can be activated...] There was an operating organ located within its brain, and its arms could attack in a variety of ways with magic while its feet had boosters that could increase its speed through magic. Once that process wasplete, a gentle green light radiated from the dark green, translucent golem. Despite being an inanimate object, it seemed to give off vigor that it didnt have before. [...Activating.] The golem spoke in a mechanical voice, and simultaneously, the golems body bizarrely wriggled. This was the process of the core regting all of the bodys magic. And eventually, it slowly, very slowly stood up. [Recognizing situation...] The golem turned its head slowly and looked around. Because its upper body was 2 meters by itself, it had to look down to see Lee Shin Woo and Kratia. It was so overwhelming that Kratia instinctively grabbed her orb, and Lee Shin Woo kept Rem on standby. However, that was honestly quite pointless. The moment it had turned its head and seen Lee Shin Woo, it felt like the darkness magic he had released formed a deep link between them... and the golem spoke thusly. [Master has been recognized.] The moment Lee Shin Woo heard that, it felt as though the tension had left his body. Kratia staggered and even fell towards Lee Shin Woo, but fortunately, Jin caught her. "...And who am I?" Lee Shin Woo tried his very best to not act excited and asked. The golems response came immediately. [You are my master. Master, please give me a name so you can differentiate me from the others.] Lee Shin Woo clenched his fists. Kratia just remained vacant and was just waiting for him. In a calm voice, Lee Shin Woo gave him a name. "Rem Two... No, lets go with Erem." [Recognized.] Regardless of whether it was Rem Two or Erem, his naming sense didnt involve an s. However, Erem happily epted its name. But was it normal to give golems a name?, he thought and tilted his head. Then, a message appeared before Lee Shin Woo. [You have created the elite Lv6 Dark Emerald Bone Golem, Erem.] [You have seeded in creating a unique golem by stealing techniques from various ces. These Dark Emerald Bone Golems, which were created with darkness magic as their foundation, not only possess high strength and can emit powerful magic, but have a high elemental resistance as well. But their greatest strength is their ability to draw in this worlds darkness magic and store it in their bodies. Through that, there is a chance that they can be even stronger.] [One problem with these golems however, is that they have no value asmercial products. They will be absolutely loyal to you, as you possess darkness magic.] [You have acquired the title, Puppet Master. All stats have increased by 5. The Command skills effect is increased, and the power of the darkness element increases slightly.] He had somewhat expected this to happen. How could he not get a title, when he had just created a golem. However, something that he hadnt expected was added on. [Your strength stat has surpassed 1,000! You have acquired the title, He Who Dreams of Giants. Strength has increased by 10. Your body is evolving so that you can exhibit greater strength.] "Huh!?" It seems as though the five stat bonus from Puppet Master had caused his strength to surpass 1,000 and got him a new title! When his magic had surpassed 1,000, his body had changed as well, so it was happening this time too. "Shin Woo?" "Wait just a sec." Although it was a title rted to his future growth, his body didnt change dramatically, but his body had certainly gotten stronger so that he could exhibit more of his strength. The feeling of his body being heavier and sharper wasnt bad. He was wearing armor, so one couldnt see what was underneath, but Lee Shin Woo could feel the changes. But Kratia told me that you would only get a title like this once. He remembered clearly. At the time, she said that the first stat (strength, agility, health, or magic) to surpass 1,000 woulde with a title, and that title would determine their level 5 job, and the direction of their growth. Therefore, he looked back at Kratia, but it looked like she had no idea what was going on... in the end, he decided not to say anything and move on. This is probably due to the Joker karma. "Well, I just got a title from making the golem. Did you get it too?" Lee Shin Woo feigned ignorance and asked. Kratia tilted her head and obediently answered. "Yeah, One Who Walks the Path of New Magic." "Nice. Im sure we seeded, so shall we finish making all of the golems? From Erem to Erem 277!" "So you really are going through with that name..." They had seeded in making the prototype, so there was no reason to hesitate anymore. Lee Shin Woo and Kratia activated the manufacturing equipment that had been standing by, meticulously scanned Erem, set the fine controls on the equipment, and added the materials. "The initial activation will require my mana, so its still a problem that I have to put my hand atop each and every one of them..." "Shin Woo, Im activating it!" "Yeah, go ahead!" "Roger!" Kratias eyes shined and activated the manufacturing process for all the equipment. The Dark Emerald Bones and the cores that were piled together like a mountain were ced into the devices one by one, radiated a blinding light here and there, and began the fusion to form the golems. Lee Shin Woo was anticipating the moment that Erem Two was finished and gathered his darkness mana. Unfortunately, no one knew that Lee Shin Woo was making an army that could threaten a part of the Empire. Chapter 28 part1 They had made one mistake in creating golems. Measuring out the materials that they would need for the golems bodies. He had originally thought that the emeralds that theyd mined would be enough to create all 277 golems, but because of the transformation, the Dark Emerald Bone was slightly reduced in size. Plus, in the process of slightly carving the bone, as well asbining them, there was some bone loss, so he ultimately ran out of raw materials when building Erem 250. [Master, pleasemand me.] [Erem 178 is here.] "This..." Lee Shin Woo moved on from the 250th Erem and looked futilely at the pile of dense, dark green powder... that resulted from carving the Dark Emerald Bones. He didnt have enough raw materials to make the next 20 or so Erems but had more than enough powder. "I guess it cant be helped. I suppose Ill have to use this for my Bone Gate or for regenerating." "Theyre much too valuable to use for that... Give me half. I feel like Ill be able to use it for some special magic. If not, then maybe I can use it to make an artifact." "You make artifacts?" "Haa. Its actually a specialty of mine." "Yeah, alright. Ill give you some." Lee Shin Woo didnt have the time to listen to her boasts, so he obediently gave her half the gemstone bone powder. When he considered her contributions in making the golems, this was nothing. "Now what are you going to do with the golems?" "Theyre like the other golems. Ill split them into a few groups and send them off to hunt." Kratia gaped at Lee Shin Woo, who had created 250 level 6 elite golems. It might make sense if he were to send them after one of the 12 generals, but why would he split them up!? "Youre just going to send these guys off to hunt?" "Then what, do you want me to just leave them to rot?" "No, but..." Even while flustered, Kratia gave her opinion. Telling him that the vibe in the Empire was bing increasingly uneasy, that the Emperors undead were probably gritting their teeth at the golems, and that it would be dangerous to send the golems out right now. Everything she said was correct, and her interferences were correct as well. However, Lee Shin Woo was the one who originally told her all that. He just told her that they would have to take that risk. "Yeah, its dangerous, but sending something away from my grasp will always be dangerous. But Kratia, you have to invest for that capital to grow. And the more danger there is, the more there is to gain." "Capital..." It frustrated her, but he was right. That same principle applied to them: heroes couldnt grow if they didnt endure danger. Kratia acquiesced to his logic, and Lee Shin Woo smiled bitterly. "Well, I dont really like investing in a loss. I made this decision after considering our chances of winning, so just watch." Lee Shin Woo created ten groups of 21, consisting of... 20 Dark Emerald Bone Golems, and 1 Silver Golem. The Silver Golems were a precious resource, as they possessed a moving warehouse. "Youve probably already heard, but you dont need to fight against opponents that are much too strong for you. If you find troops under the Steelworkers, or any of the 12 generalsmand, dont fight and report to me at once. If you cannot win and youre about to be destroyed, sending me that information is paramount." [I understand, Master.] A group of 21 level 6 elite golems would be able to tread through a level 3 danger zone without being on the receiving end. Moreover, even if they were discovered by heroes, the heroes wouldnt attack easily, as they would be on guard against them. "Oh, and never go over here." [Ill keep that in mind.] Once he told them to go in the opposite direction of Ethan Cruz, they all dispersed. The Silver Golem not only possessed the subspace ability but could also move stealthily, so they should be able to teach the Erems the fundamentals of moving stealthily while leading them. He didnt send the Silver Golems along with them just for their subspace ability. "You sent that many away, yet you still have 60 level 6 golems left..." "Alright, then you guys will..." There were 10 Silver Golems and 50 Erems left. These guys would patrol inside and outside the base and would be on standby, in case they were needed as emergency reinforcements. Even a level 7 elite would have difficulties getting through them. "Then Shin Woo, what are you going to do with the remaining cores? Are you going to make more golems after you procure the materials?" "Nope. Lets just leave them be for now." He had said that he would sell the wine to the secret shop and buy materials to make cores if he had any materials remaining; yet he didnt have any materials remaining nor could he absorb the cores. Lee Shin Woo was sure that it wouldnt be a good idea to scrape by by buying the materials he wascking from the secret shop to make the remaining golems. "In any case, I can always make golems whenever I want. Ill think about making more golems when I get my hands on some materials." In other words, the Sr Fossil. He thought about making golems with this unique and precious treasure, but Lee Shin Woo and Kratia didnt have the knowledge to make golems using the Sr Fossil. When he thought about that, he calmed down a bit. He still needed to work hard. "And you never know, there might be a way to further strengthen these Original Cores." "I cant even imagine that, but... In any case, if we go there, it might help improve your knowledge of magic, Shin Woo." "Youre talking about that magic training facility, right?" "Yeah." It seemed like she really wanted to bring him over there. Lee Shin Woo smiled bitterly, nodded his head, and spoke. Hed fermented the wine and made the golems as well. He supposed he could follow her now. Lee Shin Woo looked around the base one more time and prepared to leave. He didnt know how they knew, but the moment he was about to leave, the Dryads came out. Once he finished with his goodbyes, he left their base. "Where do we have to go?" "Mm, this way." Kratia shared her minimap with Lee Shin Woo and pointed towards a specific spot. Coincidentally, their destination was in the opposite direction, but if they took the golem train and departed from where it stopped, they would be able to reach it rather quickly. "Then are we going to take the train?" "No. Not only are you with us right now... we also have to avoid the golems for the time being. But its not like theres no way of getting there." Lee Shin Woo smiled (of course, from an outside view, it just looked like his jawbone moved downwards a little bit) tedly at Kratia, who was tilting her head and took out a precious item from his inventory. It was the level 8 Bone Gate! [Bone Gate] [Lv8] [Durability - 1,550/1,550] [A treasure that sacrifices bone to create a gate that leads to a designated point. The gate can only be linked to a location that the user ispletely familiar with, and it is impossible to cross dimensions. It is imperfect, so the amount of people who can utilize the gate is very limited.] From the outside, the Bone Gate just looked like an oval-shaped bone bracelet. But Kratias eyes shined, as she could grasp a portion of the magic within, and asked. "This is the Bone Gate?" "This is my first time using it." The reason he had suggested that they not use the golem train was because he wanted to use the Bone Gate. Lee Shin Woo looked at the Bone Gate with severe anticipation and gripped it. Was it because it was an item that was made of bone? He knew how to use it instinctually. Lee Shin Woo needed to focus on the image he wanted to go to and then infuse his mana into the Bone Gate! [Giiiiiiiiiiiii] The Bone Gate epted his magic and he like felt it demanded a bone prior to activation. Because it felt like it would eat away at his hand if he let it be, he hurriedly opened his inventory and fed it the bone powder created from grinding level 1 and 2 bones. [Giiiiii] "Damn, how long are you going to keep eating... Huh?" The Bone Gate stuffed itself for quite a while, perhaps because the quality of bone was so low, and let out a bizarre sound as if it was saying give me more. If the bone powder wasnt enough this time too, then Lee Shin Woo was ready to sacrifice the gemstone bone powder, but then, it suddenly began to emit a white light! He was taken aback. When he lifted the Bone Gate, the radiating light formed a giant oval shape. It looked like around two people could easily fit through it. "This is gate magic... Its ridiculously high rank magic. Even if its a temporary gate, the level of magic is simr." Kratia gaped and verbalized her astonishment. It seems as though shed seen this kind of magic before. "Alright, then shall we?" "Wait a sec, Shin Woo. It seems like only two people can go through." "What..." Itd eaten that much bone powder and it would only let two people through!? But if they did nothing, then the gate would close on them and no one would be able to get through. Lee Shin Woo gritted his teeth and sent Kratia and Rem through the gate first. As he thought, Rem was considered a person as the gate became faint and vanished. Immediately after, Kratia sent him a message. [Kratia Melloi: I arrived. Its awesome!] "Yeah, Im d you think so." He weakly replied and fed the Bone Gate bone powder again. Although he had collected arge quantity of bone powder from the fewrge battles hed been in, as well as the bones that the Pauls and golems had brought him, opening the gate twice had consumed 25% of his bone powder! I should probably just use high level bones instead... No, no I shouldnt. I can always get my hands on low level bones. Damn it. In any case, I need to find a solution soon. Lee Shin Woo gritted his teeth and at the same time, entered through the gate with Jin. Rem, who was waiting for them from beyond the gate, flew and perched itself on his shoulder, while Kratia rushed over to them, looking incredibly excited. "A gate! Amazing! The Bone Gates amazing!" "Yeah, yeah." Why is it that Kratias personality does a 180 whenever magic is involved? Lee Shin Woo replied roughly and when he was about to put the Bone Gate into his inventory, Kratia suddenly spoke. "If you absorb that, cant you use that ability, Shin Woo?" "Ah..." "You cant?" "No, well, youre probably right." "Then!" "But..." There was no way Lee Shin Woo wouldnt have thought of that. Moreover, Kratia probably wasnt aware of this, but he possessed the Bone Armory ability. If he seeded in absorbing the Bone Gate, he would be able to reproduce its effects without fail. If he was sure he could absorb it, he wouldnt hesitate. Yeah, if he could that is. [You cannot absorb the Bone Gate through Bone Reinforcement. The level of Bone Reinforcement, Bone Armory, as well as your own level is much too low inparison to Bone Gate.] "Ah..." "Dont look at me with such disappointment." He ced the Bone Gate into his inventory, and Kratia rode behind him. He couldnt thank Jin enough for allowing both him and Kratia to ride him. "You just need to go this way. Lets hurry." "Roger." "Wait a sec, youre too fas... Uweeehk." "You can vomit if you want, but just dont vomit on my back." Jins speed increased day by day. If he felt like hed barely adapted to his speed, then Jin would get faster the next day. The scary part was that even though Jin had two people riding him, plus a golem, he didnt seem to run any slower; instead, he seemed to gradually pick up speed. "We should arrive within 5 minutes at this speed. So Kratia, how do we get in? It should have a secret code like our winery." "It does. We cant just go in like this... Uweeehk." The effect of his sprint was amazing! Kratia waspletely nauseated! Because Kratia was the only one with a permit, Jin had no choice but to slow down. Kratia pped Jins ass a few times (since he was garbed in steel armor, Kratias hand was the only thing hurting), and after barely calming down, she checked her surroundings. She then ordered. "Go a little more forward. Slowly!" "You cant even get used to that speed?" "Youre just too fast, Jin!" After five minutes of detailed adjustments, they barely arrived at the entrance to the training facility. While they did arrive, it was just an empty in. "Its not inside of a city or a dungeon, so where..." "Ah, I found it." "Yeah, I thought you would say that about now, Shin Woo." Though he said there wasnt a dungeon around, its system was exactly like one. How did they hide a subspace? It wouldnt be wrong to say it was a type of dungeon, but its size, as well as the concentration of magic, was iparable to a normal dungeon. "But its all oddly concealed, right? This is the Royal Magician Leaders ability." "That means that theres no way I can fight him... Then can we really just rx and go on in?" "If you dont invest capital, then it wont grow. The more danger there is, the more there is to..." "Ah, fine. I got it." At least in terms of enthusiasm for magic, Kratia had him beat. Well, if things went bad, they could just get on Jin and run, so it wasnt that big of a deal. However, the moment they decided to enter the training facility... [Wee, new trainees. There are a total of five trainees, including the other trainees.] "...Five?" "Shin Woo!" Lee Shin Woos goblin fire twisted at the mechanical sound that surrounded them, and the moment that Kratia yelled... "Who are you!?" "Keut." Someone appeared before them. He had lustrous, lively silver hair, pale skin, and rosy cheeks that shined a bit more than Pleines... "Who are you, and how did you get in here!? This is a ce that I, Prince Altania, have conquered! Hey you, take off your helmet!" A rude magician boy pointed his antique wooden staff at them and yelled. He had met the one senior he really didnt want to meet. Chapter 28 part2 "A human? Youre a living human being?" "Yeah, Im human. Human." Kratia hurriedly nodded her head while replying stutteringly. But it was clear that she was flustered, and her acting wasnt good enough to hide Lee Shin Woos identity. As proof, Prince Altania quickly pointed his staff at Lee Shin Woo. "Then what about you...? Are you an undead? I only felt it for a moment, but I definitely felt powerful death energy. Dont try to fool me. If youre caught by the genius magician, Prince Altania, then even a general would fall in one hit!" "...Theres no way Id be able to fool you, Senior." "...Huh?" Lee Shin Woos voice, which flowed out from his helmet, caused Prince to flinch. Once Lee Shin Woo took off his helmet and revealed himself, Prince Altania froze. Kratia, who unintentionally looked back, froze as well. At some point, Rem had disappeared from his shoulder, but that wasnt really very important right now. "...Lee Shin Woo?" "Its a pleasure, Senior. Thats right. Its me, Lee Shin Woo." Lee Shin Woo replied with a refreshing smile. Prince Altania was temporarily unable to respond and remained stiff, but he soon cleared his throat and withdrew his staff. "Its strange. It was just for a moment, but I definitely felt death energy." "I believe it might be due to the energy flowing from the gate, as we opened and entered it." "Thats... I assumed as much! I was just on guard because you were wearing that weird armor of yours! You got it?" "Ah, you truly are a hero. As expected of you, Senior." The boys cheeks flushed, and he attempted to put up a strong front to hide his embarrassment. Lee Shin Woo smiled gently, and agreed enthusiastically. He was even able to sweet talk a general, so Prince Altania quickly moved on. "Youre not bad. Ill recognize you as my junior. ...Ah, then whos that woman over there?" "This is Kratia Melloi. I met her a short while ago, and weve gotten quite close. It seems like shes still wary of you (seniors)." "Yeah, Kratia Melloi..." She confirmed his statement by nodding her head, yet she was still unable to hide her anxiousness. Kratia kept ncing at Lee Shin Woo in disbelief, and fortunately, Prince took that as her being shy. He nodded his head, made a sudden sound, and furrowed his brows. "Kratia Melloi... Wait a sec, youre the one who went into the channel and then left right away? The one who met with Lloyd a little while ago?" "Uh, yeah." "The one Lloyd said was stronger than him... Keut, you said you were a magician, right? Lets spar!" Once Kratia nodded her head, Prince raised his staff once more. However, Kratia didnt give him the time of day. She waspletely busy ncing at Lee Shin Woo. Lee Shin Woo could understand how she felt, but it was bing troublesome, so he re-equipped his helmet, covering his face. Only then did Kratia get a hold of herself, gasped, and pped her cheek. Her once pale cheeks soon turned red. Jin sighed and spoke with Lee Shin Woo through their connection. How did you disguise yourself so quickly? Thats what it means to be a pro. Thats right. The moment someone outside of their party noticed them, he had immediately activated Disguise. The reason that Prince Altania just moved on, and Kratia was so astonished was because of his disguise. It had only taken 0.01 seconds to change into his human appearance back on Earth with his level 6 Disguise skill! It was so fast that even if he were to disguise himself right in front of someone, they would think they were seeing things and let it go. "Hey, I said lets spar!" "...Huh?" Kratia finally turned her attention away from Lee Shin Woo and towards Prince Altania. She noticed that Prince was pointing his magic staff straight at her, but she didnt really react. "Why?" "Why, why... Thats right! In a joint operation with a magician youve met for the first time, youre supposed to spar so that you can assess each others abilities. You didnt know?" "A joint operation...?" It seemed like his joint operation was referring to challenging this training facility... Kratia couldnt understand what he was talking about, and tilted her head. As a rational magician, she couldnt understand Princes actions. "Whatever, cmon. Ah, and if you lose, dont go near Lloyd ever again!" "I dont like wasting my energy. Id rather focus on the traps here. And Im not interested in this Lloyd guy whatsoever." "Urgh... If youre not going to attack, then I will!" Kratia furrowed her brows at Princes persistence, and the moment she responded, an overwhelming amount of mes erupted from his staff! Lee Shin Woo didnt think Prince Altania would actually attack another hero, and just gaped while watching on the side. Hed gotten that vibe from him in the chatting channel, but he really was an idiot! "...Hoo." Despite the wave of mes that threatened to swallow her whole, Kratia sighed and waved her hand. Once the orb (it was a lot smaller thanst time), which was stuck to the back of her hand, shined and soared into the air, Prince muttered something, as if to stop her from casting a defensive spell, and cast another spell, but... "Freeze." With one word, everything froze. "...Woah." In an instant, the area had be silent. The mes, the new flow of mana that the Prince had created, and even Prince Altania himself were frozen. Lee Shin Woo ended up pping, as he saw her do something so ridiculous, yet she retrieved her orb with a single gentle hand movement without breaking a sweat. "Hes not dead though, right?" "He has magic, so he wont die. I held back." "Yeah, so you did hold back, huh..." Once Kratia softly waved her hand, the frozen mespletely vanished. Then, the mana that had formed in the air vanished as well. Andstly, the frozen Prince was thrown out of the subspace. Lee Shin Woo offered up a silent prayer for him, and Kratia tilted her head and briefly spoke her mind. "He was weird." "Well, I feel like I can understand where hesing from..." "You can understand him!?" Jin, rather than Kratia, was shocked and yelled. It made sense that he would point his staff at them since he had thought they were undead, but for Lee Shin Woo to understand him, when he had attacked another hero with a shitty reason like assessing her abilities!? When did Lee Shin Woo be such a saint!? However, Lee Shin Woo shrugged his shoulders and exined. "We were given all the clues. Like the magician that Lloyd said was stronger. In other words, Prince was pissed that Lloyd thought of Kratia so highly." "Why would he get pissed over that...?" "Because Lloyd would want Kratia more supposedly." "??" Kratia and Jin both looked confused. He was positive that they still didnt understand how what he was saying was rted to the situation at all. Lee Shin Woo thought about how he could exin the pride of a person with arge ego, or Prince and Lloyds strange rtionship that hed observed a few times in the chatting channel, but he quickly gave up and went with the easiest way of exining it. "Prince likes Lloyd. Hes jealous of Kratia since Lloyd thinks so highly of her. Theyre both magicians, so it mustve been even worse for him." "Hes a guy, though!? But I suppose a man can like another man!" "Yeah, I agree, but thats not the case here. Prince is a girl." "!?" "!?" The effect was tremendous! Jin and Kratia were confused! But this time, Lee Shin Woo was speechless seeing their faces. "How can you not know? That beautiful outer appearance, the way she puts up a strong front, yet the delicate gestures... And the deciding factor was the fact that therere traces of mana around her body that indicate that shes using a disguise type magic." "...Now that you mention it, it all makes sense." "Plus, the name Prince is clearly being used to show her masculinity. In cases like this, theres a high chance that shes actually the opposite gender." They ruminated over Princes appearance. It was exactly as Lee Shin Woo said. When they thought about it like that, they felt like it was weird that they had actually thought of her as a guy. "Its hard to hide your gender. Prince is the type who thinks that as long as she hides what she looks like on the outside and changes her voice, then shell be ok. Thats why she gets caught so easily." "Thats true, but it really pisses me off to hear it from you...!" "Agreed...!" "Huh?" Why? He thought hed exined it quite amicably, yet Jin and Kratia gazed at Lee Shin Woo as if they were letdown! Lee Shin Woo couldnt bear their anger, especially since he didnt know why they were mad at him in the first ce and turned his gaze. Then, Kratia suddenly grabbed him. "By the way, whats with that face from before?" "Ah, thats my face from when I was still on Earth. Though my Disguise skill has leveled up, I can only disguise myself this much for now." "Disguise? Thats a disguise? Hows that even possible?" "Even Im not sure how it works, so why dont you ask Godter?" Kratia grabbed onto Lee Shin Woo even tighter. Her eyes were filled with excitement. "Show me one more time." "We came here to go through the training facility, not research my Disguise skill, right?" "Just once." "Hoo." Lee Shin Woo sighed and took off his helmet. Kratia eximed with a ooh, approached him, and rubbed his cheek. That fresh feeling and the heat that was unmistakably human caused her to blush slightly. Lee Shin Woo looked down at her and spoke to her with a bit of a chilled voice. "Thats not what I look like right now. Its just a disguise." "Then is your true appearance that of a bony skeleton?" "..." "Who determines whats fake and whats real?" He could easily say that his disguised appearance was fake. However, his Joker karma stopped him. Since there was no one who recognized him as a fake. Kratia nodded her head as though she understood how he felt and continued. "One day the boundary between whats fake and whats real wille crashing down. Youll have to think hard when that timees, Shin Woo." Kratias words left a deep impression on Lee Shin Woo. If Lee Shin Woo were able to make a perfect fake, fool everyone, fool himself, and even fool the entire world... could he really call that a fake? He believed that when he could answer that question clearly, he would be a true Joker. "You really are a magician." "Thats the ultimate goal of a magician. Deceiving the world and creating whats real." "I told you, Im not a magician." "Kratia, youre getting way too close." Jin gently pushed Kratia away, who had been continuously rubbing Lee Shin Woos cheek. At the same time, the barrier opened and someone entered the training facility. It was obviously the Prince. "Y-Yooooooooou!" Prince aimed her staff at Kratia while water melted and dripped from the ends of her trembling hair. Lee Shin Woo thought shed be frozen for a few hours, but it seems like she didntpletelyck in the talent department. He was secretly impressed. "...I wont go easy on you this time." "Kuuuuuuu....!" The orb floated into the air and violently rotated, drawing in the surrounding mana and creating ice crystals. Seeing that, Prince recoiled, but soon grit her teeth and spoke. "Joint operation!" "Huh?" "I... Ive seen what you can do, so we should clear it together!" Lee Shin Woo saw Princes cheeks get so red that he thought they would explode and erupted inughter. Chapter 28 part3 Prince recognized the fact that she was weaker than Kratia, and it seemed like the situation was somehow resolved... but unfortunately, the situation didnt progress so smoothly. The joint operation... she hadnt even asked Lee Shin Woos group to work together with her, yet she insisted that, as heroes, they had to clear the training facility together. "Were going to the next level. Train by yourself. I dont like you." "The next level? Dont lie. You came here before me? You came to the Empire a lotter than me, so how!?" "I can prove it to you." "Keuk, thats a seal ofpletion... How!?" Lee Shin Woo let Kratia and Prince bicker, and went to explore the facility alone... No, he and Jin moved secretly and explored with Rem. There were two things that was surprising about this facility. One, it was huge, and two, mana was filling it to the brim. [It looks like they used golem techniques as well. It cannot carry out specificmands, but a simple core was inserted that can carry out simple repetitivemands.] "Looks that way. ...That looks like you could use it to train knights, too." There was a corner of the facility that made him think of an amusement park. Starting from the entrance, he followed the guide through the facility and would go from one building-shaped training ground to another. The difference between it and an amusement park was that there was a specific order one had to go through. And... "It seems like theres no safety equipment..." "Ill get scared, so dont say stuff like that." "But Kratias right. Itll definitely help in controlling mana." Lee Shin Woo secretly nced back. Kratia and Prince looked like they were still arguing, so he left them behind and entered the first facility. Then, he heard a mechanical sounding voice in his ear. It was a simr sound to that of a golem activating. [Beginning first training exercise. Testing how quickly the user can gather their mana.] [Three participants in the training exercise. Beginning training exercise. Please gather enough mana to use intermediate magic at minimum.] "Aha, so they do start with the fundamentals after all." "Huh? I have to do this too." [Master, if you give me the order, I will destroy the facilitys central hub. Probability of sess: 80%.] "For now, just do as it says." [I understand.] If it just wanted him to gather his mana into one spot, then he couldve done this when he was level 1, but by adding the intermediate magic stiption, they were probably testing how fast one could gather their mana, as well as ones maximum capacity. To be honest, it wasnt all that difficult, so he did it immediately. [Beginning second training exercise. Testing ability to infuse mana, as well as how much is lost during the transfer.] [Three participants in the training exercise. Beginning training exercise. Please infuse mana into the rock falling from above and stop it.] "Huh?" The message ended and at the same time, a giant rock suddenly fell from above their heads! Jin was taken aback, but Lee Shin Woo fired out mana that was umted in his hand and concentrated it into the rock. In addition, he used his connection with Jin to transfer the mana Jin had gathered to the rock as well. Rem could control mana well, as it possessed the Mana Parasite ability, and was easily able to infuse its mana into the rock. The moment the threes mana waspletely infused, the once falling rock stopped in ce. It was set up so that if an adequate amount of mana was infused, then the rock would stop falling. "Theres a limit to how inhospitable you can be; theyre trying to kills us!" "Get a hold of yourself, Jin. You wont die if you get hit by a rock like this anymore." "...Ah, youre right." [Passed. Beginning third training exercise. Testing rapid concentration and multiple infusions of mana.] [Three participants in the training exercise. Beginning training exercise. Please infuse a sufficient amount of mana into each and every rock thates flying in every direction.] The third training exercise was even more ridiculous. There were cannons that seemed to spring out from everywhere within the vast facility; they aimed for Lee Shin Woos party and sharp rocks were shot at them from every direction! Moreover, their mission objective was not to destroy or evade the rocks, but to infuse an adequate amount of mana into them to stop them! Jin was astonished once more, but Lee Shin Woo immediately progressed with the mission. To be honest, this was nothingpared to theplexity of making the Steelworker seal. All I have to do is calcte how much mana they need before they stop, and divide my mana and infuse it into them. The amount of mana he needed to use to stop each rock was identical. But before the rocks came close, he would have to sense them, fire his mana at a long-range, and infuse it into them, which was a bitplex. However, Lee Shin Woo was capable of this level of mana control when he was level 3, so he was able to do it easily. But Jin was the problem. "Hey! Why arent you stopping the onesing at me! Hey!" "You have to practice too. It may look like it doesnt apply to you, but if you be able to control mana in a multitude of ways, then all of your abilities will get stronger." Lee Shin Woo said provokingly as he shot out his mana everywhere and urately hit the rocks. After that, Jin was struck by quite a few more rocks (it didnt hurt much since he was covered in steel armor, but he felt quite bad) and gritted his teeth, then tried his best to imitate Lee Shin Woo. Of course, it wasnt that easy. "No, not that way. You have to control it a bit more thoroughly. It seems like they wont stop if you infuse too much mana." "How is this even possible!?" But after continuously getting hit by the rocks, Jin concentrated more on his magic control, even if he was doing it out of anger. After 7 minutes of being struck by the barrage of rocks, he finally seeded in infusing the right amount of mana into a rock! At that very moment, the rocks that had once been flying at them vanished. [Ending training exercise. Passed: 2, Failed: 1.] [Would you like to kick out the failure and continue with the next training exercise? Or would you like to retrain with the failure?] "This guy is doing this on purpose, isnt he!? He ended it here on purpose, didnt he!?" "Calm down. If you get too excited, then youll forget what it felt like!" "I dont care. Ill just destroy it all!" Right when Jin was about to destroy the facility with his mouth cannon, the training was suspended and Kratia walked onto the premises. Prince was with her, though it looked like she still didnt understand what was going on. "Shin Woo, we dont have time to waste on the basic training facility." "Yeah, if you want to assess this frustrating kids ability, then you have to go further in." "So wait, you decided to work together?" "So long as they follow us and dont say anything." "Keuk." "Oh..." It seemed as though an individual who had previously passed the training exercises can skip those facilities; it looked likepanions could go with them as well. Hearing that, Lee Shin Woo thought briefly and got down from Jins back. Youre going to follow them!? I trust you. Plus, you need this training. Well, see youter. Hey...! Jin was so surprised that he leap up, but Lee Shin Woo just grinned and patted him. Once Prince entered, Rem went into stealth mode and hid itself. Lee Shin Woo ced Rem atop Jins back so that it wouldnt be noticed. Rem, just make sure this guy doesnt die. I understand. Kratia, who had been watching that interaction, noticed that Rem went into stealth mode, but didnt say anything. That was because she realized that Lee Shin Woo was trying to hide a few facts that stemmed from him being a skeleton. But unrted to that, Kratia was slightly disappointed in Prince, as she didnt notice Rem going into stealth mode. To be honest, it was only possible because Lee Shin Woo had added in his Assimtion and Disguise skills. If one couldnt grasp Rems original mana, then it would fool anyone. "A horse will just get in the way of your training. ...But if you just leave it like that, it wont leave?" "Hes extremely smart, so itll be fine." "Then again, it does seem quite impressive for a horse that you got in the Empire... Its just like that elf said." "Now, lets go forward. Kratia, you lead." When Prince saw Jin, who was wearing steel armor, she briefly admired him, but other than that, she paid him no mind. Of course, Lee Shin Woo had slightly used his ability here as well. He had seeded inpletely tearing her attention away from Jin and Rem. "The further we go, the moreplex it bes. There are also sections that requirebat." "Combat?" "Since this is a dungeon. Monsters are led and restrained through magic." "Ah, as expected." Lee Shin Woo then understood. Regardless of how amazing the Royal Magician Leader was, he wouldnt have been able to create thisrge of a subspace in a ce that had nothing there. In other words, he had created this facility by using pre-existing dungeons. "Though it is amazing that he tied together several dungeons into one." "Thats not something a human being can do..." While they talked, the group used Kratias free pass to get through the various facilities. As he passed through, Lee Shin Woo saw the hidden, bloodied iron maces hidden here and there, the thorn floor, the spears that were set up in the ceiling that threatened to fall, as well as the areas that werepletely destroyed and rebuilt into the facilities with magic, etc... and he couldnt figure whether the Royal Magician Leader wanted to train magicians or to bury them. "This facility also has a system that measures the level of magic, and whether one can use magic or not. Its not an ability inherent to the dungeon, so its definitely an artifact. I was sure after I retraced the mana." "R-Retraced?" Princes eyes shook. Yeah, Lee Shin Woo had roughly expected that she wouldnt know anything. "We came here to clear all of the training exercises and take that. Dont touch it." "But as a fellow hero, I should..." "You agreed to follow us and not say anything." "Keuk...!" "But if you want the artifact, you canpete with us. Though it would be 2 on 1." Kratia dragged one of Lee Shin Woos arms towards her and hugged it, andughed at Prince. After she had figured out that Prince was a girl, Kratias way of teasing her had changed. It seemed like her teasing was quite effective. "I wouldnt need your help if Lloyd was here...!" "If you needed help, you shouldve brought him." "But I couldnt stand the sight him enjoying that elf sticking to him, so I... Hey, why am I telling you this!? Its fine, you can take it all! All I need is an increase in my magical abilities!" Lee Shin Woo watched as Prince got caught up in Kratias simple trick as well as her self-implosion, and couldnt bare how cute she was. It felt like he was watching a couple of girls ying together. However, that soon came to an end. With Kratias free pass, they passed through 70% of the facility and finally stopped in front of arge building. "Starting here, it was impossible for me to do alone. A lot of monsters, and I mean a lot of monsterse. There are a lot of traps as well, and you have to control your magic during all of this. Theres no time to even follow themands. You just have to get through." Of course, the reason that the Royal Magician Leader had created this facility was to give the trainee a specific task and in the process of passing, they would be better at controlling magic, thus bing a better magician overall. But because the danger of this facility was so high, anyone would pass if they got through the facility as well. "Do I just need to take care of the monsters?" "If you can." "It should be fine if I just burn the entire facility." "That could... work." "Alright, then lets start." "Wait a sec." Kratia stopped Prince, who was about to enter the facility. Compared to when she was teasing her before, Kratia spoke in a quite serious tone. "Since so much time has passed, the facility has developed in apletely different direction from the original creators wishes. We have to prepare as much as we can." "So you want to use tricks instead of doing it fairly? I cant do that. My pride as a magician wont allow me to!" "You had a free pass all the way here, and yet..." "All the more reason that I have to prove myself here! If youre afraid, then Ill go in first. You can follow behind me!" He knew this would happen eventually, but it happened at a crucial time; Prince didnt heed Kratias warning and charged. Kratia clicked her tongue as she saw Prince charge into the facility alone. Lee Shin Woo spoke carefully. "Do we not need to follow her?" "Shelle out soon. You get a chance to do that." Kratia ended up being right. Once she said that, Prince rushed out of the facility while shivering and looking as though she would cry. She had only been in there for but a moment, yet her clothes were in tatters and beneath her ripped robes, he could slightly see her lingerie top. "T-The monsters... the monsters...!" "There, there. Itll be fine." She had received such an extreme shock that she temporarily reverted to a preschooler, so Lee Shin Wooforted her. Above all, the scariest part was that the facility was still extremely quiet, even at this very moment. Lee Shin Wooforted Prince and waited for Kratia to exin the facility to them. She smiled slightly and said honestly. "Despite it being a subspace that was creating by connecting several dungeons together, it wasnt managed properly and was neglected for dozens of years, so there are a lot of monsters clumped up in that limited space. Theyre all at least level 6..." "How many?" "...I could only count about 50,000. Plus, its frustrating because whenever you mess up, the monsters are all buffed." "Hoh." The moment he heard that, Lee Shin Woo equipped his sword, the Breath of the Lightning God. One in each hand at that! "That sounds really interesting." Lee Shin Woo hadnt understood why he had toe to a facility designed to train magicians, but now he did. Kratia, thanks for bringing me here! "Then, shall we go in when were all ready?" "I really like that about you." The mana that once flowed throughout his body was redirected into his two Breath of the Lightning Gods. As if responding to him, Kratia concentrated mana into her orb while bringing out magical devices that hed never even seen before one by one. Prince, who was silently watching them from the side, said. "Can I go after I change my clothes?" Chapter 28 part4 In a ce where he couldnt see her, Prince Altania quickly changed her clothes, came out, (it seems like heroes carry around a few sets of their equipment in case of an emergency) and spoke while ring at Lee Shin Woo. "Forget what you saw." "Of course, I didnt see anything." "Dont ever tell anyone." "I understand." "If you do, Ill kill you for real! Ill stake my mana on it!" "I already told you that I wouldnt." Lee Shin Woo said hed do as she asked, and threw her a disarming smile. Prince blushed and tugged on the lower end of her clothes. If Jin were here, he wouldve probably been astonished at the way Lee Shin Woo handled her and wouldve unnecessarily kicked him. Thats right. Prince, who had gone into the training facility alone and had returned in defeat, had her robes torn to shreds, so her true identity was revealed to both Lee Shin Woo and Kratia. Of course, they both knew prior that she was a woman, but Prince had no way of knowing that. "Damn it, I guess theres no helping since Ive been caught... Hoo." Prince said, and at the same time, took off her ne. At that moment, her hair, which hadnt even been short before, lengthened to her waist, her adams apple sunk in, the shape of her eyes softened a bit, and her overall vibe became feminine. He had somewhat expected this when she was disguised as a man, but she was incredibly beautiful. Her body, which hadnt really had any curves before was now... Unfortunately, her body barely changed. Around that time, Prince had noticed Lee Shin Woos gaze, raised her eyebrows, and red at him. "What? What is it?" Her true voice was obviously that of a young girl. Lee Shin Woo just shrugged his shoulders at her fierce reaction. He couldnt tell her the real reason, so he had no choice but to ry some other facts that hed figured out about her. "It just seems like your magic has increased significantly, Senior. Do you normally use your magic to maintain your disguise?" "...Itsplicated." "I suppose it must be." If one made a mistake in the Empire, then they would die. Even so, she tied down her mana for it, which meant that she was also willing to take the associated risks with doing so. "In any case, its a relief that youre willing to help us." "Kuu." Lee Shin Woo decided not to say anymore. Humans possessed beliefs they wanted to realize, no matter how naive or foolish. So long as she didnt drag him into that stupidity, then it was fine. "Shin Woo, are you ready?" "Im good." "How about you?" "Dont look down on me. Since Ive returned to my original form, I wont lose to..." "Then lets go in." "Ugh...!" Kratia used her orb to absorb as much of the ambient mana as possible, freeze it, and enclosed her body with it. It was at the level of one of the 12 generals! As if she werepeting, Prince concentrated mana into her staff, but it was weaker than Kratias. "Damn it, why is this newbie a level 7..." "Youll be level 7 soon, Senior. If that happens, you wont lose to her." "Yeah, as I thought, youre really not bad, Lee Shin Woo!" "...Shin Woo, youre acting like a nanny." They finished with their preparations and took a deep breath. After that, they immediately entered the training facility. Coincidentally, the moment Lee Shin Woo entered the facility, he could understand how Prince felt. [Wee to the neenth training exercise.] There was another world inside. "Hey, this is..." "The true nature of subspace magic hasnt been discovered yet. The best a human being could achieve at the time was to imitate the mystery applied to a dungeon and use it. However, the Royal Magician Leader, Feotane Von Seldin, brashly tied several dungeons together and treated it like a single subspace..." Kratia calmly exined that, as a result of neglecting the facility for dozens of years and allowing it to develop on its own, the inside of this tiny training facility ended up bing the size of a small scale city. It was exactly as she said. He couldnt find any traces of the original training facility, and half of it was made up of jungles and caverns; it looked like a wilderness that had been increased in size by several times. Above all, there were hidden magic traps everywhere, and... [Gureureureukuaaaaaaah!] [Kiuoooooh!] There was such an overwhelming amount of monsters that the ground beneath them was barely visible. Plus, like Kratia had said, they were all level 6 wild animal type monsters! [The training exercise will begin soon. You must stop the activation of the 297 magic traps in time, and you must annihte the 666 monsters. A few of the magic traps activate as soon as the training exercise begins, so please figure out where they are beforehand.] "Hey, no matter how I look at it, this isnt 666 monsters!" "We cant get into the next facility until we pass this training exercise. So we have no choice but to break the entire facility!" "Hey, theyreing. Theyreing right now!" [Beginning training exercise.] [Kuwaaaaaaaaah!] Once the faint guide voice vanished, the monsters were released from their confined area. At the same time, a variety of different magic traps activated! However, Kratia, as if waiting for that very moment, released the frost that had been around her. Everything around her was frozen, whether it be the ground, the air, or anything between! In this dreamlikendscape where time seemed to stop... Kratia yelled. "Go, Shin Woo! Hurry!" "Lightning Sprint!" He wanted to use this sprint skill with Jin, but he had no choice. Lee Shin Woo kicked off the ground and activated the high rank sprint skill, Lightning Sprint. At that moment, the rushing mana that flowed through his bones turned into golden lightning and enveloped his body. It was like being covered in animal skin made of lightning. Plus. [You are fighting against an irrational amount of monsters, as well as countless magic traps. The Rebellion skill has be Lv4, all stats have increased by 5, and the effect has increased!] [Through the Rebellion skill, all stats have increased by 16%. Because Kratia Melloi is here, who you have made a deep contractual rtionship with, all stats increase by a further 11%. Half of the effect is applied to yourrades as well!] The Rebellion skill leveled up at a great time. Plus, the effectiveness increased even further. In an instant, his stats had increased by 27%, which would increase the power of his skills as well, effectively amplifying Lee Shin Woos strength. Furthermore, Kratia, as well as Prince, who was temporarily on his team, received half of those effects as well! "It feels like my magic has been increased all of a sudden..." "Im going!" It was as if the two Breath of the Lightning Gods he was wielding were reacting to his Lightning Sprint, as lightning covered his body and emitted sparks. He charged at the group of monsters attacking his party. It was pretty much his first time using the skill against monsters, but he looked really natural. "Its a trap!" "Not a problem!" The moment he charged, the magical traps that Kratia hadnt been able to stop activated. They came from the ground, tried to weigh him down from above, attacked from midair, attempted to transport him to another space, aimed to poison him, or would put him to sleep, but all of them futilely bounced off the lightning that enclosed his body and disappeared. That was the power of an element that had reached the high rank level. Nice, its really good! Lee Shin Woo, who realized that the traps couldnt hurt him, rushed towards the group of monsters without hesitation. His two des, which seemed like the maw of a beast, violently and nimbly ripped apart the monsters from the front. [Ku-Kuhat!?] [Hishiiiiii!] At the moment of impact, he killed seven monsters in a single strike, and when they left only bone and vanished, the other monsters flinched. However, Lee Shin Woo didnt stop. He was maintaining his Lightning Sprint, and that allowed him to quickly push forward. It felt like he had be Jin. He could move iparably fastpared to normal, and his response time was likewise iparable. Lee Shin Woo pierced through the heads of the monsters that dared to strike from above, and would rip through the sides and shoot lightning at the monsters that attempted to bypass him and strike at his allies! [Kihik!] [Kyaaaah!] The monsters would be shocked and paralyzed just by being near him. The time they were paralyzed was extremely short, but as of now, it was more than enough time for Lee Shin Woo to decapitate them. The Breath of the Lightning Gods that he was wielding spewed lightning, and whenever they cried out, the monsters bodies would explode. "Huaaaaaaah!" [Kugaaaahk!] There was even a pleasant surprise; though there was the mana consumption that came from maintaining Lightning Sprint... Lee Shin Woo hadnt thought of training his intermediate Mana Bone with it. The facility had be twisted after dozens of years of neglect, and mana had umted more and more within this space, so his bones crazily drew in the ambient mana and covered any mana consumption he had. Rather, he had so much mana that it felt like it would overflow, and he used that overflowing mana to increase the size of his lightning. Mana Bone and Lightning Sprint had formed an equilibrium. I see. Perhaps... Within a second, Lee Shin Woo sprinted, swung his sword dozens of times, killed several hundreds of monsters, and then realized something. Hed caught a glimpse of it when his party had gone through the level 6 dungeon, but fighting against level 6 monsters and overpowering them so easily, he couldnt help but realize. [Critical Hit!] [Critical Hit!] [Kuhaaah!] He was strong. Really strong. [Gueehk!] [Critical Hit!] Because almost all of the monsters hed fought so far had been a higher level than him, he had either avoided them, caused them to destroy each other, made traps, attacked together with allies, or tricked them, so he had thought he wouldnt be able to judge his abilities, but that was a huge misunderstanding. [Critical Hit!] [Critical Hit!] Rule of Bone, Bursting Thunder, the Lightning Element, Combat Sense, Mana Bone, Bone Armory, Lightning Sprint, and Rebellion. These abilities hed desperately gathered in order to get stronger, as well as the experiences and the memories of higher leveled enemies mixed together and were making him stronger. In the beginning, he had done this in order to beat higher leveled enemies. It was strange for him not to overpower enemies that were at the same level. Regardless of whether they numbered in the hundreds, thousands, or tens of thousands! In this world, one powerful individual could trample several weaklings. Now, level 6 monsters were nothing more than weakling that he could trample over. "L-Lightning? Keuk, Fire Demons Grip!" It had been 2 seconds since hed started the battle, and within that time, Lee Shin Woo had killed hundreds of monsters. Around that time, Prince began participating in the battle. Large scale destruction was a magicians specialty! She had done as Kratia had asked, swallowed down her pride, and prepared arge scale magic attack before she had entered the facility. [Kuaaaaaaaaaaaaahk!] [Guoooooooooooh!] me magic was so powerful that people often remarked that no other element could match it in terms of pure destructive capability. That destructive power, as well as fires tendency to draw in its surrounding to increase its durability, were all closely connected to destruction and death. The effect of her spell that she called Fire Demons Grip was impressive, and just as shed wanted, the jungle waspletely burnt and hundreds of monsters were killed in an instant. The mes didnt die out, as the destructive mes spread in every direction, and tormented the surrounding monsters. "Hut, how is it..." She was tired after casting such a spell and Prince turned around to the other two and was momentarily speechless. During the small time while she was casting her spell, hundreds of monsters were cut apart by Lee Shin Woo while he sprinted around, but... "Clear, clear, clear..." She thought that Kratia wouldnt have any energy left after casting such arge scale ice spell at the beginning, but Kratia was aiming her orb with one hand to stop all the monsters that came towards them. Kratia used her other hand to create a magic circle to find all the magic traps and disarm them one by one. They were going through the training that the Royal Magic Leader had wanted! "Hey, you said that was impossible before..." "Shin Woos helping me out a lot, so I can do it now. Im going to break through them all at once. You help too. Clear." It was then that Princepletely epted it. Kratia wasnt just a higher level or had more magic than her, she was also superior in knowledge and understanding, both of which were essential for a magician! Chapter 28 part5 Normally, there was a limit to how much a dungeon could hold. If no one were to visit the facility after such a long time, then it was obvious that the number of monsters within the dungeon would multiply as a result of them breeding or the dungeon forming new monsters, but when they reach their limit, the creation of monsters slows down orpletely stops. [Kuwaaaaaahk!] "Tch, theres no end to them... Heup!" [Critical Hit!] But because the Royal Magician Leader had tied several dungeons together and broadened his magic, he had caused the facility to ovee that limitation. Of course, he probably didnt intend for the dungeon to spawn an infinite amount of monsters. He had only created this facility to cultivate the skills of the Royal Magicians. However, none of them hade looking for the facility, and even the Royal Magician Leader himself hadnt visited; plus, several years had passed, so as a result, it had be something like an infinite monster spawner. There were supposed to be 666 monsters in the neenth training facility, yet there were at least 60,000 of them. "Hoooo... Huaaaap!" [Critical Hit!] Lee Shin Woo ovepped both his Breath of the Lightning Gods and swung downwards. The mana following through his des transformed into a streak of lightning and exploded, eradicating the monsters in the whole area. In an instant, a section of the monsters was annihted and the ground unearthed. Seeing that, Prince trembled. "How is he... Is he a magician!?" "Shin Woos a better magician than you." "Hey, stop chatting and kill monsters!" One of Bursting Thundersrge-scale techniques: Lightningbolt. This high rank skill caused arge amount of lightning element mana to be discharged through a particr method, and the atmospheric mana would be gathered, creating a single lightningbolt, which would then be dropped from the sky. Since it was a technique that could only be used with a specific method in a specific situation, it was very much inferior to Kratias Catalyst Magic, which would unconditionally transform mana into ice. However, in terms of destructive power alone, it didnt lose out. [Kihi, Kihaaaa...] "Nice. Now I can finally see whats in front of me." Lee Shin Woo had poked a hole through a section of the monsters, shed a rxed smile at the hesitating group of monsters, and straightened out his posture. He had refrained from using a technique that consumed so much mana before, but it was a bit of a different story when mana was pouring into him from every direction. [Kyahaaaaaaaaahk!] "Oh no you dont!" [Kugugugugugagagahk!] Even now, he was using more than 50% of his mana, but whenever the monsters died, they would release a ton of mana, which would then be instantly drawn into his body,pensating for more than half of his lost mana. He seized that opportunity and pushed in with his two des, using the lightning they created to cut through the monsters in the area in a single stroke. If he were training his mana, then he could say that this was the best training ever! The flow of the rushing mana is... I can feel it clearly. Theres so much mana that I feel dizzy. But if I can control itpletely, then...! All of his bones would absorb close to their limit in mana at each and every moment, and then he would discharge it, followed by absorbing that quantity of mana again. It was like he was breathing through his bones; his bones needed to breathe in and out as much as they could. If his bones were lungs, then they wouldve either stopped functioning or exploded. "One more time... Lightningbolt!" [Critical Hit!] However, he wasnt tired nor did he retreat. His body, which had been reinforced through Rule of Bone, would never break. Rather, his body seemed like it wanted more mana, as it breathed in even stronger than before, and absorbed more mana than his previous limitation, turning that mana into his own. At that moment, his skill had surpassed its limitation and grew. [The Intermediate Mana Bone skill has be Lv10 and has evolved into the high rank level! Magic has increased by 200! You can proficiently control mana with just your mind, and can now more easily manipte the surrounding mana. You can now react more perfectly to any type of attack that involves mana.] [The Rule of Bone skill has be Lv9. All stats have increased by 5. You can now strengthen your bones even further while using less mana.] As expected, aprehensive, high rank mana skill was different from any normal skill. Originally, Lee Shin Woos magic was 2,025, so with the Mana Bones level up to the high rank, his magic had increased by 10%. Moreover, the effectiveness of the skill had increased as well, so that 10% wasnt really just 10%. He could release mana and absorb mana quicker than before. Since everything he did was rted to mana, with just that rank up, his fighting strength increased. Moreover, Rule of Bone had leveled up as well, so the weight behind each and every blow would be even heavier! [Critical Hit!] [Critical Hit!] Lee Shin Woo was like a thunderstorm, as he rushed in with two des in hand, and cut the monsters to pieces. "Hey, he got stronger all of a sudden!" "I cant lose!" Prince stirred as she saw what Lee Shin Woo was doing on the battlefield, and Kratias eyes likewise lit up, as she cast more spells. They were losing to Lee Shin Woo in magic, even though they possessed karmas that specialized in only magic, so how could their pride not be hurt!? "Eek, I cant lose to a newbie...!" "Clear, clear..." Though Prince had been daunted at her failure at the beginning, she shook it off, and sucked in the ambient mana; she concentrated on casting her most powerful spell as quickly as possible. She had to surpass her limitations in this pressing situation! "Fire Demon - Explosion! All of you, burn! Fire Demons kick!" "Clear, clear, clear..." On the other end, Kratia focused on more quickly disarming the traps within her absolute defense shield. ording to her, this definitely wasnt thest of the facilities. There were a few more facilities filled with more powerful monsters and more vicious traps. We cant go on by just killing the monsters, and if we were to fail, even after killing this many monsters, Im afraid of all the new variables thatlle from challenging it again. If thats the case, then her job wasnt to kill as many monsters as possible or find the traps set up here but to find the traps that were deeper in, so that she could disarm them immediately. After all, that was the purpose of this training exercise! Shed already aplished several feats by doing so and had even reached level 7, so she thought she could do this. "Clear, clear... Shin Woo, there arent that many traps left!" "Then, I guess I just need to ughter the rest of these guys!" Lee Shin Woo took a deep breath. It wasnt like any oxygen would go into his lungs, but he was able to prepare himself for anotherrge-scale attack. Heuuuuuup! Lee Shin Woo split the plentiful mana in his body into two: one part went into Lightning Sprint, and the other... went into Lightning Shadow, a technique hed never actually used before. It was the general, Hansen Von Dorthes namesake, and was a technique that processed mana into a unique state: a buff that strengthened the body! Because Hansen Von Dorthe wasnt able topletely transform his body into lightning, the lightning damaged himself as well, but to Lee Shin Woo, who could freely change his interior mana, that didnt apply to him. At the very least, Lee Shin Woo far surpassed Hansen Von Dorthe in terms of mana control. As expected, the mana consumption is huge, but... theres nowhere else that I can practice thebination of Lightning Sprint and Lightning Shadow but here, where mana is just pouring in! Lightning Sprint, which coated the exterior in lightning. Lightning Shadow, which altered his interior into lightning element mana. If hebined the two into one, then what would be the result? It made his heart pound. Keuk, Kuhaaaa...! Butbining the two skills together? He could barely breathe just from using both of the skills simultaneously. If Mana Bone hadnt leveled up to the high rank level, then he wouldnt have been able to even attempt this. But even amidst the pain that felt like his body was breaking apart, Lee Shin Woo grit his teeth and kept his eyes wide open. Arge number of sparks were emitted from his body, making it difficult to even see what was in front of him. The powerful lightning that flowed from inside and outside his body antagonized him and viciously bared its teeth at him. It felt like that powerful energy would only be satisfied if either he or his enemies were destroyed. If thats the case, then...! The moment Lee Shin Woos two des became lightning teeth and shined, the lightning exploded. The earth exploded, and the sky cried out. The monsters bodies scattered and vaporized into beads of blood. [The Lightning Shadow skill has be Lv2. Strength and Magic have increased by 10. You can now more naturally control the lightning permeating your body.] No one could see his skill. They wouldve either been swept up in it and exploded, or been cut apart by it and blown away. He had gathered the surrounding mana and made it his own, and in the next moment, discharged the lightning, so it was much greater than Kratias own Catalyst Magic. "What is he... Hes scary..." "Clear, clear... Clear." Prince, who had been gathering magic to cast her spell, stopped in shock. Contrary to her, Kratia remained calm and continued to disarm the magic traps. However, at some point, she stopped. She had finally disarmed all the magic traps. But the fact that the rms not ringing means that we really do have to kill all of the monsters. However, there werent even that many monsters left. It wouldve been impossible if Kratia hade alone, even if she had a hundred years. Since new monsters would be created while she disarmed the magic traps and killed the monsters! Shin Woo didnt realize just how powerful he was, huh. Lee Shin Woo looked like an extremely impressive warrior while fighting against the monsters, but Kratia saw him more as a magician than a warrior. Despite the fact that he was plenty skilled enough, he would stake his life in anything he did and fight against enemies where victory wasnt assured, so he would always prepare alternative methods to beat his enemies. Even if he was a good match, he would take a step back and calmly assess the situation and then respond. However, that wasnt because of fear. It was so that he couldpletely overwhelm his opponent. Because of that, he had underestimated his own abilities. But honestly, his abilities were amazing, so could it even be said that he had a weakness? Kratia just shook her head. [Kuha, Gaaaaaahk...] "The end." While Kratia was briefly caught up in her thoughts, Lee Shin Woos de pierced through thest monsters head. At that moment, Lightning Shadow and Lightning Sprint were released, and he felt drained, but at the same time, he was filled with joy. He hadnt seeded the first time, but he had found a clue on how tobine Lightning Shadow and Lightning Sprint. [Training exercise passed. Congrattions. You may now head into the next facility.] Did it even know how difficult the training was? The appearance of the small world was hidden at the same time they heard the monotone voice. They could now progress to the next training facility. Chapter 28 part6 It had been a week since Lee Shin Woos group had entered the magic training facility. They rested in between and were somehow able to clear the twentieth facility. They rested for almost an entire day and after they werepletely ready, they entered the twenty-first facility and were struggling. Lee Shin Woo thought this facility was the equivalent of 10 high level dungeons, but he didnt make the judgment solely based on the number of monsters. "Kratia, theyre spawning behind you!" "Keuk, what level magic did they nt here...!?" "All of youe out since Ill burn you all! Fire Demons eyes!" He said this several time before, but each facility was going in a different direction than what the producer had intended. It wasnt just the quantity of monsters; it also took into ount the reinforcement magic that was set up, as well as the magic traps. A few subspaces were ovepping, which caused the size of the facility to increase, and in the process of that expansion, the magic traps intensified due to the quantity of mana. Whats worse, in the process of expanding, the spawn locations became much worse for them. [Activating reinforcement magic. Activating reinforcement magic.] [Kuhaahk!] "Ah, wait a sec. Is that..." "This is crazy... Kratia, get back. I said get back!" Moreover, the reinforcement magic was supposed to activate only if they failed in disarming the magic traps, but because the magic traps had changed, they activated on their own without them even touching them and continuously reinforced the monsters. And if a few chances stacked up, then something would appear that they couldnt be happy about. [Lv7 Metal Ape Chimera] Like a level 7 elite monster suddenly appearing when there should only be level 6 monsters residing within this facility. [Kuwaaaaaaaaaaaaah!] "Ah, crap. What the hell is that!? What the hell is a chimera?" "If you go that way, youll really die, Senior! Wait no, the right side. Kratia, disarm that trap over there!" "Im doing it... Clear!" There was an art technique known as decaania. One would paint on the surface of a material that wouldnt absorb the pigment, and then it would either be folded in half, or one would get a new piece of paper and cover it; either way, the original art would be transferred intact. "Clear! Shin Woo!" "Get back for now. Ill take it on, so get back!" [Kuhwaaaaaaahk!] Right now, the space was expanding and was repeatedlybining. Soon, rule and order was lost, and everything was mixed up; at the end of this chaos, everything waspletely recreated. That Chimera, which was created from countless monsters ovepping in the same space, was the result of this chaos as well. If the Royal Magician Leader, Feotane Von Seldins goal was to kill everyone inside, then he did a great job. [Kiiiiiiiiiiiii!] "T-Theres no way we can beat it. How can we beat a level 7 elite? Well die. Theres no choice but to die." "Senior, please take care of the weak mobs. Ill take care of it." "Youre level 6!" Prince had fought bravely against the normal level 6 monsters without stopping, but once the elite level 7 monster, the Metal Ape Chimera appeared, shepletely lost her will to fight. However, Lee Shin Woo dual wielded the Breath of the Lightning Gods and grinned at her. "You know that Im no normal level 6." "Keut..." It was frustrating, but Prince had to nod at that. Just conquering this facility should be considered karma due to the hardships they had to endure, and with her repeated, desperate struggles, Princes skills had grown tremendously. It wouldnt be an exaggeration to say that shed be a different person. It was the same for Kratia as well. Her magic control became more exquisite day by day, and her Catalyst Magic, which changed the mana around her through her orb, took a major step forward. Above all, her maximum capacity of magic had definitely increased. However... But whenever her affable and meek junior entered the battlefield, he would sweep through his enemies like a typhoon... Lee Shin Woo was beyond her understanding. He had said that God had given him the ability to wrap powerful lightning around his body, so that was fine. Lee Shin Woo was also a warrior who could gather a ton of mana, which could also be exined away by his trip to Gods garden, so she could somewhat understand that. But when she put all that together and looked at her own growth, she could say that the biggest problem was that Lee Shin Woo far surpassed both her and Kratia. After they had rested and gone through the twentieth facility, she had passed it off as a high rank skill, but now she was sure. Whenever he went through a facility, he got a lot stronger! Hes definitely gotten faster than when he was in the twentieth facility. Hes definitely gotten stronger too, and his magic has increased as well. So much so that even a person that isnt proficient in closebat like me can tell... His growth rate was much faster than hers. How was that even possible? Did he buy a pile of medicine from the secret shop and take it all? No, they were splitting the Perium equally between the three of them, so she was well aware that he couldnte up with that much Perium. Hed probably leveled up his skills only once or twice, and their achievements shouldve been rtively the same. Then how!? Of course, stat growth differs between individuals. Differences do exist. However! Even so, its still too fast! Its way too fast! How about Lloyd? He was a level 6 warrior that was on the cusp of being level 7. He was tough, and with a buff, he would be able to take on monsters without retreating; it made him feel like a truly reliable iron wall. She felt a sense of ease whenever Lloyd would stand in front of her and protect her, and it made her feel like she wanted to stay like that forever. But right now, she didnt even really remember what his abilities were like. Instead, her memories were reced by a storm, a lightning storm that disintegrated everything in its path. Keuk, no way. If he and Lloyd were to fight one on one, Lloyd wouldnt lose. He definitely wouldnt! She arduously muttered, even though she wasnt really sure of her own words. Plus, even if Lloyd could beat Lee Shin Woo right now, Lee Shin Woo would definitely be stronger than him soon with his monstrous growth rate. "Kratia, can you use that debuff you usedst time?" "Itll be a bit weaker thanst time. ...But youre a lot stronger thanst time, Shin Woo." "And our opponents are a lot weaker thanst time, too." "Hueut." While Prince was half panicking, Lee Shin Woo and Kratia exchanged a few words, smiled, and turned around towards their enemy. Through the past week, he had continuously used these two skills and now that he knew they werepatible with each other, he instantly d his body in both Lightning Shadow and Lightning Sprint. [Kuwooooooooh!] The Metal Ape Chimera was a level 7 elite that possessed a truly horrific form, as it wasposed of different monsters, and it gained herculean strength, size, and armor once it hit level 7. Plus, its intelligence must have improved as it leveled up as well; as it roared, it kept its guard up against Lee Shin Woo and couldnt move easily. It shouldve approximated Lee Shin Woos strength, so it was the obvious move. Somehow, my stats have increased by about 1,000. Prince didnt know how Lee Shin Woo had grown so quickly, but the answer was obvious. He had used Bone Reinforcement! Tens of thousands of level 6 monsters had appeared, so obviously, tens of thousands of bones would drop. Kratia, who knew about his situation, gave the bones to Lee Shin Woo without him asking, and he told Prince that he had a lot of secret shop permits, so hed sell them in her stead, so he received all the bones. He kept half of them for Jin, but even so, there were more than 30,000 bones there. There was no way his stats wouldnt rise. This is a treasure trove. It wouldnt be this efficient, even if youbined 10, no 20 dungeons together. Plus, in such a short time... I have to thank the Royal Magician Leader if I meet him. From just the first facility, his stats had increased by 500, and with the second facility, his stats had increased by another 300. All of his skills leveled up as well,ting him another 100 plus stats, so the stat change was quite noticeable. Moreover, right now... [Kuwaaaaaaaaaaaah!] [You are fighting a high leveled foe. Through the Rebellion skill, all stats increase by an additional 16%!.] Because he had been fighting such arge volume of enemies, his Rebellion skill had activated and his stats had already been increased, but his skill activated once more. The Rebellion skill had increased his stats by 43%. It was the same as a level up. Moreover, my stats have surpassed 6,000, so... It filled in the gap that his skills had left. Even if he didnt have Kratias debuff, he couldve taken on the level 7. Because of the intense situation and the repeated battles that came in such a short period of time, Lee Shin Woo now had a somewhat objective grasp on his strength. "Good. Shall we...!?" [Gureureuraaaaaa!] The lightning bared its fangs as he rushed towards the Metal Ape Chimera. The Metal Ape Chimera didnt seem to back down, as it snarled... suddenly, it ordered the nearby monsters to attack Lee Shin Woo! "The strategys fair and square, but it doesnt match its appearance!" "Prince!" "Oh, I... I got it, damn it." Kratia, who was watching the situation, spoke harshly. Fortunately, Prince responded on time. The fire that shed shot out instantly burnt the monsters to a crisp and Lee Shin Woo cut down the dozens of monsters left in front with a forceful swing of his Breath of the Lightning God. ck energy was mixed with the lightning, forming a giant horn. An extremely sharp and secretive horn: Shadow Horn! "Shadow Horn!" It was still impossible for him to project shadows, but he could activate a portion of the gigantification ability of the intermediate Shadow Horn ability, which caused the horn to be evenrger. With reflexes befitting a level 7 elite, the Metal Ape Chimera stretched out its arm covered in thick armor, and attempted to block it. Unfortunately, the armor broke into pieces and the shadow continued on, destroying its forearm. [Critical Hit!] [Kyaaaaaaaahk!] It uttered a horrific cry, and its legs squirmed. Its movements caused the entire space to roll around, and all the magic traps simultaneously activated, aiming for Lee Shin Woo. It could even control the traps!? Lee Shin Woo was inwardly taken aback, but he trusted in hisrades and took a step forward instead. The lightning intensified. "Kuaaaaaaaaaah!" [Gueeeeeeeeeh!] Before the magic traps hit Lee Shin Woo, frost descended upon the entire area. The traps were temporarily disabled, and the Metal Ape Chimeras movements likewise slowed. The next moment, Lee Shin Woo exploded his inner energy and unleashed his new ability onto it. "Twin Lightning Fall!" As quick as lighting, and as weighty as a mountain. The lightning was concentrated in both his arms and des and made each of them look like dragon teeth. He swung his two swords down upon the chimeras head. With a crackle, an electric current sorge that it was goosebump inducing, passed through the Chimera. [Keheeeeeeeehk!] "Umph!" "Clear, clear, clear!" Lee Shin Woo, whose attack had seeded, dodged the Chimeras powerful counterattack, and fell back for now; during that time, Kratia didnt even confirm Lee Shin Woos status and continued to disable the traps. Since they now knew that the Metal Ape Chimera had control over the magic traps, she had to disable the traps as quickly as possible so they wouldnt be put in more danger. "Prince, take care of the mobs!" "You guys are way too frantic...! Eeeeeeek!" Prince was so busy helping them out that she felt like shed cry. When she was with Lloyd, they wouldve waved their hands and ran away from a battle like this...! But what the hell was with these guys? They liked the situation and were full of energy! "If you guys die, Im going to run!" "We wont die! If you do as youre supposed to!" "Senior, please take care of this side too." "Ah, seriously!" With Kratia and Princes superb assistance, the number of monsters blocking Lee Shin Woos way was reduced, and the magic traps were disabled one or two at a time. There were still some external factors that could endanger him, but he could take it. None of them could hurt Lee Shin Woo, who had be a streak of lightning as he ran, except for that level 7 gori. [Kuhaaaaa!] But when he briefly diverted his attention to the level 6 monsters, the Metal Ape Chimera seized that opportunity and signaled their counterattack. Firstly, it sprayed its mana in all directions, and forcefully vibrated it, dispersing Lee Shin Woos mana. It turned its armor into des and attempted to cut him in half! But ironically, that gave Lee Shin Woo a chance to grow. It simultaneously canceled out both my internal and external mana...!? The moment Lee Shin Woos interior and exterior were temporarily canceled out, he was able to use Lightning Sprint and Lightning Shadow together, even though hed barely been able to use them separately until now. [Kuha?] The next moment, the apes arm, which had been half cut, flew through the air. Right above it, a golden crack appeared. Lee Shin Woo started from its wrist to its shoulder, all the way to its neck and even reached its head! "Ku, hoo..." The crack stopped above its head, where Lee Shin Woo was. He deactivated both Lightning Sprint and Lightning Shadow and was gasping, but he couldnt forget that sense of unity he just felt. It felt like I was transcending the limits of my body. Unfortunately, he had only been able to use it for a split second, so he hadnt been able to learn the skill, but that was actually a relief. If he were given that skill now and he used it, he wouldnt be able to grow properly. This is plenty. Since Im sure that if I train, Ill reach it. [Ka, Gaaaaah...] Lee Shin Woo smiled proudly. Simultaneously, cracks spread throughout the apes entire body. It muttered something incoherently and attempted to stretch its arm towards Lee Shin Woo, but it soon splintered into pieces. [You faced a higher level,rge monster with a small group ofrades head on and defeated it. Your overwhelming strength made the level difference meaningless. All stats have increased by 3. The High Rank Lightning Element has be Lv3, and Magic has increased by 20.] [You have acquired 2,791,880 Perium.] [You have acquired the Lv7 Metal Ape Chimeras rib bone.] "Hey, if youre done, stop posturing and help us out already!" "Im going right now!" Despite him defeating a level 7 elite, the training exercise hadnt ended yet. There were still several monsters and magic traps left. It would probably be even worse in the next facility. Lee Shin Woo quickly picked up the loot from the ground and set his heart on one thing. Chapter 28 part7 "Ill go bring my horse over." Lee Shin Woo firmly dered after the three of them somehow cleared the twenty-first training exercise. How hard could the training exercise had been if even Kratia had her hands on her knees and was out of breath. Meanwhile, Prince prostrated on the floor like Yamcha whod been hit by a Saibamans self-destruct attack. It seemed like she didnt even have the energy to keep up appearances. "If you wait here, then Ill be right back." "Huuu... Huh?" But when Lee Shin Woo spoke as though hed go immediately, Yamcha... No, Prince barely raised her head and responded. "Wouldnt it... be dangerous to bring your horse?" "Kratia takes care of all the training exercise objectives, and I cant leave out my horse in battle." "...Is it that amazing?" "Of course." He nodded his head, then looked up at the building in front of them, or the twenty-second training facility, and spoke. "I feel like this will be thest facility. Id like to finish it together." "Really!? Thats thest one!?" "Yeah." Kratia had finally caught her breath, raised her head, and spoke. Even as they had been fighting for more than two days, Kratia had been busy calcting the facilitys magic form; it seemed like she was replenishing her sugar levels, as she ate an appetizing grape. "Thats thest one. If we just clear that one, then... We can figure out everything there is to know about this facility. We can also get what Shin Woo wants, too." "Hoo, hooo... Anyway, it feels like Ill reach level 7 soon. Ill participate and be the MVP again." "Shin Woo, go ahead." "Alright." "Hey, dont ignore me!" He didnt focus on the neurotic Princes adorable lips... and once he saw Kratia waving at him, who was passing out grapes, he retraced his steps. "Hey, you!" [Master.] "Huh!?" But unexpectedly, he didnt need to go back very far. During the ten days that it had taken for Lee Shin Woo to clear up to the twenty-first facility, Jin and Rem had reached the tenth training facility. Lee Shin Woo saw Jin, who was stretching and was honestly quite surprised. "Did you get a bit better at controlling mana?" "I got good at dumping anything I couldnt do onto the golem!" [I have carried out your order, Master.] Jin boasted, but if he didnt actually try, then it wouldve been impossible to get this far. Lee Shin Woo suddenly thought that Jin mightve gotten more out of this facility than he did. "Jin, I brought you something to congratte you." "Fire me. Ive done enough." "Instead, Ill give you a cute bone." "Go away. I dont want it!" "There arent that many elite bones, so bear with it!" Lee Shin Woo had prepared 50,000 level 6 bones for Jin! Honestly, there were tens of thousands more where that came from, but since the types were so simr, they wouldnt really help either Lee Shin Woo or Jin. Therefore, he decided to save them for now and was thinking of giving them to the Paulster. "Absorbing 50,000 is impossible for me. It wont all go in. Ill die." "You can do it. Believe in you who believes in yourself!" Lee Shin Woo grabbed onto Jin, who paled and attempted to escape, and executed Bone Reinforcement. But Jin, whod absorbed ten bones and had increased his health by 1 went huh? and tilted his head. "Its not as bad as I thought it would be." "Your minds just gotten that much stronger." "That sounds like a load of crap, but... Phew. Go ahead. Ill do it until I cant anymore, so keep going." "Alright. Then lets go a bit faster." Since Lee Shin Woo had used Bone Reinforcement so many times, it wouldnt be an exaggeration to say he was a master of the craft. He took Jins condition into consideration and maintained an optimal speed, repeatedly consuming bones and reinforcing Jin! Jin gritted his teeth at the repeatedly iing memories and used the memories of his ten day struggle in the training facilities to endure. In a way, Lee Shin Woo was right. His willpower had improved ever since his struggle within the training facility! ...Hoo, it makes me feel like Ive gone back to my beginner days as an athlete. Back then, all he had was anger and tenacity; he recollected that time, and subconsciously smiled. Jin looked at Lee Shin Woo, who was controlling the timing of Bone Reinforcement so that he could absorb as many bones as possible, and his smile deepened even further. Like that, three hours passed, and around the time that Jin had absorbed about 30,000 bones, he said that he couldnt absorb any more and gave up. He had tried really hardpared to normal. "I really cant absorb any more. Save it for next time. My stats have already increased by 700 you know!" "Im above 6,200 now. At first, I wondered when I would reach level 7, but now Im getting close." "Really!? Already!? It hasnt even been very long since you got to level 6! Hey, even after being reinforced, my stats are only a bit higher than 4,500...!" Originally, there had been a gap between them, but that gap had be decidedly wider within these past ten days. Whats worse, this was after Lee Shin Woo had used Bone Reinforcement on him with such arge quantity of bones (there were so many that rge quantity" didnt seem like the right words)! Lee Shin Woo just smiled bitterly. "The amount of stats you gain from leveling up high rank skills is, apparently, no joke. Especially my skill that controls mana; when it leveled up to high rank, it increased my magic by 200 all at once." "200..." Plus, the four titles that hed gained after surpassing 1,000 in each stat, One Loved by Mana (Magic), He Who Dreams of Giants (Strength), He Who Follows the Wind (Agility), and He Who Resembles Stone (Health) increased his overall stat gain. Whenever he gained a title, his body would strangely be changed again, and now that hed acquired all four titles, he felt like he was in apletely different ss than before. That difference would likely be greater as he raised his level and stats. Where am I headed exactly? Am I going in the right direction? Would his Joker karma, which fooled his own nature (rted to stats) and had allowed him to acquire all four titles, have the answer? Lee Shin Woo vacantly thought about the subject, and Jin softly bit his arm. He had removed his armor and his glowing goblin fire zed. "Yeah?" "Hey, do the rest too." "...Are you going to be ok?" Lee Shin Woo usually didnt forgive Jins feigned cries of pain, but he was well aware that Bone Reinforcement wasnt always safe. If one were to recklessly ept anothers memories and experiences, they might not lose their identity, but it was always possible that they could be mentally damaged. "Its ok. Right now, I can take even double this number." "Really...? If so, then I wont turn you down..." Jin was able to absorb all of his share of bones right then and there. His stats increased by an additional 400. He had increased his stats by 1,100 on the spot. It was only possible because of Lee Shin Woos skill, Bone Reinforcement, the training facility that dropped all of these bones, and Jins own skill that tripled the growth rate of his agility. "You dont have any more?" "Jin, are you really ok?" Jin couldnt be happier that Lee Shin Woo was worried about him. However, he really was fine. It was an issue of character. Ultimately, they were just memories from those who were deceased, so all he needed to do was pick out what he needed and learn it! He was able to think that way now. Jin thought he needed to do at least this much to keep up with Lee Shin Woo, so both his mind and body were strengthened naturally. This thing called will is really amazing, he suddenly thought. "Impletely fine." "Really? Then, I have a level 7 elite bone that I thought would fit you perfectly..." "..." However, Lee Shin Woo had gone beyond his imagination. How did he get this, when level 7 elite bones didnt even show up in the secret shop!? Did that mean that these monstrous bastards show upter!? Jin turned ghastly pale instantaneously, but he didnt show any signs of that to Lee Shin Woo. "...Its fine. Youre going to cut out the burdensome parts anyway, right?" "Yeah, but..." "Good, then cmon." "Then Im really going to do it, ok?" When he had absorbed the level 7 Treasure Eaters bone, he felt like his mind had momentarily gone white. But now would be different. He felt like he could both endure the pain better, as well as absorb the memories/experiences better. [Consuming the Lv7 Metal Ape Chimeras rib bone to execute Bone Reinforcement on Jin Taylor. Health has increased by 10. Proficiency in Rule of Bone has increased by 5%.] [Kureureu! Kuhik, Kuiiiiiiiiiii! (Hiya~! I can turn my entire arm into steel!) - Metal Ape Chimera] ...Maybe it was just a misunderstanding. Jin was rolling on the floor while regretting his decision. "How is it? Did Steel Heart level up?" "Level up... It did a lot, but... Kuuuuuuuu." "Are you ok?" "Im ok...!" Jin said he was ok, even though he was roughly rolling on the floor. It looked like his head really hurt a lot, but it was a relief that there werent any huge problems. Jin looked like he was in a lot of distress, so Lee Shin Woo nned to use his Assimtion skill to soothe the invasive memories; he approached, but there was something that caused him to stop. [Master, if theres any extra, may I have some as well?] "Huh?" [Can you transfer the information and magic within the bone to me with your ability, Master?] "...Ah." Lee Shin Woo finally understood. It wasnt like this originally, but in the process of bing his subordinate, Rem changed and gained a body that was fullyposed of bone! Of course, it was somewhat concerning that Rem didnt have aplete ego of his own, but an artificial life forms ego was still an ego. Moreover, Rem had been so heavily influenced by Lee Shin Woo that he could share a portion of his Joker karma. Maybe he shouldve put more care into Rem earlier. Its just that he had never used Bone Reinforcement on a golem before. And now that I think about it, the Emerald Bone Golems, the Erems are also... Since they had the words Emerald Bone golem in their names, Bone Reinforcement should work on them. They were individuals who could absorb arge quantity of darkness mana and grow, so if it were possible to use Bone Reinforcement on them as well... [Master?] "Its nothing. Ill do it. I should probably worry about you first." Prioritizing Rems reinforcement was the right call, as the Erems were doing their own thing and gathering experience elsewhere, while Rem was right beside him. Especially because he was anticipating how much stronger its Mana Parasite ability would be once it reached level 7. [Executing Bone Reinforcement on Rem by consuming the Lv6 Jungle Mantis outer shell.] As expected, Rem fit within the parameters of Bone Reinforcement. Moreover, right after he used Bone Reinforcement, gloomy mana radiated from Rems entire body, so it seemed like it was quite effective after all. "How was it?" [...Impressive, Master.] Rem briefly wavered, and then replied. And soon added on. [By storing information on other organisms, I believe Mana Parasite will grow even further.] "Ooh, really...?" [Thats correct.] Rem caused him to think about the potential of Mana Parasite, and he tilted his head in thought. As if reading his hesitation, Rem agreed. [If I gather enough data topletely understand an individual, then... I feel like I will be able to use Mana Parasite on an individual who isnt a golem.] Hearing that, Lee Shin Woo felt a cold sweat break out, even though he couldnt even sweat. It hadnt evene true yet, so Lee Shin Woo decided to ignore it for now and move on. Chapter 28 part8 "So you really did bring it with yo... Huh?" Prince greeted Lee Shin Woo upon his return a few hourster atop Jin and tilted her head. "Its strange. The energy the horse is emanating feels a lot stronger than before." "You see, whenever I get stronger, this guy is affected too, allowing him to run even faster on the battlefield. I believe it may be because of that skill." "Thats freaking awesome!" Of course, it was a lie, as Jin had gotten stronger all on his own, but Prince fell for it and was amazed. It was easier to convince her of that (a skill that allows a horse to be influenced by its master and increase its abilities) than to say that a horse had absorbed bones and raised his stats by almost 1,200 in a short period of time (it wasughable for Lee Shin Woo as well). My body still feels stiff... My whole body aches. I want toy down and sleep. Even though I cant sleep. I still have some time before we fight, so in the meantime, I have to get used to my changed body. Whenever Lee Shin Woos stats increased, he would adapt to his new body in livebat, but Jin had increased his stats too much, so his body should feel stiff for the time being. Because that wasnt something Lee Shin Woo could help with, he had no choice but to leave that to him. "Shin Woo, before we go in, I analyzed the condition of the facility." "Oh. How?" "Let me exin." Lee Shin Woo got off of Jins back, and after hed allowed Jin to move freely, he approached Kratia and Prince. Rem sat on his shoulder, who like Jin, had absorbed countless bones and had be iparably stronger than before, but Prince still hadnt noticed it. That was a how scary a disguise which made use of a persons fixed perception was. "I sounded confident, but honestly, I wasnt able to figure out everything." "How about destroying a bit of it from the outside?" Lee Shin Woo believed that when ones mind couldnt solve an issue, using ones body wasnt a bad idea. As if she had already considered his offer, Kratiaughed subtly and shook her head. "If you do that, then itll negatively affect this space." "That Royal Magician Leader bastard designed everything so particrly." "Its out of that mans hands, so the ce has grown. I acknowledge the thought and the n behind the facility, but in terms of the important facets of magic, safety and stability, he gets a zero." Kratias assessment was merciless. Prince, who thought that attacking with everything they had was their best move, attempted to offer up a counterargument, but no one acknowledged her, so her cheeks puffed up. It seemed like she hadpletely given up on trying to act like an adult male. "But because the facilitys system was continuously exposed as we fought, I was able to backtrack and look into the system, allowing me to roughly know the structure and the number of monsters inside the facility." "Huh!?" "So what youre saying is..." The system that Kratia was talking about was also Lee Shin Woos objective: the artifact. She had wanted to conquer the facility and take the artifact, therefore she had taken care of the magic traps and analyzed the training facilitys magic, so the artifact was already within reach. "Thats plenty. I dont even know where it is yet." "You just couldnt focus on anything else since you were facing off against so many monsters, Shin Woo." "Well, youre not wrong." Since he had nned on training Mana Bone, Bursting Thunder, Lightning Shadow, and Lightning Sprint from the very beginning. He had wondered whether progressing with her n had been a good idea, but he had trust in her, as she possessed a simr level of magic control as Lee Shin Woo... and his faith was well rewarded. But there was still one person who couldnt follow along with their conversation. "Wait a sec. Are you saying that you hacked into the artifact, which is controlling the entire facility?" "Yep." "How did you... Im pretty sure a level 8 Archmage created that artifact!" "You cant do anything if youre only concerned about levels. Anyway, look at this." Kratia said firmly, which made Prince go silent, and stretched her hand towards the floor. She began to draw a rough map of the facilitys interior. Her movements were so precise that it was as if she had scanned and printed a cross-sectional diagram. "As you can see, the space is quite narrow. Because they used a spatial technique which is one level higher than the ones they used on the previous facilities, I believe the density of the mana in that limited space is increasing. Perhaps it being a training facility is just a facade, and this space was created whenever Feotane Von Seldin made progress in his spatial magic and wanted to test it out." "The density of mana is increasing... Is it like how the mana is strengthened in a dungeon?" "Yeah, but there are more than twenty of them here... If we take into ount the distortion caused by the passage of time, then it could be much higher." It was astonishing. The reason Lee Shin Woo had been able to use as much magic as he wanted was because of this training facilitys specificity. If more mana was amassed in a narrower space, then... Just the thought of it made him feel dizzy. "The density of mana is so high that contrary to our calctions, our magic might not activate. Our top priority is to adapt to the mana density inside as quickly as possible and be able to control it efficiently. Remember that." "Ok. We could say that youre a spatial magic professional by now." "Hes right. ...Its frustrating, but youre better than me. Since spatial magic is considered a level higher than elemental magic, has high offensive capabilities, and is at the Archmage level." He had gotten a feeling for it as hed passed the training facilities, but as he thought, there were still several people who were well out of his league. Lee Shin Woo still didnt understand how spatial magic worked in the least. Would he understand spatial magic, at least a little bit, if he absorbed the Bone Gate? But he couldnt even get a feel of when that would be possible. It seemed like Prince was feeling that same uneasiness as well. "...Will we be able to clear the final training facility, the one he nned out and created, and was then left for dozens of years to develop in an unfathomable way? Ouch!" "Doubts dont help in the pursuit of magic. If you start to think negatively now, youll never be able to advance forward." "My specialty is fighting, alright...!?" It seemed like that got a reaction out of her, as Prince quickly said softly, So you can leave the monsters to me, and requested the monster information from Kratia. She had boasted about how great and smart magicians were in the chatting channel, yet in front of Kratia, she couldnt say a thing, which was both adorable and pitiable. It seemed as though Kratia was well aware of how nervous Prince was, as she firmly nodded her head and spoke. "Well be stronger in that space, but the monsters and the magic traps will probably be even stronger. ...The biggest problem will be the monsters." Was she saying that there would be more than 100,000 monsters this time? Kratia exined to the anxious Lee Shin Woo and Prince. "I think there are only three of them." "...Shit." They wouldve been like Oh, alright if she had said there were 30,000 of them, but there were only three? Lee Shin Woo said stiffly. "If there is a level 8 monster..." "If thats the case, then we should just blow up the facility and hope that the monster kills one of the 12 generals!" Prince responded hysterically. Kratia smiled bitterly and exined. "Dont worry so much. The reason there were so many monsters in the previous facilities was because the space was warped and several monsters were led there." "But it doesnt seem like itll be that easy." "Yeah. So..." Kratia undid the magic form and exined it simply. Feotane Von Seldin gathered elite monsters from a few of the dungeons and left them in the final facility. The maximum number of monsters was limited to three, so the monsters would fight against each other and only the strong wouldve survived. At this point, it wouldnt be an exaggeration to say that the monsters created the training facility, not a magician! In any case, the monsters that had repeatedly fought against each other for dozens of years would be... "Theyre all level 7 elites. Each of them is probably as strong or stronger than the Metal Ape Chimera that you fought before." There were three high rank level 7 elites that were proficient inbat and had spent dozens of years in a super dense mana zone. Even Lee Shin Woo would have to hesitate with those odds. Taking down a general might be easier. No, he had already thought that when he had fought against the tens of thousands of level 6 monsters. "...Ill go." "You cant win as you are. Thats why Im nning to use the magic traps." Kratia said, and both Prince and Lee Shin Woo tilted their heads as though they couldnt understand at first. However, Prince soon shook her head and yelled. "The magic traps are aiming for us!" "My n is to turn those magic traps onto the monsters. If that happens, then theres definitely a chance we can win. No, actually, it may be our easiest win yet." "That isnt even possible! Fine, so you defeated the level 7 monster before. Lets say that you could do it because youre a level 7 magician and Lee Shin Woo has that unbelievable stamina and skill. But you want to take on three of those monsters at the same time? Youre going to use those magic traps, which are meant to kill us, on the monsters?!" "If you dont want to do this, you can stay out of it." Of course, it may be a bit more difficult, but Prince wasnt necessary for their n. Prince looked at Kratia, who spoke so positively, and became even more despondent. "You can rx a bit, you know. Youre already plenty str... From my point of view, youre so strong that I cant understand it. If theres an insurmountable wall, cant you just go somewhere else, and slowly and safely build your strength?" "If you dont want to do this, you can stay out of it." Kratia dered once more. It was an obvious reaction, as she had never thought that they wouldnt be able to clear the training facility. However... Lee Shin Woo couldnt figure out where her overflowing confidence wasing from. Perhaps it was because it was a magic training facility, but once she had returned here, it seemed like there were a lot of things on her mind, so he asked Kratia. "Kratia, I can understand you wanting to hack the magic traps. But there are so many magic traps, so how are you going to..." "Rem." "Mm... Ah." "Huh?" Kratia said briefly, and Prince couldnt understand her at all, but... at that moment, it looked like Lee Shin Woo had figured out the answer. In fact, he questioned why he hadnt thought of that. Is it possible, Rem? I told you before that there were several magic traps that used a golems system. Of course, there are several of them that do not use such a system, so I cannot do it by myself. However... Rem looked at Kratia and confidently nodded its head. If that human helps, then... Yes. Its certainly possible. But I think that we need to see if we can work together first. Alright. Lee Shin Woo slightly nodded his head and Rem flew from Lee Shin Woos shoulder to Kratias. Once she realized that, Kratia nodded her head in satisfaction and stood up. "Ill practice ande back. In about three days." "Ok, I trust you. My horse and I have to train from the beginning anyway." "Wait, whats going on? What is a Rem anyway? What, is that some sort of code that only you guys know about or something?" "Senior." Kratia and Rem went back to the facilities that theyd already cleared, and after he saw them off, Lee Shin Woo calmly called for Prince. "I will help you so that we clear the training exercise and you reach level 7. ...In exchange, I would like you to draw up a contract with me." "W-Whats with this all of a sudden! Did you use your magic on her!?" "Its not really a tough contract, Senior." Prince saw Lee Shin Woo, who suddenly changed his attitude and was approaching her, and yelled in fear. "I-Im saying this in advance, but I have someone I like already, so...!" "Yes, I know already, so dont worry. Then, shall we start with a privacy use, Senior?" He smiled gently and said. Lee Shin Woos hand was covered in darkness mana. It seemed like Prince had instinctively felt the darkness, as she began to shake! Lee Shin Woo thought that this would be a pretty good way of making every hero be on his side, and smiled once more. Thirty minutester, their contract was safely established. Chapter 28 part9 The promised three days had passed. During that time, Lee Shin Woo had run throughout the facility with Jin while activating his Assimtion skill so that they could match each others senses; because of that, Lee Shin Woo was just about able to match Jins dynamic visual acuity and reflexes, both of which stemmed from his agility. In terms of this, youre better than most level 7s. But Rebellion increases my max stats during battle. I have to be able to adapt to that quickly. Thats true. Fighting back against their current illogical situation was enough for the Rebellion skill to activate, which would result in a stat increase. Now that the Rebellion skill was level 4, all his stats increased by 16%. This was the amount of stat increase that Lee Shin Woo was used to now. However, if he were to face more than 1,000 enemies, or a higher level enemy, his Rebellion skill would activate and increase his stats by another 16%, as well as an additional 11% due to the existence of a partner. His stats would increase by another 27%. Of course, that entire effect would be shared with his partner, so Jin would be reinforced equally. Mm, it should all work out. Anyway, my goal is to gather as much mana as possible to strengthen my body, as well as to unleash a powerful attack. ...Yeah, we can do it. I havent been just sitting around all this time either. No matter how strong the level 7 elites were, could they be stronger than Hansen Von Dorthe? Of course, it was scary that they had to fight against three level 7 elites at the same time, but Lee Shin Woo decided to trust Kratia. Prince, who was close to level 7, wasnt very reliable, but he still took her into ount too. Once they had finished up their training, Lee Shin Woo and Jin returned to the designated meeting ce. Kratia and Rem had already returned and were waiting for them. "Do you think itll be ok?" "Yep." She responded confidently and stuck out her chest. Rem sat atop Kratias shoulder with a simr pose. It seemed like they had formed a sense of kinship from coborating for three days. "A level 6 golem... A golem that pledges loyalty to a hero... A golem that can meddle with another golems structure... A golem that doesnt even make any sense..." "You keep adding golem to your sentences, Senior. Are you alright?" "Do I look ok to you? Im not in the right state of mind right now. Im scared of the training exercise, and Im even more scared of you." It seemed like she hadnt slept well, as there wererge, dark circles under her eyes. Then again, it was right before D-Day, and she shouldve just finished with herst minute training, so it was kind of obvious that shed be tired. "As expected of you, Senior. It shouldve been a hard decision to make, but you came to a decision all on your own." "Hmph, Id rather die than be beaten by fledgling juniors!" Lee Shin Woo decided to respect how Prince would do whatever it took to maintain her pride as a senior. Moreover, he was could tell that she hadnt stayed just because of her inferiorityplex. Even if she attempted to not show any signs of it, Lee Shin Woo and Kratia could tell that Prince was worried about them. No... it was more urate to say that she didnt want to see another hero die. "Then, lets get through this and get to level 7." "How would I feel any better if you were to reach level 7 at the same time as me... Hmph, if you dont do it properly, then Ill teach you lesson." Prince shared a few minor facts with him (she knew that he could somewhat control elemental power, and that Rem was his subordinate) and it seemed like she had given up on understanding him about half way. Despite that, it was cute that she still considered him a junior that she needed to look after. As he thought, shes a good person. He felt a bit sad that he couldnt tell her about him being an undead. Well, as long as shes a beautiful girl. I told you, thats not how it is. Jin reacted ridiculously and scorned him, but Lee Shin Woo asserted that it wasnt like that, and joined up with the group. Now there was nowhere to hide. It was time for them to finish this and clear the magic training facility that the Royal Magician Leader, Feotane Von Sledin, had put his heart and soul into. "Were going in. Is everyone ready?" "Yeah." Lee Shin Woo checked that his six Breath of the Lightning Gods, two of which were in his hands, were fully charged, and replied. Seeing that, Prince trembled once more, but she didnt retort; it was as though she had given up. "Good. Im all ready too. We need to get the drop on them. Im going to seize control of all the magic traps from the get go. Our enemies probably wont be restrained by the rules, so we shouldnt worry about them either." "Youre just going to destroy everything, arent you." "Yeah. So long as we can win that way." "Defense... defense..." If Lee Shin Woos job was to fight against the monsters, and Kratias job was to seize control of the magic traps, then Princes job was right in the middle. Her job was to protect them against any unforeseen attacks, or from the magic traps that Kratia couldnt control. It definitely wasnt an easy task, but Prince steeled herself. If she couldnt do this, then she didnt deserve to reach level 7. "Then... lets go in." "Alright, lets go in together." They formed a single group and entered the building. Of course, once they entered, they were met by a vast environment that couldnt be called a building. And like Kratia had said, it seemed like the space was significantly reducedpared to the previous facilities. It was a forest lined with trees. The group was pressed down by the ridiculously dense concentration of mana, which made them unable to breathe for a moment. [Assessing atmosphere. Mana concentration at 1,876%.] "Ha, haha..." Prince breathed out unnecessarily at Rems report. It would be hard to use magic when the concentration of mana was doubled, but 1,876% was ridiculous. Of course, if one were actually able to use magic in these conditions, then it would be quite an achievement, but if they were going to do that, then they wouldnt have to go through all the effort of adapting to this level of mana concentration! The mana concentration in the twenty-first facility was high as well. It wasnt this unbelievably high, but... I can still do it! Prince gritted her teeth, and the moment she raised her level 4 fire spirit staff, a voice rang out throughout the vast but small space. [The training exercise will begin soon.] "Dont listen to that thing anymore. Because its already started." The voice rang out, as if to put their minds at ease, but Kratia curtly denied its validity. Of course, Lee Shin Woo had realized that as well. He had already felt it through his connection with Jin. The gaze of three fierce beasts looking right at them. Each of them were concealing their presences, but they couldnt hide from Jins senses. Jin, it may be a bit tough, but endure it. If it all goes to n, then... well be able to win easily. Alright. Thats always how it is. I trust you. Lee Shin Woo activated Lightning Shadow and Lightning Sprint simultaneously. The lightning was wilder than usual and enveloped both Lee Shin Woo and Jin in an instant; it was so dense that no one could see them from beyond the lightning. "Keuk, Kuu." [Koo...] "Itsing!" Then, Lee Shin Woo heard the beasts subdued voice and directed Jin to run quickly. At the same time, Kratias orb gathered the ambient mana in the air, created a giant ice spear and shot it in Lee Shin Woos direction! "Run!" "Heuuuup! Before the magic traps ahead of him activated, Kratia sucked out their mana, nullifying the traps, and simultaneously, attacked the first appearing level 7 with the ice spear. Its body, covered in crocodile skin and its saw-like teeth made it look like Godzi. It was pretty small, but even Lee Shin Woo couldnt measure the mana it held within! [Lv7 Croc Eranta] [You are facing a higher leveled foe! Through the activation of the Rebellion skill, all stats increase by 16%. Due to your partner, which you share everything with, all stats increase by an additional 11%, and all of these effects are shared with your partner as well!] [Kahk!] The crocodile, which had assumed a charging position, suddenly stood upright and dodged the ice spear, but it couldnt dodge Lee Shin Woos strike that came falling from the sky. It was a perfectbination attack with Kratia! "Heup!" [Kuuuu...!] "Tch...!" Despite taking Lee Shin Woos strongest Bursting Thunder attack, all it did was utter a small cry. It was fundamentally different from monsters that thought that their voices needed to be loud to win, like the Metal Ape Chimera, or the Treasure Eater (the Shriek of the Dead). It truly was a beast that knew how to kill someone on the battlefield. It handled the damage from the attack (that came from the impact) differently than other monsters. "Hoo...!" [Kit!] Lee Shin Woo quickly led Jin and retreated. It charged at them with its sawteeth covered arm, but he shot the four Breath of Lightning Gods at it, which were standing by behind it. They probably wouldnt kill it, but they would temporarily stop it from doing anything! "Hey, another one ising!" However, there was another monstering at Lee Shin Woo, who was trying tond. It looked like a ck leopard, but it was huge, and possessed eight legs covered in dragon scales. It charged, enveloped in magic that possessed as much destructive power as Lightning Sprint! [Lv7 Ur Leon] "I knew you woulde that wa..." "Shin Woo, theres a trap above you!" The magic trap that hid in the air activated at just the right time. Kratia was facing off against thest remaining beast, so she couldnt cover Lee Shin Woo. Prince hurriedly conjured up fire magic and shot it at the beasts back, but it couldnt prate the beasts red magic armor! [Kyaat!] The monster ignored Prince and rushed towards Lee Shin Woo. It knew just who it needed to hunt down first! "Heup!" Of course, Lee Shin Woo wasnt someone to take lightly. The overwhelming ambient mana wasnt just reinforcing the magic traps and the beasts. Despite him justunching four of his weapons and blowing them up, he immediately summoned four more, threw them at the magic trap and exploded them. As if it were just a normal attack! "Eat this!" [Kuhwaaaaaaaahk!] Six Breath of the Lightning Gods blew up in session, so the area was temporarily filled with lightning energy. Lee Shin Woo drew in all of that energy, sessfully concentrated all of it into a single sword and lunged at the Ur Leon that followed him from behind. He obviously used Shadow Horn as well. Its destructive capability was truly fearful, as the attack was infused with mana 18x its normal concentration. [Kiiiii!] "And blow up!" Kwang! The sword that was deeply embedded in the ck leopards forehead blew up! Sparks spattered everywhere and hit both Lee Shin Woo and Jin, but because they were covered by Lightning Sprints lightning, it actually strengthened them. Thats right. Strengthened. Lee Shin Woo utilized his Absorb skill and drew all the lightning energy towards him. He was using the Absorb skill in earnest, as it would allow him to suck in the elemental energy of any element he could use. [Keut!] [Kihi!] Both the crocodile... the Croc Erantu, and the ck leopard, Ur Leon, were struck by the lightning. They saw Lee Shin Woo, who absorbed the lightning energy that filled their surroundings in such a short time, and came to amon conclusion. The more time they gave him, the more of an advantage he had, as he would change more and more of the areas energy into one favorable to him! They momentarily swapped nces and soon began to move. However, Lee Shin Woo had already summoned another Breath of the Lightning God. "Youre toote!" So long as Lee Shin Woo possessed the Bone Armory skill and the mana in which to use it, he could always rece the equipment that was destroyed. And in this environment, which was filled to the brim with mana, Lee Shin Woo had more of an advantage than anyone...! "Kuaaaaaaaaaaah!" The Croc Erantu shot out hundreds of teeth and attacked him, while the ck leopard worked in tandem with it and stepped back. The moment Lee Shin Woo retreated, it would immediately attack him. They had good teamwork for beasts who usually fought against each other... "Explode!" Boom! This time, he blew up all six of his Breath of the Lightning Gods at once, and the lightning storm swept them away. The Croc Erantus sawteeth were caught up in the lightning storm and fell to the floor. Jin then leapt over like lightning, and Lee Shin Woo, from atop him, summoned and shot a new Breath of the Lightning God from behind the ck leopard and struck its head! [Ku... Kyaaaaaaahk!] The ck leopard rampaged about and tried to strike Lee Shin Woo with his front leg, but he had alreadynded somewhere else. The bright yellow lightning that covered his body made him look as though he had be a lightning spirit. It wasparable to the speed he had when he hadnded the final strike against the Metal Ape Chimera. "Hoo, hoo...!" "How about it? Do you think you can do it?" Jin asked briefly. Within the maelstrom of mana, Lee Shin Woo felt the necessary bnce between Lightning Shadow and Lightning Sprint and smiled faintly. It had been 5 minutes since the battle had started, but it felt like his body would explode from absorbing and expelling so much mana. ...But despite that, there was also something that hed gained. "Sure I can." Jin moved his body once more. In response, the crocodile and the ck leopard moved to intercept them, but Jin gradually ran faster. As they gave chase, Lee Shin Woo summoned the Breath of the Lightning Gods everywhere and exploded them; like the name might imply, they breathed out a ton of lightning! Chapter 28 part10 The moment he had realized that their final battlefield was an environment overflowing with mana, Lee Shin Woo really only had one strategy. How would he gain superiority over the level 7 elites, who could use that magic better than him... Lee Shin Woo came to the conclusion that he would just have to change that mana into something he could control better than them. The moment my weapons, which are infused with elemental power, blow up, they release that elements mana into the area. He was filling the Breath of the Lightning Gods to the brim, which possessed a level 6 lightning element (drawing in the ambient mana and fully infusing the Breath of the Lightning God only took about 0.2 seconds) and blowing it up, which was altogether quite effective. Because the mana concentration was 18x normal, they wouldnt be able to withstand this. During the time that the Breath of the Lightning Gods affected the ambient mana, Lee Shin Woo would have greater mana control than the monsters. If he repeated this process twice, four times, no an uncountable number of times, then he might be able to fuse together Lightning Shadow and Lightning Sprint again with the plentiful lightning in the environment! In this world, only Lee Shin Woo was able to use this extremely temporary and effective ability, and was only able to do so in one ce: the training facility. As a result, the technique hed created was quite effective. [Kihiiihk...!] [Kureuahgagahk!] "Heup!" He hadnt really developed a new killer technique or prepared a trap in advance. He was merely manipting the environment to one that was advantageous to him. With just that, Lee Shin Woo was able to take on two level 7 elites at once. Perhaps he hade to this realization much toote. Just being able to use a high rank element gives you such a huge advantage. Whenever he summoned and blew up a Breath of the Lightning God, the surrounding mana would be tinged with lightning. Thunderclouds formed, filling the battlefield. Originally, the forests mana had been advantageous to them. They had gotten so used to it that the Ur Leon and the Croc Erantu felt uneasy from the sudden change. No, it was more than that. Whenever the two level 7s moved, strangely, the thunderclouds would damage them. Normally, they would be able to draw in the surrounding mana to recover from such grievous wounds, but the thunderclouds prevented that from happening. [Kwang!] [Kihik!] In the midst of that, Lee Shin Woo exploded four new swords and inflicted more damage upon the two level 7s. Even the ck leopard (Ur Leon), which would recover from any injuries it sustained, seemed to realize that it would have no mana left remaining if it continued to do so; therefore, it adjusted its strategy and stopped healing its wounds immediately. They realized that the situation had be disadvantageous for them and that they would have to escape from this area. If they were to escape from the thundercloud-filled area, then they would be able to heal their wounds immediately, as well as give them a chance to turn things around! If not, then they would buy time by allowing theirrade to be killed first. Of course, Lee Shin Woo couldnt just let them go. "If you leave, then Ill kill this guy." [Keuuk!] [Kihi...!?] In the beginning, the two had exchanged blows with Lee Shin Woo, yet at some point, they had be wary of each other and had been fighting whilst looking for an opportunity. Of course, their nimble and soft strikes had enough force behind them to kill him, but in this close battle, Lee Shin Woo evaded even quicker, attacked even stronger, and mustered up all of his strength! [Clear. Attacking the enemy with the 378th trap.] "Hoo, Hoooo.... Its not... perfect yet." [Sureureureu] On the other hand, Kratia, who was responsible for hacking the magic traps and taking care of the final level 7 elite, was quite even with her opponent. She activated her orb, gathered the ambient mana, and halted the elites movements. Also, Rem assisted her in hacking into the magic traps and directing them at the level 7 elite! [Shaaaaaah!] [Lv7 Emperor Boa] In terms of size, the snake was thergest of the three monsters. Unfortunately, it possessed ice resistance, and Prince, who had originally assisted Lee Shin Woo in fighting off the two elites, had ultimately been forced into doing her utmost to stop its approach. "Ugh, Fire Demons forearm! Hey, is my junior ok?" "Shin Woo is... a lot better off than us!" Kratia continued with her headache inducing calctions and struggled to reply. There were some magic traps that she couldnt control, even with Rems help, so once she was finished analyzing them, she would immediately disarm them. On the other hand, for the magic traps she could control, she would control in conjunction with her orb to attack the boa, which was incredibly difficult. [Shaaaaaaaahk!] "Geuut...!] Because the orbs frost attacks were almost meaningless against the boas ice resistance, she had switched over to defense a long time ago. Rather, Princes fire magic was incredibly effective against the boa and was even able to stop its advance, while asionally damaging it. It made Kratia feel like she could just back off. Kratia seized that opportunity and attacked the boa with the traps: the skewer, the poison arrows, giant boulders, being pressed down by gravity, etc., increasing its wounds! [Shah, Shaaaaaht!] The sight of hundreds of magic traps beingmanded by a trainee (who was the original target of the traps) simultaneously aiming at the monster and attacking it was truly a spectacr sight. "Just a little bit more and we can take it down!" "Hes in the middle of preparing arge scale technique... Stop him in any way possible!" "Dont ask for the impossible...!" Validating Kratias words, the Emperor Boa spewed out a huge amount of poison mist from its body, attacking everything at once. The ridiculous concentration of poison even contaminated the magic itself, nullifying all the magic traps in the area. It had simultaneously eliminated Kratias avenue of attack while attempting to poison them! "Tch... Fire Demon!" However, poison was weak to fire. Because she had been fighting for so long, Prince had be a bit more used to the high concentration of mana, which enabled her to immediately gather clean mana into her body. She then used her teachers ultimate move: summoning a fire demon! [Kureuk... Kyaha! Kureureureureureureureuk!] [Guooooooh!] A giant circr gate formed in the sky, and from that gate, a demons head popped out. Its emergence burnt the trees to a crisp, and it seemed to look around for a moment. Then, once it saw the Emperor Boas poison mist, it grinned and breathed out towards it. The deep purple mist was evaporated instantaneously, and the Emperor Boas body was actually enveloped in me! "If you could do that, then why didnt you use it earlier!?" "This is my first time using it, and I was barely able to do it. Barely!" Kratia griped with wide-eyes, and Prince responded angrily. Honestly, Prince had only learned the technique and had never even thought of using it before. If it wasnt for this unique environment, then she wouldve only been able to barely cast the spell after shed be a high rank level 7, and gathered various materials for ten days. [Kihik! Kihiiiiiiik!] "Anyhow, this is our chance! Give it everything you got!" "I know...!" Kratia realized that they had to finish this and absorbed the orb into her body, which had been condensing mana. Rem plopped off her shoulder and used the still-functional magic traps to attack the boa. As a result of her casting a spell she wasnt ready for yet, Prince had a splitting headache and her body burned. She gritted her teeth and endured, ordering the fire demon to push on so that the boa couldnt move! [Kureureuraaaaaaaaaaa!] [Kihiiiiiii!] "Heup...!" The Emperor Boa was immobilized by the fire demons hellfire. But they didnt know how much longer the demon wouldst. If they wanted to end it, now was the time! Kratia focused her power into a singr object, forming a gigantic spear in the air. She gripped it tightly with one hand, pulled it back, and then, the spear began to shake and rotate. The faster the rotation, the more intense the cold. If the Emperor Boa wasnt affected by cold, then she just needed to use a temperature low enough that would! "Wrath... of the Winter Queen!" Kratia focused all of her bodys mana into her fist and it seemed to gush out, but then, the rotating, midair ice spear absorbed it. At that moment, the ice spear shot out like lightning, passing the fire demon and destroying both the boas head and tail! [Kihik, kihiiii...!] The Emperor Boa couldnt maintain its weight and gruesomely fell to the ground. It had been burnt by me and ice coated its body, making its corpse look really unsightly. Fortunately, it didntst for very long and disappeared... It had only left a few pieces of loot on the ground. "Its over, Rem!" [Checking for any remaining magic traps! Marking magic traps...!] "...Ha!" Them taking down the Emperor Boa gave Lee Shin Woo the signal to counterattack. The moment that the Emperor Boa (it was the strongest of the three), which had survived in the facility with them for dozens of years, perished, the Ur Leon and the Croc Erantu felt an unbearable unease and their bodies went stiff. There had been a bnce between the three, as they kept each other in check, but the moment that that bnce was broken, Lee Shin Woo shot out like lightning and thrust his sword into the Croc Erantus head once more. Of course, it wouldnt die from just this, but Lee Shin Woo wasnt normal either. "Taste the breath of the lightning god!" [Kuhak, Kuguhaaaaaaahk!] After hed stuck the Breath of the Lightning God into the crocs head, he stretched out his hand and ced it onto the perforated area; he then repeatedly summoned Breath of the Lightning Gods and shot them at it. It was an unbelievable continuous attack that was only possible in this training facility overflowing with mana! At least a dozen des were burrowed into the crocs head, making its mind dim. While Lee Shin Woo continuously attacked with the Breath of the Lightning Gods, the ck leopard took that opportunity to strike. But as it pounced, Lee Shin Woo blew up all the swords without hesitation! [You faced two higher level foes and have seeded in defeating one! All stats have increased by 3. High Rank Lightning has be Lv4, and Magic has increased by 20!] He simultaneously blew up all the weapons in a single area, and the resulting lightning energy was so powerful that the Croc couldnt even utter a word and disappeared on the spot. The lightning energy, which had burst out from the Crocs body, remained chaotic! [Kaha!] The Ur Leon was sure that it would lose if it tarried, so it charged in immediately. It took advantage of the inevitable gap in Lee Shin Woos defenses that resulted from using a huge technique, so Lee Shin Woo couldnt evade! However, the Ur Leon would soon realize that its efforts were pointless. It had seen through Lee Shin Woo with its senses as a level 7 and had attacked with a speed that Lee Shin Woo couldnt match...! [Kuhu?] But the moment the Ur Leon attempted to find Lee Shin Woos location and attack, a golden crack appeared on its body. The crack formed starting from the top of its head, all the way down to its eight legs... It looked like a beautiful tattoo and made those witnessing the battle watch in awe. [Kihi...] The Ur Leon didnt realize what had happened and tried to retreat, but at that moment, the ck leopards ears, eye sockets, jaw, torso, arms, fingers, and legs were broken up, and it fell to the ground. It was a futile and cruel death. [You faced two higher level foes simultaneously and seeded in defeating them. All stats have increased by 5! Proficiency in allbat-rted skills has increased significantly!] "...Hoo." Lee Shin Woo appeared beyond the falling body of the Ur Leon and let out a deep breath. Fortunately, he was able to use the technique one more time at the end. Of course, he hadnt been able to acquire it as a skill yet, butpared to a few days ago, he was confident that hed gotten a step further. Why? Because... "!? W-What was that just now!? What!?" "What do you mean? Its just high-speed movement." Because he could use Jin for this technique as well. "It seems like a technique that works by temporarily changing both the interior and exterior into lightning. In other words, our bodies and minds be one." "One in body and mind..." For some reason, he wasnt happy, even though they had asked exactly what he had wanted to hear. This feeling that came from the technique was so strong that it was unbearable. [You have acquired 2,948,550 Perium.] [You have acquired 3,674,490 Perium.] [You have acquired the Lv7 Ur Leons big toenail.] [You have acquired the Lv7 Croc Erantus mr tooth.] [You have acquired the Lv7 Ur Leons outer shell.] However, Lee Shin Woo collected the loot and turned around, regardless of whether or not Jin understood how he felt. Fortunately, he got two bones from the Ur Leon, and couldnt be happier. "Kratia, are there any traps left?" "If we just disable the ones that are in our control, then..." However, when Kratia was reporting on the situation while smiling bitterly at not having a chance to help out Lee Shin Woo... A huge crack appeared inside the training facility. [Hoh, hoh... As expected, how entertaining.] The voice they heard at that very moment... Lee Shin Woo would probably never forget it. [I was wondering who it was, but... it turns out you were cute heroes.] "...Huu." "Oh... Shin Woo." "What did I tell you, littledy." Kratia called out to Lee Shin Woo, and Prince, unable to face the high level opponent, fainted. Jin was overwhelmed and couldnt move, and in the middle of all that, Lee Shin Woo just sighed. [Lv8 Archmage Feotane Von Seldin] He was an enemy they couldnt hope to beat... One of the key members of the 12 generals hade to the training facility. Chapter 29 part1 Who came up with the title of the 12 generals?, he wondered. It was simple. It was the Emperor. Only those amongst his subordinates he specifically recognized would be bestowed that name. The Lightning Shadow General, Hansen Von Dorthe was thest of the 12 generals that were supposed to protect him, and their status was one of respect. Therefore, their status was unique, so much so that they stood out amongst the other generals [1] and the nobles as well. They were more powerful than the others, even if they were simrly leveled, and the subordinates under their direct control were stronger than the others subordinates. [But there are a few amongst them that are especially powerful. The top members of the 12 generals... The sword that protects the Emperor, Seagald Von Retadane, the spear of the battlefield, Leofield Von Tariman... the Emperors shield, Arema Steelworker, andstly, me, Archmage Feotane Von Seldin.] He floated in the air, and his silk robes fluttered. Feotane looked like a handsome, young man, and spoke in a carefree, delighted tone. No matter how Lee Shin Woo looked at it, he looked like a normal man, but the somber and dark energy that came from his body, as well as the fact that there wasnt even a grain of life energy he could feel from him, proved that he was undead. [We are known as the fourmanders of the Empire.] He realized where Guillotine Steelworker had gotten the term Four Commanders from, grinned, and replied. "For a self-introduction, youre too loud." [Ive finally met you heroes, so if I dont introduce myself properly, it would spoil the mood, wouldnt it?] Feotane was reallyposed. It was theposure that came from being one of the absolute strongest. Hansen Von Dorthe was somewhat the same, but ultimately, he was nothing more than vanity and conceit. On the other hand, the Archmage was so powerful that it exined hisposure. "You know about the heroes?" [How could I not? Dozens of years ago, the heroes caused chaos in the capital... Ah, God truly is indifferent. Considering the fact that she ignores our feelings.] "..." [Ah, why the long face? I dont hate heroes. His Imperial Majesty is the same.] "What?" Lee Shin Woo had secretly been preparing to escape while conversing with Feotane, but when he told him about his and the Emperors feelings on heroes, he gave an honest reply. Of course, this was also acting. He believed that this would cause Feotane to let down his guard. [You might think that we hate you because you kill our precious citizens, but... Ultimately, quality above quantity. High level heroes that are hand-picked by God due to their talent... If we can incorporate you into His Majestys forces, then we can endure that much heartbreak.] "Incorporate heroes into his army? Says who?" [Haha, itll happen eventually, no? So long as you are in the Empire, the only way of getting out is to die.] It seemed as though Feotane Von Seldin really took a liking to Lee Shin Woo, as Lee Shin Woo didnt just stiffen upon sight of him, plus he was responding confidently. Feotane smiled and was focusing all his attention upon him. Feotane knew that Lee Shin Woo had some trick up his sleeve, but he acted nonchntly as if taunting him, saying go ahead, try it if you can. If he knew exactly what Lee Shin Woo was nning, then he wouldnt have remained so calm. [No one can escape death, so it was a game you had no hopes of winning from the very beginning. We have too great of an advantage. No... we made it that way. Mm, Im referring to His Majesty and his wisdom.] "Then, I suppose I just have to kill you all before I die." [No, you cant. You will never be able to kill us.] Feotane said confidently, and Lee Shin Woo was vaguely aware of why he was so confident. He had surpassed life and death itself, and didnt possess the energy that all existences naturally possessed. Even if they could kill him, he wondered whether he would actually die or not... he inspected him meticulously and realized. The core of this guys existence is... he doesnt have a core that all existences possess. The root of his power, his stats, are hidden somewhere else. Holy shit, that abilitys actually possible...? Lee Shin Woo recollected a skill that ck magicians rarely used in fantasy novels known as transmission. Ones life force would be extracted and would be transferred to another vessel; by hiding that container, the undead ck magician would be immortal... He was a Lich! If thats the case, then the Emperor was probably a Lich as well. That meant that there were two Liches that had hid their containers somewhere! Right when Lee Shin Woo was genuinely shocked, the Archmage pped his hands and moved on to the main topic of discussion. [Now, it seems like were done with the introductions, so shall we go on to the main topic?] "Rem!" [Stop right there.] Lee Shin Woo turned to hisrades and was about to throw something, but at that moment, his body became stiff. Despite the deep concentration of lightning that continued to flow through his body, Feotane had frozen the entire space and made it so he couldnt move. [Im not done talking, young hero.] "..." [Whats in your hand? Hmm? Whats this, theres nothing there. It looked like you were about to throw something. Was I just seeing things? In any case, it doesnt matter. So, moving on to the main topic.] The chatty Archmage looked like he couldnt be happier, as he put his arm around Lee Shin Woos shoulders and continued. Lee Shin Woo couldnt move. Regardless of how much mana he had, there was nothing he could do, as the entire space itself was frozen. Rem, Im counting on you. Activation is ready at any time. The only things he could do was to make use of the shared subspace function to secretly ry his message to Rem, who was perched atop Kratias shoulder, or use his Assimtion skill to apologize to his precious partner or activate a skill... [I told you this before, but we put more importance into quality over quantity. We wait until several heroes be strong enough to enter our ranks and then... when they are strong enough, we ept them into the fold. You will ultimately be ourrades, so we can give you important positions as well.] "..." [Therefore, I wont kill you. It looks like youre still level 6, so... Mm, indeed. It looks like you can still progress further. Its strange, its like theres something off bnce with you. Its not yet time to harvest. Isnt that right? However, It seems like we can bring that beautiful magician girl with us soon... Huh?] He tilted his head. Feotane had frozen both Kratia and Prince like hed frozen Lee Shin Woo, but strangely, it felt like something had changed. However, he couldnt tell what that was yet. It was as if there was a strange mana reaction... [Wait a sec... A gate!?] "Heup!" Suddenly, a gate appeared beneath Kratia and Princes feet... Because it was such high level magic, Feotane hadnt expected it at all and was shocked. The moment he stretched out his hand, Lee Shin Woo used the only skill that he could use in this frozen space, Rule of Bones Self-Destruct skill. [Critical Hit!] He had converted the entire areas mana into lightning, so it would be effective against even the likes of a level 8 Archmage! ...Especially if both Lee Shin Woo and Jin were to sacrifice their bodies in the process! [Kuhahk!] The Archmage was swept up in the st, the huge explosion caused the entire areas mana to shake. Feotane felt nauseous, as he hadnt felt pain in such a long time, and hurriedly flew into the air; at that moment, Kratia and Prince had already disappeared. Of course, Lee Shin Woo and Jins appearances had disappeared as well due to the explosion! [How could this happen...] The Archmage looked around, though there was nothing left inside, and muttered in shock. He had lived for quite a long time, but he wouldnt be able to forget that attack. To think he would go as far as to sacrifice his horse as well to save hisrades! No, what was even more surprising was the fact that hisrades could create a Gate and use it to escape, as well as the fact that he had been so grievously injured by a level 6 hero. [Lets say that I sustained this much damage because it was Self-Destruct, but the gate... No, its possible to create a temporary gate if they used an item. Damn it, I cant interfere with Gods subspace. Did God give them that item herself? They really got me!] Eventually, he came to a reasonable conclusion. Honestly, the correct answer was that Lee Shin Woo told Rem that the Bone Gate was ready from his (Rems) inventory, and Rem had activated the gate underneath their feet, sending Kratia and Prince to another ce, but he dide to a simr conclusion. [Its been a long time since Ive seen someone so talented that they could be a candidate for a general. I was going to rmend him to the 12 generals, but oh well.] To make sure, Feotane used the artifact that was set up in this space and scanned the entire area, but there werent any traces of anyone remaining. He could truly say that they got him good. [Keuk. They got me. How long has it been... my wounds are worse than I expected. I have to go and treat them immediately.] He muttered to himself and raised his head to gather mana, but the entire areas mana was jumbled with lightning or chilly air, so there was nothing here he could use. If he wanted to restore his body (a Lichs body), then elemental mana wouldnt cut it. He needed pure mana. [Tch. Ill treat myself and thene back...] It seemed like he didnt really like it, as he muttered and left. At that moment, a torrent of mana swelled within the air, and Lee Shin Woo and Jins new bodies formed. It was truly a mysterious and frightening scene. [The Invisible Heart skill has be Lv4. All stats have increased by 3.] Lee Shin Woo, who had beenpletely resurrected, saw that damn message, gritted his teeth, and muttered. "Damn it, I promised myself that I would never die again..." "We got out of that situation alive, so its fine!" Lee Shin Woo and Jins Invisible Heart and Blessing of Death possessed a strange option, and whether this was good or bad, he didnt know. Lee Shin Woo and Jin could choose when they would revive, so long as it was within several minutes, and it really helped in situations like this, where dying just once wouldnt let them ovee danger. Even now, the Archmage hadnt realized that they werent really dead and had left the area! "But what happened to Prince? I thought itd be fine, so long as I could save Kratia and Rem. Wasnt it limited to two?" "Is it really the time to curious about that? Lets go. We have to go as fast as we can!" "Nope. Jin, we have to find something here before we leave." "What exactly are you trying to find in this urgent situation... Hey, its not that, is it? Please tell me its not." Jin had been pressing him, but when he saw Lee Shin Woo moving so quickly, he realized what the answer was and was shocked. "Are you going to take that surveince item!?" "Of course I am. Do you know why the Archmage wasnt able to find us, even though he activated the artifact?" "I dont know!" "Because Kratia seeded in hacking into it! So if we cant take that along with us, it would be such a waste that I would lose sleep over it!" "You cant sleep, youre undead!" [Lv8 Huginns Eye] [2] "I found it!" "Hey!" When Feotane Von Seldin had activated the artifact at the veryst moment, Lee Shin Woo had followed the flow of mana and realized where the artifact was hidden within the facility. Lee Shin Woo wouldnt lose that artifact again, and the moment he greedily grasped it, Jin lifted him onto his back and ran out of the facility. At the speed of light! Exactly 10 minutester, Lee Shin Woo and Jin werepletely healed from the injuries theyd sustained from Self-Destruct, while Feotane Von Seldin had also returned to the facility. He found that the artifact that controlled the facility was gone without a trace, and was shocked for the third time that day. [1] T/N: Apparently, I need to be more specific when referring to the 12 generals, as there are other generals in the Empire. [2] T/N: Reference to one of Odins ravens from Norse mythology. Chapter 29 part2 When Kratia and Prince had escaped the Archmages spatial magic and were barely able to recognize their situation, they realized that they were inside of a dungeon theyve never been in before. "What exactly is going on..." "I dont know either." Kratia shook her head in response to Princes quivering voice. Of course, Kratia knew that Lee Shin Woo had activated the Bone Gate, but she had no intentions of exining that to Prince. She wasnt in the mood to anyway. "That man... did he do this?" "Nope. ...Since he tried to kill me." "...What about my junior?" "..." "Hey, I asked what happened to my junior!?" Kratia wanted to retort, And how the hell would I know?, but she held herself back. It seemed like Prince was worried about Lee Shin Woo as well, so she just gave her a small hint. "Hes probably alright." "How do you know that!?" "Because its there." Kratia said, and looked at Rem. Princes eyes went wide-open, as she hadnt noticed Rem until now, and Rem reported mechnically. [Master is safe.] "Right?" "H-How? No, its a relief that hes alright..." Prince was genuinely relieved. Kratia felt the same, but in a way, she felt a bit disappointed as well. The fact that Lee Shin Woo was able to safely escape from that situation meant that there was something that he hadnt told her about. ...But whats important is that Shin Woos alright. Jin is probably ok too. Lee Shin Woo never had to tell her everything. When she thought about it like that, she thought that she may have asked way too much of Lee Shin Woo before, or that she had improperly measured the distance between them. Perhaps that was inconvenient for him. "Hoo..." "Hes safe, so why do you look so down?" "Rtionships are harder to figure out than magic..." "Where is thising from!?" Prince and Kratia had recovered from their initial shock from meeting the Archmage, and when they had managed to barely straighten themselves out, Lee Shin Woo and Jin entered the dungeon they were in. They had realized this through Rem pping its wings and flying towards Lee Shin Woo. "Youre all alright." [Master!] "Yeah, its a relief that youre safe as well." "Junior!?" "Shin Woo!" Lee Shin Woo, who had reimed Rem, moved the Bone Gate that was in Rems inventory back into his own. In the process, he noticed the Bone Gate could now transport three people at a time. As expected, absorbing bones allowed the temporary activation of the Bone Gate, but it also permanently strengthened it as well. When he thought about it like that, it really wasnt any different from his other bone equipment. "Its actually a relief that I fed it so much..." "Junior!" Because of that, I was able to save Prince as well, he muttered in satisfaction. Then, someone rushed over to him, which turned out to be Prince. Her eyes were brimming with tears. "Im so d youre alive. Its such a relief! Huuuu..." "Uh... Im d youre safe too, Senior." In Lee Shin Woos original n, Prince wouldnt have been saved, but it seemed like she believed that Lee Shin Woo had staked his life on saving her. It was a blow to his conscience, but right now, he needed toe out strong! "You sent us over here, right? That consumable mustve been really expensive! I thought you were a good guy before, but it turns out you really are!" "Ha, haha..." It seemed like Prince hade to the same conclusion as Feotane Von Seldin. Lee Shin Woo decided not to correct her misunderstanding andughed with uncertainty. Though her face was a mess, Prince beamed. She was the type of person who cried with a runny nose when she was relieved and touched; he couldnt say he hated that type of person. "But it wasnt free." "Huh!?" "Ill collect on your life debtter. Isnt that how it works?" Lee Shin Woo said and grinned. Then, Prince, who had been grabbing onto his arm, loosened her grip on his hand, paled, and stepped back. It seemed like she was making an evenrger misunderstanding. "I-I told you I have someone I like." "I know. Hahaha." While Lee Shin Woo teased Prince to no end, Kratia quietly came over and held onto Lee Shin Woo. There was a lot she wanted to ask him, but right now... "Shin Woo, Im d youre alright." "Yeah. Thanks, Kratia. Lets talkter." "...Ok." "..." On one side, there was Prince, and on the other, he was speaking with Kratia. Seeing that, Jin felt extremely ufortable. Jin had died and revived with Lee Shin Woo, but he didnt really want to beplimented for that. But as a result, Lee Shin Woo was surrounded by women and was being thanked by them, which pissed him off! But no matter how pissed he was, or how much he much he scraped the ground with his feet, Lee Shin Woo wouldnt understand how he was feeling. "Your horse is ok too. You really are amazing to have escaped with your horse intact." "You see, I have an escape skill. I received it from Gods garden." "At this point, I have no idea how many skills you actually have." Was it because she had been so terrified and was released from that fear? Prince had momentarily let go of her stubbornness and was genuinely in awe of him. Lee Shin Woo just smiled beamingly. If he was honest with her, she would faint. For a while, he continued to chat with them, and now that everyone was safe and sound, he said. "Then lets split up now." "..." "Mm..." It seemed obvious. They had coincidentally met Prince at the training facility, and now that they had somehow escaped that same facility, there was no reason for them to stay together anymore. However, Prince looked somewhat anxious at his sudden deration. "But that guy..." "He shouldnt be able to follow us anymore, even if hes an Archmage who specializes in spatial magic. And if he doese for us, we wouldnt be able to beat him, even if we were together." "L-Lets join up with Lloyds group first. Youre at our level now, so if we all travel together, then we have nothing to fear..." "It wouldnt be beneficial for our growth if too many heroes banded together. Its unfortunate, but we should work together next time, Senior. Therell definitely be a day when we work together again. Like when we face one of the 12 generals." "Ugh..." Prince looked as though she never wanted them to part. Well, he could definitely understand why she felt that way. They had barelye out of a situation where they couldve died at any time, so anyone would feel that way. However, Lee Shin Woo didnt have the time to babysit a kid forever. Therefore, he should just t out refuse and send her away. "Oh right. A life debt. You said you would collect on my life debt!" "Ill collect on itter. If we meet againter." "Tch!" In the end, Prince realized that she wouldnt be able to convince Lee Shin Woo, pouted, and stepped back. She dried her tears and blew her nose on the handkerchief. "So youre saying you wont let me be a part of your group. It makes me feel cheap, so Im going. Im not going to y with you guys anymore." "Brat." "Lets meet again someday, Senior. I hope you stay safe till then." "...Hmph. Make sure you dont die to idiots! And you too. Next time my magic will be much greater than yours!" It seemed as though Prince was really pissed, as she stomped the ground as she left the dungeon. Even until the end, she was cute. Once they could no longer see her, Jin kicked Lee Shin Woo with his front legs. It was quite the serious hit. "Hey, whats wrong!?" "It just pissed me off seeing you flirt with a girl at such a crucial time." "Wait, what? What did I do...!?" "I agree with Jin." "Like I said, what did I do?" Lee Shin Woo was punished by Kratia and Jin for teasing Prince too much. He waited for them to calm down, then exined to Kratia how exactly they had survived. In exchange for bing a skeleton, he told her that he was able to revive himself a few times, and Kratia epted it. She had forgotten because Bone Reinforcement was such a cheat skill, but being an undead was truly a huge penalty. "Its an ability that I cantprehend..." "But I think I understand it a little better now." "Hmm?" Lee Shin Woo recollected the walking disaster, the Archmage Feotane Von Seldin. Of course, the Archmages overwhelming magic, his ability to control space, or his ability to freeze space left asting impression on him, but there was something he had paid special attention to... A Lichs ability to extract their life force and store it in a safe ce. Perhaps... Perhaps Invisible Heart was simr? If it was, then he could understand how Invisible Heart fundamentally worked. However, that power was still beyond Lee Shin Woos grasp, but he was certain that that power was deeply linked with him. It was as if Feotane Von Seldins body and container were connected by a powerful magic string! My priority should be to not die and keep increasing the maximum limit of Invisible Heart. Not only did he not understand how a Lich resurrected itself, but he also didnt know much about the Invisible Heart either. There was a chance that these skills werent even closely rted at all, but even if they were, he had no guarantee that he would be able to use the skill as he wished. But if he were topare himself now with when he first started and couldnt do anything, his current situation was much better. Humanitys strength is being able to push themselves again and again, so long as their path is clear. "Would I be able to help you?" "Id really appreciate it if you did. Nows not the time though." Lee Shin Woo patted Kratias shoulder, who spoke with limpid eyes. For some reason, he felt as though they had gotten even closer and he could trust her even more now. Perhaps she was thankful that hed used one of his lives to save her. To be honest, hed increased the maximum level of Invisible Heart a few times now, so he still had more than 100 lives left! "Then, shall we return to our base?" "Ok. If were going to be doing anything, then Id like to rest a little first." Originally, he hadnt nned on apanying Kratia anymore, but he decided to return to his base with her. Even if he acted otherwise, they had faced off against one of the 12 generals who happened to be level 8, so they were all extremely tired. They needed to rest, if for no other reason than to get to their next destination. Because he had used Invisible Heart, he only needed 10 more stats to get to level 7, so he would level up in a safe location and then act. "Ah, and I also have to fix the artifact too." "The artifact? ...You didnt... Kyaa!" Kratia hugged Lee Shin Woo excitedly, but Jin kicked her with his hind legs and sent her flying. Lee Shin Woo saw the two snarling at each other, and had no idea whether they had be friends or had be sworn enemies. Chapter 29 part3 "Rem, what do you think?" [Its difficult. More research must be done.] "Well, I didnt think itd work on the first try." [You can count on me.] Lee Shin Woo left the magic device, Huginns Eye (which hed stolen from the training facility), with Kratia and Rem. It was an absurd surveince artifact, as it could sense multiple presences in arge area, and indirectly influence them as well. It was a level 8 item that was a treasure amongst treasures. It wouldnt be an exaggeration to call it the core of the training facility. Of course, he wouldnt likely be able to figure out everything thats going on in the Empire with just this, but if he were to improve its performance, as well as limit its options in order to concentrate its abilities, then... Someday, hed be able to tell the golems movements. Well, if it can synergize with Rems abilities that is. "With this, the connection between Rem and the artifact isplete." "That means..." "Yeah. Even if Rems far away, he can see with Huginns Eye." Lee Shin Woo decided to leave Huginns Eye at his base. Firstly, they hadnt improved Huginns Eye enough for them to properly use it. Secondly, it wouldnt activate from his inventory and it took up too much space. Lastly, with Kratias help, they were able to set up amunication line between Huginns Eye and Rem. Thus, Rem was able to utilize Huginns Eye from long range. For the time being, Kratia would study Huginns Eye and would strive to improve it, so it should be more useful in the future. "But is it really ok with you? It feels like Im just keeping you here..." "My original goal was the artifact. Im happy that I can continue to study it." It seemed like Kratia was quite satisfied. Then again, ever since shed entered the Empire, Kratia hadnt been concerned about heroes or the undead, but magic, so it seemed like the natural reaction from her... "Plus, not only did mybat-rted skills improve, but I learned a new skill rted to the artifact. The more I study the artifact with that skill, the faster my magic will increase." "Is that that amazing?" "...Shin Woo, you have no idea how amazing it is to learn a new type of skill." Kratias eyes sharpenedfor some reason, so Lee Shin Woo apologized to her and decided to take a step back. He couldnt understand it at all, as he gained skills so easily through Bone Reinforcement. But the more skills one had, the more stats theyd gain, so he realized that the more skills one had, the more capable they were. "Thats why the [elites] are so amazing. Normal monsters dont really have any skills, and only have their stats to back them up, so we can hunt them easily, but... On the contrary, elites possess at least two or three skills on average, so not only do they get stronger the more they use their skills, but theyre able to properly exhibit their overwhelming strength (from their stats) through said skills." "Well, thats true..." There was an insurmountable wall (in terms of strength) between normal monsters and elites. Once he heard the clear reason between this divide, he found himself naturally nodding his head. If he put what she said into consideration, then wouldnt he be the strongest if he just lived a long time? The scary part was that the chances of that werent zero. "But first..." Kratia seemed like she would talk about skills for a few hours, so Lee Shin Woo pushed her towards Huginns Eye. He gathered thest bones hed acquired from the training facility and sighed in satisfaction. "Lets level up first." "You dont have any for me, right?" "I thought you wouldnt want them, so I used them on myself... Are you disappointed? Should I give you one?" "Its fine. I respectfully decline." Before they had cleared the final training facility, Jin had absorbed an unimaginable quantity of bones and had grown tremendously. Moreover, he had also absorbed a level 7 elites bone, so he wanted nothing to do with bones for the time being. Lee Shin Woo decided to give him a break this time. Above all, it was most efficient to use Bone Reinforcement prior to a level up. He had acquired four level 7 elite bones purely through luck, but it was still beneficial to him regardless; Lee Shin Woo decided to make this level up something special. The Ur Leons big toenail and shell, the Croc Erantus mr, and the Emperor Boas fang I got from Kratia. They werent technically made of bone, but they were definitely considered bones. Moreover, they were from elite monsters that had fought for dozens of years inside of an area with a high concentration of mana, so they were higher quality than any of the level 7 elite bones hed absorbed thus far. They were almostparable to Hansen Von Dorthe. "Hoo." "Ugh." Would Jin be alright from absorbing the info from four bones simultaneously? Jin unnecessarily imagined himself absorbing those bones and shook, while Lee Shin Woo extended his hand and selected the bones. Then he said. "Bone Reinforcement." [Consuming all four bones to execute Bone Reinforcement. Strength has increased by 20, Agility by 25, Health by 30, and Magic by 58.] [The Bone Reinforcement skill has be Lv10. Bones with intersecting memories arebined, allowing you to essplete memories. Verifying that all owners of these bones lived in the same environment, giving you ess to theirbined memories.] "Mm." What a great time for Bone Reinforcement to level up. And it came with a new ability at that. Lee Shin Woo inwardly muttered that he hadnt expected this to happen, but at that moment, a deluge of memories poured into his brain. Lee Shin Woo gasped. It felt like his limits were being tested whenever he used this skill! "Shin Woo!?" "Its nothing. Im fine." New information that he could absorb because of Bone Reinforcements level up... it was a record of the countless battles that these monsters had fought within an artificially made subspace. They were born and grew up within that space of boundless mana; he saw their ability to adapt to their environment, as well as their aspirations, and thirst for vengeance! No, there was something beyond that. These monsters had been shackled in this mana zone, which had given them their strength on a silver tter, for dozens of years, and their fundamental knowledge of spatial magic flowed into him! By absorbing all three of their memories at the same time, Im able to absorb dozens of years of their memories. This is ridiculous... Above all, Lee Shin Woo felt the flowing mana that umted more and more over the years, and it felt as though that mana actually moved through his body. In the end, it felt as though the boundary between his body and the world had disappeared. He couldnt describe that sensation. Lee Shin Woo just wanted to focus on that feeling. His body began to float into the air and started to reconstruct itself. While he absorbed the memories, he was leveling up! [You have undergone countless training and experiences, and have learned the basics to epting and manipting all the energy that exists in this world. Though you are still unskilled, each and every bone in your body breathes, and the resulting strength is nothing to scoff at.] [You have be a level 7 Breathing Bone Joker.] A Breathing Bone Joker. Did that mean a Joker whose bones breathed? He had gone from an Elemental Skeleton Joker, to a Powered Elemental Bone Joker and now, to a Breathing Bone Joker. The name was a joke, but he suddenly found that he liked it. The term breathing made it feel like he had even more potential now, as he was originally an entity that couldnt breathe. It felt like his hopes and dreams had been realized. It felt like it was teaching him what direction he needed to go from now on. "Guaaaah...!" Of course, the changes that came about due to a level up were just beginning. [The Element Absorption skill has be Lv7. Magic has increased by 50.] [The Intermediate Assimtion skill has be Lv8. Agility and Magic have increased by 10.] [The High Rank Mana Bone skill has be Lv3. Magic has increased by 60. You understand how mana functions in space, so you are now able to both control a portion of it and resist it. If someone tries to interfere with you with their magic, then you can use your magic to resist the effects.] The skill that had been most affected by Bone Reinforcement was his Mana Bone skill. It was also the skill that was most affected by the breathing part of his level up. After all, his bones wouldnt be able to breathe if he didnt have the Mana Bone skill! That wasnt all. He now had extensive experience with spatial magic, so the Mana Bone skill overcame its previous limitations and increased its scope. It used the helplessness and frustration he felt while fighting Feotane Von Seldin as fuel to allow him to resist others magic! Was that the reason that his Mana Bone skill had leveled up twice in such a short time after reaching the high rank level? [The Bone Armory skill has be Lv9. Health and Magic have increased by 10. You can now summon eight pieces of equipment at a time. You can now rece any equipment mid-summon with another.] [The Rule of Bone skill has be Lv10. All stats have increased by 10. If it is a bone you can control, or even if it isnt, you can control it and reinforce it.] Rule of Bone and Bone Armory were affected quite significantly as well. Lee Shin Woo could not only use his mana more extensively now, but his overall ability to control bone had increased. He was especially surprised by Rule of Bones level up. He could control bones that werent even his and could reinforce them as well. It was proof that Lee Shin Woos scope of influence had increased. [The High Rank Combat Sense skill has be Lv2. Agility has increased by 20. You can now more swiftly respond to any attacks using mana.] [The Intermediate Regeneration skill has be Lv10 and has evolved to the high rank level! Health and Magic have increased by 20. In the case of a mana based attack, you can collect a portion of the mana and activate Regeneration.] That wasnt all. It seemed like his other skills had been affected by his karma, as they leveled up as they pleased, and increased his stats as well. Whenever he leveled up, he felt like his body was boiling due to the dramatic changes in his stats (plus, there was the increased effectiveness of said stats). But now that he could more naturally breathe mana, he was able to more naturally ept that change, and even though his body was seething, it felt as though he had just had a refreshing shower. "Hooooo..." Lee Shin Woo very naturally breathed out. Of course, he couldnt actually breathe, but his body followed his lead and absorbed arge quantity of mana, only expelling the mana that his bones couldnt withhold. In the process, the ambient mana was affected by him, and strangely, began to change. It wouldnt be an exaggeration to say it was being influenced by him. It was like when he had blown up his lightning weapons to transform the surrounding mana into lightning. By continuing his breathing, the mana in the entire area woulde under his control! "A-An Archmage?" "Theres no way Id be an Archmage." Kratia had immediately noticed Lee Shin Woos change (that came about due to his level up), and her eyes went wide. Then, Lee Shin Woo grinned, shook his head, and checked his stats (which he hadnt done in a long time). [Lee Shin Woo] [Breathing Bone Joker] [Corps Destroyer; 10 others] [Lv - 7 (Status effectiveness 250%)] [Strength - 1,421, Agility - 1,331, Health - 1,383, Magic - 2,637] [Passive skills - Acting Lv16, Invisible Heart Lv4, Rebellion Lv4, High Rank Bursting Thunder Lv2, High Rank Mana Bone Lv3, Intermediate Shadow Horn Lv4, Intermediate Command Lv9, Intermediate Assimtion Lv8, High Rank Combat Sense Lv2] [Active skills - Disguise Lv6, Instigate Lv6, Bone Reinforcement Lv10, Rule of Bone Lv10, Bone Armory Lv9, High Rank Regeneration Lv1, Sacrifice Lv1, Emergency Evasion Lv6, Intermediate Horn Gigantification Lv3, Beginner Shadow Extension Lv4, High Rank Lightning Sprint Lv2, Lightning Shadow Lv4] [Elements - Intermediate Fire Lv5, Intermediate Ice Lv5, High Rank Acid Lv2, High Rank Lightning Lv4, High Rank Darkness lv1, Absorption Lv7] [Resistances - Holy: MAX, Darkness: MAX, Acid: High Rank Lv2, Ice: Intermediate Lv3, Fire: Intermediate Lv3, Lightning: High Rank Lv2] Now he was finally at a pretty good level, with some respectable stats and skills. It was way too early to say that he was plete], but... maybe this was the first step. A new level 7 hero had been born in the Empire. Chapter 29 part4 Once Lee Shin Woo reached level 7, he was able to more easily control the surrounding mana through his mana breathing ability. "Shin Woo, youve finally be a catalyst!" "Nah. Im not at that level yet..." Kratia insisted that Lee Shin Woos body had be a catalyst and was even happier about it than him, but Lee Shin Woo calmly denied her assertion. Of course, his level up had drastically increased his control over mana, and he was somewhat able to draw and use the ambient mana around him. But after testing it out a few times, he realized that he wasnt able to replicate Kratias Catalyst Magic yet. "But youll get there eventually. Lets study together." "Nah, Im not the studying type. Ill try to figure it out in the field." "Tch..." Kratias eyes became really sullen. She was so mature when they had first met, yet she seemed to act younger and younger as time went on. Was that just his misunderstanding? It was probably proof that she was opening up to him, but it honestly made him feel a bit ufortable. "Well, well be going now." "See youter. Ill make sure to give you updates." "Im counting on you." Lee Shin Woo touched Huginns Eye for thest time, but he received a message that his Bone Reinforcement skill wasnt at a high enough level yet to absorb it. Hed checked when he first stole the artifact and carried it out of the facility, but despite his level, as well as Bone Reinforcements level increasing, it was still beyond his reach. "Is it a higher rank than the Bone Gate...?" "Yourpatibility must not be great. If therees a day that you can absorb this, then..." "Ill leave it with you until that dayes." "Ok." Finally, Lee Shin Woo gave Kratia a soft embrace and left the base with Jin. Rem came along with them of course. "Shin Woo, you havent equipped your gear." "Ah, thats right. Id forgotten that my gear was unsummoned as my body changed from the level up." In the process of leveling up, his gear was released. Right now, Lee Shin Woos face had returned to that of a skeleton, but it was much whiter than when he had been a level 6, and even looked a bit transparent. It was proof that he was bing more like mana. He would elicit a response like H-Hes strong! from anyone now, as he looked like such a powerful skeleton. Lee Shin Woo was fine traveling like this, but Jin urged him to wear his gear, so he summoned and equipped it. It seemed like his equipment had improved as well, perhaps because Bone Armory had gone up to level 9. "You dont need to go to the shop this time?" "Mm, Id like to sell my wine, but..." That wasnt all. He didnt know this was how it would turn out, but because he killed tens of thousands of monsters, and level 7 elites as well, hed amassed a fortune of 100 million Perium. He wanted to chat with Pleine and go shopping, but... "God told me something before I left her gardenst time. That I should try saving my secret shop permits." "Ah, I think she told me that too. So how many do you have?" Jin did his job as a hero, same as Lee Shin Woo, but because all of his permits were passed onto him, Lee Shin Woo currently possessed 18 permits. It wasnt exactly unexpected, but it was still a ridiculous amount. "But Shin Woo, you can share the effects of the permits with people in a contract with you. If thats the case, then if all the other heroes were to form their own partnerships, then wouldnt they be able to amass permits really quickly?" "It seems like its not that easy to form a contract as we did." "Yeah, I suppose so..." He hadnt really known before, but Lee Shin Woo was able to form contracts because of his darkness mana. Moreover, if the two parties dont trust each otherpletely, then itll be difficult to form a contract between them; even Prince, who likes Lloyd so much, hadnt gone beyond just friendship, so it was understandable. "Now that I think about it, I wonder if Prince leveled up." "Youre about to go into the chatting channel again, arent you?" "Id also like to see how everyone is doing. Plus, I want to make sure that Prince didnt say some weird stuff about me. Oh, and Im counting on you to take us to our destination." "You asshole..." Lee Shin Woo had reached level 7, but Jin was still level 6. Thus, rather than rushing into the level 4 danger zones, they decided to clear the level 3 danger zones that they hadnt gone to yet. And if it were at all possible, untroddennd that hadnt been found by the heroes yet. His main priority was to avoid Ethan Cruz at all cost. I know now. Ethan Cruz is level 8. He hadnt been entirely sure when he had watched him from afar, but hed figured it out after meeting with the level 8 Archmage. He could sense something inmon amongst the Archmage, Arema Steelworker, and Ethan Cruz. Their domination over magic. When I leveled up, I just barely learned how to subjugate the ambient mana around me, but... those guys are doing it passively. Lee Shin Woo recalled Ethans ck aura and shook. Level ups raised the level of ones existence, and thus, one could more naturally control mana. Everyone had this inmon, regardless of what their karma was. Hoo, I still have a long way to go. I have to work even harder...! Lee Shin Woo not only understood this but also possessed the power to dominate mana as a level 7. If a level 8 were to hear about this, then they would pass out while screaming, but unfortunately, only Lee Shin Woo was unaware of what exactly he had achieved. Although he possessed the ability to dominate mana like Ethan Cruz and had figured out that Ethan was level 8, he gave himself a rough assessment, which was so like Lee Shin Woo. But why is he killing other heroes if hes level 8? Damn it, he should just go straight to the capital... They had a level 8 hero on their side, so why did they have to be wary of him? That fact pissed him off, and he entered the chatting channel. However. [Mr. Lee Shin Woo has entered.] [Ye Jin Jin: Oh, youre here! Mr. Shin Woo, I have a lot of questions for you! A lot!] [Yasunori Akira: I heard, Lee Shin Woo!] [Lloyd H.K.: How did you already...] [Mentes Orun: Its all luck. Luck I say.] [Silene Viesa: Senior! Youre so cool!] [Ethan Cruz: Ooh, I was waiting for you. Our super rookie, Lee Shin Woo!] The moment he entered the chatting channel, he was bombarded by voice messages, whichpletely rid him of any list of to-dos, Ethan Cruz, or the issue with the Archmage. [Lloyd H.K.: You... We all heard. You temporarily teamed up with Prince. Plus...] Lee Shin Woo realized at that moment. Prince had told them everything in such a short period of time. Of course, she had promised not to tell anyone about his abilities, but there was no provision stating that she couldnt say anything about his level! Damn it! [Ye Jin Jin: I heard that Kratia is really beautiful and her chest is really big! Why didnt you tell me that you made a new friend? No, wait, where are you right now? Are you with her right now?] No matter how he thought about it, he had no choice but to think of her as a necrophiliac, as she continuously bombarded him with questions. [Yasunori Akira: Level 7... Youre really level 7? Hoo, Id thought that you would level up quickly, but this is... its quite surprising.] [Lloyd H.K.: To think youre level 7. Even I just got there... Theres no way Prince is lying, but youre really...] [Erian Ruparte: How exactly did you... Even then, you were a lower level than me...] There were some who were shocked by his level and didnt know how to respond as well. [Mentes Orun: Did you receive a growth eleration skill from God? I heard that there was a hero like that before, but I didnt think that youd have one too. Im happy. And Im truly thankful, Junior.] [Silene Viesa: Youre so cool, Senior! I heard that you killed an elite monster that was a higher level than you! She said it seemed like you were used to it... You really are cool! I really look up to you!] They didnt even think to ask about how he had reached level 7, and there were some who were just happy about his level up. [Ethan Cruz: You really... You really surprised me. My hearts pounding. Haha, youre a really cool junior.] Ethan was like a venomous snake that was licking its lips (at least, thats what Lee Shin Woo felt). Lee Shin Woo sighed and spoke. He had to somehow smooth out this situation. [Lee Shin Woo: A lot happened in a short period of time, so...] [Lloyd H.K.: A lot happened? A lot happening doesnt exin this, you rascal.] [Yasunori Akira: You mustve risked your life. Probably... a countless number of times. I thought you were a calm and cautious guy, but youre actually more reckless than anyone. But you won and survived, so I cant really criticize you...] [Erian Ruparte: Id like to ask you something. Perhaps... At that time, when I told you to run away from one of the 12 generals troops, did you...] [Lee Shin Woo: ...Haha.] [Erian Ruparte: As I thought. I feel embarrassed that I assumed you were at my level. Could you please forgive me?] Lee Shin Woo replied as humbly as he could to move on, but it was impossible. Everyone thought Lee Shin Woo was a monster who went around risking his life! What was most infuriating was that there was nothing wrong with what they were saying. This is why he had tried hiding his level! No, there was no way he would have been able to hide his level forever, so he knew that he would have to reveal it someday. Because his Disguise skill had leveled up a fair bit, he thought itd be ok to tell them, but someone else revealing his level was different from he himself doing it! [Lee Shin Woo: I was just really lucky. As you said, Senior Yasunori, I risked my life several times. Senior Prince also helped quite a bit as well.] [Prince Altania: Hmph, of course I did. Theres no way you couldve done it without me.] She chose to shamelessly appear at that moment. Lee Shin Woo promised that hed spank herter when they met again. [Lee Shin Woo: Senior, were you able to get to level 7?] [Prince Altania: Of course I did. Who do you think I am? From now on, call me Archmage Prince. Kratias no match for me now.] [Lee Shin Woo: Of course, Archmage Prince.] It seemed like shedpletely recovered from the damage shed sustained from encountering the Archmage. Even though there was a part of her that was cocky, that cockiness allowed her to bounce back quickly. As expected, she was indeed a hero. [Ethan Cruz: Anyhow, now... Lloyd, it might be time for us to take on one of the 12 generals.] At that moment, the chatting channel froze. Only Lee Shin Woo could tell what his true intentions were, and soon, the other heroes responded explosively. [Lloyd H.K.: Are you sure, Senior!?] [Ethan Cruz: Yeah. You reached level 7 just a little while ago, and both Prince and Lee Shin Woo have be level 7, so... We still need to be careful, but we should go looking for one of the weak ones who doesnt have that many troops.] [Lloyd H.K.: Senior, Id like to participate!] [Prince Altania: The 12 generals... I-Id like to participate as well!] [Mentes Orun: Ethan, you...] [Ethan Cruz: Will you fight with us, Mentes?] [Mentes Orun: ...Tch.] It wasnt a good development. Of course, Lee Shin Woo also wanted to take down the 12 generals, but this was all part of Ethans n, so everything was taking a turn for the worst. Only he could tell exactly what Ethan was nning. Indeed, Ethan was definitely nning on harvesting them now. Hed already experienced this before, so he knew exactly what he was thinking. [Lee Shin Woo: Id like to participate as well, Senior. Ill tell Kratia as well.] [Ethan Cruz: What a reassuring response. Itll be some time before we stand on the battlefield, as we still need to locate one of the 12 generals, but during that time, make sure you get used to your new level!] However, Lee Shin Woo didnt show any signs of him seeing through Ethans n and naturally epted his request. At the same time, he lightly tapped Jin and said. "The ns changed. Mm, lets change directions. Ill tell you where." "What are we going to do there?" "Mm, I was going to start doing this after you got to level 7 too, but... the circumstances have changed." The reddish ck goblin fire within his eye sockets shined dismally. He was originally going to avoid Ethan until he knew he could beat him, but he couldnt just eat out of the palm of his hand. Therefore, he had no choice but to take him on. "If I want to beat a Hero Hunter, then... I need to take down some heroes too." Lee Shin Woo said and marked several dots on Jins minimap. There they would find undead heroes that werent under Ethan Cruzsmand. Lee Shin Woo couldnt put it off any longer. He would now begin Gods quest in earnest. Chapter 30 part1 [Ye Jin Jin: Are you really just friends?] "Yeah, we just get along really well." [Ye Jin Jin: Someone you get along really well with...] "Were just friends. Im a skeleton, so theres no way a normal woman would like me. Were not in a rtionship, ok?" [Ye Jin Jin: Uuh...] Ye Jin Jin interrogated Lee Shin Woo through a private chat, and even after hed exined to her a few times that he didnt have any feelings for Kratia, Ye Jin Jin grumbled in distaste. [Ye Jin Jin: Ill be able to form a party with you once Im level 7 as well, Mr. Shin Woo.] "No, Im not going to form a party with you. Im not even in one with Kratia right now." [Ye Jin Jin: Thats good news... No, in any case, when your levels are simr, then you can rte to them. But Im still level 5... So I probably wont be able to participate in taking down one of the 12 generals. Im ashamed of myself.] "Just keep at it with your own pace. You may die if you rush." [Ye Jin Jin: Mr. Shin Woo, will you treat me nicely if I die and turn into a zombie or skeleton?] "Nope. Im sick of being a skeleton myself, so make sure you dont die." [Ye Jin Jin: ...Huu, ok.] She seemed better now, as she energetically dered that she wouldnt die and that she would level up quickly. Then, she ended the chat. Once their conversation was over, Lee Shin Woo muttered with an even more deathly expression, even though he was already dead. "Why are there so many heroes like this?" "Love makes people act like theyre young again. Even though they know its unreasonable, they badger you, and even though they know its foolish, they do it anyway... In the end, they make a mistake, cry their heart out, and regret it." Although Lee Shin Woo had just muttered out without thinking, Jin had responded with his own deepment. But there were a few parts that he couldnt understand mixed in. "She likes a skeleton. Isnt there something wrong with her?" "Love messes with your head. You didnt know?" "Hoo, as I thought, youre the only partner for me, someone who doesnt care about stuff like love... Hey, whats wrong!? Hey!" "I want to train Steel Heart." "You dont have to attack me to train it!" Jin realized that he couldnt harass Lee Shin Woo by just shaking his body anymore, so instead, he controlled the armor atop his body and formed thorns to attack Lee Shin Woo with. The old him wouldnt have even imagined that he would grow this much, but if his body was pierced by those thorns, then Lee Shin Woo wouldnt be happy! While Jin ran at top speed, Lee Shin Woo had to dodge the steel thorns that Jin would attack him with randomly. But in the middle of that, Lee Shin Woo realized something and suddenly became calm. "Huh? I think this could be good training... Jin, try doing it a bit faster." "Youre the one whose head is messed up!" Right now, they were travelling to a level 3 danger zone that they had never set foot in before. They couldve gone straight there if they had taken the golem train, but they were going the long way around in order to avoid Ethan Cruz. But because Jins speed almost matched the speed of the train, the time it would take had only increased from one day to two. "A hero in a level 3 danger zone..." "Ethan Cruz might be looking for the other undead heroes before his hunt. So, we need to make the first move." Lee Shin Woo had already taken care of the heroes in the level 1 and 2 danger zones in the past. Of course, there had only been three of them, including the one whod given him the Bursting Thunder skill. Anyway, all he had left were the level 3 and 4 danger zones. Lee Shin Woo had been postponing the quest because the undead heroes powers were unknown to him, but he decided that he needed the strength of the other heroes in order to fight back against Ethan Cruz. "Fortunately, Ethan Cruz doesnt have an ability that locates the undead heroes for him. At all." He had been sure of it. If Ethan Cruz knew where the level 3 danger zone undead heroes were, then he wouldve gotten to them earlier. Moreover, Ethan had figured out where Shino Rendu had died and gone over there a few months after his death. Ethans information gathering really sucked. In other words, Lee Shin Woo was a cheat, as he knew where all the undead heroes were... "Thats probably why hes trying to gather us all in one ce. Ethans trying to gather us in a ce he can see and procure us. Hes even using one of the 12 generals as bait..." Ethan wasnt just aiming for Lee Shin Woo alone. He was also gunning for Lloyd, Prince, Kratia... he acted only after they had reached level 7. He was using theirplete faith in him to stab them in the back, yet he was facing off against four level 7 heroes. Lee Shin Woo couldnt even imagine what he was preparing for their fight. "He might expand his forces as well. Theres a high chance that hes going to move boldly, so I have to make the first move." "Youre the boldest. You." While they were on the move, Lee Shin Woo messaged Kratia and roughly exined what Ethan was nning. He didnt need to add much, as Kratia had already seen Ethan lead the undead heroes. [Kratia Melloi: We have to prepare.] "You just need to protect yourself against his darkness element. Ill take him down myself." [Kratia Melloi: Ok. Ill leave that to you. You can also use the darkness element and even have the absorption ability, so it would be hard to fight him for anyone else. ...Ill need to think about a way to intercept the undead heroes while protecting myself.] "Alright. Lets work hard." [Kratia Melloi: Yeah. See you then.] Once he was finished chatting with Kratia, who reassured him with her answer... Lee Shin Woo felt extremely conflicted, but decided to chat with Prince as well. As expected, she spoke passionately, unlike Kratia. [Prince Altania: What is it all of a sudden? Youre not mad that I told everyone in the chatting channel your level, are you? That wasnt in the contract! Me revealing your level is actually helpful to you, as itll help you fit inter!] Lee Shin Woo hadnt even said anything yet, but she was already defending herself. Ill file a im regarding thatter, he replied simply, making her tremble. Lee Shin Woo then continued sternly. "Senior, you know how dangerous darkness mana is, right?" [Prince Altania: I had no idea you could use that formidable magic...!] "Senior Ethan Cruz can also use darkness mana." [Prince Altania: I know. His buff magic is no joke. They make you feel like your level has increased by one.] As expected, he could concentrate his darkness element into a buff. Of course, if he did so, then he pretty much wouldnt be able to do anything, but it was still a viable move. Moreover, Ethan wasnt the type of person who buffed people out of the kindness of his heart. There must be something else hidden within that buff. "The true ability of the darkness element isnt buffing." [Prince Altania: Obviously. Senior Ethan is better at debuffing. Youll see for yourselfter, but it feels really reassuring to have him by your side. Im not kidding.] He had somewhat expected this, but... Prince hadplete faith in Ethan. Like she was under the effect of a charm! Maybe she was affected by the darkness element. However, Lee Shin Woo had his own trick up his sleeve. "I see. By the way, you remember your debt, right?" [Prince Altania: Eek!?] Lee Shin Woo gave up on immediately disclosing the truth about Ethan. Prince fully trusted that lunatic, so if he were to tell her the truth, she would immediately private chat with Ethan and make sure he was telling the truth. "Its nothing special. I was just wondering if you could fight together with us if one of the 12 generals shows up." Because of that, he chose to take an indirect approach. [Prince Altania: What? But I have to protect Lloyd...] "Lloyd has Erian with him. But when I heard we were going to fight against one of the 12 generals, I started shaking. You can use fire magic, so Id feel a lot better being with you, Senior..." [Prince Altania: H-Hmm. Itsmendable that youre aware of my abilities, but even so, I need to protect Lloyd...] "Senior, I need you!" [Prince Altania: Keuk... Well, if you really need me that badly, I guess it cant be helped.] Heid it on thick in his request, and in the end, Prince caved. Honestly, he thought it was way too easy. [Prince Altania: A debt is a debt. Your big sisll be by your side then for a day. Thats fine, right?] "Thank you very much." [Prince Altania: Hoo, it really is great to be the senior.] Good. If ites down to it, as long as he put this dumbass next to Kratia, then she would survive. Lee Shin Woo was concerned about Lloyd and his other seniors, but to be frank, he didnt really have the power to save them too. If Lee Shin Woo took down Ethan at the right time, then they would survive. If not, they would die. "Then Ill contact youter." [Prince Altania: I told you before, but I have someone I like already. You cant fall in love with me, alright?] Lee Shin Woo immediately ended the chat with Prince, as she said something stupid and hadnt even figured out that he was trying to help her. He was already anticipating spanking her a few times. "Shin Woo, you really like people too." "Nope. It would just make me feel bad if people I knew died." "No matter what you think, thats... Shin Woo." Jin was about to offer a rebuttal, but suddenly called Lee Shin Woo calmly. When Jin, who was faster than Lee Shin Woo, called him like this, there was only one thing it could be! Lee Shin Woo gripped the Breath of the Lightning God in one hand and raised his head. He deepened his connection with Jin and focused his senses, so even he could see it. There was an undead standing atop a hill ahead that was watching them...! "It looks like a magician." "Seems that way. Shin Woo, it looks like hes about to attack us with his magic." "Then, shall we start with a light tap?" Even if its rotten, its still a hero. The undead hero, who had sensed Lee Shin Woos party from afar, raised its arm and formed a giant me in the air. It looked like Princes fire magic; while it was weaker, it had formed instantaneously, which made him recollect a monster from somewhere. "Its an ability from God. But were no pushovers!" Lee Shin Woo forcefully threw his Breath of the Lightning God into the air. The midair Breath of the Lightning God obeyed hismand, erupting in a huge explosion, and temporarily the entire area was tinged with lightning! And the six Breath of the Lightning Gods that had been floating behind him until now, came forward, as if waiting for that very moment. The six des sucked in the overflowing lightning energy from the surrounding area and elerated. Immediately after, he shot the swords straight at the magician! I figured this out from fighting in the training facility. That its better to explode one weapon and change the surrounding environment than to explode them all at once, as my weapons will be so much stronger that way! Thats right. Lee Shin Woo had mastered the idiotic and effective ability hed learned from his battles in the training facility: to blow up his elemental weapon and change the environment! [Kuhahk...!] As expected, the six Breath of the Lightning Gods were much faster than before, and shot out towards the magician with that increased speed. The first sword frontally shed with the magicians me and exploded, dyeing the entire area in lightning. The second sword shot out and was even stronger than before. The magician didnt even have the time to react as his head waspletely destroyed! [You have acquired 2 secret shop permits, and 17,554,190 Perium.] [You have given peace to arade who walked a path he could not return from. You have partially cleared the quest objectives and have acquired 1 secret shop permit. The maximum level of the Invisible Heart skill has increased by 1.] "...Ah." Because the magician had died, the remaining four swords lost their target and just remained in the air. They seemed to look around, which was a reflection of how Lee Shin Woo was feeling. "Shin Woo...?" Jin looked at Lee Shin Woo strangely, as he had thought that Lee Shin Woo would try bringing the magician to their side before killing it, but Lee Shin Woo did his best to act like nothing was wrong and replied. "I killed him because I thought wed have to toughen you up a bit first!" Honestly, he hadnt expected the magician to die from one attack! Chapter 30 part2 Although he hadnt killed him intentionally, he still ended up killing him, so he couldnt not pick up the loot. Rem flew quickly, picking up the loot for him. He had roughly expected this. The undead hero hadnt dropped any artifacts and only left behind a tailbone. Lee Shin Woo assumed the undead hero had received a skill from God, rather than an artifact. [Lv6 Selleil Von Bastis tailbone] "But why is it a tailbone?" "The body deteriorated, but the tailbone remained intact, so it should give me an ability." "So each bone differs based on the part...!" "Yeah, I was lying." "You rascal!" [Consuming Lv6 Selleil Von Bastis tailbone to execute Bone Reinforcement. Magic has increased by 8. Intermediate Fire has be Lv8 and Magic has increased by 15. Intermediate Fire Resistance has be Lv7 and Magic has increased by 20. You have acquired the special passive skill, Mana eleration Lv1. Magic has increased by 20.] [High Speed Casting and Chantless Casting... With these abilities, I may be able to reach the pinnacle of magic! - Selleil Von Basti] But once hed actually absorbed the bone, his hypothesis (which hed said as a joke) had turned out to be correct. Originally, the bone held two abilities: High Speed Casting, which sped up the activation of his spells, and Chantless Casting, which either reduced the incantation or removed itpletely! And the two abilities fused into Mana eleration to suit me. Mana eleration was a truly simple skill. It allowed the individual to manipte mana far faster than what was originally possible for them. What happens when mana moves quickly? Everything created with mana elerates. If the quick and powerful lightning element were to be elerated by Mana eleration, then it would be like giving wings to a tiger. It was a ridiculous skill that was born from the fusion of the two skills: High Speed Casting and Chantless Casting. It felt like hed found a treasure in an unexpected ce. The higher my Mana Bone skill, the faster the mana I control bes. Thats why I thought I should focus on developing my Mana Bone skill, rather than gaining a new skill. The fact that Mana eleration didnt fuse with Mana Bone and became an innate skill meant that this skill was incredibly powerful. With 1 or 2 level ups, the Mana Bone skill would impart an inexplicablyrge amount of power. "Shin Woo, it feels like your mana cirction has sped up. It used to feel like you had a gentle breeze around you, but now it feels like that breeze is even faster." "Mana eleration improves my mana cirction, recovery rate, and activation. With this skill, I may be able to make some progress inbining Lightning Shadow and Lightning Sprint. Itd be easy to fuse the Shadow Horn skill with other skills as well...!" Lee Shin Woo was conflicted. To think hed gain such a great skill. Wouldnt it better if he just killed any undead hero he came across? However, he soon smiled bitterly and stopped that train of thought. It wasnt because of Shino Rendus heartfelt thanks. It really wasnt! "Anyway, Ill hit the next one as weakly as I can, and try to persuade it." "As I thought, you killed it by ident." Jin was like of course thats what happened, sighed, and ran even faster, so that they would avoid Ethan Cruzs party, or get in a random fight, or to just put the nearest undead heroes to rest and give them salvation. Aside from the eight undead heroes under Ethan Cruzs control, there were five undead heroes left in the level 3 danger zone, and four in the level 4 danger zone. There were a total of nine undead heroes left. "Itd be great if we could get half of them." "That undead magician mightve been waiting for you to initiate a conversation." "Hey, stop making me feel even guiltier." Lee Shin Woo paid a silent tribute to the undead magician from atop Jins back. He hoped that his seniors liberated soul would be happy in his next life! Of course, persuading an undead hero wouldnt be any easier just because one was determined. [Kurwaaaaaaah!] "What kind of human makes that kind of sound...!?" [Kuhaaaah!] Lee Shin Woo had shown he wasnt hostile from afar, so that he could convince the next undead hero, but once the undead hero noticed them approach, it charged, and Lee Shin Woo could tell that it clearly had no intellect left. "Keut... Listen to me! Youre forgetting who you are! Youre a hero, arent you!?" [Kurwaaaaaa!] Despite Lee Shin Woo ardently shouting at the undead hero as soon as he saw it (with Acting and Instigate activated), it opened its mouth wide open and shot a icy breath at them, expressing its clear refusal. Seeing that, Jin grit his teeth. "Keuk, he has a skill like mine..." "Dont getpetitive over useless stuff like this." While thinking that Kratia would be ecstatic if she could see this guy shooting cold air, he gripped the Bifurcated Snake Spine in one hand. It not only helped with his magical calctions, but it also possessed the Elemental Reversal ability, which was great for blocking his opponents elemental attack! Its information had been continuously updated in the Bone Armory andpared to when it was first absorbed, its attack power was more than 100 points higher, and the Elemental Reversal ability was even stronger as well. [Kurwaaah!?] He raised the staff, sucked in the freezing breath, and spewed out fire! The breath that the staff couldnt absorb was negated by the fire, while the fire was reinforced by the staff. The undead hero was swept up by the mes and suffered, but finally revealed its true form! [Kuhaaaaaaah!] "H-Huh...?" It shed the rotten human skin and threw it aside. Out came a rotten lizards head, covered in pale blue scales, on top of a human body. Of course, it was still undead! [Kurwaah!] Once it discarded its skin, it wrapped its fists in cold air, and attacked. Jin dodged its strike, and at that moment it shot out an even more powerful frost breath. Lee Shin Woo hurriedly turned his staff, absorbed the cold air, and grumbled as he shot out fire. "Damn it. I dont know if that senior was a Lizardman or a Draconian, but if I want it to remember its species pride, then what direction should I go in?" "Is that really important right now? Say anything!" [Kurwararara!] Hed persuaded several undead and made several monsters go crazy, but hed never convinced an undead hero, who was in the middle of the two! Lee Shin Woo epted that his Acting skill was still not up to par. He shouldve studied other species beforehand, starting with the elves! "Remember your pride. Whos your enemy!? Why did you be a hero!?" Lee Shin Woo consecutively recited lines that would work on several species and spoke strongly as the undead hero attacked him. He estimated that his opponent was level 6, so if he used too much strength, the fight would end instantly. So long as it were possible, he would continue to stimte it while holding back so he wouldnt kill it... [Kuhaahk! Kurwararararararararara!] "Man, Im so screwed." As expected, he hadnt properly controlled his strength. The undead hero couldnt withstand the Bifurcated Snake Spines mes and once again shed its skin. Around that time, Lee Shin Woo became sure that it was part of the "Freiza race". Once it hadpleted its final transformation, then it would be much smaller and would have much greater destructive force! [Kii... Kihiiaaaaaaaah!] It shed its skin once more, and out came a four meter tall lizard. However, the pale blue scales covering its body were only halfway rotten. Did its insides notpletely rot as it had so much skin on the outside? If thats the case, then there might still be a chance that it hasnt transformed into an undead...! [Kihiii! Kuooooh!] "Its just a monster now. Shin Woo... theres nothing you can do. You have to kill it." "Keuk..." Attacking first didnt work, and counterattacking didnt work either, so what should he do? Did he just have to scream and take its attacks? That would obviously be dangerous for him, even if he was level 7. "Tch." Lee Shin Woo clicked his tongue and activated Bone Armorys new option. The staff that had once been in his hand changed into a sword, and then he gazed forward. [Kururarara!] It covered its body in ice armor and charged. It was so much stronger than it was at the beginning. It seemed as though its mana had strengthened as well, as the path it tread froze. "Sorry!" [Kahk!] However, Lee Shin Woo forcefully swung his sword, and a small streak of lightning followed. It passed through its head, down its back, and all the way to its tail. Then, the undead hero split into two pieces and fell to the floor. If Lee Shin Woo had just reached level 6, then it wouldve been a great victory, but not now. [You have acquired two secret shop permits and 11,432,860 Perium.] [You have given peace to arade who walked a path he could not return from. You have partially cleared the quest objectives, and you have acquired 1 secret shop permit. The maximum level of the Invisible Heart skill has increased by 1.] "This aint easy." Lee Shin Woo withdrew his sword and smiled bitterly. He may have be too confident after hed made Shino Rendu his subordinate. There were so many variables that came into y when dealing with the undead, and he had been careless... [You have acquired Lv6 Suita In Piseks skull.] [You have acquired Lv6 Suita In Piseks ice skin.] [You have acquired the Lv4 Ancient Lizard Leather Clothes. Bone Reinforcement has transformed it into the Lv4 cier Lizard Skin Armor (+5).] "Oh, it dropped two bones!" "Be remorseful or happy. Choose one." Lee Shin Woo was briefly remorseful, but after that, he absorbed the skull to acquire the information held within. As hed roughly expected, his Ice Element and Ice Resistance leveled up sharply, and because of that, his magic and health increased as well. "You absorb the Ice Skin." "I know what youre thinking, but I wont grow any skin." "To think you cant understand my pure wishes of wanting my partner to grow..." "You cant fool me anymore." Lee Shin Woo reinforced Jin, allowing him to absorb the Ice Skin. Just like hed wanted, Jin gained Intermediate Ice Resistance. That wasnt all; it seemed like he gained some proficiency in Steel Heart as well. Finally, Lee Shin Woo absorbed the Skin Armor, which was the jackpot. [The Lv4 cier Lizard Skin Armor (+5) is being absorbed through Bone Reinforcement. Health has increased by 7 and Magic by 8. Intermediate Ice Resistance has be Lv7 and Magic has increased by an additional 5.] [The information for the Lv4 cier Lizard Skin Armor (+5) is being recorded in the Bone Armory. Your armor can now be changed into scale armor, and additionally, the Lv4 Ice Element can be applied to all equipment in the Bone Armory! The Bone Armorys information is being extensively updated.] Hed gotten one step closer to collecting all of the various elements for his equipment (which hed forgotten about)! Lee Shin Woo imagined himself changing the elements of his equipment as he swapped out his equipment, and grinned. Seeing that, Jins goblin fire zed coldly, and he muttered. "This guy... Hes going to kill all of them, isnt he...?" Chapter 30 part3 Lee Shin Woo wasnt able to convince the next two heroes and was forced to kill them. One of them was a level 6 undead hero, who possessed bnced stats (which he hadnt seen in a long time), but it hadnt possessed an exceptional skill of any kind, so it merely raised his stats a little bit. What a bummer. The other was just a level 5. It didnt have a special skill, but it did have an artifact! Then, a level 6 Treasure Eater appeared, so he ended up killing it too. All this time, the Treasure Eater hadnt eaten the artifact, so he considered himself quite fortunate. Lee Shin Woo thought he might have pheromones that attracted Treasure Eaters, but there was no way of knowing. [You have acquired the Lv6 Titans Pride.] [You have acquired the Lv5 Gambling Kings Jewel. Through Bone Reinforcement, it is transformed into the Lv6 Critical Star Fossil!] "Steve, you alwayse at the best of times." "You know, you used to swear whenever it appeared out of nowhere." Lee Shin Woo ignored Jins valid retort and checked the two level 6 items. Through Bone Reinforcement, the level 5 artifact leveled up, and with even one of these items, one could be a stupendous hero (once she saw Kratias orb, Prince had grumbled jealousy and exined), but he now had two such artifacts in his possession! [Titans Pride] [Lv6] [Durability: 17,500/17,500] [Defense: 2,100 - 2,400] [Options: Health + 100, Defensive Effect + 70%] [Passive skill: Titans Fury - If you sessfully defend against your opponents attack, then you can return a portion of that damage onto your opponent.] The Titans Pride was a thick and huge shield that was 10 meters tall and 4 meters wide. Because it was entirely made of bone right off the bat, it didnt change. Its defense was amazing, but it was way too big, so Lee Shin Woo couldnt effectively hold the shield. He had been shocked when the shield had popped out after killing Steve! "Where did Steve even get this thing?" "Seems like Titans also exist in the Empire..." Lee Shin Woo was anxious, as he wondered whether he could absorb the shield or not. Even so, he stretched out his hand, gripped the tip of the shield, and slowly activated Bone Reinforcement. Then, the shield immediately was enveloped in ck energy, and was entirely sucked into Lee Shin Woo! [Absorbing the Lv6 Titans Pride through the Bone Reinforcement skill. Health has increased by 100.] [Bone Armory has stored the information of the Lv6 Titans Pride. The Titans Pride will be scaled down to fit the user and can now be summoned. You can now gigantify and summon the equipment stored in the Bone Armory.] [If Bone Armory levels up just a bit more, then it will be possible to fuse the information of the Titans Pride and the Bone Fortress, which will likely result in a new piece of equipment.] "Ooooh...!" At first, Lee Shin Woo had been concerned that hed never get the opportunity to use this piece of level 6 equipment, but that wasnt the case because of Bone Armorys modification ability. Moreover, he was now able to gigantify his equipment, though he had absolutely no idea how he would apply the new ability! "If I end up having to disguise myself as a Titan, then I wont be in a pickle because I have a weapon I can use." "You... Dont say stuff thats so clearly distressing." Lee Shin Woo summoned the scaled down Titans Pride. Although its maximum defense reduced by 600, its options remained the same! Of course, Lee Shin Woo preferred dodging attacks and counter attacking over just defending because of his connection with Jin, which increased his dynamic visual acuity and his reflexes. But there was nothing wrong with obtaining such a durable shield. "No matter how much I thank them (Steves), its not enough." "You really are terrible." Lee Shin Woo pretended like he was listening to Jin and looked over the Lv6 Critical Star Fossil next. This was the result of Bone Reinforcement leveling up the heros original level 5 artifact, the Gambling Kings Jewel. When he took a closer look... [Critical Star Fossil] [Lv6] [Durability: 320/320] [Options: All stats + 10] [Passive skill: Lucky Strike - There is an extremely high chance that the amount of Perium you pick up will increase.] "Huh!?" But Lee Shin Woo immediately flinched when he looked over the items info. It was a fossil ne in the shape of a star; it emitted a gentle light, and its info was truly extraordinary! Of course, it was a skill that relied on chance, but when it worked, it would increase the amount of Perium he picked up. To the heroes, who relied on Gods secret shop, it was an item worth staking their lives on! "He mustve been so bitter that he died while possessing this item..." Of course, he didnt know what ability the Star Fossil possessed prior to its transformation, but he was certain that it would bring good fortune to the equipper. Lee Shin Woo expressed his condolences to the dead hero again, but his condolences and him hitting jackpot were two different things, so he mercilessly absorbed the Star Fossil. [Absorbing the Lv6 Critical Star Fossil through the Bone Reinforcement skill. All stats have increased by 10. You have acquired the special passive skill, Lucky Strike Lv1.] Lee Shin Woo flinched once more. He thought the Star Fossil would be stored in the Bone Armory, but he had learned the nes ability as a skill instead. And now that he thought about it, Lee Shin Woo didnt have any essories stored in the Bone Armory, despite him absorbing essory type artifacts (or bones that used to look like essories). Perhaps Bone Armory was supposed to be used that way. Hed gained a skill that had the potential for growth, so it was an even better result. "This is tough. I have to keep the rest of my undead seniors alive..." "You say that, but youre smiling so evilly..." Lee Shin Woo felt so much wealthier and ran through the Empire with Jin. There were only two undead heroes left in the danger level 3 zone. Ethan Cruzs undead group was also in the level 3 danger zone, so he wanted to deal with the rest of them as quickly as possible and move onto the level 4 danger zone. However, a quarter of a day had passed. "Shin Woo, I see him." "Nice, then... You have forgotten who you are, hero. What are you doing hereeeeeeeeeeee!" Lee Shin Woo found the next senior halfway through a level 5 dungeon, and spoke the third line of his senior wake up rmption. But to be honest, Lee Shin Woo had be tired of repeatedly attempting to convince them and repeatedly failing as a result, as he was still only human. Once hed thrown out a few lines of hisption, he got ready to go into hunting mode... "I-I am... I am...!] "Huh!?" [What... have I...!] But when the undead hero replied with a bit of his intellect, he was so flustered (as it had been such a long time since this hadst worked), even though he had elicited the desired response! However, Lee Shin Woo quickly got a hold of himself, hurriedly withdrew his weapon and yelled once again. He shouted out line one of the senior wake up rmption, which was also his most effective! "Arent you a hero who sought to purify the Empire!? Your body may be soiled, but do you n to dirty your soul as well!?" [Soul, my soul...! Is my soul still here...?] "Who killed you? Who do you need to kill!?" "Shin Woo, you look really excited..." Lee Shin Woo kept stimting his mind by throwing out these lines, and then, the undead hero began to squirm, which was quite theughable sight. But it seemed like his body and mind still werentpletely in sync, as he aimed both his arms bronze fingernails at Lee Shin Woo and shot them at him. They were so fast that Lee Shin Woo couldnt hope to dodge them! No way, this is...! Despite Lee Shin Woo being in a level 3 danger zone, he thought that perhaps this opponent was a level 7, and was able to dodge the attack through his connection with Jin. They would probably be able to fight against him for a short period of time, but the longer they were unable to mount a proper offensive, the worse the situation would get for them. He would persuade him before then! "Open your eyes. Remember your name!" [Im a hero... A hero who once followed Godsmand...] "Who should you be pointing those fingernails at!?" [They made me into an undead...!] "And who is it that made you into an undead?" [The Empire... and the heroes!] "What?" Huh? What did the heroes have to do with this? Lee Shin Woo was momentarily unable to speak but was somehow able to push on. The undead heros fingernails had cut through the air and grazed the edge of Lee Shin Woos armor. "The pure heroes might get caught up in those heroes plot!" [What... did you say...?] His movement momentarily froze. Yeah, this was it! He did it! [The other heroes... will be caught up in that mans plot...?] "The other heroes dont know about his sinister plot as of yet. Are you just going to sit there and let them be sacrificed like you were!?" [Other pure heroes...] He agreed with him. Lee Shin Woo was sure that his words were super effective on him. What remarkable wit. If thats the case, then he needed to strike a decisive blow, but was the man that ambushed him and the one who was trying to kill Lee Shin Woo one and the same? Lee Shin Woo slightly pondered the subject, but... he decided to go with his winning move. "Ethan Cruz." [Gureureureuk.] The moment Lee Shin Woo uttered his name, the undead hero bared his teeth and screamed like a wild beast. From the outside, he almost looked entirely human, but his nails were unusually sharp and he could attack with them as well, signaling that he probably wasnt human, like the hero Lee Shin Woo had fought before. [Ethan... Cruz...!] "Yeah. Right now hes trying to kill the pure-hearted heroes who follow Godsmand." [Ethan... and Mentes...! Those bastards! They killed me and tried to control me! I was able to escape their control because of my darkness energy, but in the end, I became like this!] Mm, something hed only suspected had been disclosed! To be honest, when Ethan had first suggested that they hunt one of the 12 generals and Mentes had reacted negatively to it, he thought that perhaps Mentes was in on his n. And it turns out that they were indeed connected. They probably convinced themselves that this was the only way to purify the Empire. "Follow me if you want revenge. Ill give you new power and a new chance." [You will...?] The undead hero instinctively withdrew his fingernails (that were pointed at Lee Shin Woo), and asked. It seemed like much of his reasoning had been restored. He did it! Hes almost there! Lee Shin Woo felt like cheering. "Yeah. Youre iplete, and I can make you whole." [Are you like Ethan Cruz? If thats the case, then...] "What you should be asking me isnt so trivial." Lee Shin Woo purposefully cut him off with a strong tone. "Can we kill Ethan Cruz and Mentes Orun. Isnt that what you should be asking me?" [...] The eyes of a ferocious beast stared at Lee Shin Woo from behind his rotten human flesh. He had realized that he wouldnt be able to win against Lee Shin Woo at full strength. But he decided that if Lee Shin Woo were to try convincing him by force, then he would take an arm with him and leave behind this curse ridden life. However... [Who are you?] "Im Paul Zero. Im an undead like you. Ah, thats right. Im a bit unique, as I work together with the heroes." [Paul Zero, what do you want?] "Life. At the same time, I want freedom... I also want to destroy everything connected to this disgusting curse." [Can you promise me that youll release me when everything is over?] "Ill release you if that timees." Lee Shin Woo wasnt interested in world domination. He killed the undead heroes not to increase his fighting strength, but to give them another chance to fight... No, never mind. [...Fine. I agree. I, Bisher Moon of the Moon n will follow you, Paul Zero.] Did he figure out that Lee Shin Woo was telling the truth? A beast in the form of a human... Bisher Moon took a step back and respectfully bowed his head. At that moment, hepletely discarded his human skin! As I thought, he wasnt human... He was a Lycanthrope! At the same time, Lee Shin Woos darkness mana enclosed the Lycanthropes body, and as if responding to it, dark energy poured out of the Lycanthrope as well. It wasnt the curses energy that had covered his body, but his darkness mana! He said he was able to escape their control because of his darkness energy. So this is what he meant. Perhaps Ethan had been gunning for him because of his darkness energy. While he nodded his head, Lee Shin Woos manapletely covered the Lycanthrope, strengthening him. He was familiar with this now. [The Lv7 Elite Ghoul has be the Lv7 Wolf Avenger - Bisher Moon. You have restored a high rank undeads intellect, and have made him your subordinate. All stats have increased by 1.] [The Intermediate Command skill has be Lv10 and has evolved into the high rank level! All stats have increased by 10! The number of subordinates you canmand at once has increased significantly, and you can effectivelymand specified subordinates withplicated tactics, even from afar!] [High Rank Darkness has be Lv2 and Magic has increased by 20!] [Proficiency in the Acting, Instigate, and Disguise skills have increased by 16%. The Acting skill has be Lv17.] Once all the ck mana had beenpletely absorbed, Bisher Moons true appearance was revealed. Befitting a Lycanthrope, he looked like a cross between a wolf and man. He possessed a bronze, robust and muscr body, which made it nigh unbelievable that he was undead, and a face and mane that resembled a wolf. Also, his body was fully covered by a ck metallic armor! There was only one thing that proved he was undead: a blue goblin fire zed within the whites of his eyes. He looked simr to Shino Rendu and the Chi Pauls. [I understand now. Your use of darkness energy is iparable to mine. Ive met an undead who isnt truly an undead.] "Yeah. Ill be counting on you, Bisher Moon. With that in mind, lets..." Lee Shin Woo wondered why all the high level undead he formed a master-servant contract with gained such cool bodies and armor. Even though he was jealous of them, he still remained outwardly calm and said. "Shall we talk about Ethan Cruz and Mentes Orun?" [Of course.] Bisher Moon nodded his head as if he were waiting for this. There was no way Ethan Cruz and Mentes Orun could know that their victim had be his subordinate and was telling him everything about them. But Lee Shin Woos preparations for his hunt had just begun. He was prepared to fight Ethan fair and square! Chapter 30 part4 [It all began when they started calling me privately. They told me that they really valued me and that I had the ability to quickly make it to the top...] "Hmm." Bisher Moon began, and it sounded so simr to something Lee Shin Woo had heard before. Thats right. It was almost identical to what Ethan Cruz had said to him! But there was one thing different: Ethan had gotten Mentes Orun involved early on with Bisher Moon. Bisher had been suspicious of Ethan Cruz but hadnt suspected Mentes Orun. Thus, Bisher Moon fell for a trap and was cursed by Ethan. That curse was... "...Say again?" [It is called Deadly Force, a curse thats almost the same as death. Its one of the worlds worst curses, and so long as youre not well-versed in using darkness magic, you wont even notice that youre affected by it.] Hed heard that Ethan used curses, but he was this powerful? While Lee Shin Woo was astonished, Bisher Moon added to his exnation. [I believe Deadly Force was created by mixing together the Empires curse, as well as a few other ones.] "Indeed. Youre right, it makes sense." [Deadly Force is so subtle that you wouldnt even know you were affected by it, even if they cast it right in front of you, but... Though unskilled, Im able to use darkness magic. The moment I realized that Id been cursed, I desperately tried to fight it off. He tried to cast a subordination curse onto me, but I was able to dispel it with my darkness magic.] "But he couldnt chase you down?" ording to Bisher, he had been dead for years. If thats the case, then Ethan was already incredibly powerful in the past. Lee Shin Woo asked a reasonable question and Bisher replied firmly. Honestly, this was the core issue here. [Because Deadly Force is such a fatal curse, it has a few downsides. First, its difficult to use against those with more magic than the caster. Second, the target can move freely until their death. Its all or nothing.] "Aha." Lee Shin Woo recollected what God had told him before. He neednt be worried about Ethan Cruz... Since he possessed Curse Resistance: MAX, there was no way Ethan Cruzs curses could affect him. Well, so long as his undead werent nearby! [Thats probably why he called for Mentes Orun. But because I knew about the curse beforehand, I was able to fight off Mentes Orun and run away.] "What about the other undead?" [I was able to momentarily confuse them with my darkness magic. As darkness magic forms master-servant contracts, it can likewise be used to weaken that link.] Lee Shin Woo could understand why God awakened his darkness magic! And for someone who was so unskilled, Bisher Moon sure seemed like an expert! [But it was a really close call. If I had made a decision a split second toote, hadnt injured Mentes Orun, or hadnt been able to confuse Ethans undead subordinates with my darkness magic, then I would probably be by his side right now.] And Lee Shin Woo wouldve had to prepare himself for nine undead rather than eight. There was one thing he knew for certain: if he wanted to beat Ethan, then he would need to rip the undead from his control! And if I can, get him to use a curse on me... Ethan wouldnt expect him to take that magic head on, so he would have to do his very best to make him use Deadly Force on him. Lee Shin Woo was starting to form a n in his head. Ah, plus... "I originally wanted you to join up and lead my other subordinates until the time for your revenge came, but..." [I will, so long as it helps me get my revenge.] "Even though well move slower, we should go together. You see, Id like you to tell me everything you know about darkness magic. A few days should be fine." What!? Im not going to put another guy on my back! [But you can use darkness magic thats much greater than mine...!] Lee Shin Woos bombshell caused both Jin and Bisher to yell in astonishment simultaneously. Heforted Jin, saying that he had no intention of letting Bisher ride on his back, and then replied. "I may know how to use the darkness element, but I dont really know how to use it, so teach me the basics." [How can that be? For someone who canmand that much darkness...] It was as though he, who couldnt even crawl before Lee Shin Woo at his level, was given the ability to fly in the sky. But it was the truth, so it couldnt be helped. Of course, Bisher couldnt refuse Lee Shin Woos request, so they would temporarily travel together... [Hut, thats correct. Thats confusion.] "Ah, it really is easy. Then, is that it?" [Yes, thats correct...] He was finished in just half a day. "Nice. Thanks for taking all this time to teach me everything." [All this time? Its only been a little over 10 hours...] The Empires artificial sun slowly dimmed and it had be night. He had given peace to the final undead hero in the level 3 danger zone (unfortunately, this senior was a big fat zero again), so he was in the middle of moving onto the level 4 danger zone. Lee Shin Woo was able to understand Bishers darkness magic, which hed trained for his entire life (before his death), in one go. He looked at Lee Shin Woo and asked him in small disbelief. [Id like to think that you werent making fun of me, but... Were you truly unaware of it?] "Id just awakened this power, so all I know is contracts, curses, and resistance. But because of you, I feel like Ive grasped the basics, so thanks." Bisher realized that Lee Shin Woo was telling the truth, and felt empty as he didnt know what to say. Jin thought itd been a long time since hed had anotherrade, and knocked on his knees. [As a descendant of the Moon n, several people have told me that I was exceptional, but Paul Zero, your talent trumps mine.] "Ive been hearing that a lottely. Now, lets talk about your mission from here on out. All you need to do is go over here..." Amongst the Pauls that were following hismand and treading across the Empire, Lee Shin Woo picked those that were high leveled and werent a part of Shino Rendus group and told Bisher of his intent. Henceforth, they would move together with Bisher Moon. "Ive already told a few other teams to enter the level 4 danger zone. You may not be traveling with them, but in case of an emergency, make sure youre close enough to each other so you can help each other if in need. You got it?" [Of course. Since I went through there in the past. Theres no way of knowing how dangerous arge city will be.] After just one awakening, Bisher Moon had regained all of his memories as a hero, which almost made him forget that he was an undead now. Was the rate at which he recovered his memories faster than Shino Rendu because he died at a higher level? "Yeah. Remember to adopt hit-and-run tactics. If youre caught by one of the 12 generals, or if you run across an informant, then report it to me immediately." [You really are cooperating with the heroes in order to purify the Empire.] "Of course I am. ...And well kill Ethan Cruz faster than you expected. Ill call you before then, so make sure youre prepared." [...Thats exactly what I wanted to hear.] Lee Shin Woo had gotten a solid grasp on Bisher Moons abilities, as he spent a half a day with him. His pledge of loyalty hadnt been an empty promise, and he was sure that Bisher wasnt the lying type. He was plenty satisfied with that. [Above all, Im really happy that I can get stronger again...!] "Then get going, if for no other reason than to get stronger." [I understand!] Bisher departed in satisfaction. Once hed sent him off, Lee Shin Woo spread out his map and approximated where his subordinates were. "Good. Theyre still doing well. Not many have died either." "Of course they are. Theyre all elites...!" "Even so, it would be over for them in an instant if they made a mistake. Its a relief that theyre growing within that danger." The level 4 Bronze Golems (which were the only ones amongst his subordinates that werent elites) treaded through the level 2 danger zone, while the level 5 and 6 golems and Pauls traversed through the level 3 danger zone. And now, the Chi Pauls (the Chimera Avengers) and the group of elite Pauls led by Shino Rendu and Bisher Moon respectively were allowed to go through the level 4 danger zone... Lee Shin Woo organized a path for them so that they could avoid danger and grow as much as possible. If they can grow safely by avoiding the heroes, especially Ethan Cruz, then it wouldnt be long before he led them into the fight against one of the 12 generals. "Its unfortunate since it seems like Anti-Skull will show up soon. If Ethan Cruz wasnt such a bastard, then I wouldve taken my time and infiltrated Anti-Skull." "Yeah, so unfortunate. Lets kill Ethan Cruz and go y with Anti-Skull instead." Jin, whod seemingly reached a state of nirvana, replied to Lee Shin Woos iprehensible words and ran. They were in a quiet grasnd, but it seemed like tension was filling the area. "I have no idea whats going to show up..." "Well, thats the kind of ce were going to after all." Now they were in the level 4 danger zone, which included therge city that was connected to a satellite city, as well as the rugged freend in between. It was the cream of the crop, thend that epassed 30% of the Empire (with the capital at its center). In other words, it held the highest difficulty. The troops under one of the 12 generals directmand would be stationed here, and it wouldnt be strange if they were to encounter one of the 12 generals in person. They had reached the frontline of the heroes. "Ive learned which ces are safe from our seniors." "So which ce is safe?" "Mm... at the very least, its not here. You wont be able to hear over there, either." "Then their infos pointless!" "No, its telling us that itd be a waste of time to go over there, so its valuable information!" Since it was a safe spot that had been procured by heroes dozens of years prior, then that meant that it wouldnt be the least bit helpful to Lee Shin Woo! "And we know where Ethan Cruz frequents, as well as where one of the 12 generals supposedly patrols, so its fine. Plus... I was able to figure out how I could acquire my seniors (the undead ones) while avoiding the notice of my other seniors." "Youre talking about your senior heroes, right..." All his seniors who were going through the level 4 danger zone were level 7 monsters. If they were to see him right now with his Disguise up, or even if his true appearance was exposed, he was confident that he could get through it unscathed, but he really didnt want his seniors to know where he was. "Yeah, good job you... Shin Woo!" "Huh!?" Jin sharply called for Lee Shin Woo. They hadnt reached an area with an undead hero yet. If thats the case, then...! Lee Shin Woo raised his head. He was soon able to sense the death energy ahead of them that filled the grasnd to the brim. "Mm, as I thought, level 4 danger zones are really on a different level." "Why are you so calm? There are so many high rank level 6 elites everywhere...!" They werent heroes either. Nor were they one of the 12 generals. There were just thousands of undead roaming around where they needed to pass through. Most of them were level 6, and a small minority were level 5! Lee Shin Woo saw them and muttered in satisfaction. "This many should get you to level 7 in a sh." "Youre not going for a frontal breakthrough, are you...?" "This is nothingpared to therge-scale battle we faced in the training facility. Lets go, Jin!" "...Ah, screw it!" After that, Lee shin Woo and Jin besieged thousands of undead with just the two of them, and in just two hours and thirty minutes, all of the undeadpletely disappeared. And thats how the two skeleton heroes made their level 4 danger zone debut. Chapter 30 part5 [Lloyd H.K.: The monsters movements in the level 4 danger zone are a bit strange.] Lloyd said, and Lee Shin Woo realized that it was about time. [Lloyd H.K.: Its like theyre being chased by something, and its bing more difficult to hunt, as more and more monsters are grouping together.] [Prince Altania: Theyre just scared of you.] [Yasunori Akira: Its not like that over here. Maybe its just localized.] Of course it was localized. Since itd only been two days since Lee Shin Woo had entered the level 4 danger zone. [Lloyd H.K.: Its still too much, even if we write it off as localized movement. Theres definitely something incredibly powerful moving around over here. It might even be one of the 12 generals...] [Ethan Cruz: Want me to go over there?] [Lloyd H.K.: No, its not a big enough issue for you to... Mm, could you pleasee over here?] [Ethan Cruz: Of course.] As he left the chatting channel, Lee Shin Woo felt like he was breaking into a cold sweat. He and Jin had hunted such arge quantity of monsters that it seemed like theyd been discovered. Hed killed thousands of monsters a few times already, so the other monsters found out. Then, unfortunately, those monsters left in droves to avoid them. The undead monsters! In order to escape them! "I thought Id be able to go wild in the level 4 danger zone, as there are so many high level monsters here, but..." "The other heroes arent hunting the high level monsters like we are..." Unfortunately, after his fight in the training facility, he had learned how to fight against arge quantity of enemies, so Lee Shin Woo had be fond of fearlessly charging into enemies, regardless of how many there were. Though it was a level 4 danger zone, Lee Shin Woo and Jin trusted in their immortal bodies and ughtered the monsters, as they only needed to be wary of the level 7 monsters, as even the level 6 monsters were no match for them. Thats why Jins stats had increased by more than 100 in just two days. "If we just keep at this for another 2 weeks, you should be able reach level 7..." "Isnt that damn Necromancering? Lets avoid him and just do what we need to." Jin obediently epted Bone Reinforcement, and Lee Shin Woo hunted diligently, like a mother bird bringing worms for its newborn, yet theyd lost such a good opportunity because of Ethan Cruz! "Damn it, I guess it cant be helped..." Of course, they hadnt just been killing monsters. Theyd found a hidden undead hero and had given him eternal peace. The undead hero had been only level 6, but he had possessed an incredible proficiency inbat, so once he absorbed the bone following his defeat, Lee Shin Woos High Rank Bursting Thunder skill leveled up by 1, and his Intermediate Shadow Horn skill by 3. It was quite a significant development. "He seemed like a good senior, so I really wanted to keep him alive..." "Why do they awaken when they hear your voice...?" "I want to know that too. Rem, do you know?" [I can only affect golems for now...] Yeah, of course thats how it was. Lee Shin Woo sighed and patted Jin. When hed heard about Ethan in the chatting channel, they avoided the monsters and ran away. They were preparing for the inevitable fight against him, but they werent ready. Not yet at least. "Well find another one soon." "Were in the nds right now, though... Which means its in a dungeon." "Lets go in carefully, so that were not discovered by the flying monsters." "Ok." It had been two days since theyd entered the level 4 danger zone, and they already looked quite dignified. Then again, they risked their lives more so than any other hero in order to explore the area, so it seemed obvious that they would umte that much experience. "I hope we find someone that we can actually talk to this time... Mm." Lee Shin Woo found the entrance to the dungeon and opened it. He opened it so naturally, like flowing water. There was a considerable amount of magic and monsters within the dungeons in the high level areas. And thats exactly what all the undead want! Thus, if they were noticed the moment they opened the dungeon, then they might experience a barrage of undead monster attacks. To be honest, his seniors had suggested that he be careful when entering dungeons when he had entered the level 3 danger zone, but whenever the undead swarmed him, hed say Hut, nice and just kill them, so he hadnt worried about it. "Nice, its clear." Lee Shin Woo skillfully opened the dungeon before the monsters could swarm them, and entered with Jin. The opening of the dungeon closed instantly. They had finished things perfectly. [Level 6 Elite Dungeon - You have acquired the permit for Mole Heaven. All stats are increased by 30 within the dungeon. The dungeons information is added to your minimap. All actions are buffed within the dungeon.] "This is our first time in a level 6 elite dungeon. Will we be ok?" "If it were a level 7 elite dungeon, I might be concerned, but a level 6 elite dungeon should be fine. Our problems the senior whos inside..." The dungeon was so silent that they felt uneasy. Which meant that all of the monsters had been killed already. So it was highly likely that the hero was safe when he had first entered the dungeon. Yet, he still died. Most likely to an elite monster, or the boss... "He was so meticulous in clearing, so much so that I dont feel any presences in the entire area. Yet he still died, which means that the dungeon boss must be no joke." He might even have to fight against the undead hero and the boss simultaneously, and tightly gripped the Breath of the Lightning God. The six fully charged Breath of the Lightning Gods were summoned behind him and shook. Jin wondered whether anyone could survive the barrage of the Lightning God... or Lee Shin Woos secret name for it, Lightning Gods Breath, but Jin didnt say it out loud. "Lets go slowly, shall we?" "Ok." Lee Shin Woo silently blew up the Breath of the Lightning God that had been in his hand. The thundercloud spread out in every direction instantaneously, and he continuously inhaled and exhaled through his Mana Breath, causing the environment to remain filled with lightning energy. He was forcing his surroundings to be tinged in lightning energy through his authority! "Good. Its be more stable." "It always feels like my Lightning Resistance will level up..." [I as well.] This was one of techniques hed learned once hed reached level 7. Immediately changing the environment into one advantageous to him was a high level technique that wouldnt lose out to a level 8. It was only possible because of the bnce among the Bone Armory, Rule of Bone, and Mana Bone skills. Though I can do the same thing with Mana Breath, without any explosions... However, not only did that approach take much longer, but the energy emitted from the Breath of the Lightning God doing it this way was more powerful as well. Because his mana recovery rate was much greater than before, he could now re-summon the Breath of the Lightning God without much difficulty and fully charge it as well, so this method was much better for him. "But even so... Jin?" "Were using Assimtion to its max right now. I feel like what I feel, you feel too." "Mm." After Lee Shin Woo had re-summoned another Breath of the Lightning God, infused mana into it, and was fully prepared for battle, he noticed that their situation hadnt changed and felt embarrassed. Of course, this level 6 elite dungeon had several side roads here and there, and as it was Mole Heaven, there were several big holes as well. It was also a considerablyrge dungeon, but even taking all of that into ount, there were too few presences. At Jins level, his crawl was as fast as a train, but even at that speed, there was nothing that they found! "Wheres that senior? Is he really here? Maybe this is an empty dungeon that someone already cleared." "Hes definitely in here, but... theres only one undead senior inside of an empty dungeon...? If I were to make sense of this, then... Lee Shin Woos goblin fire burnt gently and gripped his Breath of the Lightning God more tightly. Jin, inspired by Lee Shin Woos fighting spirit, followed suit and became cautious. They went deeper into the dungeon, exploring every nook and cranny, and in the end, they arrived near the boss room. "Hes not here..." "Shin Woo, are you ok?" Lee Shin Woo finally came to the conclusion that there werent any monsters within the dungeon. He had been suspicious when he hadnt felt any living energy within the dungeon, but he hadnt expected the boss to be dead as well, and felt dejected. "They really did go to heaven." "Youre terrible. So what are you going to do now? ...Are you going to go in?" At the very least, Jin could tell that Lee Shin Woo was wary of the senior inside. Lee Shin Woo just nodded his head... at Jins question. "Wevee this far, so we cant just turn back. If theyre one of Ethans agents, then all the more reason for us to take him down." "...Yeah, if need be, we can just kill him I guess." "Nah, Im not going to kill him." Lee Shin Woo was sure that Jin hadnt forgotten about their encounter with the Archmage the other day, and his resulting death. He softly gave Jin a dutch rub and then... ced his hand atop Jins head. "Lets go, Jin." "Alright." Dozens of lightning arrows appeared in the air. It was the Breath of the Lightning Gods option, Thunder Arrow. It was quite an efficient skill, as it only consumed a small amount of mana to consume arge quantity of controble arrows. "Heup!" Lee Shin Woo controlled the thunder arrows telekically, and shot them at the boss room door. The arrows battered the door together, and although they didnt break through the giant stone gate, the arrows managed to weaken the sides, allowing them to enter. There was a calm-looking skeleton within. [I didnt think an undead woulde into the dungeon.] The skeletons bones had turned ck, and wore a robe adorned with luxurious gemstones above them. And in the ce of eyes, he had green gems... emeralds embedded. It really looked like a Lich that came out of a game. Whether it was fortunate or not he couldnt tell, but it wasnt a Lich. If he destroyed its main body, it would die. [You seem to be quite a high level... Are you as powerful as one of the 12 generals?] "Nope." Considering the fact that he could talk to it, the skeleton had definitely retained its intellect. Even though it retained its intellect, he had no proof that it was still sane, so Lee Shin Woo didnt drop hisbat readiness. But it wasnt like he could attack it right away. First off, he would have to show his respect to his senior. "Im someone who opposes them." [Opposing the 12 generals? Its been a long time since Ive heard something so funny. An undead that opposes the Empire... Are you perhaps connected with Ethan Cruz? No, if you were working together with Ethan, then you wouldnt have been able to find this ce...] The undead raised its staff, embedded with arge emerald, and aimed it at Lee Shin Woo while speaking cautiously. [Are you a hero?] "...It seems like youre still self-aware." Lee Shin Woo hadnt met an undead hero until now that had been self-aware (that they were a hero) and acted ordingly before he could even convince them. Hed thought that perhaps a case like this woulde up in the future, but... He couldnt feel rxed yet. At least now he had a chance to figure out how to approach this situation. [Then, you too?] "Im Paul Zero. ...If youre not hostile, then Id like to talk to you. How about it?" Lee Shin Woo withdrew his Breath of the Lightning God and spoke (though of course, the second he saw something strange, he was prepared to counterattack). The skeleton likewise withdrew its staff. He was definitely a lot different from the undead hed met until now. No... perhaps it was different from any of the undead he had met. [Well, well. This is quite surprising for me as well. Alright. Lets talk... Oh, right. My name.] It stroked its face with its free hand and replied. [...My name is Lee Man Bok.] A familiar name popped up! Chapter 30 part6 ording to Lee Man Bok, he was part of the first hero group that was summoned. He had been a typicalpany employee in Seoul, South Korea, and when he was summoned, he asked that God give him the ability to use magic. Fortunately, he had a high aptitude for magic, so he was able to win every battle in the Empire. [That youngdy was beautiful. The one whos in charge of the shop...] "...Pleine." Hed thought about it for a bit, but in order for their conversation to progress smoothly, he added more background information. That the wandering knight, Paul Zero, was once a hero (honestly, Shino Rendu and Bisher Moon had guessed the same)! But here, an unexpected truth was revealed. [She never told me her name, but it seems like you two are quite close.] "...Is that so?" If he had just brought her a bottle of wine, she wouldve told him her name. Unfortunately, it seemed like he hadnt been aware of that fact. [But thanks. Pleine... It fits her, as she had such sparkling eyes. Now that I know, Im happy.] "It seems like you really liked her." [Theres no way the other heroes couldnt like her. Unlike down here, which was teeming with the undead, the secret shop had her warm smile and was overflowing with life. Above all, she was the only one who could safely give us food.] "Well, thats true..." Lee Shin Woo couldnt rte, and Lee Man Bok spoke of Pleine in the past-tense, while he could see her whenever he wanted, so it was really tough to listen to, but with his level 17 Acting skill, he was able to bear with it. Lee Man Bok was wondering whether he could really trust Lee Shin Woo or not, as he gazed at him. Lee Shin Woo lookedpletely natural. [Its been a long time since I felt like this, but when I think back to that time, I feel happy. Back then, I thought I could do anything. It felt like Id be the protagonist of a fantasy novel. I thought I was the only one with unique skills, unique equipment... Everything was exactly as Id dreamed it to be.] Thats right. When summoned to this world, most earthlings would feel that way. They wouldnt be skeletons like Lee Shin Woo! Lee Shin Woo suddenly recollected the moment hed been sent to the Empire and gritted his teeth. It was his own fault and it pissed him off that he couldntin about it to anyone! "Since Gods blessing is supernatural. Its a power that can easily enable you to ovee a level difference in a specific situation." [Yeah, it was indeed. Youre right, I put too much faith into her blessing...] Firstly, this was all information that Lee Shin Woo couldnt have known unless he was a hero. Secondly, Lee Shin Woo looked incredibly reasonable. Therefore, Lee Man Bok was able to trust him. To be honest, Lee Shin Woo was using his Instigate skill here, but Lee Man Bok wasnt able to figure that out. That was the power of Instigate. [...Those good times passed by in a sh. I got to level 7, and... despite her, Pleine, telling us not to, we (the heroes) arrogantly challenged the 12 generals. However, the darkness that covered the Empire was truly deep and vast... In the end, we lost to them and became undead.] "And then?" Thats right. This was the important part. After all, wasnt Lee Shin Woo the one who killed all of the undead heroes? Lee Man Bok saw Lee Shin Woos goblin fire burn, gravely nodded his head, and spoke. [Of course, I didnt regain consciousness immediately. At the beginning, the moment I degenerated into an undead, I instinctively began to hate humans... and wanted to follow the Emperor. Honestly, they weed us. To the point that it felt like we had never even fought against each other before...] "Hoo..." His words caused Lee Shin Woo to automatically recollect the Archmage, Feotane Von Seldin, and shook. As expected, incorporating the heroes into their forces had been going on for a long time. "And then?" [Ethan Cruz saved us. No, to be exact, myrades and I... he infused his darkness magic into us and returned our sanity.] Ethan Cruz, who hadnt spoken, didnt have a special ability, and was a junior that no one was interested in, possessed such a terrifying ability; Lee Man Bok remembered how surprised he was, and smiled bitterly. It was a feeling Lee Shin Woo could understand, even if he was learning about it after the fact. [And so, we ran. We ran so hectically with him... But as we ran, we felt it. He was trying to destroy our minds and turn us into his subordinates. Ironically, at that moment, I was able to advance myself as a magician, and punish him for his dirty tricks.] "Were you not able to kill him?" [Unfortunately... Once he realized he was at a disadvantage, he used myrades, who were now under his control, as human shields and retreated. I confronted them and we fought, and I was somehow able to return their minds to them, but... he was already nowhere to be found.] So it seems like Ethan Cruz wasnt a monstrous level 8 dozens of years ago. He was inexperienced, so contrary to his intentions, Lee Man Bok had awakened and had regained his sanity. Lee Shin Woo listened to his story, and wondered whether there were traces of Ethan Cruzs darkness magic within Lee Man Bok, but there wasnt. [After that, a few things happened, but... Ultimately, I hid here. It was extremely safe, and it was a hidden base. Though I had no idea you would find it.] "Why are you just staying here? You dont want to take revenge on the 12 generals who killed you, or Ethan Cruz, who tried to control you?" [Revenge? ...Haha.] Lee Man Bok chuckled at Lee Shin Woos question. At that moment, Lee Shin Woo knew that hed failed to convince Lee Man Bok. As expected, Lee Man Bok shrugged his shoulders and weakly spoke. [Surprisingly... In myst fight, I learned something I really didnt want to know. At that moment, I lost all my lingering attachments. I had a taste of something that went beyond anger: despondence.] "..." [All my lingering attachments from my old world, as a hero, and even those as an undead... My hate towards Ethan Cruz? Thats the only thing that still remains, but I dont want to risk my life for that and go outside again.] What exactly made him hide in here? In any case, Lee Shin Woo was sure that Lee Man Bok didnt look at God favorably. It wouldnt be a good idea to stimte his mental state. If thats the case, then... "Ethan Cruz is aiming for our junior heroes again. Im aware of this, so Im trying to stop him. Your juniors, who were put into exactly the same state as you were dozens of years ago, are sinless, yet... you have no intention of helping them?" [None.] But his n, which targeted Lee Man Bokspassion, didnt work at all. Lee Man Boks voice was quite cold. [Leave them be, so that they can ovee that danger on their own. I dont know how you were able to remain so sane, but what youre trying to do wont matter. Theres no reason to follow Godsmand and struggle in death. Itll be... in vain.] "...Im not trying to follow Godsmand." Is it really ok for me to tell him this, Lee Shin Woo thought as the words thoughtlessly came out of his mouth. He had said it on a whim, as he was displeased that someone so strong was just sitting on their ass. Well, I suppose its good to say as a Joker, he thought, and spoke. "I just want to be so strong that no one can order me to do anything. So Ill say it again, I... just want to be free. What about you?" [Free... Thatd be nice. Much better than living here in hiding.] Lee Man Bok respected his intent, but didnt empathize with him. [However, youll soon regret it as well. This world is illogical, and in a world like that, theres absolutely no reason to fight. Whether it be with a living body, an undead body... well never get what we want. ...Im fine where I am. I dont want to think about anything else anymore.] "...Is that so?" Around that time, Lee Shin Woo gave up on Lee Man Bok, and Lee Man Bok realized that. What fickleness, he thought, and asked something he hadnt intended on asking. [You said you were going to help your juniors, right?] "Yeah." [If thats the case, youll soon realize. How pointless it is.] Lee Man Bok smiled. He was a skeleton that looked like him, yet when he smiled, he looked this terrifying. [This world drives everyone insane. The undead hate the living, and the living hate the undead. Its toote. Our juniors wont see us as seniors, theyll just see us as undead. As undead they have to defeat. As undead that cannot be trusted! Nothing you say can convince them. The longer you live here, the more evidence there is to support it... In the end, you just be part of the darkness, without being able to do anything.] "I have a rough idea. However, Im sure I can ovee it." [If youre going to be that stubborn, let me give you onest piece of advice. ...Be careful of Seira Von Retadane.] Seira Von Retadane? Thats quite a surprising name to hear here. Lee Shin Woo raised his head and he saw Lee Man Bok gritting his teeth. [Nothing you say will be able to convince that lunatic, so try not to even cross paths... Im telling you to kill her before she takes notice of you.] "Thanks for the advice. Anything else? Im going to go find others who are in the same situation as us." [The Giants domain. My oldrades are there. If you can convince them, theyll be of great help to you. Though itll be extremely difficult to find them.] Aha, he was wondering. Lee Shin Woo naturally nodded his head. There were only two other undead heroes, aside from Lee Man Bok in the level 4 danger zone, yet he was wondering why they were so close to each other. And that ce intersected with his memories from the giant. If theyre the giants descendants, then it makes sense. Hed already decided that he would go over there sometime, but what great timing! Lee Shin Woo smiled in satisfaction. Jin shook, but he didnt let that worry him. [Are you leaving?] "I have to." [Bye.] "Yeah. Bye." Lee Shin Woo nodded his head and thrust his Breath of the Thunder God, burrowing his de within Lee Man Boks skull. He activated his high speed thrust skill, Shadow Horn, and coupled with the lightning in their surroundings, the strike was so fast that Lee Man Bok couldnt respond to it! When he added in his recent Mana eleration skill, it looked like there were no signs and it was as if he had lunged at light speed! [Critical Hit!] [Keok!?] A high rank level 7 magician. Unfortunately, one hit of Shadow Horn was enough to prate the magic protecting Lee Man Boks body. One of the emeralds that were embedded in his eyes burst out of its eye socket. That wasnt all. The six Breath of the Lightning Gods behind him altogether burrowed into Lee Man Boks body. Who else could execute such a perfect surprise attack? It was to the point that a top assassin would be shocked at the sight. [W-Why...!?] "I found you, so what are the chances that someone else doesnt? I have no idea when I might face you as an enemy, so when you said Im going to just hide here and live my life, did you think I would be like, Yes, do you as wish?" [T-Thats...] Before Lee Man Boks staff could even emit light, Lee Shin Woo kicked it away. He had somewhat expected this, but because he hadnt fought in actualbat, or perhaps because he was rusty, he was incredibly slow. He was prepared to get hit by one spell. How disappointing. [How could I be beaten so easily...!?] "Why didnt you just show up as an enemy? Id rather have that than you just incessantly talking about such heavy stuff." Lee Shin Woo exploded all of his Breath of the Lightning Gods at once. The level 6 weapons blew up right before him, but he wasnt damaged in the least from the resulting explosion. That meant that he could control lightning that naturally. [Ku...ga...] "At least you were hiding a trick up your sleeve." However, the moment that Lee Man Boks robe shined, his almost fully broken skull regenerated. At the same time, Lee Shin Woo felt a considerable amount of mana being concentrated into him and nodded his head. He gathered lightning mana that came about due to the explosion in one hand, and used Shadow Horn once more. It would be difficult for a trained magician to recycle mana like he did. [Kuheuk!] Contrary to Hansen Von Dorthes technique, Lee Shin Woo created a true Lightning Shadow and mercilessly pierced through Lee Man Boks skull,pletely destroying it. His attack, which used lightning concentrated to its very limit, as well as shadow, had ovee physics and had sublimated into something else! [You have acquired 2 secret shop permits, and 45,591,340 Perium.] [You have given peace to arade who walked a path he could not return from. You have partially cleared the quest objectives, and have acquired 1 secret shop permit. The maximum level of the Invisible Heart skill has increased by 1.] This time, he hadpletely finished his job. Lee Shin Woo sighed and snatched the robes from the ground. They were definitely a treasure, considering the fact that they retained their shape despite the explosion. [You have acquired the Lv6 Sages Regret. Through Bone Reinforcement, it has be the Lv7 Prayer of the Dead!] "Holy crap. It turned into a level 7 artifact! Jin, look at this. Its like bone powder clumped up to make the robes, and the way it sways, its like what a final boss wears... Whats wrong?" "...I thought you two would be good friends." "Nope. It was just an act to make him drop his guard and make it easier for me tounch a surprise attack..." "Give me back my feelings!" Reality is always cruel. Lee Shin Woo had disrespectfully forced a hermit senior to go to his eternal rest! Chapter 30 part7 One never knew what would happen in the Underground Empire. In this world, there wasnt a problem with dichotomous thinking: theyre either friend or foe. "Itsughable that he believed that he wouldnt be discovered when he hadnt even made the dungeon secure. He only survived this long because he was lucky." There was only one reason Lee Shin Woo had killed Lee Man Bok. Even though Lee Man Bok had regained his sanity after turning into an undead, he lived such a leisurely life and didnt have a clear vision of the future. Not only that, he didnt even think about anything else, hated everything, and just sat on his ass... He was nothing more than a walking corpse; he was already dead. When the battle with the Empire intensified, then this guy would either die to the 12 generals or to one of the other heroes. If not, then hed face Ethan Cruz, who was iparably more powerful than before and would be controlled this time for sure. Rather than let him be stolen by someone else, hed rather just kill him now. "Even so, you just went and killed him right away? You couldnt convince him?" "Were you not listening? I did try to convince him. I even told him about myself." Lee Shin Woo wasnt a psychopath. He had told Lee Man Bok about the Empires circumstances, how his juniors were faring, Ethan Cruzs evil, and even his own dreams as well. Lee Man Boks reaction to all of that was... it wouldve been better if he hadnt heard any of it. "If hes disappointed in God and the heroes, then he should struggle to do something, but this guy didnt do anything. He just couldnt pass on. He shouldve known that he couldnt just hide forever, yet even so, he didnt move or do anything. ...So, I just gave him the death that he so desperately wished for." "...Shin Woo, you really are cruel." "You said I was kind before." "You can be cruel and kind at the same time." Lee Shin Woo told Jin to study up on the Empiresmonnguage again, and Jin, pissed off, forcefully kicked him. Of course, only Jin himself was hurt by the kick. While Jin was groaning, Lee Shin Woo picked up the emerald staff that had rolled onto the floor. Surprisingly, it was a level 5 artifact. His other seniors were satisfied with just one level 5 artifact, yet Lee Man Bok had possessed level 6 armor and a level 5 weapon; were the first heroes really thisvish!? "Ah, it transformed through Bone Reinforcement, but it didnt level up or down... Anyway, with this, I should be able to reinforce my staff." "Theres a bone over there too." "There are two bones! Since Bone Reinforcements level keeps going up, the chance of me getting two bones is increasing...!" "You being so happy about this makes you seem even worse." When a magician-type undead was killed, they would usually drop their skull, and surprisingly, Lee Man Bok had dropped a rib bone as well. Lee Shin Woo thought about absorbing both of them simultaneously, but decided against it, choosing to absorb the skull first. [Consuming the Lv7 Lee Man Boks skull to reinforce your skull. Magic has increased by 38. Due to your high affinity with the target, Bone Reinforcement is a resounding sess! Absorbing the majority of the targets memories and experiences.] [My magical aptitude is... Hoo, Im a Wind Magician, huh? Nice. Im just like the main character in a novel! At first, wind seems like the weakest element, but theres actually a trick hidden within... Nice, nice, its perfect! - Lee Man Bok] He thought hed have a high affinity with Lee Man Bok, and true to form, he absorbed a significant amount of information. Because Lee Shin Woo could now understand how a magician thought... No, that wasnt all. Jin wouldnt know, but Lee Man Bok was born in the same country of origin as Lee Shin Woo, so theirpatibility was incredible. As a result, Bone Reinforcement was a resounding sess and he was able to absorb most of Lee Man Boks memories and experiences. He absorbed his struggles, his love, and his despair as well. Throw away anything I dont need and... Yeah. Wind Resistance. I thought it was about time I got this resistance. Lee Man Bok was a high level magician who could use high rank wind magic! Of course, he couldnt match up to Kratia, who had studied magic ever since she was young, but as Lee Man Boks skills were trained in the field, they were no joke. Moreover, wind magic was renowned for its quick cast time and manifestation. Perhaps that was why Lee Man Bok had been so rxed while conversing with Lee Shin Woo, as he could react quickly if need be. Of course, Lee Man Bok hadnt realized that Lee Shin Woos lightning was even faster, so there was no way he could have avoided a futile death! [You have learned High Rank Wind Lv1 and High Rank Wind Resistance Lv1! Magic has increased by 150.] Lee Shin Woo sorted through Lee Man Boks memories and experiences, and when he had found what he was looking for, Lee Shin Woo gained a new power that he could naturally use. And with it, his interior mana increased sharply, but he was used to it by now. Because he had a long way to go, he didnt think much of a 150 stat increase in magic anymore. Of course, if another hero were to have heard this, they would be shocked. "Jin, youe over here too." "Why!?" "You probably cant get the element from this, but you should be able to get the resistance out of it, soe here." "Uguuu..." Jin wept, knowing how important elemental resistance was and left his body in Lee Shin Woos hands. Once he was finishing with Jins reinforcement, Jin had sessfully acquired intermediate level 7 wind resistance, and Lee Shin Woos magic had risen by another 10. "Guaaaaaaaah." "Jin, if youre going to roll on the floor, could you at least put a rag on top or something?" Lee Shin Woo spoke indifferently, as Jin suffered the aftereffects of Bone Reinforcement, and checked the remaining loot. As expected, the level 5 staff strengthened the wind element, and once he absorbed it, he gained around 40 magic and the staff fused with the Bifurcated Snake Spine within Bone Armory. But then, an unexpected change came about. [You are now able to summon the Lv6 Bone Winged Serpent!] "Huh?" [Bone Winged Serpent] [Lv6] [Durability: 1,860/1,860] [Attack Power: 450 - 610] [Magic Attack Power: 1,350 - 1,550] [Options: Calction Assistance] [Passive skill: Serpents Whirlwind - Absorbs an element and shoots out the opposite element with even greater strength.] Lee Shin Woo thought the fusion would either add an option that strengthened the wind element, or increased the magic attack power of the staff, but the actual result was quite unexpected. When he saw the upgraded skill though, he did think of one thing. Now that I think about it, I think theres a passage in a bible that states sow the wind, and reap the whirlwind. It wasnt often used in the west anymore, but it was simr to the Korean adage. He smiled, as the skill was exactly like the adage. Wind is not only fast and sharp, but it also possesses the ability to reinforce other things as well... As I thought, no useless element exists. To be honest, Lee Shin Woo had thought that the lightning element was backwardpatible with the wind element, thinking of it as just another variation of the wind element. However, now that hed gotten the wind element, he felt like he would need to do some in-depth study of the actual element itself. It wasnt that there wasnt anything special about the wind element; it was just that there was nothing special about Lee Man Bok! Contrary to Lee Man Bok, whose only specialty was creating wind, by obtaining both his memories and experiences, Lee Shin Woo was able to manipte the very element itself and could use the element to its fullest! The student has be the master. "Next up is this..." Honestly, Lee Shin Woos main concern hadnt been the wind strengthening staff. When he had first found the level 7 artifact, he had been a bit anxious, and he raised that very artifact before his eyes. Countless particles of bone powder were clumped together into the shape of a robe that was often worn by magicians. Even now, it changed its shape right before his very eyes, deceiving those that looked at it. It seemed as though there was a gemstone mixed in, as something was dazzling within it. The robes were both frightening and charming at the same time. [Prayer of the Dead] [Lv7] [Durability: 1,980/1,980 (Self-Repair)] [Defense: 700 - 900] [Options: Health + 40, Magic + 100, Calction Assistance, Magic Reinforcement, High-speed Casting] [Special Passive skill: Blessing of Death - You store others death energy and using that death energy, you can prevent your own death. Current charge: 0/1] Lee Shin Woo rubbed his eyes and checked once more, but the information didnt change. Setting aside its options, this robe... Its skill had the same name as Jins revival ability! "Jin, this robe has the Blessing of Death ability." "What the hell!? Thats bullshit!" But contrary to Jin, who could draw in the curse and avoid death, these robes not only had to store another persons death energy but could only revive a person once, as it could store one charge maximum. That sucked, but in any case, it was a big deal to avoid death even once. The original robe probably had a skill that was a rank lower than the current skill. However, it was because of that skill that Lee Man Bok was able to regenerate from Lee Shin Woos attack. Perhaps this skill was the reason he was able to escape from Ethan Cruz. "Blessing of Death, huh..." Lee Shin Woo momentarily looked over the item, and soon stored it into the Bone Armory. His health and magic stats rose, and all of the remaining options, as well as the robe itself, was stored into the Bone Armory intact. He immediately switched out one of his Breaths of the Lightning Gods with the Prayer of the Dead and draped it over his armor. This robe, which wasposed of bone powder, could transform, so it wouldnt get in the way of his movements. The High-Speed Casting, Calction Assistance and Magic Reinforcement would be quite helpful to Lee Shin Woo, even though he wasnt a magician. There was nothing more reassuring than having a level 7 piece of equipment draped over him. He was equipped with a level 6 weapon, and though most of his armor was level 4, he had another piece of armor that was level 7. If the other heroes knew about this, they would be jealous and cry tears of blood. No, his items would even shock the 12 generals! "I gained various info and even acquired some artifacts as well, so our senior really didnt die in vain..." "I dont think he wouldve agreed with you..." Lee Shin Woo didnt really care what the dead thought, and they realized that there were no traces of them having been here. They were about to leave but... they found a few volumes of books atop a roughly made table within the boss room. They were all written by Lee Man Bok. "Youre not taking these with you, Shin Woo?" "Theyre not skill books. Theyre probably useless..." He said as much, yet he took the books with him. Lee Man Bok had been chosen as a hero, so even though he likely learned the Empiresnguage, it would be written in Korean. When he actually took a look at it, it was indeed written in Korean, but the contents were so childish and immature that he just grinned. He was whining like a little kid. "Shin Woo, what did he write?" "Not sure. I dont know what thenguage is, so I cant read it." "Youre lying, arent you? His name is simr to yours. Youre from the same country, arent you!? Right!?" "Im not. Now, lets go to the Giants domain that our senior was so helpful in telling us about. Jin, hurry up." "Liar. If you cant understand it, then why are you sitting there, reading it so earnestly? Hey!" Lee Shin Woo didnt reply to Jins question and instead tapped Jins back to urge him to go while continuing to read Lee Man Boks diary. Ultimately, Jin grumblingly left the dungeon and began to run, while Lee Shin Woo absent-mindedly read Lee Man Boks diary and despondently chuckled. Chapter 31 part1 Lee Shin Woo was shaken while atop of Jins back for two days, and when he raised his head from Lee Man Boks diary, he suddenly realized that... "This is a bit weird." "Thats a relief, I thought the same." They were running across a mountainous area. The area was rugged, befitting a level 4 danger zone, and everywhere they looked, they saw mountains, hills, canyons, and cliffs, so they couldnt figure out exactly where they were if they didnt check their minimap. But it was really strange; when they actually checked their minimap, it seemed like they hadnt budged, even though a few hours had passed! "We shouldve gotten out by now." "Are we lost?" "No, were not, considering the fact that we keep seeing things we havent before. In my opinion, its just..." Lee Shin Woo thought surely not, stretched out his hand, and sensed the flow of mana. Mm, as he expected, the flow of mana wasnt normal. The inflow rate was too high, causing the remaining mana to feel unusually twisted. Even if they took into ount that it was a level 4 danger zone, there was still a tremendous amount of mana concentrated in this area. "I didnt think it was possible, but... the density of mana is so high that the space is naturally expanding." "Like the training facility?" "Its expanding much less than the training facility, but its still huge. I assume thats why it feels like were not getting anywhere when we look at the minimap." "Its not a dungeon or even an artificial facility, yet the environment naturally expanded. The Empires really no joke..." If this could happen, then anything was possible in the Empire. Like what they were experiencing right now, where the limited space was expanding and the natural environment thrived within, or space itself was strangely interconnected. If not, then there was space being hidden... "Maybe the Giants domain is like that too. Since Ive never heard of the Giants domain from our seniors before..." "But Shin Woo, shouldnt we be worrying about getting out of this ce, not the Giants domain?" "Even I dont know how to cut down space as it expands." "But at this rate, well just be wandering around for the next few days. Thats fine with me, but wont it throw a wrench in your ns?" "Mm..." It was a fair point. Lee Shin Woo shrugged his shoulders and activated his mana. There was something he could fall back on. Mana Bone had leveled up through Bone Reinforcement and Lee Shin Woo had gained the ability to resist spatial magic; he definitely remembered seeing that line. It mightve formed naturally, but this is still clearly spatial magic. No... the manas even more primitive. He couldnt categorize the mana by element. It just had a unique flow. The mana used for spatial magic wasnt entirely different from this mana. Therefore, it was even more difficult to sense spatial magic and resist it. The flow of mana... if I can sense a portion of it and twist it around, then... This wasnt something that could be solved by Lee Shin Woo filling the surrounding area with his mana, as he wouldnt be able to entirely affect the vast area. Lee Shin Woo needed to find where the flow of mana was weak. In other words, the part that he could break. "Almost done?" "Its not that simple." "You can do it." Just hearing Lee Shin Woo say its hard made Jinpletely give up on listening to Lee Shin Woo and went back to his own business. In other words, he left Lee Shin Woo to think and he just continued to run forward. Jin nned onughing at him if he were to get them out of here before Lee Shin Woo coulde up with something. "Ah, so thats how it is." But unfortunately, Lee Shin Woo, who was talented in mana, suddenly realized what resisting meant. To be exact, he realized that the way he looked at the world and the mana within it had changed, as well as how that was linked to spatial magic. "Yeah... No matter how overpowering the mana controlling this space is, not all of the mana follows that flow. Moreover, when I look at it from a world view, then this flow is nothing more than a single branch. In other words, I need to see the main current, the original flow of mana." "Mm, I have no idea what youre saying." "For example, a checkered coat is extremely popr for a single season, but you have to be able to find the guy who always wears the same in shirt." "It makes sense!?" Lee Shin Woos exnation caused Jin to shake, and Jin yelled in shock. He just left Jin alone and earnestly began to look for the in shirt... the original flow of mana. And he began to understand what it meant to resist the spaces mana. After all, this flow of mana, which twisted and manipted this space, and piled up on top of each other, could only be resisted if he ssified and detected it! "But its still really hard. Damn...!" "Hey, you know that old-fashioned people usually stay the course and dont change." "Whos the one actually looking for the in shirt right now?" However, Jins words were actually helpful. Lee Shin Woo turned his attention from the misleading flow of mana and concentrated on the hidden, yet continuous flow of mana. "Shin Woo?" "..." "Shin Woo, are you ok?" Of course, it wasnt possible with just sight. He had to feel for the mana with his entire body, and he didnt submit, even though the mana threatened to carry him away; Lee Shin Woo attempted to feel for the other flow of mana that came towards him. He seeded, even though it was his first attempt. Lee Shin Woo didnt even know how much time had passed and was able to focus entirely on the flow of mana. Though it did take him a few hours. "Are you almost done...?" "...Yeah, I think Im done." At some point, Lee Shin Woo, who had been in deep thought, opened his eyes wide open. It seemed like a joke, as it had only been a few hours, but Lee Shin Woo now roughly understood the concept behind the space. "Run forward, Jin." "Thats what Ive been doing." "No, itll be different." Lee Shin Woo ced a hand atop Jins back and connected their mana together. Lee Shin Woo used this method to borrow mana from Jin when he hadnt had enough mana in the past. However, he wasnt borrowing mana this time. Instead, he was making their mana as one. "Alright, now the main current of mana will lead us." "Im not really sure whats going on, but I guess Ill just run for now." Jin replied honestly and ran. Then, the surroundingndscape quickly began to change. Jin was, of course, always this fast, so the passingndscape was a blur, but the scale was different. Within the blink of an eye, they would pass by mountains, rocks, valleys, and cliffs. "Wait, whats going on...?" "It doesnt matter how we move in this space. What does matter is which mana flow we follow." Lee Shin Woos goblin fire swayed tremendously as he exined this to the shocked Jin. To be honest, hed just gotten a feel for it himself, so even if he wanted to exin it in detail, he really couldnt. "I dont get it." "Its tough for me to exin, so just think of it as us taking a shortcut." It was roughly simr to the Scar of the Wind (Kaze no Kizu) in Inuyasha, where Inuyasha finds the rift between yokai auras and swings the Tessaiga into that rift, releasing an energy wave. At least, thats what he wanted to say, but it seemed like Jin wouldnt understand the reference, so he decided against it. "Hoo, I feel a lot better now. The minimaps finally moving." "Were close to the Giants domain. We avoided wasting time as you said." Of course, Lee Shin Woo had checked in the chatting channel and Ethan Cruz hadnt finished formting his hunting n. After all, it wasnt easy to find one of the 12 generals and lead him to them. Still, he was moving more actively towards that goal, and because he didnt know when Ethan Cruz would call for them, he wanted to pursue his task... killing all the undead heroes as quickly as possible. "Is this the right way?" "Yeah. Run." The Giants domain. Itd be great if he could get what he wanted from there... he thought and raised his head. For a moment, Lee Shin Woos goblin fire swayed tremendously. There was an incrediblyrge snow-covered mountain in between their destination and them. "Whats with this all of a sudden...?" "Should we go another way?" "Seems like somethings inside, right? Lets go a different way." Normally, Lee Shin Woo would say Its a chance to raise my Ice Resistance to high rank and would tell Jin to charge forward, but the situation was different right now. Regrettably, he thought that avoiding it was the better move. Plus, with a mountain that distinctive, the other seniors mustve been interested and lured in. Lee Shin Woo had that thought, opened a private chat with Prince and asked about the snow-covered mountain in the level 4 danger zone. There was way too much he didnt want to be revealed to Ethan Cruz in the chatting channel. [Prince Altania: A snow-covered mountain? What snow-covered mountain?] "You dont know about it?" [Prince Altania: Ive never even heard about it. Moreover, Ive never heard about it from my seniors either... Wait a sec, Ill go and ask Lloyd.] "No, its fine. I just saw it in passing." If it were a famous area, then Prince would know what he was talking about. As Lee Shin Woo was concerned that there would be an information leak, he spoke curtly and Prince acted pompous like always. [Prince Altania: Seriously... now youre calling me for such trivial matters? It seems like you really wanted to hear my voice, but unfortunately, its not that easy to hear my original voice.] "Id really like to hear it when we meet again." [Prince Altania: Huh!? Keut...!] Prince was flustered from Lee Shin Woos response and he took that chance to quickly say see youter before leaving the chatting channel. As expected, she was fun to tease. Lee Shin Woo smiled joyfully and Jin began his thorny rodeo again. "Hey, stop for a sec." "Im not going to stop until you start crying or beg... Huh?" When Jin, who had been tormenting Lee Shin Woo with Steel Heart, innocently raised his head... there was another snow-covered mountain right before their very eyes, like the one theyd seen before. "Did I go the wrong way?" "No, you went the right way. We were definitely trying to go around it." "Then that means theres something wrong with the space again, right? Why are there so many of these things in the level 4 danger zone!?" It was quite frustrating to Jin, whose original wish was to run without pause. Lee Shin Woo looked back and gently closed his eyes, but then, looked forward again and shook his head. "I dont think its a different mountain. I think its all part of one mountain." "One whole mountain? So youre saying that we got here because you solved the puzzle?" "Yeah, to be exact..." Lee Shin Woo sensed the flow of mana that led them to the snow-covered mountain. Now, that mana was fused with Jin and Lee Shin Woos mana and was flowing quite naturally, but even if they were to leave here, the flow of mana would lead them straight back here. "That ce that we passed was designed to hide this snow-covered mountain... If we hadnt followed that flow of mana, then wed never have even found this ce. This area waspletely hidden within thatplex flow of mana." "So what do we do now? Should we go through the mountain?" "Thats probably the best choice. ...It seems like thats what weve been looking for." Lee Shin Woo checked his minimap once more and smiled bitterly, dumbfounded. Hed expected this to happen. The marks indicating the location of the two final remaining undead heroes were pointing inside the snow-covered mountain. Chapter 31 part2 Lee Shin Woo and Jin boldly entered the snow-covered mountain. The snow-covered mountains cold air was god-awful and had a huge effect on the surrounding grassy ins, so it obviously looked different from the rest of the area. "The mountains surroundings suddenly getting so much colder shouldnt be a natural phenomenon, this must be an issue of excessive mana concentration again...?" "Hmm, could be..." Lee Shin Woo tread along the seemingly infinite precipice; the cliff seemed to go on and on... With a single nce he was able to see the mountain range and felt the flow of mana being drawn and sucked in somewhere. Would there be giants, or something even more ferocious awaiting him there... "Im sure that the core thats causing these changes in space is in here somewhere." "That bastards expanding space thing is here too, isnt it?" "Yeah, but if we want to escape that mana flow, then well probably have to just leave." The moment they stepped onto the mountain path, a frigid wind blew on them. It was incredibly cold. Fortunately, Lee Shin Woo and Jin possessed Ice Resistance, so it didnt trouble them that much. But Rem was a different story. [Sensing intermediate level 3 cold air. Consuming mana to resist.] "Oh, I see. You were here too. Mm... Could youe over here?" [I understand, Master.] He brought Rem atop his wrist, stared at it, and activated a skill. It was none other than the Assimtion skill. I was thinking of trying to take Assimtion in another direction anyway. The Assimtion skill was originally the Horseback Riding skill, and as themunion ability (which was part of the Horseback Riding skill) developed to its very limit, it affected the skill itself and allowed it to evolve into an ability that transcended the original. It wasnt a simple agreeing of both heart and mind, but rather, a sharing of mana or skills. Its range was quite wide, and he had obviously only been using it on Jin until now. But as Intermediate Assimtion leveled up, he began to think that restricting his Assimtion use to just Jin was unnecessary. In other words, the issue wasnt who the target was, but how close he was to that target! And I was somewhat sessfulst time. Just a short while ago, it happened when they hade across Prince in the training facility. Lee Shin Woo thought Rem wouldnt be able to escape Princes notice, but he had used his Assimtion and Disguise skills on it to hide it. That instinctive activation of using those two skills was quite effective,pletely hiding Rems existence. Still, that was nothing more than a temporary measure to erase Rems presence, so the application was poor in several areas. But after that, Lee Shin Woo came to the realization that there was sometent potential in the Assimtion skill and decided that hed train it some more sometime. If I hadnt awakened the Darkness element, then I wouldnt have been able to even try it... Darkness mana connected one individual with another and made all entities the same under its umbre. If he could use darkness mana and the Assimtion skill together, then it shouldnt be impossible for him tomunicate and connect with his subordinates. He might even be able to use it on several of his subordinates at the same time! Thats just wishful thinking at this point though. If for no other reason than to achieve that dream someday, Lee Shin Woo had no choice but to train on Rem. Lee Shin Woo sensed the unbreakable link of darkness mana between him and Rem, focused on it, and gradually activated his Assimtion skill. His connection with Jin was inevitably weakened by this interaction, but fortunately, the link wasnt severed. [Mm...] Rem emitted a sound resembling a program being loaded. Lee Shin Woo concentrated even further and tried to share his level 7 Intermediate Ice Resistance with it. If his Assimtion seeded, then it shouldnt be difficult to share his Ice Resistance. If everything went ording to n, it would work! And for a split second, while he was concentrating, he felt the link between him and Rem be even firmer. [I sense unknown energy flowing into me from you, Master. Analyzing... It is level 7 Intermediate Ice Resistance.] "Oh!" [10%... 20%... Assimtion rate currently at 67%...] Hed seeded on the first try! At this point, he was scared of his own talent. Lee Shin Woo was so excited that he focused even harder on his Assimtion skill. Lee Shin Woo hadnt noticed this, but ck mana was flickering across his body. The Darkness element was reinforcing the Assimtion skill! [100% Assimtion sessful. I have be able to resist the cold air without consuming mana.] "Nice! As I thought, as long as they have a strong connection with me, I can use Assimtion on other people!" "...Tch." For some reason, Jin seemed to be a bit displeased, but unfortunately, Lee Shin Woo was preupied with the revtion of Assimtions new,tent potential, so he wasnt really concerned about it. While he was at it, he decided to figure out how far he could take the Assimtion, so he was in his own little world testing out the possibilities. How much time had he spent analyzing his Assimtion skill? Around the time that Rem was able to fly safely, regardless of how cold the winds became, his skill leveled up. [The Intermediate Assimtion skill has be Lv9, and Agility and Magic have increased by 5. The range of Assimtion widens gradually, and you can now maintain your skills with less concentration.] Suddenly, Lee Shin Woo instinctively made a fist. If his Assimtion skill evolved to the high rank level, then he might be able to maintain a connection with several people at the same time. If he were to add his Command skill in there as well, then he would be able to strengthen his subordinates to the limit! "Rem, could you go scouting for me too?" [Yes, Master. I believe I can now sense other entities energy, even if they are not golems.] Maybe it was just his imagination, but it felt like he spoke more positively to Rem. Im probably just misunderstanding, he thought, yet he felt great. [Please maintain the connection.] "Alright. Then, Ill leave it to you." Rem fluttered its wings and flew. The deeper into the mountain range they went, the colder the winds became. Now, it felt like they were continuously being attacked by an intermediate level 4 ice magic, but because Lee Shin Woopletely shared his Ice Resistance with Rem, Rem didnt have any problems. Instead... "Mm... It feels like Im doubling my resistance training." "Could you not say scary stuff like that?" "Now that I think about it, its the same when I activate skills through you. Maybe Ive discovered an amazingbo technique!" To think that the skills he used on others through Assimtion were trained as well. Hed hit the jackpot! Lee Shin Woo momentarily imagined bringing the more than 1,000 Pauls to this mountain range and training his Ice Resistance by sharing it with them all, but he soon discarded that idea. Not only was he unable to maintain his connection with hundreds of people yet, he didnt want to give Naruto a bad name. "So how is it? Can you share what you see too?" "Yeah. As I thought, it was the right move to use Assimtion on Rem." "...Tch." Sharing what Rem saw was quite an unusual experience. He was walking on the ground with his body, yet his eyes were looking down from the sky. This was exactly what would trigger motion sickness, but this would help train his senses too. [I believe I can go up even further to check.] Alright. Im counting on you. If Lee Shin Woos assumption was correct, then they had already entered into the Giants domain. It wouldnt be strange for them to meetpletely different entities at any time. With Rems eyes, Lee Shin Woo collected information on the ground and its geographical features. He picked out the pertinent information and ryed it to Jin, which was the most optimum route for information sharing. Lee Shin Woo felt like hed be a navigating device. But while doing so, something strange came into Rems sight all of a sudden. [Master, are you seeing this?] "Yeah, I see it..." They saw a Giant on the snowy ins, which was reachable by going up one more hill. It was undead of course, but that wasnt the issue here. The real issue was the other entities fighting against that undead. Rem took it upon itself to focus its gaze. "What is this? Is it the Imperial Army by any chance...?" "What are you talking about...?" Lee Shin Woo focused even further. He hadnt seen wrong. The Imperial Army was fighting against an undead giant, and they were all at least level 3 elites. Obviously, the undead giant couldnt win against them and was helplessly being pushed back. But then, from another direction, knights leading more elite troops attacked it together. They were obviously all undead, but he felt a strange sense of deja vu as he looked upon the highly disciplined force. It felt like hed seen this force somewhere before... Ah. He suddenly figured it out. There were some knights mixed in that hed seen before. From someone elses memories... They were knights hed seen in the memories of Metafels troops! But why did theye here? Moreover, why are they attacking the Giants? The gears in Lee Shin Woos head began to turn quickly. He was sure that it wasnt easy to ess this snow-covered mountain. Metafel gained the title of 12 generals because of his ability to gather all the mercenaries in the Empire under hismand. Not only was it not possible for him to have such knowledge in mana, he didnt even have a reason to lead his troops here. In other words, it might be an imperialmand. He was probably helped by someone who could read the flow of mana and find the right path... At this point, it was hard to infer anything else. What was the best way to figure this out? Lee Shin Woo pondered for a long time. He didnt have to think very hard. He just needed to kill those guys and check their memories! Plus, if I want to achieve my original goal, then... Ill have to try rescuing that Giant! Normally, with its level and its size, the Giant shouldve been able to overpower the Imperial Army, but because of the level 4 and 5 knights swarming it from all sides, it was forced on the defensive. If it was level 6, then it wouldve been able to easily take care of them, regardless of how many came, but it seemed like the Giant was only a high rank level 5. Even if things didnt go as he wanted, there was no chance it woulde back to bite him! "At this rate, that poor guy will die. Hurry, we got to save James!" "Youre doing it again, giving people names without thinking..." "Lets hurry!" Despite Jin knowing that Lee Shin Woo had formted a new n, he did as he was told and rushed towards the Giant. While running, Lee Shin Woo changed his armor into a sharp scalemail, and behind it, he wore his robe made of bone powder, which changed its form to look like a cape. Henceforth, this would be Paul Zeros default appearance! "You all, stop!" [Keuk!?] Lee Shin Woo rose atop the hill and yelled with a booming voice. The attacking undead force was shocked and turned to look at him. He had no intention of hiding his strength, so their response seemed only natural. "How dare you attack a Giant... I wont forgive you!" [Do you... know about us...?] The giant took notice of Lee Shin Woo as well, though one eye waspletely gone while the other was halfway rotten, and he looked like he was a zombie. Lee Shin Woo was somewhat excited about how they were all focused on him, and said excitedly. "I am the wielder of the Titans Pride, Paul Zero! All of you, get away from my brother!" Paul Zero - The Legend of the Giants begins now! ...Though of course, its all a lie! Chapter 31 part3 In the past, Lee Shin Woo had bought a level 7 elite bone from the secret shop and absorbed it. The original owner of that bone had been Fennos, a Giant who lived within the Giants domain. ording to Fennos memories, the Giants domain hadnt been snowy fields like this. Though it was a rugged area where only the toughest could survive, the hills had been made up of rock back then, and the Giants used the rocky mountains as their base. [The Titans... Pride...?] "Thats right. Have you not heard of me before?" [Who the hell is that guy!?] [Are there other troops from the Imperial Army aside from us in here? Does Sir Metafel know about this already?] In the past, the Giants were so powerful that no other tribe could influence them, and they also treasured their distinct culture. Fennos was the progenitor of the Giants and was the one closest to being a Titan. Even now, Lee Shin Woo couldnt forget Fennos strong will. [Im the descendant of the Titans, Fennos!] A Titan. It was the magic word that could bring all the Giants together, and it was their ardent wish to bring them back. However, they ultimately failed to bring them back... and the moment they realized this, the tribe began to decline. Thats right. Before the curse had even covered the Empire, they were already walking on the path to ruin. Only one Giant tried to grow, even until the bitter end, but in the process of doing so, he drew the ire of too many of the other tribes and monsters. So in the end, he lost his life after fighting in a fierce battle. And in time, he had been resurrected as an undead... There arent a lot of memories around there. Im absolutely sure that Fennos fought against one of the heroes and died, and at the time, he was already outside of the Giants domain... But Fennos memories (of when he was still alive) were plenty right now. By just knowing what the Titans were and what they meant to the Giants, that gave him plenty of opportunities to gain their favor! "Ill say it once more. I am Paul Zero... The one who holds the Titans Pride!" [Kuhahk!] Lee Shin Woo said, and simultaneously shot out a fully charged Breath of the Lightning God. Surprisingly, the sword changed midair into a ridiculouslyrge, 4 meter wide and 10 meter long thick bone shield. It was none other than the Titans Pride, which hed gotten from the level 6 Steve! [Thats...!] Seeing that, the zombie giants eyes lit up and it yelled. He had anticipated it, but the zombie giant really did recognize the shield! Lee Shin Woo smiled in satisfaction and manipted the Titans Pride. As the shield retained the Breath of the Lightning Gods lightning and speed, the lightning swept away Metafels troops, cutting apart knights and soldiers alike. He could even use Bone Armorys new option like this as well! [How can this be... Kuhahk!] [He has the same build as us, so how can he... Kek!] The shields destructive capability was exceptional, as it came from its size and weight. Moreover, because of Rule of Bone, he could effectively move a bone (so long as it belonged to him) with a low mana cost whenever he wanted, and no matter how heavy it was, he could shoot it almost as quickly as the Breath of the Lightning God. As a result... "I think I could just use this as a finisher!" "Wow. Theres a shield breakdancing in the middle of enemy territory. Ah, a windmill. A backspin." The shield had be a giant weapon of mass destruction and swept away the battlefield, instantaneously annihting the elite troops, with the knights not faring any better. Lee Shin Woo used his lightning charged shield to kill the final remaining level 5 Elite Elder Knight Ghoul. After that, he surveyed the battlefield through Rem. Fortunately, it seemed like there werent any reinforcements. "Brother, are you alright?" [Ah, Ouuu...!] Lee Shin Woo changed the shield back into the Breath of the Lightning God, collected all of the bones, and turned around towards the undead giant. It said, [Lv5 Sealed Titan Zombie] above its head. It didnt indicate a shield, but rather, a seal. [1] [How did you... brother...?] Hed roughly anticipated this, but the Giant didnt really respond to Lee Shin Woo properly. At the very least, Lee Shin Woos utterance of the word Titan, as well as summoning the Titans Pride had barely gotten a reaction out of him. This matter wouldnt be resolved easily, so Lee Shin Woo sighed, but Jin, who was spectating all this, was just surprised that Lee Shin Woo had gotten this much of a reaction from an undead hed never encountered before. "It seems like enemies from the outside dared to enter our (the Giant Tribes) territory and attack us. Ill protect you, so lets go to the vige together." [I... got it...] In what world were they part of the Giant Tribe? The Giant meekly nodded its head at Lee Shin Woos words, turned around, and began to move. However, this was where it would all start. Not all of the giants would have a screw loose like this one. "What are you going to do? Are you going to bring that Giant along and try something? Will the other Giants trust you?" Jin hesitated, even though Lee Shin Woo gave the signal to follow it. Until now, there had always been a chance that he could talk his way out of the situation, but Lee Shin Woo couldnt disguise himself as a Giant yet, so Jin had no idea what made Lee Shin Woo so confident. However, Lee Shin Woo wasnt really thinking about anything at all. "Well, I showed them that Im fighting against the Imperial Army in an attempt to make it look like were on the same side. It went better than Id expected, so theres a chance it could be a united front, and theres also a chance it could be a three-way fight as well... Even my daughter-inw doesnt know how things will turn out." "Daughter-inw!?" Was Lee Shin Woo old on Earth? With just that one word, Jin hadpletely forgotten about the issue with the Giants and waspletely lost in thought. Lee Shin Woo just let him be and absorbed all the bones hed gathered. In the past, he would have to separate the information individually when absorbing this many bones, but it was different now. [Ovepping and absorbing the Lv3 - Lv5 bones of Lv7 Metafel Rerdans troops. Drawing out intersecting information and absorbing whole memories.] Nice. He seeded, just like he thought he would! In an instant, he analyzed the overwhelming information that flowed through his brain. The instant he used Bone Reinforcement, a message appeared, confirming that they were indeed Metafel Rerdans troops. In fact, they were a sort of reconnaissance unit. It seems as though Metafel had sent a few of these reconnaissance units to scout before they went deep into the mountain range. Their goal was definitely the Giants; they hade into this mountain range knowing that the Giants were here. I need to see the memories before then. How Metafels troops got into the mountain range, and how they received their orders as well. If something went wrong, his undead seniors in the Giants domain would have to fight against one of the 12 generals, Metafel, before he even got a chance to do anything. He ordered Rem to scout out a wider area, while he diligently analyzed the memories. Fortunately, by fusing together the memories of the level 5 Elite Knights, he found something that he could use. [General, its open. Weve secured a road! The Archmage said that if we just go this way, we wont get lost!] A magical device! Its definitely some sort of magical device! It was a circr gemstone that was sorge that it looked as though it needed to be carried on a wagon. It seemed a dozen timesrger than apass from Earth, but it didnt simply point towards a direction; it analyzed the flow of mana that manipted space and also possessed a magic that directed the owner to wherever they wished to go. It was at least a level 6 artifact... That specialty, it had to be rted to the Archmage, Feotane Von Seldin, somehow! Ive gotten over the biggest hurdle for now. Which is the chance that Feotane Von Seldin is moving personally! Lee Shin Woo recollected Feotane Von Seldins might and suddenly began to shake. Of course, Lee Shin Woo had grown since then, and both his level and stats had grown as well. Hed also found a way to resist spatial magic on top of that. But even so, he knew that he would be no match for him. He was way out of Lee Shin Woos league. If Feotane Von Seldin was personally involved, then Lee Shin Woo would immediately run away. [The forgotten Giants domain... Keuk, that sounds nice. Ive been curious about this ce since a while back. This time... Very good.] Was it really a coincidence that Metafel had only now found the Giants domain? Lee Shin Woo didnt think so. It could be connected to Lee Shin Woo and his party oveing the training facility, or perhaps it was the movements of another hero... Especially someone like Ethan Cruz. The clouds of war that his seniors had seen were likely when the Empire made movements like this. [General, what are you going to do? Weve been ordered to take everything hidden inside, but...] [Why do you think his Imperial Majesty sent me here in person? Its because hes aware of all this. That I be stronger the more I eat...] The Mercenary King, Metafel was a Ghoul. The more corpses he ate, the faster his body would strengthen and recover, and when he ate the corpse of a powerful individual, then his growth would be unbelievable. Lee Shin Woo looked through the memories and had a rough idea as to what Metafel had nned. [Well do exactly as he wishes. Obviously, we have to present the frozen Titans Heart to his Majesty, but everything else is mine. With that, Ill be sure to reach it... Level 8...!] [Is it true that we may be going to war...? I will always follow you General, no matter what!] The frozen Titans Heart. Hed sure gotten some great information out of this... The more he followed the Giants back, the harsher the wind got, and he secretly smiled. Hede to a great ce at a great time. But at this rate, hed need to prepare some things... "Shino Rendu." [Yes, did you call for me?] Lee Shin Woomunicated with Shino Rendu telepathically, even though he was so far away. Nowadays, he had be quitefortable handling the darkness element, so this wasnt an issue for him at all. "It seems like the day of your vengeance wille sooner than you expected." [Huh...!?] Shino Rendu reacted quite dramatically. It felt like he could tell what Shino Rendus expression was just based on his voice. Lee Shin Woo chuckled and spoke. "Ill let you kill Metafel personally. But the regions really cold, so will you be ok?" [I possess High Rank Ice Resistance. For the rest... Ill be able to do it so long as I dont give up.] "Good. Then Ill send you some Pauls with Ice Resistance, soe to where I tell you. Its a bit difficult to enter the area, but... Well, Ill get you a magical device thatll help you get in soon." [I understand! ...Thank you very much!] Once Lee Shin Woo was done conversing with Shino Rendu, he gave out detailed instructions to the Pauls. At the same time, he connected the Chi Pauls and Bisher Moon. All of Paul Zeros elite troops (who were currently in the level 4 danger zone) would being! ...Of course, thest person he needed to talk to was Kratia. "Shin Woo, youre not..." "Of course I am." Now that Ethan Cruz was running around looking for one of the 12 generals to kill (of course, thats just his excuse), this mountain range, which only a small handful of the Empire knows about and were assembled in... "Im taking the Titans Heart, and killing one of the 12 generals too." "Jeez..." Lee Shin Woo dered firmly and Jin, who knew that this was how he would act, just sighed. At that moment, the Giant entered a hole within the crevice of the cliff. Lee Shin Woo and Jin likewise entered. After they entered, the crack within the severed space was restored and a new subspace was revealed. It was a vast, icy in. [Wee to the Giants vige... Perlin Elta.] The Giant whod led them there spoke in a voice as though he had regained some of his intelligence. However, Lee Shin Woo didnt get the chance to reply. [Who... is this!?] [Hes not a Giant. How did he get in here!?] Because dozens, no hundreds of undead giants were looking at him. [1] T/N: Shield and seal sound simr in Korean. Chapter 31 part4 "My name is Paul Zero. I hold the Titans Pride." This was the important part. Lee Shin Woo saw the Giantsing towards him from here and there and replied in an unwavering voice, but he was honestly a bit uneasy. There were level 5 and 6 giants, and even a level 7 giant in the middle of them (they were all simrly named Sealed Titan Zombie), though there werent any elites. Even so, they possessed an overwhelming amount of magic and health. If they be hostile, will I be able to subdue them without killing them? Lee Shin Woo could roughly assess his abilities now, so he knew that they wouldnt be able to kill him. However, it was difficult to hold back, and there were indeed some powerful Giants amongst them. He didnt want to kill the Giants. At least, not yet. [I dont feel... any traces of a Giant... within that body.] [Is a human... mocking us...?] The Giants that had retained their intellect stepped forward and growled. Though their flesh had rotted away, their pride was still intact. They werent nning on forgiving someone who so carelessly threw out the word, Titan. Despite their strength, Lee Shin Woo didnt retreat. "Does it really matter if Im a Giant or not? What is important is that I have the Titans Pride." [The possessors of the Titans Pride... are all Giants!] [But you... are no Giant.] Despite his knowledge of the Titans and Giants, he was no Giant. This was what Jin had feared, as hed said before, What the hell is this guy thinking?. However, Lee Shin Woo stayed firm. He knew how to get out of this situation, but it involved him (the wrongdoer) ming others for his own wrongdoing. "Haha, what a sad state youre in. Youve lost all of your power. Can you really call yourselves Giants looking like that?" [Keuk!?] [This guy!] As expected, Lee Shin Woo was the type to talk more when he needed to fight fire with fire than if the mood was peaceful and rxed! Lee Shin Woo frantically sifted through the Giant, Fennos memories, picked out words he could say that would mentally hurt them (as they had lost both their strength and their very lives) and yelled out as loud as he could. "Im saying that Im much better than you guys, as I have not forgotten about the Titans Pride, and have continued to pursue that dream, while you guys have forgotten that very pride and have degenerated into such lifeless beings! Indeed, I have inherited Fennos will!" [Fennos... Fennos!?] [How can that be...?] Thats right. Hed activated the Acting and Instigate skills simultaneously, and had swayed them! To be honest, hed run out of things to say regarding the Giants (as his knowledge had bottomed out), so if he asked them about their fundamental issue, then they would be like Well let you off the hook for now, since we have to think about your question right now. His n had to work, but if it did, then hed have to use various tricks to sway them again, so he really didnt want to. [Fennos will? How?] But fortunately for Lee Shin Woo, they focused on what hed said. As he thought, Fennos was indeed the Giant who was closest to bing a Titan. "Hoo." Although Lee Shin Woo had merely absorbed Fennos bone, and never actually conversed with the living Fennos, he was extremely calm. Since hed gotten this far, he was pretty much already at the finish line. There was no need for him to drag the Giants onto his stage. Sitting in the seats was enough. They would witness his act, as the main character of his own monodrama! "I first met him..." Lee Shin Woo used Fennos memories of him separating himself from the Giants, acting independently and alone, as well as the fragmented memories after his death to fuel his solo act. He began to tell the magnificent story of a Giant who searched for their pride and a wandering human whod lost their meaning to live, and how they met. "And thats how he left me with the Titans pride and went to his eternal sleep..." [Kuheuk...!] [Fennos...!] Lee Shin Woo told his story for 45 minutes, and when he was done, most of the level 5 Giants treated him like he was their brother. Because they possessed zombie bodies, they couldnt cry, but their bodies shook as though they were grieving, which made them not look like heartless undead. Jin watched on and was shocked like always. [Youre... our friend!] [You... helped me before! Were...rades!] [Comrade! Your heart is that of a Giant!] The level 5 Giants couldnt really speak properly and their thoughts were fragmented, but because Lee Shin Woo had spoken highly of Fennos, they considered him a close friend. Whereas the level 6 Giants, who were capable of rational thought... [I thought Fennos would never recognize a human, but... after hearing your story... I understand.] [I see. Youvee to give us back our pride... which weve lost...!] [Its irrefutable... Were pitiful. Perhaps wed even... forgotten the word... Giant.] Thought of him as a trustworthy human. Perhaps they had known that something was wrong with their exhausted bodies following their deterioration. Though they looked at him with rough expressions, they nheless looked at Lee Shin Woo positively, which likely stemmed from him awakening them. However, this effect was a bit different with the three remaining level 7 Sealed Titan Zombies. [Theres no way Fennos would acknowledge a human.] [Its a lie. I cant believe that Fennos would entrust you with his will.] [In any case, its a lie. Its definitely a lie.] Those three retained their intellect and their pride as Giants. They led the Giants and didnt ept him, so the other Giants became half-hearted as well. [I cannot allow you toe in.] [However...] [Hes our... friend!] [Even so, he cannot enter.] Lee Shin Woo smiled bitterly at the sight and didnt attempt to convince them any further. If he couldnt convince them, even with this extensive use of Instigate, then increasing the intensity of the skill might cause a civil war. That wasnt what Lee Shin Woo wanted. "What exactly are you misunderstanding here? Giants, I am not trying to enter Perlin Elta. Ive juste to give back what you have lost!" [Keum...!] It was a lie. Lee Shin Woo was sure that the Titans Hearty within the deepest part of Perlin Elta, and he wanted to get his hands on it no matter what. He could even guess as to where it was as well. Hed figured it out only after hed enter the Giants domain, but the two undead heroes (who were Giants)... were in the same ce as if they were ovepping. They must be protecting the Titans Heart. If things go awry and I have to kill all of the Giants, then I have to steal the Titans Heart before one of the 12 generals can get to it. However... That scenario was much too in. Hed finally met a tribe that possessed apletely different power, yet they would only be a single meal for him if he were to implement this n. It wasnt what he was looking for. Fortunately, he had a way to break through this stalemate. Hed alreadyid the bait. Now they just needed to take it. "Theres something I have to tell you. You guys are in danger... Theres a chance that you wont be able to regain the Titans Pride and that the entire tribe may be annihted!" [What... did you say...!?] Lee Shin Woo inwardly smiled. Thats right. Ironically, the Imperial Army which had diforted him was helping him now. "The Imperial Army has entered the mountain range. Feotane Von Seldin has broken through the blessing of mana that protects us. The Emperor of the Heita Empire is aiming for the Titans Heart!" [What...!] [How did they learn about the Titans Heart!?] The moment the words Titans Heart were spoken, almost all of the Giants responded. One of the giants was shocked and its rotten eyes widened, while another tightened its fist; one of them even attacked Lee Shin Woo! [Arent you part of the Imperial Army!?] "Heup." One of the level 7 Giants attempted to punch Lee Shin Woo, but he stretched out his hand and blocked it. So long as he had Rule of Bone, his strength and health could be reinforced exponentially, and if that overwhelming mana was focused in one ce... [Ku...ot...!?] Even though it was a level 7 Giant, which was over 10 meters tall, Lee Shin Woo could briefly grab its arm and lift it! It was a mere performance that had no actual use on the battlefield, as its mana consumption was extremely high, but that performance was paramount right now. "Has your mind rotted away along with your pride?" [Kuhahk!?] Lee Shin Woo said coldly and flung the Giant. Not only had it lost in a bout of strength against a human, but it had also been thrown with just one arm, so it was quite humiliating for the Giant. It was so overwhelming that the other Giants were overwhelmed as well, as they watched along vacantly. "If you were to just listen to the Giant I rescued, you wouldve known. And if you cant trust what I told him, then you can just go out there and see for yourselves! Moreover, if I were part of the Imperial Army, then do you really think I woulde to discuss the Titans Heart with you!?" [Kuaah...] The Giants couldnt forget what was said, as they were both humiliated and frustrated. Then, the Giant who had led Lee Shin Woo to the vige spoke up. [I was attacked... by the Imperial Army. They... were surprised once they saw Paul Zero! Theyre enemies!] [Is that... true?] [Are you not... nning on lying... and using us?] [He killed... the Empires troops! He left none... alive!] Lee Shin Woo deliberately didnt add anything. He believed interfering with their discussion wouldnt be a good idea. As he thought, they listened more intently to one of theirrades, and suddenly, one of the level 7 Giants spoke. [Ill need to check.] [Im still not sure about him.] [We cannot let him enter.] [If he really came here to help us, then...] [We should be able to verify if thats the truth or not.] With that, the Giants finally agreed. The two level 7 Giants helped the final level 7 Giant up, whose head was buried in the ground, and convinced it. Even though it looked enraged, it soon nodded its head and spoke. [We cannot let the Imperial Army take the Titans Heart.] [We, the giants, are the ones who seed the Titans Pride. Though our bodies have rotten, the Titans blood still flows through our veins.] [If thats the case, then... we cannot afford to be wasting time like this.] The three gazed at Lee Shin Woo. The other level 5 and level 6 Giants did the same. [Paul Zero, youll have to verify your own Titans Pride.] [Well observe, and make a decision afterwards.] Lee Shin Woos jawbone ttered as he smiled. Since he really had no reason to hide his feelings from them. "Alright. Ill show you my pride. No, that shouldnt be all." He was sure that the Giants had stepped onto his stage and smiled. He then dered. "Well all have to prove our pride on the battlefield against the Imperial Army." Chapter 31 part5 Lee Shin Woo wasnt an idiot. He had no intention of leading the weakened undead giants in the fight against one of the 12 generals. Thats one of the reasons Lee Shin Woo had sent for his elites. But there was something he had to do beforehand: helping these elites pass through the spatial wall (which was naturally formed by the flow of mana) that blocked them from entering the Giants domain. "Theres a way to solve that issue while screwing over the Imperial Army." "Stealing the magical device they brought into the mountain range, right?" "Yeah, exactly." Lee Shin Woo shared Rems vision, who was watching the movements of Metafels troops from midair, and replied as he surveyed every nook and cranny of thend. Thats right. There was a way to screw over Metafels troops, as well as getting his own troops into the vast area without getting lost. It involved stealing the artifact that Lee Shin Woo assumed the Archmage created. He had formted this idea when hed went through the enemy troops memories. [Well be the ones who strike first... I like it.] Then, those participating in the battle spoke. Lee Shin Woo snorted and replied. "Ha, of course. We were attacked. Youre not nning on waiting until theyre at our very doorstep, are you?" [Of course not!] Lee Shin Woo said provokingly, and a Giant... the level 7 Sealed Titan Zombie hit the roof as if saying are you kidding me?. He was so powerful that Lee Shin Woo wondered why he wasnt an elite. If I put in a bit of effort, then I think I can turn them into elites like the Pauls... Ive been a bit worried about the sealed part of their names. Theres something hidden within them. I dont know if its something theyve lost or forgotten, but Ill need to put them through various stimuli to find out. That was one of the reasons he was bringing a level 7 onto the battlefield, but... he looked back at the two other level 7 Giants standing side by side (from behind the third level 7 Giant) and shook his head. Although they had regained their intellect, it seemed as though they were fundamentally quite stupid, as they suggested a frontal attack when Lee Shin Woo had suggested that they attack the Imperial Army. "As I said, were not going for a frontal attack. Well attack while theyre still careless, and well leave once we get what we want. You have to run away when I say so. Thats the way we can win against them." [Giants do not retreat!] [Your words dirty the Titans Pride!] Yeah, he knew this would happen. The sess of this entire operation relied upon how well he could convince them. Lee Shin Woo sighed and said. "Sure, feel free to do that if youd like to exchange your entire tribes fate for a moments pride, but youll lose." [Keuk!?] "You wont even get the opportunity to prove your Titans Pride, and youll even lose the Titans Heart to them. They will leave, mocking you, the once brave Giants." [Are you looking down on our, the Giants will!?] "Youre the ones looking down on the Giants will. If you want to win, follow my orders." Lee Shin Woo activated his High Rank Command skill. He himself wasnt aware of this, but when the Command skill had reached the high rank level, he became able to show his dignity and strength to those who arent even his subordinates. Therefore, they couldnt take him lightly, and they instinctually felt daunted by him. It was no different from forcefully engraving his dignified appearance straight into their minds. [Keuk, I guess we have no choice...] [Ill respect your decision this time.] "Yeah, thanks a lot," Lee Shin Woo replied and his goblin fire subsided. Hed already told them this before. Whenever Lee Shin Woo convinced these damn, rotten idiots, they would look like they were convinced, but then ten minutester, theyd forget what hed told them! [Master, the enemy is moving.] "Alright. Although, theyre moving extremely slowly..." The enemyspass not only released the manas interference on space but also taught them where their ultimate destination... the frozen Titans Heart was. The mountains were dangerous, so they were going around in circles, but they would eventually enter the Giants domain. "Were going too. We cant just let them do as they please." [Got it.] Now that the level 7 Giants would listen to him, albeit for a brief period of time, they and the rest of the Giants followed him swiftly. Perhaps because they were the original inhabitants of these mountains, they were extremely fast, even though they were now zombies. It was quite fortunate for him. "Rem, keep reporting on the enemys movements." [I understand.] After a few hours of surveince, Lee Shin Woo knew howrge Metafels army was, their location, as well as their level distribution. And until hed acquired all this information, Lee Shin Woo had been looking down on Metafel. Thats because Lee Shin Woo had destroyed the Metafels corps, which had been led by the level 6 Corps Commander, Vitas in the past. Moreover, Metafel was only level 7 himself! SSeup, itll be hard. However, Metafel wasnt an opponent he could take lightly. Although hed only seen him through Rems eyes, Metafel was frighteningly strong, and even though they were both level 7s, he was sure that Metafel was much stronger. Moreover, there was a level 7 elite among his direct subordinates, as well as two level 7 elite Corps Commanders leading his troops. In other words, he was facing one highest rank level 7 elite as well as three mid rank level 7 elites! And there are all sorts of undead exceeding level 6, especially the magic division. Theres also the level 4 or 5 knights thatmand the elite level 3 troops... The size of that force was 50,000 strong. It was such a considerable amount of troops that one would naturally say as expected of the Mercenary King. Lee Shin Woo marveled at the fact that Shino Rendu had actually gotten past this and had made his way all the way to Metafel himself. "Metafels troops are currently exploring the mountain range, and are divided into dozens of groups." "He split his troops because thend wasnt suitable for moving arge number of troops, right?" "Yep." To be honest, there werent that many vast open ins in the mountains, like the one hed saved the Giant in. Most of the roads were dangerous and narrow, so it was difficult for even two horses to walk through. If that werent the case, then Lee Shin Woo might have had to capitte earlier. Then how did the Giants move around through the mountain range? The question was pretty meaningless, as wherever they set foot became a road. Even the lowest level Giants were several meters tall, and with that overwhelming mass and their stats, they could make even the most dangerous roads into safe ones. "Good. Its going just as Id nned. Theyre exactly where I want them." Metafels troops were divided in a way so that hundreds could move at a time. Of course, Metafel himself was in the center of his troops, but it was impossible for him to systematically respond to every single issue nearby. "Then, shall we find the right route?" [Alright.] [A true Giant needs no n... No, I got it. Damn!] "We just need to worry about a few of the corps. If they approach from here ande out like this, then... We just need to fight this guy, this guy, and this guy." Though they were now rotten Giants, there were some things they knew that were helpful to Lee Shin Woo. A side road to the forest, a route that was easy to travel on, as well as where the giant bouldersy, which would make it difficult for others to move through the road! If he added all that into his minimap, then he would have an effective topographic map. And if he were to add in the info that Rem had acquired, then it was a piece of cake to make an operation consisting of infiltrating and exiting. They would break through the weakest andx corps, and acquire a way to approach and a way to retreat. When the two level 7 elite Corps Commanders were confused and diverting their attention, Lee Shin Woo would steal the artifact and escape! That was Lee Shin Woos primary objective. "Well kill the first ones that wee across. You dont need to kill all of them. You just need to kill their leader." [So you want to kill theirmander.] "And before that chaos spreads elsewhere, then well strike the main forces... leader. After we kill him, then welle down and regroup." [You want me to procure an escape route.] "Thats most important." Lee Shin Woos ck goblin fire gazed into the Giants rotten eyes as if prating through them. Nothing else needed to be said. The Giant nodded its head. [Ive already told you that Id cooperate with you in order to protect the Titans Pride.] [But if the result displeases us, despite us following your orders, then youll have to repay that debt.] "Of course, do as you please." Lee Shin Woo snorted and replied. He would act however he could if it meant that he could suppress their pride and make them follow his orders. "Alright. Well split up here. Move!" [Dont betray our expectations!] [That pride you spoke of. Make sure you prove it!] Lee Shin Woo had used a liberal amount of mana to active the Command skill, mixed with the Instigate skill, and after the two Giants responded trustworthily, they divided into two groups and left. One of the two groups would find the road to approach while the other would find a retreat route. If those two killed the weaklings and flustered Metafel, then Lee Shin Woo would seize that opportunity fair and square and take the artifact away from them! "Jin... Im counting on you." "You only act serious at times like this." "Lets go." "...Humph!" Jin replied curtly, yet couldnt hide his contentedness as he kicked off the dangerous mountain road and began to run. Jin loved this moment the most; when Lee Shin Woo trusted in Jin and entrusted his body to him. Because this was the moment that Jin could prove his worth through the running he was so proud of! [Kuhahk!?] [Giants!] [I heard that the Giants had all weakened... Kuaaaaaahk!] While charging, Lee Shin Woo saw one of the low rank level 6 elites get torn apart. As expected, there was no way they were normal level 7s. Even if he were to strip away 99% of what they (the ones who inherited the Titans Pride) said as lies, the Giant Tribe was still amazing! [Kuhaaaaaaaaaaah! The Titans... Pride!] "Make sure you prove that remaining 1%!" Lee Shin Woo shared his thoughts with Jin, and Jin ran quickly. Due to the sudden appearance of the Giants, the troops were shocked and broke rank. Lee Shin Woo passed by them, and boldly pierced through the side of the slowly moving troop that was protecting both thepass and Metafel. [Hmm? To think that there would be one so foolish as to face our troops head-on in such a short period of time... Wait a sec, this is a cial mountain range, so how can such a small undead be here? No, what is all this fuss about anyway? All forces, calm down! Calm down and face the enemy! Theres only one enemy!] Metafel quickly noticed Lee Shin Woos intrusion and narrowed his eyes, but in any case, his first priority was to strike down the one who looked down on his troops and picked a fight with them. He angrily scolded his troops, which were in a state of panic. He possessed the highest level of Command amongst all the 12 generals, at the high rank! Even amidst Lee Shin Woos limitless speed, the undead troops got a hold of themselves and attempted to surround him. However... "You idiots. Protect Sir Metafeeeeeeeeeeel!" [What the hell is he talking about!?] He was one step ahead of Metafel! [A perfect Instigate! You took advantage of the opportunity and used Instigate to mislead your enemies! The Instigate skill has be Lv7. Magic has increased by 20.] [The enemy troops are under the effect of Lv7 High Rank Command. You will not be able to fool them for very long. If there is something you want, then you must steal it immediately!] Once Lee Shin Woo, whod suddenly intruded, said something so absurd, Metafel becamepletely flustered. Then, an even more disconcerting situation arose. [T-Thats right! Someone has trespassed, so we have to protect Sir Metafel!] [Sir Metafel is in danger!] [Sir Metafel... I will protect Sir Metafel!] [What are you guys doing!?] His men, who had faithfully followed him since his mercenary days, suddenly surrounded Metafel to protect him! Metafel was taken aback and browbeat them to get a hold of themselves, but the energy of the Instigate skill that surrounded them wouldnt be so easily dispelled. [Get a hold of yourselves, you idiots!] Whenever he gave an order, Metafel used the high rank skill, Lions Roar, and forced his subordinates to calm down. As expected of the Mercenary King to have such a skill, as he was so adept at leading... [What...?] By the time Metafel had managed to calm his troops down, push them back, and barely regain his vision, the wagon that his troops had been guarding so carefully... to be exact, the magical device within it had already vanished without a trace. Chapter 31 part6 Lee Shin Woo had forced his way through Metafels troops, and once hed broken the wagon, he realized that the Archmage had set up some security measures on thepass. Well, it makes sense. After all, who would just hand something this precious out for free? There were dozens of security spells set up, and the other spells made it difficult for him to even analyze the magical device. ...However, he was used to it. "Rem!" [Iming!] Lee Shin Woo called Rem, and at the same time, ced his hand on thepass and forcefully released his darkness magic. Hed managed to steal a level 8 artifact from the Archmage before, an artifact that he had personally looked after. Whereas, this magical devices performance had been so limited that it was only a level 6 artifact. If he couldnt do as he pleased with this item, then it would be an embarrassment to the Joker name. "Nice. Its just like Id learned from Kratia...! Hackings pretty easy." "When did you learn that!?" [Ive arrived, Master!] "Good. Ill leave it to you." Lee Shin Woo saw Rems magicpletely enclose around the giantpass and knew that the first step wasplete. That first step was to release the location tracking function (the artifact possessed a few tracking functions, but it was multiyered, so it was really a pain in the ass) and transfer ownership of the item to him. "Were done with the first step, so lets move on to the next! Leave the rest to Kratia!" [I understand!] [You morons, get a hold of yourselves!] Right when Lee Shin Woo had acquired thepass and ced it into his inventory, he heard Metafel, who had once beenpletely surrounded by his men, yell, as if browbeating them. Upon hearing that, Lee Shin Woo immediately felt the surrounding undeads rotten eyes begin to brighten, which meant that Metafel possessed a skill that acted in the reverse of Instigate: a skill that cleared their minds. [Ugh... How did the trespasser get in!?] "Hoo... Lets go!" Rem, whod finished its mission, flew into the sky once more, and began rying information on Lee Shin Woos surroundings to him. After Lee Shin Woo had confirmed that the Giant, whod secured an approach route for him had safely gotten to the retreat route, he likewise retreated. [You cannot take that!] However, there was someone tailing him. It was none other than the level 7 elite that usually stuck by Metafels side and protected him. It was a knight who could use both swords and bows, but as soon as it saw Lee Shin Woo running away with the magical device, it raised its bow, drew the bowstring, and began firing arrows at him! "What a pain!" [Keuk!?] Lee Shin Woo didnt have time to face it head on, so he shot out a Breath of the Lightning God and exploded it in order to buy time. But then, Metafel threw a giant axe at him, as he was able to move again. [How dare you take our corps treasure!] "Heup!" There was no way Jin, who possessed agility that far outstripped even most level 7s, wouldnt have some sort of evasion skill. With his shocking reflexes, Jin managed to dodge the axe, and leapt up into the air. Hed changed his back feet into springs, gaining an overwhelming jumping and charging ability! "T-The horse is..." "The horse is flying in the sky!" They briefly jumped over the heads of hundreds of undead, and then got to the escape route. There, the most formidable Giants were ripping apart the undead. "Lets go back now!" [Kuhaaaaah! Have you shown your pride!?] "Ill tell you all about it when we get back, so make way!" These damn Giants were looking for his pride every 5 minutes! In any case, theyd secured their retreat, which was such a relief. He attempted to drag the Giants with him and retreat. The n was to return home safely from their excursion! [How dare you look down upon General Metafel! I wont stop until I kill you all!] [Kuhahk!?] But when he though they were finally listening to him and following him, one of countless arrows flying towards them (they were shot by the level 7 elite, so it shouldve hurt quite a bit) hit a Giants forearm; the Giants eyebrows twitched and it turned around. [Before we retreat, I have to pay him back in kind for this injury!] "Like I was saying, I told you not to do that, you idiot!" [Are you going to run away like a coward!? How can you even call yourself a Giant!?] Why did they have to provoke it now!? The arrow-firing level 7 elite was trying to buy time until Metafel could return to the front, but it turned out to be super effective against the Giants. [Giants do not retreat... Kuhahk!] "Well be going now! But next time, it wont be this easy!" [Y-You bastards! All you did was trick my troops from start to finish, so what do you have up your sleeve now!?] The magic words, which would allow them to safely retreat from any situation, was on the tip of his tongue, and the Lee Shin Woo pulled on the Giants arm and ran (the Giant had opened up the retreat path, yet it was primed to charge into enemy lines). Though his entire bodys mana was used to strengthen one arm, it couldnt hope topare to the size of a Giants arm; dragging its arm and running atop a horse was quite the sight. [T-The Titans Pride...!] "Its too heavy! I cant run like this!" "You hear? Apparently, youre really heavy. So... umph!" Lee Shin Woo lifted the Giant with a single arm, and forcefully threw it. The level 7 Giants, who had safely retreated ahead of them, caught the Giant. [How dare you!?] Of course, the Giant was really pissed, and wanted to argue with him, but Lee Shin Woo wasnt one to be taken lightly. "I just saved your lives. How many times do I have to tell you that we had to retreat to win!? You idiots. How can you im to be descendants of the Titans!? Do you really think that you can be a Titan with just those rotten muscles of yours!?" [Keuk, I-I got it. Sorry...] The Giants, who had briefly experienced Lee Shin Woos rage, shrank, despite their levels. Lee Shin Woo clicked his tongue when he looked back to see the undead chasing behind them, especially Metafel and the level 7 elites at the front. "If youre sorry, then run! Just keep running until we reach the ce we talked about!" Was the operation over with them breaking through enemy lines and acquiring the artifact? Obviously not. They had just stolen the artifact from the enemy forces right under their noses, so they wouldnt just sit on their asses and do nothing! From the very beginning, Metafels pursuit had been expected. No matter how well the n progressed they couldnt avoid pursuit. ...Because of that, Lee Shin Woo had set a trap beforehand with the help of the level 5 and level 6 Giants. Regardless of how low their levels were, it didnt change the fact that the Giants possessedrge enough bodies and power to change the mountainousnd! "Get past it! Jump over it!" [Huaaaah!] There was a huge break in the middle of the path. Of course, an opening a dozen meters wide was nothing for the level 7 Giants, and Jin was able to jump over it without even using his springs. "Run forward. Run even faster!" [Keuk. Us Giants are...] [F-For the Titan!] These Giants made Lee Shin Woos life hell today; whenever their pride was damaged, they would habitually mutter Titan. If they had to memorize that one word in order to ovee danger, then hed listen to it as much as they wanted! Lee Shin Woo checked to see the Giants were past the cliff and then checked behind him as well. [Ha, is that all?] [General, well join up with you immediately!] [You guys sure gave us some trouble...] Several hundred meters could be crossed within 0.01 seconds with a level 7s strength, and Metafel and the other two level 7 elites (one of the Corps Commanders had, at some point, joined up with them) were watching him. [Did you think you could stop us from following us just by using this cliff? I wondered what kind of man you were to have caused so much chaos amongst my troops and stolen the magical device, but this was all you amounted to?] "If youre really that confident, then why dont you juste on over?" Lee Shin Woo stood on the other side of the cliff without moving an inch. As if he had resolved himself to fight against them head on! However, Metafel didnt attack in haste, and asked him some questions first. His bandit-like, rough face was etched with rage. [Whose orders are you following? How did you get those Giants to act? And how did you know that we had a magical device.] "Ha..." Lee Shin Wooughed wickedly, as if he were waiting for him to ask that very question. Thats right. Most of the time, this is how it would go. The 12 generals had too much pride to think that Lee Shin Woo had done this all on his own! And if he managed to divert some of Metafels hostility to another party, then he was prepared to say anything! "Who else? You cant even figure that out by yourself?" [Ugh... It must be... that bastard, Seagald...!] Lee Shin Woo hadnt even said anything, but Metafel opened his eyes wide and yelled furiously. At that moment, his feet shook. Lee Shin Woos side wasnt shaking at all, but the side that Metafel was standing did. [You..!?] Metafel realized that Lee Shin Woo had done something, and leapt up from the cliff towards Lee Shin Woo, but before he could get to him, five giant shields blocked his path. Metafels helmet and the shields crashed against each other. [Kuhahk!?] The five thick and durable shields blocked Metafels advance, as well as his and his subordinates vision. A-Another trick! Metafel thought. Metafel stuck to the shields and swung his axe in anger. With just a single blow, the shields cracked. [Kuaaaaaaah!] Theres no way you can get away from me! Ill just break through this damn wall and follow you...!, he thought, but at that moment the five shields blew up simultaneously. [Kahat!?] Metafel was the one whod been hit by the explosion, yet the ones screaming were the two level 7 elites that followed him. The narrow hill that had been shaking began to crumble due to the pressure of the explosion! [Kuaahk!] [General, please hold on! The entire cliff is copsing...!] There was no way hed be hurt by this explosion or this earthquake, but he also couldnt fly in the air, as he didnt have a foothold any longer. Metafel, his elites, as well as his soldiers that had hastily followed him in their pursuit of Lee Shin Woo fell. Of course, this was all because of the Giants work. [Keuk, how disgraceful...!] [General, are you alright!?] [W-Where is he!?] Despite him falling several kilometers down, Metafels level 7 elites were unharmed. Of course, there were a few elites that had died, but they were just consumables that could be replenished at any time. [General, I cant find him...!] [Did you lose him!?] [I-Im so sorry!] It would be impossible for them to find Lee Shin Woo again, as they had lost time from the explosion and had dropped several kilometers below the cliff. Moreover, they had fallen between the cold, icy cliffs and were stuck, so no matter how high they raised their heads, they couldnt even begin to figure out which direction the Giants and Lee Shin Woo had run off in. [In a single instant... its definitely an organized movement. Anti-Skull... to think those damn bastards and the Giants were allied together! Perhaps even the frozen Titans Heart...!] [You dont need to worry so much, General.] However, his loyal soldier, Setoin Miletus, who could always get through any adversity with his archery and was always by his side, calmed him down. Setoin was the only one amongst Metafels troops that hadnt been tricked by Lee Shin Woos Instigate skill and had tried to stop him. [Theres a tracking function on the magical device. The Archmage actually nned for this, and gave us a separate device that would allow us to track its location. Compared to thepass, which will point us in the right direction, this one will tell us their exact location!] [Ha... as expected of the Archmage. He makes it so I dont have to feel embarrassed about my mistake!] Originally, Metafel didnt really feel anything for the Archmage, Feotane Von Seldin, but he suddenly came to respect him. If they took the magical device with them, and returned to their original location, then they could use this opportunity to get them all in one fell swoop! [Alright. Then lets go back. Well begin our pursuit immediately, right after weve re-organized the troops. Lets show those careless bastards what it means to anger the Empire!] [I understand, General!] Metafel gritted his teeth, as he sensed the general direction that the Giants and Lee Shin Woo had run off in. Before hed be one of the 12 generals, Metafel had fought in countless battles, but this would remain as one of his most humiliating experiences. [How dare he? How dare he screw me over like this... Ill show you how much of a mistake it was to anger me, the Mercenary King...!] He would kill them all: the one who had stolen the magical device from him, as well as those Giants! Using the magical device that the Archmage had given Setoin to track them! ...And thus began the arduous journey for the 50,000 troops under Metafelsmand. Chapter 31 part7 Lee Shin Woo, whod sessfully stolen away thepass (the actual name was [Lv6 Mana Guide]) and gotten away from Metafel, told the Giants to get ready for their next mission. After that, they used a giant cave near their domain as theirmand center. Because the outskirts of their domain was quite a ways away, it wasnt suitable to use as a base of operations. "Wow, its deep. Plus, this chill..." "Itll be worse if you go outside." Whereas, this cave allowed the Giants tomunicate whenever they pleased and was situated in a location that was difficult for the enemy to find. Therefore, Lee Shin Woo nned on gathering his subordinates here. "Its a really nice ce." "I thought youd say something like that." To be honest, there was another reason he hadnt set up hismand center directly inside of the Giants domain. It was because of Kratia. Of course, because of his influence, the undead under hismand had long since ovee their instinct - their instinctual hatred of living beings. However, the Giants had merely acknowledged Lee Shin Woo; they hadnt actually pledged their loyalty to him. There was no reason to provoke them by showing them Kratia. "Its been a long time, so what have you two been doing?" Lee Shin Woo had used his Bone Gate (ever since he realized that the Bone Gate evolves the more bones it eats, Lee Shin Woo hadnt felt bad about feeding it bones) to bring Kratia to the cave, or theirmand center. Then Jin, who was forced to stay behind due to the Bone Gates max carrying capacity, spoke sullenly. "Youll be surprised. Can you tell? This blinding and brilliant bonepass...!" "...Is this what you were telling me about? Did you miniaturize it... Huh?" Lee Shin Woo, as if waiting for her to say that, extracted a few smallpasses from his inventory. They were very different from the originalpass in size, but they looked so simr that one would believe it if Lee Shin Woo said that hed miniaturized the original. Kratia analyzed them from the side. "It turned into bone because Shin Woo touched it, but because of that, it became easier to analyze. The effects the same, but its range has lessened a bit, so it was divided into more than one. Despite splitting into six pieces, its still a level 6 artifact." "That was possible...?" Originally, the Mana Guide was an artifact that could cover Metafels entire army. Kratia studied the artifact with Lee Shin Woo and split it into several pieces. Of course, it wasnt easy, but her manufacturing ability, which had improved due to her study of Huginns Eye,bined with Lee Shin Woos magic, resulted in the Mana Guides new form. "If you have this, you can resist the spatial magic." "Anyway, I should give these to each of the Pauls leaders." Hed give one to Kratia, keep one for himself, and the rest would go to Shino Rendu, Chi Paul, Bester Moon, and the group of golems. If the Archmage knew about this, then hed hit the floor wailing. Why, you ask...? "We didntpletely remove the tracking function, so right about now, the enemy forces should be in chaos." "It must feel like theyre looking for the scattered dragon balls..." He heard someone interrupting his satisfying monologue, so it had to be Jin. "I know about Dragon Ball!" "I suppose there was a simric in your world too." "Shin Woo, you wont always be able to use that excuse to get away with things!" Lee Shin Woo did his best to ignore Jins hot gaze, and he passed a few of thepasses to Rem. He heard a report that his subordinates would arrive soon. "Come back after youve passed them around. While youre at it, find out where their main forces are." [I understand.] By the time Lee Shin Woo was done seeing Rem off and had turned around, Kratia was already analyzing things all over the ce. Then again, Kratia would be curious about the giant flow of mana that hid the mountain range, the overwhelming cold here, and the Giant Tribe, so it made sense. "Kratia, Ive already told you this before, but you cant provoke the Giants." "Ill leave the Giants to you, Shin Woo. Im interested in the cold." "The cold is probably connected to the Giants too." "Huh...?" Kratia tilted her head and soon began her study, but quickly realized that Lee Shin Woo was right. "The center of the Giants domain is... the source of the cold." "Metafel called it the frozen Titans Heart." "Youre saying that a single item caused all this? ...Freezing the entire mountain range?" "Probably." "Oooh...!" Kratias eyes shined. Her eyes were silently asking him for something! Of course, even if she looked at him like that, he couldnt bring her the Titans Heart. "Be patient for now. Plus, even if we do get it, its not yours." "But its an artifact that really, really suits me! ...It really, really, really, suits me!" Kratia grabbed both of his hands. Lee Shin Woo thought of a way he could use the frozen Titans Heart, but... he had to throw out some bait. He acted as though he were smiling benevolently and said. "Ill give it to you then. I promise." Kratia snorted and agreed to cooperate with the big picture for now; she decided to take control over the surrounding cold. As she was able to use ice magic, the colder her surroundings got, the more powerful her magic became. It was the same as Lee Shin Woos lightning; in an area filled to the brim with lightning, his lightning woulde out even stronger. Moreover, Kratia was able to use Catalyst Magic to influence her surroundings, so... "Its tremendous. Perhaps this area was a battlefield created for me alone." "Yeah, yeah." "Heuuuup...!" Kratia ran across the snowy fields with her orb (which had gotten even smaller than before). He couldnt help butugh, as it was like watching a little kid, but wherever she went, the cold in the surrounding area would change bit by bit, which was a little scary. She was attempting to put the entire areas mana under her control. The fact that it was actually working was most shocking! "...If we were to fight here, then Kratia might be our greatest asset." "Even so, dont get careless. ...Someone like her is rare." "Of course. I got through that pandemonium too, remember." Jin said, and Lee Shin Woo nodded his head. Theyd managed to beat Metafel once, but if Lee Shin Woos ability had beencking even a little bit, the n wouldve failed. That just proved how great their opponent was. Metafels Command skill is the worst fit for my Instigate skill. Even if I can trick his troops, I cant do it for very long. No, it might not even work a second time. Metafel, who hed encountered not far from here, proved that he had earned his post, rather than just ying cards and getting in through luck, as he was indeed quite powerful. What was even more impressive than his power was his skill tomand his troops! Lee Shin Woos Instigate skill, which shined the most when he was against an army, was sealed, which was, in several ways, a pain in the ass. Moreover, ording to Shino Rendu, Metafels true strengthy in the Ghouls innate ability, but since he hadnt used that ability yet... Plus, his subordinates are no joke... There was an even bigger problem: the unexpected presence of powerful elites. Especially his guard, the level 7 elite, Setoin Miletus. Most archers hed seen hadnt been a high level like Setoin, and at the minimum, he possessed High Rank Archery, allowing him to attack from long range with such precision and ferocity. Hed managed to dodge his arrows because of Jins exception agility, but the level 7 Giant whod been hit in the forearm was stillining about its wound, despite its size. "If you take all of that into ount, its not something you can handle with just your wit." "Yeah. Thats why I brought Kratia over. Moreover..." Lee Shin Woo had found Metafels location through Rem and nodded his head in satisfaction. He had split his troops into dozens of groups and they were wandering around the mountain range. If a single, unified army was powerful, then all one needed to do was split it up! Even now, the moving corps didnt realize that they were getting increasingly far from one another. Since theirpass which blocked the mana interference was gone! Once they found a trace of Lee Shin Woo, they moved towards it; the more they moved towards that trace, the further they got from each other, isting them! [Paul Zero, wevee.] [Paul Zero, wevee as well. We were found by heroes halfway through, so we had to take the long way, but...] [As per your instructions, Master, the golems are opening a path.] [Paul Zero, wevee to stomp on any insects who follow the Emperorsmand!] Then, as if nning this, his subordinates (who were at least level 6 elites) reported in. Lee Shin Woo nned out how they, Kratia, and the Giants would move, and grinned. He had this many forces, and perfect information as well. He didnt think hed lose at this point. "Rem, hurry up." [Ive found ourrades. I will now begin handing out the items.] The level 7 Wolf Avenger, Bester Moons force consisted of 50 level 4 or higher Pauls. The level 6 Undead Avenger, Shino Rendus force consisted of 50 Pauls as well. The level 7 Chimera Avenger, Chi Pauls force consisted of 31 level 6 Chi Pauls. And finally, the Emerald Corps consisted of 10 Silver Golems and 200 Dark Emerald Bone Golems! They had all received apass from Rem and had entered the mountain range. There were some who didnt possess Ice Resistance, so they were weakened as they entered, but the enemy forces would have sustained a simr penalty. It wasnt too big a deal. Plus, theres something Ive prepared for that as well. Three hourster, his subordinates had quickly scaled the mountain and arrived in front of themand center. Then, Lee Shin Woo spread hundreds of bones in front of them. His subordinates watched vacantly as he did so, and he exined his actions kindly to them. "These are the bones of the monsters which had previously inhabited this area. If you each pick one up, itll make you stronger. If you dont get Ice Resistance from that, then youll be hunting until you do." "Shin... Paul Zero, youre really scary." Half of his troops received Beginner Ice Resistance or higher from the absorption, but before they could go on to fight the Imperial Army, they would need to hunt the undead inhabiting the mountain range and be reinforced. And before it even became dark, all of the Paul Zero troops had gained at least level 5 Beginner Ice Resistance. "It seems like youre all ready for battle." [Of course.] [As youmand, Master.] [Thank you very much... for giving me this opportunity, Paul Zero.] Lee Shin Woo saw the assembled undead before him, which shined with death energy filled goblin fire (especially Shino Rendu), and suddenly wondered how hed be able to lead all these troops, but soon grinned and discarded that useless thought. "As Ive already told you, our enemys strong. There are many of them, too. But we should be able to sew chaos in their ranks. ...This is for the Giants, who may be ourrades in the future. Be prepared for death, but dont die." [Ill keep that in mind!] "Paul Zero... you really are cool." "Humph!" With this, everything was in ce. Now all they had to do was execute their n. Lee Shin Woo saw his subordinates yell vigorously, imagined the moment that he proved his pride to the Giants and their resulting reactions, andughed wickedly. "Good. Then, shall we begin!?" Finally, the curtain had risen; now, they would hunt one of the 12 generals in earnest. In a ce unknown, most secretly and splendidly. Chapter 32 part1 [Prince Altania: Everyone else thinks youve been hiding your level all this time.] "Huh?" Hed finished deploying his soldiers, but before he began hunting Metafel in earnest, Lee Shin Woo contacted Prince through the chatting channel to get a feel for what his seniors, the ones who didnt appear in the chatting channel often (especially Ethan Cruz), were doing. [Prince Altania: It doesnt matter what I say; they dont believe that you grew that quickly. Lloyd is convinced that you were halfway through level 6 when you first got here. Like that Kratia girl.] "Well, theres really no problem with them thinking that way..." [Prince Altania: Moreover, youre close with that girl. They think youre both the same. Of the two, at least youre the one with manners. Apparently, they all think that you didnt want to brag in front of your seniors, so you acted like you were weak.] "Im d they think of me so highly." [Prince Altania: So whats the truth anyway?] "What do you think, Senior?" Lee Shin Woo countered with his own question. Prince pondered briefly and spoke. [Prince Altania: I think its the opposite. You were lower than level 4 when you first entered the Empire, werent you? But you lied because you thought it looked too suspicious to be leveling up so quickly, right?] "...As expected of you, Senior." [Prince Altania: Humph, as I thought!] Prince, whod briefly seen Lee Shin Woos unbelievable growth rate firsthand, would know. She swelled with pride at getting to the right conclusion and spoke proudly. [Prince Altania: I saw it all! You risk your life and boldly charge forward, and when you decide to do something, you follow through, so theres no way your growth rate would be slow! Moreover, you have a growth buff skill. This was probably helpful too.] This adorable girl tended to genuinelypliment other people when she was in a good mood. It was obvious that shed be embarrassedter when she remembered what she had said. [Prince Altania: But theres no helping it. Not risking your life means that youve gotten used to the Underground Empire. Thats why Lloyd cant believe that you risked your life so many times and grew. Hes not particrly jealous of you per se, but he simply believes that, as a hero, youre too reckless.] "Jealous? Why would he be jealous of me?" [Prince Altania: Ah... ah, its nothing.] And she also tended to say things without meaning to. Once more, Lee Shin Woo realized that he couldnt tell her his secrets, and decided to move on without focusing on what shed just said. "Then thats fine. Please keep training hard until we meet again. Kratias also training really hard right now." He was trying to provoke Prince, but it was also true. Since Kratia was taking control of all the mana in the mountain range. [Prince Altania: Keuk, of course she is. Ill win the next time! Ah, you cant tell Lloyd what I told you, ok? Since everyone else has decided to not worry about your level from now on!] "Of course." It was funny that she actually said that they wouldnt worry about his level from now on. Lee Shin Woo finished his chat with Prince and raised his head. He shared his vision with Rem and was able to clearly see where his forces were moving, as well as where the enemy forces were wandering around. "These guys really are lost. At this rate, theyll actually go outside." "What do we do if they do leave?" "Ah, they cant. You see, if they lose track of the flow of mana, then theyll never be able to get out of this mountain range." "..." Jin pledged that he wouldnt leave Lee Shin Woos side, and ran across the steep hill. It was all covered with ice, so it was slippery, but Jin used his Steel Heart skill to create Eisen. [1] He didnt have any problems running, as the iron tool hed created at the bottom of his feet kept him from slipping. "But its really quiet. I cant believe there are thousands of undead following us in these mountains." "The Giants are engaged in battle. The Chi Pauls are as well. Shino Rendus really scary. He broke off a cliff to annihte two corps and is moving on to the next point." "..." From an outside view, mother nature was silent, but beyond, there was a fierce battle underway even now. Was this also because of the mana? It was, to be honest. As the space expanded, several ces in the mountain range were blocked off, so it was difficult tomunicate here, and it was especially difficult tomand a huge army like Metafels. It wouldve been difficult for Lee Shin Woo as well, had it not been for his Darkness mana and its resulting links. And if it werent for him stealing Metafels magical device (which had split into six pieces), then this operation wouldve been impossible. "Chi Paul, just go straight. Theyre behind that small forest. Theres a level 7 elite there. You know that this task is really important, right? The Erem corps will attack from behind simultaneously. Kill them together. If you can kill a level 7 elite, then the strength of their army will lessen." [I understand.] "Shino, youre charging too fast. If you go that fast, youll lose valuable troops. For now, just make sure you collect all the loot. Theres a squad at 7 oclock, so kill them and thene back. Remember, youre still weaker than Metafel. Take your time with your revenge; it wont be toote." [Keuk... I understand.] Lee Shin Woo ordered his troops whilst riding atop Jin, and watched the Giants carefully, as he couldnt ry his orders to them directly. The level 5 Giants would draw the enemies attention, and the level 6 Giants would be responsible for the actual hunting. He knew that their strength may not be sufficient, so he had stationed the level 7 Giants on standby just in case. Lee Shin Woo was looking after them so meticulously that the Giants didnt really sustain many casualties. [Kuwaaaaaaaaah! How dare you covet thend of the Giants, you lowly humans!] [How dare you! Ill show you that our fury hasnt waned in the least!] The Giants reacted to the Imperial Army particrly violently and engaged in battle. While it wasnt difficult for them to ovee their foes, it was difficult to get them to retreat at the right times. "Youve already killed them all! Direct your anger at the Imperial troops over there!" [Ah, Paul Zero...!] [Ah, is that so? I got it!] "Hoo, theyre being pushed back over there. Jin, run towards 3 oclock!" Lee Shin Woo had to even ount for insubordination and somewhat regretted bringing the Giants into the fold (under hismand). He moved again and again. His nonexistent eyes surveyed the battlefield and hemanded his troops. [Kuhahk!? T-The Giants have attacked first...!] [Reinforcements... Request for reinforcements! General Metafel!] Were his efforts finally paying off? The enemy forces hadnt realized that they were being attacked, as the Paul Zero Corps, as well as the Giants had been attacking them for three hours now. But in the midst of that, Lee Shin Woo discovered a bizarre phenomenon, which made him feel uneasy. The undead, which had been wandering around the mountain range, had at some point, begun moving in a more organized fashion. As expected... The troops spread out across the mountain range are getting closer and closer to Metafel. What kind of cheat skill is this? Theyre moving faster than privates being ordered around by their superior. Lee Shin Woo couldnt figure out what Metafels ability was. He would be in trouble if he hadnt asked Kratia for help, in case of a situation like this. [Kratia Melloi: Shin Woo, this is really boring.] "Its the most important job, so Im counting on you." What was Kratias job? Her ability to control cold air, which had been amplified to its very limit... [Keuk... Damn it. Since when did this cial mountain be so cold?] [General, the winds somewhat weak here. Pleasemand the troops to go this way...!] She dispersed her mana far and wide, and by controlling the cold air, Kratia made it so that Metafels guards couldntmand the main force while keeping them from finding the right path. She had to stop Metafel from personallymanding his troops at all costs! [Kratia Melloi: Id rather fight.] "If you think you can kill him with your magic, then by all means." [Kratia Melloi: ...Itd be a bit tough.] Kratia said honestly. Thats because Kratia was well aware of the arcane magic artifact that Metafel wore. Despite her cold air being high rank and a high level, all she could do was hamper his movements a little bit. Of course, if Kratias arcane magic actually hit Metafel, then she would have a chance, but hed counterattack before she had the chance. [Kratia Melloi: How is it on your end?] "I did my best, but... It seems like I wont be able to stop the current. I feel like we should just collect the loot while we still have the chance before they regroup. If you feel like youre at your limit, then retreat to a different location and thene back." [Kratia Melloi: Ok.] It seemed like Kratias mood livened up a bit, as hed essentially given her permission to go wild. Lee Shin Woo finished chatting with her and began moving once more. There was a setback in his n because of Metafels strange morale ability, but in any case, since his strategy had seeded, he cut down their force of 50,000 by at least 10,000. Hed have to be satisfied with this for now. "Go back to your territory. Treat yourrades whove been hurt there." [I got it.] The Giants domain, Perlin Elta, was the most heterogeneous space at the center of the mountain range. The level 5 Giant whod guided him into the vige seemed a bit stronger than before, and it wasnt Lee Shin Woo just seeing things. The bizarre mana that flowed through the entirety of Perlin Elta invigorated the Giants and healed their wounds as well. In more extreme terms, it could be said that their existences would briefly ascend. The reason behind that was easy to ascertain. It was the doing of the frozen Titans Heart. So Im sure that the Titans Heart affects the Giant Tribe. But what exactly is it? It was bad enough that he had to take on Metafel, but hed have to study the Titans Heart as well. Lee Shin Woo smiled bitterly and moved his body. Hed ordered the Giants to return to Perlin Elta, where their wounds would be healed in the nick of time, so now it was time to take care of his own troops. "Shino, stop right there! I already have the Giants to worry about for insubordination." [Keuk, I found traces of another squad while we were returning, so... Im sorry. Well return immediately.] "Good. But its good that you had the foresight to prepare for an enemy attack and keep the injured safe beforehand. Go back and rest." First, he would directly order his troops, which were difficult tomand, to return. Then, he found the Chi Paul corps, as well as the Erem corps, which were both fighting against the level 7 elite. Fortunately, they had prioritized safety above all else, so they hadnt sustained many casualties. However, they hadnt seeded in taking down the level 7 elite yet. Then again, it wouldnt be that easy to take down one of the Imperial Armys level 7 elites. [Whosmanding you two...! Youre not on the same side as that strange guy that appeared yesterday, are you!?] [Ha, strange guy? You really are a poor judge of character. Then again, your eyes are rotten.] Lee Shin Woo looked down at the battlefield from a slightly higher area. The Chi Pauls and the Erems were ripping the enemy forces apart, and in the center, the level 7 Chi Paul was fighting against the level 7 elite Corps Commander by itself. It was that guy, the one Lee Shin Woo had met for the first time when he was with Metafel yesterday! "Triple Lightning!" [Kuhahk!?] Lee Shin Woo and Jin fell, and the level 7 elite, who was shing des with Chi Paul, was unable to resist Lee Shin Woos greeting and got swept away. Because hed simultaneously activated both Lightning Sprint and Lightning Shadow, it seemed as though a lightning bolt had fallen from the sky! [T-This is... the Lightning Shadow Generals...?] "Ill let you see the Lightning Shadow General soon, so stay right there! Ground Lightning!" Dozens of lightning bolts came from the icy ground and attacked. Even though it was flustered, the level 7 elite managed to dodge the lightning, but Chi Paul, who was holding a giant greatsword that resembled a sharp saw de, was waiting from behind it. [Now do you realize how rotten your eyes were?] [Kuhahk!? If youre truly a knight, then you wouldnt do something as cowardly as...] [Heup!] "Ha!" Chi Paul didnt listen to it. Lee Shin Woo was the same. Chi Paul had been formed from the fusion of countless knights souls, so there were no gaps in its sword technique. While defending against Chi Pauls attack, it lost its weapon, and a Breath of the Lightning God fell upon its head once more. [Keoheok!] The lightning and the sharp de immediately broke through its helmet and burrowed into its skull. At that moment, the Corps Commander realized that there was no way it could escape alive. [S-Sir Metafel...!] "Yeah, Ill send him to you soon." Lee Shin Woo replied with disinterest and exploded the sword burrowed in its body. His skills in handling mana were so great now that even if he exploded the sword right before him, the resulting explosion wouldnt damage him or his allies in the least. [You have acquired 6,196,550 Perium.] [You have acquired the Lv7 Ghoul Knight Leaders jawbone.] Lee Shin Woo snatched the loot and ced it atop Chi Pauls shoulder, who was just starting to straighten himself out and stand up. He was going to use Bone Reinforcement on him. "This is for you." [But I didnt take him down by myself...!] "So after you absorb this, youll be able to take down a guy like that by yourself next time. Right?" [...Yes, no matter what!] Jin watched their exchange and thought that if this were a game, he wouldve seen a message like [Loyalty + 500] or something. Lee Shin Woo probably just did it because he thought it wouldve been more efficient to let Chi Paul absorb it than himself! [Thank you very much, Paul Zero. I feel like Ive gotten a lot stronger!] "Good. If thats the case, thene with me and return. Well move on to the next battle after everyones been healed." [I understand!] After hed seeded in his ambush, Lee Shin Woo led his troops and returned to base. Some of the giants had been in, but none of his own troops; it seemed like his troops tough undead bodies were helpful, as they were all healed within a few hours. At thest minute, Kratia had cast widespread ice magic that crumbled the entire mountain and had returned with a refreshed expression. With her help, they had cut down Metafels forces by 13,000 (including the death of one level 7 elite). It was a perfect victory. [1] E/N: German for Iron, I assume iron calkins or cleats for horses. Chapter 32 part2 [You have annihted a fourth of the enemy army with a limited number of troops, while simultaneouslymanding the Giants, who hate outsiders. By understanding the enemy and effectively using the environment, you were able to achieve the best possible oue. You have the right to be called the Ruler of the Battlefield.] [You have acquired the title Commander of Terror. The abilities of all forces under your control are buffed by 10%! Whenever you achieve an exceptional result in battle, this title will evolve.] [All stats have increased by 10 as a result of the title. The High Rank Command skill has be Lv2 and all stats have increased by 5.] Lee Shin Woo had achieved victory so seamlessly that he gained a title, and in the evening used the bones his troops brought back to reinforce them. Because most of the bones belonged to normal soldiers, his troops didnt grow much, but low leveled bones were best for healing injuries. [Paul Zero made me a level 5!] And those who came back with level 5, level 6, or elite bones became noticeably stronger. He collected all the bones of the foes that the Giants had in (the Giants didnt realize the value of either the bones or the Perium) and reinforced the Pauls with them, allowing them to grow far more than hed initially expected. [Ooh, Paul Zero is expanding our original limitations...!] "This is the result of all your hard work. Dont think about your limitations from now on. You can always keep growing." [Paul Zero!] [Paul Zero! Paul Zero!] "Theyre fanatics...! They really are fanatical...!" "Its nothing new." He nned on using all but a few of the bones on his subordinates, but considering how some of the Pauls went up to level 5, he knew that hed made the right choice. And... [Well try even harder. You wont regret giving us this chance.] "Of course I wont. I trust in your potential." Shino Rendus role in the battle had been considerable, so if he kept this up, he might get to level 7. Contrary to when he was a hero, as an Undead Avenger, Shino Rendu went through fire and water to hunt and absorb bones, which allowed him to grow at an overwhelmingly fast pace. "Good. Everyone, good work. Rest up until I give you your new orders. Ah, gather the Perium over here." [I understand!] [For Commander Paul Zero!] "...Theres a hill of karma gathering next to you, Paul Zero." In exchange for reinforcing his troops with all the bones, Lee Shin Woo took all the Perium. As theyd crushed 13,000 enemy troops, he gained a surprising 170 million Perium. Apparently, the price of level 7 medicine was 1 million Perium, the Perium was equivalent to karma that increased his stats by a total of 170. "To have only gotten this much after crushing a quarter of that huge army. Now Im starting to understand how hard our seniors have to work to raise their stats." "Man, these guys are really stingypared to dungeon monsters." "They are, arent they? If you want to level up this way, then even destroying an entire army belonging to one of the 12 generals wouldnt be enough." "Youre saying something weird again. Raise your stats by training your skills, not using the medicine. The medicine is just a bonus!" To be honest, Lee Shin Woo was slightly worried. While he always took the Perium from his subordinates, hed taken the Perium from the Giants this time as well. But it seemed as thoughmanding and leading them into battle saved their lives and strengthened them in the process. Acquiring the bones and Perium from them was not an issue at all. Whats worse, a Giant had killed a level 6 elite, who possessed a level 4 artifact, but they had just given it away. "So is this what it means tomand a corps? I took all this stuff from them, but its allowed since Im theirmander. This is the best!" "Ah, Paul Zeros on a path of no return..." For now, Lee Shin Woo just collected all of the Perium. Since he hadnt bought any bones from the secret shoptely, hed just been umting Perium. With this new addition, his total was close to 400 million Perium, but he increasingly felt like he should save his permits and his Perium. "Ah, now that I think about it, I didnt sell my wine yet either." "So hows that goingtely?" "I expanded the storehouse, and the golems are continuously creating and maturing the wine." "...I feel a bit sorry for the Dryads." Once Lee Shin Woo had re-checked his forces, he created a few gueri units consisting of elites, although all his troops looked battle ready. They were responsible for sewing chaos amongst the enemy troops so that they wouldnt find the Giants domain. [We can do it if you just give us the order.] "Alright." Lee Shin Woo assigned the level 7 Wolf Avenger, Bisher Moon as the leader of the gueri units, as he possessed high magic and could see from far distances. Also, those who followed him possessed Ice Resistance, as well as acid and poison abilities. As expected, the most effective tools in killing arge number of enemy troops with just a handful of soldiers were poison and acid. "Ill send a squad to collect the lootter on, so focus on sowing chaos. They have this strange instinct to gather around their Corps Commander, so try your best to stop them. If you think you cant, then retreat immediately." [I understand!] Lee Shin Woo created a recon squadposed of individuals who could move quickly. This mountain range was much too vast and the natural environment was much too perilous for him to rely solely on Rems vision. Because the cold winds were so intense, he never knew when the topography would change. He had already figured this out, so if he wanted to n out a proper strategy for the following day, then creating a recon unit was paramount. "Kratia, Im counting on you to keep watch." "Where are you going?" "To the Giants. Ill go check how theyre doing and thene back. Theyre probably still excited since its been such a long time since theyve fought." "Ah." Even if Kratia had the ability tomand several troops, she was sure that she wouldnt be able to do what Lee Shin Woo did. Checking the condition of the Giants, inspiring his troops, keeping watch, sowing chaos amongst the enemy troops, and being prepared for what the enemy threw at them next; there werent just one or two things that he had to do. She became curious as to where Lee Shin Woo hade from and what he did there, as he did all these difficult tasks so seamlessly. There was so much she wanted to ask him, but ultimately, Kratia just shrugged her shoulders instead. "Leave it to me. Even if Metafel himselfes, Ill be able to stop him for a little while." "Good. Then, Im counting on you." Lee Shin Woo left his troops to Kratia and went over to the Giants domain. He had somewhat expected this, but the Giants looked ready to leave their territory whenever. [There are still... enemies... in this mountain range.] [I cant forget the pleasure of breaking their skulls and stomping on their legs. I can still crush so many more enemies!] [Im still... in good condition! Why am I still here...?] [Paul Zero. Paul Zero is here!] While they were busy raising their morale, Lee Shin Woo came to visit them. The hundreds of Giants simultaneously rushed over to Lee Shin Woo and shouted. [You said youd help us in our fight... not that youd... get in our way!] [Im going...! I respect you, so I waited patiently, but... I cannot wait any longer!] [Kuhaaaaaaaaaaah! The Titan is watching over us. We are still as invincible as ever, and well always be invincible!] "All of you, calm down." [Ugh...!] Lee Shin Woo saw an immediate difference now that his High Rank Command became level 2. Compared to yesterday, Lee Shin Woo had seemed to be even more dignified than before, so the Giants became a bit quieter. He used that opportunity to draw his sword. "Look." [What are you trying to show us with your sword... Huh?] He wasnt concerned with the Giants flinching and quickly drew a picture atop the icy ground. His picture portrayed the number and the location of the troops based on Remsst findings. "Our fight today was close to perfect. But it wont always be this easy. Do you see? That theyre concentrating their forces around the Corps Commander. We seeded because we divided and conquered, but if we hadnt, then we wouldve lost a lot ofrades." [If thats the case, then shouldnt be attacking!? By killing more, we prevent them from regrouping!] "We came out victorious because we only fought until we couldnt anymore. If we were greedy for more, then you wouldve been hurt." He was sure now that Metafel possessed a skill that caused his troops to gather around him or an artifact with a simr effect! Despite Kratia usingrge scale magic to copse a mountain, Metafels troops began to gather around him more and more, rather than them wandering and getting lost. It wouldnt be an exaggeration to say that the ability was supernatural. Now he was sure that the Archmage hadnt sent Metafels corps here for no reason. Even if something goes wrong with the artifact, he trusted that Metafels ability would take care of the rest. Its frustrating, but he picked well. As expected of the 12 generals... [If thats the case, then...] "Huh?" Lee Shin Woo finished thinking and raised his head. The level 7 Giant, which unlike the empty-headed Giants, had followed his orders and had grown considerably, looked at him seriously (although his eyes were rotten). [Then that means we have to figure out how to move now. Isnt that why you came? To tell us that? Humans are weak, but Im well aware of how strong they get when they bunch together. Youre telling us not to charge in head-on against them.] "Exactly. Ivee to tell you my strategy." Lee Shin Woo was deeply moved. It became so much easier to exin since there was someone who actually understood what he was talking about. Once the level 7 Giant spoke, the hostile level 5 and level 6 Giants quieted down. "I told you this before, but the reason we were able to put up such a good fight was because we stopped the enemies from grouping up and only fought against the troops that were divided from the main force. So what do we do against them, now that theyve gathered into one main force?" Lee Shin Woo drew a line through the 37,000 undead on his rough map. He cut off the tail end of the group. Then, he drew another line, and then another one after that. He drew dozens of lines until there was only one small group of enemies remaining. "Its fundamentally the same. We divided and conquer. Thus far, weve been doing our utmost to keep them from grouping up, but from now on, well cut down that main force and lessen its size." [How?] "With mother nature." If this were nd, then this strategy wouldnt work. And if they werent Giants, then it would likewise be impossible. But in this cial mountain range, the Titans were capable of controlling mother nature with ease. "If we dont have a wall, then well just break a hill and make one. If the ground theyre walking on is stable, then make it unstable. Be natures fury and cajole your enemies. When they fall to chaos, then well cut them down bit by bit. Its time to show them how impressive you really are." [How impressive we really are...] [Natures fury...] Did Lee Shin Woos words reach them? Once the Giants heard him, the Giants smiled faintly with their rotten lips. Lee Shin Woos jawbone rattled, as he had seeded in using them to set up traps. [I feel like youre worthy now.] And then, one of the level 7 Giants said abruptly. [I suppose its alright to show you the Titans Heart, as youre a human who understands a Giants strength and is acknowledged by the Giants.] "Oh...!?" And now, he unexpectedly had the chance to advance his goals. Chapter 32 part3 Lee Shin Woo was walking into the inner part of the Giants domain with one of the level 7 Giants. From an outside view, it looked like nothing more than an ordinary snow-covered field, but he felt like he was blocked by a barrier of mana around halfway through. Although he knew this barrier wasnt physically stopping him from entering, it was a barrier that would lead one astray and force them to go in another direction. In other words, it was simr to the spatial barrier that prevented ess into the mountain range. [Its in here. You should be able to follow us through.] "Of course." Due to the leading Giant, the barrier was temporarily removed, and the correct path appeared. Of course, a normal person would find it difficult to follow, but to Lee Shin Woo, who had figured out the right way to enter the mountain range, it wasnt very difficult. No, even if the Giant hadnt been here, he wouldve been able to figure it out. "The spatial divergence is severe, even within the Giants domain..." [Its a barrier created by the Titans Heart itself. Only us Giants are permitted to enter.] "As I thought. This is what it means to be descendants of the Titans..." [Indeed.] As he followed the Giant, Lee Shin Woo felt apologetic to Kratia, as hed left her behind and was going to see the Titans Heart without her. However... it couldnt be helped, as there was no way that the Giants, who hadnt yet fully ovee their instincts, would ept her. "Do we have to walk for a while?" [Well be there soon.] The Giant really did stop soon. The snowy field had changed into a giant icy hill before their eyes. Lee Shin Woo felt a ridiculous amount of cold air and his body shook. "As expected..." [Did you hear everything from Fennos?] "No, not everything." [I see...] The Giant muttered sadly and pointed towards the hill. It seemed preposterous, but it seemed like the root cause of the cold air that froze the entire mountain range was this hill. [The Titans Heart is inside here. Originally, the Titan controlled overwhelming heat rather than cold, but so much time has passed since the Titan had died that thest remaining trace of that individual has, as you can see... it spews out cold air, rather than hot.] "Hmm, how interesting..." Lee Shin Woo didnt really know much about cold-rted artifacts, aside from Kratias orb. But why was it? He felt familiar energying from the center of the hill. He attempted to get closer and study the Titans Heart buried within more in-depth. But at that moment... [Who hase?] [Who did you bring?] Two Giants suddenly ran down from the top of the hill, casting a dark shadow over Lee Shin Woos head. When he raised his head, the Giants thaty before his eyes were the most powerful andrgest Giants amongst all the Giants hed seen thus far. Of course, Lee Shin Woo wasnt surprised, as he knew who they were better than anyone else. [Lv7 Sealed Titan Zombie - Eta] [Lv7 Sealed Titan Zombie - Arogan] Both of them were previously heroes, and they were probably made into heroes even earlier than Lee Man Bok... as heroes that were born on this. They survived through the day disaster befell the Empire, and they were picked by God and carried out her orders, but... they couldnt ovee the 12 generals and despite them being betrayed by their allies and bing corpses, they regained their wills and had returned here. They had remained as Giants, not normal undead. [Its someone who can understand us, oh mother and father.] [Someone who can understand us...] "Im Paul Zero." Lee Shin Woo confidently introduced himself to his two senior heroes, whereas the two undead heroes just kept watching the hill where the Titans Heart was buried. He wouldnt be able to sleep until he could figure out what this familiar feeling was. Not that he could sleep. "I have inherited Fennos will, and havee here to retrieve the Titans Pride." [To think youd speak the Titans name.] [Fennos? What a nostalgic name. So you met him.] "Thats right." Surprisingly, the two Giants werent really suspicious of him, nor did they reject him. They were the strongest of the Giants, those who scorned human beings, so it wouldnt have been strange at all if they were to have attacked him as soon as they saw him. Lee Shin Woo thought about it briefly and realized. They were probably helped by Lee Man Bok. If that was theirst contact with a human being, then he could understand why they were acting this way. [Though you knew Fennos...] [It seems like youre quite close to this human, for you to suggest that he see the Titans Heart. However, the Titans Heart is the symbol of the Giants, so bringing him here was thoughtless of you.] [Thats not the issue right now, mother, father.] [...What?] Ah, perhaps this guy is...? Hearing that, Lee Shin Woo looked at the level 7 Giant in astonishment. To think hed say that the Titans Heart, which all the Giants treasured wasnt the issue right now? It was at that moment that Lee Shin Woo realized something. That this Giant hadnt brought him all the way over to just show him the Titans Heart. Rather, the Titans Heart was probably just an excuse to ask him for something. [What are you talking about? Exin in detail.] [Im not a very good speaker, so Ill let this human exin. This human knows how to honor our will, so please hear him out.] The level 7 Giants bowed its head towards the previous heroes. Lee Shin Woo thought as expected and nodded his head. The level 7 Giant had brought him here to persuade these two Giants to fight against the Imperial Army with them. To think that the Giant that had ignored him at the beginning was doing so much for him now. [...I thought youdpletely degenerated into the undead, but youve regained your intellect.] [How surprising. Is this change your doing as well?] "Yeah." Of course, Lee Shin Woo had no intention of doing exactly what the Giant wanted. He gave them suitable responses whilst quickly analyzing the Titans Heart. He was finally getting a feel for it. If the Titans Heart was indeed what Lee Shin Woo thought it was, then it would be a waste to just sit around doing this...! [Not only has a humane into a forbidden area, but were listening to what he has to say as well...] [Im sure that somethings going on. Its good that the messenger has regained a bit of his intellect, but he probably came with grave news as well.] "You said this is a forbidden area, right?" [Thats right, human. Were thinking about whether we should punish this one for allowing you, a human, into the forbidden area, or if we should consider you friendly enough to allow you into this area.] [What exactly did you do to bring back their intellect? Although theyre better off than the undead teeming within the Empire, theyre ultimately still undead.] "...Hoo." At that moment, Lee Shin Woo raised his head. His analysis of the Titans Heart wasplete. It was exactly as Lee Shin Woo had thought. He realized how to truly awaken the Giants. "There are those who are trying to invade that forbidden area. They are aiming for the Titans Heart." It was the second act of his y. [And thats not you?] Mm, a logical response. Moreover, its actually correct. However, Lee Shin Woo brushed it off and continued. "I came here to protect that, or more specifically, the Giants themselves. If youre ready to hear me out, then Ill keep going." [...] [Lets hear him out. I feel a familiar energy from this guy. Its simr to Man Boks. The energy simr to our friend, who rescued us and helped us regain our intellect.] [Ugh... Alright, lets hear him out.] They would be pissed if they found out that Lee Shin Woo had killed Lee Man Bok. Lee Shin Woo inwardly grinned and continued. "Its the Imperial Army. One of the 12 generals is with them at that, the Mercenary King, Metafel. There are 50,000 troopsing this way. Theyvee through the mountain range with a magical device that nullifies the spatial inference. I stole that away from them, but theyre gathering through an innate ability." [Metafel Rerdan...!] [Grr... Hes the guy who killed Meljoo...!] [1] "Im helping the Giants stop them with my own forces, but there will be several casualties amongst the Giants in the ensuing battle. If theyre unlucky, then they may bepletely annihted. We need your help in order to stop them." [Metafel... How dare he...!] [Even so, we have to protect the Titans Heart.] [...Indeed. Its even more important that we stay here, knowing that Metafel is aiming for the Titans Heart.] Despite their hatred of Metafel, they prioritized staying by the Titans Heart and protecting it, rather than vengeance. It wasnt like they were scared of Metafel. Thats just how important they considered the Titans Heart. Lee Shin Woo realized just how important the Titans Heart was to them. If thats the case, then... Lee Shin Woo lightly provoked them. "Of course, you dont have to worry about it too much. Since Ill kill Metafel before you even get a chance to see him." [...If thats the case, then theres no reason for us to be even having this discussion.] Lee Shin Woo would kill Metafel, not the Giants. They understood what he had said and hed left an impression on them, but its not like that would be enough for them to respond with Im going to kill Metafel myself!. So Lee Shin Woo furrowed his brow, nodded his head, and spoke. "Thats right. The Giants may perish, but youll be able to protect the Titans Heart." [Thats our (the Giants) mission that has been passed down from generation to generation. Those who die shouldnt have anyints.] [But still, father, mother...!] The level 7 Giant who was listening from beside them looked as though he were burning up. Now that he thought about it, the one who had been hit by the level 7 elites arrow and had beenining the entire time was this guy. As expected, at the time he was consumed by rage, but as time passed he came to realize that the level 7 elite was stronger than he was. "Yeah, theres nothing for you to worry about. Until the next batter is up, that is." [The next batter?] Hearing that, the Giants flinched. Had they really not expected this? Lee Shin Woo snorted and continued. He hadnt nned on telling them this, but the situation was different now. "Isnt it obvious? Would the Empire really give up on this ce with just the loss of Metafel? Rather, theylle out even more aggressively next time, as theyd have lost one of the 12 generals. At the very least, Feotane Von Seldin would be included in the next punitive force." [...] If that happened, then the Giants would be exterminated for sure. No matter how much they used the terrain to their advantage, or how well they nned, they wouldnt be able to block that single absolute being, despite their best efforts. "Ivee here to persuade you (the Giants) and retrieve the Titans Pride. But I havente here to die. Im going to run before then. Moreover, now that I look at you guys... it seems like youve be too greedy. You two, the leaders of the Giants, dont seem to know whats really important here." [Its the Titans Heart. The most important thing to us is the Titans Heart!] Yeah, that Titans Heart. Theyd finally gotten to the key to the problem. Lee Shin Woo extended his hand, gestured to the icy hill, and smiled coldly. "Of course, this is a great treasure. But right now, its nothing more than an item thats emitting cold air and slightly boosting your energy." [How dare you!] The Giant on the left side, Eta couldnt hold themselves back anymore and swung its greatsword at Lee Shin Woo. The giant weapon seemed to contain enough force to cleave through a mountain, yet... Lee Shin Woo blocked it with the Titans Pride. [That shield...!?] Lee Shin Woo didnt even blink at the astonished reaction of the Giant. "At this rate, you guys will be annihted, and the Titans Heart you hold so dear will be taken away from you. You said the thing most important to you is the Titans Heart, right? What youre doing is pretty much giving it to the Empire on a silver tter." [Keuk!] Kwang! The force behind the Giants greatsword finally broke apart the Titans Pride. Before the greatsword could continue on its course and break Lee Shin Woo as well, he summoned a second shield and blocked its strike once more. Lee Shin Woo saw the speechless, gaping Giant and smiled bitterly. "If its so precious to you, and if you truly want to protect it so badly, then you cant just be sitting here doing nothing. The Empire already knows where it is. They also have a way to find it. So do you really think youll be able to protect the Titans Heart on your own?" [We ca...!] "Cant." [Keuk...!] Lee Shin Woo mercilessly cut them down. A giant attempted to refute his ims, but when it saw his zing goblin fire, it couldnt follow through. How could they stop the level 8 Archmage from taking the Titans Heart when they couldnt even beat a weak skeleton? The intellect that hed barely been able to preserve was telling him. That the undead in front of him was telling the truth. Everything was over, so long as the Empire had a way of locating the Titans Heart. "So, our job isnt to stay here and protect this thing." [Our?] "Yeah, our." Lee Shin Woo grinned. At some point, a gigantified Breath of the Lightning God floated in the air. The mana consumption was tremendous, as it had been gigantified, but its dignity was undeniable. "Our job is..." Lee Shin Woo dropped his hand lightly. At that moment, the Breath of the Lightning God shot out like an arrow and burrowed into the icy hill. Seeing that, the Giants were shocked and moved to stop him, but it was already toote. The tough ice itd burrowed into began to crack, and once the Breath of the Lightning God began to emit lightning, the cracks spread throughout the entirety of the hill. [Are you trying to break apart the Titans Heart!?] "Nope." The hill, which boasted an incredible toughness from the many years of repeated freezing, was broken in an instant. That ice was saturated in mana, which wasnt very important. What was important was what appeared inside. [Lv8 Damaged Titan Golem Core] "Our job is..." Lee Shin Woo looked at the Titans Heart, which had been stripped of its outer coating and even now was releasing cold air... No, it was actually a golem core that was sucking all the heat from its surrounding, and he said. "To revive the Titan." [1] T/N: Rather than a Grr (a growl), its more like the sound when you grind your teeth, but I dont know a suitable onomatopoeia for that. Chapter 32 part4 [Revive...] [The Titan...?] "Yeah." Lee Shin Woo said nonchntly, but the Giants froze. They focused their attention on the now exposed core; seeing cold air stick to the top of the core and form ice, even at this very moment, was memorable. [As expected, it takes a human to say something so impious with such ease.] [The Titan passed away. If a human couldve revived it, then it wouldve risen long ago.] "Mm, you still dont get it, even when youre looking right at it." Lee Shin Woo watched the Titans Heart... the Titan Golem Core as it continuously drew in heat from its dented side and smiled bitterly. He realized just how much time had passed when he thought about how the story of a giant golem had transformed into the legend of the Titan. He was sure that it hadnt urred within just one hundred or two hundred years. Moreover, there were no traces on the core of it being made by Steelworker! That meant that it wasnt made by the Empire. "Do you still think the Titan is a god?" [We wont tolerate any more disrespect. I acknowledge that youre strong for a human, but the price of looking down upon the Titans Pride is death.] "Is that so?" Lee Shin Woo replied apathetically. They hadnt figured it out, even though it was clearly not a living beings heart. Therefore, he would have to prove it to them in a different way. "Then, just watch." [You dare!] Lee Shin Woo extended his hand. While the Giants were overwhelmingly stronger than Lee Shin Woo, they were also extremely slow in exchange. Therefore, when they attempted to stop him, Lee Shin Woo had already reached the core. [How dare you!] "Ha." Lee Shin Woo evaded the Giants attacks and grabbed the core on the ground. As expected, the moment he held the core, he felt the core attempt to steal all the heat from his body, but fortunately, he could use level 8 Intermediate Fire. So long as he used that, he wouldnt have to worry about freezing. [T-The heart.] [That fool... In the end, that human took the Titans Heart!] [The Titans Pride will kill you without fail. When it does, well take back the Titans Heart! Thats not just the proof of our ancestors, but the very soul of the Giant Tribe!] Lee Shin Woo had already blocked out the Giants. All of his attentiony on the Titan Golem Core in his hands. The moment Lee Shin Woo used his power, the core, which had until now been absorbing all heat... [Through Bone Reinforcement, the Lv8 Damaged Titan Golem Core is transforming.] He thought it might not transform like the Huginns Eye. Fortunately, it did. Perhaps his affinity was high since hed manufactured golems before and he possessed the Puppet Master title. [T-The Titans Heart is...!?] [Kill himmmmmmmm!] The enraged Giants ran over to Lee Shin Woo, but they couldnt get too close. While their frames wererge, the Titans Heart wasparatively small. Therefore, if they tried killing Lee Shin Woo, then there was a chance that they would damage the Titans Heart as well, which would be an unforgivable sin. "As I thought, you guys really are undead. Or were you like that when you were alive? You guys are always in a hurry." [You have acquired the Lv8 Damaged Titan Golem Bone Core.] Then, the transformation wasplete. Half of the once crimson metal core now looked like a crushed red circr bone. Of course, its energy hadnt reduced in the least from the transformation. Itsposition and form had just be easier for Lee Shin Woo to understand. ...And there was one more thing. "Id thought as much, but its still damaged even after the transformation. I dont think Ill be able to analyze a thing when its in this state. In order to restore it, Ill have to use Bone Reinforcement... Oh, thats right." He remembered that he could use Bone Reinforcement on the core itself! Lee Shin Woo mulled over what the suitable materials would be to reinforce it with and soon opened his inventory, pulling out a non-bone item from it. It was none other than the fossil that permanently radiated heat... the Sr Fossil. [Consuming the Sr Fossil to reinforce the Damaged Titan Golem Bone Core. Thepatibility between the two items is incredibly high! 2% of the Bone Cores information has been restored!] "Nice!" [...Huh!?] [This human.] [The Titans Heart is...?] Lee Shin Woo was the only one who could see the messages, yet all the Giants there responded. Why you ask? Its because the slight authority that was bestowed upon them by the Titans Heart (they called it a blessing) had be stronger. [What is he doing...?] "I already told you. Im reviving the Titan." Lee Shin Woo said and reinforced the Bone Core with the second Sr Fossil. The core epted the Sr Fossil without hesitation, as though it was a chick that was being fed by its mother. [A resounding sess! 3% of the Bone Cores information has been restored!] [I-Its gotten stronger again!] [Is he truly...? Is a human truly reviving the Titan...?] The Giants were confused. Contrary to their original assumptions, Lee Shin Woo wasnt stealing the Titans Heart but restoring its energy. Because they were sure of this, their hostility towards him waned. As expected of the undead, they were quick to anger but also quick to calm down. [Sess! 2% of the Bone Cores information has been restored.] [A resounding sess! 3% of the Bone Cores information has been restored.] [Sess! ...] Thepatibility between the Sr Fossil and the Bone Core was unmatched. When reinforcing a core with a simr core, there would be times when the reinforcement failed, but the Sr Fossils never failed to reinforce the Bone Core. Perhaps the Sr Fossil was used in the construction of the Titan Golem Core in the past... In other words, perhaps the sunlight stone was used in its creation. It might not have been part of its core, but rather, part of its body instead. [Its gradually...] [The energy in my body is increasing more and more. It might even be simr to the blessing that the Titan bestowed upon all Giants when it was alive...!] Why was their energy increasing as the Bone Core was restored more and more? What exactly was the connection between this core and the Giants? Lee Shin Woo continued to reinforce the Bone Core diligently, if for no other reason than to find out that link. [A resounding sess! 3% of the Bone Cores information has been restored.] [Sess! 2% of the Bone Cores information has been restored.] The restoration rate of the core had already reached 50%. At this point, the restoration speed slowed down a bit, but the Sr Fossils would always restore it by at least 1%. The Giants were no longer just shocked; they now looked in awe. [T-The Titan is...] [The human... No, Paul Zero was right. The Titan is...ing back to life...!] [Ooh, Ooooh...!] The Giants, whod stood awkwardly, soon began to bow their heads towards Lee Shin Woo. He thought hed clear up the misunderstanding, but he hadnt expected this, so Lee Shin Woo just ended up smiling. [A resounding sess! The Bone Cores information has beenpletely restored.] When he finallypletely restored the Bone Core, the Bone Core stopped drawing in all of the surrounding heat. The once prevalent cold air was instantaneously cleared, and the Giants looked as though they were going to cry. [The curse has finally been lifted...!] [How preposterous. To think it was a human that did it!] [Im angry. I may be angry, but I guess I have to acknowledge him!] [You... Youre our savior. Fennos sent us a savior!] Lee Shin Woo nced at the Giants and turned his attention back to the Bone Core. A heros eyes could see all, and he mercilessly read thepleted Bone Cores information. [Lv8 Titan Golem Bone Core] [A golem created by a human who wanted to reach godhood. A Titans core. In the past, when the Titan was destroyed, the cores charge function was damaged and it continuously drew in heat, bing a defective product. However, it is now at 100% functionality.] [The heat is charged at 100%, but because there is only the core left, there is nowhere to release the heat. You must learn the techniques to recreate the golem and procure the necessary materials to make it as well.] "...Ha." Lee Shin Woo read the information and couldnt help butugh. He didnt think that this core, which froze this entire mountain range and even twisted around and hid the space, would cause all of this just because its heat charging function had been damaged! So the original golem sucked in heat from its surrounding and stored it in the core. Its strengthy in releasing all of that heat. Once it has reached full capacity, it must stop charging, but because the cores charge function had been damaged, it couldnt reach that, and as a result, created this ridiculously icy zone. What a joke! "Kratia would be disappointed if she found out." Kratia thought that the Titans Heart was an item that continuously discharged cold air. However, that cold air was just a byproduct of the Titans Heart sucking in all the heat in its surroundings, so it would be quite unsatisfying for her. Wait a sec. Now that I think about it, that might not be the case. Kratia might actually get excited if she knew that they could make a new type of golem with this. When he considered the fact that theyd be using a level 8 core, they might even be able to create a level 8 golem if all goes well! [Who is Kratia...?] "Shes someone wholl be really helpful in reviving the Titan." [Oh, Oooh!] At some point, the Giants had begun addressing Lee Shin Woo with honorifics, and Lee Shin Woo epted it quite naturally. Hed been in so many scenarios where an individual would change their attitude once the situation changed. [Can you really... revive the Titan?] [If thats the case, then well be able to regain our original power!] [A true Titans Pride. With pride that none can challenge!] Lee Shin Woo grabbed onto the Titans Heart, and now that it was fully restored, he realized. The Titans Pride that the Giants spoke of wasnt simply a belief. They were actually strengthened by the Titans Heart, so if he actually restored the golem, then they should undergo an even greater transformation. Now that Lee Shin Woo had had the time to analyze the core, albeit briefly, he roughly understood the reason behind it. "Humans who wanted to be Gods... Youre that group of humans." [We are Titans... the Titan Tribe.] "Yeah, right. Titans." In the past, when Lee Shin Woo had seen the mana that flowed within their bodies, he had concluded that the reason that they had such strength and sturdy constitutions was because of their mana pattern. Through a special way of circting mana, they would develop their bones, muscles, skin, and blood. Because of that, they didnt have any magical abilities, but in exchange, they could use mana to reinforce their bodies to such an extent that would allow them to ovee magic. However, when he thought about it carefully, wasnt that kind of strange? There was no reason to further erge their bodies with mana if they were originally Giants. Rather, it was only natural that theyd create a technique that would harmonize their powerful physical bodies and mana together to exert incredible destructive force. In other words, Titans didnt start as Titans. If he assumed that they werent Giants from the very beginning, then everything made sense. To reach godhood, they studied mana and applied that research onto humans, as they continuously focused on improving their bodies again and again... The Mana Breathing ability would spread amongst humans and if it were passed down generation after generation, then... if thats how their descendants steadily increased in size, then... And what if this Titan Golem is the basis for this Mana Breathing ability? The Mana Breathing ability was originally created to catch up to the Titan Golem, so the fact that the magic thates out of the core affects and strengthens the Giants own mana shouldnt be surprising... "Hoo." Lee Shin Woo, whod thought this far, shook his head. In the end, it was nothing more than a hypothesis. Perhaps these Titans, who were born with Mana Breathing, were based on the Titan Golem, as it was the ideal shape. And then, God would probably give them her blessing as well. "Since all that matters is the result." [Sir... Paul Zero?] "Listen." Lee Shin Woo curtly ordered the Giants, whod even added sir to his name. "Were going to revive the Titan. Now help us kill Metafel. You can, cant you?" [Of course we can!] The Giant whod led him here, as well as his senior heroes, responded energetically. Aside from these golems, no one had any idea that a single skeleton was attempting to revive a Titan, which had been lost in the annals of history. Chapter 32 part5 [The Titans strength is being restored!] [He who possesses Fennos will, Paul Zero, has revived the Titan!] The Giants were in high spirits. Once Lee Shin Woo hade out holding the Titans Heart, or the Titan Bone Core, the abilities of all the Giants spread out across their domain had increased. Of course, there was no way to get an exact number, but it seemed like theyd gotten about 20% stronger than before. And if I manage to install the core into a golem... At the very least, theyll be stronger than they are now. If he added in the golems body, which amplified and refined the cores energy, then the Giants should be strengthened even further. But he regretted just one thing: the golem would possess a natural weakness. It wont endlessly release heat. However, it will condense heat almost to its very limit and then release it for a limited duration... Of course, because it was set up that way, the core was level 8, but he couldnt get rid of the feeling that this golem was a weapon of mass destruction. It couldnt run for very long and it also had a long recharge time, so... [Well follow Paul Zeros orders! Be a wild ice storm and push the enemy back!] [The returned Titans Pride! Lets show them the strength of the Titans!] [Uoooooooh!] "Good. Then, everyone do as theyve been told! ...This is all I know for now, and Ill leave the rest to you." "Ah." Once he ordered the Giants to move out, Lee Shin Woo turned around and passed the core to Kratia. Though the core was indeed fully restored, there was still much they needed to know about it before they could use it to manufacture a golem. And Lee Shin Woo couldnt find out all there was to know by himself. "Can you really leave it with me?" "Im going to be busymanding them, so I dont have the time to do a thorough analysis. Plus, youre the only one who can protect it and analyze it at the same time." "...Leave it to me. Well make an amazing golem together." Kratia, who momentarily looked on vacantly at Lee Shin Woos words, soon snorted, nodded her head, and epted the core from Lee Shin Woo, along with his trust. She said that she could do it and he put her in charge of it, but her mission truly was important. She wouldnt be sitting in one ce, leisurely analyzing the core; instead, she would be moving together with Lee Shin Woo, simultaneously analyzing and protecting it so that it would eventually further strengthen the Giants. Moreover, if she had the time, she would have to use her magic as well. For anyone else, it would be impossible, but for her, who could use Catalyst Magic through the use of her orb, it became possible. "Do you think well be able to make a golem before we face off against Metafel?" "Thatd be the best oue, but remember, we came here ready to win without this thing." Lee Shin Woo had given Kratia the core for her to analyze just in case. If Metafel hadnt had that strange skill that allowed him to call troops to him, Lee Shin Woo wouldnt have had to prepare for the worst case scenario. But as they say even if its rotten, its still a herring. Because Metafel had shown what he could do, Lee Shin Woo had to do what he could, and even a bit of what he couldnt. "But its a relief that we were able to obtain the core early on. Since we also gained some great reinforcements in the process." "Thats... Yeah, youre right." Once Lee Shin Woo and Kratia got atop his back, Jin ran atop the hill and nodded, seeing the two Giants jumping down from the cliff and into the tail of the enemy forces. Those two Giants were none other than the two elite level 7 Sealed Titan Zombies that had once been heroes, Eta and Arogan. "Remember, hit and run!" [Of course. Hit...!] [Hit!] His High Rank Command skill allowed them to hear him, even from afar, and the two Giants enthusiastically nodded their heads at Lee Shin Woosmand. Although they were level 7 elite Giants, if Metafel personally came forward with his subordinates, they would have no chance against him. Therefore, hed ordered them to adopt hit and run tactics, and they seemed to obey his order without question, befitting Giants who were so loyal to the Titans Heart... is what he thought, but they soon betrayed his expectations. [Hitttttttt!] The two heroes both ced their hands into the ground and flipped the ground, crushing hundreds of soldiers underneath. Then, they picked up the unearthednd and threw it, killing the other section of the army. They had instantaneously annihted the squad. [As youvemanded, Sir Paul Zero, well withdraw now!] [Victory for the great Titan!] It wasnt even a matter of hitting and running anymore. With just one much too powerful hit, the Giants had destroyed the entire squad leaving no more enemies to kill, so they just had to go somewhere else! There had to have been a few level 5 knights mixed in, yet they had died without even putting up a fight, causing Lee Shin Woo to justugh. "Theyre quite dependable." Nice. If they kept doing that, then they would be able to lower the enemy forces numbers faster than hed anticipated. Even so, Lee Shin Woo ordered that they not be careless. He then gave out his orders to his other troops. "Break that side!" [I understand!] There were other Giants who fought at the forefront other than Eta and Arogan, but most of them would either break the dangerous mountainous terrain or shake the mountain paths to sew chaos amongst the enemy ranks. With their size, the Giants could easily break a single hill and crush the enemy forces under the rubble or iste the unit from the main force! [Hey... a rocksing your way...!] [A rock? Wait, its a boulder... A boulder!] [I-Its the Giants! The Giants have ambushed us and are throwing boulders at us!] [What the hell are you talking about... Kuhahk!?] [General!] Rem kept track of the enemys movements, and once Lee Shin Woo had gotten its report, he gave out orders to the appropriate Giants. They were disrupting the army at the right ce and the right time, so even Metafels ability wouldnt be able to assemble all of his troops together. [Kuhaa. Who are you so desperately looking for?] [Keok!?] [Its a monster!] And it wasnt the Giants that had arrived here first, but the Paul Corps, as Lee Shin Woo could ry his intent to them much more quickly. Especially Shino Rendu. Perhaps it was because of his Avenger karma, but all of Shino Rendus abilities increased exponentially when facing not only Metafel but his subordinates as well. [Kuaaaaaaaaaaah!] [Kahk!] [Kii...!] Shino Rendu swung hisrgely reinforced right arm (with the skill bestowed upon him by God), and created a miracle much like the two Giants. Whenever his giant, reddened arm created a shockwave, the Empires troops would be ripped apart and scatter. Because of him, the Empires troops faltered, and the Pauls he led merely had to strike at the soldiers and take them down. Actually, around half of them had already died and turned into loot. [Paul Zero has given the order. The greater our resolve, the faster the Titans resurrection will be!] [Uooooooooh! The Titans Pride!] [The Titans Pride!] "Did you say something like that?" "Yeah, I lied." "Youre so cool." The Giants from all across the mountain range cried out, and Lee Shin Woo continued to give out orders. They would throw boulders, break cliffs, break roads, and even break snowbanks that had umted for years and drop them onto the Imperial Army. It was shiver-inducing, as it was so much like mother natures fury. [Now is the time! While theyre floundering around, lets give them a spear to the face!] [For Paul Zero!] [Carrying out Mastersmand.] It wasnt just Shino Rendu attacking the confused Imperial Army, it was also Bisher Moon, Chi Paul, and even the Erems as wellunching a surprise attack, so Lee Shin Woo was actually able to see the number of enemy forces dwindle. It was like they were eating cheese, starting from the outside little by little. By repeatedly dividing and isting their troops, Lee Shin Woos troops were quickly able to cut down their numbers. Perhaps they were even cutting them down faster than the first day. Also, the Giants fighting ability had increased significantly and their attitudes had changed as well. [Ill kill you... for the Titans Pride!] [For Paul Zero!] [Dear Titan, please watch over me!] It was different from yesterday where they had to fight out of necessity. They trusted and had hope that the Titan would return, so they fought as though there were something waiting for them beyond death. There was no way they wouldnt have gotten stronger. [Metafel... Ill kill you myself!] [These abhorrent traces of the Empire... Lets bury them into the cold earth!] [Uooooooooooh!] Of course, the Paul Zero Corps had absorbed 13,000 bones in a single day, so they had be significantly stronger. Moreover, the level 7 elite bone that Chi Paul had absorbed had a greater effect on it than hed expected, so the Paul Zero Corps were determined to get stronger and were being more active in the fight than before. "Good. Theyve killed about 10,000 of them." Lee Shin Woo figured out how many theyd killed through Rem, nodded his head, and muttered. Jin was astonished and yelled. "Already!? It hasnt even been two hours since the battle began...!" "We have to take them down even quicker. After all, I dont know how long well be able to maintain our advantage." "But couldnt you just take your elites and fight Metafel directly? If you take down the leader, then theyll fall apart and run away. Isnt that your usual n?" "No way. We cant." Lee Shin Woo firmly replied to Jins question. Of course, if he had an ability that could one shot the leader and sew chaos amongst the enemy ranks all in one then he would do so, but... "For this guy, we need to take out all the guys around him first." "I agree. ...Since our opponents a Ghoul." Even though he was constantly giving his subordinates orders, Lee Shin Woo didnt take his eyes off of Metafel Rerdan, who was in the very center of his troops. He had judged Metafel as that much of a threat. Despite his soldiers dying all around him, Metafel didnt hurry and his eyes shined, surveying the battlefield around him. Then, as ordered, Setoin (he looked like his aide-de-camp) shot an arrow at someone who had been in the rear, killing them. "...Hes looking for me." "There are two hills between us, so do you think hell be able to find us?" "Hell never be able to find us. They dont know about Rem, so theyre still trying to find us. If only they knew... Too bad." But right as Lee Shin Woo finished, Setoin immediately shot an arrow into the sky. Metafel and Setoin, whod felt that it was odd that Lee Shin Woo was able to bothmand his troops and track their movements from afar, had soone to the right conclusion. Moreover, they had quickly figured out exactly where Rem was and even hit it! Setoin definitely had some kind of sniping skill. [Master, Ive sustained damage.] "Return. That guys a pain in the ass." [I understand.] He knew that hed eventually be exposed as the battle went on, but it was much too soon. Lee Shin Woo recalled Rem, whod been struck by Setoins arrow, healed it, and clicked his tongue. "The situations changed. Its be unclear as to whether we can deal with Metafel quicker or not." "What about firing a huge spell at them and then putting Rem back into the air?" "We cant use Rem anymore. However, firing a huge spell; that sounds like a good idea. ...It seems like Setoin is moving to take down the Giants. Break that cliff over there. With that, well be able to hold him back. ...I think we should start attacking theirmand now." "Ok." Kratia briefly passed the core to Lee Shin Woo and began casting her spell. But when Rem, who had been fully healed, was about to jump onto Lee Shin Woos shoulder, it stopped and focused on the core. [May I help with the analysis of the course as well?] "Ah, now that I think about it, golems are your specialty. Can I leave it to you?] [Of course.] To think that itd be the best of helpful, regardless of whether it was in the sky or on the ground. What a lovable golem. Lee Shin Woo thought about what he should reward Rem with once this battle ends, and continued to order his undead. But then... "Shin Woo!" Kratia sharply called for Lee Shin Woo. Lee Shin Woo raised his head, he witnessed Kratias spell causing a huge explosion and saw her use the cliff to attack Metafel and Setoin in particr. Using her Catalyst Magic, she transformed the crumbled icy hill into hundreds of thousands of ice spears, which was especially memorable. "Whats this? Its perfect." "Thats not the problem here! That guy! The moment I cast the spell, he figured out where we are!" "...Hes pretty good. Was Hansen the only half-wit amongst the 12 generals?" Was it because Kratias magic was sorge in scale? He was able to see Metafel from beyond the broken cliff. The problem was that Metafel had found them when Kratia had activated the spell... [Keuk, Kuhaaaaaaaa!] Right after hed ascertained their location, he screamed bizarrely. If Lee Shin Woo still had eardrums, then it felt like they wouldve burst. It was as though that scream was warning them that hed find them, and Lee Shin Woo decided to take him on, matching him with his Instigate. [Kuhaaaaaaaa... Kuwaaaaaaaaaaaaah!] Metafel, whod been screaming, suddenly opened his mouth wide. And ate the nearest knight. Chapter 33 part1 If there was one thing Lee Shin Woo hadnt taken into ount, it was Metafels, or the one once hailed as the Mercenary Kings pride. [Kik, so there wasnt someone behind me... No, they may still be there, but that guys the leader! K-kiiik! How funny! Kuheeeeehk!] Metafel mustve thought that he was just some unknown spy, but what would he think if he knew that Lee Shin Woo was actually the mastermind behind all of this? Not only had he lost the artifact that the Archmage had given him, but itd also been used against him to divide his troops. What if these Giants and the undead, who had gradually cut down his troops by half, were on the same side? [Kiiiiiiiik! The Mercenary King, Metafel is gone. Completely gone! Yeah, its been a long time since my rotten brain has been eaten away, so how could I be the same as before!?] The moment Metafel was able to see the man who had cleverly led him here, used his pride against him so that he wouldnt call for reinforcements, whomanded the undead, humans, Giants, even golems and other races as well, had trapped his forces inside the mountain range, and had cajoled them... [Kukeuk. Kuheuk... Kuaaaaaaaaaaaah!] He charged forward as if he were going to do that from the very beginning. When he thought about his proud 50,000 troops being taken down by that man, he knew he couldnt just sit around like an idiot and do nothing. [You dont need a corps anymore.] [You want me to take the Lightning Shadow Generals ce? Archmage, I am the Mercenary King. I am strongest when I lead.] [No, you still dont understand, do you? That was all in the past. Youre different now.] That was a part of the conversation that theyd had after the Lightning Shadow Generals death. At the time, Metafel hadnt understood what the Archmage was telling him, and so, the Archmage gave him a mission. That mission was to invade the Giants domain. [Kik...] Back then, he thought that by killing all of the Giants and eating all their rotten flesh and blood that hed be able to level up. However, that didnt actually happen. Numbers were meaningless due to the perilous terrain, and his opponents were stronger than hed anticipated. His squads would sh with a small handful of troops and would repeatedly be ripped apart over and over again. Now, Metafel understood what the Archmage was trying to tell him. [Weaklings... are unnecessary! Kuaaaaaah!] A single absolute being held no weaknesses. Metafel had a way to be the absolute strongest, and all he needed to do was make up his mind. It was too much of a waste to just use his ability to heal his wounds. The ability that came with his rebirth wasnt something as trivial as a healing ability. [G-General...!] [Delicious! As I thought, its delicious!] He would be stronger and grow through eating, and ultimately, evolve. Metafel shuddered. It felt like that once unbreakable wall was cracking bit by bit and light was shining through. The more he stretched out his hand, the wider he opened his mouth, the more intense that light became. [All of you...e to me! I will... eat all of you!] And thus began Metafels feast of his troops. "That crazy bastard is..." Seeing that, Lee Shin Woo shuddered for a different reason. Metafels soldiers were dwindling rather quickly. Through the efforts of the Giants and Pauls, around half of Metafels soldiers had been defeated, and Metafel began to eat the other half. [General, why...!?] [Geureu...! Theres no reason for you to live when you couldnt even take down one enemy. Be thankful that you can at least be a source of nutrients for me!] [Guaaaaahk!?] The crazed Metafel began to eat without considering the soldiers around him watching. Although Metafel looked exactly like a human at first, when he opened his mouth and his jaw stretched, his cheeks ripped open, revealing sharp beast-like teeth within. "That crazy Ghoul bastard!" "I-Im scared. Hes getting stronger." "Shin Woo, what are you going to do?" Lee Shin Woo briefly thought about the unforeseen situation ahead of him. Should we take him down immediately, or should he just proceed with his original strategy? But he really didnt even need to think about it. [Kuhaaaaaaaaaaah!] "Keuk!?" The moment Metafel roared, a red aura surrounded the soldiers that were once under hismand. Lee Shin Woo thought it was some sort of special buff skill that Metafel could only use by eating a few of his troops, so he felt really uneasy and recalled his forces, but... [Kuaaaaaaah!] [Kik, Kihiiiiiii!] "...What the hell?" It wasnt actually a buff; it was actually a skill that forced his subordinates to do something... to run towards theirmander, Metafel. [I-I dont want to!] [Sir Metafel, please dont!] [Its better if you give your lives to me than to those insects! Ill eat you all!] Lee Shin Woo suddenly realized as he watched Metafel open his mouth wide and continue eating. That was the cheat skill that allowed him to ignore the manas spatial inference and gather his troops with him at its center! A skill that allowed him to have an emergency food supply nearby at all times! "So why is he doing that now!?" [Master, you wont be able to win once hes really started eating! When hes done eating all of those elites, he might...!] "Yeah. Since hes almost grown as much he could as a level 7." Shino Rendu had sent him an urgent report, but Lee Shin Woo was already aware of the situation. Lee Shin Woo didnt know why that crazy bastard began to eat his own soldiers once he caught sight of him, but the number of soldiers wouldnt matter if he became level 8. Even so, even if they attacked, all of his injuries would be healed because he was continuously eating. And despite Kratias spell, Setoin had survived and almost as if expecting that this would happen, was standing by Metafels side to protect him! "Above all, its impossible to take him down, as the Empires troops are swarming him from all over. Then, instead... well stop him from eating! All forces, attack! Theyre nothing more than target practice right now!" Lee Shin Woos booming voice resounded throughout the mountain range. If they couldnt stop Metafel from eating, then they would remove his food supply. That was the only thing Lee Shin Woo could do at this point. Because of his skill, Metafels subordinates couldnt do anything but rush towards him. Therefore, he wouldnt have to worry about any casualties and his forces could just take them down with ease! [Guoooooooooooooh!] [Kyahaaaaaaah!] [For the Titans Pride!] All who heard his call discarded their covert operations and charged out from the canyons, above the hills, and between the boulders. Metafel continued to eat his own troops, and those troops were forced to focus on Metafel. The Paul Corps and the Giants charged at the enemy troops... and it was chaos. "How did ite to this?" "Dont ask me." It tasted bitter. Of course, he hadnt expected that it would go his way from start to finish, but who couldve known that Metafel would have that trick up his sleeve? Moreover, Metafel was situated in an unfavorable location. By breaking the entire cliff with her arcane magic, Kratia had managed to inflict a significant amount of damage onto the main force, but she had simultaneously turned thendscape into an open snowy in, which made it difficult for them to further attack him. "So its a total war, huh." "You cant call this a total war. ...If you really have to call it something, then call it a dining room..." "Its the most intense dining room Ive ever seen..." "Stop as many of them as you can! Were going too!" The crazed Metafel didnt discriminate between friend and foe and just continued to eat in order to reach level 8. On the other hand, the Paul Corps attacked the moring troops, who were stuck to the general, allowing them to rest in peace. A battle really shouldnt have changed this much in such a short period of time. However, if we exclude the fact that Metafel is continuously getting stronger, then the situations not bad. Lee Shin Woo drew swords with both hands, pointed Jin to the enemy forces, and Jin began to run. The reason Lee Shin Woo had so adamantly decided to use the Giants to break the cliffs and spread poison was because of the absolute numerical disadvantage. However, right now, Metafel himself was cutting down his own troops. Moreover, Metafels troops couldnt put up a proper fight because of his skill, so if he took advantage of this situation, then he should be able to kill Metafel fairly easily. Thats the key. "Whether Metafel reaches level 8 or not." Lee Shin Woo muttered while summoning a gigantified Melting Double Bone Axe in the air, exploding it, and spreading the Acid Poison amongst thousands of enemy troops. Hearing that, Jin slightly shook. "What do we do if he really bes level 8? Do we do what we did against Feotane Von Seldin...?" "No. He wont be that strong. Since that guy seemed really powerful, even for a level 8. ...But hell definitely be strong. Moreover, if we take into ount his innate ability as a ghoul, then taking him on with numbers is a really bad idea." To be honest, he didnt even want to imagine a foe like a level 8 Ghoul. If Metafel were to eat one of his troops while fighting, not only would his wounds heal, but he would be stronger as well, so no matter how many level 7 elites he had, Lee Shin Woo couldnt help but feel reluctant. "Plus, I thought he wouldnt eat the skeletons, but he actually is. I hope he breaks his teeth from chewing on the bones." "Shin Woo, get a hold of yourself. If you lose focus, then well all die... Tch!" Jin called for Lee Shin Woo, who was acting like a toddler before the general and suddenly leaped into the air. He had barely avoided the ck arrow that flew past his feet; it was shot by none other than Setoin Miletus. At some point, he had gotten in front of them, blocking their way. [It felt like itd take way too long to take down the Giants or the golems.] Contrary to the Empires troops, which continuously swarmed Metafel, Setoin was surprisingly able to retain his intellect. Of course, he was likewise d in a red aura, but his indomitable will to protect Metafel allowed him to resist its effects. He was truly a faithful subject... He was also a true pain in the ass for Lee Shin Woo. [Come. Youre not nning on running away again, are you?] "Of course not. If we can take you down, then itll definitely weaken him." Lee Shin Woo looked at Setoin, who confidently aimed his bow at him, and replied calmly, but he was actually quite frustrated. It was because of Kratia, who was sitting behind him. Immediately after she had used her arcane magic, Kratia had be dead weight. Moreover, his opponent used a bow. It would be quite difficult to take him on while protecting Kratia. "Because I have things to do, I wont be able to y with you for very long!" [Keuk!] If thats the case, then he had no choice but to kill his opponent as quickly as possible! Lee Shin Woo linked his mind with Jin and they suddenly charged forward at Setoin. Setoin, as though he had expected this, shot out dozens of arrows (it must have been a skill), but a shield suddenly appeared right in front of him that blocked the arrows and blew up, inflicting damage upon him. [Kuhahk!?] "Know your ce!" To be honest, Lee Shin Woo didnt like Setoin right from the beginning. Setoin always guarded Metafel by his side and carefully nned for him. Lee Shin Woo had stolen the magical device and despite him being just an aide-de-camp, Setoin had the gall to look down on Lee Shin Woo. "Thanks foring over here yourself!" [Keook!] There was a Breath of the Lightning God stuck in Setoins neck, who had rolled onto the floor and attempted to stand. Lee Shin Woo pushed the de all the way into the ground, preventing Setoin from moving. Jin forcefully kicked with his front legs and broke his bow to pieces. "Youre really fast..." Although Setoin was a level 7 like Lee Shin Woo, as well as an elite, their fight had concluded instantaneously. Kratia, who had taken a defensive posture, marveled at Lee Shin Woo, as he had overpowered Setoin in an instant, while she hadnt even been able to react. If hes this powerful, then he should be able to fight Metafel head on... "Jin!" "Keuk!" Jin pulled back again. A wave of red, dreary mana struck the ground where they once were. There was only one thing that would cause Lee Shin Woo and Jin to evade: Metafel himself. [Youre trying to steal Setoin away from me as well? We cant have that.] "Ha!" The moment Metafel touched the Breath of the Lightning God, Lee Shin Woo forcefully exploded it. Lee Shin Woo nned to either injure Metafel or finish Setoin off, but... Unfortunately, Metafel stretched out his arms and a hideous tongue grabbed onto the exploding Breath of the Lightning God and ate it. Immediately after, the Breath of the Lightning God exploded with a boom, blowing up his arms, but he regenerated the arms immediately with his overwhelming regenerative abilities. "...What?" [General!] [Setoin, good work.] [Yes, General...] Lee Shin Woo groaned at Metafels durability, as he was able to withstand an explosion of a Breath of the Lightning God unscathed. Metafel then grabbed the toppled Setoin and ate him. He swallowed him down and red mana exploded from his body. [I think... Im nearly there.] Metafel, whod finished eating Setoin, turned to Lee Shin Woo and grinned. His body was lined with cracks, but then, his body swelled as if it were exploding. [Wait right there. Ill eat you in just a little bit!] Lee Shin Woo couldnt even recognize Metafel anymore, and Metafel cried out as waves of mana were emitted from his body. He had a hunch. Metafel had begun to level up. Chapter 33 part2 Lee Shin Woo knew that the choices hed made had culminated into the situation at hand. He was also well aware that sometimes, instinct trumped sound logic. [Lv8 Eater Metafel Rerdan] [Currently being bestowed a new karma whilst evolving to level 8. The nature of that karma is eating, so he can easily eat anything that interferes with the evolution process. Approaching is dangerous.] [Your opponent cannot move for the next ten minutes.] His intuition was telling him that fighting Metafel right now would be really stupid. "All forces, listen up!" [Paul Zero!] [I await your orders, Master.] Aside from Metafel, whose flesh was expanding and was exposing his teeth in the middle of his evolution, everyone stopped from Lee Shin Woos booming voice. There were some who had sensed Metafels evolution, stopped cutting down the enemy forces, and backed off, while there were also those who hadnt noticed Metafels evolution and continued to charge. [Y-Your voice woke me up.] [What exactly was I doing...] [Is that really Sir Metafel?] [Shut your mouth this instant! The Mercenary King I serve is nothing like that!] Whats worse, Lee Shin Woos shout had affected Metafels troops as well. Though they had originally been under the effects of Metafels absolutemand skill, the circumstances of the current situation were quite unique, so they were released from the skills effects. If they saw Metafel now, then they wouldnt feel loyalty, they would feel sorrowful love, or perhaps nothing at all. "Were retreating to the Giants domain now. The battles over!" Lee Shin Woo dered to no one in particr. He didnt think hed ry his orders through such a terrible method, but even so, they needed to get out of here. [The battles over, you say...] "The only thing left is my battle with him. You guys, collect all the bones and retreat from the battlefield. Right away! Hurry up!" [U-Understood!] No one hesitated over his orders. The battle of armies fighting against one another was over. Now all that was left was Metafel, who had eaten about 20,000 soldiers, and the thousands of remaining enemy troops that watched on stunned. There was no way they could fight anymore. [Paul Zero, the Titan...!] "You guys retreat too. If he eats the Titans Heart, then I wont be able to save you!" [U-Understood!] "The loot! Dont miss a single piece of Perium! Dont leave a single thing for him!" The enemy troops had dropped a considerable amount of Perium and bones. If Metafel was able to eat even those, then there was a chance that he would be so strong that Lee Shin Woo wouldnt be able to handle him. Looking at Metafel now, it seemed like he would be perfectly capable of eating them. Would mana attacks work on him in that state? In order to test this theory, Lee Shin Woo liberally infused the Breath of the Lightning God with lightning and shot it at him, but Metafel just ate it up. Even though it exploded, Metafel absorbed the resulting energy, so he couldnt do anything while Metafel was evolving. He tried shooting fire, ice, and acid to check, but they were all the same. ...He wont be like that after his evolution. At least, I have to hope for that. This was what resulted from tranting the word eater into karma. It made sense that Metafels form had changed and he had be such a fearsome monster. Lee Shin Woo shook as he saw cracks form on Metafels fat body, and in between those cracks, rotten tongues and teeth burst out. He was much happier being a skeleton, thank you very much. "Shin Woo, theres something Ill do for you before I leave." "That guy can eat any and all magic right now, so what do you intend to do?" "Even so, I feel like I can slow down his evolution. I think I can slow it by a few hours!" Kratia was likewise desperate. Lee Shin Woo saw her assimte her orb and begin an incantation for a spell. Then, he looked at the enemy forces... to be exact, the remaining 6,700 troops of the Imperial Army. Lee Shin Woos ck goblin fire calmly looked them over... and the mes swayed as if he were feeling bitter. "Are you guys just going to sit there?" [Were still fighting. Dont listen to him!] [H-However, right now...] They were well aware that the only reason they had survived was because Metafel had begun his evolution before he could finish eating them all. When he was finished evolving, he woulde to finish the job. "Why are you hesitating?" [We are...] [What should we do...?] "At the very least, Im sure that if you stay there, Metafel will eat you all." [...] It seemed as though the two level 7 Corps Commanders couldnt run away and were already eaten by Metafel, but there were still some level 6 elites remaining. There were a significant number of level 5s and level 4s as well. However, they were all flustered, as they didnt know what to do in their current situation. Lee Shin Woo could understand how they felt. He even felt sorry for them. It was quite tragic to see their loyalty, which extended even after death, resulting in something like this. "Your only mistake was following the wrong person. The Empire sent you guys here so that you could be food for him. You were used. It wouldve been better if you had been used as chess pieces, but instead, you were used as food. How pitiful." [How can that be!?] [Dont you dare insult His Majesty!] [The Empire wouldnt abandon us...] Lee Shin Woo lied, but this time, he turned out to be right. The voices of those who refuted his ims were weak. Then again, it made sense; how could they stay strong when their general who lead them thus far began to eat them? "Ill give you a chance. Its yourst chance to choose your own destiny. ...Follow me." [...] Lee Shin Woos voice resounded, reaching the remains of the Imperial Army. He wondered whether it would work or not, but now that their connection with their general had been cut, he felt like he had a chance. "The situations quite urgent, so Ill get to the point. ...I wont betray you. Ill turn you into warriors. Ill help you so that you can one day take revenge against those who betrayed you." [The ones...] [Who betrayed us...] "My name is Paul Zero. The one who will bring the Empire to its knees. All those who have been betrayed by the Empire, follow me!" At that moment, a soldier in the center of the Imperial Army, who had quietly listened to Lee Shin Woos speech, began to glow. Lee Shin Woo felt a single strand of his darkness mana form a connection with it. It was the level 6 elite, Skeleton Knight Leader. No, now it was different. [Lv6 Dark Knight Leader (Elite)] Once Lee Shin Woo had made his offer and the Skeleton Knight Leader had epted, a master-servant rtionship was formed, and his darkness magic affected the skeleton, surprisingly creating an existence that had been slightly released from the Empires curse... turning it into an undead simr to the Pauls! [My head is... I feel like my head has gotten clearer. Alright, I will follow your orders. Rather than be food, Id rather take my revenge on the Empire who put me in this position.] He pushed his way through the nearby idiots and bowed his head before Lee Shin Woo. Jin didnt think Lee Shin Woo would profit off this disastrous situation where their enemy was leveling up and just looked at Lee Shin Woo, speechless. Lee Shin Woopletely ignored his gaze and replied to the knight. "Alright. Ill give you the name Paul 1,000." [Its an honor.] Lee Shin Woo probably hadnt expected that it woulde to his side, as the undead had been part of the Imperial Army just a little while ago. Lee Shin Woos power alone hadnt been enough to release the curse previously, as its roots had grown too deep. However, it was different now. He knew about his darkness magic now and used it quite actively, so he pulled out the roots of the curse from the undead that had responded positively to him. And in its ce, filled that vacant area with his darkness magic. Cut the unnatural connection. No, Ill cover it all and make it into pure darkness... With just that, Lee Shin Woo was able to preserve most of the Knight Leaders intellect, memories, and will that had been buried underneath the surface. This had all be possible because of Lee Shin Woos unlocked darkness magic. This had once again proved to him that his darkness magic was special. "Youre my subordinate now. Together, well take revenge on and purify this twisted Underground Empire." [Understood.] [Wait a sec... M-Me too!] [Me too!] Once it had begun, it couldnt be stopped. Everywhere, light surged, and the elites became even more powerful elites, while those who werent elites before became elites. Even themon soldiers became elites. Lee Shin Woo was astonished at how rapidly his darkness mana was being drained, so he absorbed the ambient mana to replenish his reserves and looked back at Kratia. He had only nned on taking a few of them with him, but if he wasted too much time, then he would have to fight against Metafel soon! "Kratia, can you really stop him?" "Sorry you had to wait for so long. Now!" Kratia, whod concentrated all of her magic in one ce, finished casting her spell and stretched out both her hands. At that moment, a considerable amount of cold air erupted from her hands and continuously expanded, enclosing Metafels body. Soon, it looked as though Metafel had been encased in a coffin. [Gu...Kuaaah...?] The moment Metafel, whose body and energy had swelled, became trapped in that ice coffin, he flinched for the very first time. His evolution had been slowed! "The more energy he absorbs, the slower his mana bes. Its something I came up with by studying the Bone Core." "Nice job. Youre the best!" So even if they both study the same Bone Core, one of them woulde up with a new spell! Lee Shin Woo was in awe, but Kratia just shook her head. It looked like she was going to cry. "Its still not perfect. Obviously, it wontst very long. And I even used such precious magic materials..." "You did enough. You bought us enough time to retreat with these guys and reorganize our ranks." Lee Shin Woo turned around confidently. Once hed named the Dark Knight Leader, or Paul 1,000, the number of troops that decided to follow him increased exponentially. A little less than half of the enemy troops had decided to follow him, numbering around 3,000. Since all of the troops who were level 5 and over had decided to follow him, he actually gained about 80% of theirbat force. [Please tell us what we have to do from now on!] "Alright. This is your first order." Lee Shin Woo looked at the remaining 3,700 soldiers of the Imperial Army he hadnt been able to convert due to his weakness and spoke firmly. "They are your enemies now, so kill them and collect the loot. Kill them quickly, so we have enough time to escape before Metafel awakens." "You devil! Demon!" [I understand!] To an outsider, Lee Shin Woos order may seem cruel. However, his resolute order made his converted soldiers feel that he was trustworthy. [Kuhahk!] [Sir Metafel...!] His converted troops turned towards the foolish, hesitating weaklings and cut them down. Their only path of retreat contained Metafel, who was wriggling around in his icy coffin, so they didnt have anywhere to go. "Good. If youve finished collecting the loot, then lets go!" [Understood!] Lee Shin Woo had suddenly gained a force 3,000 strong, and if you included the Dark Knights and Dark Soldiers as well, he now had a new force of 5,000. He then hurriedly led his forces back to the Giants domain. He had finished up the battle and run away perfectly, to the point that the other 12 generals shoulde to watch and learn. [Ku....aaaaaaaaah...!] Three hourster, the level 8 Eater, Metafel Rerdan broke free of Kratias icy coffin and began to move. His evolution had caused all rational thought to cease. He simply longed for more magic, and more delicious bodies now. Metafel had be a walking disaster. What was Lee Shin Woo doing, you ask? [Master, analysis of the core isplete.] "Good... Then, shall we begin manufacturing?" He was building a weapon of mass destruction. Chapter 33 part3 Their reason for manufacturing a golem was simple. When they thought about how they could take down Metafel, who had evolved into a level 8 Eater, they naturally came to the conclusion that they needed to create something so strong that Metafel wouldnt be able to beat it. But when it came down to it, their only option was to use the golem core. Although the core was defective, as it could only discharge energy for a few minutes, it didnt change the fact that it was a level 8 item. "Are you really done analyzing it? Can we really make a golem out of it?" [I have found out everything that I could. You should be able to create a golem, Master.] "...Alright, then lets bet it all on the golem." But before they began manufacturing the golem, Rem taught them why they hadnt been able to analyze the core fully. [This core cannot be ced in an artificial container. It will not activate. Itcks the ability to receive orders from an outside source and act upon them. The only function it does have is to increase a golems abilities.] "...Huh?" "Arent cores designed to allow someone to control them?" "Did I damage a key function when I turned it into bone? No, theres no way." At this point, the two were halfway panicking and began interrogating Rem. However, Rem corrected their very basic misunderstanding. [This core was created quite differently from the Empires... or more specifically, Arema Steelworkers golem manufacturing technique. If not for you bestowing me with a unique authority, which allows me to have a deep understanding of all golems, rather than just a specific type of golem, then I would not have been able to figure it out, Master.] "I gave you that ability, huh. I dont even remember giving you that ability..." "The only horse here is Jin, Kek!" [1] Kratia made such ame joke, despite there being no time to waste, causing Jin to kick her with his hind legs. Lee Shin Woo ignored their little spat and Rem continued with its analysis. [Of course, I wasnt able to find out everything myself, but I was able to figure out its functionality. This core stores an overwhelming amount of heat, and for a moment, explodes and circtes it in a unique pattern. This is the way the heat circtes.] Rem extended its sharp beak and drew as if carving onto the ground. That drawing included the protectiveyer that covered the core, or in other words, the golems main body. But once Lee Shin Woo saw the circting heat that flowed through its body, which originated from the golem core, he instinctively eximed. "This... its the same mana pattern that flows through the Giants!" [Thats correct. The cirction of this explosive heat greatly increases the size of the body. As a result, it will increase ones size to that of a Giants, while also increasing their strength significantly.] "...Hmm, I see." For years, the Giants had used a special pattern to circte their interior mana to increase the size of their bodies. However, that wasnt actually suitable for the living Giants; instead, it was the mana cirction pattern applied to a golems body. In other words, the golems body was akin to a drawn magic circle, with the heat released by the core as its fuel. Obviously, this magic circle was most effective when the core was spewing out heat, not when used with a Giants mana. This was also the reason that the core strengthened nearby Giants. "So thats how it works. It was originally designed for arge golem. This mana pattern would allow a golem to temporarily be a Titan and is the peak of magic engineering..." "If thats the case, then perhaps the Giants engraved the mana patterns into their bodies so that they wouldnt trouble the Titans when they repaired the golem." "No, they probably just wanted to be asrge as the Titans." Those Giants were anxiously awaiting the Titans resurrection, were repeatedly bowing their heads from a distance, and were furtively taking nces at them. Considering the fact that they didnt even react to Kratia, who was a living being, it was clear how much faith they had in the Titan. "Then what about the golems ego? How does the gigantified golem move?" [The cores remaining function should exin that.] Rem drew an oval-shaped object in the center of the golem, slightlyrger than the core and situated in a simr location. Whenpared to the size of the core, it seemed like the size that a human being could easily go in and out through. However, that was just the start. Rem ignored the core and the oval-shaped object for now and drew several lines that originated from the oval-shaped object, which traveled throughout the golem. It was as if Rem was drawing blood vessels. The core and this oval-shaped object seemed to be the heart of the golem. This was... "Huh? Hey wait, is this..." [Thats correct.] Anyone wouldve noticed by now, even if they werent Lee Shin Woo. Rem retained its calm tone and continued speaking. [The core gigantifies the golems body, and the golems body is used as a medium to synchronize the core with the user.] "..." [Synchronization doesnt simply mean that your movements are synchronized. The heat thats quickly circting through the golems body amplifies the users mana as well and spreads that mana throughout the golems body. In other words, while the core is active, the user essentially bes a gigantic golem.] "...Ha." He was quite familiar with this. Of course, the operating principle was different from start to finish, but Lee Shin Woo was quite familiar with the end result. To think hed be able to be a giant hero! Bing incredibly strong for a limited duration... that was exactly like Ultraman! "This is the first time Ive thought that it was great that I came to this world." "Shin Woo, you look really excited." "No, Im not. Im really serious. It looks like theres no way to fight that level 8 monster ande out of this unscathed other than to make this golem. So lets make it right away." "But you cant make this with just anything, right?" "Well, that goes without saying." The cores explosive heat and the mana cirction technique together allow the golems main body to gigantify instantaneously. However, if the materials themselves cant withstand that immense heat and magic, then they wouldnt be able to make the golem in the first ce. "Do you know what this golem was made of in the past?" [Im not too sure. However, if we look at the condition of the outer body once it has finished releasing its heat, then we can figure out what materials we need for its construction.] Rem drew another drawing. It looked just like the core, but the outer body covering it was... Mm... was incredibly small. This would be exaggerating a bit, but it was like it was being wrapped in cellophane. [The golems main body must consist of materials that have beenpressed to the very limit. That way, the moment the heat is released, the users entire body will be covered while synchronizing with the golem, and immediately after, the golem will expand. It was probably designed to fit a human.] "Compressed to its very limit..." [However, theres an even more stringent condition: the endlessly released heat. The core, which haspletely expelled all its heat, must absorb a huge quantity of heat over an extremely long period of time. Obviously, the main body also absorbs some of the cores heat. Normal materials would break at this stage from the cores heat.] "Of course, since its releasing an extreme heat, the golems body has to endure that heat as well." Rem nodded its tiny bird head. [Thats correct. Therefore, if I were to guess which material would best work, then..." "The sunlight stone." [Indeed. However, I believe it would be impossible with just a normal sunlight stone or a Sr Fossil. They are not durable enough nor do they have the required level of heat. Plus, they will not survive the processing required to use as materials for the main body.] He wondered, did they have a way topress the sunlight stone to the very limit and process it for use on the main body in the past? Perhaps they possessed a material that was even greater than the sunlight stone; it may have been bestowed upon them by God herself. However, Lee Shin Woos party didnt have anything of the sort. He had no choice but to go with what he had. Plus, they needed to do it as quickly as possible, before the Eater broke free of his spatial prison. "Rem, can you and Kratia map out the main body? If we want to go from this candy paper like golem to a truly imposing golem, then well need a thorough mana n." [Of course.] "Ill try my best." "Good, then Ill..." Lee Shin Woo took out all of his Sr Fossils from his inventory. He hectically fed the Sr Fossils to the core and despite it being fully functional now, he still had one hundred Sr Fossils left. And more importantly, he still had the Sr Fossil that came from the giant sunlight stone that illuminated the Kadinan facility. "Good, then shall we?" Lee Shin Woo decided to bet it all on the giant Sr Fossil. It not only radiated the most heat, but it was also the most durable. If he used all the Sr Fossils to reinforce this one, then it might be good enough to use as the golems main body. Lee Shin Woo steeled himself and began reinforcing the Sr Fossil. [Consuming a Sr Fossil to reinforce the Giant Sr Fossil! The Giant Sr Fossil is reinforced.] [Giant Sr Fossil (0.2%)] "...Mm." Was it just him, or did seeing 0.2% feel really bad? If using one Sr Fossil reinforced it by 0.2%, then it was obvious what using 100 of them would yield. Of course, nothing might even happen if he reached that 100%, but once the percentage showed up, he felt an obsessive feeling of wanting to reach 100%. [It feels like it has gotten hotter than before, Master. Moreover, it has be tougher as well. It truly is an ore... a fossil designed to manufacture this golem.] "...Yeah, I should just use them all, shouldnt I?" Lee Shin Woo was invigorated by Rems cheer and continued reinforcing the Giant Sr Fossil. Should he say it was a relief? Around the middle, there were some Sr Fossils that increased the percentage by 0.3%. Even so, it wouldnt make much of a difference, so... after he used up all of his Sr Fossils, the Giant Sr Fossils reinforcement was only 23.6%plete. "...Do you think this will work?" [I dont think that will work. The heat and the durability arent sufficient...] As expected, Rem didnt know how to beat around the bush. At that moment, Lee Shin Woo hated Rem for its bluntness, but he couldnt take his anger out on someone who was innocent, so Lee Shin Woo sifted through his inventory, looking for a way to reinforce his Giant Sr Fossil. However, he came up empty. He couldnt reinforce the Giant Sr Fossil anymore. But did that mean he should give up here? Like hell. [I-If its for the Titan, then I can even give up this rotten body of mine!] [Paul Zero, please use my body to give the Titan a new one!] "No, its ok. I appreciate it though." No matter how simr their mana patterns were, they wouldnt be of any help to the Titan. The rtionship between the Giants and the Titans was extremely one-sided! As he thought, he only had one choice left. "Damn it. Now that itse to this, I have to leave..." "Shin Woo?" "Kratia, keep working. But... Chi Paul, Shino Rendu, Bisher Moon... and Eta and Arogan." Lee Shin Woo had called for all of his level 7 elites, as well as Shino Rendu. Unfortunately, the rest of his troops wouldnt be helpful against Metafel, so he left the rest of his troops at the deepest part of the Giants domain. They would just help Metafel if they were found. "You guys... if Metafel gets in while Im gone, stop him. Just buying some time is plenty, so dont risk your lives." [...Understood.] [Thats what Ive been waiting for.] [I trust you, Sir Paul Zero.] [I will.] All of their replies were reassuring, but when he recollected the sight of Metafel as he ran away, he couldnt help but feel worried. Lee Shin Woo gritted his teeth and looked at each and every one of them. [...Sir Paul Zero.] Especially at Shino Rendu, who was the only one who hadnt reached level 7. He used most of the bones that theyd gotten from the battle on him, but he still hadnt reached level 7. "...Shino, you cant die. You wont be satisfied with exacting revenge on just Metafel, right?" [Of course not.] Shino replied reassuringly and then added. [Ive abandoned my goal of killing Metafel by myself. Instead, when youve defeated him, Id like to hit him at least once by your side. For that, I cannot die.] "Good. Thats it. You cant die." He couldnt lose his precious investment, now could he? With that in mind, Lee Shin Woo replied, and Shino Rendu responded with an absolutely refreshing smile. Lee Shin Woo smiled back, turned around, and activated the heroes authority. That was, of course, entering the secret shop. [1] T/N: This joke doesnt make sense in English. The word to say can also mean horse, so his sentence could be interpreted as I gave you that horse. The second line doesnt make sense if you make this substitution, but Koreans will understand it. Trust me, its a terrible joke. Chapter 33 part4 "Oh my, Mr. Shin Woo! Guten tag!" Once Lee Shin Woo entered the secret shop, Pleine, who had been sitting at the counter with a wearisome expression, lit up and waved at him. It seemed like she was quite happy to see him. "Its been such a long time since youst came. We may not have any bones left to sell, but you shoulde by at times to further our partnership..." "Id like to improve this item. I need any materials that increase heat, durability orpression. Even better if you have a bone which belonged to an individual who could control heat." Lee Shin Woo dispensed with the pleasantries and went straight to the point. Pleine picked up on this and soon adopted a serious expression, and surveyed the giant fossil that Lee Shin Woo had ced on the ground... the Giant Sr Fossil. "Its a sunlight stone (or used to be). When it changed, it began to radiate heat rather than light... though I have no idea what you n on using this for." When she took into ount Lee Shin Woos Bone Reinforcement skill, then there were a couple of items that she had in mind. Pleine turned around, entered into a storehouse-like ce that wasnt visible to Lee Shin Woo, and began to dig through her inventory while Lee Shin Woo waited nervously. "I found it. I guess I didnt sell it!" "What is it!?" It was worthing here! It seemed like Pleine understood how urgent Lee Shin Woo felt, as rushed back and ced a deep, a very deep crimson-colored gem atop his bony hand. "Its called the Lunatic Scarlet and is a top rank ruby capable of containing a high amount of heat. Any fire magician would want it... Anyway, that doesnt matter. It costs 41 million Perium!" "Here!" "Thank you!" It cost about as much as a level 7 elite bone, but Lee Shin Woo bought it without hesitation. He felt it as he gripped the ruby. Although it was quite small, in terms of its ability, it was in no way inferior to the Sr Fossil! [The Lunatic Scarlet is affected by the Bone Reinforcement skill and is transformed. You have acquired the Bone of Lunatic Scarlet!] It waspatible with Bone Reinforcement as well! Although the transformation caused the item to assume an uglier form, the heat within, as well as its durability had increased, and Lee Shin Woo was sure that this would work. "Bone Reinforcement!" [Consuming the Bone of Lunatic Scarlet to reinforce the Giant Sr Fossil! A resounding sess! The Giant Sr Fossil has be the Scarlet Sr Fossil!] [Scarlet Sr Fossil (48.7%)] He expected as much, but it was indeed a resounding sess. In the process of absorbing the Bone of Lunatic Scarlet, the Giant Sr Fossil had bepressed, and its durability, as well as its heat, had increased. Ultimately, it radiated a red light and emitted an overwhelming amount of heat, bing a fossil about the size of a human being. However... "Ugh." This wasnt enough. Even now, Kratia and Rem were desperately analyzing the core and were creating a blueprint for the golems body. However, the Scarlet Sr Fossil was far from enough for the golem. ...Even so, he was going in the right direction. "Pleine, please. Give me some more Lunatic Scarlets... Give me as many as you can. I need at least three of them!" "I beg your pardon? If the Lunatic Scarlet wasnt enough, then what... theres nothing left in the storehouse. Thats quite the rare gem!" "Then, please give me something simr!" Pleine was flustered and opened her mouth wide from Lee Shin Woos request, but soon, she looked like she wasnt going to give up. She was in charge of the secret shop, a ce that would sell anything a hero needed, so it would be humiliating if she couldnt provide what he needed. "...Then, Ill have to use some other methods to get what you need. Ill be going on a business trip." "What did you say?" "A business trip to the surface. I dont have what you need, so I need to go get it for you. Its been a long time since Ive left the store. I dont know what youre trying to do, but... please provide me travel funds. It costs three secret shop permits." Travel funds were equivalent to three secret shop permits? He quickly gave her the permits but thought that something was off. Wait a sec, if secret shop permits were used as travel funds to go to the surface, then... "Ill be back soon, so please wait here. Please remember that I wouldnt normally do this for anyone!" Once Pleine grabbed onto the three permits (normally, permits were invisible to the naked eye, but Pleine had a way of giving them a physical form),yered them together, and bit on them. At that moment, the red haired beauty abruptly disappeared from the shop. "What the..." [Jin Taylor: Hey, the barriers shaking! I think Metafels finally found where we are!] "Ah, damn." Hed expected as much, but to think Metafel would get there so quickly! This was probably a result of his heightened ability to dominate the surrounding mana from bing a level 8 Eater. Or it could be the Eater karmas ability, allowing him to sense the presences of nearby prey. Or maybe it was a bit of both. [Jin Taylor: Of course, it seems like hes still a far ways off from getting to the deepest part, but that guys really no joke... Uh, I think Kratia will onlyst for a couple of hours!] "Stay strong for a bit longer. Pleine left to get me some items." [Jin Taylor: To get you some items? In any case, youre saying that you cante back right away, right? ...Shin Woo, you have to make a decision now. We can still run away with our level 6 or higher troops. Well be able to get away if we sacrifice the lower level ones.] "What...?" Lee Shin Woo hadnt expected Jin toe out and say that and was briefly caught off guard. Jin soon sighed and continued. [Jin Taylor: Most of the other guys are pretty weak, so they wont be useless. But if Metafel manages to eat all of the elites, hell be so strong that itll be difficult to face himter. I dont want to leave these guys behind, but...] "Im so shocked that youde to such a logical conclusion." [Jin Taylor: I have my own ideas too! ...You act like you dont, but you do take a lot of risks. Until now, youve gotten by with your abilities, but... Well, even though you got some help from me or some other people, ultimately, you overcame all adversity, but its too much for you this time. Thats worrying for me.] He was right. They hadnt even seen the original form the of Titans Heart, or the Titan Bone Core as of yet (which was their only chance of sess), the core itself had just barely been restored, and whats worse, they were in the middle of researching how to recreate the main body while their time was limited. Whats worse, getting those materials relied solely on luck. It would be foolish to think that they could win in any safe manner... However, Lee Shin Woo replied firmly. "But Jin, if we just leave him here and run, itll be even worseter on." If he hadnt seen Metafel evolve into a level 8, then he mightve chosen to run. However, now that hed born witness to his evolution, Lee Shin Woo couldnt run away. "It doesnt matter if its us or not, Metafel can go anywhere to eat. The longer we just leave him be, the stronger hell be. We have to take care of him here, if for no other reason than ensure that he doesnt be a bigger threat in the future." [Jin Taylor: Thats... it doesnt have to be us that takes care of him though...] "Maybe, but thats only if I could actually trust the other seniors. In any case, Ive decided that we have to finish him here, so dont worry so much. If need be, I can just use the core myself." [Jin Taylor: If you do, then you really will die!] "Yeah, but if I can kill him by dying once, its worth it. So, dont worry and just wait for me. We can beat him. But were trying our very best to find a way that minimizes the damage to us." [Jin Taylor: ...] Jin was speechless for a time but soon epted his decision. [Jin Taylor: When you die, I die, alright?] "You got it." Once their conversation was finished, Kratia messaged him. [Kratia Melloi: I think its possible. Rems amazing.] "What about processing the materials?" [Kratia Melloi: Well need your help, but yeah, we can do it, Shin Woo. But to use the golem, you need at least High Rank Fire Resistance and at least the High Rank Darkness element. It would be even better if you have the Fire element as well.] "At least high rank. I got it. Ill try to get it that high." Hed asked her to bring everything she had, so Lee Shin Woo could probably absorb one of them. Lee Shin Woo replied and simultaneously brought out his staff, beginning to train his Fire Resistance. Lee Shin Woo used the Bone Winged Serpent staff, which amplified the strength of the opposite element to change ice into fire and use it on himself. It was quite a crude method of training, but still, it was an effective way of training his Fire Resistance! [Kratia Melloi: Also, Metafel just entered the Giants domain. Fortunately, the core is amplifying the effects of theplex spatial barriers around the deeper areas. Itll be 1 hour and 54 minutes before he gets here.] "If I bring you all the materials, how long would it take you to make the golem?" [Kratia Melloi: Im not sure, Shin Woo. Come back soon.] "...Ille back as soon as possible." Once they were finished, Lee Shin Woo spent his time hellishly training his Fire Resistance. Once in a while, Jin or Kratia would report on the current situation, which made him feel more and more uneasy. They would tell him that Metafel had pierced through some of the barrier, or that their blueprints were almost done! [Jin Taylor: I can kind of see him now, Shin Woo. Are you almost ready?] "..." It had been three minutes since Jinsst report, but then, the space seemed to shake and Pleine reappeared. "Im back... Kyaa! Why are you using fire in the shop!?" "Im training my Fire Resistance. More importantly, were you able to get them?" "I was only able to get you one Lunatic Scarlet. Im sorry." "Ugh...!" Shit, he was screwed! Now their only option was to prepare for death and charge! But since shed at least brought him one, he could absorb it to increase his Fire Resistance, and use the core himself without the golem. Lee Shin Woo gritted his teeth and extended his hand to ask for the Lunatic Scarlet. However, a small smile appeared on Pleines exhausted face. "However, I brought you something even better. You sure are lucky, Mr. Shin Woo! Moreover, no one will buy it, its dirt cheappared to its original selling price." [Lv8 Shard of the Sun Temples Central Pir] She had brought out a stone pir...rge enough to reach the ceiling of the shop. This was only a piece!? Moreover, the heat within was so much stronger than the Sr Fossil or the Lunatic Scarlet that it made him shudder. Lee Shin Woo gaped and Pleine winked at him boastfully. "Theres a ridiculous amount of heat contained within, but there arent actually a lot of applications for it. In the end, it can only really be used to make a weapon by cutting it down. However, its different for you, isnt it, Mr. Shin Woo?" "Of course." "Altogether, it costs 350 million Perium. Ive cut the price down as much as I could, but if you dont have the money right now, then I can lend you... You have the money!? How did you get that much money!?" "Thank you so much, Pleine!" Lee Shin Woo quickly paid for his purchase and acquired the Shard of the Sun Temples Central Pir. The moment it touched Lee Shin Woos hand, the shard shook and amplified his heat greatly! The shard fell onto Lee Shin Woo, but when he touched it, the pir emitted heat and disappeared. Surprisingly, just that was enough to increase his Fire Resistance slightly. [You have acquired the Lv8 Sun Fossil.] "Nice, the names gotten simpler. Bone Reinforcement!" He felt like he should use the Scarlet Sr Fossil to reinforce the Sun Fossil, but when he took into ount theirpatibility with the golem, he concluded that the Sr Fossil was better to use for the golems body. Lee Shin Woo didnt hesitate and reinforced the Scarlet Sr Fossil by using the Sun Fossil. As a result... [The Scarlet Sr Fossil is being reinforced to the very limit. In addition, it can now produce divine energy as well.] [You have acquired the Lv8 Hands That Cover the Sun.] [The Bone Reinforcement skill has be Lv11! Through Bone Reinforcement, you can use power once forgotten.] "Wow..." The two miraculous objects had fused together in Lee Shin Woos hands, and ultimately, an unfathomable item had been born. Upon seeing that, Pleine was shocked. Did God lead Lee Shin Woo into making an item like this? Mm, it didnt seem that way! "Then, Ill eat this one." [Absorbing the Bone of Lunatic Scarlet through Bone Reinforcement. Magic has increased by 23. The Intermediate Fire Resistance and Fire Element have be Lv10, and have evolved to the high rank level! Magic has increased by 75!] Lee Shin Woo smiled at the overwhelming heat he felt well up in his body and turned around. "Thank you so much, Pleine!" "Ah, please tell me what you used that on next time!" Lee Shin Woo waved his hand at her and left the secret shop. Pleine, whod been left alone in the shop, looked vacantly as she thought back to the appearance of the Hands That Cover the Sun. She soon shook her head and sat down in her spot. Then, she sighed and muttered. "Its been a long time since Ive pulled so many strings. Its a good thing I checked up on those ruins... I really hope no one will find out. Seriously, I really hope no one finds out..." At that time, the surface was in chaos, but it seemed as though her prayer had been answered, as no one had seen the red haired beauty. Chapter 33 part5 By the time Lee Shin Woo had returned from his trip to the secret shop, the Giants domain was in chaos. It was because of the giant monster they could see from afar... Metafel. Not only had he entered their territory, but he was also going straight for the innermost part of it. He was also quite close. "Shit, hes almost here!" "Paul Zero, please hurry!" Lee Shin Woo urgently rushed over to Kratia and Rem. They had already nned out whatponents they needed, knew what processes they needed to take for each area, and had even prepared the chemical reagents. Now, all they needed were the actual materials! "Hows this?" "Huh...?" Lee Shin Woo ced the Hands That Cover the Sun, which had be about half the size of Lee Shin Woos body, in front of them. At that moment, the temperature went up by several degrees. They werent misunderstanding anything; their eyes were really melting away. [Oh my... Master.] "What exactly do you have to do to get it like this..." The Hands That Cover the Sun. Lee Shin Woo had fused several karmas together and had sublimated it into a unique, unknown shape. It currently looked like a normal rock, and could even pass off as a bone. At the same time, it looked metallic, as it shined, yet it endlessly spewed out intense heat from within, which caused Kratia to back off from it. "Its a lot higher quality than we expected." "So it wont work?" [No, its even better! Its perfect! Ill adjust the ns right away!] Rem and Kratia faced each other and began adjusting their ns. Lee Shin Woo looked over the remaining blueprints, and once hed gotten some idea of what they were doing, he helped out with the adjustments. The quality of the material was so much different than normal, so it wouldnt be strange for the adjustments to take at least an hour, but they finished the adjustments in just three minutes. [Kihat, I can smell iting from over here! Its over here!] [Anymore is... We cant let him get through thest barrier. Im not strong enough, but Ill take him on first!] [Ill help too.] "Im counting on you!" Metafel had gotten close enough that everyone could feel his energy on their skin. There was only oneyer left of the mana-made spatial barrier. If Metafel got any closer, it might impede their golem manufacturing, so Chi Paul and Bisher Moon simultaneously went to the frontlines. [Hey pig, over here!] [Im a high level, something that you love so much. Why dont you try taking my body, which my master bestowed upon me!] [Kuhat! Sure!] They were both level 7 elites and simultaneously, they were the most nimble as well. Metafel wouldnt be able to catch them easily. Although his health and magic had increased exponentially, his other stats hadnt caught up. "You cant die, alright!?" [Understood!] Lee Shin Woos two subordinates shot out like arrows and passed through the barrier. Upon discovery, Metafel turned his head, and the two unleashed their attacks on him simultaneously. [Die!] [Kihehk... Hihik! Im so happy!] They had likely been preparing those strikes all this time, but they only managed to cut the outeryer of skin, looking as though they hadnt actually inflicted much damage. Even though they were attacks from level 7 elites! Whats worse, hes able to change a portion of their attacks into mana and absorb it... But that much is... While he was evolving, Metafel greedily consumed all energy that came at him and considered everything as his, but now that hed actually finished evolving, it seemed like he couldnt do that anymore. Learning that was big. They could win! "Theyre not enough. Eta, Arogan! Help them!" [Weve been waiting for you to say that!] [I trust that youll revive the Titan with those very hands!] "Dont get too close to him. Protect them!" Lee Shin Woo sent the Giants to help and looked over the sole remaining Shino Rendu, who was gazing at Metafel. Despite his killer being right before him, he seemed quite rxed. "You stay here for now. Youll get your moment to hold him back." [As youmand, Paul Zero.] "...You look a lot calmer than I expected you to be." [Thats probably because the Metafel over there isnt the one that killed me.] Shino Rendu just absent-mindedly concentrated his mana into his right arm and said calmly. [Thats not Metafel anymore. Its just an Eater following its instincts. Of course, I still want to get my revenge on him, but rather than obsessing over my revenge, Ill just take him down. Once I do that, I should be able to focus on something else. ...So, Im just patiently waiting for my turn.] Shino Rendu... this guy really didnt get smarter once hed be an undead. Lee Shin Woo event felt dizzy somewhere and could do nothing but nod his head at his words. "Shin... Paul Zero, we can start now!" [Master, please go ahead!] "...Alright, lets begin." They had Kratia, who was knowledgeable in magic theory, Lee Shin Woo, who was innately talented in handling magic, and Rem, who had gained knowledge regarding golems, through abination of chance and achievements. The three boldly broke the Hands That Cover the Sun into pieces and began making parts for the golem. "The one who should be locking in the heat so it doesnt escape is... Wait, its locking in the heat by itself! What material is this!?" "If you have time to be surprised, then use that time to manufacture the golem! The sections already getting hard!" [Master, at this rate, manufacturing the golem will take too long.] "Tch, then how about this...?" Lee Shin Woo felt the necessity in infusing his darkness mana from the start, while they were still building theponents. To be exact, he would connect with the Bone Core, and then connect and assimte the Hands that Cover the Sun, which would be used for the golem. By doing so, he would attempt to convince the Hands That Cover the Sun that it was not perfect and would need to be processed, as it was still in an iplete state. He knew it sounded strange to try to convince or awaken an inanimate object, but he was serious. "Its a bone, so I should be able to do it." "Oh... It really has gotten a little easier to process." [Restoration has been stopped. I will begin immediately!] Lee Shin Woo would set the shapes of eachponent and divide the materials ordingly while Kratia and Rem would engrave magic circles into saidponents and process them. Because of Lee Shin Woos darkness magic, their work progressed better than expected. However... "This is way too hot!" [Once we are done manufacturing the golem, please repair me, Master.] "Sure... Ill fix you no matter what, so hold on for now." Because the materials emitted so much heat, there was no getting around Kratia and Rem getting injured, even during the processing phase. Of course, Lee Shin Woo alone was fine, as he possessed High Rank Fire Resistance. Therefore, he moved twice as fast as the other two. [Kuhaaaaaah! So you were here! Ill eat you all!] [Tch, this monster!] [I feel bad for the title of 12 generals. Youre just a monster!] Whereas the battle on the frontlines had intensified. Actually, it was much too one-sided to be called a battle. Metafel was attempting to eat them while his troops desperately dodged the teeth and tongues that sprouted all over Metafels body! [The Titans Pride!] [Were almost there... Were almost there, so we cant let you interfere!] [You guys smell delicious as well!] Metafel rampaged about, as though he would gobble up the Giants, Chi Paul, and Bester Moon right this instant, and Lee Shin Woos troops harassed him andunched attacks which Metafel couldnt ignore. But while they were doing that, Metafels arms suddenly swelled and dozens of tongues came out, wrapping around the Giant Arogans hand. [Shall we get a taste!?] [Youve stopped being human, you trash!] Arogan was shocked and pulled with all his might, but Metafels astonishing strength prevented him from pulling away; instead, he was pulled closer to Metafel himself! In an instant, dozens of tongues wrapped around not only his arm but his shoulder as well. [Eeek...!] [How dare you do that to myrade!] Before Arogan was eaten, Eta threw a boulder at Metafel. Did they transfer their mana into the rock? There was an incredible amount of force behind the boulder, and it rushed over and severed the tongues capturing Arogan. But by then, one of Arogans arms had already been absorbed by Metafel. [Ku...haaahk...!] That wasnt all. It seemed as though Metafels attack possessed some sort of paralysis ability, as Arogans body shook and he remained in ce, letting out agonized cries. [Kihiiiii! What great strength. Giants are great! Its the most delicious thing Ive eaten thus far!] Metafel, whod absorbed Arogans arm, got a bit taller, and then, lunged for Arogan as if intending to finish his te. Metafels stomach split in half and countless tongues came out! [Did I leave some? We cant let the food go to waste!] [Keuk...!] [Arogan!] Although Metafels body had be fat, he could charge incredibly fast, and if Eta hadnt kicked Arogan away, then he wouldve been in Metafels stomach right now without being able to resist. [Eat this!] Then, Eta struck the ground, creating a wall of dirt. By adding her force and her mana into it, she could change the ground; that was Etas ability as a hero. Because of that, Metafel ended up eating dirt rather than Arogan. [Kek, dont get in the way! Ill eat you all... and be a perfect warrior!] [You disgusting bastard... how dare you call yourself a warrior!] Although she had died once before, she hadnt forgotten her pride as a warrior, nor the Titans Pride. Thus, to her (Eta is indeed a woman), Metafel was the very definition of trash, as he, Metafel, had lost all reason and had assumed such a disgusting form. But while deliberating how she could follow up from her dirt wall and inflict more damage onto him, she suddenly felt a new power surging through her entire body. [Mm, could this be...?] [Kyaha!] But one problem with that was that Metafel had likewise sensed that energy. Metafel had forgotten all about eating Arogan and Eta and raised his head; he abandoned all those he had been fighting thus far and began to run towards the source of the energy. [Yeah, thats probably the tastiest! I should eat that first!] [No!] [Stop him!] Aside from Arogan, who still hadnt recovered from his paralysis, all the other troops panicked and followed behind Metafel. However, Metafel ran with such speed that it seemed as though hed activated a new skill, as he soon lost them and began running towards his destination. Ultimately, he broke through the final barrier in one go. An Eater possessed a skill that weakened spatial or magical restraints once they had picked their target! [There you are!] "Damn it. I cant move right now...!" Lee Shin Woo, Kratia, and Rem were working hard on manufacturing the golem, but once Lee Shin Woo saw Metafel break through thest spatial barrier and could see him with the naked eye, he furrowed his brow. The three were applying the mana extremely delicately and were finishing up by engraving a magic circle onto the core itself. Once they were finished with this, they would be able to synchronize the main body and the core, which would finally allow Lee Shin Woo to operate the golem. "So why now!? He came at the worst time!" This was such a cliche situation; they were almost finished with their task, but the enemyes rushing in to interfere! Lee Shin Woo grit his teeth, as he couldnt look away from the core, but there was someone already blocking Metafels way. [Ill buy you some time.] Shino Rendu said calmly and stepped forward. Lee Shin Woo actually felt uneasy from how calm Shino was, but he didnt have the time to say that. After all, Metafel was already quite close. Shinos right arm was wrapped in a red light and swelled. He took a step forward, face absent of any fear. While sensing an overpowering mass rushing towards him. [Give it to me!] [Heup!] Right after Metafels greed-filled scream resounded through the grounds... Kwang! Which was apanied by the sound of an explosion. Was that the sound of Kratias barrier exploding? [Guooooooooooh!] That wasnt it. Shino Rendu had desperately mustered his strength and forcefully uppercut Metafels groin with his red fist... or what used to be his groin. The sound had been a result of Shino Rendus fist making contact with Metafels groin. The lower body armor, which had protected him, broke apart, and rotten flesh, tongues, and rotten flesh spewed everywhere, so something had definitely burst. Something that was quite precious to a man! [Kuhaaaaaaaahk!] Was that really the power of a level 6? The power behind Shino Rendus fist had temporarily ovee its limits and the level 8 Eater hadnt been able to endure his blow, as Metafel flew through the air. He only flew into the air for a short while, but to those witnessing the event, it seemed like itsted an eternity. [Ive only taken a single step, but I feel like Ive caught up to you a little bit, Paul Zero.] Shino Rendu said proudly. His own right arm hadnt been able to endure the shock, as his muscles and even bones had been ripped apart. However, he soon activated his other cheat skill, Super Regeneration, and healed his injuries. Normally, when one gets a hit in like this, they would turn the tables on their enemy, but that wasnt the case here. [How dare youy your hands on the body of one of the 12 generals!] [Haht!] Metafels rage had peaked and he attempted to wrap Shino Rendu with hundreds of tongues, but before they could reach him, Chi Paul shot out dozens of bone des, severing them. Immediately after, Bisher Moon arrived, grabbed onto Shino, and retreated. [Can you keep fighting?] [I can, as long as my wound heals. My manas overflowing now after I absorbed the surrounding heat.] [As expected...! There was a reason you were waiting here!] It wasnt just them. Eta, who had arrived a bitte, drew a giant spear from the earth and looked at Metafel. The one-armed Arogan concentrated his energy into his remaining arm, letting out quite a bit of energy. [Eek, Eeeeeeeek...!] Metafel was severely wounded, so it would take him a lot of time to get through them. [We might not even need the golem, Paul Zero. Your subordinates are just that strong.] There were four level 7 elites facing Metafel, as well as Shino Rendu, who was bing stronger at an exponential rate. [But its the general responsibility to take down the enemy general, so well leave it to you. After the golem is finished, that is.] Of course, they were bluffing. If they were capable of taking Metafel down by themselves, then Lee Shin Woo wouldnt have gone through so much trouble. However, he decided to believe in their bluff. Lee Shin Woo used his mana to sublimate the core even further and grinned. "Alright, Ill be there in a minute." Chapter 33 part6 The battle was fierce. The Eater, Metafel, had set his sights on the core and rushed towards it, whereas the elites couldnt back off, so long as Lee Shin Woo was behind them. [We have to avoid a direct confrontation. We have to be especially wary of those tongues. Each and every one of them has a High Rank Paralysis ability. He has all the abilities that help him eat his prey...!] [This assholes really tough... Shino!] [Heup!] Shino stepped forward, as the one least worried about self-preservation. He was aware of his limitations as a level 6, and the only skill that could ovee those limits and damage Metafel was... funnily enough, a skill called Titan Punch; he focused everything into that Titan Punch. Once he used the skill, he wouldnt be able to move for quite a long time, but because he was fighting against the target of his revenge, Metafel, the damage dealt would be amplified, so it was definitely a skill capable of inflicting a severe injury! [Kuhaaaaaahk!] [Now! Open wide. Eat ice and dirt!] Shino was responsible for the offense, while the Giants were entirely responsible for defense. They wouldnt let Metafel advance even a single step! Especially since Eta possessed the ability to control the earth as she pleased; Metafel, whose entire body had be a giant mouth, opened wide. But because the Giants pelted him with ice and dirt, Metafel could neither attack nor advance. It was the best skill to have against Metafel. [Kuwaaaah!] [Damn it!] However, Metafel soon familiarized himself with her attack pattern. Metafel continuously drew in both ice and dirt, and at some point, threw it back out at Eta! Moreover, his saliva was mixed in, which contained a powerful acid, as well as a paralysis ability, so it was quite the attack. Eta quickly formed a dirt wall and blocked Metafels counter, but Metafels attack was much too strong, and her wall broke soon after. [Keuk!] [This dirty bastard is really...] [Hoo, Im going!] Right when Eta was about to be hit by Metafels vomit, intense mes rose up into the air and burned Metafels attack. It was none other than Chi Pauls ability. [This is the power of the mes that Master gave me!] The surging mana throughout his entire body turned into mes, and he shot them out at Metafel, halting his advance. Metafel pressed forward as if to eat those mes as well, but fortunately, it seemed like Metafel wasnt verypatible with elemental power! Perhaps the reason Kratia had been able to stop his evolution for so long was because of the negative effect of his karma? Metafel hadnt been able topletely absorb the fire, as the fire burst within his stomach, causing internal damage. [How troublesome! Ill roast and eat you all!] [Youll be cooked before you get the chance!] The mes were hot enough (due to him being a level 7 elite) that they left deep marks on his body, but Metafels body was ridiculouslyrge. Though burned by the mes, Metafel continued to advance. Bisher Moon also rushed over, and with his sharp nails severed Metafels tongues without pause. [Damn it. I cut and I cut, but theres no end to them. Moreover, it feels like my body is melting away just by getting close...! So this is a level 8!] [Dont falter. Theres nowhere left to retreat!] [Tch... Kuhaaaaaaahk!] Ultimately, Bisher wrapped his body in darkness. Bisher had been saving his mana, but decided that now was the time to use it; the moment he released all that mana, Bisher became one with his ns symbol, the very moon which didnt exist in the Empire. That miraculous connection caused Bishers arms to be hotter, and his nails to be longer. [I didnt...e back to be devoured by this two-bit beast!] As the mana consumption was severe, he couldnt maintain the skill for very long, but if he didnt use it now, he wouldnt have a chance to use it. All ten of his fingernails were as sharp as the finest de, and he swung them forward. Even a level 8s body would be cut by them! [Kuooooooht!] [Ill cut everything on you!] Chi Paul and Bisher Moon fought hard, causing Metafel to continue to rue injuries. While they kept him busy, Shino Rendu let out another powerful attack, causing Metafel to retreat a few steps back. [You bastarrrrrrrds!] He wanted to eat the Giants, as well as that fragrant mana beyond them! But because he was prevented from doing so numerous times by the elites, his desire continued to swell until it reached a peak. At that moment, his body cracked, and deep ck tongues burst out between those cracks. Anything thatprised Metafel, whether it be his bones, his blood vessels, his muscles, or even his skin was optimized for eating. [Kuhaat!] [Keuk!?] One who reaches level 8 forces mana to assimte with them. Anyone whoes within their turf would weaken, and this ability could even incapacitate their opponents as well. Metafel instinctively raised his ability to its very limit and dyed the surrounding mana with his Eater karma. The characteristics of the eater karma had been injected into the dominated mana. [I cant move...!] [The magic!] They felt it as Metafel was sucking in the ambient mana. It was quite shudder-inducing, but contrary to one might think it was only the preparation that came before the actual eating. [Kuhaa...] Metafel took a step forward. The moment he assimted the mana, his body broke down, but in its ce, countless tongues took their ce; now his body was entirelyposed of tongues. Bones and tongues, skin and tongues, blood and tongues, muscles and tongues... Metafels body overflowed with tongues, as if ready to eat each and every one of them. [Eat... Ill eat you all!] [Kaha!] [Kiik!?] However, the moment he was about to begin eating, Arogan, who was able to resist the mana eating, rushed forward and attacked Metafel by himself. Metafel stretched out his tongues in order to eat not only him, but the others as well, but Arogan desperately grabbed all of them and pulled. [Where do you think... Kuaaaaaaaah!] [Keuk, you troublesome bastard!] Arogans ability as a hero was taunt. That miraculous ability would draw his opponents attention, actions, and even magic towards him. It was an ability that would allow him to be a shield for his party, and thats how he had lived his life as well. And by taunting onest time, he had decided to sacrifice his life to save the rest of his party! [Arogan!] [Ive already lost an arm. Its better that I sacrifice myself, Eta! Survive until the very end and stay by the Titans side!] Although Arogan had bought enough time for her to retreat, she not only didnt retreat, but attempted to save him as well, so Arogan yelled firmly. He activated his skill to its limit, drawing all of Metafels tongues towards him. It was to the point that his body was no longer visible. [Keuk. Urgh...!] [Arogaaaaan!] In the end, they were unable to see Arogan. Through his sacrifice, Bisher, Chi Paul, and Shino Rendu were barely able to retreat and gasped (though they really couldnt). They kept their eyes on Metafel, but Eta, unable to contain her fury, struck the ground with her hands, encasing her hands in dirt and ice mixed gloves. Then, she charged at Metafel. [Give me back myrade, you monster!] Maybe it was just her, but it felt like her body was overflowing with power. She was sure that it was because of her anger and believed it to be so. However... [Kuhaaaaaaaahk!] Metafel screamed before she couldnd a hit. Did her intent strike first before her body? Eta fists shook in surprise, and a portion of Metafels body (which had be a mass of tongues) burst. [Huaaaaaaaaaah!] A Giants roar resounded throughout the area. It wasnt Eta. It was none other than Arogan! [Lv7 Bone Titan Knight - Arogan] Etas eyes widened when she saw Arogan tear through a portion of Metafels body ande out. Arogan had been reborn; his once rotten flesh had been reced by tough jet-ck bones that went from head to toe. [Titan! Oh Titan!] [Oh, ooooh...] Hed lost all his flesh, but that didnt mean he was weaker. On the contrary, the essence of his karma had enriched his bones and had made him even stronger... Plus, his lost arm had been restored in bone form. Honestly, there was a world of difference in his powerpared to before he had been swallowed by Metafel! [Youre the same, Eta!] [Is that so...!?] [Kuaaaaaaaaaah!] Metafel screamed in acute pain and shot out his tongues at Arogan! However, Arogan stretched out his jet ck arm and blocked the tongues. [Kuuuuuu! Eta!] [Kihiaaaah!] Of course, there was still a clear level disparity. He was still weaker in terms of pure strength, and his reinforced bones would still melt. However, he could endure it. He could fight him head-on. Seeing that, Eta felt something inside of her, some core part of her was sublimating into something greater. Then, she realized. The Titan has returned. Theyd already heard that the Titans strength would notst forever. Theyd also heard that the Titans appearance might not be as they imagined. However, the Titan Tribe had prayed and wished for the Titans return for hundreds of years, and those prayers themselves became a mass of karma, amassing within the Giants minds and bodies. And when the Titan walked upon the grounds of Heita once more, they would be able to ept that karma! That karma was only for them, and would entrust them with the Titans Pride! [Huooooooooh!] Just like Arogan, Eta roared and her body began to change. Because she hadnt lost her flesh, there was another evolution avable to her, aside from Bone Titan. Her body lessened to about 2 meters, but in exchange, not only did her muscles and bones be tougher but her once dead blood had been reced by pure mana blood vessels. Her rotten equipment broke apart, just like her once rotten body, and her bare body was covered in red bone armor. All of the karma she had amassed in her life (Perium) sublimated into a greater form: her armor. [Lv7 Titan Armored Knight - Eta] She was repaid for the karma shed amassed for so many years, but she wasnt the only one that had changed, now was she? The Giants, who were hidden deep with their territory, couldnt endure the surging power and they all roared and came out of hiding. Right now, they were all being reborn as new elites! [Lv6 Elite Titan Knight] [Lv6 Elite Titan Rider] [Lv5 Elite Titan Soldier] Hundreds of Giants overflowed with new strength and new mana. The heat caused the ice, which hadnt melted for dozens of years, to melt and flow into currents of water, and even that water soon evaporated. The ground was exposed. The earth that had been hidden for so many years along with the Titans Heart was so pure and clean as if blessing the Giants. "Oh..." Jin, who had been freed of lugging Lee Shin Woo around for a change, saw the Giants as they roared from all directions and could only say one thing. "I feel like itd be a cinch if we fought Ethan Cruz now..." "Dont be careless. But against Metafel, yeah, we won by andslide." Kratia, whod finished with the intense manufacturing and had obtained the fruits of herbor, wiped her forehead proudly. Creating this golem had significantly increased her skill level in artifact manufacturing, so she couldnt help but be happy. However, what made her even more happy was... "Go get him, Titan." The fact that shed brought back a legend with her very own hands. [Yeah.] The Titan, Lee Shin Woo replied. The Titan, which had returned in the form of red bones, took a step forward. Chapter 33 part7 [You have brought back high level magic engineering and further improved upon it, allowing you to create the highest rank level 8 artifact! Perhaps this is the beginning of a legend. Proficiency in all mana-rted skills increases significantly and Magic has increased by 50!] The moment they finished engraving a magic circle onto thestponent, it synchronized andbined with the core, and that message appeared before Lee Shin Woo. Kratia, whod really helped in the endeavor, achieved a feat that made her go white, and Rem, whod help them both, gained an increased understanding of golems. "Shin Woo...!" "...Nice." [Thats a relief, Master.] They briefly exchanged looks and then, as if promising beforehand, extended their hands towards thepleted golem. But once they began reading the golems information, Lee Shin Woo and Kratia wondered whether they had actually seeded or not. [Lv8 Titan Bone Golem] [A golem that personifies a constantly erupting volcano. The Titan was created to satisfy mans greed to control mother nature. In the process of resurrecting the golem, the power of the sun has been reinforced, and only a human who can survive this intense heat can properly control this golem.] [Fully Charged. Upon activation, the core can run for a total of 240 seconds, and once that time is up, the core requires a recharge time of 60 days.] [If the users level is less than level 8, then their level will be temporarily adjusted to level 8, and all stats will increase. However, this can be detrimental if the body cannot properly handle that increased power.] The core could fit into the palm of his hand, as it waspressed to the limit, but he had several questions, as the exnation didnt exin things clearly. But at the very least, there were a few things he could understand: that it could only be used for 240 seconds and that after that 240 seconds had passed, it had to recharge for 60 days! "Keuk... But nows not the time to be hesitating!" "Do your best!" [Good luck, Master!] Lee Shin Woo grabbed thepleted golem, rushed forward, and infused a portion of his mana into the core. He achieved aplete synchronization with the core, and activated the golem! [Beginning synchronization.] The core, which had been dormant until now, suddenly emitted a blinding light, and the outsideyers of the core came off and attached to Lee Shin Woo oneyer at a time. The equipment hed had equipped were all unsummoned. A golems external equipment wrapped around Lee Shin Woos skull, arms, ribs, pelvis, and feet, and it looked as though he was wearing some sort of red bone armor. [Synchronizationplete. Activating the Titan.] The core attached to his chest and emitted an even more radiant light than before. No matter how he thought about it, he was definitely a giant hero, but the moment he thought that Lee Shin Woos body felt hot. No, it was actually the cores heat spreading throughout the outer equipment! The magic circles, which were substituted for the Mana Breathing ability, which had caused a small tribe to evolve into the giant Titans over a span of hundreds of years, activated simultaneously, causing his body to grow in an instant. [Activating Titan. Remaining time: 240 seconds.] Lee Shin Woo felt like his body had grown instantly. To be honest, his body was inside of a golem right now, but through the core, he hadpletely synchronized with the golem and could now move and feel the golems body as if it were his own. Did the Titans always see the world from so high up? I see... it makes sense that Arema Steelworker became so arrogant. He finished growing, tapering off at 7 meters tall. He spread his senses throughout his entire body and realized that his five senses had beenpletely synchronized with the golem. The ground seemed so far away when he looked down. At that moment, he could understand the Titans, whod looked sorge. Its hot. Despite his High Rank Fire Resistance, it felt hot inside the golem due to the Bone of Lunatic Scarlet. But at the same time, it also felt refreshing, as his mana was being amplified and being spread throughout the golem. The pleasant feeling offset any pain he felt, and getting over it didnt take very long. It was suffocating, as it felt as though his mana, which had been swallowed up the heat, was changing everything in the world into heat. It would be most apt to describe this feeling as omnipotence. [Temporarily increasing Strength and Health by 3,000, and Agility and Magic by 2,000.] Lee Shin Woos level was forcefully adjusted to level 8, and his stats had been amplified to match the golem. His original stats were 7,922, but now, they totalled out at 17,822, which meant that he had instantaneously reached a mid level 8s power! The fact that it increased my stats so much must mean that Im just that weak. The more my stats increase, or in other words, the less of a stat difference between myself and the golems body there is, then the fewer stats I gain from the transformation. It frustrated him that he had to borrow the golems strength to fight Metafel head to head, but he wasnt going to look a gift horse in the mouth. He would temporarily be the possessor of such strength, which made him realize just how powerful a level 8 truly was! [Hoo... Heup!] But the moment Lee Shin Woo, who hadpletelybined with the golem stepped forth, he felt a change ur within the Giants that were fighting desperately on the frontlines. Arogan, who had been eaten and wondered if this was the end, had been reborn with a body entirely made of bone and seemed much stronger than before. If that wasnt enough, Eta had also evolved as well! [Oh Titan!] [Huaaaaaaaahp!] It wasnt just them. The other Giants, who had hidden away within their territory and witnessed the Titans rebirth, began to change as well. Arogan and Eta were the first to be connected to him, and the other Giants were connected to him through his darkness mana one by one. Once hed be a Titan, his (or the Titans) mana filled the battlefield, changing the very roots of the Giants existence! [You have resurrected the Titan. The Giants have realized that they hadnt waited in vain, and are no longer disillusioned. They are now capable of dreaming something anew. They are no longer the dead, who are trapped by death, but have conquered death and have been reborn as Titans.] [You have acquired the title, Descendant of the Titans. All stats have increased by 15. All Titans who follow you are buffed by 10%.] [Through the item you have created, you havepletely broken apart Gods designated hierarchy. While you are operating the Titan, the Rebellion skill activates, further increasing your stats by 16%!] Several messages appeared, but Lee Shin Woo felt more overwhelmed by the darkness mana links that formed between him and the Giants one by one. The sorrow and tenacity of these Giants, who had waited for the Titans return for so many years! All of that was in the past now, and Lee Shin Woo had given them the courage to take a new step forward. At the same time, they all looked towards Lee Shin Woo. Lee Shin Woo was the Titans Descendant, the very personification of the word miracle to them! At that moment, he had be the Titans king, and it was now his mission to lead the Giants! [The Titan is...] [Moving!] [Hooo....!] Lee Shin Woo took another step forward under their gazes, wielding a gigantified Drake Horn Lance that matched the size of the Titan golem. [By gigantifying the Lv5 Drake Horn Lance, its attack power increases exponentially. And by absorbing the overwhelming heat, it is temporarily elevated to Lv6.] Now that he wielded such intense fire he couldnt use a lightning weapon, so he chose the Drake Horn Lance, as it could be wielded with any element and was also a high rank weapon as well. It was indeed a good choice. The moment he wielded thence, the fire was concentrated in thence, andnce was dyed red. It was as though it had synchronized with the golems body itself! [Heup!] Lee Shin Woo softly leaped. Bisher, Shino, and Chi Paul moved out of the way, and Eta struck the ground, creating a mounting block for him. The moment he stepped foot onto that, Arogan, who had been fighting against Metafel, grabbed onto Metafel and threw him into the air. [Kiihaaaaaaaaaaaa!] Metafels tongues let out a frightening sound and were simultaneously severed. He cried out and whirled round and round within the air, but once he noticed Lee Shin Woo, he extended his tongues at Lee Shin Woo without waiting, as though to say nice of you toe. However, the Titans heat wouldnt allow his tongues to approach. Whats worse, the heat was beginning to control more and more of the area, so the closer Metafel got, the more his body would light ame! The fire aint half bad. Its the best... especially when fighting against him! Just by existing, the golems body prevented Metafel from attacking, and the mes would continuously chip away at Metafels resistance. This authority, above all else, proved to Lee Shin Woo that this golem was indeed level 8! Lee Shin Woo, who could fully enjoy that ability across his entire body, controlled the mes with his mind and gathered all of them into the tip of hisnce. It was such a high degree of mana control that anyone would marvel at it, but it was as natural as breathing for Lee Shin Woo at this point. [Kihik, Kiheeeeeeeehk! In the end, you seek to kill me!] [Hoo... Heuaaahp!] He condensed the energy to the max, and then, shot the Drake Horn Lance at Metafel as if it were exploding. Although it wasnt d in lightning, it still contained the essence of Bursting Thunder, and at the same time, he had applied Shadow Horn to it as well. [Kuhahk!] [Critical Hit!] [The Intermediate Shadow Horn skill has be Lv9. All stats have increased by 6.] [High Rank Fire has be Lv2. Magic has increased by 20.] Thence pierced through the center of Metafels body, and the mes erupted from thence, burning Metafels entire body. The white hot mes were so bright that it was difficult to even look straight at them. [Kik... Dont think... that youre above me!] Despite that, Metafel didnt die. On the contrary, Metafel struggled to consume the mes in order to make them his own. Though his tongues were constantly melted away by the mes, more woulde out from all across his body; there was nothing but hatred contained in his tongues as he continuously licked the mes. [Beyond the power of a corps... An absolute being!] [Heuup. Heup!] He forcefully thrust hisnce downwards and forced Metafel onto the ground. Like hed previously done to his subordinate, Setoin, Lee Shin Woo embedded thence into the ground so that Metafel wouldnt be able to move. He was overpowering Metafel, to the point that one wouldnt think that they were both level 8s! [Kyaaaaaaahk!] However, this couldnt be exined by anything other than Metafels poor luck. If he had been given a little bit more time, he mightve be a beast that devoured the entire Empire. But he had been forced to face off against a Titan, who utilized the element most disadvantageous for him. [Remaining time: 118 seconds.] [Thats plenty of time.] Once hended on the floor, Lee Shin Woo checked how much time he had left and muttered rxingly. Then, he activated Bone Armory once more. He had summoned two more Drake Horn Lances in both hands. [Heup!] [Guaaaaaahk!] Lee Shin Woo stabbed two morences into the resisting Metafels body. If he actually knew where Metafels vital spots were, he wouldve stuck them there, but now that Metafels body had turned into tongues, he had no choice but to go about it this way. [You bastard, the Empire will...!] [Hahp!] Lee Shin Woo could summon eight weapons total. He summoned eight Drake Horn Lances, embedded them into Metafels body, and released the golems heat through them. It looked as though he were burning a witch. [The Archmage... will... kill...!] [Yeah. Wait patiently. Ill kill him at some point and send him over to you.] Even though Metafels entire body was burning, he attempted to consume the mes. However, Lee Shin Woo grabbed two of the embedded spears and concentrated the overwhelming heat, making it so that it was difficult to even make out Metafels original form. [The Mercenary Kings...] [...You shouldve just stayed a mercenary.] Metafel boasted a frighteningly tenacious vitality, but the moment Lee Shin Woo spoke, he blew up the eightnces and killed him. A tremendous amount of heat was condensed in a single spot, burning his body to bits. But while he was disappearing, Lee Shin Woo noticed that Metafel had sessfully devoured a portion of the mes, making him wonder what wouldve happened had the Titans mes been a tiny bit weaker. [...Hoo.] In any case, Metafel was dead. Once he made sure that Metafel wasnt responding anymore, Lee Shin Woo raised his head and dered to all his troops, who were all looking at him. [Good work everyone. We won.] The battle had ended. The long battle in the cial mountains had finallye to an end. Chapter 34 part1 The moment he was sure of Metafel Rerdans death, Lee Shin Woo was swarmed by lines of text that he should be familiar with by now, but wasnt. [You have hunted one of the 12 Generals, the Eater Metafel Rerdan! All heroes who contributed gain 50,000,000 Perium, and all stats are increased by 100. You have acquired 15 permits to Gods secret shop. Proficiency in allbat-rted skills increases significantly!] [The High Rank Combat Sense skill has be Lv3. Agility has increased by 20.] [The High Rank Fire Resistance skill has be Lv2. Magic has increased by 10.] [The Mana eleration skill has be Lv2. Magic has increased by 10.] [The High Rank Command skill has be Lv3. All stats have increased by 5.] Killing one of the 12 generals meant removing a portion of the curse that covered the Empire. Hed not only taken down one of those generals, but Metafel had grown to level 8 and wouldve been a huge threat to the other heroes, so he was given an unprecedented reward. Hed gained the same amount of stats, but hed been given at least 50% more Perium and permits than normal. From what hed been told, permits to Gods secret shops were fragments of Gods power, so he knew that, if nothing else, God had sacrificed much of her power to give him these. [Through your fight against one of the 12 generals, you have shown your ability as a leader, a warrior, and a thief. You have achieved a feat worthy of the Joker karma. All stats have increased by 20.] [The Joker karma has be even stronger. The Jokers innate skills have grown. The Acting skill has be Lv18, the Disguise skill Lv7, and the Instigate skill Lv8. Magic has increased by 10.] Was that all? Lee Shin Woo had used all the means avable to him to win this battle, and had made the title of Joker proud, causing his Joker karma to be even stronger. Lee Shin Woo, who read through the messages, smiled happily. Just how many stats had he gained from this battle!? As he thought, it was worth pushing himself to manufacture the golem and to fight Metafel head on. [You have received Gods grace. The Invisible Heart skills max level has increased by 10.] Finally, hisst message was of Gods grace. This time, too, his Invisible Hearts max level had increased. Hed killed 7 of his undead seniors through the hero quest, and had killed two of the 12 generals, so his Invisible Heart skills max level had gone up to 127. ...Its still not enough. I still dont know how exactly this affects me. It wouldve been nice if he could precisely feel and control Invisible Heart. No, it would be possible sometime in the future. He would be able to do so in the future, he thought, and stiffly nodded his head. As if this were all nned, the Titan golems duration time just finished up. [The Titan Bone Golems core is recharging its heat. Time until fully charged: 60 days.] First, the mana that flowed through the golems exterior body disappeared, and the body rapidly shrunk. Then, Lee Shin Woos synchronization with the core was released, and the exterior body returned to its original state, attaching back onto the core. The core went back to charging, but because the core was surrounded by material which would eternally emit heat, it didnt freeze its surroundings like before. Due to that, he could say that he had indeedpleted the golem. Even if he left it alone, it was fully armed now. "Hoo, it feels like Ive suddenly be a lot weaker." Lee Shin Woo grabbed the core, softlynded on the floor, and smiled bitterly. So this is what it felt like to be a giant hero. Now he understood how the Titans, who were obsessed with their size, felt. [Oh Titan!] [Congrattions on your resurrection!] Lee Shin Woo was swarmed by Eta and Arogan, followed by the newly reborn Titan Tribe. Although the Titan Bone Golem was no longer active, there was no way that the Titans, whod been reborn, would return to their original forms; they all remained in their elite forms. They were no longer weakened. "I told you, Im not a Titan. Look, this is the Titan you worship. This thing." [1] Lee Shin Woo instantly re-equipped his equipment, and then brought the core before the deeply bowing Giants. However, their attitude didnt change in the least. Arogan, who was the only one amongst them that had evolved into a Bone Titan Knight, slightly raised his head and spoke respectfully. [Paul Zero, you have not only resurrected the Titan, but you have be the Titan yourself. That is enough for us. Us Titans will always follow you, Paul Zero.] "...Right." Of course, Lee Shin Woo knew that this was how it would turn out from the very beginning. Well, at least when hed figured out that the Titan that they worshipped was actually a golem. However, he sported an expression that seemed to say Well, if thats how you feel, then it cant be helped, and nodded his head seriously. "Alright then. I cant always maintain that Titan form, but I can make it so that you can remain as the powerful Titan Tribe." [Its an honor!] Arogan was the first to bow his head and soon after the other Titans followed suit. That was the beginning. They, who had hidden in the depths of the Giants domain for their own safely... as well as those who had originally been part of Metafels corps bowed their heads before him. [Sir Paul Zero!] [Well follow you forever as well!] [Please allow us to apany you, even from the rear while you do your great work!] Mm, as expected, turning into and moving around as a Titan had a huge impact on them. After all, the best way to achieve absolute loyalty was a show of absolute force. "I already know how loyal you guys are. Even if you dont bow like that, I wont abandon you." "Hoo, Paul Zero is so cool..." "...Well, I suppose right now he is." Kratia said, and Jin bitterly nodded his head. Lee Shin Woo stood in the center of hundreds of Titans (who had been reborn as elites), as well as thousands of undead soldiers who maintained military discipline and prostrated before him, and looked them over; there was no way that sight could not be cool. Of course, all of his bowing troops were undead, and Lee Shin Woo was undead as well, so he seemed more like a great demon rather than a general. "You all did well, so make sure you rest. Ah, Shino Rendu,e forward." [Yes, Sir Paul Zero.] Shino Rendu stood before him calmly. Lee Shin Woo briefly sighed and spoke. "I promised you that Id let you cut off his head, but I couldnt keep my promise. Sorry." [Please dont worry about it. He didnt even have a head left to cut off. Im happy that I could at least get a good hit in.] It seemed like he was talking about that time when he had stood in front of Lee Shin Woo and hit Metafel in the groin. Not only was it a surprising attack, but his attack began Metafels transformation into a true monster... He supposed those were the end days for a man whod lost it! "Still, a promise is a promise. So instead, I have something to give to you." [Im sorry...?] Lee Shin Woo extended his hand towards the ce Metafel had fallen. It seemed that because Metafel had been a level 8 when he had died, he had left much more loot than Hansen Von Dorthe. Amongst the loot, there was one thing that caught his eye... [Lucky Strike! You have acquired 96,661,210 Perium.] Hed acquired about 100 million Perium. Lee Shin Woo and Jin had a total of 100 million Perium before, but killing Metafel had garnered another 100 million for them. Considering the fact that Perium was clearly another source of karma, the Lucky Strike skill hed learned was definitely not normal. However, that wasnt what was important right now... [You have acquired the Bayran inner map.] Wait, hed definitely gotten the Bayran inner map when he had killed Hansen! To think hed get a duplicate item; there was nothing worse! But when he caught a glimpse of the map, it seemed like the map possessed a bit of a different shape, so Lee Shin Woo told himself that hed go over itter and went on to the rest of the loot. [You have acquired Lv8 Eater Metafen Rerdans tongue bone.] [You have acquired Lv8 Eater Metafen Rerdans frontal bone.] Now thats what Im talking about!. To think that hed get two bones here. With just this, Lee Shin Woo thought that it had been the right decision to kill Metafel. Therefore, he was able to ovee this ordeal with just a feeling of heartburn. Lee Shin Woo grabbed the more disgusting of the two bones, the one which clearly held the essence of Metafel as an Eater, rather than the Mercenary King, the tongue bone. "...Come close." Lee Shin Woo called for Shino, trying his hardest to conceal his heartburn. Shino, who was well acquainted with Lee Shin Woos Bone Reinforcement skill, was extremely surprised that Lee Shin Woo called for him. [Sir Paul Zero, youre not...] "Its something youll need toplete your revenge. Youre not going to refuse, are you?" [I... May I really receive this?] "All you need to do is ept it." The moment he said that, Shino sported an indescribable expression. He was probably deeply moved. The others nearby who looked on seemed inspired as well. To be honest, Lee Shin Woo would have to fight stronger and stronger opponents from this point forward, so he needed to get Shino Rendu, who acted as his unitmander, to reach level 7 as soon as possible. Thats why he offered the level 8 bone to him. He was unique, as he possessed the Super Regeneration skill, as well as a herculean strength vested in his right arm; abilities which no one else had. The higher his level, the better a job he could do. [If you insist, then... Ill ept it.] "Good. However, itll be tough, so youll have to endure it." [Im well aware of the danger, but Ill be alright. My instincts as an Avenger are telling me that.] Was that really reliable? There was no greater revenge than absorbing the bone of the target of ones revenge. Lee Shin Woo had never used Bone Reinforcement on someone with a bone two levels higher than them, but he thought Shino would be ok. Moreover, if he gained the additional karma held within, then Shino would grow immensely. "Good, then take it." Lee Shin Woo activated Bone Reinforcement immediately. The mana in its entirety went into Shino Rendu. At that moment, Shino yelled, but he soon closed his eyes and focused on epting the power. [Consuming Lv8 Eater Metafel Rerdans tongue bone to execute Bone Reinforcement on Shino Rendu. Health and Magic have increased by 20. The Absorption skill has be Lv8. Magic has increased by 10.] As expected, level 8 bones were different from the rest. He used that bone to reinforce someone else, yet his stats increased by 40! Plus, his Absorption skill had grown as well, so he naturally smiled bitterly. [Kuhaaahk...!] So what wouldve happened to Shino Rendu, who absorbed such an amazing bone? He was tormented by the overflowing ck mana, and grabbed a hold of it with his strong will. The Eaters lunacy, which was instilled into his brain, was forcefully burned away with his own mana, as if it were thrown into fire. The karma hed been bestowed as an Avenger wasplete, and in the process of epting a new and more powerful karma... he finally evolved into a level 7. [The Lv6 Undead Avenger Shino Rendu has evolved into the Lv7 Greedy Avenger.] Oh, he didnt have his hopes up, but... had had gained a portion of the Ghouls predatory abilities? Since Shino Rendu had be a Greedy Avenger. There wasnt much change to his outer appearance, but it felt like his already tough body had be even tougher. Especially his right arm, which contained Gods power, as it felt like the power hung around the arm even more clearly than before. It screamed bad guy energy, but Lee Shin Woo was sure that Shino Rendu had acquired the essence of the Eater karma from the bone. "How do you feel? You can do well from now on, right?" [...Its the best.] Shino Rendu, who had finished leveling up, replied joyfully. [With my newfound power... I will help you kill all the 12 generals, as well as the Emperor. No, Ill continue to follow you even after, wherever you go.] "Theres probably nothing past that, but... Alright. You did good." Now, aside from his golem corps, all of his Corps Commanders were level 7s. Lee Shin Woo absorbed thest remaining bone. He turned around to see if Jin was interested, but he just shook his head. Honestly, hed turned around to see that very reaction... He grinned, grabbed the bone, and activated Bone Reinforcement on himself. [Consuming Lv8 Eater Metafel Rerdans frontal bone to execute Bone Reinforcement. Strength has increased by 40, Agility by 25, Health by 50, and Magic by 35. The High Rank Command skill has be Lv5, and all stats have increased by 10.] As he thought, he gained a ridiculous amount of stats from absorbing a level 8 bone himself. Now he could understand how he could gain 40 stats from using Bone Reinforcement on someone else. Lee Shin Woo kept nodding his head, and then, calmed down the mana that was furiously rotating with him. At the same time, he also organized the information that flowed through his mind and... in the process, gained one good memory. "Bayran... Its the most advanced huge city and a level 4 danger zone directly connected to the capital. Its essential that we attack there to ess the capital." The two maps hed acquired told him where the city was. As well as the significance behind that city. [1] E/N: The Titan, and the Titans are different. Though it may be confusing, THE Titan is Lee Shin Woos Gundam Titan Bone Golem while the Titans (emphasizes the S) is the tribe that was formerly the Giants... or as system-ssi said: [Sealed Titan Zombie]s. Chapter 34 part2 Metafel had left behind other loot aside from the bones, like a red, me tinged greatsword. The de was both wide and long and looked quite crude, but its sharpness and its sinister aura could instill fear upon any who looked upon it. [Eaters me Greatsword] [Lv6] [Durability: 2,350/2,350] [Attack Power: 1,400 - 1,950] [Element: Fire Lv6] [Options: Strength + 70, Magic + 40] [Special Passive Skill: Fire Eater - Absorbs all fire-rted energy.] [Special Active Skill: Countercurrent - Once it reaches the maximum capacity, the fire energy is concentrated in a single point, amplified, and discharged.] Why did an Eater, who didnt use fire, drop a level 6 fire artifact, Lee Shin Woo wondered, but once he looked through the artifacts skills, he understood. Fire Eater. Lee Shin Woo recalled Metafel, unable to give up on eating the mes until the very end. His regrets and his will were instilled in this artifact, so it seemed obvious that the item would be so extraordinary. "I got a weapon I can use when Im a Titan." "Id like to see you use it, but well have to wait another 60 days before you can." "Im scared that youll get to level 8 within those 60 days, Shin Woo. Arent your stats close to 9,000 now?" "Even if I be level 8, it doesnt change the fact that the Titans a powerful weapon. And if we can remodel it, then..." "Im most scared of the fact that you didnt deny that you would hit level 8 within those 60 days!" Lee Shin Woo grinned and calmly absorbed the greatsword. His strength and magic went up, and the Eaters me Greatsword was recorded in his Bone Armory. He thought his Bone Armory would level up with this, but it seemed like that was still out of his reach. As expected, leveling a skill to level 10 must be special. He pondered that thought, turned around, and dered. "Lets get out of this mountain range now. Theres no reason for us to stay here any longer." [Yes sir!] The ice curse had been released. As time passed, the ice would slowly melt, and the manas spatial distortions would gradually go away as well. ...And if that happened, the Archmage would wonder why Metafel hadnt returned, despite how the situation had changed, and he would probablye here himself. Even if I could summon the Titan again, I think hes still out of my league. He didnt know if he could escape the effects of the Archmages spatial magic, even with the Titan. Plus, he couldnt picture himselfnding a telling blow on him either. Moreover, he wouldnt kill him by just crushing his body. Since the container, which held his life force, was hidden away somewhere in the Empire! When Lee Shin Woo considered the fact that hed have to look for said container, he realized that beating the Archmage was still a ways away. If I want to take him down, then Ill have to be really prepared. Ill ask my seniors about itter. Of course, that relied on them oveing theing danger first. He lined up his troops, left Perlin Elta, and finally, left the gradually melting cial mountains. [Were finally leaving this ce...] [Arogan.] The Giants regretted leaving the mountains, which served as their base while they were dead, but... their meaning of existingy in Lee Shin Woo, not in the past nor in legends. They knew that if they remained here, all they would feel is misfortune and unhappiness. [Dont look so sad. Weve be able to step forward into the future! Everyone, raise your weapons! Take out the rocks!] [Hoo... Huaaaaaahp!] They put all their regrets into their fists, broke apart the mountains, and followed behind Lee Shin Woo. As expected, the Giants strength was truly extraordinary. Their fists shook the ground and the sound of their punches rang through the air. The crumbling snow-covered mountain, the warming snowy fields... Seeing that, Lee Shin Woo feltpletely refreshed. "Wait, why are you breaking it?" "Theyre erasing all traces of us being here. Its best to make it so that the enemys both unsure of what happened, as well as making it seem worse than what it really is." "The Giants sure are energetic." Jin was shocked and Lee Shin Woo exined the situation. In the midst of that, Kratia was the only one to watch the Giants as they broke the mountains and her eyes shined. It seemed like shed found the next object to study after the Huginns Eye. The magic hadsted for hundreds of years and had transformed them into Giants, so it made sense that she was so interested in them. "If we pick up the right materials, then I think we can make another Titan Golem by using that unique mana pattern." "Wait, we just went through all that trouble to restore the Titan, so what do you mean make another one... More importantly, hows the Huginns Eye?" "Mm, I dont think Ive made much progress yet. I brought it with me, so you want to take a look?" Kratia brought out the Huginns Eye from inside her robes. He didnt really feel like it had changed visually. However, she exined that she had a lot of sess limiting the item to just golems. "Thats not all. I can limit it to living people too, and I can limit to the undead as well. Honestly, I just got there after studying how to limit its targets." "If its limited to the undead, then too many people will appear on it." "I feel like I might be able to limit it to high rank undead, level 7 or higher if everything goes well. If that happens, then I suppose Ill have to worry about expanding its search range." "What!?" To think theyd be able to limit its search function to only high rank level 7 or higher undead. Aside from Lee Shin Woo and his Paul Zero Corps, then that only left the 12 generals or Steves! Lee Shin Woo knew that the Huginns Eye could differentiate between species, but hadnt known that it could differentiate between levels as well. Lee Shin Woo was shocked, but Kratia exined that if she could reproduce the heroes ability to estimate stats, as well as an ability to gauge the density of mana, then it wouldnt be too difficult. Wouldnt that be bordering on Gods domain!? [The informationwork is functioning properly as well. If you remodel me, then I should be able to modify the artifact myself.] "Oooh!" If that happens, then it would be much more effective than following Arema Steelworkers movements. Moreover, if he were able to divide it and observe based on the situation, then...! "Thats really cool..." "I think I can guess what youre imagining right now, Shin Woo..." "In any case, were still researching on that front, and weve made good progress on limiting its range to golems. Its paramount that we figure out how to use the excess energy to increase the search range, but even if its a level 8 item, I dont think itll work just yet. So Ill add some more materials and remodel itter." In the process of restoring the Titan Golem, it seemed like the responsibility of manufacturing the artifact had fallen onto Kratia, as she responded so confidently. She was so trustworthy! If he could, he wouldve expressed his happiness to Kratia, but if he did, then Jin, who was preupied with Kratia, would get pissed at Lee Shin Woo, so he decided against it. "Then, Ill leave that to you. Since well probably get a chance to use it in the field soon." "You still havent contacted that senior?" "Now that you mention it, I think its time I checked." "But Shin Woo, are you going to keep bringing them with you?" Jin asked. He thought that Lee Shin Woo wouldve sent his troops away once they left the mountain range, but Lee Shin Woo instructed Jin to move slow enough that they could keep up. "Mm, well..." "Id really like to start running now..." "Just wait a little while longer. Im thinking right now." "What about...?" As if waiting for him to ask, Lee Shin Woo spoke. "Ive been thinking about this, but I confirmed my suspicions when I epted a portion of Metafels troops and the Giants. ...I cant keep these guys hidden anymore." "...Yeah, thats true." Metafels defected troops numbered 3,000, and each and every Giant really stood out. Because they werent golems, the Giants had to live with theirrge size, as they had no means of miniaturizing their bodies. "I made these guys move around in small teams thus far as an investment, but I have too many troops for that to be a viable option anymore. Even so, I cant just keep them holed up in a safe base. If I dont use them, then Ill be losing out on my investment." "So...?" "Im going to keep using a few teams of elites like Ive been doing, and gather the rest of them into a huge army." That was quite a rational decision... No, it was actually just a decision he was forced into, as his army had grown too much. Lee Shin Woo knew that this would happen eventually and thats why he sought an item like Huginns Eye. "What if theyre found by a hero?" "Normally, heroes wouldnt choose to fight against these guys." "Shin Woo, so you realized that youre not a normal hero yourself..." If it were Lee Shin Woo, he wouldve agonized over the amount of level 7 elites, but hed charge in and sew chaos; then, once hed profited from that, hed retreat. Lee Shin Woo sweat at Jins words but continued. "The problems the 12 generals. Because of them, I hid my forces for as long as I could, but... when you think about it the other way, you could bait the 12 generals bymanding such a huge army." "Shin Woo, only you could think about it like that." "You already killed two of the 12 generals. The other heroes are just cowards." "Yeah, thats right." Lee Shin Woos goblin fire intensified. This is what he would look like when he was talking about something serious. "I think that timesing soon. When Paul Zero meets with the heroes." "Youre going to try?" "Yeah. Since Ill have to do it eventually anyway." He was still bothered by what Lee Man Bok had told him, but even so, he had to at least try. There was nothing good about maintaining this three-way stalemate for Lee Shin Woo. "But Lee Man Bok concerns had merit, so Ill have to approach them as cordially as possible." "How?" "As reinforcements." "!?" If an undead suddenly showed up in front of the heroes, who enjoyed such peaceful days, and said can I hang out with you too?, they would definitely look at him with suspicion. But if they were struggling against one of the 12 generals, and his righteous undead army suddenly appeared to save them, then... There wouldnt be any heroes who would go kill them too! without thinking, would there? Even if there were, wouldnt the heroes focus on killing one of the 12 generals first? "If we fight on the same battlefield and on the same side, then itll be difficult for them to attack us. And thats how well gradually change their perception of us." "But how are you going to make such a convenient situation for yourself?" "Normally, it would be hard, but we have Ethan Cruz, now dont we?" "..." Jin was speechless at Lee Shin Woos statement. Kratia silently apuded. They couldnt even imagine how many problems he hoped to deal with using Ethan Cruz. "We already know how Ethan Cruz thinks. Who knows, he mightve allied himself with one of the 12 generals already. If thats the case, then all the more reason for him to put the heroes into a difficult situation. But think about it. Thats when we appear! And what happens when the Paul Zero Corpses in to save the day?" "Shin Woo... have you ever lost before?" "I have. When I was negotiating with God and got stuck in an undead body." "..." Honestly, that wasnt really a negotiation, but more like stubbornness. Lee Shin Woo thought back to that time, calmly assessed himself, and nodded his head. Back then, hed tried his best to remain level-headed, but he had died, he came face to face with God, and he would have to fight against the Empire ruled by the dead as a hero; all these factors ovepped, so he hadnt been able to stay calm. Thus, he thought he did pretty well back then, all things considered. "Its a good thing youre not an enemy, Shin Woo..." "I feel bad for Ethan Cruz." While Jin and Kratia muttered in the outfield, Lee Shin Woo had made his decision and announced. "So, lets practice moving as a corps." "How?" "Were going to attack a level 3 danger zone. Wouldnt it be cool if we split the army into two and attacked two at the same time?" "..." "Why dont you just split them into five and attack, making them into a cute star or something?" "Oh, thats a good idea." "..." It was almost time for the Paul Zero Corps to spread their name far and wide throughout the Empire. Chapter 34 part3 [Ethan Cruz: I think Ive found a target.] While he and his troops were crossing through the level 3 danger zone, Lee Shin Woo essed the chatting channel. There, Lee Shin Woo heard what hed been somewhat prepared to hear. [Ethan Cruz: I had it narrowed down to a few candidates. It took a long time to find the one that can be lured in, but Ive finally found the right one.] [Prince Altania: As expected of you, Senior! But its boring if its too easy.] [Ethan Cruz: Were taking on one of the 12 generals. Even if hes the weakest of them, its not going to be easy. If youre reckless, then you or I may die.] [Lloyd H.K.: ...Ive done a lot of prep. Ive also steeled myself. I think its time we reveal ourselves (the heroes) to the Empire.] The heroes in the chatting channel were getting fired up by Ethans deration. However, not everyone thought favorably of his idea. [Seira Von Retadane: Do you really intend on facing one of the 12 generals? Theyre not like normal undead. Theyre highly intelligent and cooperate with each other. It wont go as smoothly as you think.] [Yasunori Akira: No matter how I think about it, its too early. I dont think those whove just be level 7 will be able to properly use their strength.] [Ethan Cruz: Oh dear, Im not trying to force anyone to join me. But if youre that worried, all the more reason that you, as their seniors, should be participating, no?] How can this be? Seira Von Retadane and Yasunori Akira both n on throwing away this opportunity? If thats the case, then thats more evidence that Ethan Cruz is allied with the Empire! No, if he really was allied with the Empire, then there was a chance that he would lead not one, but two of the twelve generals to them. And what if he brings the Archmage? Is he allied with him? Lee Shin Woo recollected how powerful Feotane Von Seldin was and clenched his fist. He couldnt beat him right now. It was impossible. It was impossible, but... At the very least, he might have a few ways to make him retreat. Yeah, perhaps it was time to try that. [Seira Von Retadane: Are you serious? ...I dont want to lower morale, but please remember what happened in the past. Seven level 7 heroes joined together, but still died. At that time, you, at level 6, were the only one who survived. Ethan Cruz, have you already forgotten?] While he was formtingplex ns in his head, those opposed to Ethan Cruzs n were beginning to give clear reasons for why his n wouldnt work. Was Seira Von Retadane referring to the group of heroes (that included Lee Man Bok) that attempted to take down the 12 generals? As expected, it seems like she didnt participate in that expedition. Then again, if she had, then she wouldve known the horrors that Ethan had unleashed. Lee Shin Woo nodded his head and Ethan Cruz replied. [Ethan Cruz: Of course I remember. That was a huge failure.] Of course it was a huge failure. After all, hed lost Lee Man Bok, as well as the two Giants, Lee Shin Woo thought. [Ethan Cruz: Thats why Ive prepared so much more. I really did my best after that. To the point that I could probably take on one of the 12 generals by myself. Its because Im so sure of that that I want to take down one of them with my juniors.] Well, of course, he was that strong. If he wasnt, then he wouldnt be able to control the other heroes. After all, hed lost some undead heroes in the past because of his weakness. [Ethan Cruz: You know that Gods blessing wontst forever, right? We have to purify the Empire before then. If not, then... do you not want to take down one of the 12 generals?] [Seira Von Retadane: What are you saying?] [Ethan Cruz: You already know, dont you? Retadane.] [Yasunori Akira: Hey, are you doubting an ally right now? Stop. I listened quietly, but you went too far.] [Ethan Cruz: No, I just wanted to hear the truth from her.] As expected, they were definitely talking about Seagald Von Retadane of the 12 generals. Considering the mood in the chatting channel, half of the heroes knew about Seagald, and the other half didnt. Lee Shin Woo supposed this was proof that his seniors hadnt been just ying around thus far. That was a topic that shouldve been difficult to ask her about, so Ethan Cruz was definitely taunting her. So in other words, did that mean he was confident that he could overpower Seira Von Retadane? [Seira Von Retadane: ...I want to destroy the undead more than anyone else. Whether it be the 12 generals, the Emperor, or anyone. Regardless of what name they held in the past, or what person they were, so long as theyre undead... Ill purify them all.] She was just talking in the chatting channel, yet Lee Shin Woo felt goosebumps. Was this what Lee Man Bok was telling him to be cautious of, her hatred of the undead? Now he could understand what he was warning him about. [Seira Von Retadane: I suppose your cheap taunt worked. Since I dont want a repeat of the past. I must stop precious heroes from degenerating into such a cursed form.] [Ethan Cruz: You made the right choice. I have high hopes for your power over light.] Could Seira Von Retadane use light magic? Lee Shin Woo decided to stow that away forter. Their powers should sh against each other, so the fact that Ethan was willing to taunt her and bring her into this meant that he was just that confident. ...If not, then perhaps he wanted to use this opportunity to take her down, as she was a bothersome opponent. Seira Von Retadane. Shes diligently doing her duty as a hero, so Id like to keep her alive if at all possible... Lee Man Bok warned him that he should avoid her at all cost, but that was way too half-hearted for him. To defeat the Empire, he needed to even use his greatest enemy. Even more so if she were someone who hated the undead to that extent. [Ethan Cruz: Akira, what about you?] [Yasunori Akira: Dont talk so casually. It makes me sick. If you really did pick a safe target, then me not going wont make much of a difference.] [Ethan Cruz: Youll regret it. Our super rookie, Lee Shin Woo, are you almost ready?] [Lee Shin Woo: Yes, Senior. Im making sure Im prepared, especially for any unforeseen situations.] He was preparing a n for if Ethan Cruz went onto the frontlines personally, when he didnt, when his undead grouped together, when he moved stealthily when there were one or two of the 12 generals, or if the Archmage himself appeared! [Ethan Cruz: Youre so reliable. As expected of our super rookie!] That reliable super rookie ising to put a sword in your gut, Lee Shin Woo smiled and inwardly muttered. But then, he suddenly got two requests for private chats. They were from both Seira Von Retadane and Yasunori Akira! Lee Shin Woo was flustered and sent a message asking Seira to wait just a second. He epted Yasunori Akiras private chat first because he thought he would be easier to deal with. [Yasunori Akira: This might sound a little weird, but listen carefully. Can you promise me that?] "Of course, Senior Yasunori." [Yasunori Akira: I n on hiding while you guys are fighting against one of the 12 generals.] "What are you talking about... Are you trying to protect me?" [Yasunori Akira: Yeah. I want to protect you guys. ...But not from one of the 12 generals. From Ethan Cruz.] Everyone, theres a hero as reliable as Kratia over here! Lee Shin Woo was touched, as hed found another hero that tried their best for endless growth and glory! [Yasunori Akira: It might sound weird, but I thought itd be ok to tell you since you havent met Ethan yet. Those who meet him, even just once... follow him a bit blindly.] Lee Shin Woo thought that was most likely due to Ethan Cruzs darkness magic, but he didnt voice it. [Yasunori Akira: Thats already strange. Even if he were blessed to have so many people willing to help him, its still too unnatural. Moreover, this hunt for one of the 12 generals... its way too dangerous. Since its almost impossible to bait one of the 12 generals.] In the past, Lee Shin Woo had infiltrated a city and had sessfully led Hansen Von Dorthe there, but he acted as if it had never happened before. [Yasunori Akira: Be wary of him. Dont get too close. Especially... his buffs. Make sure you reject his buffs. Even if he gives you a good reason, make sure you refuse them. Dont let yourself get touched by his magic.] "Ill keep that in mind." [Yasunori Akira: Do you believe me?] "How could I not believe you, as youre acting out of concern for me? Youre not telling me to attack him. Youre just telling me to refuse his buffs." Lee Shin Woos Acting skill was really paying off. Yasunori Akira was slightly touched by Lee Shin Woos sincerity. [Yasunori Akira: ...I thought you were only good at fighting, but youre a smooth talker too. But it makes me feel better if you think like that. Who is that again? That hero you were close to... can you tell her about my request too?] "Yes, of course. Ill remember to be careful around him." [Yasunori Akira: Ill mark you off. I wish everyone was as careful as you, but... if we all make it out of this safely, lets hunt together.] "Ill be looking forward to it." Hes going to mark him off personally. If thats the case, then its likely that Yasunori Akira was in the most danger... Lee Shin Woo thanked him for his warning, but before he left the chat, he warned Yasunori Akira about the curse that came from Deadly Force. Yasunori was surprised but said he understood. Now, it was Seira Von Retadanes turn now. Lee Shin Woo took a deep breath and epted a private chat with her. [Seira Von Retadane: I heard you became level 7. You were afraid youd stick out, so you hid your level.] "Im sorry, Senior. I know I shouldnt be lying to you, but I was afraid of you (seniors) pinning all your hopes on me..." [Seira Von Retadane: I understand. Since you mustve been exceptionally talented in your original world. As they say, Tall trees catch much wind. [1] It mustve been suffocating.] "Senior..." He acted as though he were touched by her kindness. Lee Shin Woo said pretty much what hed expected her to say. [Seira Von Retadane: Please be careful of Ethan Cruz. On that day, the day that the heroes were wiped out... Why was he the only one that came back alive? I find it quite odd. Perhaps hes connected with the Empire.] Hed gotten another reliable senior. [Seira Von Retadane: Id rather not even think of that as a possibility, but if hes really a traitor, then... we have to take him down no matter what. Since an enemy on the inside is more threatening than the 12 generals.] "Senior Yasunori said the same thing." [Seira Von Retadane: Yasunori Akira did? Thats a relief. Now that I think about it, hes never met Ethan in person. Hes benefitting from his caution.] "Of course, Ill be sure to be careful. Thank you for the advice." He thought she had said everything she was going to say, but then, she dropped a bombshell. [Seira Von Retadane: It cant be helped. Lets meet up before you see him. Ill contact Yasunori Akira as well. Ah, pleasee with the hero youre on good terms with too.] "...Im sorry?" [Seira Von Retadane: I want you to meet me before youre exposed to his magic. Id also like to formte a n on site as well.] He was doing fine on his own, but she had suddenly offered to meet! Lee Shin Woo looked miserable, as it was like he was drafted into a team meeting for a presentation for a huge client. [Paul Zero, we have arrived at the city!] [Apparently, the second corps has arrived at the opposite city! How about attacking before our enemies have a chance to react!?] Then, the frontline Giants, who were unaware of how he was feeling, yelled. Lee Shin Woo saw the huge city in front of him and yelled, putting all of his stress from the chatting channel into it. "Break everything and trample over them! Break them into pieces, so that no one can even identify who killed them!" [1] T/N: If you stand out from the crowd, then you draw attention to yourself. Chapter 34 part4 Like he said, Lee Shin Woo attacked two cities in the danger level 3 zone simultaneously. His goal was to confuse the Emperor, as well as the 12 generals that followed hismands. Although it was possible that two of the 12 generals could be sent to both cities, Lee Shin Woo was confident that he could finish his attack and retreat before they got there, so it wasnt really a problem. If the Empire were to be put on guard due to an unknown force, then... Ethan Cruzs n either wouldnt work, or it would have to be altered, which wasnt bad by any means. "Of course, thats not the real reason. I just want to use all the strength that Ive acquired." "Im d youre honest." Lee Shin Woo, together with Jin and Kratia, led the Giants and attacked the city. Chi Paul, Shino Rendu, and Bisher Moon led the remaining Pauls and attacked a separate city. Of course, he had divided his forces deliberately. On one side, there were the Giants, and on the other side, there were elite undead. There was no better way to sow chaos amongst his enemies. But there was one problem. "Its too easy..." Lee Shin Woo ordered the Giants to attack all at once, saw the castle walls go down in one hit, and smiled bitterly. Because Lee Shin Woo and Kratia had preemptively intercepted the magicians (Thunder Arrow was great for taking down low level magicians), there was nothing to stop the Giants head-on assault. "With these forces, I feel like I could easily take down a level 4 danger zone city as well." "Its too dangerous." If they went on to the level 4 danger zone, it would be impossible for them to conquer a city and retreat within a few hours. Not only did he have to take into ount the higher level undead, but the cities were also huge! Moreover, they were so close to the capital that it wouldnt be surprising if one of the 12 generals suddenly appeared. "Ill have to conquer those cities eventually, but its not time yet. ...Though I think that that time wille faster than I anticipated." Lee Shin Woo watched as the Giants, who had charged forward, use one hand to break buildings and the other to break the castle, and suddenly realized just how much hed gained from the Giants domain. Not only had he recruited 3,000 of Metafels troops, but hed also acquired two level 7 Titan elites and the powerful Titans as his subordinates as well. Although it required a 60 day recharge time, the powerful weapon that increased his strength... the Titan Golem was also the same. "If the Archmage saw it, then hed be pissed. As I thought, you have to be cautious making big moves in the level 4 danger zone." [Master, I believe the lord is attempting to run away unnoticed.] "What?" Rem reported as he watched the enemies movements from the sky, and Lee Shin Woos goblin fire swayed. However, he didnt even move; he simply shot a Breath of the Lightning God far away. He saw the lord running away with apany of knights guarding him by borrowing Rems sight. Although the lord was several kilometers away, he precisely controlled the Breath of the Lightning God and pierced his forehead! [Kuaaaaahk!] "Good, a direct hit. Jin, lets take our time." Before he even heard the sound from afar, Lee Shin Woo saw, through Rems eyes, that his attack had hit. His jawbone rattled, he smiled rxingly, and patted Jin. Hed been practicing that ultra-long-distance sniper shottely. Lee Shin Woo would skillfully aim the bone with his will, and after ascertaining the enemys location through Rem, he would shoot out a powerful attack! It sounded easy to do, but he and Rem had different viewpoints, so getting a direct hit was difficult. He was, however, getting a lot of training by choosing where to summon the Breath of the Lightning God, as well as increasing his Assimtion with Rem. And this time, he definitely seeded. "Itd be amazing if I could do it with a huge weaponter on. ...Ha, wait a sec. If I were to send this to Rems inventory, then..." "You just keep making more and more weird techniques." "Paul Zero, youre so cool." Jin grumbled in amazement, but Kratias eyes gleamed, as though she understood just how difficult Lee Shin Woos technique was to use. Unfortunately, Jin hadnt realized that Lee Shin Woo was docking points from him because of this. "Did you kill him?" "No, Id like to meet him face to face. I want to know if he reported to his superiors or not. Hey, break that more thoroughly! There are knights hiding inside, so get on top and stomp on it!" [I understand!] Lee Shin Woo and Jin advanced towards the city in a leisurely manner. He encouraged the Giants, who were unleashing carnage and destruction, and cut across without rushing. In less than an hour, they arrived before the lord, who was lying down with a Breath of the Lightning God sticking out of his head. He was situated in a hidden passageway behind his castle, and Lee Shin Woos Breath of the Lightning God had broken through the ceiling and pierced his head. The Giants had taken note of this, and rushed over, killing the knights that had been protecting the lord. "Hello." [You... I order you to remove this!] Lee Shin Woo approached the lord, who was fluttering around like a fish whod been struck by a harpoon, and as he wished, removed the de. He struggled to upright his body, but a part of his skull fell to the floor and he was staggering. The lord had realized that he had no hopes of recovering. [Do you even know who I am... Who the hell are you!?] "Look here, did you ask the Emperor to send one of the 12 generals?" [Keuk, you already knew about that, yet you attacked the city regardless? Are you insane...? Thats right, the moment you broke through the castle walls, I reported in! The Vulture General will being!] "Vulture...?" A Vulture. [1] He was definitely one of the 12 generals, but the word Vulture really bothered him. There was the possibility that it just meant that he had a bald head, but... perhaps he was the second opponent (after the Archmage) that they would have to worry about. "It would be different if Feotane Von Seldin came, but Im not particrly afraid of him." [Hahaha. Ive seen so many that said the same thing about the general. But they all had their heads cracked out by the Vulture Generals arrows!] "Oh, like you?" [Keuk...!] For now, he knew that the Vulture General used a bow. Lee Shin Woo was taught just how annoying archers were from his previous experience with Setoin. He furrowed his brow, raised his head, and looked at the sky. He couldnt stop worrying, so he asked the lord about him... [Kik, youre so arrogant. It seems like youre afraid of the generals sharp wings!] "Ah, so thats how it is." [Huh? Kuheok!] The lord had taken the bait. Although he didnt know the specifics, his opponent flew in the air! Lee Shin Woo had gotten the answer hed wanted, so he immediately swung his sword and cut off the lords head. [You havepletely purified the Intermediate City, Semin! You have acquired 2 permits to Gods secret shop. You have acquired 100,000 Perium. Proficiency in allbat-rted skills has increased. As a reward for faithfully doing your duty as a hero and purifying several cities, the size of your inventory has increased, and from now on, all quest rewards will increase.] [You havepletely purified a city at an unprecedented speed! Destroying a city with a corps is karma much too great for one person to achieve. All stats have increased by 5.] "With this, were done. An air strike, huh...?" "Is that what you thought of when you heard the word vulture?" "To be honest, the first thing I thought of was a bald head." Thats right. To Lee Shin Woo, who had an army now and had leveled up to level 7, the only things he had to worry about were the Archmage Feotane Von Seldin and his spatial magic, or an air strike from the sky. As proven by Rem, flying through the sky granted much more utility than moving on the ground. He thought that the Empire would have something like this, but to think that his hypothesis would be proven this way. Moreover, to think hesing now of all times. "To fight, or not to fight... Alright, lets fight." "Didnt you decide too fast!?" Jin, whod heard Lee Shin Woo mutter, felt drained. However, Lee Shin Woo didnt change his stance at all. "Although fighting a flying opponent is tough, its best if I take him down while hes alone." But he didnt have enough forces with him. Lee Shin Woo contacted Bisher Moon and instructed him to gather all his forces here as soon as they were done purifying the city. But once he ryed that order, he got a message that they had finished purifying the city, followed by a list of rewards. There was one thing that he took notice of. [Youmanded an army and purified two cities simultaneously. You have proven that you are powerful enough to single-handedly take on the Empire. Everyone in the Empire, including the Emperor himself, will know about you and will pay special attention to you.] [You have acquired the title, Heaven Defying General. All stats have increased by 20. The High Rank Command skill has be Lv6 and all stats have increased by 5. When you fight against the Empires 12 generals, the power of all your skills will increase by 20%. The stats of your troops permanently increase by 5%.] Hed acquired an extraordinary title and simultaneously, his stats had increased significantly! Lee Shin Woo, whose stats had surpassed 9,000 (they were now at 9,086), was slightly excited. "Ah, wait a sec. If I had only divided my army into five groups and made a cute star, then...!" "No matter how strong your troops are, splitting them into five is a dumb idea, you idiot!" Lee Shin Woo was barely able to calm down due to Jins retort and cool-headedly checked his new title. Whenever he fought against the 12 generals, his skills would be 20% more powerful, which was simple enough, but when he thought about it, it was even more hacked than a 20% stat increase. Rather than raising his stats, raising the power of his skills, which used those stats and amplified them, was obviously superior. Because of that, his elemental equipment would be more powerful as well. "What system bestowed this title onto me...?" "Didnt God give it to you?" "No. Its not that simple. It seems more like its been influenced by something..." The Heaven Defying General. It was a title that really fit him, as he possessed the Rebellion skill. But he wondered if he was considered an ally of the 12 generals because of the term general in his name. "So long as I dont talk about it, it should be fine. Alright boys, get ready for battle. Apparently, he flies in the sky, so make a catapult!" [Understood!] "Hey, will a catapult really work against a flying opponent?" "Itll definitely work. Want to make a bet?" "...Nope." Jin was about to ept, but when he saw the Giants begin to make a 30 meter tall catapult by stripping the castle walls, he shook his head. They soon created dozens of those monstrously sized catapults, but strangely, that air strike they were waiting for didnt appear for several hours. [1] T/N: This can mean eagle as well. Toy Car gave us the Chinese characters early on this time. Chapter 34 part5 Lee Shin Woo gritted his teeth at the frustration welling up within him. "That bastard, did he lie to me...?" "They mightve gotten two calls for help at the same time, so they might be confused." Kratia said persuasively. Lee Shin Woo epted it, nodded his head, and said. "...Yeah, theyll probably be here soon. Lets just get everything thats hidden here." "Over here, Shin Woo." They were in the midst of looking for any hidden artifacts or Perium within the castle while using Rem as covertly as possible to keep watch. "Its all been useless stuff." "Yeah, but it was still a strong reaction. Ah, this is it." They found a discretely hidden storage house within the castle. Upon analyzing and opening it, they found a huge quantity of Perium inside. To be exact, it contained 25 million Perium. It was a significant sum of money, but Lee Shin Woo wasnt excited in the least from such a small sum. He asked her if she wanted him to split it into three parts and give her 8.4 million, but Kratia just shook her head. "Kratia, are you studying Perium?" "I havent started on that yet. Moreover, Perium didnt exist in my original world." "Really?" Apparently, levels and skills existed in Kratias original world surprisingly. If thats the case, then did that mean that this world was more developed than her own world? If not, then was the reverse true? Kratia replied simply to the inquisitive Lee Shin Woo. "Surplus, incalcble karmaes in the form of Perium. In other words, you would receive karma in a different form in a different world. Its not better or worse than any other worlds karma." "Surplus karma, huh..." Lee Shin Woo stored the Perium and muttered. Surplus karma. It was through this surplus karma that Shino Rendu gained new equipment. In other words, Perium responded to Shino Rendus new karma and had the ability to change. If Lee Shin Woo was able to control the direction it changes in, then... [Master.] While Lee Shin Woo was thinking about how he would approach Perium, Rem reported to him. It was information regarding the long-awaited enemy forces. [I see a giant flying monster from afar. Its moving incredibly fast and there was an undead riding on top of it.] "Oooooh!" A Monster Rider had appeared! Lee Shin Woo hadnt seen any monster riders, aside from some goblins riding atop wolves, so there was no way he wouldnt be excited at the news. "Jin!" "No matter how hopeful you sound, Im not going to sprout wings." "You cant make them? After all, you made springs out of steel." "I cant!" Well, even if he could make wings out of steel, Jin wouldnt be able to fly in the sky. After all, Steel Wing was an attack move in Pokemon. "Youve given me pretty much all of the flying monster bones thus far, yet nothing has happened. Give it up already." "Tch... Rem, hows it going over there?" [Its strange. Theres only oneing over here. It seems like a scout. What would you like me to do?] It was easy to forget, but Rem was a level 6 elite. Although it was focused on support skills that relied on stealth, Lee Shin Woo had reinforced it with thousands of bones, so it now possessedbat abilities befitting its level. Taking down a scout wouldnt be an issue for Rem. "A scout... Alright, take it down." [Understood.] Nothing good woulde of their opponent getting info on them before they even fought. Lee Shin Woo ordered Rem to take it down, following which Rem charged forward, piercing through the monsters body while maintaining its stealth. [Kuhahk!?] Lee Shin Woo watched as the flying monsters corpse, as well as the undead riding atop it, fell from the sky and shot one of his floating swords at it. Hed hit the mark, of course. "What will they do now? Will they send more scouts, or will they just attack us right away? How exciting." They probably didnt know that Lee Shin Woo had already been aware of their scout and that hed intercepted it. Lee Shin Woo imagined the Vulture Generals flustered expression and grinned, and then leisurely collected the flying monster and the scouts corpses. "Youre going to give me that bone, arent you?" "You never know. Take it. Think of it as taking a tonic." "I told you, Im not going to sprout wings..." Lee Shin Woo gave Jin both the flying monsters bone, as well as the scouts bone. He was acting like a test-taker who sent in his application to Seoul University, despite knowing that he wouldnt get in. [1] However. "Huh...?" "What is it? Are your shoulder joints feeling itchy?" "No, thats not it." Jin said and looked embarrassed. Lee Shin Woo looked on in anticipation, as though he was absolutely sure that it had worked this time, but unfortunately, it hadnt worked out this time either. "Stop deluding yourself and just focus on theing battle, you dumbass." "Damn it, I guess it didnt work this time either..." 30 minutes passed. Lee Shin Woo stationed the Giants in front of the catapults, and the level 7 elite, Eta, was prepared to shoot herself into the air with her ability to manipte the earth. [Arogan, youre ready, right?] [Of course I am... Theyre really making us wait...] Theyd even formed a n that involved shooting Arogan into the air. Once he was there, he would taunt the enemy forces, acting like a ma to pull arge number of them down to the ground. [Master, theyve arrived.] [Wevee as youvemanded, Sir Paul Zero!] The Pauls arrived afterpleting their mission. Lee Shin Woo ordered them to prepare for aerial warfare as well. If need be, Lee Shin Woo would Instigate their flying mounts to control them. The Vulture General, huh. Is he going to be level 7 or level 8? If hes level 7, then theres nothing to be afraid of. But if hes level 8, then well probably struggle a bit... Even so, it doesnt feel like well lose. Even if the unexpected happens, we should win with our current forces. Of course, he wasnt reckless and prepared everything that he could for theing battle. The seven fully charged Breath of the Lightning Gods sparked, as though waiting for the moment that Lee Shin Woo would shoot them out. "Ugh, my Lightning Resistance is going up again." "But seriously, when are they going to be here?" Despite their scout being dead for close to an hour now, he didnt see anyone in the sky. There was no way that the scout was so far from the main force that it would take them an hour to get there, and it would make sense if there was another scout or a follow-up squad sent in after, yet the sky was empty. "Theyre not traveling underground while acting as though theyreing from the air, are they?" "I looked just in case, but I dont see any signs of that." Kratia looked perplexed and tilted her head. At that moment, their second scout appeared. They knew that their previous scout had been taken out, yet they sent one that looked simr and was also simrly leveled! Lee Shin Woo was speechless and ordered Rem to intercept the scout. "The hell are they doing? Are they looking down on... Huh?" [Keeeeehk!] But the moment the scout helplessly fell from the sky, Lee Shin Woo realized that hed made a mistake. The scout knew it was going to die, yet it held a crystal ball close to its chest. "Heup!" Lee Shin Woo thought it was some sort ofmunication line, so he immediately shot out one his swords and destroyed it. The moment it shattered, he btedly wondered whether it was some sort of explosive item and regretted it, but fortunately, it wasnt. While it wasnt amunication line like hed first thought it was, Kratia knew what it was upon collecting a piece of the crystal ball. "This is... a visual transmitter." It was a term he was unfamiliar with, but the moment he heard it, he recalled something. "Does it transmit an image of what is observed?" "Yeah. Its way more expensive than amunication line, and because its a one-way street, its not used very often. However, when its difficult to ry something in words, theres nothing better than an image, so theres still a demand for it. Honestly, I didnt think a scout would carry around such a precious item..." "And by sacrificing that transmitter, the enemy knows the condition of our troops..." Lee Shin Woo smiled bitterly. As expected, it was indeed a different world from the one he knew. He thought hed gotten used to it here, but he hadnt expected this surveince method to have existed. Of course, they had intercepted the scouts from afar, but they mustve seen his army and ryed it back to them, so the scouts had indeed fulfilled their duty. He shouldve destroyed the transmitter or whatever right when he saw it, but he was being punished for being soidback when he saw that there was only one scout. "Theres a jammer that blocks this type of artifact, but only countries governments use them. The fact that theyre able to use image transmitters means that... there might be a jammer in the capital." "Then does that mean we cant use Huginns Eye?" "Huginns Eye is a level 8 artifact, so most jammers wont be able to stop it. Especially if we limit its range and increase its output. Then, there shouldnt be any way for them to block it." Good. Then, they got him good this time, but he would pay them back by using Huginns Eyeter. Lee Shin Woo thought he would need to learn more about the types of magical devices from Kratia and turned around. They were finished scouting, so they woulde at him in some way or another. Now was not the time to be angry; now he should be encouraging his troops and perfecting his preparation for theing conflict. "...But why arent theying?" Three more hours passed. Lee Shin Woo wondered whether he was wasting his time. They flew in the air, so why the hell were they so slow? Were they getting a feel for him right now? Were they waiting for his troops to be exhausted from their preparation? "They should already know that our forces areprised of the undead, so they should already know about their endurance. ...And theres no way they know Im a hero." Although Kratia was the only human here, she was not only covered in robes, but she was also hiding her energy well. As she was buried in the undead, it would be difficult for them to determine that she was a human just by seeing an image of her. Lee Shin Woo couldntprehend what they were doing and tilted his head. "What should we do? Should we just keep waiting?" "...No, theyre not going to show up, even if we keep waiting. Theyre either waiting for us to ck off, or they want to move somewhere else. Either way, just staying here wont aplish anything. ...Lets go." "Go where?" "Here." Lee Shin Woo opened his minimap and pointed to a single point in a level 3 danger zone. It wasnt very far from here, and of course, it was situated in the Intermediate City, so heroes wouldnt be there. At the same time... "If they dont move, then well just have to go around breaking stuff. Well go from here, all the way to here... Weve already conquered two cities, so lets make it our primary goal to conquer five total. If we do that and they still dont show up, then they must not havee to fight us." "Shin Woo, this..." "Yeah." The five dots that Lee Shin Woo had marked on his minimap (of those five, two of them had already been conquered) were connected, and he solemnly dered. "In order to draw them in, well conquer five cities in the shape of a cute star." But was Lee Shin Woo expecting too much? They had gone around and destroyed the three cities without even concealing their presence (With an army this size, even if he tried, he wouldnt be able to conceal them. Even if they were unlucky enough to encounter a hero, he hoped that they wouldnt attack, so long as they didnt look back at them). Then, Lee Shin Woos Commander of Terror title evolved into Commander of Fear (the abilities of all the subordinates under hismand would increase by 15%), and after purifying the cities, he gained permits to Gods secret shop, stat bonuses, and more money. However... "Why the hell arent theying yet!?" "Wow, it really is in the shape of a cute star!" "Kratia... No, never mind." In the end, he never shed with the Vulture Generals forces. [1] T/N: Seoul University is considered one of the best universities in South Korea. Chapter 34 part6 Did everything go as Lee Shin Woo wanted? Well yes, yes it did. Since Lee Shin Woos original goal was to shock the Vulture General and clear as many cities as possible without incident. "Ha, in the end, that bald-headed bastard didnte." "You really are too much. You dont even know if hes bald or not yet." "So why the hell did he scout us out if he wasnt going toe? Man, this pisses me off." "You said not encountering him was a good thing." "...Yeah, I did, but..." But if he was being honest, Lee Shin Woo wanted to take down one of the 12 generals prior to hunting another one with the other heroes. Regardless of whether the Empire reacts strongly or weakly to the news, the heroes should be able to deal with the situation better. ...And there was one other thing he wanted. "Since I gain two permits to the secret shop for every city I clear... Tch, Ive only gathered 10 more." "Hey, you took mine too, so you have 15 total." "Yeah, youre right. So lets take a look..." Any hero who helped take down one of the 12 generals would be rewarded, regardless of how much or how little they did. On the other hand, killing undead heroes or clearing cities was different. For the former, Jin wouldnt receive any reward, but for thetter, he would receive a single permit. It was the same for Kratia as well. "I have a total of 75 permits." "75!?" Kratia, who quietly listened in, was shocked. It would be difficult for the other heroes to even umte 10 permits, yet here he was with 75! However, there were three reasons Lee Shin Woo was able to gather these permits so quickly. First, killing undead heroes (most of his seniors didnt have any experience in this). Secondly, purifying cities (even if his seniors partied up, it was difficult for them to purify an entire city, and most importantly, they were worried that it would cause trouble in the future, so they didnt easily attempt level 3 danger zones and up). Thirdly, killing the 12 generals (his seniors hadnt killed one). "Theyre all things that would be difficult for my seniors..." "Since youve hunted one of the 12 generals and purified cities with me, you should have more secret shop permits than our seniors." "Yeah. I was thinking about going to Gods garden again to get another artifact soon, but Ive been putting it off since I cant think of anything that fits. ...Still, the fact that you have 75 of them is amazing." Lee Shin Woo thought hed be able to gather more permits than the other heroes if he put his mind to it, but to think hed umted this many... One of the reasons behind this was the fact that Jin gave him his permits. "But its important to note that nothing has changed, even though Ive gathered so many." "Should there be some sort of change?" "If what God told me is true, then yeah..." He had a feeling when he had first gathered 10 permits. Not only did he get a message, but he could feel these permits, these shards of Gods power, shake. It was as if these tiny fragments would fuse into something greater... Yeah. To put it in words, it felt simr to a level up. "Then... If you amass 100 of them, will something change?" "So you think something will happen too, huh." 100 secret shop permits. He was too embarrassed to even ask his seniors about this. It would be impossible to gather so many of them if one didnt either kill the 12 generals or actively clear out cities. One would have to be Lee Shin Woo to even try it. "Itd be chaos if I asked them whatll happen if I gather 100. Id rather not." "They probably wont know anyway." "Yeah, this is probably impossible for Ethan Cruz." What would happen when one collected 100 secret shop permits? He had some idea, but he decided against thinking about it right now. Lee Shin Woo would be able to gather the remaining 25 permits quickly, so he would just need to check then and there. "Well, thats that. We need to figure out what we do from here on out." "Are you going to attack another city?" "Cities arent monsters, so do they just form out of nowhere? Do they regenerate?" The undead wouldnt upy purified cities. Killing all of the undead wouldnt purify a city. God would personally shine her power upon a purified city. Giving permits to heroes who have purified a city shouldnt be unrted to that phenomenon, but in any case, low rank undead were afraid of Her power and the high rank undead would be leery of the city and avoid it. "And for a long time, our seniors hadnt tried to purify the cities. There are only two or three more level 3 danger zone cities left. The fact that its not over after Ive wreaked so much havoc tells me just how powerful the Empire is." "Then lets go take them out." "...Lets leave the rest of them as leftovers for our juniors." "Leftovers?" Jin and Kratia tilted their heads, but Lee Shin Woo smiled bitterly and looked away from their inquisitive gazes. It sounded good, leaving a few cities in the level 3 danger zone for his juniors, but it was actually because taking out all of the cities would provoke the Empire more than he thought necessary. Most of the heroes were operating in the level 3 danger zone, and aside from his elites forces, his Pauls were in the level 3 danger zone as well. Honestly, he was being bold enough. A person needs to know when to stop. "Honestly, thats not the only reason. ...You see, tomorrows the day I have to see Seira." "Do we both have to see her?" "Yeah. I know you avoid the other heroes, but juste with me this time. It feels reassuring to have you with me." "If youre really that insistent, then..." Lee Shin Woo wasnt really concerned with what Seiras intentions were, or what she was doing to prepare for Ethan Cruzs n. Thats because Lee Shin Woo was already on top of it. He just wanted to meet with her since Lee Man Boks words were still bothering him. That was why he was dragging Kratia with him. "Then, I suppose I should hide my troops before we go." [Giants do not hide!] "The Titan hides for 60 days to be active for just 4 minutes." [If thats what the Titan desires, then well swallow our pride!] Figuring out where his forces should hide (when he wasnt leading them) was his first problem. He couldnt manage them individually, especially since they were split up and moving independently, so he needed a ce to station them. However, the answer was right in his face: a dungeon. Dungeons were, by their very nature, secretive, and they could hide several undead. Also, Lee Shin Woo and Kratia could take protective measures on them, like they had done for the Kerr Century Winery. So which dungeon should he pick? Would he just do as Lee Man Bok did and just pick any random dungeon, and hide it by covering it in mana or magic? No, that was the reason Lee Man Bok died a second time. He couldnt ridicule his choice and then copy him. The dungeon Lee Shin Woo had picked was... [Level 3 dungeon - You have discovered the Darkness Hidden Sewers hidden path. The dungeons information is updated.] [Level 4 elite dungeon - You have acquired the permit for the Darkness Hidden Sewer. All stats increase by an additional 10 inside the dungeon. The dungeons information is added to your minimap. All actions are buffed within the dungeon.] "They all got out of here too." "Seems like you were right. The higher the danger zone, the higher the Pauls intellect, and the higher chance that their tests seeded, so... they join up with Anti-Skull immediately." The underground passages (which were in the cities) that Anti-Skull had used for their experiments! His seniors didnt know about these passageways, and the 12 generals didnt know about them either. Because it was so difficult to enter them, it was much better to choose one of them, rather than randomly picking a dungeon. "Since theyre so well hidden in a purified city, the undead will instinctively avoid them, and heroes wouldnt enter a city without any prey. If Lee Man Bok had just a little bit of sense, then..." "Then you couldve just kept him alive and told him about thister." "I shouldnt have to teach a level 7 this. Moreover, theres a saying in my country that says humans never change, Jin. It means that no matter how much I try teaching a dumbass like him, hell still be a dumbass." "Humans never change..." One of the reasons Lee Shin Woo had continuously attacked and seized cities was to find an appropriate location to hide his troops. Of course, it was difficult to find an underground passage that was deep and wide enough to fit the Giants, but... "Shin Woo, shall we begin?" "Alright." Like theyd done with the Kerr Century Winery in the past, Lee Shin Woo and Kratia expanded the secret facility, creating a space that would allow the Giants to hide without feeling cramped! Moreover, they created another secret passageway, giving them an alternate way to get out. "Ah, that parts mana structure is a bit off." "Leave it to me." It was as difficult as reconstructing the dungeon, but because Lee Shin Woo and Kratia were plenty experienced in it by now, they were quite efficient. What was most amazing was the fact they maintained the dungeons uniqueness while going about their work. Jin watched as the facility widened and became deeper in the blink of an eye and was shocked as always. However, it seemed like Kratia wasnt pleased with the final result. "We couldve made it so much better if we could use spatial magic." "Like Feotane von Seldin." "...Hoo. Someday, Ill learn it and beat him." Lee Shin Woo thought itd be faster if he just killed him and absorbed his bone, but decided not to say anything. They had finished expanding the facility, and when hundreds of Giants, as well as the rest of his Paul Corps had safely entered, Lee Shin Woo suddenly received a private chat request. It was from Ye Jin Jin. He tilted his head, and as soon as he epted her request... [Ye Jin Jin: You were alive. Thats such a relief...! Im so d!] He wouldnt hear the end of it if he said Hey wait, you know Im dead already. Lee Shin Woo told her he was safe and asked her what was going on. Then, she replied like this. [Ye Jin Jin: The level 3 danger zone is in chaos right now. Senior Ethan hasnt even led one of the 12 generals in yet, but one of them is moving already!] "What!?" Lee Shin Woos goblin fire burned finely. He couldnt just let this go! "If you know one of the 12 generals ising, then you dont even need to bait one of them. You can just take that one out." [Ye Jin Jin: No, you cant. You cant! Even Senior Ethan said that we shouldnt mess with them...!] "Even Senior... Ethan?" [Ye Jin Jin: He said hes (the general) a lot different from the rest. Even the other seniors, who saw their movements by chance, are shaking in their boots right now. Hes so fearsome that theyre hesitating over whether they should go on this expedition or not.] "That bad?" If thats the case, then was it the Vulture General that Lee Shin Woo had been waiting for? If he saw his air force, then it would make sense that they were quaking in their boots. Even if most of heroes had a way to attack flying monsters, they werent specialized in aerial warfare. But the fact that Ethan wants us to avoid it is bothering me. Why did he want them to avoid it? Was it because he wasmunicating with the general? If not, was it because he had no connection with that specific general? Lee Shin Woo thought thetter was more likely. Ethan Cruz was incredibly meticulous, and if he said that they should avoid him, then it was likely that that particr general was one that he couldnt control with his abilities. [Ye Jin Jin: Yes, hes really scary and hes also strange. Apparently, that general broke a city in the level 3 danger zone!] "...Huh?" [Ye Jin Jin: Its strange, isnt it!? You dont understand why one of the 12 generals under the Emperor would destroy one of their own cities, right? Plus, ording to our seniors, he destroyed three cities.] "..." Hearing that, Lee Shin Woos goblin fire shook. Since she couldnt see his goblin fire and could only hear his voice, Ye Jin Jin continued to go on and on. [Ye Jin Jin: Moreover, he managed to conquer three cities in just a few days... I dont know if theres something strange going on in the Empire, but what Im sure about is that hes a strange undead and that hes really dangerous. Plus, he apparently leads huge undead as well.] "Hey, thats..." [Ye Jin Jin: Even if all the heroes worked together, we probably wouldnt be able to beat him... Our seniors have already nicknamed him. Hes full of contradictions, so they called him the Heaven Defying General.] "...He sure sounds amazing." I thought the world had blessed me with the name, but its already being used by my fellow heroes. Is this the power of karma? Lee Shin Woo thought vacantly. [Ye Jin Jin: He is amazing. So, you have to be careful too, Mr. Shin Woo. If you see him, dont fight him and just run away!] "...Yeah, I wont fight him." The contradictory existence, the Heaven Defying General Lee Shin Woo weakly replied to her appeal. Although he liked to injure himself to train, he really didnt want to kill himself. Chapter 34 part7 A few days before their scheduled hunt of one of the 12 generals, the heroes were discussing an unexpected topic inside the chatting channel. [Lloyd H.K.: The Heaven Defying General. It fits him. After all, hes going around destroying cities. What exactly is his goal...] [Ye Jin Jin: We talked about this before. That there were undead who acted against the Emperor...] [Prince Altania: That doesnt prove anything.] [Ye Jin Jin: But still... if there was an undead like that, wouldnt they cooperate with us? If our goals are the same, we can form an alliance with them.] Before he entered the chatting channel, Lee Shin Woo told Ye Jin Jin that he was that Heaven Defying General. Hed told her without hesitating, as she already knew he was undead.After that, Ye Jin Jin tried her best to keep the other heroes from looking at him, or the Heaven Defying General too negatively. However, that wasnt the easiest job in the world. [Seira Von Retadane: Its meaningless. All undead are the same. Theyre the enemy of all humans.] [Ethan Cruz: Its a tough problem. Since all the undead in the Empire are obsessed with the living. Even if it looks like theyre intelligent, they revert to their undead nature when it matters most. Cooperating, huh. How can you trust him enough to cooperate with him?] How shameless! He himself was a Necromancer who controlled undead heroes. Lee Shin Woo decided that now was a good time to both ease the tension against the undead and take a subtle stab at Ethan Cruz. [Lee Shin Woo: I think Ye Jin Jin may be onto something. Whos to say all undead are against us? What if there were a hero conscripted by God herself that could control the undead. Like a Necromancer?!] [Seira Von Retadane: This is the only thing that Ethan and I agree on. The undead are impurities upon this world; they defy God herself! God would never create a Necromancer, as her penultimate goal is to eradicate the undead from this world. Regardless of whether theyre with a Necromancer, the other 12 generals or the Heaven Defying General, if they appear before you, you must kill them.] [Ethan Cruz: ...] [Lee Shin Woo: ...] Lee Shin Woo and Ethan began sweating at Seiras statement. Her hatred for the undead was beyond irrational. She was upstanding and righteous in an overbearing way. [Ye Jin Jin: But still... the Heaven Defying General has done nothing to warrant hostilities from the heroes.] [Erian Ruparte: I understand how you feel, Jin Jin. However, even I think that it would be impossible to cooperate with the undead. Theres something you need to consider before relying on them. Can you be sure that they are not affected by the curse? Can they not be controlled by the Emperor like every other undead in the Empire?] [Silene Viesa: It doesnt make sense to form an alliance with the undead. You should know since youve been here longer, that the undead are unapproachable. Even if we could form an alliance, God gave the quest to purify them all for a reason.] Although Silene Viesa was the most recent hero, they had adapted to the Empire extremely quickly, as a result of actively fighting against the undead. Silene Viesa had done more in the Empire than Ye Jin Jin, causing them to look down on Ye Jin Jin. [Lloyd H.K.: Silene, thats enough. Of course, I agree with you, but...] [Prince Altania: Mm... Right?] [Lloyd H.K.: Whats with you?] [Prince Altania: Its nothing. Thats obvious. Mmm... Ive never met an undead like that before, but Im sure that that Heaven Defying General bastard has something else up his sleeve.] [Seira Von Retadane: I think hes out of our league right now, so we should avoid him for the moment. ...Ethan Cruz, are you still going to proceed with your n, despite everything that has happened?] [Ethan Cruz: I think we should proceed because of what has happened. Itll be more difficult to hunt the 12 generals if the Empires movements change, so shouldnt we go for it before then? With that in mind... everyone listen up. Ive finalized the time, ce, and the target. I know the way his troops are moving, so I n on attacking first. Ill send the participants the location right away.] [Prince Altania: Ooooh!] [Silene Viesa: Keuk, I want to go too...] Was it finally beginning? Despite an unknown force, the Heaven Defying General showing up in the Empire, it seemed like Ethan nned on going through with his n. Soon, Lee Shin Woo was contacted by Ethan Cruz. [Ethan Cruz: I believe in you, Super Rookie!] [Lee Shin Woo: I believe in you too, Senior.] [Ethan Cruz: Haha, ttery wont work.] The battleground was a northeast area in the level 3 danger zone and was quite close to the level 4 danger zone, but because of the perilous mountain range behind it, there was a small possibility of enemies showing up. It would be in three days at dusk when the Empires artificial sun became dim. Their target was the level 7 Beast General. Since Lee Shin Woo had never heard of him before, he assumed that Ethan Cruz had indeed picked the weakest amongst the 12 generals. I assume he has his undead mixed in with the enemy troops, but the issue is what else he has up his sleeve. As Lee Shin Woo contemted all possible moves Ethan Cruz could deploy... A light bulb turned on in his head! What if he has another generaling from over the mountain? ... If thats the case then they need a mode ofmunication to set up the ambush or time the reinforcements. Lee Shin Woo was sure of it. As the city which sent a report while he was conquering it, as well as where the Vulture General had sent his scouts, was the city that Ethan Cruz was talking about! Lee Shin Woo then remembered that he still had themunication device found on the city lord. If he used his Mana and just tweaked some of the devices functions... Yes! He could detect other simr devices within a certain area and interfere or even hijack their signal! [Master, I can integrate the devices functions into my system.] "Thats a good idea Rem." Now that he had the surveince golem, Rem, Lee Shin Woo could use Assimtion and interfere with themunication remotely! "Its time we start to prepare for the battle in 3 days." [We are at yourmand.] Lee Shin Woo sat Kratia behind him atop Jins back. Once hed looked over his forces onest time, he looked at the sky, even though he knew that there werent any scouts in the sky through Rem. "The Vulture General, huh... I guess well end up facing him after all." "You have a good idea, Kratia?" "If you attach wings to Jin, then we can take care of him ourselves." "Hey, dont put anything on me!" Lee Shin Woo ignored the quarreling Jin and Kratia and worked on something hed been postponing. Training the level 6 staff, the Bone Winged Serpents skill: Serpents Whirlwind. "Hoo... I should get a feel for this before I meet Retadane." "Youre going to try it out?" "Yeah." Seira Von Retadane. Apparently, she wielded light magic. Light magic was like poison to the undead, and it was a power that every hero wanted. Lee Shin Woo was surprised when he obtained darkness magic, but he just epted it and moved on. He had thought that the darkness element suited him, as he was an undead as well. However, when he thought he might be able to use light magic by using his staff in tandem with his darkness magic, he suddenly felt a fear that hed never experienced before. "Why have you been postponing it for so long then?" "...To be honest, I attempted it before the staff evolved, but at the time, the staffs output was too low, so I failed." The darkness element was clearly different from the other elements. When hed awakened the darkness element, it was definitely described as a great element. If thats the case, then the light element, which was its pr opposite, should be a great element as well. The power of light was much too great for the staff at the time. However, once the staff had evolved into the Bone Winged Serpent, he came to the conclusion that it would be able to convert the darkness element as well. If that was true, then all that was left was Lee Shin Woos decision. "Even if it damages me, I want to see it with my very own eyes before someone else uses it against me." "...Shin Woo, dont use that on me." "Wow, how considerate of you... Anyway, lets go." Lee Shin Woo grabbed onto one of the Breath of the Lightning Gods, which floated in the air behind him as if protecting him, and converted it into a Bone Winged Serpent. And he carefully infused a small amount of darkness magic inside. [Activating the Serpents Whirlwind.] The bone wings fluttered, and the infused power began swirling. The old staff wouldve stopped and blown a fuse in the middle, but it didnt this time. Although it didnt amplify it by very much, the darkness magic was definitely being converted into light! Lee Shin Woo carefully stretched out his hand and grabbed onto the light. But at that moment, it felt like a power he hadnt even been aware of began to well up within him. [Holy Resistance is reacting to the light magic. You have acquired Light Resistance: MAX. Magic has increased by 100.] [Through the power of extreme exposure to Light, The Light Element has beenprehended and Magic has increased by 1500.] "...!?" Lee Shin Woo could feel it. The Holy and Light elements were simr. Which is why when he got Light Resistance his stat gain was so low; he already had Holy Resistance: MAX. Yet he also started toprehend what light truly was. Lee Shin Woo was in a fantastical state of mind. Everything light suddenly made sense. It was the element that severed, much like how darkness was the element that bonded people. He felt that he could understand most of the good and bad of this world. The connections and bonds between everything and anything, and also sever it. Everything... "Jin,e here for a sec." "Shin Woo, why are you looking at me like that?! Like Im some sort ofb rat?" "Dont worry about it, I just want to test my new light element. I can see and sever many connections now... including your connection to your current body. I also have a better understanding of darkness now too... I think I can use Assimtion and disguise in tandem now!" ""..."" Both Kratia and Jin were speechless. Lee Shin Woo could now interfere with God! Moreover, Jin could finally take on a human appearance and not have to be quiet around other heroes. Before Jin could say anything in return, Lee Shin Woo began to use Assimtion and disguise to revert Jin back to his former worlds form. And soon after a sh of light... "..." "Wow, Jin I didnt know you were also a god?!" Kratia was speechless. She was sure Jin was a female, but what stood before her was a cute young man. He was dainty for a male, almost like a bishounen. He had a beautifulplexion, slightly chubby cheeks, like his baby fat was still showing, short ck hair that shone as if it were polished onyx, and wore a toga and sandals with cute little wings. He was the greek god from Earth, Hermes! "H-hello..." "..." Jin blushed as he greeted Kratia. Lee Shin Woo was amazed. So thats why I never heard of a sprinter named Jin Taylor... Even though I was sure he was from Earth, and even from a time before my own. Chapter 35 part1 "Lee Shin Woo and Kratia Melloi. Its a pleasure to meet you. You mustve suffered so much to reach where you are without dying. Thank you for surviving." "Its nice to meet you too... Senior Retadane." "Hi." Red eyes and red hair. Lee Shin Woo had only seen one person with those traits thus far: the beauty from the secret shop (if he told her, she would be happy and smile unpleasantly, so he had no ns of telling her), Pleine. Although God herself possessed red hair as well, her eyes glittered in the five cardinal colors, so he excluded her. "Are you bothered by my hair?" "Thats..." But now there was one other with those specific traits: Seira Von Retadane. She was so unbelievably beautiful that she almost didnt fit in with everyone else. There was no hint of confusion within her clear red eyes, and her pale pink lips were closed shut, seemingly embodying her iron will. Contrary to her cold expression, her ardent, long red hair fluttered in the wind, as if it would catch ame at any moment. "My apologies, Senior. I was just wondering whether you gain red hair for bing a priest." "...I see. Thats obviously not true." "Oh, you dont?" "No, you dont. My red eyes and hair are hereditary traits." She was baby-faced, looking like a young girl, but also voluptuous. He was concerned that their size would be a hindrance on the battlefield but thought her bust and narrow waist were striking. The white priest robe she wore couldnt hide her voluptuous figure. If he were to take a picture of her, others would react with this is definitely photoshopped. They would say she must be an alien, not a human being with a bust thatrge and a waist that thin, but she was definitely the real deal. She must be a mutant. Lee Shin Woo was very slightly in awe of her. I can understand how Shino Rendu fell in love with her at first sight. Of course, it doesnt matter to me, but theres something else that bothers me... Lee Shin Woos sexual desire had evaporated, but he could still recognize beauty. However, Lee Shin Woo was currently only worried about keeping his guard up against her. He was sure the moment he met her. This girl was level 8. He had somewhat expected it, but she was indeed level 8! "I feel like you could take down one or two of the 12 generals by yourself, Senior." "I think so too. However, theres no guarantee after that. Because of that, I dont want to make anyrge moves yet. My goal isnt the 12 generals. Its eradicating all the undead in the Empire. Therefore, theres so much I want to say to Ethan Cruz, but..." Lee Shin Woo carelessly blurted out, and Seira Von Retadane replied seriously. She sounded so serious, causing Lee Shin Woo to think. She didnt know, but Lee Shin Woo had already killed two of the 12 generals. But was that a mistake? ...Of course it wasnt. Lee Shin Woo had merely picked what was most advantageous to him at the time. When this was all over, he would have to move more carefully than before. Though it mightve been too little toote. "Hoo, lets begin when Yasunori Akiraes and joins us. Would you like some tea?" "Thank you, Senior." "I wanted to tell you this before, but... I dont really like being referred to as senior. Please just call me Retadane." "Ah, ok." Of course, Lee Shin Woo, as an undead, couldnt drink tea, but he could at least fake it. He would let it go down his throat and then evaporate it with fire. "Please wait a little bit." She removed various tools to make tea from her inventory. Lee Shin Woo watched as she boiled water for her tea, and came to the realization that she was no ordinary hero. Who would go through all that trouble to steep tea leaves!? Moreover, one couldnt procure tea leaves from the Empire, which meant that she acquired them from the secret shop... Byparing it to wine, it was clear how inordinately expensive such an item of personal preference was. "Here, please enjoy." "Thank you. With pleasure." Lee Shin Woo was surprised when he grabbed onto the tea cup. He didnt have a sense of taste, but for some unknown reason, he was able to smell the fragrance of the tea. A fragrance so pleasant that it was shocking. He would often have to meet with other people for work, so he had drunk a variety of different teas, but it was of such quality that he could easily say it was the best hed ever had. "It smells really nice." "This tea didnt exist in my world. Its delicious." "Hoo, you can appreciate good tea. Its my favorite tea amongst all the ones avable on the surface. I assume its made by using the Kunoa leaf (which is grown in ces with powerful fire magic) and Korite leaf (which is grown in ces with powerful wind magic)..." How can this be? To think shed continue the conversation! Lee Shin Woo was shocked as she, who had remained passive and calm, suddenly began to talk about the tea leaves and the water in depth. At the same time, he couldnt help but see the resemnce with Pleine, who would change whenever he brought up wine...! Lee Shin Woo was curious and asked. "...Are you close to the shopkeeper by any chance?" "No, that womans the worst. Thats quite rude of you to say." "I-Im sorry." She cussed out Pleine! Now that he thought about it, Pleine had a lot of things to say about her as well. Moreover, she had the same red eyes and red hair... At that moment, Lee Shin Woo formed a hypothesis. However, when he saw Retadanes expression, which had turned frigid instantaneously, he knew that this wouldnt be easy to bring up. But fortunately, that vibe didnt continue for very long. Yasunori Akira had arrived. "Imte. Sorry about that. I was moving so cautiously that it just turned out that way." "Thats fine. Would you like some tea?" "Yeah, of course. ...Mm, the fragrance reminds me of my homnd." "Hello, Senior." "Mm!? Ah, is that you, Lee Shin Woo? ...Thats surprising. You look a lot different than what Id expected. Im Yasunori Akira." He possessed ck eyes and ck hair, giving off the feeling of an Asian man, but even so, he didnt really evoke the feeling of being Japanese. Then again, when hed met Ye Jin Jinst, he felt like she was a lot taller and had nigh-white skin, unlike other Chinese people. It was the same feeling. Perhaps they both came from a world simr but ultimately different from his own Earth. "Thanks for the tea. ...So you already knew about this dungeon, huh." "Its a dungeon that I cleared by myself in the past. There are dungeons that disappear after theyre cleared and dungeons which remain, due to therge traces of residual magic. This is thetter." Thats right. They were gathered inside of a dungeon within the level 3 danger zone right now. Dungeons are normally filled with danger, but ironically, empty dungeons were the safest ce that heroes could reside. "Now that the Heaven Defying General has gone on a rampage... I might have to find a dungeon and hide too." "The Heaven Defying General... I wonder if hes connected with Ethan Cruz as well." "He probably isnt. The Heaven Defying General isnt doing Ethan Cruz any favors in baiting the 12 generals and gathering the other heroes." "Thats true. I realized that Ethan Cruzs movements were strange because of it, but... Shall we begin talking in earnest? Regarding what Ethan Cruz is plotting." Retadane said seriously, and Yasunori nodded his head stiffly. They wanted to protect their juniors and took their jobs as seniors seriously, so Lee Shin Woo couldnt tell them that he actually had his own corps and that while they kept the 12 generals busy, we can take care of Ethan Cruz. I cant tell them my true identity, let alone the fact that I lead the undead, or things will go wrong fast. Lee Shin Woo sighed and decided to go with the flow. They started off with the Beast General, Jilun Pelta, went on to Ethan Cruzs ns that he may or may not have, as well as any other unknown variables. They told the human hero Lee Shin Woo all this information, believing that it was safe to tell him all this. "At first nce, this looks like a good ce to fight against the Beast General, but if theres a foe that is unhindered by the mountain range, theres a high chance that the heroes will be stabbed in the back." "A foe that is unhindered by the environment... Lee Shin Woo, do you have any guesses?" "I dont know if its one of the 12 generals or not, but I took down an undead mounting a flying monster just a little while ago." "A flying monster, undead... Ha." Retadane gritted her teeth, as though it suddenly clicked. "The Vulture General, Bureuche Von Golden Eagle...!" His title was Vulture, so why was his family name Golden Eagle!? Lee Shin Woo anguished over that irony, and Retadane gave them the answer. "Hes bald. The Emperor thought it was funny and gave him that title, but he doesnt like his title very much. Amongst the 12 generals, hes probably the one who hates being called their title the most." "I see..." So thats how it was. He suddenly felt sympathetic and became fond of the Vulture General. But when he asked Retadane why she had such detailed information on him, she said... "It probably worries you. ...Yasunori Akira, isnt it the same for you as well?" "It does worry me, but Id rather not force someone to talk when they clearly dont want to." "Its alright. I feel like Ill work closely with you in the future, so Ill just tell you and move on. Since Id rather not experience Ethan Cruzs foolish taunt ever again..." Lee Shin Woos ears perked up. However, Kratia, who never went into the chatting channel, didnt know what was going on and tilted her head. Then, she revealed a bombshell. "Seagald Von Retadane is my older brother." "..." "...?" He knew that Seira was a descendant of the Retadane family, but he hadnt expected her to be Seagalds younger sister. Lee Shin Woo remained silent at her unimaginable confession, and Yasunori was likewise silent, as he couldntprehend what she was saying for a brief period of time. However, Kratia informally spoke. "An olddy?" "Hey!" "Its alright. If you take into ount my age, that actually fits. ...I am one of the few citizens of the Empire that survived on Sun Day, [1] and I am also the first hero picked by God. Of course, at the time, I was only level 2..." "Level 2..." Lee Shin Woo couldnt even begin to imagine what she went through to go from level 2 to level 8. Moreover, she had to survive in the Empire with a living body! He didnt know if Retadane knew how they were feeling or not, but she remained calm as always. "But most importantly, Im a hero. And my brother, Seagald Von Retadane, is undead now. I promise you that I wont hesitate when facing him. Eliminating all the undead and purifying the Empire is not just Gods will, but my own as well." Retadane said firmly. It would be impossible to ask her about Anti-Skull. She likely knew what Anti-Skull represented. Despite that, she would still say that Seagald was undead now and that he had to be eliminated. "Now then, lets go back to our main topic. Theres a high chance that the Vulture General, Bureuche Von Golden Eagle, will show up. Therell be enough forces to sow chaos amongst the heroes. So Ill protect the heroes while you (Yasunori)..." Their war council continued for another few hours. Because of them, Lee Shin Woo knew how he would have to mobilize his army; so he hadnt lost out. Two dayster, the participants of the 12 general hunt had gathered in one ce. [1] T/N: Day of the Sun or Sun Day. Not Sunday. Chapter 35 part2 "Its good to see you, everyone. Some of you I know, but there are also some new faces here." "Its nice to finally meet you, Senior." "Wow, youre Lee Shin Woo? You look nice. I totally thought a wild animal would show up..." "Pot calling the kettle ck there, Lloyd." "So thedy over here is Kratia? The rumors were right, you are beautiful. I feel like God has been picking heroes based on their beautytely." "Hi, youre ugly. Unlike Shin Woo. Even his bones are good looking." "..." "And you look weaker than Shin Woo too." "R-Really..." "Senior Orun, those two are really skilled. Dont just sit there shaking ande over here." Aside from Ye Jin Jin and Silene Viesa (both of whom couldnt participate due to their low levels), Lee Shin Woo was able to meet all of the other heroes face-to-face, which was deeply moving (of course, Yasunori Akira wasnt present, but he should be hiding somewhere nearby). It was ironic, as it was difficult to meet with them when it was peaceful, but when it came time to fight the 12 generals, all the heroes gathered in one ce and chatted. "You have no idea how much I wanted to meet you." "I as well, Senior. Please take care of me." The handsome middle-aged man, Ethan Cruz looked right at Lee Shin Woo and initiated a conversation; in response, Lee Shin Woo shed him a bright, clean, and confident smile and replied. He would have never even suspected that Lee Shin Woo was conspiring to kill him just a few hours ago! "I trust you. Youll definitely be a huge help." "Im almost sick of hearing how you spare no expense to help your juniors." Ethan Cruz and Lee Shin Wooughed and conversed, but Jin, who was listening in, couldnt help butugh. A big help? Spares no expense? They were both lying to each other, and Jin, who knew the truth, would probably say something like Can you really be talking to each other like that?. "Haha, you really do have a silver tongue." "I said this before, but Ill trust in you, Senior. Hahaha." But Lee Shin Woo was clearly the better swindler. Lee Shin Woo smiled, as he had already seen through Ethan Cruzs n, but Ethan Cruz had no idea what he was nning. At this point, Lee Shin Woos Acting skill wasnt just perfect, it was peerless, as it fooled Ethan into thinking that he was just a junior that respected his senior. With the very modest nature that hed shown everyone in the chatting channel! Who could know that there was another side to him hidden behind that face? Lee Shin Woos energy made him the superior con man. Although he wasnt showing his darkness magic at all, Ethan was different; he was covered in chaotic darkness. As I thought, his darkness energy is ridiculously strong. He sure is good at faking it... Ethan Cruz hid his specialty well; he was a specialist in darkness magic debuffs, though he acted like he was a buffer. On the other hand, he didnt hide his darkness magic. Ethan told his juniors that he used some sort of darkness buff, but... because Lee Shin Woo was able to see it, as he could use a high rank darkness magic, and possessed a high affinity with mana. Eight threads that originated from Ethan Cruz trailed off to a ce quite far away. Rem. [I will begin pursuit. Would you like for me to do something else once I have found them?] You wouldnt be able to if theyre grouped up, but it seems like there are two of them that are acting separately. Obviously, Ethan Cruz couldnt show his undead heroes to the other heroes. And it was also obvious why Ethan Cruz was mobilizing a portion of those undead heroes. After all, he had to prepare for someone like Yasunori Akira. If someone from the outside learned of what he was nning, then Ethan Cruz would have to drop his facade, so he was using his undead to scout out for anyone who might interfere with his n. In any case, the fact that hes sending two out means... that I have to assume that Ethan Cruz is prepared as well. Although Yasunori Akira was hidden, it seems like he hadnt fooled Ethan Cruz. He shouldve hidden better. If he just let them do as they pleased, Yasunori Akira may be in trouble, but itrgely depended on Yasunori Akiras skill. I cant let that happen. After all, hes a precious ally who could have a huge impact on the battlefield. Of the Paul Corps under hismand, Lee Shin Woo picked a few of the most powerful and fastest amongst them and gave them separate orders. Their mission was obvious. They were to pursue the undead heroes and kill them! His subordinates kills counted as his kills, so he gave the order without hesitation. Before the true hunt begins, I suppose I should cut off an ankle or two. [I will go and help them now. Beginning the program for optimized hunting and flight.] Alright. Im counting on you. Lee Shin Woo made Rem, who had borrowed his darkness magic and was beginning to search for them,pletely responsible for this task. Then, he looked at Ethan Cruz and smiled naively. Ah, the other 6 undead heroes were probably joining up with the 12 generals troops. Since that was the simplest way to kill the other heroes. "Hey, Lee Shin Woo. Let me see your skills." "Oh my, Lloyds the one challenging him?" Lee Shin Woo, who had been looking at Ethan Cruz, heard someone call him and turned his head. There was a blonde haired, blue eyed man looking at him, who resembled a prince from a fairy tale; Lee Shin Woo wondered why this handsome man looking at him was emanating such a fighting spirit. So much so that he wasnt even worried about the fact that a charming elf, Erian Ruparte, was glued to his side. Was he always this hot-blooded? Lee Shin Woo looked at Lloyd, felt dubious, and muttered inwardly. From what he remembered, Lloyd was always friendly to his juniors. In addition, he was also a popr guy who hogged Erian and Prince to himself... What exactly had changed? His eyes were looking at Lee Shin Woo as if he were apetitor, so Lee Shin Woo just naturally tilted his head. "Senior, well be fighting against one of the 12 generals soon..." "Theres still time before their forces show up, and besides, it should be fine; itll just be a light duel. Id like to see those skills that everyone is alwaysplimenting you for." Lloyd sounded cool and collected, but he couldnt conceal the passion within his voice. No matter how friendly he was, once a warrior, always a warrior, huh. Lee Shin Woo shrugged his shoulders and softly gripped the Breath of the Lightning God. It wouldpletely ruin the mood if he were to reject this challenge. "Hey, Lloyd... Do you have to be so juvenile and fight to decide whos stronger? Are you a little kid?" "Sit tight, Prince. Its just a duel." Prince tried to stop him, but he wouldnt budge. Most of the other seniors watched on in curiosity. Since all of them wanted to see Lee Shin Woos skills first hand. What was the saying, a tall tree catches much wind? If he thought from their perspective, then he and Kratia were both powerful and had popped up out of nowhere. It was obvious that theyd want to assess his skills. Moreover, it was difficult to test a magicians ability out of the blue, so it seems like all of them had aggroed onto Lee Shin Woo. "Damn, youre being a dumbass." "Why are you getting all worked up over a duel?" "Hoo... Whatever, go ahead you idiot." Prince had already seen Lee Shin Woos frightening abilities firsthand, so she knew that Lloyd would be humiliated if Lee Shin Woo went all out. She obviously didnt want to see the man she loved lose so badly. "Then, shall we move?" "You dont need to do that. We can fight here." "Alright." However, Lloyd hadnt taken notice of Princes concern and just solely focused on Lee Shin Woo. His body shone and he became stronger than before, so it was clear that he had just buffed himself. "Ah, you really are an idiot. I guess you wont understand until he kicks your ass." "...Prince, arent you a bit off today?" "Hah? You want a piece of me? Your ears are long, just like a donkeys!" "What did you say!?" "If youre noting, then I will!" Prince and Erian argued amicably and then, Lloyd, who acted like hed give Lee Shin Woo the first move, spoke and came rushing over to him. Not only was he level 7, but he was also buffed as well, so he was incredibly fast! Oh, I can see it easily even without Jins help. Unfortunately for him, Lee Shin Woos stats were always being buffed by his Rebellion skill, while Rule of Bone also reinforced his body. His own buffs far outssed Lloyds. Moreover, Lloyd had only just be level 7, while Lee Shin Woo was level 7 and had increased his stats exponentially, with a stat total of 9,200. Even if he doesnt use all of his skills... he could take on Lloyd with one hand. "Heup!" "Good!" However, Lee Shin Woo didnt unleash his full strength, and acted as though he could barely dodge Lloyds strikes. Hiding his skills in front of Ethan Cruz was the optimum decision, but... it was also in Lloyds best interest, or Lloyds confidence to be more specific, to take it easy. If I want to do that, then I have to act perfectly. And because he possessed such peerless acting skills, it wasnt very difficult for him! It was his first time acting like he was unskilled, but it was nice in its own way. Lee Shin Woo shed des with Lloyd, and matched his swordsmanship just by acting. "Youre blocking me well!" "Keuk, Senior. Youre too fast...!" It would look strange if he lost too easily, but at the same time, winning would count as a loss for him. Lee Shin Woo leisurely ran around in order to maintain that fine bnce. He could only move like that because he hadplete control over his body. And... in the midst of barely matching up to Lloyd, he felt like his abilities were improving for some odd reason. The fact that Im matching his level of swordsmanship might be increasing the precision of my own. He could see so many weak points, but he acted like he wasnt aware of them and wouldnt attack. Then, he would lead Lloyd into attacking where he wanted. He acted as though he had a weak spot, and then would barely block that attack. Doing all of that naturally was certainly very difficult. That enabled him to improve both his swordsmanship... and his acting ability as well. [The Acting skill has be Lv19. There is no limit to your acting ability. You can act anywhere. You can act as though you are losing to an ant, but you can also bluff a dragon into leaving.] [The High rank Bursting Thunder skill has be Lv4. Strength and Magic have increased by 10.] Lee Shin Woos movements became even smoother. He wasnt turning the course of the duel around, but he made the fight look much closer than before. "Ah, I guess we should stop here." How many times had they shed des? In the end, Lloyd smiled regrettably, as he hadnt been able to overpower Lee Shin Woo, and took a step back. His expression looked much more refreshed than it had just a little while ago; so much so that Lee Shin Woo felt better as well. "Thank you for taking it easy on me, Senior." "I wasnt taking it easy on you. You really are strong. Then again, theres no way you wouldnt be skilled when your level is so high. I feel like you have at least intermediate level 7 swordsmanship..." "...I dont know what to say." I reached high rank level 4 because of you... is something he couldnt say. "It guess that makes sense. Im the same. To be honest, God gave me another secret skill... Its a skill that always kills its target, so I cant use it on my allies. You have a skill like that too, right?" "Of course, I dont know if itll work on your or not, but I do indeed have another skill from God. Please use that skill on the 12 generals." "Haha, alright. Take good care of me." "Thats my line. Please take care of me." Lee Shin Woo and Lloyd sported refreshing smiles and shook hands. If an outsider had seen the fight, then they wouldve assumed that the two were rivals that had acknowledged each other after a fierce battle... though he just looked like a swindler to Kratia and Prince. And thats how Lee Shin Woo seeded inpletely fooling the other heroes about his abilities. Chapter 35 part3 "Why did you do that?" Once they had finished their duel, Prince grabbed Lee Shin Woos arm, not Lloyds, and dragged him away from the other heroes. She wanted to know why he had hidden his abilities. She didnt want to leave Lloyd behind, but it seemed like she didnt like Lee Shin Woo hiding his abilities either. While thinking that she was a really troublesome person, Lee Shin Woo maintained his smile and replied. "I just didnt want to embarrass Senior Lloyd." "Are you an idiot? Were going to be fighting one of the 12 generals soon. Do you really think youll be able to hide your abilities then?" "Yes." Lee Shin Woos nonchnt response caused her rosy cheeks to thin. "Youre really..." "Ah, Im not saying Ill be ying around while youre all in danger. There are so many ways that I can do my part without revealing my abilities." Prince was fed up with Lee Shin Woo, as he spoke while smiling unashamedly. However, she wasnt able to criticize him anymore, as Lee Shin Woos expression turned serious and suddenly grabbed onto her shoulder. "W-What is it?" "More importantly, you remember your promise with me, right?" "Thats... I know, I got it. I just need to stay next to you, right? Anyway..." It seemed like shed say something strange if he just let her be, so Lee Shin Woo took the initiative. "No, please stick with Kratia." "...Huh?" "You have to stick with Kratia for the duration of this battle. Since Kratia will need your help for something. Please, you have to." "Wait, thats... Huh?" Prince tilted her head, as she couldnt understand his words or intent. But then, a single strand of mana coiled around her. It was Lee Shin Woos darkness mana. He was trying to find the root of Princes boundless trust and confidence in Ethan Cruz. "Huh? What are you doing?" "Its nothing." Ethan Cruz had used a high rank spell on her. While the other heroes might not have noticed, it couldnt escape Lee Shin Woos notice when he was actively trying to find it. It wouldve been easier if Lee Shin Woo had found the spell when he had initially formed a contract with her, reminding him that he still had a long way to go. Ah, is this it? Lee Shin Woo discovered the darkness magic and gently erased it on the spot. Of course, he did it covertly enough that the caster, Ethan Cruz, wouldnt notice. He would probably notice eventually, but by then it would be toote. "Hey wait, did you just do something?" "I just dispelled a small debuff that was applied to you." "A debuff? Mm, now that you mention it, my body feels refreshed for some reason." Its likely her mind, not her body thats refreshed. She wouldnt feel the effects, as the spell had been applied to her so covertly. Which meant that she would still find it strange if he started talking to her about Ethan Cruz. "In any case, you just need to remember one thing: please stick with Kratia." "You want me to stay with her instead of with you? I-Im straight! No matter how cool or mature I look as a man..." "Please dont worry. Since Im straight too." Lee Shin Woo smiled bitterly and returned to the group with Prince. No one was suspicious of them, as they were aware that they had worked together before. "If I could, I would keep talking with you guys forever, but... Unfortunately, I wont be able to do that. The Beast General will be here soon. Everyone, get ready for battle." Ethan Cruz gathered all the heroes in one ce. Aside from Seira Von Retadane and Kratia, everyone was focused on him. Lee Shin Woo was the only person to see the quietly exchanged nces, their plot, and their resolve. I guess its true. Mentes Orun... Mentes Orun was the more obvious of the two; he looked at the perpetrator, Ethan Cruz, with irritation, resignation, and fury, and also looked at the other heroes as well. It may look like he was anxious before the battle, but to Lee Shin Woo, who knew his true intent, it looked ridiculous. Mentes Orun was one of the variables that could affect theing battle... Yeah. Lee Shin Woo decided quickly that he would have to take this guy down first. For that reason, he had arrived here before anyone else and had made preparations. A secret weapon that had even escaped Seira Von Retadane and Yasunori Akiras notice! [Master, Chi Paul and Shino Rendu have caught up with Target 1.] Oh, good. What about Yasunori Akira? [He is still hiding. Target 2 is getting close, but Bisher Moon will stop him soon.] Lee Shin Woo received his long-awaited report from Rem, raised his head, and secretly looked at Ethan Cruzsplexion. The once rxed and smiling middle-aged man had instantaneously stiffened. Yeah, he was shocked. "Whats wrong, Senior?" "Oh, its nothing... Mm, dont worry about it." Ethan Cruz hadnt been able to properly control his facial expression. Lee Shin Woo knew he would act like this, as two level 7 elites had popped up out of nowhere and attacked his subordinate. There was no way he wouldnt be surprised. Also, since one of them was Shino Rendu, it made him feel like the world was against him. "Senior, are you alright?" "Youre the most important person here, so please tell us if something is wrong!" "Haha, you rascals. I told you, theres nothing wrong." Ethan Cruzsrade, as well as the other heroes soon realized something was up. His juniors were concerned about him, and Ethan Cruz shed them an uncertain smile. It would have been better if they had left him alone so he could think, but he couldnte up with a suitable response with all of them fussing over him. Oh, how embarrassing it must be! "Senior, are you really ok?" "Ah, yeah. Of course I am. Even if something did happen, shouldnt we be focusing on the uing battle?" He was absolutely right. Lee Shin Woo acted as though he were moved by Ethan Cruzs statement and nodded his head. While he was doing so, Ethan Cruzs expression worsened even more. Ah, the other undead hero mustve been taken out by Bisher Moon. Bisher Moon was powerful. He could use the darkness element, which made him and his element the undead heroes worst enemy. Moreover, Lee Shin Woos contract strengthened him significantly, so Bisher Moon could take on as many level 7 undead heroes as you could throw at him! "Why is that bastard showing up now..." "What did you say, Senior?" "Hahahaha! Nothing!" He must be pissed! Ethan Cruz must want to punch Lee Shin Woo, as he was so nosily asking questions! But he couldnt, as it would shatter his image as a friendly senior! Ethan Cruz smiled arduously; it was like Ethan Cruzs mind wasid bare before Lee Shin Woo. Are you having that much fun? Ah, this is the best. Lee Shin Woo acted as though he were genuinely concerned for Ethan Cruz, and only Jin knew Lee Shin Woos true intentions. Hed once said that Lee Shin Woo was nice in the past, but that was a mistake. This guy was definitely something else; he was more wicked than the devil himself! [You have acquired 2 secret shop permits and 76,335,710 Perium.] [You have given peace to arade who walked a path he could not return from. You have partially cleared the quest objectives, and have acquired 1 secret shop permit. The maximum level of the Invisible Heart skill has increased by 1.] Then he noticed that Chi Paul and Shino Rendu had killed the undead hero. One of Ethan Cruzs 8 undead heroes had gone down by one! "Keuk..." Ethan Cruz acted like there was nothing going on and wore a serious expression, as if preparing for the uing battle with the Beast General, but it was obvious that he was desperately thinking something like what the hell is going on? or what should I do to ensure that the other one doesnt die?. However, he was already toote. He shouldve been prepared for this when he had left his subordinates to operate independently. Once Lee Shin Woo had tracked their movements, they were as good as dead! [You have acquired 2 secret shop permits and 31,632,240 Perium.] [You have given peace to arade who walked a path he could not return from. You have partially cleared the quest objectives, and have acquired 1 secret shop permit. The maximum level of the Invisible Heart skill has increased by 1.] Ethan Cruz was here, while his remaining six subordinates were with the Beast Generals forces, so he couldnt do anything about it. Ultimately, his second undead hero was killed. Right before it died, Lee Shin Woo saw Ethan Cruz flinch and attempt to use his darkness magic. It seemed like it was a technique that buffed his subordinates, or perhaps it was a healing ability of some sort. But because all eyes were on him, he stopped himself, as his ns would be ruined if he got caught right now. As a result, the undead hero was futilely killed by Bisher Moon. To think Id be able to take down two level 7 undead heroes so easily. He had gained 6 secret shop permits, as well as 100 million Perium. Hed also be able to collect the bones soon, so he saw Ethan Cruz as Santa using with a present bag. Moreover, there were six more presents he had yet to open! "Senior, you look ufortable. Shall we call everything off?" "No... Its fine. If we dont do it now, well lose our opportunity. My conditions just not great today. Dont worry about it too much." "But still..." He had just wanted to eliminate anything that could put his ns at risk, but he had instantaneously lost 25% of his forces. Thus, Ethan Cruzs expression had noticeably crumpled up. Even he, who had spent all his time hiding his true intent from everyone, would find it troublesome to remain calm in light of this situation. Moreover, he had no way of knowing who his opponent was, so he felt screwed. Thats why I cant back down. Avoid this opportunity to procure several undead heroes just because of some unknown variables? No way. Although he had lost two of his undead heroes, there was no going back for Ethan Cruz. He had no choice but to ount for the unknown variable and seed in his mission. "Everyone get ready! Concentrate. Our opponents one of the 12 generals. You never know when you might die!" "Yes sir!" Though they were worried about Ethan Cruz, the heroes immediately stiffened and nodded their heads. Lee Shin Woo saw one of Mentes Oruns hands shake. He saw Lloyd, Prince, and Erian looking at each other, restless. Seira Von Retadane was gently looking at him. And he felt like he could hear Yasunori Akira grabbing his sword from afar. "Before we go, let me buff all of you..." "I dont need it." Kratia tly refused, grabbed onto Prince with one hand, and gently jumped into the air. Her orb appeared and gleamed in the air, creating a disc of ice, and allowing her tond upon it. "Since the magic weve prepared doesnt mix with darkness. Well be going first." "H-Hey!?" Kratia wasnt someone Ethan Cruz could control. He gaped, as right before he cast his buff on Prince, Kratia had grabbed her and gotten away, far enough that they couldnt be seen. "But Id like to get the buffffffffffff!" Princes voice echoed, so they had definitely entered the mountain range. Ethan Cruz looked agitated, and Lee Shin Woo gave an excuse for Kratia in her stead. "Shes a magician who didnt even want to receive Gods power. But shell do her part, so please dont worry about her too much." "Is that so...?" There was nothing he could do, so Ethan Cruz just nodded his head. He kept his eyes fixed in the direction they left - the mountain range, and Lee Shin Woo didnt miss the wicked intent behind it. "To think theyd refuse Senior Ethans buff. It was a bit too much of her to have not let Prince get the buff either." "Magicians may have different rules, no? Senior, Im in your care." "Yeah. There are fewer people, so the buff will be even stronger than before." Lee Shin Woo also received Ethan Cruzs buff. He had Darkness Resistance and had to restrain it from activating as much as possible. If his resistance took effect, then Ethan Cruzs buff would disappear at any time. Ethan Cruz had no idea, so the moment the buff took effect, he smiled secretly. "How is it? Do you feel stronger?" "So its true." Once the duration time passed, the body would be heavy, and the target would be defenseless against Ethan Cruzs curse; it was incredibly wicked energy. Once the buff took effect, one would be ying in the palm of Ethan Cruzs hand. But thats only if you dont have Darkness Resistance: MAX and High Rank Darkness. Lee Shin Woo was actually happy about this newfound connection with himself and Ethan Cruz. Now all he needed to do was flip who was superior in this connection... This difficult task would be great for advancing his darkness element. "Im fine. Light and darkness do not mix." "Is that so..." Retadane also refused his buff. As she did so, she looked at Lee Shin Woo worryingly, but he just nodded his head as if to say that he was alright. Ethan Cruz had no idea that the two were in on this together, and decided that he would have to procure Retadane from this no matter what. 10 minutester, he saw the tip of the force led by the Beast General, Jilun Pelta. Chapter 35 part4 [You are facing an irrational number of opponents with only a small handful of allies. Through the Rebellion skill, all stats have increased by 16%. All effects are shared with your partner.] "Wow, the hell is all that?" "Hes called the Beast General, right? As expected..." The Beast General was a Werewolf, a level 7 elite, and led a force of beasts. Thus, his undead troops possessed a characteristic that differentiated them from any of the 12 generals troops hed seen thus far, which was... "Theyre huge...!" "Bears, tigers, wolves... Why are animals part of the Empire? It looks like a monster army rather than an Imperial Army." "They have the bodies of beasts but the minds of humans. Dont be reckless or youll be dead before you know it." To think the Beast Generals force was only about 10,000 strong. You couldnt convince anyone that that force wasrge. However, they all radiated danger. It was surprising, as they werent normal soldiers and all of them were elites, each and every one of them trained to the very limit. "Theyre all at least level 4 . Thats ridiculous." "We wont lose. We can do this." "Leave the rear to me. Ill protect Llo... everyone." The heroes surveyed the undead with unease and then raised their weapons. Lee Shin Woo did the same. The sight of sparks crackling from his Breath of the Lightning God surprised all the heroes. "Lightning element...!?" "Thats the first weapon Ive seen emitting such intense lightning. Did you get it from Gods garden?" "Ill be going first!" Lee Shin Woo yelled out and charged atop Jin. Ethan Cruz had already formted a strategy and a battle formation, but if Lee Shin Woo did exactly as Ethan Cruz said, then wouldnt he just be ying in the palm of his hand? After all, Lee Shin Woo would have to hide his abilities in this battle. "O-Oh no! Lee Shin Woo! Wait, why is that horse so fast!?" "That idiot...! Lets go too!" "Erian, back him up before hes overwhelmed by the undead!" "Understood!" The other heroes acted in a hurry. Of them, Seira Von Retadanes weapon was most striking; it was a il, an iron mace covered in sharp spikes attached to a handle by a chain. "Huaaaaaahp!" The sight of a slender woman swinging an iron mace connected by a chain even caused the other heroes to pause. "R-Retadane, thats your weapon...?" "I was sure she was a light element magician." The beasts, with their good eyesight, were soon able to see the heroes. The sound of a horn resounded throughout the battlefield, and the giant undead beasts in the forefront rushed forward. [You hero scum, how dare you so fearlessly challenge the Beast Generals forces!] [Well turn you all into undead and have you join our army!] [Get ready... Keok!] Lee Shin Woo quickly charged into the vanguard and crushed them with the Breath of the Lightning God. His dash to the enemy troops looked like exploding lightning itself! He sat atop his horse and provoked his enemies with a bold deration. "Im the hero, Lee Shin Woo! Ill burn you all to a crisp, soe try me if you dare!" "That guy, was he always so impetuous...!?" "Follow him! Itll be dangerous if we face off against Jilun Pelta face to face!" The other heroes followed behind him and shed with the beasts. Lloyd H.K. and Mentes Orun both wielded a sword in one hand and a shield in the other. They differed in that Lloyd was skilled with his sword, while Mentes used his shield better. A shield wasnt good at prating an enemys defense, but it enabled them to take on a portion of the swarming enemies and fight safely while Lee Shin Woo did his thing. "Heuryaaaap!" [Keheok!] [Kahk!] [S-Stop them! Were being pushed back!] Meanwhile, Seira Von Retadane swung her il around, crushing a portion of the enemy troops with the attached iron mace. She pulled back the attachment without difficulty and spun the mace once more. The beasts were shocked at the sight of her and attempted to set up their defenses, but it wasnt very effective. She swung her il again, and the mace killed dozens of beasts. "Im here too!" "If youre going to support me, do it right!" The archer, Erian Ruparte, and the magician, Ethan Cruz supported the heroes from the rear. Although she was still level 6, she not only shot out a ton of arrows, but the force behind said arrows was extremely powerful. Meanwhile, Ethan Cruz shot out his incredibly powerful darkness magic, inflicting damage upon the Beast Generals forces. [Kuoooooooooooooh! Those who look down upon the Empire... Kneel!] By the time the heroes had broken through the enemy lines, the Beast General, Jilun Peltas voice resounded through the battlefield. Befitting his name, the Beast Generals lion roar was wild and bloodthirsty. So much so that the heroes whose stats were lower than his flinched and stiffened. Is that it? Not only had Lee Shin Woo experienced screams before and had gotten used to them, but he was also the authority on the subject, so much so that he could write a one hundred page thesis on screams. Thus, Lee Shin Woo was able to shrug off the scream. But he was unsure over whether he could defeat Jilun Pelta one on one. It was the same with Metafel, but this guy was definitely on the cusp of level 8. There was some worth in staking his life in the battle in order to advance his skills, but it wasnt the right time for that. Moreover, theres something I need to do. Killing the beasts and cutting down their numbers? No, his job wasnt so trivial. What was Lee Shin Woos original objective? It was to protect the heroes and kill Ethan Cruz! So, what he needed to do right now was... Kill all of Ethan Cruzs troops that are hidden amongst the beasts. Hiding something so small amidst the huge beasts was the optimum strategy. However, Lee Shin Woo already knew that the undead heroes were hidden amidst the beasts and could spot them easily. Moreover, this mana... Ethan Cruzs mana is making it easier to find them. Ethan Cruz had probably intended for his mana to help his subordinates find the heroes more easily amidst the chaotic battlefield. However, Lee Shin Woo was using it for the reverse. He analyzed Ethan Cruzs mana and followed it, enabling Rem to see where the undead heroes were, as they were connected to Ethan Cruzs mana! Rem? [I have almost found all of them. You cane into contact with four of the six undead heroes, as the other two are by Jinlun Pelta. I will begin to guide you to them, Master.] Good. What a nice GPS. The battle had only just begun, and none of the heroes had died thus far. Ethan Cruz nned to order his subordinates to strike when the heroes were fatigued, but... But my time is now! Im going! The moment Rem shared the route with him, Jin ran explosively! No matter who stood before him, charged at him, attempted to catch him front behind, or dropped from the sky, none could stop Jin as all the beasts were flung away. In an instant, all eyes were on him, but because the battle was filled with so many giant monsters, his allies couldnt really find him. "Lee Shin Woo, that idiot. Where is he!? Umph!" "We dont have any other choice right now. We have to calmly kill the monsters in our immediate vicinity. Dont break rank. If you go too far out, they wont be able to support us, and itll be dangerous for us too... Ah, Retadane!" "Huooooooooooooooh!" Lee Shin Woo wasnt the only one who didnt follow Ethan Cruzs orders. Retadane was extremely excited, as she ran around swinging her il. She was skilled with a il, and the iron mace, which contained a blinding light, cleaved through the air without any impediment. Whenever she struck an undead, the undead wouldnt be able to even utter a word before disappearing without a trace. "What... I guess we dont have to worry about her." "But shes human, so shell get tired soon. Hoo, therere a lot of people we have to look over. Moreover, how far did Miss Kratia take Prince?" "Dont you think theyre preparing a huge attack of some sort?" Lloyd and Mentes Orun synchronized their movements and pushed the undead back; while doing so, Mentes secretly smacked his lips. Kratia and Prince hadnt been buffed, so he would have to work extra hard to procure them, let alone Retadane. I was most wary of Lee Shin Woo, but I should be able to subdue him. Its good that that matter has been resolved, but what should I do about those two magicians? At this rate, Mentes Orun would have no choice but to leave those two to Ethan Cruzs reinforcements. In any case, he would focus on taking down Lloyd for now. If they were able to procure Lee Shin Woo and Lloyd, then next, all they would need to do was wait until Retadane was fatigued. With the help of Ethans curse and the strength of one of the 12 generals, they should be able to take her down without much difficulty. ...Im sorry, juniors. I wanted to see the Empire purified too. But life doesnt always go the way you want it to. But at that moment... "Wait! Youre (undead seniors) working alongside one of the 12 generals!?" A booming voice resounded throughout the battlefield. It was none other than Lee Shin Woo. "To think youd hide amidst the generals troops and aim for your juniors. How sad. But dont worry. As your junior, I will correct your mistakes and put you to rest!" "...Seniors? "..." Lloyd tilted his head at Lee Shin Woos promation, and Mentes stiffened, as their ns were going awry. On the other hand, Retadane stopped swinging her il and broke intoughter. If they couldnt understand the meaning behind his warning, then they had no right to be here. "No matter who it was, or why they used you, Ill get revenge in your stead! Huaaaahp!" Hey, you can act more naturally, cant you!? Lee Shin Woopletely ignored Jins retort, found the first undead hero with Rems help, and attacked. The undead hero wielded a greatsword and responded to his attack, but there was no way hed be pushed back by a simrly leveled undead hero. It was the same story even if he didnt use his darkness magic. [Kyahak!] "Ah, I see you cant even speak...! Please have a taste of this lightning!" No matter how much stronger it had gotten under Ethan Cruzsmand, it couldnt ovee Lee Shin Woos Rebellion and Rule of Bone skills. He killed the nearby attacking beasts with ease and then attacked. Right after Jins back feet touched the ground, they rushed forward! "Heup!" [Keuk!] Lee Shin Woo added Shadow Horn to his thrust and broke through the undead heros greatsword with a single blow. Then, he flung the split greatsword into the air with his Breath of the Lightning God and split the heads of the attacking monsters! "Dont interrupt my final conversation with my senior!" [Kuaaaaaaahk!] Lee Shin Woos rage caused the undead to flinch. The moment they retreated, he pushed the undead hero back and burrowed his sword into its head within a few seconds. Only the remaining lightning in the sky bore witness to how his sword moved and how he had subdued his opponent. [You have acquired 2 secret shop permits and 28,115,470 Perium.] [You have given peace to arade who walked a path they could not return from. You have partially cleared the quest objectives, and have acquired 1 secret shop permit. The maximum level of the Invisible Heart skill has increased by 1.] "Kuheuk... I wont forget your sacrifice, Senior!" Good. Now there were only five left. Lee Shin Woo picked up the level 7 bone and immediately used Bone Reinforcement. He then straightened himself out and his eyes shined with light. At that moment, Rem, who was flying in the sky, reported. [The Beast General ising your way, Master!] Chapter 35 part5 "Tch, I thought Id be able to kill two of them. What terrible timing." Lee Shin Woo smiled bitterly. Hed only killed one of the undead heroes that had been hidden amidst the beasts, yet the Beast General was alreadying to intervene. He couldnt even imagine how much influence Ethan Cruz had on the Beast General. "Still, I cant just sit here and do nothing... Alright, lets retreat to Retadane." "What about them?" "Not yet. Seems like theyre going to act once the heroes are fatigued." Lee Shin Woo and Jin conversed and then began to move. The nearby remaining beasts gritted their teeth and charged, but once Jin began to sprint at full speed, there was nothing they could do to stop him. Jin was so fast that he couldnt be seen, as lightning struck his surroundings. Jin ran wildly, as the beasts caught ame and were split apart. [Stoppppp!] As they attempted to group up with Retadane, a boulder suddenly flew towards them. Lee Shin Woo threw his Breath of the Lightning God and broke it apart. Immediately after, a bear-shaped beast charged from in front of them. [Lv7 Werebear Suranta Bet] [I cant allow you to face the Beast General in person! Be a good boy and...] "I dont have time for that!" [Keuk!?] Lee Shin Woo charged without waiting for it to finish. The level 7 elite stretched its thick front legs and blocked his sword; it looked surprised. [To think you could stop my strike head on!] "Heuuup...!" [This is... Lightning...!?] Lee Shin Woo concentrated and the Breath of the Lightning Gods lightning briefly intensified; it then spread across the bears body. Suranta wasnt an elite in name only. It responded by using its mana to activate a skill, which fortified its body. However, that was the worst decision it could make. When skills shed head on, the one that was a higher level would triumph! [H-How can this be? My skill is...!?] The lightning enveloped its body and burned bright. The lightning ate through its fur and skin, as well as the skill. Suranta was shocked once it realized that Lee Shin Woos lightning had essentially canceled its skill. Then, Lee Shin Woo grinned and lunged with his Breath of the Lightning God. "Nice. Then... Rest in peace!" [Kahak!] Lee Shin Woo was even able to convert all the mana on the battlefield into lightning through his intense breathing, so doing this was just childs y. Then, using Bursting Thunder, he thrust with his lightning d sword, splitting the bear in half. Although it was indeed a level 7 elite, Lee Shin Woo had easily taken care of it in less than 30 seconds! [You have acquired 7,194,070 Perium.] [You have acquired the Lv7 Werebear Suranta Bes front foot bone.] Lee Shin Woo absorbed the bone immediately, but his Strength and Health only increased by 7 a piece. Once he saw how lousy its magic was, he figured it was weak, and it did seem like it was in the lower echelon of level 7s. "Hoo. Whats with the attitude? You were the same level as me." Are you going to go kill the Beast General now? "Lets think about that after I level up." Even at this very moment, the Beast General was chasing after Lee Shin Woo. He could tell what state the battlefield was in based on how the Beast General was moving. Unfortunately, it wasnt Lee Shin Woos style to fight him head on. "Jin, run. That reliable olddy will protect us." "Just make sure you dont say that in front of her." Jin ran quickly, even as he grumbled. Now that the Beast General wasing for them personally, the surrounding beasts attempted to stop them, but... they werent enough to stop Jins sprint. He was like a meteor as he shook off anyone following them and ran straight for Retadane! Retadane soon noticed them whilst crushing nearby beasts and yelled in surprise. "Lee Shin Woo!?" "Retadane, the Beast General ising this way!" "You really do the most outrageous things...! Please stay behind me!" [Kuoooooooooooh!] Lee Shin Woo sessfully joined up with Retadane, and immediately after, the Beast General screamed and pushed aside the nearby beasts. It was obviously none other than the Beast General himself, but... Lee Shin Woo was somewhat doubtful when he finally saw him. "Thats the Beast General...?" [So many annoying pests have gathered in one ce! Ill round you up and kill you all!] The giant undead yelled and charged. Its entire body wasposed of bones. He couldnt believe it, it was a skeleton! The higher level an undead, the more they resemble a human, so it made sense that Lee Shin Woo was suspicious, but... perhaps because it was a skeleton, it looked incredibly formidable! He thought it may be a stand-in or something to that effect, but when he checked the name, he confirmed that that wasnt the case. [Lv7 Bone Werewolf - Beast General Jilun Pelta] "It really is the Beast General..." "Indeed. No one can evene close to his savagery and cruelty; the Tyrant of the Battlefield...! We should take him out while we have the chance!" [Kuheu, what do we have here? Its the littledy of the Retadane house! What a joyous asion. Id always wanted to just eat you up!] Once she saw the Beast General, Retadanes red eyes eerily lit up and she charged. She swung her il with unimaginable force and her weapon was filled with a blinding light, her inherent magic. [Kuhak! Keuk!?] The il cleaved through the air, and the giant bone wolf boldly took it head on. It opened its mouth wide and caught the il. The moment they collided, the Beast General emitted a truly awful sound. [Kuhak... How have you be so strong!?] "Its funny when I look at you, still trapped in the past...! Keep yourself buried in the past and choke on it!" "Buried in the past... Pfft." Lee Shin Woo watched on, and acquired some useless information, like the fact that when Retadane starts fighting, she begins to say some really infantile things! But... But her strength is real. Just by looking at her overwhelming physical strength and the magic within that il will tell you how powerful she is. Moreover... Those were all her own abilities... They (the undead) were nothingpared to the power of light. Even now, Lee Shin Woo felt Retadane converting a portion of the mana that spilled out from her body into light. It was such a radiant light that most undead would shrink from her approach! Most of the undead are maintained by darkness magic, but Retadanes light magic denies the root of their existence and puts them in their proper ce... In other words, she was trying to send them to their death. And the Beast General was no different. [Keuk, this light magic...!] "As thest light priest in thend... I will exterminate the undead!" The Werewolfs fingernails, which emitted a blue light, and Retadanes il shed in the air a few times. In terms of force, they were evenly matched, but whenever her weapon came into contact with him, the Beast General would be noticeably more tired. The Beast General, which wasnt able to reach level 8, wasnt able to deal with the light which covered the entire area! [Alright... I admit, youre no longer a coy maiden anymore... Now that itse to this, Ill fight you with my true form!] "What? Were on the second phase already?" In the end, the Beast General admitted that he couldnt let this go on, retreated, and gathered himself. For the time being, Lee Shin Woo watched their fight and attempted to analyze it. He couldnt help but feel disappointed after watching the Beast General get hit a few times! "Lee Shin Woo, how long do you intend to just sit there and watch? Youre the one who lured him over here." "Of course Ill help. Haha. I was just looking for the right opportunity since its so hard to keep track of your movements, Ms. Retadane." Lee Shin Woo was done being a spectator. If he could, he wouldve waited until the Beast General showed the trick up his sleeve, but he couldnt just do anything when Retadane was staring at him and asking for assistance. Moreover, Lee Shin Woo had been overlooking this, but with the continual expenditure of mana and stamina, Retadane would eventually get tired (as she wasnt undead, but a human being)! Even now, her breathing had be haggard, albeit slightly. If he took into ount the fact that this was the opportunity Ethan Cruz was looking for, then he couldnt just let her be. "Beast General, its my turn!" [Kuha. Youre going to face me now?] "You despoiled my seniors bodies! Ill take your life in exchange!" Lee Shin Woo said, which was just as embarrassing as anything Retadane would say, and rushed forward. He let Retadane catch her breath and charged! He concentrated his mana into a Breath of the Lightning God, and the Beast General faced him while smiling, as if finding him ridiculous. [In the end, you will all serve His Majesty... As proof, Ill take you first!] At that moment, splitting sounds came from the Beast Generals body as his bones broke apart. No, at least thats what he thought was happening. Then, the broken areas were repaired with new bones. Bone was tangled with other bones in aplicated manner, and the Werewolf began to grow! He was transforming! [Kureureureureu... Kuhaaaaaah!] He was already quiterge, but he had grown in size by about two or three times. Sharply split bones sprouted from his back, resembling thorns. They sprouted on his arms, down to the back of his hands, his stomach, and even all the way down to his legs! His entire body was covered in a bone armor, which made it difficult to even make out his original form. What Lee Shin Woo was sure of however was that the Beast Generals strength had increased significantly! [The strength of the 12 generals is absolute, and cannot be measured with mere levels! No matter how much you look at my level, or measure my magic, theyre ultimately just numbers! Ill kindly teach you that lesson with your bodies!] "Werewolf transformation... To think that you could develop that technique even further as an undead." Retadane focused her light magic into her il and gritted her teeth. Lee Shin Woo listened and had some idea of what she was talking about. Just a little while ago, Bisher Moon had exined this to him. The Beast Tribe possesses a separate human and animal form, but by using magic, they can topple this bnce. They would strengthen the animals unique characteristics and temporarily increase their strength through the transformation technique. However, high rank members of the Beast Tribe could go one step further and surpass their limits, further reinforcing their bodies or even awakening an unknown specialty that could not normally exist in this world. At the time, Lee Shin Woo had just wrote it off as them transforming into a fantasy beast, but... [Thorn Wolf. Thats my special ability... Keuk, keuk. Can you still stay that Im still buried in the past or what not? Fool. I gained a new body and became stronger than you could ever imagine!] "Keuk...!" He dered andunched a left straight at Lee Shin Woo. Lee Shin Woo calmly blocked the blow with his Breath of the Lightning God but was pushed by the Werewolfs ridiculous strength. To think that he would be pushed back, especially when Jin had increased the force with his charge! [Ill skewer both you and your horse...!] "Tch!" Hed thought that the Beast Generals transformation was over with, but the sprouting thorns continued to getrger andrger, and attacked Lee Shin Woo and Jin simultaneously! They attempted to get away from him, but his Breath of the Lightning God was stuck between two of the generals fingernails. Whats worse, nails sprouted up from between his fingernails as well, wrapping around his de like vines. It was honestly quite disgusting. If it were the average day, then he wouldve blown up the Breath of the Lightning God, or summon a new weapon to block the generals attack, but Retadane was watching him right now, so he couldnt show off his skills. If thats the case, then... I have to go with Bursting Thunder! Lee Shin Woo rapidly circted his magic and focused it into his Breath of the Lightning God. He used his High Rank Mana Bone skill as a base to activate his Mana eleration skill, forming magic that would be effective against the general! He used High Rank Combat Sense as well in order to calcte the optimum course of action...! "Heup!" [Kuhak!?] For a moment, the lightning reached its peak. The electric discharge burned the generals fingernails and thorns instantly, and the freed Breath of the Lightning God moved at blinding speed; cutting through all the thorns that had beening their way! He cut through dozens of thorns at lightning speed, which resembled exploding lightning. It had both goosebump inducing precision and destructive power, so no matter how many thorns came at him and obstructed his vision, he could cut them all down, so long as he moved optimally. Huh...? But at that moment, Lee Shin Woo realized something that waspletely unrted to Bursting Thunder. How was I able to see those thorns and cut them down all at once? Of course, it was likely due to his Combat Sense, as well as his connection with Jin, which amplified his reflexes, but that definitely wasnt everything. It felt like he could naturally perceive the thorns with something else before his senses picked them up. Yeah, as if he could see the right course of action beforehand... [Youre quite powerful as well...! Ill crush you!] "Ive had just about enough of you doing whatever you want!" But before Lee Shin Woo coulde to an answer, Retadane, who had caught her breath, took the opportunity to swing her light covered il at the Beast General. [Keuk!?] "Dont leave me behind!" Stop talking like a guy who has been dumped by his girlfriend! The Beast General was shocked and attempted to retreat, but it was Lee Shin Woos time to pay him back now! He was weakpared to Retadane or other level 8s, but his breathing, which utilized Mana eleration, converted the areas mana into lightning and stopped the Beast General for just an instant. That small span of time was enough for Retadane to get a direct hit on the Beast General. [Kuhak!] "That ability just now... That was good. Lets talk after we take him down!" "Ok!" Like Lee Shin Woo had done, Retadane had also analyzed Lee Shin Woos fight with the Beast General while she was catching her breath, and waited for the perfect opportunity to strike. Now was the time to make use of that information for the two to push him back! [Kuhu... Youre trying to handle me, the Beast General, with just the two of you!?] The Beast General used the force behind Retadanes strike to retreat and activated an ability to restore his bones. Then he shouted bravely, but on the inside, he felt that he was in danger; if things went wrong, then he might die before their n was even set into motion. And thus, the battle between the strongest hero duo and one of the 12 generals began. Chapter 35 part6 Two minutes had passed since they began to fight in earnest. The Beast General, who had transformed into a Thorn Werewolf, was taking hit after hit from the two heroes. "Disappear!" "Huoooooh!" [Thorn... Kuaaahk! To think youd cut through my technique!] Although he could continuously attack and mend himself by controlling his bones, the two heroes attacks would break his bones as soon as he made the attempt! Retadane and Lee Shin Woo attacked as one, resembling that of a lightning storm. [You bastards are... Kuahk! I am...! Kuahk! Ill kill you with my own hands... Kehehk!] "Huooooh!" "How dare you turn my seniors into undead? Ill never forgive you!" Yes, what lively acting. Retadane gripped her il, attacking like a berserker, and just let out a strange battle cry. Lee Shin Woo supported her, as her strikes left her with a lot of openings, and together, they pushed the Beast General back. He continued to act as though he were a hero with a strong sense of duty. Seeing that, Jin nonchntly epted it and pretty much knew what Lee Shin Woo was doing. "Senior, Ill go a bit faster!" "Alright... Lets make sure we kill him here and now!" Whats worse, their attacks intensified the more time went on, and the exnation for that was simple. Although they had never worked together before, they had seen each others techniques and movements throughout the battle and were able to more precisely work together because of it! The fact that they were able to move as one in that short period of time showed just how talented the two of them were. [Die!] The Beast General realized that at this rate the situation would turn unfavorable for him, so he punched anxiously. His bone thorn covered bone fist instantly swelled in size and approached Retadane! "Oh no you dont!" However, she didnt back off an inch and took his attack head on. Her il, infused with her light magic, shed against his fist, causing an explosion! The light was so intense that it would blind a high level hero, albeit for a short period of time, and simultaneously, the light spread. However, Lee Shin Woo could make decisions and move without sight, so he boldly ran into the diffused light and swung his sword. "Heup!" [Keuk!?] Although the Beast Generals multiyered bone armor blocked the majority of his strike, a lightning bolt was discharged from the de, striking the Beast Generals main body. An attack befitting the name of Breath of the Lightning God. However... ...Huh? The moment his attack worked, Lee Shin Woo felt cold and stood still. It was because he couldnt feel any resistance whatsoever. The Beast General had used the force of his blow to push himself backwards and retreat. To escape? No way. Even if he tried to run, he wouldnt be able to get away from Retadane and Lee Shin Woo on such a crowded battlefield. He was probably just trying to buy a bit of time. Yeah... about 2 seconds worth. [That really hurt... Let me return the favor!] With those two seconds hed bought, Jilun Pelta used his most powerful skill. The bone thorns all over his body dropped to the floor, as if he were connecting to the itself. [This is the power of the Beast General! Witness, and die!] Immediately after, thousands or even hundreds of thousands of five meter long sharp, sharp bone thorns sprouted from the ground simultaneously. He had surrounded them perfectly, so that none could escape! They werent simple thorns either. Each and every thorn contained a high concentration of darkness magic; they were wicked thorns that threatened to pull one in, stab them, or bind them. This was the Beast Generals (who had be a Thorn Wolf) most powerful technique and magic. And he called it... [This is my Garden of Thorns...!] "Tch!" If Retadane were level 7, then she mightve died right here. Without even considering their power, the speed at which the thorns moved was much too fast, and their area of effect was much too wide! However, once she had be level 8, she had be able to perceive and dominate the mana around her, so the moment she sensed a bizarre manaing from under her, she created a light shield and was able to protect herself. Light magic was the magic of severing. The moment the thorns touched the shield, their link to the Beast General was severed; they then returned to pure mana and dispersed into the air. The thorns that hadnt touched the shield attempted to surround her, but those were also taken care of soon after. [Kuaht!?] Her light magic affected Jilun Peltas main body as well, causing him to stumble. For just a moment, his eyes were filled with fright. Lee Shin Woo realized that light magic was the most frightening type of magic for all undead, no, to all beings that existed. On the other hand, Retadane seemed rxed. "Did you really think youd be able to hurt me with that?" [Retadane, your powers not a good match for mine. Well, thats fine. I took one down, so no matter how much you struggle, you wont be able to best me... Huh?] Thats right. This attack wasnt meant to kill Retadane. It was done to escape this unfavorable 2-on-1 situation and take down the one he assumed to be weaker, the level 7 Lee Shin Woo! When a hero died, they would be resurrected as an undead, so now it would be a 2-on-1 in his favor. At least, thats what he had been expecting. He looked at Lee Shin Woo and... [Hes not there...?] "...I guess he was able to get out in one piece." No matter how great her light magic was, Retadane wasnt skilled enough to cover both herself and Lee Shin Woo in that short period of time. Because of that, she was nervous that she mightve lost arade, but now that she got a chance to look around, Lee Shin Woo wasnt there anymore. He was definitely influencing the mana around him with his breathing before... I dont know how thats even possible with a level 7 body, but its not surprising that he was able to sense the iing attack and avoid it. Indeed, it was possible for one to avoid the Beast Generals attack, but in here, there was only so long one could do so. He had probably assumed as such and had retreated. It was a really smart decision. The giant thorns covered the battlefield, as though it were field magic, and the effects of the Garden of Thorns were still active. If he had hung around, then he wouldve been caught by the giant thorns and gotten in her way, but the fact that hed left at the right time was also helpful to her. It kind of bothers me that Im taking all the credit when we fought him together, but... I suppose I just need to pay him back for all that he did. Around that time, Retadane finished organizing her thoughts and gripped her il. Her light magicpletely encased the iron mace, and its size doubled. She had been using her mana during the battle, but she had enough to ovee the Beast General, who had been battered and used much of his magic to use his most powerful technique. "You look tired, Jilun Pelta." [You do too... You were only able to hit me with that crude iron mace because of that man. You didnt know? What do you n on doing now that that man has run away?] "Hoo. ...Ill show you." Retadanepletely ignored Jilun Peltas foolish taunt, and closed in on him. The Beast General was inwardly screaming, as he was afraid of her light magic, but on the outside, he sported a calm expression while somehow being able to block her attack. But then... Kwajik! [...Huh?] "...?" It was truly instantaneous... It happened even faster than the activation of the Beast Generals Garden of Thorns. Jilun Pelta and Retadane didnt know how it happened. Although they didnt know the cause of it, they were definitely able to see the result... Why? All the thorns thatprised the Garden of Thorns simultaneously struck Jilun Pelta. The sight of dozens, hundreds, even thousands of thorns defying their master was truly a gant and horrendous sight. [What... happened...?] Jilun Peltas body shook. He attempted to control the thorns and extract them from his body, but for some reason, it didnt work. It was truly bizarre. He was definitely the one who created these thorns, so why were they disobeying him? Why were they attacking not his enemies, but him? Moreover... [Why are they even stronger than before...?] "Keuk!?" Retadane briefly felt a chill in the air, and quickly backed off. It was a wise decision. The bone thorns that had stabbed the Beast General blew up all at once! The vibration shook heaven and earth, causing Retdane to lose her bnce and fall. It was such a loud BOOM that anyone on the battlefield wouldve been able to hear it. And what followed was... a short and clear message that conveyed the truth. [You have hunted a member of the 12 generals, the Lv7 Beast General, Jilun Pelta! All contributing heroes acquire 30,000,000 Perium, and all stats are increased by 100. You have acquired 10 permits to Gods secret shop. Proficiency in allbat rted skills has increased dramatically!] "How is this possible?" It was the most clear evidence that Jilun Pelta was dead. However, despite her seeding in taking down one of the 12 generals for the first time since bing a hero, she wasnt ovee with happiness, but fear. "What just happened...?" The Beast General had been ambushed by his own thorns, and then there was the following explosion of top of it. She hadnt done any of that. That meant that someone else had killed the Beast General without her noticing, even though she hade to him. She couldnt stop the irrational fear and the curiosity she had. They probably werent a hero. There wasnt anyone amongst the heroes who could do such a thing. It would be impossible for even Ethan Cruz to pull off. Then who was it? Who wouldve been able to secretly blow up the Beast General, and why would someone who wasnt a hero do such a thing? "...Could it be?" At that moment, she felt a namee to mind. A name she heard recently and quite often. One that attacks other undead, who leads a formidable corps, and possesses boundless strength... "The Heaven Defying General." She muttered silently and shook. It was an assumption without a shred of evidence, but the moment she voiced it, she was sure that it was them. The Heaven Defying General mustve caught whiff of the battle and intervened! Im scared. Im really scared... But. It didnt change the fact that she would kill them, so long as they were undead. No matter how strong they were, what their character was, or even if she had some sort of deep rtionship with them in the past! "No matter what." She gritted her teeth and forced her weary body to stand. Now wasnt the time to being spacing out. First, she would have to collect the Beast Generals loot, and then rejoin the battle. Retadane ran over to the center of the explosion site. Because so much mana had been exploded, no other monsters appeared. Were they instinctively afraid? If thats the case, then they werent much different from her. Retadane sneered and checked the loot. The Beast General had dropped a level 5 artifact, and tens of millions of Perium, but aside from that, nothing else was there. Chapter 35 part7 Lee Shin Woo obviously noticed the Beast Generals skill activation before Retadane. Since he possessed the Rule of Bone skill and was a Breathing Bone Joker, he was more sensitive to anything regarding bones and could react more quickly than anyone else. But this is... However, that wasnt all. The moment hed created the Garden of Thorns, Lee Shin Woo felt a new possibility. The giant bone thorns had certainly originated from the Beast General, yet he felt like he could control them himself. Rule of Bone was originally a skill that allowed him to control his own bones and reinforce them. It made him even stronger than before and allowed him to freely use the equipment summoned through the Bone Armory skill. There are exactly 17 thornsing for me. Their sizes vary, but theyre at least 5 meters. Theyre connected through darkness magic and they simultaneously bind their target and inflict persistent damage. Its a malicious, but also effective attack. I can see it all. I can see it as if its only natural... But it was different now. He instinctively knew how these bones, which were created by the Beast General, looked, their structure, and even how they would move. Lee Shin Woo knew now how he was so easily able to avoid the Beast Generals attacks earlier. It was obvious, wasnt it? He could understand the Beast Generals bones as well as his own! Since that was possible, then it should be possible for him to steal control over them. A hunch and being deluded were two different things. But he was sure. [The Rule of Bone skill has be Lv11. All stats have increased by 15. You have be able to interfere with anothers control over their bones. The effectiveness of all bone rted abilities has increased.] It was only natural that his skill would level up here. Through it, Lee Shin Woo gained a deeper understanding of bone (the material) and gained the ability to steal control over anothers bones and use them as his own. For now, he would need to split the bones from his main body, like the Beast Generals Garden of Thorns, limit the number of connections, and use his darkness magic as the foundation to control it all, thus requiring a magic technique that was way tooplicated. However, if he practiced and further refined this technique, he was sure that he would reach an even higher level. Since most living organisms possessed bones. It sounds almighty... So if your skill didnt level up, wouldnt we have just died without being able to do anything? You mightve died. Yeah, yeah. Lee Shin Woo had used his Rule of Bone to get out of the Garden of Thorns and decided to temporarilyy low underground with Jin. It was only possible because the Garden of Thorns had significantly softened the ground. "Damn. It wouldve been nice if the Beast General was level 8." "You with your big head as soon as you stand." "Even if we wait, hes not going to be level 8 any time soon... Tch, I guess we should end it." Although he had stolen control over the Beast Generals bones, it wasnt like he could take him down easily. It was only possible because Retadane was unleashing her light magic to its fullest and blocking the Beast General head on! "You look tired, Jilun Pelta." [You do too... You were only able to hit me with that crude iron mace because of that man. You didnt know? What do you n on doing now that that man has run away?] "Hoo. ...Ill show you." "Yeah, thats the way, olddy!" "You keep going and Ill hit you." "Now!" Retadane had done her job well. Once the Beast General focused all of his attention on Retadane, Lee Shin Woo stole control over all his thorns and used them against him. And then exploded them! He had even exploded the Beast Generals magic within the thorns, so the damage inflicted was unimaginable. [You have hunted a member of the 12 generals, the Lv7 Beast General, Jilun Pelta! All contributing heroes acquire 30,000,000 Perium, and all stats are increased by 100. You have acquired 10 permits to Gods secret shop. Proficiency in allbat rted skills has increased dramatically!] [Lucky Strike has activated! The Lucky Strike skill has be Lv2.] [The Mana eleration skill has be Lv3. Magic has increased by 10.] [You have received Gods grace. The Invisible Heart skills max level has increased by 10.] He did it. With this, he had killed three of the 12 generals by himself! Lee Shin Woo had also seeded in turning the situation on its head and made it progress in a direction that Ethan Cruz couldnt have expected. However, Lee Shin Woo knew that Retadane would be suspicious of him if he appeared before her right now, so he and Jin hid amongst the group of undead. If he used the vibrations, the smoke, and the light from the explosion, then it would be easy to hide. "What about the bone then? Are you giving it up?" "Give up the bone of one of the 12 generals? Are you insane?" Lee Shin Woo said, and something flew towards him from the center of the explosion. It was the bone that Jilun Belta had left behind. He snatched it and grinned at Jin. "This much is no problem for me with Rule of Bone." "Shin Woo. Looks like something came along with it." [You have acquired the Bayran inner map.] "This again? ...Though it does look a bit different from thest one." ording to the other 12 generals memories, Bayran was a huge city, directly connected to the capital. They would have to reach it before moving on to the capital. I felt natural to gain the Bayran inner map from defeating the 12 generals, but it was also suspicious as well. He couldnt shake off the feeling that someone was leading him there on purpose. Moreover, the maps all differ in crucial points. Theyre all slightly different in terms of the traps and the monster habitats. Even so, they dont seem to be fakes... Ill need some more of them before I make a decision. Lee Shin Woo was sure that hed be able to make a proper map with just two more of them. The 12 generals probably dont think that one person could hold five pieces of the map. He needed to work hard, if for no other reason than to screw them over. "Lets assume well go to Bayranter and put it aside for now... What are you going to do now, Shin Woo?" "All the heroes should know that one of the 12 generals has been killed. If Ethan Cruz has something up his sleeve, then hell put it out right now. Moreover, theres a chance that his n will speed up now. ...So, well keep up with him and prepare as well." Fortunately, they were in the heart of enemy territory. The huge beasts were easily hiding them. It was all too easy for them to hide a single hero. ...And if the 13th general were to suddenly appear from within, then no one would know the reason. "But I think I should absorb this bone right away. Keep an eye out for me while Im absorbing it." "You got it." He hadnt had any expectations before theyd met, but he was sure that he would be highlypatible with the bone, as Jilun Pelta had been able to freely control his bones. So sure that he was willing to execute Bone Reinforcement in the middle of the battlefield! Lee Shin Woo left everything to Jin, grabbed the bone, discarded any lingering doubts, and executed Bone Reinforcement. [Consuming the Lv7 Beast General, Jilun Peltas tailbone to execute Bone Reinforcement. Strength has increased by 25, Agility by 30, and Health by 17.] Although hed acquired a ton of stats, this was just the beginning. He hadnt even absorbed half of the bones power yet. Immediately after, a huge explosion erupted within his body, as if to prove that. An explosion of creation that broke apart the old and reced it with the new. [The High Rank Combat Sense skill has be Lv4 and Agility has increased by 20. The High Rank Regeneration skill has be Lv3, and Health and Magic have increased by 20. High Rank Lightning Sprint has be Lv4, and Agility and Magic have increased by 20.] With the huge increase in skill proficiency, a few of his skills leveled up and he gained the apanying stats that came with them. Was it because the Beast General had more actualbat experience than the other 12 generals? The amount of skill proficiency hed gained was no joke. However, that wasnt the end. Not yet. The most important thing remained. Lee Shin Woo felt the mana seethe within him; the torrent of mana made his bones feel as though they would break and explode any moment now. Lee Shin Woo calmly regted and circted his mana, and waited for that moment. All of his bones were shaking, and some of them were split and regenerated. At the end of this intense evolution, he got what was he waiting for. [The Bone Armory skill has be Lv10. Health and Magic have increased by 20. You can now summon and control ten pieces of equipment at once. All the information of equipment stored within the Bone Armory is shared and reinforced.] Hed finally gained the ability hed been waiting for. Although they were on the battlefield, Lee Shin Woo wanted tough, and there was a good reason for that. [You have be able to bestow the equipment stored within Bone Armory with Lv6 Fire, Ice, Acid, or Lightning. However, this excludes some of the equipment that already has an innate element.] [You have be able to summon the Lv6 Drake Bone Full Armor.] [You have be able to summon the Lv7 Titans Fortress.] [You have be able to summon the Lv7 Lightning Gods Fury.] [You have be able to summon the Lv7 Fire Dragons Scale Greatsword.] [You have be able to summon the Lv7 Giant Drake Horn Lance.] [You have managed to fuse and evolve several pieces of equipment. The Bone Reinforcement skill has be Lv12. You can extract arge amount of information and abilities from a bonecking in information.] Finally... I finally got it! Everything had most likely opened up for him once he upgraded the Bone Armory skill. The miraculous possibility that came from fusing bone equipment. A piece of equipment that was one of its kind and that only he could create. Lee Shin Woo raised his head. He switched out the level 5 bone armor he wore with another. His new armor was pitch ck, as though it would suck in everything. With the Drake Horn as its base, this armor was created bybining all the advantageous aspects of the bones hed absorbed thus far. [Drake Bone Full Armor] [Lv6] [Durability - 3,700/3,700] [Defense - 1,500 - 1,650] Itcked options, but it would change when Lee Shin Woo added an element to it. Before discussing the elemental aspect, the armor he wore now had a much greater defense stat than the one before, so Lee Shin Woo was incredibly satisfied. But what was even more amazing was... The innate elements of the Lightning Gods Fury and the Fire Dragons Scale Greatsword are too strong, so I cant add any other element yet, but the Giant Drake Horn Lance is different. A level 7 artifact with a level 6 element... However, when Lee Shin Woo was about to summon the new Giant Drake Horn Lance and observe it, Rem passed on a brief but powerful signal. Lee Shin Woo stopped what he was doing and looked up. There was something faint that he could see across the sky. "Jin." "Yeah, I feel it too." He had originally nned to buy some more time, but Lee Shin Woo and Retadane had defeated the Beast General too quickly, so Ethan Cruzs n had gone awry. Not properly assessing Lee Shin Woos abilities was the cause of his defeat. "The sky...!?" [It is the Vulture Generals airborne undead troops!] "What? Another one of the 12 generals...!?" Ethan Cruz mustve ordered the Vulture General to enter the battle. He had probably forgotten about the two magicians that hadnt been blessed by him and had run away. And where they were and what they were preparing... "Give them a big one!" Lee Shin Woo heard a cute girls voice from the faraway mountainside. It was Kratias voice, a voice he was more familiar with than anyones. Of course, it was unlikely that anyone forgot that she existed, but right now, the girls magic was more important than whether or not anyone forgot about them. Kratia said something about a big one, but the giant ice spear that manifested in the air wasrge enough to topple an entire mountain. [What...?] An airborne undead caught notice of them... It was probably the Vulture General who had noticed, but it was already toote. Once the battle had begun... No, she had prepared a spell just for him, long before the battle had even started. [Kuhahk!?] "Im here too... Im going!" Prince followed suit, casting the spell she had prepared. She summoned half of the Fire Demons body into the air, wild magic that would strike at any of the airborne undead! The gigantic ice and fire dyed the air and forced these invaders, who had trespassed onto a sacred battlefield, onto the ground. One of them was definitely the Vulture General. "Nice. Good job." Lee Shin Woo confirmed and grinned inwardly. It wouldnt be a bad idea to depart and kill the Vulture General right away, but... it was about time for the traitors to make their move. After all, his job was to protect these excited kid heroes. "Then, shall we begin Jin?" "Ok." Jin smiled as well. Although it shouldnt be noticeable on a skeleton, one could easily tell how the two skeletons were feeling. Who had sprung whose trap? A grand festival had begun, one which would determine the predator and the prey. Chapter 35 part8 This battle, the battle between heroes and undead, would determine the fate of the Empire. But there was one discrepancy, a reaper who roamed around the battlefield garbed in ck armor. It neither antagonized the heroes nor the undead. However, it moved across the battlefield more diligently than any other, killing all the scapegoats. These scapegoats were none other than the undead heroes. "Heres where you were, Senior." [Ah...ahuuah...] Once it heard his cool voice, the man who was once a hero, but now an elite level 7 undead hero shook. This was the fourth of the six seniors that had been mixed into the battlefield. [Give me an order...] "Who could order you, you who was once a hero? Please tell me if theres a bastard like that out there. Who is it?" [Ah, uaaaaah...] Lee Shin Woos praise flustered the nameless hero. It was like it was undergoing a program error. It was originally supposed to kill the heroes amidst the chaos created by the Beast Generals attack and Vulture Generals ambush, or at least severely injure them, but the heroes had killed the Beast General quickly and retreated. In addition, the Vulture General hadnt even ambushed them; on the contrary, the heroes had ambushed the Vulture General usingrge-scale spells, causing the general to fall to the ground. Their n had gone awry and even their superior, Ethan Cruz was confused as well, so it was only natural that the undead heroes would just stand around awkwardly. [Give... me an order...!] "Tch, as I thought, it wont work." After Lee Shin Woo mercilessly stuck his sword into the undead heros head (who kept idiotically repeating the same thing over and over again), he clicked his tongue. He tried to bring them over to his side, as he thought his Instigate and Acting skills might have an effect on them, but because their connection with Ethan Cruz remained strong, even though their egos barely remained, Lee Shin Woo couldnt break his hold. Although Ethan Cruz was limited to controlling undead heroes, even Lee Shin Woo had to admit that Ethan Cruzs hold over them was strong. [Give... me an order...!] "...Rest in peace, Senior." [You have acquired 2 secret shop permits and 17,320,180 Perium.] [You have given peace to arade who walked a path he could not return from. You have partially cleared the quest objectives, and have acquired 1 secret shop permit. The maximum level of the Invisible Heart skill has increased by 1.] Nice. Now Invisible Hearts level 143. Lee Shin Woo, who had given up on convincing it, killed the undead hero and picked up the bone. Of the undead heroes that were under Ethan Cruzs control, most of them were trash. Although he immediately used Bone Reinforcement on the recently acquired bone, his stats only increased a small amount and he hadnt even acquired a skill. In other words, Ethan Cruz didnt get the good ones. You sound like the big bad, you know that? Yeah, yeah. I know. Since Im the Heaven Defying General. And youre the Heaven Defying Generals horse. Im so happy I feel like Im going to cry... Lee Shin Woo collected the unimportant loot, joked around with Jin, and searched the battlefield for the two remaining undead heroes. But while doing so, Rem ryed a sharp warning. [Master, Mentes Oruns mana is emitting a strange wave. I believe he will soon attack Lloyd H.K. Checking for a secret skill activating that would not be noticed by allies.] "Tch, when it was just getting good... Then again, I knew theyd start about now." The Vulture General had fallen from the sky, but half of his airborne forces were still intact. The battle had be even more chaotic due to the master-less beasts attacking and the Vulture Generals troops rushing to rescue their general. If the traitors were looking for an opportunity to attack the heroes, then this would be the best and worse time. If the heroes began toe out ahead, Ethan Cruz wouldnt have an opportunity to carry out their n... And naturally, Lee Shin Woo had been preparing for Mentes Oruns betrayal, ever since he realized that he was moving alongside Lloyd. "Sseup, I guess it cant be helped. Lets finish things up quickly. Rem, give me a signal when its time." [Understood, Master. ...Now.] Once Rem gave him the signal, Lee Shin Woo activated the trap hed set up prior. He disyed his control, which had gotten even stronger, through the hidden and connected mana threads! "You just activated my trap card! Reverse Sword Rain!" Ah, so you did give it a name like that... Wait, theyre not even swords! Theyre not cards either! The name was hrious, but the result wasnt. While the battle was going on, Lee Shin Woo had secretly moved eight bone spears (since he didnt want to be discovered, he used unremarkable level 4 spears) underground, and once given a target, they would burst from the ground and attack simultaneously. Thats right. These bone spears had been created by the Bone Armory and had been set up before the battle had even begun; he then used Rule of Bone to control them! "Keoheok!?" When Lloyd was focused on the fallen Vulture General, Mentes Orun attacked him. He caused Lloyd to drop his weapon and when he was about tond a killing blow, eight bone spears pierced his body and stopped him. "Senior Mentes...?" Lloyd didnt know what was going on and looked at Mentes Orun dumbstruck. It was shocking enough that a senior he trusted so much had attacked him, but right after, his senior had pretty much be a skewered eel! It was too much of a surprise. "What... is this...?" "Lloyd, you bastard. You didnt trust me...! How could you do this to me!?" "I trusted you. Youre the one who betrayed me! Why did you do this? No, how did you turn out like this...?" "How despicable... You act so innocently, yet... Guwek!" The skewered eel... No, Mentes Orun stared at Lloyd, who didnt know what was going on and spat out curses and blood mixed with pieces of his inner organs. Due to the bone spear that had pierced his head from above, his head was bleeding like a fountain. It was truly an absurd event. He had waited for Lloyd H.K. to make a critical mistake and had attacked at the perfect moment. So what went wrong!? Ah, is that it...? When I was sure that my job was finished, all the tension in my body was released... The predator had been idle and had be the prey instead. Mentes Orun recalled that truth and became despondent. Of course, it didnt matter whether he was careless or not, the result was the same. Moreover, there was no point in wondering about what ifs after the fact. "Lloyd... Lloyddd...!" "Senior, why did you... Huh?" Lloyd H.K., who had halfway panicked in front of Mentes, soon found something strange about him. Mentes Orun seemed fine, despite his injuries. "Senior, how are you still... It cant be?" No matter how tough a heros body was, a hero couldnt survive having their heart and brain pierced through and all of their blood being expelled from their body. Though Mentes Orun had been pierced by eight bone spears, he continued to curse at Lloyd. Was that even possible? Did he have some sort of authority that allowed him to survive with such grievous injuries? "Guaaaah... Lloyddddddddd!" "Keuk!? He obviously didnt. Of course, with Gods power, a skill like that may appear one day, but at the very least, Mentes Orun didnt have any such skill. Mentes Orun was just being transformed into an undead through the excessively deep concentration of death energy that permeated the battlefield; the transformation was so natural that he wasnt even aware of his death. No, his transformation was alreadyplete. [Kill you... Ill kill you...!] "...Ah." Fortunately, Lloyd realized this fact early on. However, that just made him feel even greater despair. Why was God only so cruel to him? Not only had he been betrayed by a senior he trusted in, he had to face that same senior who had be an undead! "Keuheuk... This is... another test." A tear of blood flowed down Lloyds cheek. He grabbed the sword he had lost, stood up, and aimed his sword at Mentes, who was ripping the spears out of his body. There stood a man who had decided to ept all fear and shoulder all the karma of the world. "Senior, Im sorry. Im so... sorry." [Lloydddddd!] He didnt know why Mentes had attacked him, or who had killed him in the first ce. But if he was in pain from bing an undead, then he would have to give him peace... Kwang! [Kuhek!] "...Huh?" Lloyd didnt swing his sword, and the moment he was about to monologue, the eight spears blew up simultaneously. Although they were only level 4 bone spears, if Lee Shin Woo concentrated the mana to its limit, exploded them all at once, and aimed for a specific area, then the explosive power would be considerable. At the very least, it was enough to kill a newly born level 7 undead hero, whose body was shaking and pierced with spears. "..." Once the dust cleared, there was nothing remaining in the empty space. Lloyd just looked on vacantly at the empty space with an indescribable expression, but looking at it wouldnt exin the situation. [You have acquired 2 secret shop permits and 31,842,970 Perium.] [You have given peace to arade who walked a path he could not return from. You have partially cleared the quest objectives, and have acquired 1 secret shop permit. The maximum level of the Invisible Heart skill has increased by 1.] Lloyd stood still with a stupefied expression, but at that moment, Lee Shin Woo sighed with satisfaction, since he saw the message that appeared before him. After that, Lee Shin Woo collected Mentes Oruns bone through Rule of Bone. "Man, I cant believe I canplete the quest by killing a senior this way." "Youre eviler than Ethan Cruz." "I just saved Lloyd. I waited for Senior Mentes to be an undead, and when Lloyd was going to do something pretentious, I exploded the spears." "Thats what Im talking about. Thats whats evil!" This bastard was definitely punishing Lloyd for the spar! How could you be so immature!? But when Jin was about to criticize Lee Shin Woo some more, Rem ryed another report. [Master, I believe Ethan Cruz is attempting to retreat.] Chapter 35 part9 "What? Ethan Cruz is?" [Yes. To be exact, I see the two remaining undead heroes returning to him.] "Ah... So hes at least going to try to get out with what he has left, huh." In a way, it was his expected course of action. Lee Shin Woo had killed the Beast General, dropped the Vulture General from the sky, and killed six out of the eight undead heroes. Whats worse, Lee Shin Woo had also killed Ethan Cruzs aplice, Mentes Orun, so in terms of chess, all that was left was the king and a pawn. It would be strange if he wasnt retreating. "But... Hmm. Theres no way hed just leave." "Shin Woo, dont you think youre the reason hes leaving?" Lee Shin Woo muttered and Jin retorted. Jin believed that Ethan Cruz had done everything he could. If he were to point out a fault of his, then it would be that Ethan Cruz hadnt properly assessed Lee Shin Woos ability beforehand. It seemed obvious, but it was indeed his biggest mistake. "Still, theres no way hed just leave. There are still a lot of undead left on the battlefield, and the heroes are still fighting, so the fact that Ethan Cruz is running away by himself means that... he believes he might be exposed." "Maybe he thinks hes already been exposed. Especially since you went out of your way to pick out and kill the undead heroes." "No. Any normal hero that cant use darkness magic wouldnt be able to ascertain the link between the undead heroes and Ethan Cruz. And so long as they arent cognizant of that link, Ethan Cruz will remain as a trustworthy hero. Aside from me, no one else thinks that Ethan Cruz is evil. Whats worse, Mentes Orun didnt really say much to Lloyd." "Then why? Why is he purposely trying to expose himself?" "Thats... Wait a sec. I think well know soon." At that moment, Ethan Cruz had sent him a request for a private chat. Lee Shin Woo was briefly shocked but soon calmed down. Ethan Cruz had no way of knowing that Lee Shin Woo was hostile towards him. So, the purpose of this conversation was... "Senior?" [Ethan Cruz: Shin Woo, Im d youre safe! Are you alright?] "Yes, Im alright!" [Ethan Cruz: Ooh, thats a relief. This might sound shameless, but I need your help. Their airborne troops have found me! But I cant intercept them because of the buff I cast on you... Help me out, Super Rookie. If I die here, then the buff I cast on you will disappear as well! Everything will be a mess!] ...Aha, as he thought. At that moment, Lee Shin Woo figured out everything. Ethan Cruz was resorting to hisst trick. [Ethan Cruz: The others are busy fighting, so they wont be able to help me... I may sound hopeless, but help me out. Come over here as soon as you can!] "I understand, Senior! Ill go immediately! Please stay safe for just a little while longer!" With his level 19 Acting skill, Lee Shin Woo replied overly lively and soon ended the private chat. When he looked up at the sky, the airborne troops were circling around the area Ethan was hiding. If someone who didnt know the situation saw this, then they would truly believe that Ethan Cruz was in danger. "Wait, what happened?" "What do you mean what happened? He cant leave it to anyone else, so hell step up and do it himself." Lee Shin Woo led Jin towards Ethan Cruz and replied calmly. But because it seemed like Jin hadnt yet grasped the situation, Lee Shin Woo exined further. "The airborne troops that are circling around... Theyre obviously on Ethan Cruzs side. You know that much, right?" "Yeah, since Ethan Cruz was the one to call the Vulture General. But Im surprised that he can still control the generals subordinates." "Yeah, thats a bit surprising to me as well. Though thats not important right now." Either Ethan Cruz and the Vulture General had formed an agreement beforehand, or he had some way ofmanding the air troops. The fact that the airborne troops moved threateningly, but didnt attack Ethan Cruz was the proof. "Hes probably going to make up a lie, saying that the undead heroes that are returning to him are aiming for him. So if I were to naively go and help, then Ill have to fight against a disadvantageous battle, and once Im dead, he would revive me as his subordinate... Well, I bet thats what hes thinking." Looking down on the heroes and dispatching two of the 12 generals was a mistake. Therefore, it would be better for him to call each hero individually and take care of them one by one... It was a reasonable conclusion. Ethan Cruz wasnt aiming for only Lee Shin Woo. "Then why are you going? Are you insane?" "Jin, you remember that buff... No, that debuff that he cast on me, right?" Ethan Cruz had used his darkness magic to cast a buff on him. It was no simple buff; it was actually a curse that would temporarily increase ones abilities, and then debilitating side effects would follow. The curses evilest ability was its hypnosis effect, and after a certain amount of time, one wouldnt be able to defy Ethan Cruzs orders. In other words, Ethan Cruzs private chat request was no request but was undoubtedly a mand. "But that curse didnt work on you!" "To be exact, I was able to resist it. ...But that guy still believes that his curse has affected me." Of course, he could reveal that the curse hadnt affected him and move against Ethan Cruz. But if he did, Ethan Cruz would immediately dispel the darkness magic link between him and Lee Shin Woo. Lee Shin Woo didnt want that. To be more specific, Lee Shin Woo actually wanted Ethan Cruz to cast another curse on him. Hearing that, Jin was dumbfounded and muttered. "I knew early on that you were messed up, but I didnt think you were this far gone..." "This was my n from the very beginning. You got that?" Lee Shin Woo was sure that Ethan Cruz specialized in curses. But so long as Lee Shin Woo possessed Darkness Resistance: MAX, there was no way one of Ethan Cruzs curses would affect him. If thats the case, then what would be the best way to make use of this? Force Ethan Cruz to give up on cursing him? Make him give up on his darkness magic, forcing him to use in magic? No, obviously not. "The right answer is: act like Im affected by his curse, put him into a false sense of security, and then counterattack. If my counterattack is sessful, then Ill be able to inflict a grievous wound, even if hes a level 8." "You fight way too dirty!" "Just keeping listening." Lee Shin Woo clearly remembered Bisher Moons exnation on the Deadly Force curse. Because Deadly Force is such a fatal curse, it has a few downsides. First, its difficult to use against those with more magic than the caster. Second, the caster cannot move freely until the targets death. The first point probably wasnt relevant to Lee Shin Woo. Lee Shin Woo didnt think he could beat a level 8 magician in terms of magic. However, he could use the second downside. If he could bait Ethan Cruz into using Deadly Force on him, then hed be able to restrain a level 8 hero! Lee Shin Woo was immune to all curses, so hed be able to take that opportunity and attack Ethan Cruz. "I didnt nullify the curse immediately but allowed him to cast it and resisted it. But this was a lot harder to do than Id expected." "You... was the reason you allowed him to curse you because...?" "Yep. I wanted to be more ustomed to controlling the extent of my resistance." Not nullifying the curse itself, but nullifying its effects. If that were possible, then Lee Shin Woo would be able to do as he pleased while Ethan Cruz suffered the downsides to Deadly Force. Lee Shin Woo had been training throughout the battle in preparation for this. "...Im speechless." "Yeah, stay like that. Since were going to see him soon." Lee Shin Woo exined confidently and patted Jin. Was he alright with that exnation? Jin ran more quickly than before and left the battlefield. He was close enough to Ethan Cruzs hiding ce that he could see it. With Jins speed, they would reach it in 5 seconds. Senior Yasunori Akira is still hiding. If he were to attack Ethan Cruz with me once Im cursed, then itll be over in a sh. ...But." But there was one thing that was bothering him. Lee Shin Woo softly sighed. He didnt really want to think about it, but it was still a possibility. If it was true, then it would be a bitplicated... "Well, whatever. If that happens, Ill just get three more." Three? Why three? "Senior!" Lee Shin Woo didnt answer Jin and yelled out. He didnt know if it was because hed gotten closer, but the circling airborne troops took that moment to descend and attack Ethan Cruz. He almost wanted to apud at their lively acting. "Shin Woo, youre notte!" "Senior!" Lee Shin Woo drew his Lightning Gods Fury, cut through the undead, and approached him. Ethan Cruz sported an overwhelming relieved expression and looked at him. "You came to rescue me!" "Of course, Senior!" Lee Shin Woo could give Ethan Cruzs contemptible smile an 8/10. As he thought, perhaps this guy had the Acting skill as well. However, he discarded that thought and moved on. Ethan Cruz smiled brightly and spoke. "Even though the curse hasnt affected you!" "Tch." "Heup!" To think hed notice! Hearing that, Lee Shin Woo clicked his tongue. At that moment, Yasunori Akira popped out of his hiding ce and attacked Lee Shin Woo. Hed only heard of the style before, Battjutsu. Yasunori Akiras strike was so powerful and swift that it felt like hed be cut in two. But because he shared Jins ridiculously high speed stat, Lee Shin Woos reflexes and dynamic visual acuity had grown beyondprehension, so he was barely able to see the trajectory of his strike. And if he could see it, he could block it too. "You were able to block my strike!?" "Hoo. You know, I want to trust other people too sometimes." Lee Shin Woo blocked Yasunori Akiras strike with his Lightning Gods Fury (the moment their swords shed, Lee Shin Woos entire body shattered, but through his Acting and Regeneration skills, no one noticed) and sighed. Well, of course hed sigh. Both his n of using Ethan Cruzs curse and Yasunori Akira helping him had all gone up in smoke. Honestly, Lee Shin Woo had somewhat expected Yasunori Akira to betray him, but he hadnt given up on him till the very end. Id considered the possibility that Ethan Cruz would use Yasunori Akira as well... Since hed need to know what Retadane would do and prepare ordingly. Ethan Cruz knew that Retadane had suspected him. If thats the case, then he mustve known that Retadane would eventually approach Lee Shin Woo... as he hadnt been in this world for very long and hadnt been approached by Ethan Cruz yet, therefore being trustworthy. However, Ethan Cruz had nted a spy in preparation for that eventuality. Someone who would meet with Lee Shin Woo and Retadane, and who would report what they were nning back to him: Yasunori Akira. The reason Yasunori Akira had approached Lee Shin Woo first and had warned him about Ethan Cruz was to gain his trust. By doing so, he would be able to manipte Lee Shin Woo, form a sense of camaraderie amongst him, Retadane, and Lee Shin Woo, and ultimately cause them to believe that hes theirrade. "Did you know?" "I said I really wanted to trust you. Are you deaf?" With that in mind, the reason Lee Shin Woo hadnt killed Yasunori Akira was because, contrary to Ethan Cruz, there was a chance that Yasunori Akira was innocent. Lee Shin Woo hadnt been able to discard the chance that Yasunori Akira had approached him out of genuine concern. However, with this, he was sure. He was definitely on Ethan Cruzs side. Now he could kill him without feeling any guilt. "Haha, you really are strong. I really like you." "You mean you like me enough to kill me and raise me as your subordinate?" "So youre aware of it already, Super Rookie!" "Yeah, that shamelessness really suits you." Lee Shin Woo sighed once more, andpletely dispelled the curse. Since Ethan Cruz was already aware of it, there was no reason to carry a curse that wouldnt be of any benefit to him. Even though Ethan Cruz should be aware of Lee Shin Woo dispelling the curse, his expression didnt change. That meant he had something else up his sleeve, aside from the curses and Yasunori Akira. "Youre really amazing. I really admire you." Lee Shin Woo was surrounded by the airborne troops, the 2 remaining undead heroes, and Yasunori Akira. They came closer and closer, and Ethan Cruz spoke rxingly. Lee Shin Woo knew that he was just buying time topletely encircle him, but he decided to y along for now. He also needed to buy a bit of time. "You really made a mess of my ns. I even used Akira, but I couldnt stop you. I didnt think youd create such an impressive n behind Retadanes back. Not only did you block my curse, but you also killed Mentes. How did you do it? I still dont understand how you did it. Ah, you cant use the chatting channel here, so rx and talk to me." "Do you really think Ill tell you?" "Mm, yeah. You wouldnt want to talk. However, youll soon change your mind. Once youve died and been brought back." "Mm... I have something Id like to say. Want to hear it?" "Of course." Once his encirclement wasplete, Ethan Cruz was sure of his victory. He was definitely feeling rxed. Lee Shin Woo had expected Yasunori Akiras betrayal, but he hadnt expected Ethan Cruz to discover his curse n. As a result, he had jumped into the mouth of the tiger. "If I was suspicious of Yasunori Akira, then I couldve made a n separate from Retadanes. Have you thought about why I didnt?" "Ive thought about it, but theres no point in bluffing at this point. Since Retadane is currently fighting against tens of thousands of undead. I assure you... she wont be able to rescue you before he kills them all. Because thats her core, her hatred for the undead. She lives only to kill the undead!" It seemed like Ethan Cruz was also aware of Retadanes obsession with the undead. Perhaps he had been waiting for Retadane to go deep into enemy lines and go on a rampage. "Mm, youre right. Thats why." "...What?" Ethan Cruz was slightly flustered by his calm affirmation. "Its simple. It means that theres a part of my n that Retadane cant know." "Wait a sec. Hey, Ethan. Ethan! I feel a presence... an overwhelming presence! How... all of a sudden!?" "What are you talking about..." Lee Shin Woo grinned and said. "The real battle starts now." A kwang sound rang out. The airborne troops began to drop like flies. Was it due to Kratia and Princes magic? Nope. Boulders had caused them to drop from the sky. [The Great Paul Zero hasmanded us!] [How dare you challenge his authority! Kill them all!] "G-Giants...!" It wasnt just the Giants. There were the level 7 Chimeras, the level 6 golems, and several other elites mixed in as well. The Heaven Defying Generals corps had finally arrived. "Lee Shin Woo, how did you..." "Who knows? I have no idea what youre talking about." Lee Shin Woo pulled out an unknown staff and beamed. Ethan Cruzs body felt chills. Death was calling for him. Chapter 36 part1 Ethan Cruz had to prepare two things in order to lure and then kill Lee Shin Woo. First, he needed to make the battle progress a certain way. Make it so that Retadane and the other heroes wouldnt be able to easily escape the battlefield. This part wasnt very difficult. Since all he needed to do was wait for the right moment. Second, he had to create the right environment. He would have to go through a lot of trouble to hide what he was doing from the other heroes. Ethan Cruz had formed a sort of visual barrier that would block out any outsiders from seeing them and simultaneously weaken Gods authority within, disabling the chatting channel and the private chat functions. This was all done in advance so that no matter how much he screamed, no one would be able to hear him. With the secret activation of a magical device, as well as his own magic, the space was restricted from outsiders, forming aplete barrier. Unfortunately, that applied to him as well. "How did you summon so many undead..." "I told you, I have no idea what youre talking about. Why do you keep asking me?" Lee Shin Woo said calmly, acting innocent, but Ethan Cruz broke into a cold sweat. Hed never been this uneasy before, even when hed met with one of the 12 generals face-to-face! "How can you, a human, control so many undead!" "Ha. Youre one to talk." [Annihtion of airborne troops,plete. Awaiting next order.] [We have annihted both of the level 7 undead heroes. Paul Zero, we await your next order!] Their presences were so faint, as if they would vanish into thin air, but their bodies possessed unimaginable power: the golems. Followed by many level 7 elites rapidly appearing behind them. There were several different types of undead (e.g. the Giants and a wolf), but they were all ridiculously strong. Furthermore, they had pledged their loyalty to Lee Shin Woo alone. Seeing that, Ethan Cruz gritted his teeth. "If the other heroes knew about this..." "They wouldnt. You were the one who made it like that." Lee Shin Woo ridiculed him coldly. Thats right. Because Ethan Cruz had activated the magical device, this entire area was shrouded in a barrier. Ethan Cruz finally considered a possibility that he hadnt even considered before. "Did you want this to happen...? You knew that I had prepared a barrier and deliberately let me activate it!" "Im the type of guy who prepares a lot of ways to kill someone." Of course, Lee Shin Woo didnt want it to go this way, but it was just wishful thinking. If he was the type of person to risk it all on a single chance, then Lee Shin Woo wouldnt have been able to survive in the Empire. "With these troops... you couldve attacked me without going through the hassle ofing up with a n." "Youre misunderstanding something here." Lee Shin Woo nced at the airborne troops and shrugged his shoulders. Through the Giants and golems stone-throwing, the airborne troops had crashed onto the ground. Yasunori Akira tried attacking him, but Bisher Moon and Shino Rendu simultaneously blocked him. Both of them were stronger than Yasunori Akira, and he wasnt able to fight against them for long. Lee Shin Woo could foresee his death the moment Yasunori Akira decided to attack him and step away from Ethan Cruzs protection. "The reason I stepped foot onto this stage wasnt to kill you. It was to protect my other seniors. Ah, and to get the rewards for killing the 12 generals. I was able to kill two of them because of you. Thanks a lot." "...Ha, hahaha." Who had been manipting whom, hmm? Ethan Cruz waspletely confused. Hed lost. Completely. Not only had he lost the eight undead heroes, but his spies were either exposed or killed, so his body was all he had left. He had lost everything in just a day. "You hid those sharp fangs of yours... quite well thus far." "Would you believe me if I said that wasnt all I was hiding?" "Keuk, kuhaha!" Ethan Cruz couldnt help butugh at Lee Shin Woos teasing. Perhaps he wasnt joking around. Lee Shin Woo was monstrous enough for him to think that way, and he smiled bitterly and muttered. However, there was one thing he had left. One weapon he could still use. It was himself. "Youpletely defeated me. I acknowledge my loss. I didnt know how strong you were, nor did I know about your hidden forces, so its only natural that I was beaten so badly. ...But if I get you, then my loss today means absolutely nothing." "Youre probably right." "Yeah. Let me tell you what your biggest mistake was. That you dont know what it means to be level 8!" Ethan Cruz infused mana into his wrist bracelet. Then, jet-ck mana rose up like a mist and surrounded him. The high concentration of darkness steadily dyed the once pure and brightnd. This was a level 8s authority. [Keuk...] [Ethan Cruz, how can he have such immense power...!?] The undead watched on and instinctively shook, as darkness mana was the root of their existence. Although they knew that Ethan Cruz was a danger to their master, they couldnt easily advance. His level and power were far too great! Even the level 7 elites stiffened before this darkness, which threatened to cover everything, including their very existence. "None of your undead can use their full strength in here. High Rank Darkness... You probably have no idea what I went through to be able to use this." Lee Shin Woo could use it too, but decided not to say anything. He couldnt tell him that he could use High Rank Darkness as soon as God had awakened histent potential. "A level 8 possesses power that surpasses the limitations of mankind. You mustve prepared a lot, but in the end, if you cant ovee me with your own power, then you wont be able to kill me. That goes for your subordinates as well. ...Die." A lump of darkness flew towards him. As expected, Lee Shin Woo thought, and nodded his head. It was incredibly powerful, even whenpared to a fellow level 8, like Retadane. Even when he took into ount that one was a frontline fighter and the other a backline magician, the difference was huge. Perhaps that bracelet strengthened darkness magic, Lee Shin Woo thought and extended his staff. [Absorbing level 4 high rank darkness magic. Because of how powerful the magic is, strengthening and reversal will take some time.] The serpent opened its eyes. "What!?" Ethan Cruzs darkness magic was powerful enough to instantly kill a level 7 hero. This high rank magic, which was intended to kill Lee Shin Woo, had been absorbed into Lee Shin Woos staff. Because of how powerful Ethan Cruzs magic was, the staff was creaking. However, Lee Shin Woos Darkness Resistance: MAX activated, allowing his staff to absorb all the darkness magic. While the staff was able to absorb magic and reverse it, it wasnt invincible; it couldnt absorb any and all magic without any repercussions. The Bone Winged Serpent required the user to possess high resistances. "H-How...?" "Who told you that I could only nullify curses?" "...!" Lee Shin Woo "innocently" asked. Ethan Cruz couldnt even muster up a retort. Since no one had ever said something like that to him before. However, that was what was happening right now! Although hed figured out that Lee Shin Woo wasnt afraid of the curse and was nning on using that curse to attack him, hede to the natural conclusion that he specialized in curses alone... "Could it be..." Ethan Cruzs lips shook at that train of thought. He wanted to cancel his spell immediately, but to cancel his spell, he would have to endure the resulting magic explosion with his own body. If he were to cancel his spell, one which hed focused all of his magic into, then hed blow up without being able to kill Lee Shin Woo. "Were you... manipting me?" "Good answer. Ill give you a passing mark." Lee Shin Woo had been wary of Ethan Cruz from the very beginning. His darkness magic hadnt been a cause for rm; he was actually worried about him using his immense magic in a different way. He knew that he was strong enough to hurt him, even if he didnt convert his magic into darkness. "Ha, haha..." Therefore, hed manipted Ethan Cruz. So that he wouldnt hesitate and use his darkness magic, pouring all of his magic into it. Thats why hed discussed countermeasures for curses, rather than for darkness with Yasunori Akira. Hed made him think that Lee Shin Woo was entirely focused on curses. Hed also made it look like he was afraid of darkness magic. The reason hed brought his undead here was for him to use his darkness magic without hesitation as well. Ethan Cruz was afraid. He wasnt afraid of Lee Shin Woos magic, strength, or forces. He was afraid of his intelligence. "Lee Shin Woo, how far ahead did you n...?" "I wonder. Probably around one or two steps worth?" He had cast his spell, and that spell had been absorbed by the serpent. The serpents wings began to flutter. Ethan Cruz could feel his immense magic being converted into something unimaginable. It was the power hed been most wary of. Ethan Cruz knew that the moment that power was turned onto him, hed be dead. "Are you... really human?" "Of course I am, Senior." Lee Shin Woo smiled sweetly and replied. He lied till the very end. After all, he was a Joker. Unfortunately, Ethan Cruz didnt realize that he was lying. Ethan Cruz was devoured by the light shot and soon, was unable to think of anything. "Spatial magic!?" [Paul Zero!] But the moment he suspected that hed killed Ethan Cruz, spatial magic activated with him as its target. Lee Shin Woo realized that it was the Archmages doing. He obviously couldnt just sit by and let him activate the spell! Lee Shin Woo immediately expelled all of his magic in all directions. If he had fought against Ethan Cruz, then he wouldnt have this much strength left, but because hed used his own strength against him, he was almost at 100%! "Nice. I blocked it!" "You blocked it!?" Thats right. Lee Shin Woo had seeded in stopping the activation of the Archmages spatial magic! He had dispersed the Archmages mana with his own, and had nullified the source of the spell. Lee Shin Woo had done what would be difficult for any other hero to do so nonchntly. If he hadnt experienced the Archmages mana firsthand, or had gone to the Giants domain, then he wouldnt have been able to do it! "To think you would be able to nullify spatial magic... Im speechless." "Ah. I desperately stopped it because I thought the Archmage wasing, but I guess it was the opposite. I think he was trying to bring Ethan Cruz to him." [Kak, Guha...] Lee Shin Woo looked at Ethan Cruz, who was turning into an undead, and muttered as if hed realized something. As he thought, Ethan Cruz had been connected with the Archmage. In exchange, he probably had to pledge his allegiance to the Archmage after death, or something like that. There was likely some kind of spatial magic that was applied to him, which would activate once he died. Or maybe he had some kind of magical device. There was a high chance that this barrier was the result of a magical device that the Archmage had given him. [Do we kill him?] "Ah, itll be a pain in the ass when he wakes up, so make sure he cant move, and then kill him as soon as he bes an undead." [Understood!] The Paul Zero Corps looked at their master, who had killed the level 8 hero responsible for the darkness magic, and replied enthusiastically. Thirty secondster, Ethan Cruz died for the second time. Chapter 36 part2 [You have acquired two secret shop permits and 1,375,717,480 Perium.] [You have given peace to arade who walked a path he could not return from. You have partially cleared the quest objectives, and have acquired 1 secret shop permit. The maximum level of the Invisible Heart skill has increased by 1.] "Ha?" Lee Shin Woo widened his eyes. It was due to the message that popped up following his execution of the undead Ethan Cruz. Due to Lee Shin Woos interference (the high concentration of light magic did its part), Ethan Cruz hadnt been able to transform into an undead properly and died on the spot. Although hed wanted all of Ethan Cruzs Perium to remain intact, the amount was... "1.4 billion Perium...?" "Shin Woo, you just became filthy rich." "I wouldve hit the jackpot if Lucky Strike activated... No, never mind that. Is this real?" If he could, he wouldve rubbed his eyes and checked again, but unfortunately, he didnt have eyes that he could rub. In any case, he realized the veracity of the message once he opened his inventory. Since all of the Perium hed received had been stored in his inventory. "Are all level 8s this filthy rich...?" "Ethan Cruz mightve been an exception. Maybe he incurred some sort of penalty when using the secret shop." Jin guessed, and Lee Shin Woo nodded his head in agreement. It was likely. Pleine hadnt liked Ethan Cruz, and it would be strange if he, who acted unlike a hero, would be rewarded by God. It all made sense; he couldnt use the secret shop for some time and as a result, had amassed an incredible amount of Perium. Moreover... He mightve been researching the potential behind Perium like me. It didnt really matter what he thought though. After all, he was dead now. What was important was that hed gained 1.4 billion Perium. "I easily have more than 2 billion Perium if I add in what I gained from the battle." "Haha, it seems like it was just yesterday that you got so anxious over 1 million Perium..." Jin and Lee Shin Woo felt the transience of life and aimlessly muttered. Around that time, Ethan Cruzs magical device deactivated, and the barrier was finally released. The magical device, which had been buried deep underground, seemed to only be good for a single use, as it broke apart once its task wasplete. [Master,mand me.] [Paul Zero, I await your orders.] "Thats right. You guys havent done much yet. Alright, then hunt the remaining undead to your hearts content. Ah, but..." The heroes would most likely treat all the undead as their enemies. Even if his troops didnt attack the heroes and only targeted the 12 generals troops, it wouldnt matter. It was likely that the heroes wouldnt think about it and attack his forces anyway. And the chance of Retadane doing so was 100%. "Go in the opposite direction from the heroes. Be careful of the heroes, and make sure you retreat immediately if I tell you to." [Understood.] [Those fools. Its quite difficult to even help them.] "The heroes are dumb, so it cant be helped. Now, all forces, attack!" [Uoooooooooooh!] Once Lee Shin Woo signaled his troops to attack, the Paul Zero Corps advanced! If one were to see Lee Shin Woomanding his troops, they would feel faint... But unfortunately, the heroes were overwhelmed by the Giants overpowering pressure. Besides, they werent in a good enough position to be looking elsewhere anyway. "Are those the troops led by the Heaven Defying General...?" "Why did Ethan Cruzs buff disappear? Wait, what the hell is going on?" "Lloyd, Lloyd! Run away with me! We cant beat them!" "I-I cant... We finally started pushing them back." "Stop looking elsewhere and focus on the battle." All the heroes, scattered around the battlefield, reacted. Even so, three of the heroes had died, so the only heroes left were Seira Von Retadane, Lloyd H.K., Erian Rupate, Prince Altania, and Kratia Melloi. There were only five heroes left. [Paul Zero hasmanded us! To annihte all undead who oppose him!] [How funny. Watching these stray dogs who have lost their master!] [Kill them all! Lets pay these insects back for betraying us!] [Kuhaaaaaaah!] But aside from Kratia, none of the other heroes could stand. Since theyd only been fighting against the undead. The Giants trampled on the skeletons, and the golems emitted their magic, burning the fallen undead. They were all were dumbfounded at the sight. "Theyre really... killing the undead." "Why?" "We cannot ascertain their true intentions. However, it doesnt change that theyre our enemy. ...But I think itd be best if we stay our hand and dispose of themter." "Hoo..." Lee Shin Woo watched as the Paul Zero Corps entered the battlefield, nodded his head, and picked up the bones. The bones of Ethan Cruz and Yasunori Akira. It was unfortunate that both of them had only dropped one bone each, but there was no helping it. He soon activated Bone Reinforcement. [Consuming Lv7 Yasunori Akiras shin bone to reinforce your shin bone. Agility has increased by 15 and Health by 10. The Mana eleration skill has be Lv4 and Magic has increased by 10.] [Consuming Lv8 Ethan Cruzs rib bone to reinforce your rib bone. Magic has increased by 100. The High Rank Mana Bone skill has be Lv4 and Magic has increased by 20. High Rank Darkness has be Lv4 and Magic has increased by 40.] "Ugh." He couldnt have imagined that his magic stat, which had already surpassed 4,000, would increase by 100 all at once. As expected of a level 8 bone. This wasnt even taking into ount Yasunori Akiras bone. Was that all? It even leveled up his high rank skills, which further increased his magic. Lee Shin Woo felt even more magic overflowing from his body and smiled. "See, this is why I cant stop." "Seriously, just stop talking. Everything you say scares me now..." Of course, his abilities hadnt been the only thing to grow. Yasunori Akira and Ethan Cruzs memories had merged, flooding his mind with clear memories. Lee Shin Woo boldly discarded the useless elements, and extracted only the important aspects. Why Yasunori Akira had chosen to ally himself with Ethan Cruz, and why Ethan Cruz had decided to betray his fellow heroes... he ignored such pointless memories. He had no interest in dead mens circumstances. "Oh, this is it." As a result, there was only one thing he could use. It was regarding Ethan Cruzs contract with the Archmage, Feotane Von Seldin, as well as some auxiliary information from that exchange... Information regarding heroes that had died in the past. "Id somewhat expected this, but it seems like that bastard is controlling undead heroes..." "Ugh, thats the worst possible information." Because of his quest, Lee Shin Woo could find all of the undead heroes on his minimap, but for some reason, he couldnt look through the level 5 danger zone. It was likely that the Archmage, or perhaps the Emperor himself, had done something. "Rx. He doesnt have someone as capable as Ethan Cruz working for him anymore." "I really wont be able to take it anymore if these guys keep popping up... Well, I guess I didnt really do anything though." "Jin, youre always a lot of help, so dont down yourself." Lee Shin Wooforted Jin, who med himself for being unable to do anything, and collected the rest of the loot. Yasunori Akiras equipment wasnt very valuable (the de was curved on only one side, like a traditional Japanese sword), whereas Ethan Cruzs equipment piqued his interest. It was the bracelet-shaped artifact that Ethan Cruz had used when he had attacked. The bracelet was pitch ck, as if made of darkness. Due to its simplistic design, one might think it was a cheap trinket, but it was definitely a rare item, as it periodically emitted a ck energy. [You have acquired the Lv7 Evesting Night.] "Ah, crap." Lee Shin Woo was bewitched by the enchanting, darkness emitting bracelet, but the moment he came into contact with it, he knew hed made a mistake. He had forgotten that anything he touched turned into bone! Fortunately, a message came up, stating that Bone Reinforcement wasnt high enough to convert it, and it hadnt turned into bone. He felt relief that his item hadnt changed, and simultaneously felt frustrated that his Bone Reinforcement wasnt at a high enough level. He convinced himself that itd turned out well, and checked the artifacts info. [Evesting Night] [Lv7] [Durability: 850/850 (Self-Repair)] [Magic Attack Power: 2,200 - 2,500] [Element: Darkness Lv7] [Options: Magic + 150, Calction Assistance (High), High Speed Casting (High), umtion (MAX)] [Special passive skills: Nights Blessing - If darkness magic is infused into this artifact, then its power is amplified and changes the properties of nearby mana close to darkness. Highly increases the sess rate of darkness magic. However, you cannot use any other element aside from darkness, and just carrying around the artifact causes you to be weak against light.] "It feels like the ultimate darkness magical device..." "Seriously, how did you win?" "It says that he was really weak to light." "But your Light Resistance is maxed too." "Yeah, youre right. The penalty is meaningless to me." "..." Afterughing at the speechless Jin, Lee Shin Woo equipped the bracelet on his right arm (under his armor) without hesitation. Since it hadnt transformed into bone, it was unaffected by Rule of Bone, and also couldnt be stored in the Bone Armory. However, it possessed a self-repair feature. "Nice. Then lets give a silent prayer for Senior Ethan, who gave me such a nice gift on his way out. Then, lets go kill the Vulture General." "You demon. You really are a demon..." Lee Shin Woo gripped the Lightning Gods Fury, and charged towards the battlefield with Jin. At the beginning, the Heaven Defying General, or Paul Zero had appeared and swept through the battlefield. He had been worried that the heroes would see him, but because his subordinates were here, he came to the conclusion that he didnt need to look like an undead as well. Retadanes in worse shape than I thought. Rather than provoking her by showing up as an undead, I think itd be better to form a bridge between us. That bridge would be Lee Shin Woo himself. He would reveal that hed been saved by the Heaven Defying General and his troops to his seniors, who were repulsed by the undead, and he would then suggest that they form an alliance with the Heaven Defying General. Thus, the Paul Zero Corps participation in this battle was incredibly important. [Paul Zero is with us!] [Uooooooooh!] A few of the dumb Giants yelled out Paul Zero and took a sideways nce at Lee Shin Woo, but he ignored them for now. Hed already told them that he could disguise himself as a human being, but if he knew theyd act like this, then he wouldnt have told them... "Ah, Lee Shin Woo!" "You were safe. You disappeared, so everyone was worried..." "Senior, we should take care of the Vulture General first! Lets talkter!" "A-Alright!" Lee Shin Woo safely joined up with the other heroes. He saw the Vulture General, who, despite falling from the sky and losing his mount, bravely struggled as his bald head shined. [Keuk, you crazy bitch!] "Huooooooooh!" And the one pushing him back was olddy Retadane, who rotated her il with her eyes wide open. He could hear her gasping, telling him how much she had overworked herself. That girl really didnt have an off-switch. Lee Shin Woo was speechless, yet still raised his sword high. "Retadane, Im here to help!" 5 minutes passed. Retadanes il crushed the Vulture Generals shiny bald head, and thus, the heroes had safely killed two of the 12 generals. Chapter 36 part3 [You have hunted a member of the 12 generals, the Lv7 Vulture General, Bureuche Von Golden Eagle! All contributing heroes acquire 30,000,000 Perium, and all stats are increased by 100. You have acquired 10 permits to Gods secret shop. Proficiency in allbat rted skills has increased dramatically!] [The High Rank Bursting Thunder skill has be Lv5. Strength and Magic have increased by 10.] [The Intermediate Shadow Horn skill has be Lv10 and has evolved. The Intermediate Horn Gigantification and the Low Rank Shadow Extension skills have been absorbed. You have learned the special passive skill, Thorn Shadow Lv1. Agility has increased by 30. Strength and Magic have increased by 10.] [You have received Gods grace. The max level of Invisible Heart has increased by 10.] The Vulture General fought desperately, but he was ultimately killed. His immense power, despite being unable to fight on his own terms, was a reminder that he was one of the 12 generals. However, his opponent had too much of an advantage against him. Retadane was not only level 8 but could utilize light magic, which was fatal to all undead. Not to mention that all the heroes had attacked the Vulture General simultaneously. It was amazing that hed evensted as long as he did. "I saw it before with the Beast General, but... the rewards are considerable." "All stats are increased by 100... Moreover, mybat skills that wouldnt budge leveled up twice." "Hoo... Im satisfied." "Junior! Why did you set me up with this crazy woman... Exin, now. Hey!" When fighting against the Vulture General, all the heroes had been focused, but once they were rewarded, their anxiety faded away and they began to talk amongst themselves. Seeing that, Lee Shin Woo softly sighed and spoke calmly. "The battles not over yet, Seniors. We have to take out the remaining soldiers." "Y-Yeah, youre right." "Thats not all." Seira Von Retadane added firmly, once shed collected all the loot from the Vulture General. "We may have to face the Heaven Defying General as well." "Thats right... Theyre killing the other undead right now, but eventually, theylle for us..." "...Seniors." Lee Shin Woo knew that this was his chance. "I was helped by them before." "...You were... helped by them?" The mood turned chilly. The heroes remained silent, except Prince, who looked at him most favorably amongst the heroes. She epted what hed said and muttered. "Yes. I was going to die, but the Heaven Defying General helped me, allowing me to survive. Im surprised and flustered myself, but... the Heaven Defying General told me this: Since our enemy is the same, theres no reason not to work together." "Our enemy is the same..." Lloyd interjected this time. He had realized that the only reason they were able to focus entirely on the Vulture General was because the Heaven Defying Generals corps had fought against the undead forces in their stead. "...How can this be? All undead should bepletely loyal to the Emperor." "He said that theyd escaped his control. That there was a way to escape his control. Apparently, his forces reject the Emperors control and they fight against him." "Theres no way..." Erian and Lloyd were dumbfounded and speechless. Through their experiences in the Empire, they had seen the undead as an absolute enemy, but because they saw the Heaven Defying Generals forces crushing the undead, they couldnt reject what Lee Shin Woo was saying. "Lee Shin Woo, dont be fooled." However, there was one person who rejected it without hesitation. As hed expected, it was Retadane. "Theyre all undead. Theyre not sane. You cannot believe what they say. Its an irond rule for heroes." "But Retadane, theyre really..." "Its foolish to believe them just because theyre on our side now. ...Lee Shin Woo, theyre fundamentally different from us. Theyre existences that you cannotmunicate with or understand. Even if it seems like you can trust them for now, its nothing more than an illusion..." "..." She said firmly, and Lee Shin Woo smiled bitterly. Of course, Lee Shin Woo knew shede out like this, but... her emotional wall was greater than hed expected and he was a bit hurt by her. "There must be a reason behind them saving you. Perhaps they wanted to analyze us, or perhaps theyre aiming for our God. But you cant do what they want. All undead must be exterminated. No more, no less. We cannot work together." "...Ha." A sharp refusal, coupled with such hatred. He suddenly realized just how lucky hed been. Kratia had treated him (and Jin) fairly, without any prejudice, and was kind and genuine. Lee Shin Woo ended upughing despondently. Then... "You cant believe what someone says if you dont trust them. That goes for both the undead and humans. In fact, humans can be much worse." Kratia spoke and refuted Retadanes statement. "Calm down. Make your decision by using whats actually happening as evidence. Its a fact that theyre helping us right now. Theyre not attacking us, so theres no point in being hostile. Above all, we dont even have the strength to do so right now. Am I wrong?" "Youre not wrong. If theyre fighting against each other, then theres no point in putting ourselves in unnecessary danger. A wiser choice would be to use them. Of course, we should analyze them now to prepare for the future..." Even though she agreed with Kratia, Retadane remained suspicious of the Heaven Defying Generals motives and rejected him. As a representative of mankind (a hero), it was perhaps only natural that she acted while thinking so deeply. Lee Shin Woo was relieved that he hadnt appeared in front of her in his undead form. He had to think of a way to convince her. It seemed as though Kratia had understood him and said something unnecessary. It was probably intended to console him. "...I believe that there are undead that are trustworthy." "Youre thinking along the same lines as Lee Shin Woo. Its truly unfortunate, but... this is no ce to chat. Ill keep the Vulture Generals loot for now. Ill divvy it up once the battle is over." And thus, their conversation was over. Her uneven breathing, a result from the intense battle, had somewhat evened out, and Retadane brandished her il, charging into a gap between the monsters. She crushed anyone in her way, startling the heroes. "Lee Shin Woo, I believe Retadane is right on this. Theres a high chance that an intelligent undead will try and trick us..." "Senior Lloyd..." "However... No, never mind. Lets go fight too. I have no idea whats going on, but... I know what we have to do right now. We have to fight ande out alive." "Lloyd..." Lloyd really was amazing. Lee Shin Woo had to acknowledge his fortitude, considering the fact that he remained so pretentious despite experiencing all this. Lloyd consoled Erian, who was clinging on to him. Seeing that, Lee Shin Woo inwardly apuded. "Im going to give him a rougher time next time." "Your true feelings areing out." "Hey, Junior!" Lee Shin Woo and Jin quietly joked around, and then, someone clung to his back. It was Prince, who for some reason hadnt followed Lloyd. "Exin! Why did you send me with this woman, and why did you not let me receive Senior Ethans buff!?" "Ill exin all of it to youter, so please help Senior Lloyd for now. I was helped, but it seems like Lloyd has gone through a hard time. So..." "Hmph. Its fine since that elfs still clinging to him. He expects me to help him, but he doesnt realize how valuable I am, so Ill just leave him to suffer..." "If you just leave them be, then rather than realizing how precious you are to him, wouldnt he develop feelings for Senior Erian instead? I believe your best bet is getting in between them and stopping that from happening." "..." Prince was silent. She realized that Lee Shin Woo had read her like a book. Right after, she quietly asked. "Does... it show?" "Are you serious?" "Guaaaaah." Prince blushed. Her ne allowed her to disguise herself as a man. Although she was disguised, she was slender and beautiful enough that even he was affected, causing him to softly groan. She was beautiful enough that she wouldnt lose to an elfs (Erians) beauty. Seriously... "So why do you disguise yourself as a man?" "Theres something I need to protect, even if I were to lose my life... Ueu." "You have it tough." Lee Shin Woo thought it wasnt any of his business, yet Prince still asked for his help. "...Could you give me some tips? Once the battles over." "Of course. So please get off." Since Prince was still clinging to him, he picked her up by the back of her neck like a cat, and lowered her next to Kratia, who had approached with short and quick steps. "Kratia, look after her until the battle ends." "Ok. Leave it to me." "Keuk, dont toss me around like baggage... Ah, by the way, Junior, you said you met with the Heaven Defying General. Are you really ok?" "Yes. He was a good skeleton. So much so that I can trust each and every one of his soldiers." "..." Lee Shin Woo lightly replied. Although Prince looked displeased, she reluctantly nodded her head. "I dont trust the undead, but I do trust you, so... Since you trust them, Ill keep an eye out for them. But you still have to be careful, ok? Since theyre still undead." "Haha. Lets do our best for just a little while longer." Maybe the more he stayed in contact with her, the less shed consider the undead enemies? Unlike Retadane, Prince had responded positively, so Lee Shin Woo was slightly pleased. He softly swung his de and cut down the slowly approaching undead. Then, he left Prince and Kratia behind and turned around. "Then, lets keep at it for just a bit longer." He wanted to test it out. The special passive skill, Thorn Shadow that hed gained from the Vulture Generals death. Considering the fact that it had neither an intermediate or high rank tag attached to it, it was an incredible skill, just as Pleine had guaranteed. Lee Shin Woo realized how genuine Pleines skill book rmendation was. She had robbed him, but this skill was worth ten times, no a hundred times more than the Perium spent. Moreover, the skills effect changed a lot too. Originally, Shadow Horn was a special passive skill which buffed all my lunging attacks, but this... A special passive skill possessed the traits of several passive and active skills simultaneously, and unlike other skills, could be applied in a variety of ways... They were skills that essentially had no limitations. And the Thorn Shadow skill was an amazing skill that included that offensive capability. The abilitys simple. I can drag any shadow and turn it into thorns. I can use it even without mana, but the more mana I use, the more powerful the effect. I can even focus that ability into a single point and create a giant hornnce as well... If a shadow element existed, then this skill would be representative of the element. It was that amazing. Lee Shin Woo converted his and Jins shadows into thousands of thorns and even fused them together, shocking Jin. It was originally a good skill, but the level waspletely different now. This skill would improve both his offensive and defensive capabilities significantly. "Youre already so strong, yet you just obtained a cheat skill like nothing again..." "Lets try it out, Jin." "Yeah, yeah. Im going, boss." Lee Shin Woo dragged their shadows, covering both him and Jin with countless thorns, and charged into the battlefield. It didnt take long for the battlefield, which had been filled to the brim with the undead, to be silent. Chapter 36 part4 [Through your plotting, your swindling, your troops, and yourrades, you have achieved the feat of annihting an undead army. Of the surviving heroes, you have achieved the greatest feat. You have acquired the title, Shadow Hero. All stats have increased by 15. You can now more skillfully hide whatever you wish.] [The Thorn Shadow skill has be Lv2. Strength, Agility, and Magic have increased by 5.] [The High Rank Command skill has be Lv7 and all stats have increased by 5.] "Retadane!" "Keuk!?" Once hed confirmed that all the 12 generals troops were annihted, Lee Shin Woo stopped Retadane from attacking his Paul Zero Corps. He had stayed near her because he knew that shed act this way. "Please get out of my way." "You cant fight anymore. Youre exhausted." "Theyre our enemies." "If we dont attack them first, theres a chance that they wont be our enemies! At the very least, you agreed that we wouldnt fight them today." "I changed my mind. I cant let them go. The undead are... our enemies...!" Even while gasping for breath, Retadanes red eyes shined sharply, and Lee Shin Woo could clearly feel the swelling killing intent within them. It felt like she would attack Lee Shin Woo as well, if he tried to stop her. Lee Shin Woo was sure that she wasnt in her right mind right now. "Please... get out of my way...!" When they had talked before, she hadnt said something so reckless. But when she saw the undead nearby, she nked out and became unruly. There was no difference between her and a brainless undead right now. "Lee Shin Woo, get out of my way!" "Please calm down!" Her il came flying at him, but Lee Shin Woo blocked it with a shield hed summoned beforehand. Although it looked normal from the outside, the Titans Fortress (which was now level 7) had changed slightly from the Titans Pride. While it didntck in the defense department, Lee Shin Woo didnt have an answer for the force behind Retadanes il. I ordered them to retreat already, so I should just keep her busy until theyve all left. Anyway... this womans really strong. Retadane was level 8, so his Rebellion skill was in effect. Despite the skill buffing his stats, it was difficult for him to block her attacks. The fact that he was being pushed back, despite him reinforcing his body with both the Rebellion and the Rule of Bone skills, meant that Retadane possessed a special ability that reinforced her physical abilities, adding onto the increased effectiveness of her status as a level 8. If not for the other undead, this woman wouldve been able to defeat both of the generals by herself. "How!? Youve only just hit level 7...!" However, Retadane was even more agitated than Lee Shin Woo. A level 7 hero, not one of the 12 generals, was blocking her strike head on; she didnt even think that was possible. Moreover, she was also using a skill that increased the force of her blows, so she was even more surprised. "Have you calmed down?" "...Keuk." Retadanes blind hatred and rage subsided slightly, perhaps due to Lee Shin Woos shocking strength. She realized that if she were to attack the Heaven Defying General (with her weary body), she would die. "Thank you for stopping me... Lee Shin Woo." [Seira.] Once Seira withdrew her il and stepped back, one of the undead amidst the Heaven Defying Generals retreating undead, wearing jet-ck armor, came forward. Because he had taken off his helmet, Retadane could recognize him. "...Shino Rendu." [Its been a long time, Seira. I really missed you.] "To think youd fall so far and follow the orders of an undead. Youre a disgrace." [...] Amongst the countless species of undead, Shino Rendu was a high rank undead who almostpletely retained his living appearance. Because of that, his contorted face stood out even more. Retadane had caused amotion, attracting the other heroes, and they could see Shino Rendu as well. [I still have my own free will. I still hate the Emperor and I want to annihte the 12 generals as well. The one I follow wants that as well. ...So can we really not fight on the same side?] "We cannot. God demands but one thing from us: exterminating the undead. Youre no exception." [Seira...] "My name is Retadane." [...Retadane. Why cant we understand each other when we both want to save the Empire? Dont be so biased. Look me in the eye.] "Your premise is wrong." Although Shino Rendu clearly ryed his feelings to her, Retadanes voice remained frigid. No, it actually seemed colder than before. "I dont want to save the Empire. So, Im the only one who can understand myself. You assuming that you know what I want makes me sick." [...] "Youre my enemy the next time we meet." Retadane dered coldly and turned around. It was for no other reason, but the fact that she wouldnt be able to restrain her hatred for the undead if she looked at him any longer. Shino Rendu recognized this fact; he smiled dejectedly and had no choice but to retreat. "Shino!" But before he left, Lloyd called his name. Shino Rendu stopped. Lloyd hesitated for a while, but ultimately... spoke. "Thanks... for helping us today." [Lloyd. Im d youre safe.] "...I dont know. Everything that happened today... its too difficult for me to make a decision on my own, but Im d I was able to meet you again. ...Im being honest." [...Me too.] "...Ah." Shino Rendu smiled sadly and replied. Then, he went back into the Paul Zero Corps and could no longer be seen. Prince btedly opened her mouth, but it was already toote. He was gone. Retadane looked at the two and said coldly. "Itll only hurt more." "Youre probably right, Retadane. ...Even so, I couldnt just sit by and do nothing." "...I pity you." Even Lee Shin Woo, who was good at reading people, didnt know why Retadane had said that. Of course, unlike Shino Rendu, Lee Shin Woo had no ns on overstepping and going through her emotional walls. It didnt matter what feelings they had for one another, so long as they worked together. If he could control her, then there was definitely a chance that they could work together. "Looking at it now, his armys tremendous... Its iparable to the Beast Generals or the Vulture Generals armies. Just his subordinates are that strong, so how strong is the Heaven Defying General? Hes at least level 8." "His armys not uniform at all. Its like hes gathered them from all over the ce. Each and every one of them possess considerable strength." The heroes watched in shock and awe as the undead collected the loot and quickly retreated. Lee Shin Woo kept an eye on Retadane (as she could go crazy again) so that his army could retreat safely. Fortunately, nothing went wrong. [Master, Im finished verifying. There were a few people watching us, but they wonte and attack you.] Thats a relief. I have to remain inconspicuous no matter what and hide... By the time he could barely see his troops, Rem gave his report whilst looking down from the sky. He had caused mayhem. Even if someone were to see him, it wouldnt be a problem. ording to Rem, there were three people currently watching this ce, along with the heroes and the Heaven Defying General. Lee Shin Woo could tell where these people came from. The Empire, Steelworker, and... Anti-Skull. This battle was a sort of trigger. All of these factions felt a sense of foreboding, yet they hadnt been able to easily initiate the conflict. However, this was the signal for that battle to begin. Each faction knew about each other by now, so they couldnt remain hidden any longer. Lee Shin Woo felt the current that he and the other heroes were riding. If he wanted to survive this irresistible wave, then... "I think we should stay out of the limelight for now. Since itd be easy for us to draw attention right now." "I agree. There are too many enemies." Perhaps Retadane had noticed them, as she spoke with aparatively calm voice. "However, before that... lets divvy up the loot." The battle was on arge-scale, so the resulting loot was considerable. Everyone was given loot based on their karma. However, the 12 generals still left behind the best loot! Lee Shin Woo didnt get much from the Vulture General, aside from some Perium, but Kratia gained his bone. "Shin Woo, I got a present for you." "I love you." "I know." Kratia discretely gave him the bone and Lee Shin Woo gave her an appropriate amount of Perium in return. Then, he executed Bone Reinforcement without the other heroes knowing. [Consuming the Lv7 Vulture General, Bureuche Von Golden Eagles parietal bone to reinforce your parietal bone! Agility has increased by 20, Health by 30, and Magic by 10. The Intermediate Assimtion skill has be Lv10 and evolves to the high rank level. Agility and Magic have increased by 20.] [With this... Everyone has be bald. Ah, Your Majesty... - Bureuche Von Golden Eagle] Lee Shin Woo ignored the Vulture Generals salty memories while checking the increase in his stats and skill proficiency from absorbing the bone. [Lee Shin Woo] [Breathing Bone Joker] [Shadow Hero; 14 others] [Lv - 7 (Status effectiveness 250%)] [Strength - 2,149 Agility 2,091 Health - 2,222 Magic - 4,408] [Passive skills - Acting Lv19, Invisible Heart Lv4/Lv159, Rebellion Lv4, Mana eleration Lv4, Thorn Shadow Lv2, High Rank Bursting Thunder Lv5, High Rank Mana Bone Lv4, High Rank Command Lv7, High Rank Assimtion Lv1, High Rank Combat Sense Lv4, Lucky Strike Lv2] [Active skills - Disguise Lv7, Instigate Lv8, Bone Reinforcement Lv12, Rule of Bone Lv11, Bone Armory Lv10, High Rank Regeneration Lv3, Sacrifice Lv1, Emergency Evasion Lv6, High Rank Lightning Sprint Lv4, Lightning Shadow Lv4] [Elements - High Rank Fire Lv3, Intermediate Ice Lv8, High Rank Wind Lv1, High Rank Acid Lv2, High Rank Lightning Lv4, High Rank Darkness Lv4, Absorption Lv8] [Resistances - Holy: MAX, Darkness: MAX, Light: MAX, High Rank Wind Lv1, High Rank Acid Lv2, Intermediate Ice Lv7, High Rank Fire Lv2, High Rank Lightning Lv2] With this, he possessed a total of 10,870 stats. Not only had he been rewarded for killing two of the 12 generals, but hed also absorbed several powerful individuals bones. And in the process, his skills had leveled up as well, causing his stats to increase so much. The other heroes would feel weak if they knew about his stats, but Lee Shin Woo felt like he wasnt there yet. There were so many powerful individuals in the Empire, so he needed to get to level 8 as soon as possible. I need 1,930 stats until I reach level 8... If I absorb the bones my boys collected, then my stats will increase even further, but for the time being, itll be difficult to take down another one of the 12 generals, so I need to move as discreetly as possible... So it wont be easy. Sseup. This was why he didnt want to make any big moves until he was ready, but Ethan Cruz had caused a slight setback in his ns. Hed gotten everything he could from Ethan Cruz, so he supposed that he should consider himself fortunate. "...Shin Woo. Lee Shin Woo?" "...Ah, yes?" He was so focused that he didnt react to Retadanes call in time and replied a bit absentmindedly. Retadane, looking a bit sheepish (it seems like she was aware of how much trouble shed caused him), then said. "We should talk about what happened here... Would you like to have a cup of tea with us?" Chapter 36 part5 Two hours passed. Lee Shin Woo epted his third cup of tea. Whenever he asked for another serving of tea, Retadane would look enthusiastic, perhaps because of the mood. "Uaaaaah. This is the worst." "This doesnt make any sense. Senior Ethan was..." "Its hard to ept, but its the truth. When I look back, after being freed from his brainwashing, I feel like there were lots of things that didnt make sense..." The heroes were astonished by Lee Shin Woos revtion of Ethans betrayal. When he added that Mentes Orun was part of this conspiracy, the mood turned for the worst. Especially Lloyd, as he recalled Mentes Orun attacking him and sighed deeply. "Yasunoris dead and we survived because of the Heaven Defying General..." "How did things turn out like this... Why did we (the heroes) have to fight amongst ourselves? I feel like an idiot since I fought without being aware of any of this." "...Phew." "We only killed two of the 12 generals, yet we lost three heroes in exchange. They werent even killed fighting against the enemy... Ah, damn. Prince is right. This is the worst." Lloyd, Prince, and Erian were now privy to the circumstances behind the battle and looked as though they were going to cry, yet inparison, Lee Shin Woo, who had said what hed needed to say, looked unburdened and drank his tea. To be exact, he acted as though he were drinking the tea while evaporating the tea that went down his throat with fire. He didnt know this, as he didnt have the need to pretend to drink tea before, but by swallowing down the tea and evaporating it, he could feel the moisture of the tea, making it feel like he was actually drinking tea. For an undead, who couldnt eat or drink anything, there was nothing sweeter. "...Do you like the tea I brewed that much?" "Yes. Its seeping into my exhausted body and mind. Thank you very much." "...Hehe." Lee Shin Woos genuine appreciation caused Retadane to cover her mouth with a hand andugh in satisfaction. Yeah, this girl got really hyped up over anything rted to tea. He smiled bitterly, as she was acting so different from before. Perhaps the way to conquer her was over tea! "Youre amazing, Lee Shin Woo." "Excuse me?" Lloyd said out of the blue, and Lee Shin Woo tilted his head, as he didnt know what he was talking about. Lloyds face was still ashen as he spoke with a disheartened voice. "Its amazing that you can be so calm, despite everything thats happened. You confronted Ethan Cruz, who was level 8, head on and even met the Heaven Defying General... I thought you of all people wouldve been the most tired out of everyone here." "I told you this before, but I was already somewhat prepared for this. Plus, I had never met Ethan Cruz before." "Moreover, you even blocked Retadanes strike. ...Were you holding back against me in our duel?" "No." Lee Shin Woo lied with a serious voice. "I was only able to block her strike because she was so tired. It was after she had fought against two of the 12 generals. I may have gone through a lot, but I didnt do much and was only helped by everyone else, so its only natural that I have so much energy left. Thats why I was barely able to block her attack." "No, thats... Never mind." Retadane instinctively opened her mouth to refute his point, as she had personally experienced his true strength and thus knew it wasnt so simple. But she wasnt able to utter anything after opening and closing her mouth a few times. "Youre still amazing. I stood around like an idiot, but unlike me, you reacted immediately. ...If we had continuously fought against that group of undead, then we wouldnt be here right now." "Id like to also give my thanks regarding that. ...Since Ive been fighting the undead for such a long time, its be difficult for me to control my emotions when seeing them. Thats actually the reason I didnt fight the 12 generals, despite having the strength to do so." Lee Shin Woo understood Retadanes point and nodded his head. Retadane was a lunatic on the battlefield, so much so that the Berserker title would fit her. Regardless of how powerful she was, if she were to fight like a raving madman against the 12 generals and their armies, then she would be killed immediately. The entire reason she hadnt sustained a critical injury was because she had been with the other heroes. Plus, Lee Shin Woo was publicly and privately supporting her as well. "Retadane. Dont you feel something is strange?" "What about?" "Your absolute hostility towards the undead. The rate at which your anger grows as you fight the undead is abnormal." Lee Shin Woo boldly went straight to the point. The other heroes quieted down, as though they were somewhat aware of her problem as well. Only Kratia was unaware of this, as she tilted her head. Retadane slowly and carefully replied. "Id be lying if I told you I hadnt noticed it before. I know its unnatural." "Then." "However, I believe its something I need. I dont n on rejecting it. Its not a curse, but a blessing, Lee Shin Woo." As expected, she replied with such a psychopathic response. While Lee Shin Woo stood with his mouth shut and dumbfounded, Retadane continued. "There are no humans left in the Underground Empire, only undead. Its a ce where theres nothing to be happy about, nothing to lean on, nothing. Although we have a fewrades, we cannot trust all of them. You cannot stay sane here. As time passes, it doesnt get any better, and our enemies are powerful. So, theres a chance that Im not the same as I once was." "So..." "So thats why Im so thankful. The fact that my hatred, which couldve faded with time, has remained strong. My hatred keeps reminding me not to forget my original goal. Its probably a blessing the world has bestowed upon us." "The worlds... blessing..." Hearing that, Lee Shin Woo realized just how broken she was after so many years. How much hatred did she have and what were the extent of her feelings; she, who had experienced the fall of the Empire? She had shouldered all of that and had survived thus far. Moreover, her unnatural hostility and anger mustve continuously increased over that time, so it was only natural that she was so damaged. Trying to get through to her had been a mistake. Shino Rendu didnt have any luck either, as hed tried to get them to work together without reading the mood. "Lee Shin Woo, I know that youre worried about me. Thank you. However, you dont need to be worried about me." "If you can keep yourself together with that, then... I have nothing more to say. However, as I said before, itd be a waste to ostracize thempletely. There should be nothing wrong with us working together. This is just me prioritizing things. Who we have to be wary of, who we reject, and who we have to take down. You dont disagree with me, do you?" "...No. It frustrates me, but youre right. Lets take our time to think about that subject. Id like it if you didnt deepen your rtionship with them too quickly, but... if theres something to be gained from them, then Ill be counting on you. You should be able to make contact with them, as you havent been so deeply affected by this world." "Of course. Ill take care of it." It seemed as though she was satisfied with his response, but her feelings didnt show on her face. Then, she picked up the kettle and asked Lee Shin Woo. "Would you like another cup?" "Yes please." "...You know, you two." Once they were done conversing so seriously and the mood had be more rxed like before, Lloyd spoke again without reading the mood. "You guys are a good match." "Excuse me!?" "What!?" "Pfft!?" Retadane was surprisingly anxious. Lee Shin Woo was the same. Wait a sec, how the hell did this conversation go from her emotional problems to rtionships!? Just how bad was he at reading the mood!? He supposed it made senseing from him, as he was stupid enough to mistake Princes gender! "Kehek, what the hell are you talking about...?" "But, Prince. Its not so surprising, is it? Heroes are people too, so they should be able to fall in love as well." "...Thats riching from you." "Well, I... Im not really interested and its not like anyone likes me." Once the conversation turned around on him, he became hesitant, which was pathetic. Erian and Prince looked at Lloyd coldly, as if their eyes were near absolute zero. However, Lloyd shook his head and said strongly. "You just said it yourself Retadane. That theres nothing to be happy about or lean on. ...But if you fall in love, then both of those issues are solved, right?" "I dont think this is the time to engage in such trivial emotions." "Its not trivial. Its the feeling that leads to birth, and its a natural phenomenon. What makes a human being, human is their feelings. Youre keeping yourself together through your hatred for the undead, or in other words, your feelings." Lee Shin Woo was moved, as Lloyd spoke like such a typical hero. Wait, when he thought about it, this wasnt the time to be doing this. Retadane refuted Lloyd in Lee Shin Woos stead. "...Even so, why are you bringing this up now?" "I dont think Ive ever seen you talk to anyone for so long, but you go on and on with Lee Shin Woo. You were trying to hide it, but youve been smiling here and there whenever Lee Shin Woo is talking... It seems like you guys really understand each other." "Thats... I suppose youre right." "Wait, hold up! So you want our junior to just ept all that crap Retadane is saying?" "If I was smiling, then its because Lee Shin Woo is someone who can appreciate tea." "In other words, youre interested." "..." Retadane kept her mouth shut. She had given up on convincing Lloyd. Lee Shin Woo wanted to say worry about yourself, but... in order to maintain some sort of dignity for the both of them, he just lightly replied. "Love cant be coerced, Senior Lloyd. You realize it on your own." "...I just thought you guys looked good together." "Haha, you should only say that kind of thing to people who are in love." Just to be clear, Lee Shin Woo wasnt capable of love. Because he couldnt feel it. If he went into specifics, then hed be miserable, as hed recall everything hecked. Lloyd seemed regretful, as he shrugged his shoulders, and Retadane calmed down as well. And for some reason, Prince nodded her head exaggeratingly. "Thats obvious. Dont stick our junior with that old bag." "...Prince Altania?" "Eek!?" However, Lloyds words werent meaningless. The once gloomy and heavy mood had be a bit lighter, and all the heroes began to smile a little. Lee Shin Woo watched the group of heroes, who had be more energized than before, but then... Kratia came behind him and whispered so that only he could hear her. "Shin Woo, you wont be able to avoid it forever." "Hey, stop with the sudden foreshadowing." "I hope you can break through that illusion of yours as soon as possible." Kratia said and smiled subtly. And in return, Lee Shin Woo hit her forehead. The heroes repose continued for a little while longer. Chapter 36 part6 Had they formed a sense of camaraderie due to the battle? At first, Lee Shin Woo thought hed be lucky if they didnt fight amongst themselves, but their rest and discourse went on far longer than hed expected. This was the heroes first experience fighting the 12 generals, defeating them, and being betrayed by theirrades. The only other person besides Lee Shin Woo who could rx, say lets meet next time, and depart was Kratia. "I feel like my third year was the hardest." "If I hadnt met Prince, then I wouldnt havested so long." "You mustve had it rough, Lloyd. You had to put up with this stubborn boy for so long..." "Junior, hit her for me." And they even began to reminisce their past. Although they often spoke in the chatting channel, the heroes couldnt see each others faces and speak face-to-face. So, they would quickly go from one topic to the next and remained seated. After all, they didnt know when they would see each other again. Most of the talking was done by either Lloyd or Prince, but if Lee Shin Woo, Retadane, or even Kratia replied, then they would talk for even longer. "What are you guys going to do for dinner?" "Im not really hungry..." "We should rest, rather than forcing ourselves to eat. We killed two of the 12 generals and our stats have increased significantly, so we should prioritize rest to adapt to our strengthened bodies." Night hade. Ultimately, they decided to rest their exhausted bodies tonight and then go their separate ways. The heroes created tents with their magical devices. Hed seen it often when he travelled with Kratia, but he found it entertaining that the tent matched ones personality, whether it be the materials or its size. "Shin Woo, are you sure youre going to be ok?" "Yes. Im the least tired. If I get too tired, then Ill call for you." "...I feel ashamed as your senior, but thank you. If youre tired, wake me up. If for no other reason than for everyones safety." "Of course." Lee Shin Woo volunteered for the night watch so that his seniors could get a good nights sleep. It was a battlefield where they had killed two of the 12 generals and ughtered their armies, leaving nothing behind, but it was for that very reason that they had to keep one eye open. Of course, he had no ns on waking Lloyd. There was no point in waking up the exhausted heroes. It also didnt seem like the other heroes, whose minds and bodies were in tatters, would even be able to take the night watch anyway. "This bodys the best." "...Itd be tough without an advantage like this." Once they confirmed that the heroes were deeply asleep, Jin spoke. While Lee Shin Woo spoke with the heroes, Jin seemed displeased, as he repeated what he said sarcastically and tapped his body. "You can make me as exhausted as you want, and I dont care if I have to sleep again. I just want to be human again..." "Haha. Yeah, I suppose it was too stimting today, right?" Lee Shin Woo thought, what a kid, but then he heard Jin begin to cry. He could understand how he was feeling. Although he was ok with Kratia, there were too many living people around him today. Hed tried to forget about it, but he couldnt ignore it when so many of them were right in front of him. There were things they just couldnt do that the heroes could... like eating or sleeping. Lee Shin Woo wondered how he shouldfort Jin. "You can smell things too. Ill put some tea in your bodyter." "Id rather not get wet, so dont. It doesnt help." "You just dont know how to enjoy tea." "Im d you know how. It looked like you were really enjoying yourself with Retadane. Why dont you actually date her?" "Theres no point, so dont say stuff like that." Lee Shin Woo and Jin continued to talk, and before they knew it, it was already dawn. He nned on waiting until the no longer exhausted heroes woke on their own, but Kratias tent opened. She walked out while rubbing her eyes. For some reason, he saw Prince fast asleep within Kratias tent. Kratia quickly closed her tent, came out, and sat next to Lee Shin Woo. Lee Shin Woo asked her with a slightly tense voice. "...I didnt know you guys were in a rtionship." "Im going to hit you, Shin Woo. And then Ill pout." "It was just a joke. Im sorry." Of course, he had already known that they were sharing a tent. Prince had made her own tent, but Lee Shin Woo had seen her immediately walk over to Kratias tent. He didnt know what theyd talked about, as they had set up a soundproof barrier around their tent, but he assumed that she had a lot to talk about with a female friend. "Shin Woo, Im going to be travelling with Prince from now on." "Huh!?" Thats why he was so surprised by Kratias sudden news. He couldnt understand how things had gotten so far. What the hell did they talk about in there? "Princes level and stats are weaker than mine. In her past life, she could use an innate spell through a contract, and that followed her here, which only makes it seem like shes strong, but if we can bring out her true potential, then shell be a lot stronger. Shes just wasting her magic and talent right now. I thought this before, but I became sure of it today." "Mm, I see." Honestly, Lee Shin Woo had been disappointed by Prince as well. He had been presumptuous, assuming that every magic-rted hero would be able to cast unbelievable magic like Kratia. "Shes identified the problem, but she thought itd be fine until now. Just to be clear, her male disguise is rted to that innate spell. Its a spell thats been passed down through her family. Its reallyplicated." "Seems like she has her own troubling circumstances that I dont want to know about." "Yeah, we talked all night. And I had to analyze the spell." Hed thought that they were just chatting it up while drinking tea, but it was actually a counseling session. Lee Shin Woo wasnt just imagining it; Kratia looked a lot more tired than usual. "So Ive decided to take her on as my student. I regret not being able to travel with you, but... Ill keep studying what youve given me, so dont worry." "Im not worried about that. I trust you. Anyway, is Senior Prince ok with that arrangement? Its great that she wants to improve her magic, but shell be far away from Senior Lloyd..." Although shed ripped Lloyd (his words) to shreds yesterday, Lee Shin Woo was well aware of how powerful love was. While he wanted to root for her, he couldnt help but be worried about the distance between Prince and Lloyd. "Mm, I think shes changed her mind because of you, Shin Woo." "But I warned her so that she wouldnt change her mind?" "...I think I get it. Youre saying this is all your fault, right?" "Yeah." "Yeah!?" Lee Shin Woo tilted his head, as he couldnt understand what she was saying. Jin, who was quietly listening to the side, spoke quietly and nodded his head. He despaired, as Jin understood Kratia better than he did. When they were about finished, Lloyd woke up, followed by the other heroes. It seems like Prince was the only one still sleeping. "Shin Woo, are you really ok!? I didnt think youd be up all night. I appreciate you looking out for us, but you need to take care of yourself a bit better!" "I know this ce quite well. I can easily find a ce to rest, so please dont worry about me." "Ugh..." "You were thinking of us, I see. ...Thank you. Ill make breakfast. Ruparte, could you please help me?" "Mm, alright..." As they had starved yesterday, breakfast was quite fancy. Lee Shin Woo was able to excuse himself from the meal since he needed to keep watch and watched on as the heroes ravenously ate their meals. There was no men or women here. They were all pigs. "Prince, that idiot. Is he not hungry? Ill go wake him up." "Prince is awake and getting ready." "Getting ready...?" Because Lloyd was finished first, he decided to wake up Prince, but Kratia quickly told him not to. Lee Shin Woo had a feeling he knew what was going on, and when the tent opened, they could see Prince. Seeing her, Lloyd dropped the chicken drumstick in his hand. "You... Wait... What...?" "Its me." Prince curtly replied and walked out of the tent. Although she was wearing the same old robes, the curvature of her body underneath them had changed. It was as Lee Shin Woo expected. Her face had be softer and her lustrous silver hair hung below her shoulders. Only her red eyes remained the same, but because they fit with her other physical features, they only made her look more beautiful than before. Lee Shin Woo had hypothesized that heroes were picked by their looks and this just further proved his point. Then, Lloyd blushed and yelled. "Are you into cross-dressing as a girl!?" "Im not cross-dressing as a girl. I was cross-dressing as a guy, you idiot!" "What!?" Lloyd had known her the longest and hadnt figured it out all this time, so he really was an idiot. Whereas, Retadane looked disinterested, not caring whether she was originally a man or a woman, and Erian looked as though she understood. "So thats why you were..." "Wait a sec. Im the only one whos surprised? Whats going on!?" "Its not one of his abilities, but whenever I see that kind of reaction from him, he seems like a true hero." "Shin Woo, youre saying hero like its a bad thing." Lee Shin Woo asked Kratia, who was beside him eating corn, how things had turned out this way, and she exined that they would be fixing the root of her innate spell. After her simple exnation, she went back to eating her corn. So, thats why Prince didnt need to maintain her spell any longer. "You dimwit. You hadnt noticed?" "Ah... My bad. I didnt think there could be a woman with a personality like yours..." "Kratia, tie this guy up for me. I want to burn him." "Why!?" "Ok, since its my students request." "What!?" There was amotion in the morning, but it ended with Lloyd being burned at the stake. It was almost time for them to go their separate ways. Erian enthusiastically carried Lloyd, who was unable to say anything, while Prince looked much livelier than before, as though she were relieved of a burden and stood behind Kratia. "I hope the next time we meet, were all a lot stronger than before. Lee Shin Woo, I may contact you often in the future regarding the Heaven Defying General. Ill be counting on you." "Of course." "Ill be level 7 the next time we meet. No matter what. And Prince... Are you really ok with sending the two of us off alone?" "Hmph, I found whats most important to me right now, so it cant be helped." "What a splendid expression... Ill be rooting for you." Retadane left first. Erian departed in the opposite direction while carrying Lloyd. Kratia and Prince looked disappointed, but ultimately said their farewells and left. As thest one there, Lee Shin Woo briefly closed his eyes and stayed still. He sighed and then spoke. He knew what he needed to do. But first... "I need to go visit the secret shop." Chapter 37 part1 It had been a long time since hedst visited the secret shop. Beyond the counter, Pleine ced a spoon inside her bowl, which was filled with huge chunks of meat, and then looked at Lee Shin Woo. "Guten Abend! I was just about to eat. Would you like to eat with me?" "Please dont do that. Since I was tortured by the other heroes." "Ah, thats right. I forgot... Wait, Mr. Shin Woo, youre a human right now!?" After theyd gone through their normal routine (it wouldnt feel normal without it), Pleine noticed Lee Shin Woos appearance and was astonished. Lee Shin Woo finally realized that hed been maintaining his human form all this time, so he deactivated his Disguise skill. Pleine sighed in relief, which was kind of funny. "I had a suspicion that you could do it, but it really is impressive. Can you eat in that form...?" "Please keep this a secret from Jin, but I think Ill be able to if I level up more." Thats right. Lee Shin Woos Disguise skill had infinite potential. To be more specific, the word Disguise didnt urately describe the transformation; he could feel the skillstent potential. He had a feeling that he, a skeleton, would be able to pass off as a human sometime in the future with his Disguise skill. But he couldnt really tell anyone, as he wasnt 100% sure. If he gave someone false hope and it didnt work, then Jin would feel even more hopeless. "Well, if it doesnt work, there are always other options. Anyway, the other heroes motivated me, so Ive been thinking about a lot of things." "Its so strange watching you do something youve never learned before. What did you do in your original world, Mr. Shin Woo? I heard that magic didnt exist in that world." "I was just a normal sryman." "Yes, yes. I understand." Lee Shin Woo replied honestly, but Pleine shook her head as if she didnt believe him. Then, she pped her hands and changed topics. "More importantly, congrattions on your consecutive wins against the 12 generals. It seems like youve taken care of Ethan Cruz and the other traitors, so let me thank you personally." "Yes. But for the time being, the Empires going to be in chaos, so itll take some time before we can take care of another one of the 12 generals." "You went wild, so I guess it cant be helped. But its not all bad. You knew it was going to happen, didnt you? Its good that the heroes were the ones who prompted it." Lee Shin Woo silently nodded his head. Yeah, he didnt know what the other heroes thought, but he believed this battle came out ok. Especially because they forced the Empire, as well as its opposing factions to act... Although itd be more dangerous from here on out, there were now more pieces he could use on the board. "But the problems whether or not the heroes can adapt to this quickly changing environment..." "Youre amazing, Shin Woo. You talk about it like its someone elses business. ...Actually, it really isnt your problem." The remaining task was to level up the other heroes ASAP. Those who participated in the battle needed to be strong enough to battle one of the 12 generals one-on-one, and the lowest level newbie heroes, Ye Jin Jin and Silene Viesa, needed to be able to easily take on the highest rank undead, aside from the 12 generals. That would be ideal. Whereas Retadane, who was the strongest amongst them, had huge emotional issues. Fixing that would be his most difficult task... "Now that I think about it, your little sister came out unscathed. Though her Berserker vibe kind of scared me." "...Ah, you found out?" "So you were sisters." "You tricked me!? How cowardly!" Pleine, who realized shed been tricked,ined loudly, but Lee Shin Woo realized that hed been correct, muttered to himself, and nodded his head. Hed had his suspicions when hed first met Seira Von Retadane, but he hadnt been able to ask her himself. But since he was close to Pleine, it was easy to get it out of her. "Keuk, how did you find out? None of the other heroes whove met her found out." "You two are alike. I could tell right away." "...Were alike? Thats the first time Ive heard that since I was born. Everyone else said that we werepletely different from each other." Lee Shin Woo spoke, and her expression became odd. Was she happy that she and her younger sister looked alike? He smiled while watching her, but she suddenly frowned. "Beingpared to her feels really unpleasant. There are things that even you cant say, Mr. Shin Woo!" "!?" "Whos prettier, me or her? Please answer honestly." "P-Pleine." "Good. It doesnt seem like youre lying. Ill forgive this time." He felt like his body would break from the pressure of her gaze alone. Of course, he honestly thought Pleine was prettier, but Seiras body was more his type. However, he wasnt stupid enough to say that out loud. "Now then, would you like to see our products? A level 7 bone hasnte in yet, but would you at least like to see our gear?" "Ah, I didnte here to buy anything today. I came here for some advice." "Advice...? Hoo, hoo. If you really wanted to see me so badly, then you couldve just said so. To be honest, youre not good enough for me, but if you change your body, then I think youll be my type! Good luck!" "Im getting mad." "Im sorry." Lee Shin Woo spoke after shed politely apologized. He wanted to know more about the secret shop permits. "Ive gathered 131 secret shop permits." "Come again?" "Ive gathered 131 secret shop permits. Ah, I got the message when I gathered 100 of them though." "Hahaha." Hed received that message when he was in the middle of a fight. Thats why he hadnt looked at it in detail and just passed over it, but after he was done with the fighting, the first thing he checked was what he could do with those 100 hard earned permits. "The message told me to ask the secret shop." "Im sorry? Ask the secret shop? Why is it telling you toe here?" "As I thought, this is the first time youve heard it too..." Perhaps Lee Shin Woo was the first one to gather 100 secret shop permits since the secret shops inception. He looked at Pleines stupefied expression and was sure. Moreover, ask the secret shop? When he gathered 10 secret shop permits, he received a message, asking him if he wanted to go to Gods garden. Inparison, this seemed a lot less thought out. "Uah, you really... Mm. In that case... But still." "Shes gone crazy." Either it wasnt ready yet, or something would be created. Thats what Lee Shin Woo thought would happen, and he was correct. After all, what more proof did he need? Pleine was flustered andmunicating with God. Did she finish speaking with God? She soon got a hold of herself, looked at Lee Shin Woo, and grumbled. "...You shouldve told me earlier, you damn hag." "Isnt that sphemous? Wont you get weaker or something?" "Mr. Shin Woo, wevee to a conclusion." "Ah, ok." Pleine ignored Lee Shin Woos question and moved on. "Its never been done before, but... Mm, I think itll work. If its you and your partner. It can be used by the two of you. Yes, probably." "So what is it?" "Hoo... Ill tell you after Im done eating." Before she continued, Pleine touched the stew on the counter with one finger and heated it. Then, she scarfed it down right before his very eyes. She was really going at it, yet Lee Shin Woo still felt some dignity from it, which surprised him even more. "Hoo. Hoooo...." She had finished eating within a minute. Was it too hot? Her eyes were slightly teary. If she knew that was going to happen, then she shouldnt have heated it again. "Now Ill tell you. By using 100 secret shop permits, you gain permission to go to the surface. Of course, its not a one-way trip, but a round-trip. It doesnt sound like a bad idea to take a breather at the surface since the Underground Empires in chaos right now." "...What!?" "I said you could go to the surface. Youre the first hero to do so. And youll probably be thest." He had somewhat anticipated this. However, he didnt think itd actually be possible. Lee Shin Woo continued to stare at her, dumbfounded, but that wouldnt make her exin any further. There were several things that concerned him, but he would have to figure that all out on his own. "What will you do, Mr. Shin Woo?" "...If I can, Id like to go there immediately. Lets go now." "Alright. Then lets call over your partner, Jin Taylor, first. Its quite easy because of your deep connection." Lee Shin Woos tone was serious as he gave the okay. However, Pleine replied nonchntly, as if shed expected him to say that, and flicked her hand. He heard a refreshing sound, and right after, Jin appeared right next to him. "Huh? Whats going on? Why am I here?" "If you have some unfinished business in the Underground Empire, then please tell me now. You can leave right away if thats what you want." "Leave? To where? Whats going on, Shin Woo?" "Apparently, were going to the surface. Ill exin the detailster." Lee Shin Woo was having trouble processing all this, so he couldnt exin it to Jin right now. For the time being, he needed to listen to Pleine. He briefly used his head. The Paul Zero Corps would be in a safe location and everything else... "Could I bring a small bird with me? Its a golem." "A golem? Ah, that ones connected to you as well, Mr. Shin Woo. Alright. Itll cost you 30 more secret shop permits for the round trip." "Why dont you just steal them!?" "Hoo. Its not something under my control. Ill summon it for free, so dont hate me so much." Soon, Rem was summoned into the secret shop as well. Rem wasnt flustered at all and just perched atop Lee Shin Woos shoulder, a severe contrast to Jins reaction to the summon. "Then, youre all set now, right? Ill start right away." "Please." Lee Shin Woo rode atop Jin after Rem had perched on his shoulder. He had barely adapted to the Underground Empire yet he was going to the surface now. He didnt know what would happen, so he prepared himself to be ready for a fight at any moment. Riding atop Jin was one of those preparations. "Hoo... Im starting!" Pleine left the counter and stretched her hands towards the empty floor. Lee Shin Woo felt all his secret shop permits flow into Pleine. The more that flowed into her, the brighter the light shined from underneath them, until it formed an extremely powerful holy magic circle... [The Lv8 Bone Gate is activating.] "...Huh?" At that moment, Lee Shin Woos bone ring flew off. Pleine, who was performing the ritual, as well as Lee Shin Woo were surprised and watched. Then, the bone ring swelled in size and stuck to the luminescent floor. And... [The Bone Gate is absorbing the magic circle.] [The Bone Gate has evolved to Lv9.] A miracle happened, one that even God hadnt expected. Chapter 37 part2 It was so surprising that Lee Shin Woo fell from Jins back. "Pleine, what happened?" "Thats my line, Mr. Shin Woo... Ah, uaaaah. All the permits are being sucked in!" Pleine had alreadypleted her spell, and the fusion between the Bone Gate and the magic circle dragged Gods power, or the permits towards it. The permits flowed from his body, to Pleine, to the magic circle, and then to then to the Bone Gate. That huge flow could no longer be interrupted. The Bone Gate, which had fully fused with the magic circle, radiated white light, as though this was the original n, and evolved in some unknown way. "What do we do if we cant go to the surface?" "...W-We dont cover already sold goods that are either damaged or fused." "Dont lie! You just made that up!" "You got me! But you wont get the permits back even if you kill me, so you have to take responsibility! I didnt do anything wrong, ok? I really didnt!" It was really frustrating, but she was right. There was no point in ming her, as this was the result of Lee Shin Woos item, the Bone Gate. But the Bone Gate shouldve been dormant within his inventory. The Bone Gate was an item that would remain on standby until he activated it, so why did this happen all of a sudden? If he were to guess, then the Bone Gate and Pleines magic circle mustve had simr properties. It was concerning that the Bone Gate reacted to the secret shop permits, or rather, Gods power. "I got this item from Steve... from a Treasure Eater. So if I find some more Treasure Eaters, would I be able to solve the puzzle?" "Treasure Eaters are hard to see even once in your lifetime. How many did you kill!?" There was nothing more Lee Shin Woos party could do. He just stood beside Pleine, who was munching on popcorn, and watched the Bone Gate as it changed, no, evolved. The Bone Gate calmed down only after it had absorbed all of his permits. It had fully absorbed the magic circle and began to float in the air. [You have acquired the Lv9 ????. By absorbing weak divinity, the artifact has reached itspleted form. This artifact will lead you where you want to go. The item will activate upon giving the karma you have created a name.] "Then, how about the Anyway Door..." [1] "Give it a rest!" Jin retorted desperately, stopping him. Lee Shin Woo felt disappointed, but then he gave the artifact a proper name. "Heaven Doors Key." "...I feel like Ive heard that from somewhere." Heaven Doors Key. It was a term in the dead Elementalists diary, but he didnt know what it meant. But for some reason, he recollected that word just now. Lee Shin Woo instinctively spoke that word, and Pleine briefly looked at him in shock. She soon sported a bitter smile. He hesitated briefly, but then asked. "Does it not fit?" "No, its perfect. ...Yes, nothing else would work." Hearing that, Lee Shin Woo felt rxed, but at that moment, the level 9 artifact had beplete. [The Lv9 Heaven Doors Key has been born. This artifact, which is connected to your very soul, originally possessed the ability to ignore any obstacle and guide you to where you want to go. However, you are a much lower level than the item, so a part of that function is restricted. If you reach a suitable level, then the artifacts true power will be revealed. This artifact activates through the consumption of bones and mana.] [New coordinates have been recorded. Enough energy has been acquired, so a door can be opened that takes you to the coordinates.] At best, he thought the artifact would evolve and create a door to the surface. Fortunately, that didnt seem to be the case. Lee Shin Woo turned to Pleine for confirmation, but she just gazed vacantly at the Heaven Doors Key. She acted like shed baked cookies, but a cake came out of her oven. "Then... perhaps..." "Pleine?" "An Irregr... A true Irregr... Small singrities ovep, creating a miracle that goes beyond the curse and divinity." "Pleine...?" He didnt understand at all. Pleine quietly and naturally embraced Lee Shin Woo. As a skeleton, he wasnt supposed to feel any emotions, but Pleine broke through his defenses and embarrassed him with the abundant feeling. Lee Shin Woo felt his emotions and urges return, things he thought were long forgotten. It was truly shocking. He, who never felt any different from physical contact, felt excited. Who exactly was Pleine? Actually, was she even human? But unfortunately, Pleine hadnt noticed his dilemma. "You may be able to do it. What even God couldnt do." "Uh... Pleine? I got it, so please calm down and exin." "Im sorry. I cant exin it to you." "Seriously, you really just make up your own rules!" Of course, based on the artifacts detailed abilities or Pleines reaction, he had a rough idea what was going on. But it was so ridiculous that he couldnt be sure, so he was reluctant to even say it. If what he thought was true, then the situation was ridiculous. He wouldnt be able to ridicule Lee Man Bok anymore. He suffered in various ways in Pleines arms, but Jin, who was left out like a third wheel, was pissed and tore them away from each other, letting them calm down just barely. Both Lee Shin Woo and Pleine. "So are you going to go or not?" "...Ah, thats right. Im sorry. I got too excited. That was unlike me. Ah, maybe that hug wasnt so bad." "I really dont like this woman." [She has a unique disposition. Master, be cautious from now on.] Even after removing herself from Lee Shin Woo, she briefly thought to herself again, and soon said, ok and nodded her head. She then spoke to Lee Shin Woo quietly. "You shouldnt tell anyone about this artifact for the time being. Of course, that includes the people on the surface as well." "Of course." "And the Heaven Doors Keys current coordinates are set to the safest ce in the Magic Empire. Unlike the Underground Empire, which is brimming with the undead, the surface still has dungeons that havent been conquered yet. Plus, the coordinates of those dungeons are much more defined than the ones in the Empire, so as long as you dont reveal your identity, you should be able to level up much more easily on the surface." "Thats exactly what I was hoping for." "But please dont approach the Emperor. The Emperor, who reigns over the Magic Empire, is more powerful than the Emperor underground." "...Really?" "Yes." Pleine nodded her head with a grave expression. "They are afraid of the undead curse, not the undead born from the curse. You know the difference, right?" "...Somewhat." "Good. Refer to this booklet for the rest... Then, please get going. You shouldnt have any problems no matter who you meet with your silver tongue." "I thought you wereing with me?" "Id like to, but... Haha." Lee Shin Woo asked seriously, but Pleine just looked at him with a sour expression and shrugged her shoulders. Last time, shed left and returned from the surface with just three permits, but it seemed like there was still so much she couldnt tell him. "Alright. Then, see youter." "Youre probably already acquainted with some of the other heroes, but if something happens underground, then Ill tell you immediately. The artifact has enough energy to bring you back, so you should be able to return without much difficulty." "Pleine, thanks for helping me." "...Im sorry. Thank you for understanding my circumstances." Of course, there was a lot more he hadnt heard from her exnations, but Lee Shin Woo was well aware that she wasnt hiding the facts because she wanted to. Moreover, the fact that she couldnt tell him anything was proof that he was ahead of schedule. He shouldnt feel bothered by it; instead, he should just do what he needed to do one by one. The opportunity to go to the surface was invaluable. "Then... Ill get going." "Take care." After hed said his goodbyes, Lee Shin Woo activated the Heaven Doors Key. At some point, the artifact had returned to its small ring form, but once Lee Shin Woo willed it to activate, it expanded once more into the form of a gate. Lee Shin Woo got atop Jins back again and caught his breath. He softly ced his hand above his neck. It was the best gesture that would ry both his will and his resolve without making Jin feel unpleasant. "Are you ready, Jin?" "I was ready a long time ago. ...Youre good too, right?" "Of course I am." "Good. Lets go." Jin wasnt an idiot. He knew just how amazing what hed seen was, but hed given up on understanding it a lot earlier than Lee Shin Woo. He wasnt abandoning Lee Shin Woo; he just clearly knew what he could do and what his role was. [Its an honor to be able to take part in this opportunity with you, Master.] "Im counting on you, Rem." The three entered the gate without hesitation. At that moment, the Heaven Doors Key vibrated immensely, apanied by radiating light that devoured all three of them. The gate remained for a while longer, but soon there were no traces of it ever existing. Pleine realized that Lee Shin Woo had arrived on the surface and had retrieved the Heaven Doors Key. She naturally said. "Are you seeing this?" [Yeah, I am.] She could hear the Goddesss voice in her head. Lee Shin Woo had rudely said that she was possessed, but hermunication with the Goddess [2] was much simpler than he imagined. Since the two were deeply connected... Like Lee Shin Woo and Jins connection. "You didnt call him here, knowing that this would happen, did you?" [Yeah. Since even I dont have the ability to foresee so many repeated miracles. I felt really sorry for the heroes. Of course, its not like I didnt have any expectations for him after turning him into an undead, but I didnt think hed figure out a solution. A level 9 artifact... Even I cant make something like that that easily.] "Still, youre not entirely meless. Please beg the heroes for mercy, the ones you called over without even having a solution in ce." [Cant I just say that everything is going exactly as I nned? If I say that Lee Shin Woo is my new apostle, then...] "Theres no way hed be your apostle. No one besides Lloyd H.K. would believe that stupid excuse." Pleine sighed deeply and refuted her. Perhaps her firm reply caused the Goddess to sulk, as she remained silent for a moment. Then, she spoke again, as she felt it was pointless. [Now all we need to do is kill them all.] "Thats the hardest part!" [We have Lee Shin Woo. He should be able to do it somehow, right?] "You n on leaving everything to Mr. Shin Woo? Ah, youre the worst, you old hag!" In her frustration, she momentarily cut her connection with God. She could, as she possessed her own divinity, although it was inferior to Gods. She soon questioned why she got worked up whenever it had something to do with Lee Shin Woo, but she forced herself to stop thinking about it, as she thought itd get embarrassing. "I guess Ill drink some coffee before I sleep. Im just going to sleep it off." She returned to the counter, as if nothing had happened, and boiled some water for her coffee. Pleine soon changed her mind and took out some tea leaves. They were the same tea leaves that Seira had used to brew Lee Shin Woo tea. She boiled the water, let it cool a bit, let the tea leaves steep, and then poured it into a cup. A gentle fragrance wafted from the tea. "If he does kill all of them... that is." Pleine took a sip of her tea and muttered. She couldnt help but frown. Ah, she would never get used to this bitterness. As she thought, her family was the worst. [1] T/N: Divinity can be tranted as holy. Anyway Door is a reference to Doraemon. [2] T/N: Toy Car doesnt use the term goddess very often. Im not sure why he makes the distinction here. Chapter 37 part3 They exited a short tunnel of light and arrived at the surface. "Oh..." Lee Shin Woo raised his head, looking at the star filled night sky, as well as the gently shining three moons, and said something stupid, which was unlike him. Each moon was radiating a pale, golden light. "Wow..." Jin looked around and also responded stupidly. It was only natural. Itd been about a year since Jin and Lee Shin Woo were transported to the Underground Empire and they had never had the opportunity to look at the sky. So, they couldnt help but reminisce as they looked at the endless sky. "Shin Woo. Couldnt we live peacefully if we just stayed here?" Was he drunk from the night skys rxing mana? Jin suddenly said something stupid again. Although he understood where he wasing from, Lee Shin Woo cool-headedly retorted. "If we do nothing, then the curse will eventually reach the surface and itll fall to ruin. And its not like we can rely on our seniors to do something about the curse." "...Yeah, thats true." "But since were here, lets rest in a peaceful spot without any of the undead." "Really!?" Peaceful, rx, rest. Just a few hours ago, those words had nothing to do with them. Lee Shin Woo would always either seek an opponent and fight them, or would be engrossed in some effort to better himself. Since he was always by Lee Shin Woos side, Jin had to remain ready at all times. Thats part of the reason he had been training his Steel Heart or breathing. "Though well need to learn more about the surface first." "I know. ...But Shin Woo, what does it even mean to rx?" Jin suddenly asked, and Lee Shin Woo smiled bitterly. In order to go to the surface, Lee Shin Woo had disguised himself in his human form and maintained his past lifes expressions. "Another question thats hard to answer." "I know what the dictionary definition is, but..." Jin looked at the night sky and said. "For me, rxing used to be eating and sleeping if I had the time after a contest. Then Id have the energy to run again. But in this body, I cant eat and I cant sleep either. I dont know what I should do to relieve my fatigue. Does resting even make sense for an undead?" Ah, it seemed like he was still affected by his meeting with the heroes. Lee Shin Woo wanted to bring him to the surface for a change of scenery, but it had the opposite effect, making Jin feel even greater despair. Should he tell him to stopining? No, if he did that, Jin would get discouraged. If thats the case, then... Lee Shin Woo pondered the ways in which he couldfort his partner and then carefully said. "...There are a lot of other ways to enjoy yourself." "So what, youre going to tell me how to enjoy myself?" "Yeah, I can do that much." "...I see. Thanks." Good. Fortunately, he chose the right answer! Seeing Lee Shin Woo so relieved, Jin grinned. "You know, you dont have to always take care of me when Im acting like a little kid." "Its important to take care of yourrades mental health." "Comrade... Mm, yeah. ...Is that really enough for me?" "?" Lee Shin Woo didnt really know what Jins muttering meant, but with this, it seemed like Jin was feeling a bit better. Perhaps hed been gloomy because all theyd been doing is fighting recently and they hadnt had the time to rx and spend time with each other. Yeah, one way to rx was to talk with yourrade like this. "...Mm, however." Lee Shin Woo nodded his head in satisfaction since Jin was looking a lot better. However, he soon realized that this wasnt the time to be sitting here. Theyd been entranced by the night skys magic thus far. "Where are we? Pleine told us wed be transported to a safe location, but she didnt tell us anything else." "Yeah." [Shall I look around, Master?] "Im counting on you." Rem had no problem seeing in the day or night. Rem flew off into the night sky, and Lee Shin Woo also looked around. He saw trees and thickets around him, so they must be in a forest or the mountains. That was the only thing no different from the Underground Empire. [I have found a human city, Master.] "Oh, really!?" "Youre really quick." Lee Shin Woo got excited all of a sudden. Indeed. Another facet that was different here was that there were living, breathing human beings! While there was no guarantee that he could really do anything more with humans, it was a far cry from his and Jins life of hiding amongst the undead and enduring thus far. So, they felt touched. If they met a lot of humans, then they might despair like before, but even so, they wanted to meet humans, not the undead, living peacefully. [It looks like an incrediblyrge city. It is still lively, even though it is night time. Security is tight as well.] "Really? If this ce was deliberately chosen as my starting coordinates, then Ill have to thank Pleine. ...What should we do? Should we go in right away?" "Would they ept outsiders at this time of day? Apparently, securitys tight too." "Wed obviously go in undetected." "..." Lee Shin Woo firmly dered. Immediately after, Lee Shin Woo looked at his and Jins appearances. Not only was Lee Shin Woo disguised as his human form, but he was also equipped with ordinary armor and a cape. However, Jin was the problem. When Jin became level 7, his bones became thicker and tougher, while his body became bigger. Furthermore, his Steel Heart armor made him so threatening that it felt like he could snort at a knight and blow him away. Anyone seeing this impressive warhorse would be suspicious of Lee Shin Woo. "Then... Jin... For the time being, youll be a pack horse." "Why!? I thought youd be able to turn me into a human with your Disguise skill!? I was waiting in anticipation!" "Sorry. I cant turn a horse into a human yet. Instead, Ill disguise you so that you look like a plump pack horse." "I really dont like this..." To be honest, it felt like hed be able to turn him into a human if he stressed himself. Plus, with his contract and the High Rank Assimtion skill, they would be able to share their thoughts with each other. It wouldnt be impossible to disguise Jin into the form that he was thinking about. But he might be traumatized again if I just transform the outside of his body. Jin had endured well for the past few months, but because of everything that had happened recently, his "mental HP" was close to zero. He would only turn Jin into a human after his Disguise skill had fundamentally evolved. Yeah, he couldnt do it until his Disguise could replicate internal organs, return a humans sense of taste, and allow him to eat to his hearts content. "Youre a pack horse, so Ill be a peddler. We should go around the city. Plus, I have a lot of things to sell. Alright. Ill be the peddler, Lawrence." "Why Lawrence?" "If youre a peddler, your name has to be Lawrence." Jin didnt ask for the details. He knew Lee Shin Woo wouldnt give him the answer he was looking for, so it was his mistake for even asking. "Then, shall we get going Holo... I mean Jin." [1] "What about my disguise?" "Im already did it." "Huh...!?" Jin instinctively looked down at his legs and was shocked once he realized that his legs had changed. That wasnt all. His body had be smaller, so that he looked like a real pack horse. His stats hadnt changed, so neither his speed nor durability had changed, but still, there was no way he wouldnt be surprised. He hadnt felt anything, yet he was disguised instantly. Moreover, from the outside, his body looked so alive... "My Disguise skill lets you feel the texture and heat of your skin, so we dont have to worry about getting caught. But you still cant eat or drink anything, so keep that in mind." "Hey, why the hell is a cheat skill like this called Disguise...?" Lee Shin Woo just grinned, turned around, and announced. "Lets go! Rem, find me a way in! I need to go unnoticed!" [Understood.] Even if he acted like a peddler and sold goods inside, he would still have to get into the city unnoticed. He would infiltrate the city only after hed figured out whether they had any surveince magic, barriers, or specialized flying monsters (like Rem) or golems. And in only 5 minutes, they easily entered the city. "You said securitys tight?" "Theyre still only level 2 or 3. With Rems help, getting in was a piece of cake." To be more specific, the surface dwellers were roughly the same level as the undead. Although there were differences amongst the Skeleton Soldiers, they would only reach up to level 3, regardless of howrge the city was. The undead soldiers guarding therge cities in the Underground Empire were level 3 elites, but those guarding therge cities on the surface were mostly level 2. There were barely any level 3s, so he could say that the quality of the undead soldiers was higher. The level 3 soldiers were probably high rank soldiers. A persons species and skills can make the difference, even if their levels and stats are the same. But those soldiers are weaker than the undead, since the undead possess limitless stamina. It might be different for those with a higher rank job, but normal Skeleton Soldiers were much stronger than the surfaces soldiers. While thinking this, Lee Shin Woo led his precious pack horse and went into the city, mixing in naturally with the other residents. Because hed observed peoples looks and had disguised himself ordingly ahead of time, Lee Shin Woo and Jin didnt draw any attention as they walked through the street. No one knew that two undead were in their midst. Everywhere I look, theres nothing but people. Living, breathing people...! God was so concerned about the curse, so I thought the surface would be on its way to ruin, but I suppose I have nothing to worry about for now. Gods viewpoint was different from a humans viewpoint. Perhaps there were dozens of years before the curse spread to the surface. Though that didnt mean they could justze around and do nothing. Thats right. First... I need to make sure I can go around like this without any problems. Plus, I might find some fault in the technique. If you really want to be a peddler, then youll need some sort of license... So what are you going to do? Ill gather information from around the city. Lets find some amodations. Rem, gather some more information at a lower altitude. [Understood.] They found amodations rather quickly. Although it felt pointless to get amodations when they didnt eat or sleep, they couldnt just walk around all night. Otherwise, they would be mistaken for the undead. "It might feel ufortable, but just be patient for now." "A stables much better than the wilderness in the Underground Empire. Ill be resting, so go do your thing." "Ok." Lee Shin Woo loosely tied Jin to the stable/storehouse that was attached to his room and then went inside. Hed deliberately picked a ce with a saloon and a cafe. He picked a table, sat down, and listened to the drinkers chatter on. He nned on getting some usable information out of them. "The Emperor shouldve summoned the heroes. Rather than being dropped into the Underground Empire and bing skeletons..." [Master.] Lee Shin Woo suddenly realized that something was wrong with the hero summoning from the very beginning, but then, Rem abruptly gave his report. [I have discovered golems patrolling the inside of the city. I have taken control of them through Mana Parasite, so I believe I can get you all the information you need.] "Ah... Ok. Thanks." Lee Shin Woo quickly canceled his order of vodka, which hed ordered for cover, and stood up. As expected, perhaps it wasnt the hero summoning that was the problem, but that the heroes themselves were the problem. Lee Shin Woo tried his best to ignore that very thought. [1] E/N: Reference to Lawrence and Holo from Spice and Wolf. Chapter 37 part4 Rem had taken control of the golems, all of which were level 4. The golems were responsible for maintaining public order, and would periodically move from area to area. Apparently, every city in the Magic Empire had golems like this and he could easily tell what they were used for. There were more golems that Id expected underground. Theyre not only used for a show of the Emperors strength, but to also keep an eye on the lords... With that in mind, I can tell what these golems are used for too. Was taking control of these golems an irreversible mistake? Lee Shin Woo thought briefly, but Rems Mana Parasite wasnt so easily dealt with. The golems would naturally obey his orders once the Mana Parasite took hold. Moreover, the target of their obedience changed in such a way that their original owner wouldnt notice. After that, they be ipatible with anyone other than Lee Shin Woo or Rem. He knew about this before, but it was an incredibly fearsome ability. [This is also the power you created, Master.] "Mm... Well, I guess it is." Lee Shin Woo, whod entered his room, perused the book that Pleine had given him (it was some sort of surface guide book) and learned some basic knowledge. The golems gathered information and this information was transmitted to him through Rem, keeping him up to date on the current situation. It detailed the size of the Empire and the names of its cities, as well as the citys top sellers, the location of the merchants guild, and even how to get a peddler license. 5 hourster, Lee Shin Woo finished gathering information and nodded his head in satisfaction. "Yeah, I can do this with my Disguise skill and my Perium." Lee Shin Woo found that the Magic Empire used a currency called Enarde aside from Perium, based on his information gathering. As it bore the Emperors family name, it was highly credible, but it was slightly less valuable than Perium, the absolute proof of karma. I should use Perium in all my deals... There is some good news though. I think I can sell my wine at a higher price than I expected. Lee Shin Woo had sold his Kerr Century Wine to Pleine before. She said shed sell it on the surface, and because of that, the Kerr Century Winery had be renowned throughout the Magic Empire once again. The merchant guild went so far as to stop people from buying the Kerr Century Wine, so I think that says it all. Kerr Century Wine was abundant many years ago, so people hoping to attain it assumed that there would still be some remaining and searched all across the Magic Empire. Because of this, the fame of the Kerr Century Wine increased day by day until it became a fantastical artifact in the eyes of the people; a single drop would even cause a dying man to stand. "Thats where this winees in." Lee Shin Woo took out a wine bottle that was peacefully sleeping in his inventory. This wine was designed by Lee Shin Woo and manufactured by the golems with the Kerr Century technique and the Dryads raw materials. As a result, a truly miraculous product was created, Spirit Wine! [Kerr Century Elemental 451] [This wine was created by the sessor of the Kerr Century Winery, using grapes that have received the love of an elf and the Dryads. It is still technicallycking, but the extremely rare materials bring out a rich fragrance and the right amount of sourness, which hide those ws.] [It is a masterpiece which disys the quality of the ingredients. The magic within the materials continues to ripen the wine even after being bottled. The longer it remains unopened, the more valuable it bes.] Lee Shin Woo used the Kerr Century technique and the grapes that had been blessed by the Dryads and an elf to create this wine. This wasnt just a Kerr Century wine anymore. It was a Kerr Century Elemental, a new blend that Lee Shin Woo had created that was not only vintage, but also hard to value. It would be even harder to value for people without the ability to check an items info like Lee Shin Woo. Frankly speaking, that wasnt a problem. Lee Shin Woo was sure that people would recognize its value with just one whiff. If the blend was recognized, then he could make a fortune and establish himself here. [Are you going to negotiate with the merchants guild, Master?] "No. I dont really need a Treasure Goblin License from the merchants guild." Lee Shin Woo was powerful and was on the cusp of reaching level 8, so whether he was above ground or underground, Lee Shin Woo was at the top. However, he was disguised as a peddler right now, so if he tried selling such a luxurious item, then he would likely be a target. "For the time being, Ill show them some monster materials and after Ive gotten permission, Ill form some connections with the other merchants. Then, after Ive gotten a proper valuation for the item, Ill use them to auction it off." [As expected. I understand.] Of course, Lee Shin Woo didnt think that a roundabout way of selling his goods wouldpletely hide his identity. On the contrary, people might think hes a spy, which would draw attention to him. But if that did happen, then no one would be able to mess with him in broad daylight. They might try something behind his back, but by then, no one would be paying attention to him, so Lee Shin Woo would be able to take appropriate measures to deal with them. [As expected of you, Master. You have be proficient in fighting in way where you go unnoticed.] "Well, you had to be good at that to be a sryman in South Korea. More importantly, I have an important mission for you, Rem. You know what Im talking about, right?" [Of course.] Rem replied confidently. [I will use Mana Parasite on all of the golems in the Magic Empire.] "Good. Ill leave that to you." It was much more cost efficient to use a level 4 golem, rather than employing a weaker soldier, as the Magic Empires skill in creating golems was at its peak. Thus, the golems were used to protect the cities, supervise various public facilities, patrol, and to hunt monsters. What did that mean? It meant that Lee Shin Woo and Rem could control the Magic Empire if they put their minds into it. Of course, Lee Shin Woo had no intentions of doing so as of yet. He was still only using them to gather information for now. [There is so much prey. I will depart immediately.] "Filter the information and send it to me.] [Understood.] As these golems masters were already decided, even the Emperor of the Magic Empire wouldnt expect him to be able to take control of them. Moreover, even if he did notice, he had no way of figuring out who the perpetrator was. There was absolutely no risk for Lee Shin Woo and Rem, but there was a ridiculous return on his investment. If there are this many golems in the Magic Empire, then theres really no point in acting like a peddler... He possessed 2.3 billion Perium, and he had an informant as well. Although he didnt need to step out into the light, he had two reasons to do so. First, it was good training for his Disguise skill, and second, to obtain a proper position at the surface. Itd be nice if they can wrap everything up in the Underground Empire without me, but I have the feeling that its not going to be that easy. Lee Shin Woo knew that there was a reason he was sent to the surface. He didnt know what kind of expectations God ced on him. However, so long as he was here, he would do everything he could. And that result would surely surpass Gods expectations. "Alright. Then, shall we begin?" After hed sent Rem off, Lee Shin Woozily went through his inventory. He was picking out the right materials to show the merchants guild, like the level 3 or 4 equipment (which hed stored because they wouldnt increase his stats anymore), and some other goods that didnt turn into bone that would fetch a good price. Honestly, these goods were much too luxurious for him to act as a normal peddler. Although he obtained plenty of information from the golems, Lee Shin Woo had an excessively high opinion of the humans on the surface. With that slight misunderstanding in tow, he rushed over to the merchants guild the next day. With his precious pack horse. "Hoh, you have such great products." "Yes. I was lucky enough to establish a contract with an adventurer." "Youre quite talented. We, the merchant guild, wee you Lawrence!" Hed only brought out level 3 or 4 equipment, yet he had received so much unwanted attention. Lee Shin Woo was flustered, as he hadnt expected this to happen, but he somehow managed to move on with his Acting skill and establish his identity as the peddler, Lawrence. "You canmission the guild. What will you do?" "No, the adventurer... wants me to sell the goods at the highest price. I may not be good enough, but Ill do it on my own." "I understand. I hope its not true, but if youre in an unfair contract, then I hope you wont hesitate toe for some advice." "Ill keep that in mind. Thank you." Adventurers sought hidden dungeons or monsters that leave behind valuable byproducts, and were considered simr to mercenaries. At first, Lee Shin Woo wondered which he should pretend to be, a peddler or an adventurer, but concluded that being a merchant would be better to establish a foothold on the surface. "That adventurer, did he find some sort of undead dungeon? Did he just dump all of that equipment on him?" "You idiot. Didnt you see that sacred root? Moreover, you only get that much from clearing an entire dungeon. If not, then with that handsome face..." "They might be a female adventurer. I heard that most of them are sexually active. I dont know if that weak body is his can take it. Kik." "Hey, stop being so rude. Who knows. He might make it big someday." Although he had drawn the attention of the merchants guild, he hadnt drawn so much attention that hed be put in danger. On the contrary, he thought itd be helpful in creating connectionster on. Lee Shin Woo greeted the merchants there and made sure he kept his manners. Hed seeded in showing a good first impression. Some still looked at Lee Shin Woo with disdain, but if they were worried about the level of his goods before, then he had nothing to worry about now. "Newbie, if you need some help, I can give you some advice on how to start your business. How about it?" "Oh, thank you. Yes, I ept. Of course, Ill repay you for your help." "Ah, so you get it. What a nice junior! Hahaha!" Of course, Lee Shin Woo didnt need anyones help, but if he could spend a bit of money to establish some connections, then he had no reason to refuse. The merchant had no idea what he was thinking and justughed uproariously, but there was someone that worried about Lee Shin Woo. That was his pack horse, Jin. That guy... Its obvious hes nning something. Even I can tell... Will you be ok? Ill be fine. In fact, its actually better for me. I can use a stupid guy like this as a shieldter. ...Do all srymen learn techniques like that? Of course they do. A week passed. Lee Shin Woos Disguise skill had be level 8, and Rem had managed to control a tenth of the Magic Empires golems. Lee Shin decided to auction off his wine in a month. Chapter 38 part1 [Master, the level of Mana Parasite has risen, increasing its functionality.] Mm? It had been ten days since Lee Shin Woo had snuck into therge city, Kuroas Glory and had begun acting as the peddler, Lawrence. Another merchant was right about to sign his contract, but Rem chose that time to give its report. The level rose? [Thats correct. The skill has leveled up before, decreasing the mana consumption and increasing its speed, but this time, it gained an additional ability... It urred when the skill reached level 5.] Wait a sec. Give me the details a bitter. Mana Parasite was paramount to achieving his goal on the surface, so Lee Shin Woo couldnt afford to ignore Rems report. However, now wasnt the time. The merchant was right about to sign the contract, but he looked at Lee Shin Woo anxiously. "Is there something wrong with the contract?" "Im sorry. I just remembered something important... Yes, youre all set. The confidentiality use is perfect as well. Its done." "Hoo." The merchant sighed in relief. The contract referred to the wine auction. Hed hired a few trustworthy merchants among the ones hed befriended in the past ten days, and put them in charge of setting up the auction, promoting it, and running it. Inymans terms, they would do misceneous tasks and act as his shields, since he came out of nowhere and had hundreds of bottles of expensive wine. Hed promised to pay them, so the merchants pleasantly agreed. "Then, Ill be counting on you for a month. You can send your regr reports to my amodations." "Thats my line." He thought hed be interrogated, but the merchant didnt do so, and instead just picked up the contract. Lee Shin Woo had picked him for this very reason, so he supposed it was only natural. Lee Shin Woo picked up his own contract and perused it again. After that, he slightly nodded his head and left. He was now being rewarded for acting as a peddler for ten days. He wouldnt have to worry about it for the time being. "So whats the new ability?" [Infection.] "Infection..." Once Lee Shin Woo was alone, he followed up with Rem. Rem exined the new ability with a single, concise word. Lee Shin Woo understood what it did immediately. "As expected, it goes from a contagion to an infection." [Exactly. Master, you must be aware of the fact that golems produced for the same purpose and stationed in the same area, are connected like awork of sorts.] Arema Steelworkers golems were like that. ording to Rem, the technique used to make the golems here and the ones underground were the same, so early on, hed figured that the Magic Empires golems would be connected like awork. [I am now able to secretly infect all the golems in thework if I just infect a few of them. If the ability grows even further, then I should be able to infect other golemworks as well.] "Thats..." Thats a virus! Lee Shin Woo knew how dangerous Rem was. If this technique worked on humans, then it would be game over. This wasnt a heros ability; it was a demon kings! Whats worse, the Magic Empire had golems everywhere, so it was pretty much already game over. Hed only brought Rem along to help him out, but never thought that that trivial decision wouldve made such a difference! "Good job, Rem. Go wild. Infect them all." [Understood.] Even so, Lee Shin Woo unhesitatingly yelled go. Since there was no possibility of danger, he didnt n on stopping, no matter what happened afterwards. He would worry about world peace after he waspletely safe! [ording to theworks information sharing, there are at least 50 level 7 golems in the capital, Enart. If I manage to infect them as well, then you should be able to move more freely. I believe we will be able to hold the Emperor at bay...] "You can infect level 7 golems too?" [Its difficult to infect them myself, but if I infect them through the capitalswork, then theres a high chance for sess. If the Mana Parasite levels up even further, then the likelihood increases even more.] "What are the chances the Emperor finds out?" [No one will find out about the infection. I assure you.] "...Good. Im counting on you." [I will begin right away.] After it finished its report, Lee Shin Woo thought that perhaps Rem, out of all of them, was the busiest, but for some reason, decided to ignore it. Since he was doing his best too. "Why do you keep looking at me?" "I wasnt looking." Lee Shin Woo led his sharp witted pack horse and hit the road. Hed gotten rid of all his useless items in the past ten days, so he needed a new supply, but because he wasnt a real merchant, he didnt need to buy local products. Then how would he fill his inventory? What would he fill it with? There was only one choice. "Were going to clear a new dungeon." "But dungeons arentmon." "Including the golems guarding and patrolling this city, there are thousands of golems infected. Do you really think they wouldnt have any info regarding the dungeons?" Thats right. Hed learned some facts about the Magic Empire, the popr items, as well as monster and dungeon information separate from the Underground Empire. Of course, contrary to the Underground Empire, high level dungeons shouldnt appear near ces where people lived. He was sure that the Magic Empire was more expansive than the Underground Empire, so he assumed that monsters would exist up here that could increase his stats. "So did you find one?" "There are a lot more than I expected." Hed thought that dungeons wouldnt exist near cities. However, when he actually looked into it, there was a level 5 dungeon 30 minutes away by foot. "It seems like level 3 or 4 dungeons are the ones most weed, based on the dungeon items sold here and peoples perception. A single, renowned adventurer can clear a level 3 or 4 dungeon alone, and even if they cant, they can form a party to conquer the dungeon. In other words, people who actually fight on the surface are level 4 or level 5 at best." "Its like the Underground Empire." But at the level 5 mark, the danger ramps up exponentially. Normally, one would enter a dungeon one level lower than them, so an adventurer would have to form a party of level 6s to conquer a level 5 dungeon... But finding a level 6 human was in itself rare. Well, it made sense. To be level 6, one needed a total of 3,200 stats. From level 3 to level 4, it required 400 stats, and from level 4 to level 5, it required 800 stats. And from here, the amount of stats one needed increased exponentially. This was one of the reasons that one was only considered a true hero after theyd hit level 6 in the Underground Empire. "Thats why people conquer the lower level dungeons (up to level 4), whereas the higher level dungeons (level 5 and up) are left untouched, with only their location and level of danger shared. However, monsters continue to multiply in those dungeons if left unchecked, so they will eventuallye out. If they are considered dangerous at this stage, then an expeditionary force of knights will be sent to take care of it. The high level adventurers are alsomissioned to help take care of the monsters." "Its different from the Underground Empire, huh. Theres an actual system in ce..." "Whats with you?" "You dont feel anything? The fact that there are others, besides us, who are doing their best to survive?" "Mm, I guess so." Lee Shin Woo could understand how he was feeling. Compared to the enemies theyd fought in the Underground Empire, these humans were weaklings and would group up. They would sometimes fight due to their greed or work together, but they all did their best to live. He felt the spice of life from it, which affirmed that it had been a good idea toe up here. "Anyway, I heard a huge expeditionary force of knights and adventurers was sent to deal with the level 5 dungeon near Kuroas Glory, so we dont need to worry about that one. Theres an unconquered level 6 dungeon 2 hours away, so lets go there first..." ng. Lee Shin Woo was interrupted by a sudden bell sound. There was a giant bell tower in the center of the city. Armed soldiers passed by them and said loudly. "Citizens, take shelter! Monsters are attacking! Its a dungeon countercurrent!" "Dungeon countercurrent..." "Whats that?" Dungeon countercurrent. It meant that, for some reason, the monsters within woulde out of the dungeon. The mostmon reason was there was limited space within the dungeon. But there were times where the boss itself woulde out and takemand over the group. "This is something that could never happen underground." "Yeah. If they leave, theyd then be infected by the curse and die." Once they realized just how different the underground and the surface were, Lee Shin Woo and Jin were in awe. But unfortunately, they couldnt afford to be so rxed right now. This dungeon, which was undergoing a countercurrent of monsters, shouldve been taken care of by the knights, but if the boss came out, then several level 6 adventurers would be needed to fight it off! "Take shelter! Hurry!" "Those who can fight, bring your weapons and gather at the eastern gate! Youll temporarily follow the adventurer guild leadersmands!" "What about the lord? Did he say we could use the golems?" "The guardian golems are outside of the city. The policing golems are weak, so they cant do anything!" "Damn... Find some reinforcements wherever you can!" The city was in chaos. It was being attacked when Lee Shin Woo was visiting, so was he lucky or unlucky? Lee Shin Woo was briefly lost, but soon made his decision. "Alright. This is a good opportunity. Thisll be the main stage for the most powerful mercenary, Kay." "Another alias!?" "I had this nned from the start. The powerful mercenary who supports Lawrence from the shadows...! Lawrence grows as a peddler, and at the same time, we emphasize Kays strength. Theyll be the most powerfulbo in the Magic Empire. Though theyre both me!" At first, hed nned on using Kay after hed begun his wine auctioning. Kay would take care of anyone who tried to harm Lawrence, raising his reputation. However, a great opportunity had presented itself, so he could go wild! Lee Shin Woo clenched his fists and discreetly activated his Disguise skill. Then, Jin, whod ss changed from a pack horse to a war horse, said a bit coldly. "Shin Woo, I got it." "What?" "This is what you mean by rxing, right?" Hed hit the mark, so Lee Shin Woo flinched. Lee Shin Woo quickly equipped his thick, red te armor and tied a huge greatsword to his back (it was the evolved form of Metafels greatsword, the Lv7 Fire Dragons Scale Greatsword). He looked like a warrior that youd see inics. "Youre not... having fun?" "Well, I knew this was going to happen, so whatever." Jin shrugged his shoulders, then tilted his shoulders to make it easier to get on, and continued. "Lets think about it after killing them all." "You got it. Lets go!" Here, in Kuroas Glory, marked the first act of the hero Kay! ...Though his actions were no different from a demon kings! Chapter 38 part2 [Arge group of monstersing from the east has been confirmed.] [Without proper fortifications, the city wille to harm.] The city was informed of the dungeon countercurrent through a report from the patrolling golemwork, obtaining an approximation of the monsters identities and size beyond the dust cloud. Immediately after, the golems simultaneously repeated reports and warnings. [Rmend a mobilization order under Section 3, Article 2 of the City Defense Act.] [Warning. 19 golems patrolling the citys perimeter have been destroyed. The monsters will crash into the eastern gate in less than 7 minutes. Please prepare sufficiently.] The patrolling golems were programmed to attack any monsters that approached the city. They reported and simultaneously attacked the monsters, but they werent able to fend them off, as they were only level 4 while the monsters were level 5 or higher. They had only slowed down the monsters by about 3 seconds. "Keuk, kihuok...!" "Hey, wait a second. Isnt that a human?" "!? Stop. Let that guy in!" At the ring of the bell, the soldiers situated at the top of the walls closed the gate, toote to respond. But then, right when the gate was about to close, someone just barely rushed through. All of the soldiers inside gripped their spears and prepared for any eventuality, but the man had fallen t on his face. "H-Healing...! Please heal me...!" Although he had a huge hole in his stomach and his entire left arm had been ripped off, hed somehow managed to stay alive. The soldiers looked on in awe, as hed survived with such grievous wounds; only one soldier realized who he was. "Hey, this is one of the adventurers that was dispatched with the knights! Were these wounds caused by those monsters... Hey, call a priest over here. Hurry up!" "Kuhuek...! It hurts. It really hurts!" The city was in an uproar. Due to the golems reports, children rushed into their homes and before theyd even gotten a good understanding of the situation, the merchants packed their things to take refuge. Despair was quickly spreading through the city. "Keuk, Keuuuk...!" "...Report! , Adventurer. What happened over there?" The Guard Captain ran over, followed by a priest. The adventurer groaned in pain and couldnt answer the Guard Captains question. But once he had undergone proper treatment, he exined what had happened whilst crying. "T-There was a trap inside the dungeon...!" It was simple. The expedition had gone well until the boss room. But the moment they reached the boss room, a boss appeared, one so strong that it was unsuited for a level 5 dungeon. "It was a high rank level 6... N-No. A level 7! Its definitely level 7. The boss was definitely level 7!" "Level 7!? Thats a load of crap. Why would a disaster-ss monster be here!?" "Theres no way a level 7 boss would appear inside of a level 5 dungeon! Wait a sec. If you were able to take care of the monsters before the boss room, then whats with the number of monsters...?" "Those arent just normal monsters. They are all undead, including the boss!" "...What!?" It was bad enough that they faced a level 7 boss, but they also had to fight against the undead forms of the felled monsters, which resurrected upon the bosss appearance. The dungeon had turned into hell. The level 6 Knight Leader and the level 6 adventurers tried to find a way out, but all their attempts failed. In the end, they were all killed. The reason the adventurer had even survived was because hed been injured prior, and stood on standby outside of the boss room. "So you ran out once you saw the signs..." "Yes. I told you everything! We cant beat that thing. Im running!" "...The citys in danger. If youre going to run away from the front, even after being healed, then Ill strike you down here and now." "What...!" The adventurers report didnt help them at all. Although they knew what was happening now, they didnt know how to deal with the monsters or what the cause of it all was. The monsters continued to get closer and closer, yet more and more people were giving up. The city had sent their best soldiers to the dungeon and those soldiers had all died, so there was nothing they could do. "Did you report to my superiors?" [It was sent after grasping the situation. Reinforcements are expected to arrive in 3 hours. Blocking the monsters advance by gathering all the citys golems (intended for guarding, patrolling, and maintaining public order). They can dy the monsters for about 30 minutes.] The golemwork, which the current Emperor had created, was indeed impressive. While the humans panicked, the golems did everything in their power. Despite that, theycked both time and manpower in this situation. "I see. Its time I pay back the Empire for its kindness, with my life." The eastern Guard Captain (level 5, a 37 year old bachelor) silently muttered and gripped his greatsword. The other three guard captains grabbed their weapons and rushed over. They were well aware of the current situation, due to the golems reports, and looked ready to die. "You wont take one more step into this city until we die!" "Uooooooooh. In the name of the Loyal Shield, Ill kill all of you dirty monsters!" "Captain, Ille with you!" "Theyll have to walk over my dead body to get through!" The sight of the Guard Captain practicing noblesse oblige moved the soldiers, dispelling the once stagnant atmosphere. They were 1,000 strong, excluding the golems! Their resolve to die was truly blinding. Ah, what the hell. I finally came up to the surface, but there are undead up here too. Whereas Lee Shin Woo, who couldnt empathize with the soldiers, ascertained the situation and frowned. Hede to the surface, yet he had to fight against a dungeon countercurrent of monsters, which were all undead. Theres only so much you can disappoint someone! "Shin Woo, were almost at the gate." "Ok, ok." The city was in chaos, so no one cared that a huge warhorse was running across the road. No, they probably didnt have the time to even care. The situation was great for Lee Shin Woo and Jin. "Good, lets go!" "Heup!" Jin sprinted forward and leapedleapt up before they hit the gate. The walls were only 5 meters high, so Jin didnt even need to create the springs through Steel Heart. With just a battle cry and a light jump, they were able to pass over the wall. "What!?" "No way...!" "Theyre flying!" They flew over the soldiers, who were nervous from the approaching monsters, andnded safely onto the ground. The Guard Captain and his soldiers red at them from atop the wall, but Lee Shin Woo didnt worry about them. He just cool-headedly looked at the monsters. 6,000? No, there are about 7,000 of them... The boss is all the way in the back. He gripped his greatsword with one hand and checked the boss. Although it was all the way in the back, the four meter tall boss was overwhelming. There were horns atop its goat head and it had the muscr body of a giant. It truly looked like a demon, but with it skin turning pale from the undead transformation, it looked even more sinister than before. It was...! [Lv6 Mad Goat Ghoul] "What the hell." Once hed checked the bosss name and level, Lee Shin Woo looked back with a sharp gaze. Although he was wearing a helmet, the soldiers felt his killing intent and stepped back while uttering hik. However, the adventurer that had informed them of the boss wasnt atop the walls. Well, he was a coward, so there was no way hed have gauged the bosss level properly! "Shin Woo, calm down. Weve been fighting so many strong opponentstely that Id forgotten too, but level 7 elites arent supposed to be thatmon." "It wouldnt be so bad if I hadnt had such expectations, but... Sseup, I guess it cant be helped." A monster, which wasnt supposed to be undead, hade out of the dungeon, and monsters that should already be dead hade back as undead. That was the current situation he was dealing with. He didnt know the specifics, but it probably had something to do with the curse, so Lee Shin Woos main priority had to be figuring out how the curse had spread to the surface. "Then lets y, just as we nned." "It doesnt seem any different from what we normally do, but... Im going!" Jin dashed forward without a signal! The approaching monsters saw theming, and briefly flinched. However, these undead turned monsters would have no way of ascertaining Lee Shin Woos skill, so they immediately surrounded him... "Umph!" Lee Shin Woo forcefully swung his greatsword, which unleashed a barrage of mes, and the monsters melted away. As befitting of an undead corps, without any knowledge of strategy or how to use thend to their advantage, they were grouped up in a single spot. Hisst attack had burned dozens of them to a crisp. [Kahaaaahk!?] [Kiiik!] "Now for the second one!" The undead instinctively felt fear and shrank away from the zing fire, but Lee Shin Woo took that opportunity to swing his greatsword again. It looked crude, but nheless, his swordsmanship was incredible, as he quickly swung his greatsword at any enemy within range of it. It was only possible because he possessed Bursting Thunder, which would increase his skill in any weapon. [Critical Hit!] "Ooh, lets widen the range this time!" "Shin Woo, are you just going to keep burning them like this? You have Instigate, and you could use Bursting Thunder or Bone Armory..." "Jin." The monsters realized how dangerous he was and ran away in fear. However, Lee Shin Woo spewed mes from his greatsword once more and quietly spoke. "Im the greatest mercenary, Kay, who uses a fire greatsword." "Oh, I see..." Jin understood. Using Instigate to temporary bring the undead to his side or creating bone weapons to cut or explode his enemies was Paul Zeros specialty, not Kays. However, using Bursting Thunder to burn arge numberquantity of enemies with his greatsword was. Hed decided to use only his greatsword, so that no one would discover the connection between the two! So hes looking far into the further and acting ordingly... Yeah, Ill just give up on understanding what hes thinking, like I always do. While Jin resigned himself like usual, Lee Shin Woo charged everywhere and burned the undead. With one swing of his sword, he would burn 50 undead. It would only take 3 seconds to withdraw his sword and swing it again, so he could burn 1,000 undead in 1 minute! Though his calctions sounded like a joke, it was the reality, so there was nothing he could do about it. He faced the undead army head on and after only three minutes burned half of the original army! "I will put my life at stake..." "To protect the Empire..." The Guard Captain, as well as his soldiers, had been ready to die for the Magic Empire, but seeing Lee Shin Woo tear through the monsters, they felt relieved, as well as a sense of difort that they couldnt understand. However, there was no way Lee Shin Woo would know that. After all, these guys were weak, so they wouldnt have been able to do much! On the other hand, there were also soldiers within their ranks that were in awe of him. "That guys a monster..." "Hes not a monster. Hes a hero! A hero has appeared!" "How can he burn so many undead...? Ha, now that I think about it!" A soldier, who watched vacantly as Lee Shin Woo rampaged with his greatsword in hand, spoke of a rumor hed heard just a little while ago. "I heard that a central pir of the Sun God Temple had copsed. I heard that it was caused by the Sun Gods rage, but perhaps that wasnt true..." "Perhaps it was a revtion that the Sun God was sending us a hero!" "Oooooooooh!" Lee Shin Woo wore red armor, wielded a greatsword tinged in me, and swept away the undead, so it was only natural that they thought he was the Sun Gods hero. He skillfully led his giant warhorse and bravely rushed into battle. And his greatsword continuously emitted such showy and destructive mes! "A hero! The Sun Gods hero is protecting us!" "Oh Sun God!" "The Sun Gods hero!" Lee Shin Woo had no idea this was going on, but it seemed like the legend of the hero Kay had begun. Chapter 38 part3 The other humans or even the golems didnt have a chance to intervene. Lee Shin Woo ran across the battlefield alone, spreading mes everywhere. His greatswords mes wouldnt abate until its targets were burned to a crisp, and he, like the mes, continued to burn bright, regardless of the magic or stamina cost. But that was only natural. No matter how much he looked like a human, he was undead. So he would never tire, and his magic... Good. This abilitys the best when handling elemental power. When Lee Shin Woo reached level 7, he became able to influence the ambient mana. It wasnt the same as the level 8 Archmage, Feotane Von Seldins ability to dominate mana, but befitting his title of a Breathing Bone Joker, he could influence nearby mana whenever he expelled mana, as if breathing. And the longer he used that ability, the quicker he could influence the surrounding mana. By now, he could influence a huge area. In other words, it would take some time to power it up, but if given enough time, he could even take on a level 8. At least in terms of controlling mana. And if the element itself bes a medium, then that speed increases significantly. His mana-made mes infected the ambient mana, which in turn, created new mes. Of course, he could absorb those mes with his Absorption ability and revert them back into mana, but Lee Shin Woo wasnt actually using up any mana right now. It would be different if he were using an extrarge skill, but simply creating mes with the Fire element would barely leave a mark on his magic. On the contrary, he absorbed the mes that came back to him, ensuring that he had almost a full tank of magic. Although hed caused this, it was almost scary even to him. "Its be a sea of mes." "Jin, the boss ising." Hed fought for only 3 minutes, yet half of the monsters had been annihted. Theres no way the boss wouldnt notice that! The boss looked at Lee Shin Woo sharply and soon began to run towards him. [Baaaaaaaa!] "Guuuuu, that things making the same sound you make." "Hey, isnt that too harsh?" The Mad Goat Ghoul, surrounded in mes, took a single step and cried out, as if it had just stepped into hell, and then charged through! Its cry released a magic resembling death. It spread throughout the entire area, and simultaneously strengthened the undead and weakened the living. Unfortunately, Lee Shin Woo wasnt living, so it hadnt affected him at all! The darkness of death is permeating the area. The Darkness element... Or is it only a fraction of it? Those who it shares its identity with, or in other words, those its connected to are strengthened while it simultaneously rebuffs those its not connected to; a veryplicated buff skill. Though its probably using the skill without even knowing its using the Darkness element. But the problem was that the monsters which had transformed into the undead inherently possessed the Darkness element. If this were normal, then there shouldve been some sign of their transformation. Because the Mad Goat Ghoul possessed a skill powerful enough to affect the entire dungeon and change all the monsters into the undead, it had skipped all of the intermediate steps and went directly to the result. [Baaaaaaaa!] [Kihiiiiiiik!] [Kueeeeek!] There was another problem: the Mad Goat Ghouls resurrection. While Ghouls ate humans too, their strength would increase the most when eating corpses! When the Mad Goat Ghoul realized how powerful Lee Shin Woo was, it ate any undead in its path, like Metafel Rerdan had done in the past, and its power continued to increase. If he hadnt intervened and the boss had invaded the city unimpeded, then the city wouldve fallen, as its death ability would spread, killing every living being inside. Perhaps it would harm other cities as well, eventually resulting in the birth of a level 7 elite undead. "Weak." Well, thats what wouldve happened had Lee Shin Woo not been here at least. [Baaaaaaaaaa!] "You really are weak." The Mad Goat Ghoul reminded him of Metafel Rerdan, as it did everything that he had once done. It led an army and then proceeded to eat said army. He looked at the Mad Goat Ghoul and clicked his tongue as if disappointed. He wouldve hated it less if it had evolved, but... "Youre base stats are too low. Even if you ate everything here, you still wouldnt reach level 7." "When did you figure that out...?" "I didnt know I could before, but I could somewhat tell after I checked its bone data and its mana level." "Bone data..." To think he could use bones to thoroughly ascertain its abilities. Whats worse, it wasnt evenpletelyposed of bones like a skeleton, but a ghoul, which almostpletely retained its previous body! Jin was fearful, as he wondered just how far Lee Shin Woos Rule of Bone skill would grow. [Baaa!] "Hoo. Now then." If he knew with absolute certainty that it would evolve to level 7, then he would wait patiently, but if it couldnt, then there was no point in waiting any longer. Lee Shin Woo looked straight at the approaching Mad Goat Ghoul and lightly raised his greatsword. He waited until the goat had gotten so close that Jin could even feel its breath and then... "Heup!" Swung his sword downwards! [Baaaaa!] Of course, the Mad Goat Ghoul was a dungeon boss and could use the Darkness element, albeit poorly. Despite the speed of his attack, the Mad Goat Ghoul responded quickly, forming a magic shield, casting a curse on him, and drawing the nearby undead corpses to in an attempt to defend itself. However, Lee Shin Woo let it be, not because he didnt know what it was doing, but because nothing would change even if it tried anything. So he just let it do its thing. [Ke... Keh...] "Hoo." The Fire Dragons Scale Greatsword burrowed deep into the ground and released mes as though it were coughing. Lee Shin Woo twisted the sword, softly removed it from the ground, and sighed. Right after, the Mad Goat Ghouls body was split in half and burned. All that remained was Perium and a single goat horn. The horn emitted a dense concentration of darkness, so a magician researching the Darkness element would find it valuable. But to Lee Shin Woo, who could already use High Rank Darkness, it was pointless. "You want it?" "Nope." It was pretty worthless to both Lee Shin Woo and Jin at this point, but he instinctively felt like he had to take it. Was it because he was Korean? He picked up the ck goat horn, stashed it in his armor, and raised his head. All of the undead were looking at him. "I thought itd turn out this way. Beast-type undeadck brains." When the boss was killed, the undead temporarily stopped moving. Since the boss, which had a clear goal whilemanding them was gone, they had lost all motivation to move. All that was left of them were their undead instincts. The instinct to curse, but also yearn for the living! They foolishly gathered around him, like honeybees to a flower, without realizing that the fragrance of life he emitted was a ruse. "The undergrounds undead are better. They know how to recognize fear and run away." Lee Shin Woo clicked his tongue and stabbed his greatsword back into the ground. At that moment, a huge amount of mes spewed out from the de, covering thend. Hundreds of monsters were burned all at once, and then even more. Although it was powerful, it wasnt a skill or magic. He just used his greatsword as a medium to create a high quantity of high rank mes. It was only possible because he already took control of the entire areas mana. "Wow, theyre like antsing for a piece of candy." "Ugh." What was even more surprising was that the undead continued to throw themselves into the mes. They had already lost all control, each and every one of them being drawn to his scent, and then they were burned. After that process continued for a while, no undead were left remaining. His expedition had ended in an instant. "Ha." Then, Lee Shin Woo realized. The strongest mercenary, Kay. He had nned on using Kay as Lawrences trustworthy backer, and show such skill that no one in the city could ignore him, but... Things had gotten out of hand. Perhaps... "Did I go overboard...?" "You think?" Jin sighed and replied. Then, he looked above the castle walls. The humans were still up there. As humans, they couldnt see him, but Lee Shin Woo could see them. They looked at him as though he were a god. "What are you going to do about that? At this rate, theyll start worshipping you." "Faith doesnte so easily. If it did, then pseudo religious leaders would be out of business. Well, its a lot different from my original n, but this isnt so bad. I gained quite a bit from acquiring the golems, so I suppose I can afford to make my n a bit more aggressive than before." After showing such overwhelming dignity, there was no way he could just leave and say Ill be going now. Interested parties from the city, and even humans in high positions maye and find him. It might feel burdensome, but the amount of information and goods that he could obtain would increase immensely. There is one thing that worries me. The Emperor of the Magic Empire, who Pleine told me not to approach under any circumstances. He decided that it wouldnt be such a bad idea to meet with distinguished figures to obtain information on the Emperor. Nothing ventured, nothing gained. "I cant let it be. I need to be more active, if for no other reason than to figure out what that damn God is thinking. Well, if the worst case scenario does happen, then I can just sacrifice a life and run." "Its hard to use the Blessing of Death here, so lets not." "But death energy is scattered all around. Charge it up while you still can. ...Now then, Im going to collect the loot now." Lee Shin Woo used Rule of Bone discreetly so that the humans atop the castle walls wouldnt notice, and drew all the Perium, as well as the bones towards him ASAP. He collected the loot within 10 minutes, which was kind of funny considering the fact that it had taken longer than the battle. "The Sun Gods hero!" "Ooh. Oh, hero!" Jin collected the death energy and Lee Shin Woo the loot. By the time they were done and grouped back up, the humans, having confirmed that it was safe, began to exit the gates one or two at a time. They gazed at Lee Shin Woo with bright eyes and shouted something, which was something Lee Shin Woo had heard before. "The Sun God...?" "To think that the Sun God still loved the (Magic) Empire this much..." [1] "Let us thank the Sun God for sending us a hero!" "Sun Gods hero, pleasee this way! I would like to hear your name!" The guard captain of the eastern gate stood at the forefront and eximed. Lee Shin Woo had never heard of the Sun Gods hero before, but he was sure that they were referring to him! Lee Shin Woo briefly thought about how hed deal with this new title, but soon organized his thoughts, grinned and said. "Good, so you know who I am! Indeed, I am the hero, Kay, that was sent by the Sun God to help you!" "Oooooooooooh! Hey! His current identity was already a pain in the ass to deal with, yet he still had the nerve to make such a lie! Jin cried out, but Lee Shin Woo didnt let it worry him at all. If other people were to misunderstand and make up a great identity for him, then there was no point to straightening it out! "Oh, by the way. As per Godsmand, I formed a contract with Lawrence, the peddler, so keep that in mind." "The peddler, Lawrence!" "Ooh, so that extraordinary man was supported by the Sun God!" "All hail the Sun God!" The misunderstanding had spread, and no one could handle the situation. Lee Shin Woo felt how chaotic the situation had be and nodded his head in satisfaction. While Jin despaired and lowered his head, a message appeared before Lee Shin Woo like always. [The Acting skill has be Lv20. Perhaps you can fool even natural phenomena.] His acting was so natural that if a Sun God did exist, they would say something like Ah, I really did send a hero!. Lee Shin Woo grinned and stored his greatsword. Perhaps God woulde to regret sending him to the surface, but it was already toote to take him back. [1] T/N: Both the undead and humans use the word empire, but for rification purposes, I add in whether its the Magic Empire or the Underground Empire. Toy Car tends to use surface/underground to refer to the (Magic) Empire and the (Underground) Empire, but I often rece the former, as its incredibly awkward to use in an actual sentence. Chapter 38 part4 Two weeks had passed since the dungeon countercurrent. During that time, the peddler, Lawrence had cemented his position in Kuroas Glory because of the Sun Gods hero, Kays influence. Lee Shin Woo fearlessly advanced again and again, and was able to buy a vi once used by an aristocrat with good terms, became able to buy/sell various choice goods from the merchants guild, and was even authorized to open his own shop. These benefits were supposed to be unattainable by an unknown stranger, yet he had been given them. It made him wonder why hed worked so hard, struggling with his Acting and Instigation skills thus far. He couldnt call himself a peddler anymore. After all, he was far off from a regr peddler now. "Theyre helping me so openly. ...Theyre epting me, even though they know Im suspicious. That just tells you how much they want Kays power." Lee Shin Woo showed off his goods on the disy stand outside his store and muttered leisurely. It seemed like hed just settle down in his shop, but he had bigger ambitions as a peddler. In two weeks, hed sell the wine in the auction, and after that, he would go to the next city... the capital and sell his goods there. He wasnt going to take it slow and start from the outer cities as hed done in the past. Even when he was rxing, it would be the climax of the story. "Arent they using you as bait to get to Kay? Since its better to keep someone in one ce than letting them go around wherever they please." "Jin... Youre a lot smarter than I expect... Hey, wait. I didnt say anything. It was all my secretary!" Jin, who was tied outside his shop, asked a good question, but then bit off some of Lee Shin Woos hair and nibbled on it. Lee Shin Woo realized that having his hair, which was created by his Disguise skill, ripped off his head, was incredibly unpleasant. However, Jin was right. A powerful individual could be a blessing or a curse. The Emperor, or his followers, shouldve heard the report by now, so the reason theyd let him be for 2 weeks was likely to mobilize someone who could actually contend with Kay. "Im looking forward to their response. Will a level 7 pop up, or a level 8. Depending on who they send, I can estimate how strong the Magic Empire is." "I dont think theyll send a level 8..." "Well, thats not necessarily true." During these two weeks, Rem had been travelling across the cities and brainwashing the golems. Once its Mana Parasite had gained the Infection ability, its brainwashing speed increased, and the golems in severalrge cities were already under its control. The information he gained from them increased significantly, and he was able to extract info regarding the Magic Empires main force... "Listen, but dont be surprised. You mightve already guessed, but those bestowed with the title and power from the Emperor are known as the 12 Generals. Apparently, theyre not so different from the Underground Empires. That means level 8s may exist here too." "...Heh?" For a moment, Jin didnt know what Lee Shin Woo was talking about and looked on vacantly. The 12 generals? Hed thought that term was only used in the Underground Empire. However, the Magic Empire used the exact same term. That meant... "Shin Woo, do the Magic (Surface) Empire and the Underground Empire share the same name?" "Ding ding." As expected, Jin could be pretty smart when he wanted to be. Lee Shin Woo nodded his head in satisfaction and continued. "The name of the Magic Empire is Heita. Its exactly the same as the Underground Empires name." "Thats... Wait a sec. Which one came first?" "Thats unusual. Youre quite sharp today. You go straight to the point." "You know, its all because Ive stuck around you for so long." "I guess youre right..." Which came first, the Magic Empire or the Underground Empire? The answer to that question was a lot more important than it might seem. When God had first summoned him, she had called it The Empire, Heita, which had flourished underground. That meant there was a chance that humans born underground had created the Underground Empire. "But unfortunately, humans originated from the surface. I wasnt sure, so I used every means avable to me, and found that humans were indeed born on the surface, not underground." "Then... we can assume that the Empire was once whole, but was split due to some unknown circumstances. One side mustve gone underground." "Bingo. Exactly." It was the shocking truth, but it didnt really mean anything to him. The history wasnt what mattered, it was what led history to go down that way, or the cause and effect. "Think about it, Jin. No matter how wide the underground may be, do you really think that people would voluntarily live down there?" "Nope." "Although the Empire flourished underground, do you really think they could live as naturally as those on the surface?" "...No." "Exactly. Theres no way theyd be able to. So, lets modify what you said. The Empire, which was once whole, split into two for some unknown reason, and one side was forced to live underground." "..." The two heroes daringly and extremely naturally figured out the truth. Once he came to the surface, he knew hed figure out the truth eventually, but he couldnt do anything about the bitter taste. To think that the Underground Empire that they had to defeat had such a ridiculous truth behind it. Whats worse, their jobs didnt change, despite knowing the truth, and they couldnt do anything for the undead. They had no other choice but to exterminate the undead, just as theyd been doing. "But that means we cant trust anything God said to us..." "What about? The Underground Empires curse? You dont think the humans on the surface created that, do you!?" Jins nk eye sockets zed with fury. Unlike Lee Shin Woo, Jin possessed a sense of justice, so he wouldnt be able to let this go. Even so, they couldnt change what they were doing, so... Perhaps it would just fester in his heart. "No, thats not it. The Underground Empires undead... When you take a look at the attitudes of the 12 generals, who maintained their intellect, then no. But the Emperor used magic to achieve immortality... and it failed. Theres something else to it, something hidden." Honestly, Lee Shin Woo had a hunch before hede up here regarding what that truth may be, but once he actually came to the surface, he became even more sure of his assumption. But because it was only a hypothesis without any evidence backing it up, he couldnt just say it outright. If his hypothesis is true, then... he would have to sock God in the face before he felt any better. "So, we have to more thoroughly investigate the surface, if for no other reason than to find out the truth. Thats what Im leaving to Rem." At the same time, Lee Shin Woo acted as Lawrence, the peddler, and the hero Kay, gaining what he could from the surface. And what he wanted probablyy in the capital. "Shin Woo. Youre nning on meeting the Emperor, arent you?" "I dont have to meet him, but if need be. It might turn out that way in the end." "I knew this would happen." He remembered Pleines warning. She didnt say it outright, but hed guessed how powerful the Emperor was based on her attitude. He was probably level 9. If not, then Pleine wouldnt have warned him like that. Since Lee Shin Woo could take on a level 8 now. Even if he fought against Feotane Von Seldin, he coulde out of it alive. But I cant avoid him just because hes dangerous. Pleine had misunderstood something. Although he had to oppose all the undead, he didnt need to do that for the surface dwellers. He didnt need to avoid him like the gue just because his level was high. Could the Emperor even see through his Disguise and Acting skills? He was joking of course, but Lee Shin Woo thought hed be able to somewhat trick God at this point. No matter how high their level was, so long as they were a human, they wont be able to see through Lee Shin Woos facade. "You know, it might be fun to be one of the 12 generals in the meantime..." "Lets not..." "Yeah, I was just joking. Even Im not confident enough to work under him and keep acting." Right after he spoke, he felt someoneing towards his shop. When he looked over, he saw a heavily armed female knight. It was kind of funny seeing her being so tense around a peddler. "D-Does the Sun Gods hero, Kay live here?" "He doesnt, but he lives in a ce where I can contact him." "Then please ry this message to Sir Kay! The pope of the Sun God religion requests an audience! He came to the lords castle without any prior notice, so you have no idea how surprised we... Eup." "...Oh?" He thought itd be better if he seemed more distinguished, so hed called himself the Sun Gods hero. To think itd turn out like this. However... the Sun God religion. It wasnt so bad when he thought about it. No, it was actually great. Lee Shin Woo didnt know how prosperous the Sun God religion was, but considering how the female knight was acting, they were definitely an organization that the Magic Empire couldnt deal with so easily. If thats the case, then he would be able to meet with the Emperor assuming a more favorable position. He immediately formted several ns in his head, and continuously broke up and reassembled pieces of his n. As a result... "I understand. Ill tell him right away." "Mm, thank you. We can prepare a carriage for you..." "No, hell probably arrive there on his own." "Mm, that would be disrespectful to the Sun Gods hero... However, if thats what he wants, then I guess we have no choice. I understand. Ill let them know. Then Ill get going now..." "Yes. Come back again!" The female knight sighed in relief and left. Lee Shin Woo thought he needed an assistant ASAP and cleaned the store. He couldnt get there on a horse, so he would have to leave Jin here. See you. Ok. He first disguised himself as Kay where no one was looking. Then, he tied the greatsword on his back and walk over to the lords castle. Lee Shin Woo looked incredibly dignified, and everyone he passed on the road took notice of him. Moreover, fire wrapped around his surroundings, so there was no one who didnt know who he was. He encountered various people along the way. Some spoke of the Sun Gods hero from behind him, while others approached him and said it to his face. There were even some who were afraid of being harmed and just stepped back. Of course, this would enhance the influence of the Sun Gods hero, Kay, and at the same time, ensure that Lawrence, the peddler, would remain safe. [Lv7 Pope of the Sun God religion - Aurel Genisman] 30 minutester, Lee Shin Woo met the Pope of the Sun God religion in the castles living room. From first nce, he looked like a middle-aged man, but his level was higher than hed expected. He wasnt just a representative of the religion. "You moved quite boisterously. So much so that I question how you were able to hide your identity until now." "I cant?" "No. Its fine since the Emperors no doubt aware that wevee here. No... actually, that ostentatious attitude of yours might fit with our goal. You may just be acting conspicuous, but thats even more in our favor." "...Hoh." Lee Shin Woo understood what he was saying and smiled. He thought the pope would say something like Youre the hero the Sun God has chosen!? I cant believe it! and test him first, but was instead showing his hand. Inymans terms, this was the Popes intent. It doesnt matter if youre really the Sun Gods hero or not. Why dont you work with us?. "Id like to hear about it in more detail." Honestly, Lee Shin Woo didnt hate these kinds of people. If their goals aligned, they would have a good rtionship. "Im d you understand, Sun Gods hero." The Pope grinned and said. Unfortunately for the people on the surface, Lee Shin Woo and the Pope really hit it off. Chapter 38 part5 ording to the Pope of the Sun God religion, several religions existed on the surface. These religions each served a different god, and the most powerful of these religions was the Magic God religion, while the Sun God religion had declined the most. There were also the subordinate gods who followed them. They flourished in some areas, so it was difficult to know about all of them. "Several gods..." Lee Shin Woo tilted his head as he listened to the Pope. If there were so many of them, then who had sent the heroes to the Underground Empire, and what were these other gods doing, despite the world being on the brink of destruction? "You should stop there." But before Lee Shin Woo voiced his concerns, the Pope spoke firmly and stopped him. "Going any further is forbidden. You cannot question the reason for the gods existences." "I suppose its not important right now. Its that the influence of the Sun God religion has waned, is it not?" "Exactly." The Pope nodded his head solemnly and added. "Its embarrassing, but we dont have enough people. The daylight, which upies half the day, the radiance that fosters the growth of all creation, and the fire that apanied the birth of civilization. Weck followers, even when our God reigns over all this..." "I see. I was born in the countryside, so Im not really knowledgeable on the subject." "...Whats worse, our own followers are no exception. The remains of the Sun God Temple is essentially a symbol of our religion. Although the central pir was stolen, we couldnt find the perpetrator. Does that make any sense?" That was strange. He felt like hed heard about this before. Lee Shin Woo did his very best to reply as rxed as he could, so that his anxiety wouldnt show. "Your security mustve beenx." "Though a part of it may be that the perpetrator was skilled, even so, our pdins were guarding the ruins, so no one shouldve been able to get through. We thought it may be a revtion from the Sun God, but... anyone with a brain could tell you it wasnt. It was truly humiliating." "...You went through a lot." Whileforting the Pope, Lee Shin Woo was inwardly cursing. To think that Lee Shin Woo had paid Pleine 350 million Perium for stolen goods! The Pope, who couldnte to know that the pir had be a part of the Titan Golem, sighed deeply and continued. "Well slowly decline and eventually be left as part of history. Thats what we expected to happen to us. I thought that perhaps I would be the final pope. However, thats when you showed up." "It was perfect timing. The Sun God hasnt abandoned you all." "Haha, it does seem that way. The Sun God has given us onest chance." At this point, the twos eyes glimmered unusually. Now, they would get to the main point. "I told you already, but our power has diminished significantly. But the fame and authority weve rued over hundreds of years hasnt. If youre truly as skilled as you say, then we can give you wings. Will you help us revive our order?" "You said it yourself, that your order has declined. I think its too much to hope for one man to resurrect your order." "But keep this in mind. The moment people see you, theyll consider you the Sun Gods hero. Its both authority and recognition. We can rise up again if were given the chance. More firmly, and more radiantly than ever before." Then, the Pope added. "You epted the title of the Sun Gods hero. Obviously, the Emperor doesnt appoint people of the religious order. If you want to go far, then theres no other way than to align with us." "Im confident that I can do it on my own. Hmm... But I suppose theres no reason to reject your offer." At that time, Lee Shin Woo paused and acted like he was thinking deeply about it. However, he never intended to reject the Popes offer. Since there was no better support in cementing his position than a religious order. He wondered how much they could support him, but he would be able to find that out slowly, starting now. "Alright. First off, please tell me more about the Sun God religion, as well as how youd like to use me. In detail." "Ok, well do it your way. Itll definitely be a trade thats worthwhile for the both of us." The Pope gave a presentation for the next 30 minutes or so. As hed thought, the Pope had a progressive way of thinking and at the same time, looked at his religious order like a business. He was a good fit for Lee Shin Woo, as he didnt believe in the Sun God. "So, unconquered dungeons." Above all, the method he suggested was something that Lee Shin Woo approved of. "Exactly. In this flourishing Empire, theres only one thing that concerns the public: the unconquered dungeons. If our order actively conquers these dungeons, then your name, and by extension, ours, will became more widespread." "Indeed." He was right, as the matter with the dungeon countercurrent would indicate. Kuroas Glory, which was protected by the golems and possessed plentiful food and a variety of industries... was an attractivemercial city, yet had been put in danger from a mere level 5 dungeon countercurrent. The reason Kay had be so popr and was called the Sun Gods hero was because he had taken care of the dungeon countercurrent in such a short period of time. Moreover, conquering dungeons aligned with Lee Shin Woos quest of gaining high level bones and bing stronger. Rem had found a few dungeons as well, but he couldnt be satisfied with just a handful of dungeons. "There are dungeons nearby that have been neglected because no one lives near them, or dungeons that have been ignored because the people around them are all dead... Those dungeons are managed by periodically suppressing the monsters thate flooding out of them. But if all of the monsterse out with the boss, like in this instance, then theres a chance that an entire city will fall." "Then why are they left alone?" "Because weck time, money, and people!" He said ardently. They werecking in everything! "The biggest problem amongst them is people. Level 6s dont grow on trees. The Emperors knights and magicians, as well as each religions pdins and priests have their hands full doing their jobs. Plus, they could die in the dungeon. Whenever the matter is brought up, the higher ups probably reject it." Lee Shin Woo gazed at the Pope with an expression that said Then what about me?, and the Pope replied calmly. "We dont have the luxury of ying fair. Weve already picked a few of our pdins and priests to assist you in your dungeon conquests. Thats their priority right now. Theyve even written theirst wills and testaments." Human rights were being vited in the name of religion! Lee Shin Woo looked at the Pope condemningly and asked. "You seem strong yourself, so why dont you go?" "Ive concealed my identity and have my hands full already. Just because Im a pope doesnt mean I can just sit back on the balcony and drink wine all day." Considering how the Pope kept talking and talking about the situation, he must really want to sit back on the balcony and drink wine. How did this religious order decline so much? Lee Shin Woo felt slightly bitter. "Anyway, keep listening. Your name wont be more renowned by blindly conquering dungeons. Thats where wee in. We advertise your abilities on arge scale, publicizing what dungeons youve conquered and how you did it. In addition, we emphasize the strength of our pdins and our priests, drawing peoples interest. We cant lie, but its not that hard to exaggerate things. If results follow, then this contract will definitely seed." "Haha. Its quite the aggressive n." "This is our struggle. Will it just end in our struggle, or will it turn into a great sess? That all depends on you." The Sun God religion had gone from amercial business to an entertainment business! But if it all went ording to the Popes n, then Lee Shin Woos position in the Magic Empire would strengthen. As he thought, this Pope meant business. Theyre not only giving me info on the unconquered dungeons, but support as well. I suppose I cant say that the golems possess all the information in the Empire. Alright. These are conditions too good to say no to. The n was of the high risk, high return variety. However, Lee Shin Woo had looked forward to fighting strong opponents over everything else once he came to the surface, so he could say that there was no risk. But there was no reason to tell the Pope this, so Lee Shin Woo continued while acting calmly. "Repeatedly attacking unconquered dungeons, dungeons that are so dangerous that no one hasid a finger on them... Ultimately, the n relies entirely on me subjecting myself to incredible danger. Besides the fame, is there anything else that I get out of this?" "The loot is all yours. Id like some of the Perium, but you can have it all if you dont want to give us any." "Ill divide the Perium amongst my team members. Ill take all the loot, but Ill give you equivalent Perium in return." "I appreciate it. Hmm, aside from that, theres authority. Ill give you the position that is under or equal to the Pope, the position of Saint. This title is only conferred when someone of extraordinary strength appears. Of course, Id be ok with giving you the title of Pope, but..." "No thank you. I cant even sit on a balcony and drink wine all day." "I knew youd say that." The Popes voice became a bit quieter. "...Oh, I heard that Lawrence, the peddler, is hosting an auction. Wine, right? I wonder how great the wine could be. Im not really asking for any. I just wanted to see how valuable the auctioned product would be in advance. I really dont want to drink it, but itd be troublesome if we stake our reputation on a business selling a strange product." Lee Shin Woos expression became tepid. Is that so? This person was like Pleine, huh. So this was why he had been so amiable... But since he was the Pope of the Sun God religion, he was a valuable customer! He couldnt let his opportunity go. "To be honest, I have a bottle on me from Lawrence." "Oooooh!" "Youll be the shops sponsor, so Ill sell it to you at a special price." "Ooooh! ...Oh?" The Pope froze when he said special price. Lee Shin Woo took out a bottle of Kerr Century Elemental 451 and popped the cap off. He ced the bottle under the Popes nose and the Pope shook. It seemed like he really liked it. "Ill buy it! At your special price!" "Its 77,000 Perium, Customer." "...Here." "Thank you very much, Customer. Ah, theres a balcony over there." The Pope was finally able to drink wine on a balcony. After he drank the entire bottle, he decided to wholeheartedly support Lawrences shop. Chapter 39 part1 "1,500 bottles of Kerr Centurybel red wine? Hows that even possible? After thest mass release, there were only a few dozen bottles found across the Empire." News of the auction spread quickly. Lee Shin Woo wouldve considered it a sess if news of the auction had spread to the hundreds of thousands of people in Kuroas Glory, but he had miscalcted. Was it due to the Sun God religions help? In just two days, the lord and all the nobles had be aware of the auction, and by the fourth day, news of the auction had spread to the nearby cities. "But the master sommeliers already took a look at them. Moreover, the Sun God religion is backing it, so theres no way theyd lie." "The Sun God religion is really particr about their wine due to the pope. If theyre willing to sponsor this auction, then... Wait a sec. Theyre transporting 1,500 bottles of wine and are backed by the Sun God religion. Who exactly are they?" "Lawrence. Ive never heard of him before, but it seems like hes quite skilled." "Hmm. Hes probably being manipted by the Sun God religion, rather than being skilled. If the auction goes well for them, then the other religions will feel uneasy." Kerr Century Wine had a lot more influence on the surface than Lee Shin Woo had expected. Rumors had spread far and wide across the Magic Empire through the use of nimble-footed merchants and amunication line. At the same time, people quickly became aware of Lawrence, the Sun God religion, and the hero Kay as well. "Dont be surprised by what I say next. I hear that the Kerr Century that theyre selling... was created after the fall of the Underground Empire." "Wait, that means..." "It means the Sun God religion has procured a Kerr Century Winery! But how?" In the official announcement, Lawrence had procured the Kerr Century Winerys facilities and techniques, but the rumors were misrepresenting the facts. They thought that, perhaps, the Sun God religion had ess to the Underground Empire and that the Underground Empire may not have fallen. Most snorted at these rumors, but there were some who actually took the news to heart. It was nothing more than suspicion without a shred of evidence, but because of this distortion of the facts, it practically guaranteed that the rumors would spread even further, causing the high ranking officials to take action. Not only that, but the other religions became curious... Ultimately, the size of the auction, as well as the participants had swelled to an enormous size. "I did want the high ranking officials to take notice of me, but if this goes on, ying a dual role may be impossible for me." Cant you just leave it to the merchants you signed a contract with? You nned on using them as your proxy from the start. Lee Shin Woo anguished, but then, he heard Jins voice through the Assimtion skill. Though he was tied outside of his lodgings, his voice could still be ryed through the Assimtion skill. "A proxy, huh... Theyre too weak." Lee Shin Woo pondered seriously. Of course, Lawrence could easily pull back for safety reasons and use the merchants as his proxy, but he wasnt sure whether he could find people he could trust enough to talk in his ce. How about asking the Sun God religion? "I cant let them take over anymore. No matter what others think, we have to take the reins. So..." Lee Shin Woo briefly thought about it and soon made a decision. Hed already considered this before. It would be such a waste to not use the Heaven Doors Key. Couldnt he just bring a trustworthy human to the surface? A human you can trust... Kratia? "Kratia would be really happy, but shes in the middle of special training with Prince, so she cant leave. Id rather not bother her right now." Although they were acting separately now, he contacted her once every week. He had left the Huginns Eye to her, and she was simultaneously studying magic and the artifact. Ah, thats right. Then who? ...Youre not going to ask Retadane, are you? "Why would she evene up? You never know when shell blow." It looked like you guys really got along. Why was this happening? For the past few days Jin seemed to be in a good mood, yet his voice was turning mncholy again. Did he hate Retadane or something? Lee Shin Woo tilted his head and refuted him. "No way. There are only two choices for her. I either reform her and use her as an ally, or I take her out before something goes wrong. The whole reason I even talked to her was because of that decision." Really...? "Yeah, so dont worry about her too much. Im not sure how Im supposed to get closer to that psychopath though..." Then its fine. Jin replied as though a burden had been lifted. It seemed like hed misunderstood, thinking that Lee Shin Woo actually trusted Retadane. Lee Shin Woo felt relieved, and Jin took that time to ask another question. Wait a sec. So who are you going to pick then? You wouldnt pick Lloyd. "Theres only one person thatll work. Ye Jin Jin." Ah, thats right. Jin Jin. Yeah, shed be fine. Jin mustvepletely forgotten about her, but Lee Shin Woo acted like he didnt notice. "Its easy to deal with Ye Jin Jin. She trusts anything I say, and she knows about our identities, so we dont need to hide anything from her." Remember. You shouldnt say that a woman is easy to deal with. Dont treat her pure love and faith in you as a tool. "M-My bad." Lee Shin Woo politely apologized in response to Jins sound rebuttal and requested a private chat with Ye Jin Jin. If she wasnt fighting or sleeping, then she would immediately... [Ye Jin Jin: Yes, Mr. Shin Woo!?] "Fast..." [Ye Jin Jin: Your voice is still so cool!] Yeah, thats why he didnt want to contact her first. Shed definitely met him when he was a skeleton, so he couldnt understand why she liked him more and more. Maybe she was romanticizing Lee Shin Woo in her imagination more and more, so her feelings had grown. Well, thats what he assumed at least. Her feelings were so clear that even Lee Shin Woo, who was no expert in rtionships, could tell how she felt about him. However, those feelings were incredibly burdensome to him, as he felt no sexual desire. A part of him was uneasy at the thought of meeting her, and the other part hoped she would snap out of it when they actually met again. "Theres something I wanted to ask you..." [Ye Jin Jin: Something youd like to ask me? What is it!? Whatever it is, Ill do it!] "...Mm, yeah. Thanks." How taxing! As he thought, his best bet would be for them to meet so her feelings for him would abate. Lee Shin Woo hated himself for not doing this sooner and told her about his ns. Ye Jin Jin was obviously excited at the prospect of meeting face-to-face, and marked her coordinates for Lee Shin Woo. Fortunately, he recalled passing her location, so he felt like hed be able to get there quickly with the Heaven Doors Key. [Ye Jin Jin: I cant leave here for the time being, so please take your time. Ah, its the level 2 danger zone, but you have to be careful on your way here.] Following the heroes battle with the 12 generals, it seemed as though the undead had be more violent; if she couldnt find a dungeon, then it would be difficult for her to hunt monsters, so she was hiding for the time being. Lee Shin Woo nodded his head, promised hede and find her right away, and ended the chat. "Hoo." Immediately after, a sigh naturally came out. Of course, he didnt have lungs, so no breath actually came out. "What do I do? I dont want to meet her..." Shed cry if she heard you say that. "But I guess I have to go anyway... Ill leave behind a simple message here for now." They were currently living in a house theyd bought within Kuroas Glory. A week after hed signed the contract with the Pope, they finished their first expedition. The conquered dungeon was simple. It consisted of mostly level 5s, with level 6 elites asionally popping up, but the dungeon had a bad reputation, as there were several monsters that could use poison or acid type status ailments strong enough to even kill level 7 knights or magicians. However, Lee Shin Woo was covered in mes, and those mes burned away the acid and poison. He charged through the dungeon like a bulldozer and pushed his way through from the start to the finish (the boss room). All the pdins and priests did was pick up the loot. Rather than feeling dispirited, they responded with He truly is the one bestowed with the Sun Gods power! and looked at him with sparkling eyes. "Attest, I should take a day, but they maye to find me before then. It should be fine if I just write that I went out with Lawrence for a bit." They might misunderstand if you write that. "Huh...?" Jin didnt exin any further, so Lee Shin Woo didnt change his message and stuck it to the front door. Because at least 90% of thenguage used on the surface and underground were the same, he could write without difficulty (due to Gods help). "Then, Ill be back, Jin." "Youre going without me?" "Yeah. Im pretty fast now too. I was going to bring a couple of other guys with me along the way. It might be boring, but just wait patiently for me." "Hey, if youre going to do that, then at least let me out of the city." "I suppose theres no danger out there since youre a veteran level 7. Alright, lets go." Level 6 bones didnt really have any effect on Lee Shin Woo, since his stats had surpassed 10,000, but for Jin, whose agility had developed much more than his other stats, they would still have an effect on his Strength, Health, or Magic. So Lee Shin Woo had given him most of the bones that hed acquired on the surface, and as a result, Jin had gotten to 8,000 total stats. "Dont bete. And make sure you dont encounter another one of the 12 generals and kill them." "It depends on which of the 12 generals it is, but I got it." "You lie all the time, so why are you only honest when it doesnt matter?" "Then, see you tomorrow!" After Lee Shin Woo had left Jin to graze outside the city (if Jin knew how hed described it, then it wouldnt end with him just giving him another rodeo), he took a deep breath and activated the Heaven Doors Key. Contrary to when it was the Bone Gate, the Heaven Doors Key used both bones and mana to activate. Ironically, a single activation lessened the strain immensely. Moreover, hed acquired a ton of bones that he couldnt use on the surface, so he would be able to activate it as much as he wanted. [You have be more familiar with the Heaven Doors Key. Five people can now apany you.] Nice. Were going underground. The light shed and then Lee Shin Woo arrived at his designated coordinates. Hed arrived in the level 2 danger zone and with his speed, he could group up with Ye Jin Jin in just 3 minutes! Once hed gotten out of the tunnel of light, he quickly looked around and looked for anything that might be dangerous. Then, he nodded his head in satisfaction and moved his feet. As expected, the more I use the Heaven Doors Key, the less its functions are limited. Five people can apany me, excluding myself, so six people can go through it now. It went up by two all of a sudden. Honestly, he didnt need it that many. He wondered whether he shouldve brought Jin along or not, but it was already water under the bridge, so there was nothing he could do about it. For the time being, lets keep this a secret from Jin, Lee Shin Woo inwardly muttered and quickened his pace. He soon arrived at the entrance to a hidden cave. "Ye Jin Jin, are you there?" "Yes, Mr. Shin Woo...!?" Was she waiting for him? When he called for her, she appeared right away. Her equipment had changed since theydst met and she assumed a pose befitting a veteran hero, but she still gave off the impression of a junior hero, perhaps because she was a girl. Her impression didnt change, but... "Y-You look cool." "Ah." Lee Shin Woo then realized that he was still disguised in his human form. If he wanted to get her out of her shell, then hed have to work a little harder from now on. Chapter 39 part2 Ye Jin Jin was already aware of Lee Shin Woos ability to disguise himself as a human being. Hed exined it to her after fooling Prince. Thats why he expected her not to raise amotion at him appearing as a human. At least, thats what he thought, but... "You look exactly as I imagined, Mr. Shin Woo! You look so cool!" "You can imagine what Id looked like with just my build?" "Yes!" "Ah, is that so..." Ye Jin Jin dered without even a shred of uncertainty, which caused Lee Shin Woo to go from speechlessness to admiration! Even now, she was carefully touching his forearm, cheek or hair, acting as excited and loud as other girls her age. Although itd be easier for him if she followed him unconditionally, it would be a pain in the ass if she clung onto him too much. He tried to cool things down by returning to his original skeleton form, but... "Kyaa, this form is cool in its own way! So when you be level 7, the atmosphere... Uuaah." "Fine. I give up." On the contrary, she blushed and looked muddled. Thats right, this girl was a necrophiliac! At that moment, Lee Shin Woo changed her danger level to 2. 1 was obviously reserved for Seira Von Retadane. Is it because I left her alone all this time? Shell likely cool off after traveling with me. After all, their first meeting was both dramatic and fleeting. She was the type to fixate on her first impressions and even improve upon them, so if, conversely, he acted together with her, then her once strong impression of him will disappear. He concluded that, at the very least, it would weaken. "But Mr. Shin Woo, could I really be of help to you? I worked really hard, but I wasnt able to reach level 6... Im still really weak." "No, thats fine. You worked really hard." Her current stats were slightly less than 3,100. Since level 6 required 3,200 total stats, she only needed about 100 or so stats to level up. Honestly speaking, Lee Shin Woo was shocked at how fast shed grown. He and Jin possessed a specialized ability that allowed them to progress quickly, but Ye Jin Jin had nothing of the sort! "I wanted to help you...! So I did whatever I could and worked hard!" "G-Good for you." So this was the power of love, huh. He looked at Ye Jin Jin, who grasped her hands in front of her and almost lost his nerve. She was the type who ignored everything around her. She wasnt two-faced; she was honest and wore her heart on her sleeve. To think shed worked so hard and grown so much just to be of help to him. If someone told him that she came out of a romance cartoon, then hed believe it. Her face was pretty too, so had her partner not been a skeleton, it wouldve been perfect. Even Lloyd, whos pretty much the full package, has some darkness within him... Lee Shin Woo mightve turned out differently had there been a youngdy like Ye Jin Jin around in the past. Of course, it was nothing more than spection, so it was pointless to think about. Plus, he liked how he turned out, so it didnt matter. "The job I have for you doesnt really require strength. But it does require trust. It has to be someone who trusts me, and someone I can trust. You have to keep this a secret, too." "I can do that!" "I know. Thats why I called you." First off, Lee Shin Woo briefly exined the current situation he was in. She was surprised at the fact that Lee Shin Woo could go to the surface, as well as the fact that he could bring her with him. "Itd be nice... if I could go too..." "You should be able to. The issues not about getting there. Its about what you do after you get there." He exined what the peddler, Lawrence, and the mercenary, Kay did in detail. She looked really happy to be Lawrences representative, but she was even happier at the fact that Kay was called the Sun Gods hero on the surface. "It seems like the Sun God religion has a discerning eye!" "So Ill be really busy for the time being. During that time, Id like you to be Lawrences representative. Of course, Ill pay you a corresponding amount of Perium... no, Ill pay you even more." "Perium...?" "Yeah. Theres a price for everything. The more burdensome it is, the more you have to pay in exchange." In exchange for her being Lawrences representative, he would pay her Perium. Hed nned this ever since he first considered Ye Jin Jin a candidate. He wasnt reallyfortable giving away karma, but Lee Shin Woo had realized that hed be freer this way! "I shouldnt be the one saying this, but with the hero, Kay and the Sun God religions help, the value of the Lawrence shop will increase instantaneously. And if youre the representative of such arge business, then that Perium can go to you. In other words, its a legal way of gaining Perium." This was what killing two birds with one stone meant. Ye Jin Jin would be the representative of his business and simultaneously, be stronger. Not only would he be repaying her for all her hard work, but shed also be able to use that Perium to buy more stat boosting medicine. She was definitely one of his allies, so increasing her strength would help Lee Shin Woo as well. Even to him, his n was perfect. However, Ye Jin Jin seemed to oppose his decision. "I cant do that! I want to help you, not steal your karma...!" "Ill be honest with you." He knew from the very beginning that she wouldnt befortable with this proposal, due to her inherent honest and genuine nature. Lee Shin Woo snorted as if he were waiting for her to try to continue and replied. "Giving you some Perium wont hurt me in the least. I have more than 2.5 billion Perium on me right now." "2.5... billion..." Ye Jin Jins face stiffened. The medicine cost 500,000 a pop. With 2.5 billion Perium, she could reach level 7 (3,200 stats needed), purely through the medicine, and still have 900 million Perium left over. Ye Jin Jin was well aware of how great a matter this was. "This is beyond amazing... Mr. Shin Woo, youre really..." "This is all the money Ive umted from the Underground Empire. If my business takes off on the surface, then I can make even more. So, you understand now that it wont make a dent on my Perium, right?" "...Yes, I understand." Lee Shin Woo spoke confidently so Ye Jin Jin felt less burdened. Instead, she thought something like, Hes progressed so quickly, yet hes amassed so much Perium. Lee Shin Woo truly is amazing!. He supposed it couldnt be helped that her impression of him had be even greater than before. "Ill ept the Perium from you, use it to increase my abilities, and then fight together with you on the frontlines. Thats ok with you, right?" "Good, you understand. I want you to be Lawrences representative, and by doing so, you will gain a lot of Perium you can use to strengthen yourself. So now were in agreement, right?" "Yes, Ill do it. Ill be strong enough to help you, no matter what!" She was so blind that Lee Shin Woo felt anxious. But in any case, she would follow him and take this opportunity to be stronger, so she would definitely be helpful to him. He epted that reasoning and nodded his head. "Alright. Were done talking, so lets get a move on. First, well go visit the ce where we make Lawrences most popr item." "Most popr item... Is it the wine thats being auctioned off? Did you make that yourself? Is it being made underground by any chance?" "Yeah. Ah, by the way, my names Paul Zero over there. Keep that in mind." Ye Jin Jin looked puzzled while Lee Shin Woo smiled softly and led her. Fortunately, the Kerr Century Winery wasnt very far from here, so he didnt need to use the Heaven Doors Key. Before he went into the winery, he took a deep breath and opened the door. What he was really afraid of was... [Its Paul Zero!] [Did you say Paul Zero!?] "Kyaaaaa!?" Once they noticed his arrival, the Dryads rushed over to him like a swarm of bees! He epted it, as though he knew this would happen, but Ye Jin Jin saw the countless wood spirits rushing over to him and stood still. [Paul Zero, you came to visit!] "S-Spirits... Dryads!?" "Yeah. These guys are invaluable in making the Kerr Century Wine." Lee Shin Woopletely ignored Sinea, who threw herself into his arms and gave kiss after kiss on his cheek and exined the facility to Ye Jin Jin. The mystery behind this facility wasnt just the Dryads. Ye Jin Jin saw the golems dragging carts filled with grapes or rolling around oak barrels and was speechless. "It really is amazing..." [Paul Zero, is this one of your new friends?] "Yeah. Shell help sell the wine you guys make from now on." [I see. Would you like to eat a grape?] "T-Thank you." [Hehe.] Once she ate the grape, Ye Jin Jin became mute once again from the grapes indescribable sweetness and sourness. It was cute seeing Sineaugh with such a proud expression. Lee Shin Woo left her alone and continued with his work. He collected the wine theyd created, and remodeled the equipment on the spot, creating a new facility to create wine. A facility that would create sparkling wine, the wine that would represent champagne! "For some reason, sparkling wine doesnt exist in this world... Even if it did, they wouldnt be able to reproduce its special characteristic and it wouldnt taste very good. However, our grapes can do it." [I dont know what sparkling wine is, but we just have to do as you say, right, Paul Zero?] Hed done enough prep on the surface, so remodeling the facility wasnt very difficult. While he was at it, Lee Shin Woo decided to expand the facility, as well as the wine storehouse. The Dryads were ted at the expanded winery and flew around. "Now, then. Theres something important I have to tell you." [What is it?] [What is it? What is it?] He said once he waspletely finished with the modifications, and the Dryads responded instantly. Lee Shin Woo honestly told them what had happened. That hed procured a way to go to the surface, and that he could bring about two of them with him. [I see. Paul Zero, youre really amazing!] [I knew youd be able to go to the surface someday, Paul Zero!] They were the Dryads, who came to the underground in search of living trees, so he had expected more of a fuss, but... their reaction wasnt as bad as hed expected. He tilted his head, as they may have not understood him, but Sinea then replied. [Were satisfied with our life here. Plus, youre the one who told us that the curse is threatening to affect the surface as well.] "Thats true, but its just a chance. Moreover, isnt the surface much more attractive than living down here?" [But we like the underground better since youre here.] [You can suck the curse away!] [Plus, we dont want to leave a ce thats been handled by an elf.] Lee Shin Woo listened, as the Dryads chattered away, and realized that hed been misunderstanding all along. It was like with Ye Jin Jin as well. They were more considerate to him than hed expected, and they were showing this consideration now. "I see... Thanks." [But there might still be some of our kin or other spirits on the surface, so we may have to investigate... Alright, Ill go as our representative. Paul Zero, please take care of me.] [The Princess is monopolizing Paul Zero!] [Im against this!] [Everyone, please be quiet.] She overpowered their resentment with her charisma, flew over to the vineyard, and came over with a small grapevine branch. Lee Shin Woo was confused and asked why shed brought that over, and Sinea exined that she could return freely with that single branch. [Ive grown a lot too and above all, I love this ce. The other Dryads will think the same.] "Youre not a normal Dryad anymore..." [Youre right. I became a level 7 Elder Dryad Princess quite a while ago.] At some point, shed reached level 7 as well! Ye Jin Jin, who realized that a Dryad had even beaten her in terms of levels, felt gloomy, and Lee Shin Woo had tofort her. Around that time, the final member that they would bring to the surface had arrived. [The Master of Darkness, Paul Zero. I havee at yourmand.] He was the level 7 Wolf Avenger, Bisher Moon. When hede down to the Underground Empire, hed told Bisher toe to the winery. Lee Shin Woo had to decide which to bring with him: Shino Rendu or Bisher Moon, as he couldnt bring the Giants or the Chimeras; their outward appearances were too frightening. He thought about it for a while and eventually decided to bring Bisher Moon, as he could use magic, while Shino Rendu only possessedbat abilities. [I divided my troops and entrusted them to Shino Rendu and Chi Paul. Theyre all fighting bravely right now. Most of the 12 generals wont even be able to scratch your forces.] "Good." Thats right. The Empire wasnt stable yet, but they couldnt just remain in hiding forever, so Lee Shin Woo was carefullymanding his undead forces from the shadows. He decided not to use the Giants unless they were needed, as they were quite conspicuous. His elite undead and golems moved covertly and cut down the Undead Empires numbers bit by bit. If one of the 12 generals appeared, then Lee Shin Woo could just go over there. Thats why hed been grateful to have the Heaven Doors Key! "Mr. Shin Woo, this Lycanthrope..." "Remember what he looks like since hes your senior. Since were all here, lets go." He was really worried how effective his forces would be without the Heaven Defying General, but Lee Shin Woo couldnt always stick around with his troops. After he sent a brief message to Shino Rendu and the othermanders, Lee Shin Woo created a gate to the surface. The biggest auction on the surface awaited him. Chapter 39 part3 Lee Shin Woo and his party returned to the surface, and his first order of business was to take measures (e.g. disguise Ye Jin Jin) to establish her as Lawrences representative. And it had proceeded quite smoothly. "My name is Izuna. Im Mr. Lawrences attendant and representative." "Hmm, whats Mr. Lawrence doing right now...?" "Hes left everything to me, so if you have business with him, then you can just tell me instead." "Hoh, hes left everything to you, huh. You two seem quite close... My my, I feel left out." "I will proceed with Mr. Lawrences contracts as scheduled. Please take care of me." Just a few days ago, Lee Shin Woo thought of her as an idiot, but when he saw the sight before him, he was honestly a bit shocked. Hed trained her quite thoroughly, but he hadnt expected her to act so perfectly! This is the strength of a woman in love. Shes working so hard to be of help to you. She really is amazing. Why are you being so sarcastic? Justpliment her. Im just so touched; her love transcends life and death. You know, thats the very definition of sarcasm. From what hed remembered, Jin and Ye Jin Jin had been really close, but for some reason, Jin was in a bad mood once they met on the surface. By the time hed replied to Jinsints and raised his head, the merchants that hade to the Lawrence shop had all left. Ye Jin Jin was dressed formally without any frills, wore light makeup, and her hair was tied tightly. She, who looked like a skilled merchant that had popped straight out of a novel, stared at him with unease. "W-was that ok, Mr. Shin Woo?" "Yeah. It was perfect, Izuna." "When its just the two of us, please call me Jin Jin." Ye Jin Jin blushed and requested carefully; as Jin had said, she looked like the very definition of a woman in love. Lee Shin Woo smiled bitterly and when he was about to reply, a skeleton horses head came through the window. "Im here too, Jin Jin." "Heok, I-Im sorry! Thats not what I meant..." As expected, something did go on between them, considering the bad blood between them... He wondered whether he should arbitrate this matter or not, but for some reason, he felt like hed make it even worse if he acted hastily, so he gave up on it. "Just keep acting like that from now on. You may be my representative, but you wont have to worry about the business itself. Just fool the guys thate over and youll be fine." "B-But still, you should give me something to do." "I mean, theres nothing for you to really do... Ive found some ces nearby that are around your level, so go around and work hard when you have the time." "O-Ok!" She replied so enthusiastically that it felt as though shed go hunt a dragon if Lee Shin Woo told her to. Even though he felt uneasy as he looked at her, he passed over the materials hed prepared through the golemwork. [Paul Zero, Ive nted all the trees!] "Ooh." Around that time, hed even given the Elder Dryad Princess, Sinea, some work to do. Hed wanted her to nt the branch shed brought with her near his residence, but she said shed make this entire area hers so that she could use her powers however she wished. [If I nt another branch somece else, then I can go back and forth.] "You even have the ability to make a gate!?" [Therere some downsides though. It costs a lot of mana, and if the branch gets damaged in any way, then I get hurt as well.] Although it was an unignorable downside, it was quite the reliable teleportation ability, when he took into ount how much shed have to do on the surface from now on. [Ill rush over if something happens to you, Paul Zero. Here.] "Thanks." Sinea passed him a tree branch, which emitted the exact same energy as the previously nted branch. If he needed her, he could probably just nt the branch in the ground to summon her. The power of the spirits was formidable indeed. "Youre not going with the spirit?" "Sinea will use this spot as a base camp and search for other spirits. Plus, spirits wont show up where Im going anyway." [Im saddened by the fact that I cant be together with you, even after following you up here...] For the time being, Lee Shin Woo had to act as the mercenary, Kay and clear unconquered dungeons for the Sun God religion. Bringing a level 7 wood spirit there would be extremely conspicuous. Moreover, he used the fire element when masquerading as Kay, so theirpatibility was terrible, which was another reason he couldnt bring her along. "Alright. Then, Im heading off to a dungeon." "Ok. Ill get it done, no matter what...!" [Paul Zero, if you ever want to see me, just use the branch to contact me!] Lee Shin Woo parted with the greatly disappointed girl and spirit and left his residence. But when he got atop Jin and went towards their designated location, a shadow shrouded in darkness appeared. [Ill go to the capital, Master. I apologize for not being able to stay by your side and protect you.] "Im counting on you. But be careful so you dont die." [Im receiving the power of the moon so close up, so I wont die. ...Ill prepare everything until you reach the capital, Master.] "Alright. Go ahead." [Yes, sir.] Their final party member, Bisher Moon was responsible for getting things done. [1] Anything he couldnt ask Ye Jin Jin or Sinea to do with the golemworks information, he made Bisher do. Hed given Bisher Moon the most dangerous task of all: entering the capital. Even Lee Shin Woo couldnt enter the capital without any prep, so he sent Bisher Moon to the capital to make a foothold for him, as he was proficient in darkness magic and had formidablebat abilities. To be frank, hes more of a substitute, but... He said it himself, that he wouldnt die, so he should be fine. Lee Shin Woo wasnt really confident that Bisher Moon would be able to aplish anything there, but... more importantly, Rems golemwork was approaching the capital, so he wouldnt end up empty handed regardless. If all went well, then his position in the Magic Empire would be set, with the help of the Sun God religion and Bisher Moon... Lee Shin Woo stopped deluding himself and raised his head. Now it was really time for him to conquer a dungeon. "Its time to act once more, if for no other reason." Time flew by and 2 more weeks passed with Lee Shin Woo acting as the Sun Gods hero, Kay. During that time, the Sun God religions n had indeed borne fruit. His name had spread far and wide, like a fire spreading across a field of grass. His initial dungeon conquest wasnt very effective, like using a fire move on a water type pokemon. But due to the Sun God religions positive publicity, as well as him conquering two or three dungeons, something no one had ever done before, it became super effective, like a fire move being used against a grass and bug type. "Youve conquered two level 5 dungeons and three level 6 dungeons... I trusted in your abilities, but you truly are amazing. Due to your efforts, several cities have been saved." "Still,I think were fanning the mes a bit too much." The Pope held a bottle of Kerr Century Elemental 451 in one hand and held a ss of the wine in the other. He tightly gripped the ss and sighed. He could see several people in the streets yelling the Sun God hero, Kays name. "Sir Kay saw us!" "The Sun Gods hero! The Sun God is watching over him!" "Bless you, Sir Kay! Glory to the Sun God!" "Kay! Kay! Kay! Kay!" There were tens of thousands of people crowding around his lodgings; so many of them chanted his name that their voices ovepped unpleasantly, making it sound like an anthem of sorts. Lee Shin Woo was freaked out and went back inside as if running away from it. Hede to this city a week ago. The city had prepared for the worst, due to level 6 dungeon countercurrent, but Lee Shin Woo happened to be there. After hed informed them of the Sun God religions intent, he quickly cleared the dungeon and then left the aftermath to the Sun God religions promotional unit. He then went on to the next dungeon, but once he came back, things had intensified. "I can understand if you consider the fact that theyre all alive because of me, but... its like a religion." "It is a religion. The Sun God must be so proud of you." "It seems like theyre worshipping me, not the Sun God." "You dont need to worry about that. Since their faith in you will soon be their faith in the Sun God. Its bing like that in other areas as well." All that the weakened Sun God religion had left was their believers and their worn-out honor! They would be able to sway public opinion with those two elements and the Sun Gods hero, Kay. As the Pope had told him, Kays actions would help increase their influence, which in turn, would create new religious belief. It was only possible because it was the Sun God religion. "...So how is it going on the inside (of the religious order)?" "Hoo. Hoo." Lee Shin Woo said whilst narrowing his eyes, and the Popeughed meaningfully and gave a thumbs up. He wanted to smack him, but he managed to stop himself. "The best decision Ive ever made was picking you." "You should be facing resistance from the other religious orders, as youre charging ahead so quickly. The Emperor wont look at this favorably either." "Were looking after the people. Although were spicing it up a bit, whos going to stop us? Even if they try to stop you now, the people will fight back. They wont do something as stupid as fighting against their own people." "Moreover," the Pope said and then added. "Youve been recognized as a Saint by our order, but its ultimately just an honorary position. You can move more freely because youre not officially a part of our order. In other words, no one can stop you using religious rules, obligations, or duties as an excuse." "But its because Im unofficially a part of the Sun God religion that the orders fame keeps growing." "Exactly. Moreover, youre a Saint recognized by the Pope himself, so no one has higher authority than you." To think he got all the advantages but didnt have to take any responsibility. His honorary position differed significantly from his own understanding of honorary positions, but he didnt have anyints. "But thats too much. Do you think I can return to Kuroas Glory some time tomorrow?" "Ah, now that you mention it, its tomorrow." The Pope said nonchntly and stretched out a hand towards Lee Shin Woo. His hand was now freed of the wine bottle, as it was empty and rolling on the floor. "Before the auctions over, sell me another bottle of wine at the special price." "Thats all for today, folks! Please tune in for the next episode!" He was tired in a variety of ways, but he had to put in even more energy tomorrow. Since tomorrow was the day of the wine auction. [1] T/N: Getting things done is a loose trantion. Literally, its more along the lines of an execution squad or something like that. Chapter 39 part4 Two weekster, Lee Shin Woo returned to Kuroas Glory, and his poprity was better than ever. "Its the Sun Gods hero!" "I heard hes traversed half of the Empire in less than a month. Is that true?" "Perhaps not half, but he saved several cities. He cleared 5 unconquered dungeons." Lee Shin Woo was able to clear so many dungeons due to the Sun God religions resources and information gathering. As Lee Shin Woo had performed a never before seen feat and had returned in triumph, he did indeed look like a true hero. "That man... Is he really human?" "He mustve conquered the dungeons with the Sun God religions pdins and priests, but hes still amazing." "I knew he was amazing since the first time I saw him spewing out those endless mes and burning the undead." He was indeed followed by a few of the Sun God religions pdins and priests, but the Pope hadnt. In order to assert that Lee Shin Woo was conquering the dungeon of his own free will, the Pope remained behind, covertly directing his troops and supporting Lee Shin Woo. "Is he level 8 by any chance?" "Hes obviously level 8. Perhaps... Perhaps hes even reached level 9." "Hey, you cant say that! What if His Majesty were to hear you!?" He didnt know for sure, but the citizens of the Magic Empire spread rumors that the Emperor was level 9. And based on all the info hed gathered thus far, there was a high possibility that the Emperor was indeed level 9. So, calling someone level 9 was considered an act of treason, as it was essentially equating the individual with the Emperor himself. Its quite unreasonable, as its not a unique title or anything... More importantly, the Undead Emperor must be level 9 if the Emperor on the surface is. When hed first assessed Feotane Von Seldins level, he assumed the Emperor would be level 9, and actually felt relieved at the news. He even thought he was lucky that he wasnt level 10. Putting aside the Emperors strengths, the main issue is the curse. When hed stopped the dungeon countercurrent, he felt a sense of foreboding, but of the dungeons hed conquered this time around, half of the bosses were undead. Some of the normal monsters would transform into the undead as well. If Jin hadnt sucked the death energy from them, then the pdins and the priests apanying them mightve been affected. He felt as though half of the humans on the surface would be undead in just a few years rather than dozens of years, at this rate. He knew about this, so shouldnt the Emperor know about this as well? No, even an idiot would notice what was going on. If thats the case, then how would the Emperor react? No, how did he view the Underground Empire? Lee Shin Woo had to go to the capital, if for no other reason than to find that out. "Sir Kay, are you going back home?" "No, Im going to the auction house." "Ah, thats right. You were backing this auction." "You never know what might happen, so well apany you." One of the priests asked, and Lee Shin Woo replied nonchntly and led Jin. Since news had spread that Lawrence was protected by the Sun God religion, there was a low chance of anything going wrong at the auction, but since this was the first main event hed started on the surface, hed feel sad if he didnt witness it firsthand. Although the priests and pdins knew just how pointless guarding him was, as theyd seen a glimpse of his strength by apanying his dungeon conquests, it was still their duty, so they followed him quietly. "Oh, its already started." "Its really big..." They had originally nned to use the store building for the auction, but because so many people (it mightve been different if they were all peasants, but each and every one of them were high ranking aristocrats or the top business leaders) wished to participate, a huge auction house had been set up instead. What was most surprising was that the auction house was filled to the brim. When Lee Shin Woo stepped foot into the auction house, it was quite hot inside, so much so that he almost mistook it for the auction house burning down. [160,000 Perium! We have 160,000 Perium for this bottle of Kerr Century Elemental 451! Do we have 165,000!? Ah, we have 170,000 Perium! I repeat, we have 170,000 Perium!] Once hed entered the auction house, Lee Shin Woo heard the auctioneers resounding voice and wondered if hed misheard. Hed sold a bottle to the Pope (at the special price) for 77,000 Perium. But what? One bottle is being sold for 170,000? I sold 1 liter of Kerr Century Dellocus 395 to Pleine for about 500,000 Perium, so a bottle (700 ml) should be worth about 350,000 Perium. Well, thats ounting for the steep premium due to its age. But whats going on... Although hed revived the Kerr Century technique, he was only able to create the wine with an elf and the Dryads help. But one bottle was being sold for 170,000 Perium? [We have 210,000 Perium!] Wait a sec. It just went over 200,000 Perium! [Ah, the first sessful bid is 230,000 Perium! Please remain on edge, there are 49 more bottles left to auction off individually! After that, well be auctioning off at least 10 bottles at a time, so make sure you dont lose your chance!] Lee Shin Woo had prepared 1,500 bottles of Kerr Century Elemental 451 for the auction. He couldnt sell it all to one person, and he also couldnt sell them all individually, so the auction had be structured this way. Hed been worried, wondering how it would turn out, but after seeing this, he realized how effective it was. In order to buy 10 bottles of Kerr Century wine, the buyer had to be extremely powerful. Following that logic, poorer buyers had no choice but to go for the individual bottles of wine. Because they had a limited supply of wine, whenever a bottle of wine was sold, the restlessness of the crowd would increase... In the end, the price of his wine increased exponentially. Hed thought it wasnt a very good idea, but it was unexpectedly quite effective. Actually, if the product was good enough, then the seller could always raise the asking price. [330,000 Perium! Sold at 330,000 Perium!] While Lee Shin Woo was busy thinking, the fourth bottle of wine was sold for an additional 100,000 Perium. His contracted merchants had promoted the product and had even given wine tastings, but this had really far exceeded his expectations. Hey, wait a second. Thest winning bidder was the Sun God religions Pope! "Hes supposed to be sponsoring this event. What the hell is he doing?" "Perhaps hes sponsoring the event by buying it at such a high price..." While Lee Shin Woo and the priests looked on vacantly, the auction began to heat up. Some of the participants grimaced at the increasing prices, but then, Lawrences representative, Izuna (Ye Jin Jin) picked up one of the bottles. "What a waste." "Huh...?" Of course, it wasnt up for sale, but a promotional item. Once she opened the top, the entire auction house was filled with the aroma of the wine, which meant that a magical device had been used. Lee Shin Woo took a whiff of the wine and even he was in awe of his product. It had been a long time since hed missed his sense of taste. "T-This aroma... Ooh." "Why did such a skilled winemaker have to go underground?" "Oh my god. Was this really made by a human?" The wines aroma had caused a hugemotion within the auction house, yet Ye Jin Jin, spoke calmly, unbefitting her. Of course, her voice resounded throughout the auction house as well. "My magic device doesnt have the ability to magnify scents. This is simply the wines natural aroma. Anyone who buys a bottle of wine is free to sample this promotional product." The effect was explosive. The mes of the auction had begun to die down, but her actions refueled the fires, causing all the participants to spend all their savings on the auction. After that, the winning bid for the fifth bottle of wine was more than 450,000 Perium, and the sixth had surpassed 500,000. It was madness. "Shes good..." And Ye Jin Jin had been the orchestrator. Hed trained her, of course, but she was the one whod intervened at just the right time. Anyone whod seen this wouldnt suspect her role as representative of the Lawrence shop. "Sir Kay, the young silver-haired man sitting at the upper right is the Third Prince of the Empire." "Even the Imperial family came. Though theres probably nothing I can learn from them..." The Third Prince, who had likelye to figure out who was behind the Lawrence shop, had be intoxicated by the smell and was upping his bid. The high ranking nobles and the other high ranking priests of the other religious orders (who opposed the Sun God religions sudden ascent in poprity) were no different. All these individuals, who each had their own reasons foring here, had abandoned those goals and focused entirely on the wine. What a nice sight! Cant I gather all of the money on the surface with wine...? No, wait. I can get all this money without it, so why the hell am I posing as a hero!? So much had happened that he hadnt expected, so Lee Shin Woo was dumbstruck. However, the auction continued on, and ultimately, he had sold all 1,500 bottles of the Kerr Century Elemental 451 for a whopping total of 670 million Perium. But the highlight of the event was Ye Jin Jin saying, "We n on introducing the Kerr Century Sparkling Elemental next season, so look forward to it." Once she said that, the participants began to fight desperately and scheme against each other so that they could participate in the next auction; it was something worth seeing, better than anything hed seen in the Underground Empire. "Izuna." "Sir Kay. Im d youre alright." Once the auction was over and the goods were transferred, Lee Shin Woo found Ye Jin Jin and encouraged her. While they both looked after the Lawrence shop, Ye Jin Jin was Lawrences representative and therefore knew she had to maintain a safe distance from Lee Shin Woo. However, shed managed to take care of everything quite well. "Good work." "You worked hard too, Sir Kay." She had already reached level 6 and looked much calmer than before. Perhaps her emotions had calmed down, as she knew that she was being helpful to him. He didnt pinpoint the exact reason, but he was satisfied, as Ye Jin Jins condition seemed to have improved. Once hed looked around the auction house and confirmed that there was nothing amiss, he said. "You can all go now." "Sir Kay, when will the next auction be?" "Ive already told the Pope, but Id like to do it before things be worse." The auction had ended in a great sess. Bisher Moon and Rem, both of which were in the capital right now, should be working together to create a foothold for him, and he had confirmed Ye Jin Jins physical and mental growth, so... "I guess I should go to the capital. On the way there, tell the Pope." "Of what...?" "That Id like to start conquering level 7 dungeons." The priests simultaneously adopted an expression simr to Munchs The Scream [1], but Lee Shin Woo just ignored them and hastened his pace. Then 20 minutester, he got an unexpected report from Sinea. [1] E/N: https://i.imgur/nuPFwMz.jpg Chapter 39 part5 "Youve found traces of spirits, huh." [Yeah. I found a message they left behind. If I trace the message, we might be able to find living spirits.] Lee Shin Woo, whod returned to his lodging, was hugged by Sinea (no matter how he thought about it, the spirits skinship was too much) and he looked at her again. Although she seemed happy in his arms, she sported aplicated expression. [To be honest, I dont expect there to be any living spirits. Well probably just find where they had lived...] "Why is that?" [Mm. Once I became an Elder Dryad Princess, I was able to very faintly see through our entire species memories... Its a blurry memory, an image of when the spirits were driven from the surface.] ...Why was she telling him this now? Lee Shin Woo stared softly at her and Sinea sported a prickly expression and exined. [It hasnt been very long since I became level 7, Paul Zero. Plus, I didnt think there was any reason to tell you since the memories were fragmented and there hadnt been a way of getting to the surface before.] "Hoo... Its fine. Keep going." [Ok. ording to my ancestors memories, the humans feared the spirits power and ostracized them. Contrary to magic, which could be fully controlled by humans, spirits possessed a power that was erratic and atypical, which couldnt be trusted. So, not only were contractors oppressed and killed, but the Magic Empire also attempted to drive out the spirits from this world.] He felt like hed heard something really important at an unexpected moment. Moreover, something she said bothered him: that the Empire was trying to drive out the spirits. "They attempted to drive them out... With the others?" [Yeah, probably.] "So, the Underground Empire wasnt formed by a gathering of entric individuals, but by those who were driven out of the Magic Empire." They were driven out because of the spirits? No, that probably wasnt the only reason. Perhaps those ostracized by the Empire were gathered up all at once and were banished underground, like gathering a bunch of criminals and putting them in prison. "The spirits mustve not liked the underground very much then?" [It probably wasnt a very conducive environment for them, regardless of the presence of death energy. Though its a livable ce for us Dryads due to your help, Paul Zero.] "Then, why didnt they escape from the surface? Wait, I suppose I should be asking why they couldnt escape... There shouldnt have been much death energy back then either." Yeah, this was the core of the matter. From the very beginning, Lee Shin Woo didnt think that the Underground Empire had been formed and developed naturally. The Underground Empire was built by those who had been driven from the surface. If thats the case, then why were they stuck underground... or turning it around, why couldnt they return to the surface? And if Im right, then its because... Now it was time to check his answer. Lee Shin Woo looked squarely at Sinea. Sinea looked shy and turned her head away. [Dont look at me like that. Its embarrassing.] "Hey." [Sorry, but I dont know anymore. However, I do know that the spirits and the people underground wanted to escape like you said. Even if they had to risk their lives in doing so...] "Risking their lives, huh..." Lee Shin Woo repeated after Sinea like a parrot and recalled the Underground Empire. Although it possessed an artificial sun, the world always seemed dreary, grey and was teeming with the undead. The master of these undead, the Emperor... Did he really seek immortality? Probably not. He sought something beyond that. "...As I thought, I really need to see the Emperor at least once, face-to-face." [Paul Zero, can I keep going? Its regarding the traces of the spirits.] "Ah, sure. Now that you mention it, we went off topic. Keep going." He had forgotten what shed originally brought up, as hed been thinking about the capital, the Empire, and the Underground Empire. Lee Shin Woo urged her to keep going, and Sinea continued calmly. [So, there probably arent any that are still alive, but theres a high chance that spiritual power or an artifact that contains the spirits power resides within the ce the spirits once lived. If we can, Id like to collect those.] "Alright. Then lets go together." [Youre willing toe with me!?] "The surface is just as dangerous as the underground, so I cant just send you off by yourself... Moreover, I just sent the Pope a message, so itll be some time before I can move to the capital." Moreover, establishing a branch of the Lawrence shop in Kuroas Glory wouldnt take just a day or two. Hed already made various preparations with the help of the merchants guild, but it would still take some time before Ye Jin Jin could fully take the reins, so Lee Shin Woo was currently free. [Hoo. Hoo. Thanks. I knew I wasnt wrong.] "While were at it, lets go." Lee Shin Woo and Sinea went down to the 1st floor. Ye Jin Jin was listlessly sitting on the sofa. "You did good, Ye Jin Jin." "Ah, Mr. Shin Woo! Eut." Once she noticed Lee Shin Woo, Ye Jin Jins eyes shined and she stood up. However, she immediately sunk back down onto the sofa. She had acted like apletely different person at the auction house and it seemed like it was all catching up to her now. Seeing that, Lee Shin Woo thought, it sure is a pain being human. Mental fatigue had a direct effect on the body. "Rest up. But since youre going to taking over starting tomorrow, itll be a lot busier around here." "Ah, ok." Lee Shin Woo couldnt just leave Ye Jin Jin in Kuroas Glory. Since she needed to act as Lawrences representative in the capital as well. The Lawrence shop would draw even more attention to itself, due to todays events, so she would have to work even harder in the capital. If he knew it would be this much trouble, then he wouldnt have created the Lawrence identity and wouldve had the hero, Kay manage the shop instead. However, he hadnt known things would turn out this way, so there was nothing he could do about it. "Um, then what are you going to be doing, Mr. Shin Woo?" "Ill be back soon. Its a matter regarding the spirits." "The spirits... Mm, I want to go too." While Lee Shin Woo considered Sinea an ally, Ye Jin Jin thought differently; she had already considered her a rival. She was reluctant to let her rival and Lee Shin Woo go together without her, but unfortunately, her body wouldntply right now. Then at the very least... "Then, Jin is going with you as well, right?" "Ah, yeah. Thats probably for the best." "Thats a relief. Please take care." [Tch.] Lee Shin Woo didnt know what Ye Jin Jin was trying to say and tilted his head, but it seemed as though Sinea understood her, as she openly clicked her tongue. She could only do that because she didnt know that Jin was the reason that the death energy was sucked from their bodies. "How far is it?" [Mm, with this horses speed... Itll take 6 hours if you go with me. We couldve taken our time if we were alone, though it wouldve taken a lot longer... Tch.] "Ho." Jin was surprised when he heard her. Even though hed reached level 7, it would take them 6 hours to get there, so they might circle around the Magic Empire. Jin was genuinely happy, as it had been a long time since hed run at max speed, but Lee Shin Woo had a hunch. "Is it spatial magic?" [As expected of you, Paul Zero. Yeah, the mana is interfering with the space. A magic that allows you to go there wherever you are in the world, but also makes it difficult to get there... Normally, non-spirits cannot go in, but you should be able to, right Paul Zero?] "Yeah, I should be able to." He could already create life or death energy. Imitating the spirits mana wouldnt necessarily be easier than creating life or death energy, but he should be able to copy Sineas mana somehow, as hed observed her for such a long time. In addition, hed be adept at disguising others mana, so he should be able to bring Jin along with him no problem. [Good. Then lets go. We have to go to a secluded ce first.] "Ok." They left the city immediately. Lee Shin Woo shabbily disguised the two of them (Sinea could disguise herself; to see through her disguise, the opponent would need to be a higher level than her, or be a spirit), and it was already dusk by the time they left the city. "So now what?" [Paul Zero, assimte my mana.] Lee Shin Woo matched his mana with hers. He could easily make his mana resemble hers, as he used the Mana Bone, Mana eleration, and even the Disguise skill. In the process, Lee Shin Woos body shook like leaves blowing in the spring breeze, and became very slightly translucent. "Oh, so a spirits mana has this kind of effect." [Paul Zero, how closely did you copy me...?] Sinea was speechless at the sight. Lee Shin Woo hadnt just nonchntly copied a spirits mana, but he had made his body like a spirits! It was no longer on the level of changing ones mana; he was changing his very existence. Where the hell would you find a level 7 like this? Even a level 8, or a level 9 Archmage wouldnt be able to enact this miracle! "Oh. I kept using my Disguise skill after I came to the surface, so I got a lot more familiar with it. I should be seeing a message right about now... Oh, there it is." Whenever Lee Shin Woo did something crazy, a skill message would appear as if waiting for that moment. But that message, like always, was shocking. [The Disguise skill has be Lv9. Nothing is as it appears. You disguise truth as lies and show this to the world. If you seed in fooling all, then it bes no different from being real. Change is a form of creation. You only have one task that remains. You already know what that is.] [You have indirectly gained the power of a Dryad, and have been approved by the world. You have acquired the High Rank Earth Element Lv1. Magic has increased by 100. You have acquired High Rank Earth Resistance Lv3. Magic has increased by 120.] "Oh, ooh...?" "Im not sure what it is, but you got another cheat skill, didnt you? Give me that." "Mm, my bad. I dont think I can give it to you just yet." Once hed gained a Dryads power, Lee Shin Woo immediately disguised Jin and attempted to give him the Earth element and resistance, but he couldnt, perhaps because he hadnt yet mastered the skill. He was limited to disguising Jins mana to resemble a spirits. [Its the Earth element. Since we (the Dryads) rely on trees, we can only use that power through trees, but youve memorized the Earth element, so you should be able to use it now, Paul Zero.] "Yeah. I think so too." However, Lee Shin Woo wasnt analyzing the Earth element right now. He had this feeling when his Disguise skill went up to level 9. I think I can fully transform into a human now. Not just the outside, but even the internal organs; a proper human... Ha, like this? Why had been so conservative with the Invisible Heart, gathered so much Perium, and attempted to study said Perium... Lee Shin Woo felt skeptical. Indeed, things didnt always go as Lee Shin Woo wanted. Lee Shin Woo had finally be able to transform into a human. Chapter 39 part6 ording to Sinea, the Spirits Road was only essible by spirits. Lee Shin Woo moved under her guidance, and at some point, the surrounding environment became faint, with a silver transparentyer of mana hanging under their feet. It felt like theyd entered a shimmering light tunnel. It felt simr to the Giants domain, where they were isted by spatial magic. However, the sense of distortion was far more intense. Is it because only spirits could enter? He felt like he would either get thrown out or never be able to enter again if he was careless. [Paul Zero, you have to follow me.] "Ok." "...Shin Woo, are you ok? Youve been strange since way back. Is this spirit transformation thing that hard on you?" "Ah, no. Its nothing." Hes only sharp when ites to situations like this, Lee Shin Woo inwardly muttered. Now wasnt the time to be deep in thought and study the Spirits Road. Jin was one of the reasons for that. I can fully transform into a human with the Disguise skill now, but I cant use it to that extent on others yet. If Jin figures this out, then hell be really sad. He figured that the final remaining task was rted to it, but he had no way of figuring out what that task actually was. Lee Shin Woo had no idea how to increase his skill level going forward. For the time being, Lee Shin Woo was getting adjusted to the leveled up Disguise skill by maintaining the spirit transformation, but... I should transform into a human when Jins not looking... Lee Shin Woo was human. He wanted to sleep, he wanted to have sex, and he wanted to eat. Once he realized he could regain all the things hed enjoyed as a human being, he cheered and wanted to go through with it. But out of consideration for his partner, Jin, he endured with superhuman patience. If he looked strange, then it was because of that. And there was one other reason. That was... I figured this out once I seeded in transforming into a human. Ultimately, life and death, humans, the undead, or even the Dryads only look different on the outside; they are essentially the same at their roots. Its just a matter of perception. Like how Ive fooled everything with my Disguise skill... Lee Shin Woo didnt know how much hardship and suffering one had to go through toe to this realization. He came to this realization by using the Jokers innate skills however he wished. Reaching the truth so sloppily was perhaps a fitting end to a swindler. Though if God figured that out, then shed be shocked. But if thats the case, then theres a big problem. The source of my life, or the Invisible Heart skill is... Until now, hed thought that his life force had been stored in an invisible container called the Invisible Heart. Hed first thought of the idea after hed encountered the archmage lich. However, he was wrong. An ambiguous energy like life force didnt actually exist. Even if it did, Lee Shin Woo could create it, and it would only be another type of energy like mana. Now that I think about it, the Archmage probably sealed his soul, not his life force. He wouldnt die, even if his body was destroyed, because hed sealed his soul into a separate container. Then that would exin that disharmony he sensed then... Although the Archmage had been right in front of him, he couldnt sense his essence and only felt a bizarre feeling. Of course, Lee Shin Woos soul was contained in his body, so he was built differently from a Lich. In other words, the Lichs ability wouldnt help him learn more about the Invisible Heart! Then what is the Invisible Heart? Of course, now that he could freely transform into a human, there wasnt anything wrong with ignoring that matter for now. Rather, there was nothing better, as he could maintain a human form while retaining multiple lives. But despite that, he couldnt help his curiosity due to his instincts as a Joker. It was his nature to understand and control everything, so he couldnt help but pay attention to this unmeasurable power. Alright. Lets go with this hypothesis. I thought my life force was reced by a level 100+ Invisible Heart skill, but I already know that thats not true. Therefore, my life and the Invisible Heart skill arent the same. He came to the conclusion that God had tricked him, but he also thought she didnt do what she imed needed to be done. In other words, she couldve given him the Invisible Heart skill with no strings attached, but she had taken his life and turned him into a skeleton with the excuse that it was too hard. ...My grudge can wait. In any case, Invisible Hearts more important. If he assumed that his previous hypotheses were correct, then the Invisible Heart was the goddesss power, not his own. Perhaps it was a crystallization of divinity. It made sense, as the max level of Invisible Heart would go up whenever hepleted one of the goddesss tasks. If I can make this power my own, then would it help me against powerful opponents? If he could imitate it with his mana, then he should be able to use Invisible Heart infinitely. At the very least, he would be a true, immortal undead. No, it wouldnt be that easy. He couldnt even figure out where to start. [Paul Zero, were almost there.] "Ah, already?" [By human standards, weve already run for five hours.] Sinea called him, and Lee Shin Woo stopped thinking so much and replied. It seemed like Sinea knew that he hadnt been paying attention to her, as she replied while sulking. In order to best handle the Invisible Heart, hed made various ns and practiced, yet five hours had passed in the blink of an eye. Lee Shin Woo was slightly surprised. "As I thought, theres something going on with you, isnt there?" "Mm, I was just thinking about my ability. Ill tell you about itter if I figure it out." "It feels like its more important than that... Whatever, its fine, since youll tell me about itter." Lee Shin Woo replied and remembered something. Now that he thought about it, Jin possessed a different type of revival skill than him. If he figured out how Invisible Heart worked, then he would look into Jins Blessing of Death. He also had to look into Perium as well. Although Lee Shin Woo was diligentlypleting his tasks, he had more to do each and every day; it made him think back to his days as an employee, which very slightly depressed him. "No, its still a lot better than when I was an employee." "Youre using that excuse again." Lee Shin Woo and Jin followed Sinea. Their surroundings remained cloudy, but they found a small entrance to a cave at the end of their path. Although they were already in a subspace, they had to go even further within. It was only natural that the surface dwellers didnt find it. "Can the Underground Empire not make something like this?" [10 billion spirits werent enough to create a space thisrge while bearing the curse.] "Ah, thats right. Sorry." [Its ok. ...Hoo.] Sineained, so Lee Shin Wooforted her by stroking her head. She quickly returned to her old self. Lee Shin Woo thought it was quite nice that spirits were so easy to fool, but he didnt dare say it out loud. [Lets go in, Paul Zero. I only came with hopes of a small trace of them, but if its sealed this perfectly, then... there may actually be living spirits here.] "Yeah." FYI, he had already revealed his true name to her when they arrived at the surface. But because he hadnt formed an official contract with her, it apparently didnt matter if he used a false name or not. On the contrary, she had been overjoyed that hed revealed his true name to her, albeit btedly... Even so, she said that she was still morefortable with his false name, so she kept calling him Paul Zero. [This way. Follow me. Nothing strikes me as dangerous yet.] "Ok." Sinea went into the cave first. The moment she did, the inside of the cave lit up weakly, as if sensing her presence and weing her. Lee Shin Woo and Jin followed suit and carefully entered... [Level 9 dungeon - You have acquired the permit to the Spirits Spring. All stats increase by 100 within the dungeon. The dungeons information is added to your minimap. All actions are buffed within the dungeon.] And then stopped. He heard a phrase that he swear hed heard somewhere before, albeit a long time ago. "...The Spirits Spring?" [The Spirits Spring? ...The Spirits Spring!? This is the Spirits Spring!?] Sinea btedly realized what he was saying and was shocked. Yeah, she should know about it too. After all, hed originally heard about the Spirits Spring from the contaminated Dryads protecting their dungeon! [The Spirits Spring existed on the surface!?] "If you dont know whats going on, then what am I supposed to do?" At the time, the Dryads had degenerated due to the curse... and one of the Corrupted Dryads had given him a Spirits Spring Key Fragment. While also saying that he had to give it to the Spirit General; if he did, she would take care of everything and would protect the spirits. Of course, Lee Shin Woo had pocketed the Spirits Spring Key Fragment and had put the matter on hold. However, that matter was being brought to his attention once again. So, he trusted that Sinea would add her own exnation to this, but looking at her now, she wasnt reacting any differently than him. [Since all I know about the Spirits Spring is what Ive heard from the other Dryads! Its said to be the paradise for all spirits, but I thought it was referring to the spirit world!] "So the spirit world does exist?" [I have no idea!] Ah, crap. Hed suspected this, but she was no help whatsoever. No, wait. Should he be thankful that she even led him to the Spirits Spring? Lee Shin Woo sighed and took another step forward. Then, his chest radiated light. [The Spirits Springs Key Fragment is reacting to the Spirits Springs energy. The artifact is being restored.] [You have acquired the Spirits Spring Key. The Heaven Doors Key reacts to the artifact and the artifact is absorbed.] [You can now open a passageway to the Spirits Spring with the Heaven Doors Key. You have be more familiar with the Heaven Doors Key. By using more mana and bones, the passage can now fit up to 12 people.] "Ah, it happened again." Hed be used to this happening. It was an artifact that even absorbed Gods power, so this was nothing! While Lee Shin Woo was thinking that, something appeared before him. [I sense that the long lost key has returned... An irregr hase.] It was a huge entity. The entity was slightly translucent like Sinea but was also covered in flickering mes... a lizard that looked as though it had been injured somewhere. [Lv7 Elder Smander Prince Zenon] A living spirit had appeared before them. Chapter 39 part7 The giant me lizard, the Elder Smander Prince Zenon, was a spirit on the same level as Sinea, evidenced by his level and his naming convention. As spirits, they were the peak of their respective elements and were incredibly rare. [Since spirits dont naturally grow on their own, contractors are indispensable. These factors... stimuli, experiences, will, all have an effect on a spirits growth.] "Then what about you, Sinea?" [Me? Well... you and I are pretty much already contracted, Paul Zero.] Lee Shin Woo asked, and for some reason, Sinea blushed and seemed embarrassed. That was enough for him to figure out what was going on. When he gave her the spirit stone in the past, she awakened as a Dryad Princess and a contract of sorts was formed between them. [...It seems like you have met a good contractor. How enviable.] Zenon breathed out a tiny bit of me, and gazed at Sinea. It didnt seem like he was being sarcastic; it looked like he was genuinely jealous of Sinea. The reason was easily exinable. Sinea just said it. A contractor was essential for a spirit to reach level 7. Zenon mustve had a contractor in the past as well. Of course, it didnt really matter at this point. Lee Shin Woo gazed at the injured me lizard, and spoke his mind. "Youre name is Zenon, right? Id like you to tell me about the Spirits Spring, as well as how you got here. ...How you lost your contractor, and what happened to the other spirits. Could you tell me?" [You said you came from the Underground Empire? If thats the case, then you should already have a grasp on the situation; do you really need to hear it from me? Are you trying to make me suffer?] "You see, I wanted proof. Ive been looking for proof ever since I came up to the surface." Thats right. The purpose of his dual identities, Lawrence and Kay, was to find proof of what had happened. Hed never thought of himself as hero material and he certainly didnt intend to meet Gods expectations, but... he felt like it was his obligation to figure out what had happened to divide the underground and the surface. In order to appease the souls of the countless undead hed in thus far, as well as the other heroes who have fought on the same battlefield with him, albeit briefly. [Is that so... Fine. I ran away that day; perhaps this is the reason I survived. Follow me. Ill guide you.] The smander turned his body. Lee Shin Woo, Jin, and Sinea nced at each other and followed him. However, the inside of the cave didnt match his original expectations of the Spirits Spring. It was known as the paradise of spirits, or the origin of spirits... a bright ce filled to the brim with magic, and a ce overflowing with the aroma of spirits. A ce that all spirits yearned for as if it were their hometown... Thats what hed thought it was, at least. "...A shelter?" "Hey." [Indeed.] Jin blurted out and Lee Shin Woo quickly retorted. However, Zenon looked nonchnt and nodded his head. [Of course, it wasnt like this in the beginning. It was formed from the collective will of the spirits and was a resting ce for all spirits. A ce that weed all spirits, which was akin to a spirits hometown. However, that was all in the past. Ever since that day, its be a shelter for all the escaped spirits. ...Perhaps it would be more urate to call it a ce of exile.] There were several spirits that dwelled within the Spirits Spring aside from Zenon. All of the said spirits were wounded, with wounds big or small, but their mental scars were worse than their physical ones. Although their minds should be sound, their eyes were lifeless, and merely leaned upon the trees, the spring, or the walls. Whats the point of a beautiful interior when its inhabitants were exhausted? Wherever he looked, the scattered spirits looked as though they were dead, and he didnt really know what to think. Sinea was currently looking for any Dryads that might be inside. "You cant heal your wounds... No, youve chosen not to heal them." [Spirits are living beingsposed entirely of mana and a soul. If weck in either, then we dont heal.] "...How sad." But aside from the inhabitants, the Spirits Spring did indeed meet his expectations. He could feel the overflowing spiritual power (of various elements) everywhere and enjoyed the mysterious, natural objects that were formed from rock, water, and mes. There were several objects akin to Sineas spirit stone rolling around. But they were, of course, much smaller than the one hed given her at the time. And the spirits... Theyre, on average, level 4. About 20% of them are level 5. Therere about 10,000 of them total. While it may seem like a lot, this is a ce where all the spirits on the surface (where theyre abundant) gather, so its actually really low. Which means that several of them died or were chased off to the Underground Empire. He saw a few level 6 spirits as well, but nothing more. Moreover, the higher leveled spirits seemed more mentally scarred, as the higher their level, the clearer their mind was. Sinea looked as though she would cry since she could empathize with them more, being a spirit herself. [Paul Zero.] "Yeah, Im right here." [You cant leave my side.] "Yeah, okay." Sinea clung to him even tighter. He looked around the Spirits Spring; the mood had be as depressing as a graveyard. Zenon called for Lee Shin Woo, who was astounded by the size of the Spirits Spring. [Now, lets talk.] "Are you done testing me now?" [I dont follow human conventions. I just didnt know how to deal with someone as powerful as you. A spirit follows you around, despite not being formally contracted to you, and you can even assume a spirits form.] As expected, Zenon was extremely straight forward, perhaps because he was spirit. Considering how frank he was, Lee Shin Woo realized how impossible it would be for him to imitate a human being. [You first wanted to know about the Spirits Spring, right?] "Yeah." Lee Shin Woo followed Zenon and sat down. Sinea clung to his back, and Jin bent his legs and sat down as well. Zenon breathed out some mes into the air and began his story. [Apparently, the Spirits Spring was created partly as a joke. There are times when a spirit wishes to rx and be free of its contractor, so all the spirits worked together and created a small world that the humans couldnt enter. It was also used as a shelter for spirits that didnt have a contractor and were thus in danger, or those who had lost their contractor.] However, the Spirits Spring was meant to be a resting ce. The spirits created the Spirits Spring through themon human perception of the spirit world and was set up so that spirits could easily find it, while outsiders couldnt. Moreover, the Spirits Spring was kept a secret, even from the spirits contractors. Thats how this secret garden was formed. [Thats why. The reason why this many spirits were able to survive on that day...] Elementalists were those chosen by spirits. One could be a magician through training, but being an Elementalist depended on luck and talent, so it was a highly coveted position. The Magic Empire, which was ruled under logic and reason, didnt wee their existence. No, it was closer to say that they hated the spirits. Those emotions were like a ticking time bomb, and when those explosive feelings burst... [They waited patiently for their chance. The day we were banished, they dered war on us (spirits and contractors), and voided our rights. They wanted topletely erase the spirits existence on the surface.] "Keuk." At that moment, the Spirits Spring momentarily seethed. The temperature of the ground had instantaneously increased by at least 10 degrees. All the spirits raised their lifeless eyes and stared at Lee Shin Woo. Although he hadnt gotten any more details, he could feel the images of that day rushing through his head. They were probably memories of all the spirits living in the Spirits Spring. A normal person would probably faint from these memories. That day, the spirits and Elementalists had lost their lives to both magic and the sword. There were those who had been banished underground, as well as those who attempted to escape the surface. There were spirits who lost their contractors and retreated to the Spirits Spring, as well as spirits who attempted to escape underground while protecting their contractors. The events of that day urred hundreds of years ago, yet the surviving spirits remembered it clearly, as though it were just yesterday. This was their eternal punishment for surviving while their contractors had not. "...Then tell me more about the day of your banishment." [There were two princes with power (magic) that could rival the Emperor. The Crown Prince was weaker than the two, but with the help of the Royal Magician Leader, who hated Elementalists, and the Imperial Army, he managed to banish them underground.] Originally, the Magic Empire had created giant facilities underground and left the monsters that were difficult to handle down there. However, the Crown Prince wanted to trap the 2 Princes and their forces there as well, as they were a threat to his power. This included the Demi-Humans (who werent epted by the Empire), the criminals from various species, the monsters that posed a danger to the Empire, and the spirits and Elementalists. In exchange for all of them gathering together and leaving, they would be allowed to live. It was a sess. They resisted fiercely but were eventually chased underground... and were unable to leave. "...Tell me more about how they were trapped." [Its a type of prohibition magic. 100 light magicians and 100 dark magicians were gathered, and by sacrificing both their souls and their magic, they created a chaos element magic barrier. A barrier that separated the surface and the underground.] "A chaos element barrier." He finally knew what happened. His (non-existent) heart pounded in his chest. Yeah. He already knew about the barrier. The Underground Empire hadnt fallen due to the presence of the undead. Rather, the barrier had already existed when they were banished underground! [Its as you think. Its a barrier that doesnt allow any living beings from escaping.] "...Huh?" It was Jin, not Lee Shin Woo who asked. Jins goblin fire looked slightly forlorn. "It stops all living beings from escaping... Not the other way around?" "He just told us. The two princes forces were banished underground before the undead curse even existed." "Then... Huh?" "Yeah." Did he finally figure it out? Jins goblin fire curled up. Lee Shin Woo marveled at how well he could express himself with his goblin fire alone and was now sure... and said what was on his mind. "The Emperor wasnt seeking immortality. ...He just wanted to get through the barrier and return to the surface." Jissehanu, the Undead Emperor, hadnt failed. He had seeded. Thats how they had all be undead. Chapter 39 part8 "How stupid." Jin, whod learned the truth, said and went silent. He probably had so much on his mind that he couldnt say anything more. Lee Shin Woo also had mixed feelings on the subject, so he didnt say anything either. Soon, Jin spoke, as if he were muttering. "If the Emperors true goal was turning them into the undead and he seeded, then... Why are we fighting them? Did even God abandon them?" "No, its to protect the world. If the undead curse spreads to the surface, then the world is as good as dead." Since Lee Shin Woo was undead himself, he didnt want tobel them like this. But strictly speaking, the undead consumed the worlds resources, without creating anything in return. That was their biggest w. If all the beings that lived on this world became undead, then the only course the world could take is ruin. It was only natural that God sought to eliminate the Undead Empires curse. "But the Undead Empires so pitiful." "The hell are you talking about? Everyones trying their hardest to live. What are you going to do, let the underground inhabitants go to the surface? If you do that, then the underground and the surface will go to war. Its been so long since the underground was isted from the surface. Even if the underground takes their revenge on the surface, the surface dwellers will be the only ones wholl suffer." "Then why do you look so unwell? You dont sympathize with the underground citizens, nor do you hate the surface dwellers, so why..." "I feel bad for the heroes." "Huh...?" As expected, Jin hadnt gotten that far yet. Jin looked bewildered and Lee Shin Woo exined kindly. "The heroes dont know anything and are being manipted by God. They dont know what happened to the people underground, why they became undead, or how the surface is faring. Thats pitiful enough, but even if they eliminate the undead curse, all thats left for them is despair." "Why despair... Ah!" Jin realized btedly and was shocked. "The barrier that prevents the living from passing through... I see! So the heroes cant leave the Underground Empire either!" "Yeah. Gods using the heroes to do her dirty work, but once theyve eliminated the curse, she ns on burying them underground." "How could she... Wait a sec. What if they collect 100 permits; if they get that many, they can see the surface. Wasnt her intent to let them escape to the surface?" "No, absolutely not." Gods power seemed absolute, but Lee Shin Woo knew that God, and by extension, Pleine, were just bluffing. "Youve never thought about why were the only ones given the mission of collecting the secret shop permits? Even though there were dozens of heroes (seniors) before us." "Just us... Isnt it because, other than you, its impossible to gather that many permits?" "No. Itd be really tough, but its not undoable. You can also get quests from God. If God had told our seniors that they could go the surface if they gathered 100 permits, then they probably would have tried." However, God had never given them that option. She had only given that option to Lee Shin Woo by surreptitiously saying save the permits. Why did she do that? Lee Shin Woo realized why shed done that early on. "If the other heroes were to gather 100 permits, itd be meaningless." "Meaningless... What are you talking about?" "There were several clues. Lee Man Bok hated God, and Pleine showed some signs as well." Ah, and now that he thought about it, hed heard it before he had brought Jin to the secret shop to leave for the surface. Lee Shin Woo remembered that time and kindly told Jin what Pleine had told him. "She said if it were just me and you, it should be possible, but she also said Id be the first and thest. Why would I be thest? Thats because the other heroes cant pass through the gate." "Ah...!?" Thats right. Pleine had borrowed Gods power to create a gate that led to the surface, and while that gate looked like it could be used by the other heroes, it actually couldnt. Although she seemed omnipotent, even God couldnt do anything about the barrier that divided the surface and the underground. So it made sense that Lee Shin Woo and Jin, who werent alive, could use the gate. Looks can be deceiving. Rem also wasnt alive, so it could go through without any problems. It made sense that the other heroes hadnt heard of gathering 100 permits in order to go to the surface before. No matter how many permits they saved, God didnt have a way of sending them to the surface! "But the Bone Gate absorbed Gods power and evolved into a level 9 artifact. It blew Gods expectations out of the water and possessed power greater than that of the chaos element barrier. God probably wanted us to do something about the barrier from the surface, but the problem had already been solved. So, there wouldnt have been any problem if we went straight back underground when we first arrived on the surface." "It sounds really stupid." "Yeah. It does sound stupid, even while Im saying it." Of course, the fact that Lee Shin Woos Heaven Doors Key could transport Ye Jin Jin to the surface was enough proof. However, that was merely the oue. The fact that the Heaven Doors Key had even been born was strictly luck. Its creation hadnt been Gods intention, but a result of Lee Shin Woos karma. It wouldnt have even been enough if all the heroes traveled around the Underground Empire and went on a three steps, one bow [1] pilgrimage to Lee Shin Woo. "If we put everything together, we find that... Gods a bitch." "Uh, yeah." Lee Shin Woo was flustered by Jins extreme bluntness and agreed with him. Although it wasnt his intention, he ended up defending her a little bit. "But I feel like God wasnt pleased with her choices either. Whether she decided that things couldnt go on as they were, or that she pitied the heroes... It doesnt matter. After all, she turned you and me into the undead." "Did she make it so that we could go to the surface after wevepleted our mission? Sure. But were undead! Moreover, it doesnt change the fact that the other heroes cant escape!" "Yeah, so she didnt have a clear goal or n in ce. She probably just... hoped? Were both heroes and also entities that can enter the outside world; she was hoping that we would do something about that barrier." "She shouldve been more clear!" "Well, we did deal with it though." From the very beginning, Lee Shin Woo didnt think God was looking far into the future. As he said, she probably just hoped theyd deal with it; thats why they were in this situation. And realistically speaking, they had dealt with it. Lee Shin Woo thought you sure are lucky that it turned out as you wanted. If he just dealt with the undead curse, then everything would be... Lee Shin Woo knew that that was probably what God was thinking, and it had yed exactly as she wanted. "So she put us into this situation because of some unclear expectations..." "Its not like I dont sympathize with her at all though. Whatever the rule thats imposed on her, God definitely cant directly influence the world. And its true that this world is really suffocating." "I still cant forgive her. I want to beat the crap out of her." "I dont n on forgiving that damn woman either." Lee Shin Woo smiled bitterly, and Jin asked him a question as if hed just thought of something. "But you said that living beings couldnt go to the surface, even with Gods power. Then how did Pleine go to the surface?" "You know that Pleine possesses an extraordinary power, right?" "Yeah." "Isnt it the same reason that she cant directly intervene with matters regarding the Underground Empire?" "Ah!" If Pleine were here, then shed say something along the lines of stop being a hero,y down a mat, and watch the store for me.. Jin immediately agreed with his easy to understand exnation. "In other words, Pleine is also..." "Yeah. Shes either a god herself or a being like one. Thats what I think. If I had to call her something, then... Id call her an angel." "An angel? That really doesnt fit her." Pleine was Seiras older sister but was also a human at the time of the Empires demise. At the time, something had happened that allowed her to keep her appearance. Even so, it was quiteughable. There was one brother and two sisters (Seagald, Seira, and Pleine), yet one of them was an angel, another was a hero, and thest one was an undead. Pleine must not know what to think. Since her brother and her sister have been reduced to that... Then, Lee Shin Woo felt really curious. Pleine obviously knew, but did Retadane know the real reason as to why the Emperor had created the undead curse? If he just took into ount her desire to eliminate all the undead, then it might seem like she didnt know, but there was still a chance that she knew, yet she acted like that anyway. If its thetter, then he had to recognize how strong willed she was. [Paul Zero, are you ok?] "Yeah. I feel great since you led me here." [Mm. I actually have a lot on my mind...] "Dont worry. Ill protect you no matter what." [...Yeah. I trust you, Paul Zero!] Now that he thought about it, there was another puzzle hed solved. There was an order that every golem in the Magic Empires golemwork shared that was to be their top priority: spirits - search and destroy. Of course, once hed discovered it, he discreetly canceled that order. When hed first discovered the order, Lee Shin Woo wondered why the Empire was going out of its way to look for and eliminate spirits. But it made sense if the Magic Empire always hated the spirits. It wasnt enough that they ughtered and chased out the spirits, they were still actively trying to find and eliminate spirits. He was speechless. Perhaps that was why the golems were so spread out across the Magic Empire... Wait a sec. "Wait... Golems?" "Shin Woo?" At that moment, a light bulb went off in Lee Shin Woos head. It was just a hypothesis, but when hebined everything hed experienced and the memories hed acquired from the golems, then everything made sense. "The living cant go through the barrier." "Yeah, so what?" "...But the golems can go through. Since theyre not living." "Yeah, thats why Pleine said it was ok when you asked if you could bring Rem along." The magic engineering involved in controlling golems was advanced on the surface. It was probably much greater than that of the Underground Empires. And one day, one of the Underground Empires 12 generals, Arema Steelworker, appeared out of nowhere, and greatly advanced their golem manufacturing technique. "Arema Steelworker... He didnt betray the Emperor." "Why are you suddenly talking about him? Wait a sec, a golem?" "Yeah. Arema Steelworkers a golem. He was probably a golem the moment he showed up in the Underground Empire. He coaxed the (Undead) Emperor, who wanted to leave, to help him develop golems, but he actually took full control over the golems..." All the information hed acquired on Arema Steelworker fell into ce. Everything hed done in the past, which he couldnt understand before, made sense when he took into ount the circumstances on the surface. "Hes a spy that came from the surface. Perhaps he was sent to watch over, or even kill the (Undead) Emperor... He didnt betray the Emperor, he was always his enemy." He voluntarily ced his soul into a golem and entered the Underground Empire. Why? So that he could leave when hedpleted his mission! And he fooled the Emperor, who was studying golems so that he could pass through the barrier, and increased the size of his forces. Did he not get good results from his research into cing souls into golems? Its not that he couldnt, its that he didnt! And even now, he received orders from the surface and was staying underground. Arema Steelworkers true purpose wasnt to live quietly or to annihte the undead. He was watching the Undead Emperor, and making sure that they couldnt leave the underground. "Wait a sec. Then... This might get interesting." "Uwah, Shin Woo, your expressions turned really evil... Turn back into an expressionless skeleton. Hey, turn back." Lee Shin Woopletely ignored Jin, summoned Rem, and gave him an order. Five minutester, Lee Shin Woo got his answer, and thought I won. [1] E/N: An example of a 3 step 1 bow ceremony. Chapter 40 part1 [Seems like Ive satisfied your curiosity.] Zenon saw Lee Shin Woos relieved expression and said, his face brightening slightly. He couldnt understand even half of what Lee Shin Woo and his party were talking about, but he could at least tell that Lee Shin Woo was happy right now. Since he was happy, Sinea was also happy. Seeing the flow of emotions between them put Zenon in a daze. "Yeah, mostly. I know what I need to do from now on." Now that he thought about it, ever since he came to this world, Lee Shin Woo would act depending on the situation and focus entirely on survival. Hed been swayed by the goddess and the undead; although hed constructed an independent position for himself through his impable acting ability, he couldnt deny that hed essentially been an actor acting upon another persons stage. However, hed gotten his hands on all the information he needed once he came to the surface. Now, he was on even footing with the ones behind the stage. It was time for him to pay them back for all the humiliation hed experienced. "Wait a minute. If you going wild and doing as you please is considered humiliation, then I can only imagine what youre going to do..." "Zenon." Lee Shin Woo had given Rem an order, but Jin didnt know about it, so he looked dumbfounded. Lee Shin Woo ignored him, turned around, and looked at Zenon. Zenon was quietly watching them, or more specifically, Lee Shin Woo and Sinea (who wastching onto him). He then said. "Thanks for being kind enough to exin all of this to us, even though we came in all of a sudden. If theres anything I can do..." [No... Im just happy that I could see a spirit and contractor with such a good rtionship. If theres something I want, then its for you to care for and not discard thatdy.] "Hmm." Those words were unnecessary. Theres no way hed treat Sinea, who had unlimited affection for him, unkindly. Their rtionship wasnt the issue right now, but Zenon himself. Lee Shin Woo asked with a more forceful tone than before. "You dont want anything else?" [Mm...] He couldve done as he asked since Zenon had given him such valuable information, but... this and that were separate issues. His instincts as a Joker wouldnt allow Zenon to leave the stage like this. "There should be something you want, Zenon." Then, he had to go for it. He would push Zenon in the direction he wanted him to go! [Dont mock me. Id rather not bare my fangs at guests.] "Haha, what a joke. Your fangs are already worn, no?" Zenon, whod weakened fromcking a contractor, likely felt vicarious satisfaction from witnessing Sinea and Lee Shin Woo. But was that all? Would the fury from losing ones contractor truly fade into lethargy after several hundred years? [What did you say?] "If they werent, then theres no way that the ones who killed your contractors would be living so peacefully outside." [...You!] No way. When one loses a loved one, their anger may pass for a short time, but it would never fadepletely. The reason Zenon and the rest of the spirits here were so lethargic was because they didnt have enough wood to feed the fire. Their anger would reignite with just a little more fuel. "While you guys toiled away in here, unable to either live or die, the humans on the surface have lived peacefully, bore children, and advanced their civilization. Yeah. They live truly shamelessly, the humans who killed the ones you love." [Enough, Dryad Contractor. Stop with the pointless provocations. By staying here...] "Do you know? Even now, the Emperor has spread golems all across the Empire and has ordered them to catch and kill any newly born spirits. If you dont believe me, then I can catch one for you and show it to you." [Shut up!] Zenon couldnt put up with Lee Shin Woo, who ignored his warning and said whatever he pleased and spewed mes. However, Lee Shin Woo blocked his attack by just drawing the greatsword strapped onto his back. Although Zenon had lost his contractor, he was still a level 7 spirit. But Lee Shin Woo had blocked it with one simple move! [Impossible!?] "I looked through all the memories youve all shown me. They were so clear that it felt like it happened only yesterday. But... do you think the humans who tried to eliminate you remember you? Would you even be able to recognize those they so cruelly trampled upon, be they spirits or their contractors? What do you think?" [You went too far, Human!] Then, the Spirits Spring seethed once more. It wasnt just Zenon. The scattered spirits radiated light and surrounded Lee Shin Woo and his party. [Dont.] [Dont say it.] [Human!] He wanted to say that they were full of vigor now, but their eyes didnt show such pure energy. Their suppressed hatred and resentment were forcing their bodies to move. Lee Shin Woo looked around, witnessing their encirclement; tens turned into hundreds, and the hundreds into thousands. Then, heughed fearlessly. "Youre too scared to fight your enemies, yet you bare your fangs at me, someone whos trying to help you. Haha, youre just rats whove escaped a battlefield once before. No matter how many of you gather, you cant beat a tiger." [I said, shut up!] Zenon squeezed out every inch of his magic and the other spirits followed suit, focusing all their magic onto Lee Shin Woo. Sinea was ready and quickly formed a wall of wood, but she couldnt stop thousands of spirits all by herself. [Kyaa!] "Its alright, Sinea. Thanks." The wall crumbled instantly, and the concentrated spell,prised of various elements, annihted Lee Shin Woo and his party... or so it seemed. [...Hes not dead?] [Hes absorbing our magic.] [Hes not human.] [How is he...!?] "Hoo." Lee Shin Woo stepped forward so that his party would remain unharmed, and drew all the spirits magic to himself. First, he activated all of the elemental resistances hed trained thus far; he could block the majority of the damage with his resistances. Then, he used his level 8 Absorption skill to take care of the rest. Since Zenon was level 7, despite being weakened, Lee Shin Woo hadnt been able to fully absorb his attack and was forced to use his greatsword to defend himself. But even after receiving thousands of attacks from the spirits, Lee Shin Woos body... No, even his armor wasnt damaged in the least. Even if they kept attacking him, the result would be the same. He was the worst opponent they couldve faced. "As I thought, you really are too weak. You cant even consider taking revenge if youre this weak. Of course youd turn tail and run. Youve hunkered down for dozens of years... Ah, its actually hundreds of years, isnt it?" [You bastarrrrrd!] Lee Shin Woo picked and chose the words that stung most and Zenon, unable to put up with him, attacked physically this time! However, theres no way Lee Shin Woo would lose to a spirit, which had sat rotting for hundreds of years when he possessed such high rankbat skills. "Ha." [Kueok!?] Fundamentally, a spirits body was quite fast. Moreover, they were in a world created by the spirits! The smanders charge was both powerful and quick, likeva shooting out of a volcano. However, Lee Shin Woo moved his body with ease and avoided him, as though he knew how hed attack beforehand. Immediately after, he raised his greatsword as high as possible. Zenon was left wide open from his charge, so Lee Shin Woo hit his waist and pushed him onto the floor. Lee Shin Woo hadpletely overpowered Zenon with a simple maneuver. "Feel better now? Or do you want some more?" [Keuk...] "Yeah, you must be really angry. I know." [What would you know...!] Once Zenon realized that he was outmatched, his voice became weak. It seemed as though the other spirits were shocked by Lee Shin Woos overwhelming strength, as they shrank away like Zenon. How pathetic. He thought of their full-on attack as an injured baby throwing a fit; with that in mind, he was tormented by a (nonexistent) conscience when he thought about doing as he pleased with them. But since he didnt have a conscience, the feeling went away soon after. "No, I know. You said it yourself. That all the spirits here are from that day. So its only natural that you still feel the anger you felt that day. I get it. More importantly, your questions odd. You were desperately trying to pass it on so I could understand. Am I wrong?" [Keuk, Heueuk...] ...Ah, hes starting to cry! He really is a big baby! Lee Shin Woo wondered whether he should press on or console him, but then, the other spirits also began to cry and Lee Shin Woos heart stiffened. There was no point in tormenting them any further. If he did, theyd just get more depressed and he wouldnt be able to talk to them anymore. Now was the best time to prove how sincere he was. "Zenon, neither the Crown Prince nor the magicians trying to kill you are here. You can be honest with me." [...Even if I am honest, theres nothing I can do. You cant do anything, so what can we do?] "Youre right. You guys are so weak that you cant do anything on your own. I guess you could pop some popcorn and watch the Magic Empire from your corner." [Then what about you!?] "However." It was time. "I can give you a chance." To sell some medicine. [Whats a single human going to do?] "Im a human who stopped an attack from thousands of spirits. Im also able to transform into a spirit, and honestly, I havent been a human for a long time. I showed you plenty, right? Now, if you get it, then lets start over." Medicine too dangerous for children to ingest. [...Even if we assume you are that powerful, its still too much for us. As you said, we werent able to protect our contractors; were just losers who only care about our survival. Even though hundreds of years have passed, were still trapped in that day!] "But you want to take your revenge, right?" [Eut.] Once ingested, they wouldnt be able to go back to how they were; a medicine filled with lies. "You want to pay them back, right? You want to give those humans, who made you suffer, their just desserts, dont you?" [...] "Say it." [...Yeah.] Gulp. He heard the sound of Zenon drinking it. [I want to take revenge.] [I want to kill those humans.] [I want to take revenge for my beloved contractor!] [I want them to feel what we feel...!] [I want them to suffer eternally!] It wasnt just Zenon. He heard the other spirits weak voices too. At first, they were half-hearted, but they gradually got louder and louder. So much so that the spirits voices resounded throughout the Spirits Spring. [I want to kill them all!] [I want revenge! On all humans!] [I hate everyone who stole our happiness away from us and then shamelessly enjoyed the world as their own!] [I want them to feel all my pain. No, even more than that!] [Revenge... I want revenge...!] Mm, what honest and good kids they are. A thin smile appeared on Lee Shin Woos face. Jin thought here he goes again and sighed, while Sinea couldnt help but feel her heart pounding at the sight of Lee Shin Woo overpowering thousands of spirits. "Now, tell me again. What do you want, Zenon?" [I... No, we...] Lee Shin Woo asked, and this time, Zenons voice didnt waver. [We want revenge on the humans that made us suffer!] "Good. Ill help you. Weve established a contract." Once Lee Shin Woo uttered those words... The Spirits Spring began to light up. Chapter 40 part2 "Mm." Lee Shin Woo saw the Spirits Spring begin to radiate light, and groaned. In his head, he thought Now Ive done it!. His n had been to get the spirits to follow his every whim and turn the spirits into an assault force through the covert use of the Spirits Spring and the Spirits Road. Since he thought that was his only option of upholding their request to attain revenge against the Emperor whilst still keeping them safe. However... [The Spirits Spring and all of its spirits have agreed to form a contract with you.] [The Spirits Spring has contracted with you as a subordinate.] Sweat gathered on his forehead. Oh right. He was disguised as a human right now, so his body mimicked human physiological phenomenon. When he wanted to maintain aplete poker face, he should abstain from disguising himself as a human... No wait, now wasnt the time to begin escaping reality! "Whats going on?" "How would I know?" [The Spirits Spring... the will of all the past spirits is responding to the contractor. How can this be... I thought they were exhausted and in a deep sleep.] Zenon barely stood upright and said; his eyes brimmed with tears, touched by the sight. Lee Shin Woo could ever so slightly understand what was going on. The Spirits Spring was a space created through thebination of all spirits. It was apt to call it a living world. He was talking with the spirits here, but the Spirits Spring itself had also responded to his words and had epted his offer. It had decided that Lee Shin Woo would save the weakened and lethargic spirits, and had left everything here to him! [Ah, aaaah.] [Its warm. This feeling... its been a long time.] [The spring is embracing us. Thanks... Sorry for how Ive been.] The light the Spirits Spring emitted reached its peak and enveloped both Lee Shin Woo and the spirits. At that moment, Lee Shin Woo felt as though his magic, as well as all the spirits magic, had been fused together. No, he soon realized that it wasnt a mere feeling or illusion based on what came next. [The Spirits Spring haspletely subordinated itself to you. When using the Heaven Doors Key to create a gate to the Spirits Spring, the amount of necessary bones and magic is reduced significantly and the amount of people you can bring along is increased significantly as well. All stats have increased by 10.] [By making the Spirits Spring your subordinate, all elements and resistances grow significantly.] [High Rank Fire, High Rank Lightning, and High Rank Darkness have be Lv5. High Rank Acid has be Lv4. High Rank Wind and High Rank Earth have be Lv3. Intermediate Ice has be Lv10 and evolves to the high rank level. The Absorption skill has be Lv9. Magic has increased by 250.] [You have learned the High Rank Water element. Magic has increased by 100.] [High Rank Fire Resistance, High Rank Lightning Resistance, and High Rank Acid Resistance have be Lv4. High Rank Wind Resistance and High Rank Earth Resistance have be Lv3. Intermediate Ice Resistance has be Lv10 and evolves to the high rank level. Magic has increased by 200.] [You have learned High Rank Water Resistance Lv1. Magic has increased by 100.] "Ooooh..." Hed gone through various experiences thus far, but the change was so severe that he couldnt help but groan. His elements and resistances simultaneously leveled up, and as a result, his magic stat increased immensely. Theres no way he could remain calm. My other stats went up too, but my magic went up by 660 all at once... What the hell!? If Jin had experienced this instead, he wouldve fallen to the floor and rolled around the Spirits Spring a hundred times. Pain always apanied growth, especially when ones magic increased by at least 15%; the apanying pain would be quite intense. "Hey, you ok...?" "Leave me alone for just 10 minutes...!" He hadnt noticed since he was busy groaning in pain, but Lee Shin Woo wasnt the only one to change. The spirits of the Spirits Spring had be subordinate to Lee Shin Woo as well and were influenced by the Spirits Spring; the spirits began to awaken. [Kuhaaaaaah!] [Aaaaaaah!] There was a vast difference in strength between a spirit with and a spirit without a contractor. They were entitiesposed of mana and a soul, so without a medium (a contractor), they found it difficult to influence the physical world. The spirits, who had lost their contractors, had anchored themselves to the Spirits Spring, which was why they were pretty much immobile. But because Lee Shin Woo had formed a contract with the Spirits Spring, and by extension all the spirits within it, they were now capable of moving forward. They had regained their minds, which had be hazy over time and thus, they, who were entirelyposed of mana and souls, became stronger as well. [How is this possible?] [My body is growing...!] [Im overflowing... with power...] That wasnt all. The mana that had umted within the Spirits Spring was released, strengthening the power of the spirits, and in the process, the level 4 spirits leveled up to level 5. The level 5s, who had been close to level 6, leveled up, and Zenon (level 7), as well as the original level 6s saw both the growth and strengthening of their magic. Theirbat ability couldnt even bepared to before. If they attacked him altogether now, they could possibly kill him. Of course, they no longer had any reason for doing so. [Im ready to proceed.] [Its as the human said. He gave us more power.] [Even the Spirits Spring, which protected us... I see, we shouldve made up our minds earlier.] [We thought to ourselves that it was over. Even though it hadnt even started yet.] The spirits had be stronger and they had regained their intellect as well. They made some valid points, but he wouldntst if he had to address each and every one of them. Lee Shin Woo focused on getting his newly acquired magic under control using his Rule of Bone and Magic eleration skills. Hed experienced rapid growth in the past, so it wasnt as difficult as he expected. [The High Rank Mana Bone skill has be Lv5. Magic has increased by 30. You have a deeper understanding of mana and bones, and you are now ready to study the essence of mana.] [The Mana eleration skill has be Lv5. Magic has increased by 10.] Hed gone through such a mess, so it was only natural that his skills would level up. As his skills leveled up, Lee Shin Woo got his new increased mana under his control. After that, he raised his head and he saw Sinea approaching him with a sulky expression. [Paul Zero, you...] "...Ah." Once he saw her heart-broken expression, he realized that hed made a mistake. Of course, it wasnt his intention, but hed ignored Sinea, whod been with him for such a long time, and had instead formed a contract with the Spirits Sprint and its apanying spirits! Objectively speaking, he was the bad guy here, since Sinea was the one who led him here in the first ce! "Sinea... Do you want to form a formal contract with me too?" [Yourete, you idiot!] She had be so refined after awakening as a Dryad Princess, but right now, she acted like a little kid. He quite liked that, but if he spoke honestly, all that remained for him was ruin...! For 5 minutes after, Lee Shin Woo tried to sweet-talk Sinea into forming an official contract with him, as she was his first; although hed formed a contract with the Spirits Spring, he hadnt formed an individual contract with each and every spirit. His coaxing didnt seem to go anywhere, but in the end, Sinea calmed down. [You have formed a contract with the Lv7 Elder Dryad Princess Sinea. The contracted spirits element has be more powerful, and you can transfer your power to the spirit as well.] [Your understanding of souls has deepened. You have acquired the special passive skill, Soul Seeing Eye. All stats have increased by 5. You can understand souls, and the higher the skills level, the deeper your understanding bes.] No way. He thought it was made up, but something happened aside from his contract with the Spirits Spring! The contract with a spirit was in no way normal, but the special passive skill hed gained along with it was extraordinary, no matter how he looked at it! Does everyone who bes an Elementalist get this skill? No, theres no way. Since skills are only given to talented individuals... In the past, when Lee Shin Woo had encountered the Archmage Lich, he knew that the Archmages life force didnt exist within his body. Of course, at the time, he thought of it as his life force, but now he knew for sure that what wasnt there was his soul. Perhaps he had an ability that allowed him to separate his soul from his body. The skill Lee Shin Woo had gained from the contract had enlightened him of this possibility. In any case, Soul Seeing Eye allowed him to more clearly perceive spirits. Perhaps hed be able to strengthen the spirits even further if he leveled up this skill. The Dryads had called him an Elementalist in the past, but he had actually be a genuine Elementalist now. Its not very special. Its just another one of the Jokers roles. He checked his skill once more and nodded his head. Lee Shin Woo could feel all the spirits watching him. "Alright, it seems like youre all ready to go." [Yeah. Were ready.] [You told us youd help us with our revenge.] [So what do we need to do? We have no idea what to do.] [Tell us what we need to do.] Was it because hed formed a contract with the Spirits Spring? He instinctively knew what the spirits wanted and what they were trying to tell him. Lee Shin Woo looked at them and spoke firmly. "We obviously cant fight them head-on. We need more time to prepare. Do you understand?" [Yeah.] Zenon, the representative of the spirits, replied firmly. Was it because he had the deepest connection with Lee Shin Woo amongst them? Lee Shin Woo could feel the strong link between them, second only to his connection with Sinea. He decided to recognize Zenon as the representative of the Spirits Spring from now on and continued. "I n on using the Spirits Spring as a moving fortress. You can enter the Spirits Spring through the Spirits Road wherever you are. Conversely, you can follow me and go somece else through the Spirits Road as well. If we take advantage of this ability, then we can quickly attack whomever we want with minimal risk, and also get out without anyone noticing. If we use my gate, then we can shorten that process too." [I understand.] "Ill pick the right situation, ce, and time. In other words, Ill be setting the stage for you." [I understand that too... Thanks.] Whenever Zenon nodded his head, the spirits followed suit and nodded, which was adorable. Lee Shin Woo grinned and went to the main topic. "However, theres something you need to take care of before that. The newly born spirits." [...Eut.] Hed said this once before, but it mustve been a sore spot. Zenon widened his eyes. "The Emperor has tens of thousands, no, hundreds of thousands of golems searching for naturally born spirits. The spirits are then captured and killed. Of course, Im stopping them right now, but... you should know. That theres little chance of a neglected spirit growing safely." [Mm.] "So find those spirits and bring them here. Ill tell you where they are through my link with the golemwork. Revenge is just part of the process; your ultimate goal is to live happily with the other spirits." [...] Hed scared them and fueled their rage before (the stick), so now it was time for the carrot. It was, of course, quite effective. Lee Shin Woo made himself sound concerned for the newly born spirits, so some of the spirits sniffled. [Then... Thanks. I didnt think that far. But to think, you were worried about the other spirits... As a spirit, Im ashamed.] "You were overwhelmed by your emotions, so theres no helping it. But I just wanted to warn you that you cant just let your rage fuel you." Lee Shin Woo was the one whod incited their rage and caused them to awaken, yet he still said something so shameless. However, the spirits were already in the palm of his hand! They were touched, and when he saw them floundering around, he inwardly muttered. I really like spirits. Theyre so easy to manipte. Chapter 40 part3 Hed acquired an army of 10,000 spirits in an unexpected ce! Moreover, hed also obtained a crucial springboard to conquering the surface. Funnily enough, none of this hade about due to his extensive nning, but due to him bringing Sinea with him without really thinking. "You really dont know whatll happen in life." "Its really moving hearing that from you." Jin replied teasingly. So many good things had happened, yet Jin didnt seem very happy. The reason was quite simple. Sinea had approached Lee Shin Woo quite aggressively, but once hed formed an official contract with her, she was so happy that she clung onto him like a girl whod been in a rtionship for 2 weeks. [Hoo. Hoo. Paul Zero.] "Weve already formed a contract; do you not need to use my real name?" [An exchange of ones real name is like a wedding ring, so its fine.] "I-Is it..." Lee Shin Woo finally understood how she felt about him. Apparently, a formal contract with a spirit is like a wedding ceremony. Even more so when the spirits gender is clearly distinguished like the Dryads (the Dryads are all female)! She had been waiting for the time to form an official contract with him, yet Lee Shin Woo had the gall to form a contract with 10,000 other spirits first. So he could understand her pent-up frustration. "Hoo..." [You can stare at me all you want, Im not going to give Paul Zero to you!] "..." At this point, Jin actually appreciated that she recognized him as a rival, which was all the more pitiful. That unspeakable misery made Jin think, can I score a point now?, but then, theirst remaining party member said. [Will this really be ok?] The spirit shaped like a ming lizard was, of course, the level 7 Elder Smander Prince Zenon. Lee Shin Woo had ordered the other spirits to form teams and find the newly born spirits on the surface, but he had asked Zenon to follow him. "Dont worry. Even the 12 generals wouldnt be able to recognize you when youre hidden within the mes Ive created." [No, Im ok. Im right beside you, so I wont be in danger. Im worried about the other spirits.] He was thankful for the overestimation, but Lee Shin Woo was still level 7. Of course, if he told Zenon that he was level 7, he wouldnt believe him. Lee Shin Woos stats were on the cusp of level 8, he possessed a variety of high rank skills, and his level 11 Rule of Bone skill increased his stats equivalent to a level 8. Im this strong at level 7, so whatll happen when I reach level 8... He was confident that he could take on the level 8 12 generals head-on when he hit level 8. Even if he encountered that Lich again! Lee Shin Woo could manage against the Lich due to the buffs from his Rebellion skill if they were to fight right now. Even from his own point of view, he felt like he didnt have any weak spots. [Do you have a n?] "A n? Ah, you mean for the spirits that can go to the surface now. Nope." [Keut.] Lee Shin Woo replied irresponsibly and Zenon looked like he was at his wits end. When they had formed a contract, Zenon had seemed so confident, but now that the excitement had worn off he seemed fearful again. Lee Shin Woo sighed and said. "Like I said, Ive taken control of the Emperors golemwork that orders the golems to search for and kill any spirits they find. For now, no one will find out about the spirits. Of course, theres no helping the ones who are unluckily found." [Then that means theyre in danger...!] "So you wanted revenge when youre not willing to risk anything to get it?" [Keuk...] Zenons weak response caused Lee Shin Woo to sigh once again. How was he such a coward? His attitude didnt fit his appearance at all. Of course, hed expected this from the very beginning. If coaxing them to fight had been easy, and they had sufficient courage while being willing to charge into danger without hesitation, then they wouldnt have hidden within the Spirits Spring in the first ce. "Thats what war is like. Each person risks their life. Moreover, the task Ive assigned to the spirits is their most important one; its for the spirits future and what theyll do after the battle is over. If they cant do that, then give up on your revenge." [...I cant give up. We all agree on this.] "Good. Dont forget that feeling." Of course, Lee Shin Woo wasnt nning on leaving the spirits to die. The golemwork would help, but he also left some spirits on standby within the Spirits Spring; these spirits would act as a rescue unit and were ready to be deployed whenever necessary. If they were to die, even though he went through all this effort, then there was really no helping it. They were executing their n in a much safer environment than the Paul Zero Corps, which was going around the Underground Empire and hunting the undead. [Im willing to die for you, Paul Zero. But before then, Id like to leave behind a child.] "Dont worry, youre not going to die." [Paul Zero...] Werent Dryads birthed from trees? So if they had another way of leaving behind children, then what was it? He wanted to ask, but at the same time, he was suddenly overwhelmed by a sense of anxiety, so he kept it to himself. Following his official contract with her, Sinea began to look at him more sensuously than before. Perhaps... No, hed figure that out when they were alone. [Its good to be loved by a spirit. You even got the Spirits Spring to respond to you; you truly are an impressive Elementalist.] "Mm, youll see thatter." Zenon seemed truly awestruck by Lee Shin Woo. On the other hand, Lee Shin Woo just felt bitter, replied, and hurried on his way. They would soon reach the end of the Spirits Road. Lee Shin Woo had set it up so that they would arrive outside of the thicket near Kuroas Glory. At first, it had taken several hours to get to the Spirits Spring, but it only took a few minutes on the way back. "If I can control the exit, then I can go wherever I wish on the surface without the Heaven Doors Key." "Youre too greedy." "Greedy? Youd be surprised how much Im holding back right now. If you knew, youd be shocked." "Y-Yeah...?" Jin tilted his head at Lee Shin Woos unbelievable response. However, Lee Shin Woo was telling the truth. Although hed be able to transform into a spirit, and had leveled up his Disguise skill, enabling him to transform into a human, he desperately held back his desires with the thought not while Jins here. Moreover, hed even formed a contract with 10,000 spirits and the Spirits Spring itself, so apliment wouldnt even be enough. "Its already night. Rest up for now, Jin. Starting tomorrow, you probably wont have anything to do for two days." "Ok. Then call me when youre free. Lets y some board games." When he heard the word board games, Lee Shin Woo inwardly smiled bitterly. Board games. As Jin couldnt sleep or eat, Lee Shin Woo had thought of board games as a way to pass the time. Since he wanted to prove that humans had other methods of relieving stress other than eating or sleeping. Of course, there was no way that this world had any proper board games. He referenced some of the board games hed yed on Earth and created them in his spare time, but Jin had reacted a lot better to them than hed expected. Jin pointed out that his world had board games like this too, but Lee Shin Woo just used the excuse of parallel worlds. It was his absolute defense skill. "Sure, I can always spare some time for some board games." "Ok. Then, see you tomorrow." He tied Jin to his normal spot. Jin could clearly see him if he looked through the 1st floor window, but from the 2nd floor, Lee Shin Woo was free from his gaze. Lee Shin Woo discreetly checked his inventory and inwardly clenched his fist. Ultimately, he triumphantly passed the living room and when he was about to go up to the 2nd floor, someone stopped him. Ye Jin Jin was quietly doing paperwork in the living room. "Ah, Mr. Shin Woo! Wee back." "You werent asleep? Youll be busy tomorrow too." "Well, I thought if I finished my work a little quicker, then I would be able to go on a date with you before you go to the capital... Ah, thats only if you ept, Mr. Shin Woo!" [...Seems like youre not only loved by spirits.] Ye Jin Jin replied and her cheeks became flushed. Seeing that, Zenon (he was hiding his existence, so Ye Jin Jin couldnt hear him) quietly muttered. Lee Shin Woo ignored him and replied. "Dont sleep toote." "Ok! Ill read just a little bit more and then Ill go to sleep." "Alright." Lee Shin Woo was actually quite surprised by her growth. After their first meeting Ye Jin Jin began to grow rapidly, and when she came to the surface she quickly picked up the shop business. She had so muchtent potential that he couldnt help but say as expected of a hero. He knew what the driving force behind her actions was, so he was a bit concerned, but... He should be able to solve that problem. Why? Because he could turn into a human now! If shes seeking his affection, then he could give it to her bit by bit. This is nothingpared to my days as a employee, entertaining clients. He couldnt even count how many times hed eaten together with a girl or attended a party in order to close a deal. That wasnt all. Hed been asked for more more than twice before. When he really hated it, he did anything he could to get out of it. But that was what work life was. You use everything you could get your hands on to seed, or you keep your pride and chastity... Whichever you choose, you would have to make a choice you didnt like again and again. How does itpare to back then? Shes a cute girl thatll do anything I ask of her. This is actually a win-win... It doesnt evenpare to South Korea. If they knew about the environment he was in, all srymen would mor at him to change ces with them. He had no ns of switching with them, Lee Shin Woo thought, and raised his head. Lee Shin Woo had already reached his room. "Huh? What about Zenon?" [I told him go away and go to sleep. I dont have the time to deal with him when youre by my side, Paul Zero.] Sinea said coldly, but soon her expression changed. She approached Lee Shin Woos side and he realized that shed found out about his Disguise skills upgrade. "When did you find out?" [Paul Zero, you can transform into a spirit too.] "...I see." How did he not notice? Lee Shin Woo felt like he was an idiot. If spirits could eat and sleep, then they had reproductive abilities as well. And since Lee Shin Woo had seeded in transforming into a spirit... "Is that when you decided you had to form a contract with me?" [I decided to form a contract with you before then, but its true that the situation was good.] "Is that so... Wait a sec. There was something I wanted to do when I turned back into a human." Lee Shin Woo stopped Sinea, who looked at him like a predator would its prey, and took out a bottle of wine from his inventory. It was the Kerr Century Elemental 451. [Oh my. This is the wine we made together. It really fits.] "That wasnt my intention, but... You want a drink too?" [Yeah.] Lee Shin Woo brought the wine ss to his lips and felt something. When was thest time hed drunk wine? Its definitely been more than a year. Moreover, hed spent such dark days in the Underground Empire, so it felt like itd been even longer since hisst sip. "...Aah." But he could ept it if this was the result of all that hard work. Since good wine was created by proper maturation. [It really is delicious.] "Yeah. ...Its so delicious I feel like Ill cry." He could smell the aroma of the wine with his disguised nose, and the wine travelled down his disguised tongue and passed through his disguised throat. It was then heated up by his disguised stomach. This feeling, which hed regained, felt like ecstasy. [Hoo.] Then, Sinea smiled mysteriously and got even closer. It seemed like she wasnt willing to wait any longer. Honestly speaking, he wanted to enjoy the wine a bit longer, but it couldnt be helped. He shrugged his shoulders and epted her. The Dryads refreshing and sweet aroma invaded his nose. This is also business. ...A win-win, huh. How nice. Two dayster, Lee Shin Woo hadpletely finished his work as Lawrence and he and his party went on a short trip to the capital. Chapter 40 part4 Haa... Jin didnt seem like he was in a good mood all throughout their trip to the capital. Was it because Lee Shin Woo had made him draw their wagon, so that his cover (as a normal horse) wouldnt be blown? No, it wasnt that simple. Jin was definitely dissatisfied with his partner. Lee Shin Woo was absolutely sure that he hadnt figured out about hisplete human transformation, but he was also reluctant to ask Jin what was wrong, so he just shut his mouth for the time being. "The weathers great!" [It really is. Its so clear, as if its wishing us happiness in the future. I guess there are some things worth seeing on the surface.] Whereas Sinea and Ye Jin Jin couldnt be happier, sitting opposite to Lee Shin Woo in the wagon. What was he hiding? He was with Sinea on the first day, and Ye Jin Jin on the second... They were so boisterous, so much so that it seemed like theyd go to heaven, due to the entertainment hed provided with the date. Lee Shin Woo had asked them to restrain themselves; apparently this was them restrained. "Dont be so loud." "Ok!" [Ok. Hoo. Hoo.] Those girls knew, of course, how Jin was feeling; more than Lee Shin Woo anyway. Thats why they tried their very best to not show how happy they were, but there was no way for them to hide the happiness and joy they felt. Their reactions reminded him of his friend when he had first started dating his girlfriend. No, now that he thought about it, they were reacting simrly to his friend. "Mr. Shin Woo, that cloud looks like your eye socket!" [Hoo, no matter how I look at it, it looks more like his sacrum than his eye socket.] "Do you guys always look at my bones so closely on a regr basis...?" ...Keuk. And whenever they engaged in more intimate skinship, he could hear Jins hit points going down. Be honest. What did you do to them? Did you by any chance... I told you. Theyve been working hard, so Iplimented them a little bit... After that, I guess we had a date. It was amercial service. A service. A date is a service... Lee Shin Woo could hear Jins voice through the Assimtion skill and responded naturally. There was absolutely nothing wrong with his attitude. Of course, Jin didnt trust him right away, as hed travelled with this Joker for so long, but... he didnt have any evidence to pursue it with. So... Im your partner... You shouldnt lie to me. I told you, Im not lying to you. Really...? So Jin stopped his attempts at breaking Lee Shin Woos unbreakable mask, and tried to hit at his conscience instead. Of course. Youre my partner. My only partner. ...Your only partner. However, Lee Shin Woo didnt have a conscience, so it waspletely ineffective. Unfortunately, Jin didnt know that, so he decided to ept his exnation. Well, I guess it makes sense, since those girls mental state hasnt been normal since the beginning. Youre the worst. You looked like you were being friendly to Ye Jin Jin! This and that are two different things. Yeah, I was being friendly, but shes still crazy. Of course, just because Jin had epted his exnation didnt mean he waspletely over it. Since Ye Jin Jin and Sinea were still clinging onto Lee Shin Woo, and he was still drawing the wagon! "It feels kind of lonely since we left. I wanted to stay in Kuroas Glory for about ten more days." "Our shop doesnt have any holidays. If you want to take a break, then apply for a vacation. Of course, itd be unpaid leave." In the past, Lee Shin Woo had worked in a vicious enterprise that exploited him, and he was carrying on that tradition for the Lawrence shop. After all, this is how you got rid of bad habits. "I dont care if Im not paid, but its meaningless if Im the only one resting. I wanted to go sightseeing with you, Mr. Shin Woo..." [Hoo. Once we get to the capital, Paul Zero will be working hard again. Id rather time just stopped right now.] Lee Shin Woo had invested a day into Sinea and a day into Ye Jin Jin, so he couldnt rest anymore. Of course, he didnt forget to y board games with Jin in his free time. Honestly speaking, he was morefortable with Jin than with them (the business targets). "Ah, I can kind of see the capitals walls. Shin Woo, what are you going to do about the pdins that are following us?" "Theyll be working on behalf of the Sun God religion, while Ill be staying at the Lawrence shop, so theres no reason to go in together. Moreover, if I stay too close to the Sun God religion, then itll be hard for people to approach Lawrence to negotiate with Kay." "As expected of you, Mr. Shin Woo. To think that far ahead..." Lee Shin Woo wasnt nning on ruining his alliance with the Sun God religion, but he also wasnt going to avoid the influential individuals in the capital. If he could gain information, assistance, or form personal connections by meeting with them, then he had no reason not to. The Sun God religion had more power than I had initially assumed. Since my name was spread to about half of the Empire by just clearing five dungeons... It goes without saying that my name was spread to Kuroas Glory and the adjacent capital. The nobles in the capital might be tense. Normally, an individual recognized as a saint by a religious order isnt someone often seen. A saint had to possess power that disyed the gods distinct characteristic, such that everyone in the religious order would acknowledge them. At the same time, they had to have a meek personality that obeyed their orders. Plus, Lee Shin Woo had enough power to clear a level 6 dungeon by himself, which had made a strong impression on not only the other religious orders, but the nobles in the capital as well. Furthermore, he was Lawrences sponsor, the same Lawrence that had had such a sessful auction! ording to a report hed gotten through the golemwork, people were selling books in the capital detailing the peddler Lawrence and the hero Kays friendship and sesses. With this, he wouldnt have to worry about people recognizing either Lawrence or Kay. But for some reason, he was a bit concerned about the contents of the book. He would get Ye Jin Jin to buy it for himter and check it for himself. Anyway, my position in the capital will be set once I clear the unconquered level 7 dungeon. Ill have as much power as a high rank noble, and in a way, an image that surpasses that of a [Hero]. If he wasnt going to engage in an all-out war with the surface, then he had to take this opportunity to create a foothold in the capital. He had, of course, given Bisher Moon that mission, but there were things one could do in the light that couldnt be done in the darkness. "B-But you cant sumb to temptation, even if they offer their daughter to you or something." "Even though the Sun God religion has acknowledged me as a saint, Im still originally a mercenary. The nobles wont give up their daughters so easily. But they might send me a prostitute disguised as a youngdy of the house or their daughter." "You cant! Ill take care of all of that!" "Yeah, yeah." Ye Jin Jin acted so innocent, but said something so bold. Lee Shin Woo stroked her head and grinned. Of course, her concern was unnecessary. If need be, he could dispel his human transformation. With that, all his worldly desires would disappear, and he would be a Sage! Being able to control his sexual desires when speaking with other humans or negotiating with them was a huge advance. Ones base desires would cause ones judgment to go askew, and it was especially difficult to control oneself when faced with an intelligent and attractive individual. However, Lee Shin Woo was now capable of switching to his Sage Mode at will, so during a negotiation, he could dominate the other side! In that sense, Bisher Moon was the right choice to move in the shadows... Though he didnt know just how much hed aplished here. He got his answer 30 minutester. Once the front gate guards noticed his wagon, their eyes shined and they immediately weed him. "Ah, you must be the party of the Sun Gods hero and the Lawrence shop. Weve been waiting for you. Please,e inside." "Your store branch in the capital has beenpleted. If youre going that way, then I can take you there myself." "...Id appreciate it." He thought that perhaps Bisher Moon had done something to the guards to take advantage of the nobles, but once the lid was open, he found that it was theplete opposite. Just in case, he checked the guards stats, but there was nothing suspicious about them; they were 100% human. While he was puzzled, one of the guards guiding them approached him and whispered. "Lord Bisher said hed meet with you in the evening." "...Can you tell him I got his message?" "Of course." As he thought, this human was under Bisher Moons control! He didnt know if hemissioned them, or if one of his subordinates had infiltrated the guards, but he was amazing either way! As a regr business employee, Lee Shin Woo didnt know what Bisher had done to acquire such power in the capital. "Well, Ill know after I hear it straight from him." Perhaps he did stuff like this in the past, before he became a hero, Lee Shin Woo thought vaguely. At the end of the road, he could see an indistinct castle. It seemedpletely hidden, but he could feel it. The existence of the Emperor within those walls, as well as magic greater than that of the Archmage. At that moment, he was sure of it. He was a lower level than him, but for some reason, he was able to roughly measure him. Level 9. Hed expected this, but it felt different in person. Did the Emperor sense his presence as well? Even if he did, he would probably regard him as the Sun Gods hero. There was also a chance he hadnt sensed him at all. Lee Shin Woo was confident that his mana control wouldnt lose to anyone. As I thought, itd be difficult to face a level 9. Is the Undead Emperor also level 9? He probably is... Ultimately, if I want to achieve my goals, then I need to take those two down. His magic had increased significantly and hed collected bones from the level 6 dungeons, which had increased his stats by a little. So, his current stat total was 12,392. He needed a little over 400 stats to reach level 8. But even if he reached level 8, he didnt think he could defeat the Emperor. Even if he used all his strength, using the Bone Armory, the Thorn Shadow, or even the fully charged level 8 Titan Bone Golem, he didnt think he would be able to win. Thats just how overwhelming a level 9 was. Just by sensing the Emperors existence from afar caused him to instinctively feel tense! So thats why hes so confidently emitting his magic. ...He doesnt know that Ill use that against him. Could he find his weakness and make use of it with just that exposure of mana? Yes, indeed. As long as Lee Shin Woo was the one fighting him at least. "Now then, lets go see the ce that Bisher Moon has prepared for us." "Ah, Shin Woos making that face again. Whenever he makes that face, someone dies..." "...Mr. Shin Woo, youre so cool." [Its perfect.] "Why do all the girls involved with you have such perverted fetishes? Or does the world have some sort of proclivity towards the name Lee Shin Woo...?" [I-I can feel the Emperors mana... Can we go undiscovered? We probably wont be, but...] And thus, his party (they were all in the same situation but had different thoughts) sessfully entered the capital. Theyd gotten in quietly without a hitch, but in the end their presence would be unavoidable... Everyone will know. Chapter 40 part5 First off, Lee Shin Woo visited the Lawrence shops capital branch, checked the interior, and dumped items from his inventory into the storehouse. He was then led to the residence Bisher Moon had acquired for him. Seeing the huge size of the house was an indirect confirmation of Bisher Moons sess. Jinined as he was the only one who couldnt enter the building, but there was no helping it. Lee Shin Woo once again thought that he needed to hurry up and master the Disguise skill. [Its been a long time, Lord Paul Zero.] "Long time no see. It seems like youve exceeded my expectations." [Its an honor that you feel that way. Ive made a list, albeit poorly, of all the forces and goods weve acquired, so Ill present it to youter.] As promised, Bisher Moon met with Lee Shin Woo in the evening; he wore a stylish suit and was refined, so much so that Lee Shin Woo would believe it if he said he were a nobles butler. He was a handsome man that evoked a cold feeling, with gray hair and reddish-brown eyes. No matter how you looked at him, he looked like a proper human. He didnt look like an undead at all. "Alright. Its a relief that you were able to properly transform into a human." [Yes. I was a bit concerned, as I had never made the attempt after bing an undead, but...] Bisher Moons original species was the Moon Wolf. They were a race of werewolves who hovered between the boundary of human and wolf. Bisher Moons kind were the elites, blessed by the moon more so than any other werewolf tribe. The Moon title was a dead giveaway; amongst the Moon Wolves, Bisher Moon was equivalent to royalty. However, he had be undead and degenerated into a mere ghoul. Lee Shin Woo had yed on Bisher Moons desire for revenge and as a result, Bisher Moon had pledged his loyalty to him and evolved into apletely new species: the Wolf Avenger. He regained his abilities as a Moon Wolf and had even gained the title of Avenger, so if he excluded the fact that hed turned into an undead, he had be much stronger than before. No, wait. Avengers are undead created only after one has experienced death before and then revived due to their thirst for vengeance... In other words, it seems like a ss that only the undead can get. In any case, Bisher Moon had regained his long lost power as a Moon Wolf, and by subordinating himself to Lee Shin Woo, his darkness magic had be even stronger; this was especially true regarding his original transformation skill. He had been influenced by Lee Shin Woos innate abilities and had be noticeably stronger. Thats right. While iparable with Lee Shin Woo, Bisher Moon could also use his magic to disguise himself as a living being. This was one of the reasons that Lee Shin Woo had picked Bisher Moon to apany him, despite having so many subordinates to choose from. [Its supposed to be difficult to obtain the ability to disguise an undeads mana unless youre a vampire. However, by subordinating myself to you, I was able to obtain that ability. Im in awe of your abilities, Lord Paul Zero.] "Thanks for thepliment, but you saying that makes me feel kind of tense; I feel like Ill meet a vampire somewhere down the line." [To tell you the truth...] "Damn it. I knew this would happen...!" What he said next was ssic. The darkness within the capital would deepen at night, and there was a group that hid inside said darkness. Both Bisher Moon and that group fought against each other to increase their power! With the goods Lee Shin Woo had entrusted to him, as well as his own skills, Bisher Moon was quickly able to increase his power, but by doing so, he hade into contact with the capitals deepest darkness. With the backing of a Count that resided within the capital, the organization went wild; however, the organization had a huge secret. [And I was recently able to figure it out, just barely. A vampire lurks within the Red Moon faction, the group that opposes our own Moon Shadow." "Yeah, I saw thating. By the way, everyone sure loves the moon." The Underground Empire had been filled with things hed never experienced before, but once hede to the surface, he repeatedly experienced things that would happen in any fantasy novel. But a battle between the vampires and the werewolves in this city of the night? Aside from the original, he couldnt acknowledge or understand it. Moreover, both factions had the word moon in it! It was a relief that his side only one had werewolf in it. "Dont waste your time on such a pointless fight and end it already. Want me to help?" [Not only do they have a noble in their group, but information on our group has spread, so it would be difficult to fight them head on. If we attack them half-baked, then well lose our standing in the capital. If were going for it, then we have to strike at their core. Perhaps then Ill ask you for your help, Lord Paul Zero.] "Alright, I got it." The Count that Bisher Moon had found was likely under the control of a vampire. The fact that Bisher Moon could easily find information on them meant that there was a key figure in the Red Moon that used them as shields. A giant force that had power over day and night... It probably wasnt the Emperor, but it had to be someone close, like a high ranking noble. Both sides are really daring. When all the undead were forced into the underground, they werent purged and instead have been operating in the capital and raising their forces all this time. Which means... They were powerful and daring enough to fool even the Emperor. An unexpectedpetitor had shown up. Knowing this information beforehand would prove indispensable. "Wait a sec. Then, whats most important is..." [Its to ensure that they dont figure out the link between us, Lord Paul Zero. But you dont have to worry about that. Since I can use darkness magic as well.] "Are you sure youre up for it?" [Of course. You can count on me.] "Alright. Then Ill leave it to you." After that, Lee Shin Woo epted and read Bisher Moons report. The report summarized Bisher Moons sesses, including how many troops hed gathered and managed, important figures, and an ount of their finances. With feats like this, Bisher Moon could raise his head up high. He was surprised that Bisher Moon had gathered so many troops in such a short period of time (less than a month). "300 buildings, with at least a hundred of them in the capitals main street. As expected, theyre disguised as either shops or inns. Moreover... you won over a noble too?" [My identity wasnt revealed, but I was able to recruit those who opposed the Red Moon, which is where most of the low ranking nobles gather. In the process, I tried to imitate you, albeit poorly and was somehow able to resolve the issue well. Now theyrepletely loyal to the organization (Moon Shadow).] "Unbelievable." They say a child learns from their parents. This was a good example of that. Lee Shin Woo didnt know when Bisher even had the opportunity to watch and learn from him, but this was quite the sess! "Good. Youve done well. Now I dont have to meet them one by one." [There were several people I couldnt persuade. If you just give me a little bit more time, then...] "Leave them to me. I just got a title that might work here." [As expected of my lord...!] Lee Shin Woo had originally nned on spreading Lawrence and Kays names far and wide, and slowly build his position in the capital, but due to the Sun God religions support, his n had been sped up by a few months. As the hero, Kay, he had cleared unconquered dungeons one after another, ones which had been untouched by mankind, and regained human territory. Plus, he made the Sun Gods light more well known! He was powerful enough that a low rank noble wouldnt be able to deal with him. [You really get along with him (your subordinate)...] [If we can deal with the Emperor somehow, then you should be able to seize control over the entire Magic Empire, Lord Paul Zero.] "Why do I have to carry that burden?" Lee Shin Woo wanted to live freely, he didnt want to live for others. It may sound like this wasing out of the blue, as he was now the Heaven Defying general, but managing his subordinates was a real pain in the ass. He imagined managing something asrge as the Empire and just sighed. "Being a peddler (Lawrence) is plenty enough for me." "Mr. Shin Woo. Its toote, so please just ept it." Ye Jin Jinughed and Lee Shin Woo felt his dreams being cut apart. Lee Shin Woo twisted Ye Jin Jins nose as punishment (she seemed happy for some reason, but she was a pervert, so it wasnt all that new) and then gave her his orders. "Well officially start up the Lawrence shop tomorrow. The shops not well known enough in the capital as of yet. Well focus on increasing our power for the time being." [I acquired a few small shops, so I should be able to help you discreetly, Madam.] "Madam...!" Ye Jin Jin blushed and twisted her body around. How did he find out? He hadnt shown any signs, but Bisher Moon had found out regardless; Lee Shin Woo felt quite uneasy. [I figured it out based on the space between you two, the way Ms. Ye Jin Jin looks at you, and various other factors. The spirit youre traveling with as well... Ah, Im right.] [As... expected of one of Paul Zeros subordinates.] It sure is a relief that Jin couldnte inside, Lee Shin Woo suddenly thought and smiled bitterly. No, now wasnt the time to be engaging in this loveedy. Lee Shin Woo shook his head and asked Bisher Moon. "Bisher Moon, did you get what I asked for through Rem?" [I thought it would be quite difficult to obtain, as it is stored in the heart of the Empire, but... I was somehow able to procure it with Rems help. I was shocked when I witnessed Rems ability to nullify level 7 golems.] "Yeah. Rem might be the strongest when therere a lot of golems around. Ill take overter, so bring it to me personally.] [Understood.] "What are you talking about? Was there an item hidden within the capital that you wanted, Mr. Shin Woo?" She didnt directly ask if he stole something, but went about it in a roundabout way. In response, Lee Shin Woo smiled meaningfully. "Its the best loot Ive gotten from the surface." Once hed carefully looked over Bisher Moons report, Lee Shin Woo discussed the direction theyd go from now on (concerning the cooperation between the Lawrence shop and Moon Shadow, or what the hero Kay would be doing), as well as any urgent problems. After that, he told them to break up. [Then, Ill give you my report.] Now it was Rems turn. He wanted to know how it had acquired the golems without the Emperors notice, how the golems were arranged, and how many there were. Hed heard about it on his way here already, but if he reviewed it again, then hed be able to adjust their future actions. Of particr note was the discovery of a few spirits. Golems were ced across the Empire and sought out spirits under the Emperorsmand, so they were able to find spirits faster than anything else. It was important that he let the Spirits Spring spirits know so they could take care of it. [Of course, I deleted all of the golems previous orders, but I cannot force them to act outside of their designated routines. Thus, the spirits must act quickly.] "Lets ask Sinea for help with that. You dont need to report each and every matter to me. Just inform the spirits through Sinea." [Understood. Aside from that, I acquired information from the capital in order of importance...] While Lee Shin Woo was organizing and analyzing Bisher Moon and Rems information, Sinea and Ye Jin Jin were fighting; starting tomorrow, Lee Shin Woo would be busy with his work as Kay, so they were fighting for the right to be with Lee Shin Woo this evening. "With this, I have 4 wins and 3 losses...! I win!" [Its a deuce. If you lose the next game, then its invalid. Hurry up, go on to the next game!] "When did we have such a rule!?" If they were fighting with pure strength, then Ye Jin Jin would lose instantly, but because they were using the board game Lee Shin Woo had created to determine victory or defeat, they werent getting a clear winner or loser. Ultimately, Lee Shin Woo, whod finished with his work, ended their dispute by promising that hed bring both of them to his bedroom. Even though he was disguised as a human, his infinite stamina as an undead remained. "Mr. Shin Wooooo." [Cant you give me another hug?] "Seriously, do some work. Work!" That would end Lee Shin Woos unpaid leave. Sinea and Ye Jin Jin thought itd be nice if the night would go on forever, but there was no way their wish would be fulfilled. Lee Shin Woo calmly shook off Sinea and Ye Jin Jin and stood up. He was hit by the rays of the morning sun and equipped his armor once more. He had gotten a report from the Sun God religion; they had procured the level 7 dungeon. Chapter 40 part6 It had been a long time since theydst met; the Sun God religions Pope looked at Kay, who was fully equipped and asked. "I heard that Lawrence has a young, beautiful lover, whos also business savvy and goes with him everywhere. What about you; you got anyone? I dont want to take all the credit, but youve be more well known because of us." "Im nning on stealing her from him." "Dont do it! If the Sun Gods hero splits from his backer for such a trivial reason, then well lose face!" "It was a joke. To be honest, Im not interested." Since both of them were him, there werent any problems, but it seems like the Pope still considered them separate individuals. The situation had changed from what hed first envisioned, and there wouldnt be any problems with disclosing the fact that he was both Kay and Lawrence. However, he stubbornly wanted to go with his original concept. People would be suspicious if he disclosed the fact that Lawrence never existed in the first ce. "So thats your preference. Hmm... Just asking, but are you trying to steal Lawrence from his lover, not the other way around?" "!?" Hold up. Thats what the close rtionship between Lawrence and Kay meant in the book being sold in the capital...! Lee Shin Woo was conflicted; he wanted to interrogate the Pope, but he was also fearful of the subject. Fortunately or unfortunately, the Pope soon changed topics to the main point of discussion. "Dont think about which side you like for the time being. The dungeon were headed for now is no joking matter." "Youre talking about the level 7 dungeon, right?" "Weve named it the Desert of Death." "I like it. Its clear and concise." As normal humans couldnt check stats, it was difficult for them to assess a dungeon properly. So, they would only be able to assess its level by going into the dungeon and fighting the monsters. That was why dungeon casualties were so high. "When you asked us to look into a level 7 dungeon, we actually tried looking into other ces. But you just entered the capital, and you need to make a huge impression for the spotlight to be shed onto you, so we ultimately came back to this one." "It seems quite famous." "Of course. In a way, its the most famous dungeon in the entire country." To be honest, Lee Shin Woo already knew about the dungeon. He had learned about this dungeon from Rem just shortly after it had acquired the golemwork; the reason he was able to get information on it so quickly was because of how well known it was. The dungeon wasnt open to the public, but he had gotten the info once the golemwork had spread to the capital. Its influential enough to reduce the size of the capital. To be exact, they had attempted to form outer walls to expand the capital, but the creation of said walls was canceled due to the dungeons sudden appearance. At the time, the damage done to human life was considerable, so the knight order was mobilized. However, the knights were annihted. The 12 generals of the surface were sent next, but even they had trouble with it, so it was sealed unless the Emperor himself took action. This just went to show how dangerous the dungeon was. "If all the 12 generals had gone, or if they had risked their lives to clear it, they couldve done it. Aside from clearing the dungeon, the 12 generals had several other tasks to do; when they actually tried to clear the dungeon with the help of another knight order and the magicians, they found that it was too difficult, as the monsters were too strong. Ultimately, the Emperor only passed a temporary measure: the 12 generals would lead a punitive force, consisting of elites from the knight order, and stop the dungeon countercurrent. Dozens of years have passed since that order was given." "Then it mustve gotten worse inside if its been dozens of years." "Of course." If the 12 generals couldnt hope to clear it, then it must be hell. But the critical reason that made them entrust the dungeon to him despite all that was... "The internal environment is a tropical desert. You take fire damage just from entering and the inside is teeming with monsters that can use High Rank Fire. No matter how great of a warrior you are, its difficult to maintain tip-top condition throughout, and because magiciansck stamina, they cant even enter the dungeon. The dungeon is protected by its awful environment... But our religious order uses fire, so the entry barriers are less severe for us." "Conversely, youre saying that our fire wont be very effective against them." "Thats why youre here. All the priests and pdins that have watched you know that your power doesnt lie entirely in your ability to use fire." They had probably noticed how powerful Bursting Thunder was whenbined with the fire element. A warrior that possessed impable swordsmanship and could wield powerful mes. That was Lee Shin Woo, or Kays current image. It wasnt wrong in real life either. But there was one thing that bothered him. But Bursting Thunder is strongest when used in conjunction with the Lightning element. However, I cant just pull out a new element out of the blue, and using bones in front of other people is out of the question... Of course, he should be able to progress through the dungeon. He had Zenons help right now, as well as the Absorption and Fire Resistance skills. He couldnt help but feel rxed. Lee Shin Woo thought of it as training his fire-rted skills. Hoo. But its still the wrong way to go about this. Though, it doesnt matter how much time I take; as long as I clear the dungeon, my fame will rise. And if Im in a pinch, then I can just get away from the others and use my true abilities. ...Should Iy a smokescreen beforehand? While Lee Shin Woo was deep in thought, the Pope seemed to misunderstand and spoke in a rxed tone. "If youre this worried, then I, the Pope of the Sun God religion, should go with you. I have no intention of losing you here and even less intention of dying in there. Rx." "No, I wont die no matter what. Theres no need for you to enter the dungeon. Youll get in the way." "Get in the way? You shouldnt look down on my fire magic and resistance. I can also use healing spells too, so..." "The pdins and the priests will get in the way too. Its fine that they are willing to risk their lives for their religion, but if I find that theyre holding me down then Ill send them right back to the surface." "M-Mm..." The Pope groaned. Of course, the Pope had sent the pdins and priests to assist him so that he wouldnt think that the Sun God religion was using him one-sidedly, but he was still worried. After all, the Sun God religion and the hero Kay had pledged to sink or swim together. Lee Shin Woo knew how conflicted the Pope was and justughed softly. "I understand how you feel. But I cant clear this dungeon as easily as the others, so thats why Im telling you this in advance." "The other dungeons were easy for you? You truly are impressive. I wonder where you came from." "Haha, isnt this all because of the Sun Gods grace?" Lee Shin Woo replied jokingly. After that, Lee Shin Woo could begin to see the ruined dungeon entrance and acted like he was taking something out of his bag when he was really going through his inventory. He took out a bottle of Kerr Century Elemental and passed it to the Pope. "Theres nothing to worry about. You dont need to be so nervous either. Youre the one who picked this dungeon, so Ill trust you. So, you should trust me too." "Mm. But our knights arent weak either. They can protect themselves at the very least." "If I think I can clear the dungeon all the way with them, Ill do so. However, if I judge that thats impossible, then Ill send them back. Thats all. ...We dont have a simple business rtionship. Im looking out for you as well." "...Is that so. I didnt think youd say something like that." Of course, Lee Shin Woo was thinking something along the lines of I cant take out a bone while other people are watching, but unfortunately, the Pope didnt have the ability to read minds. Hed also epted the Kerr Century Wine, so any grievances he had were cleared up when he took a sip of the wine. "Alright, Ill trust you. Once the knights and priests are able to escape, the hero clears the dungeon alone and returns. Thatd make quite the story too." "Ill let you take care of that." "But for that to be a reality, you have to clear the dungeon. ...Can you prove to me that my ambition wasnt unreasonable?" "Hoo, I already told you. If its a level 7 dungeon, then everything will turn out just fine. If I was going to give up from something like this, then I wouldnt have taken your offer in the first ce." Around the time they were finished speaking, the soldiers and knights surrounding the ruins looked like they were at their limit. They were probably responsible for taking out the monsters that asionally popped out. That meant that... "You really came, Pope (of the Sun God religion)." "Its been a long time, Evileye General." At the center of the soldiers, a person boasting exceptional energy walked forward and greeted the pope. They wore a full suit of armor, so Lee Shin Woo couldnt tell their age or even their gender. But when the general raised the visor of their helm, Lee Shin Woo could see her eyes and hear her voice. She was definitely a woman. [Lv7 Evileye General Shurina Von Hegel] Lee Shin Woo tilted his head, as he couldnt really feel anything magical about her eyes. Her eyes were just a normal, deep green color. Maybe it was an active skill. "Evileye?" "You dont know anything, do you? She is one of the 12 generals and is known for her eyes that see through all; she sees her enemys weak spots, and snipes her enemies with frightening uracy." He listened to the Pope and then checked her over once more. There was indeed a longbow hanging on her back. It was a level 4... No, a level 5 artifact. Unlike with humans, an artifact was amazing when it hit level 4, and when one found a level 5 artifact, they would have to treasure it forever. It was a piece of equipment fit for one of the 12 generals. However, Lee Shin Woo wasnt the only one sizing her up. The Evileye General was in awe of Lee Shin Woos weapon and armor (his armor was level 6 and his weapon was level 7, but all she could find out was that his equipment was good), yet was looking at him lukewarmly. Lee Shin Woo kept a portion of his mana from flowing, so it was only natural that she would look at him like that. "Are you the Sun Gods hero? ...So how is he really, Pope?" "I can only say that the Sun God himself sent him down to revive our religious order and to bring peace to the continent. If you see him in action, then youlle to understand. He has truly impressive abilities." "Is he truly one of yours? ...You used quite a cunning method. No, it was more reckless than cunning." The Pope and Lee Shin Woos current n was you know what theyre thinking, but you still have to take it. It didnt matter what his purpose foring here was, so long as his methods were righteous. They would have no reason to refuse Lee Shin Woo, and even if they had legitimate concerns, they had no evidence. Lee Shin Woos background was much too clean. "Once he clears this dungeon, no one will be able to say what you just said." "Hmph. Youve just found a man of talent, but because of your impatience, youre going to overwork him; hell die and youll end up regretting it. Yes, its my Evileye. You (Lee Shin Woo) shouldnt do everything he says. After all, you only have one life." As he thought, the rtionship between the Sun God religion and the 12 generals seemed strained. No, perhaps every religious orders rtionship to the Emperors forces was like this. Perhaps the Pope hadnt apanied Lee Shin Woo to go into the dungeon with him, but to ensure that no conflict woulde between him and the Evileye General, he would remain on standby near the dungeon. "Did you hear me?" "Hmm. Yes, I heard you." Lee Shin Woo briefly thought about verbally manipting her, but... he decided against it. He didnt have only one life, but he didnt want to argue with her. "Ill leave the outside to you, Pope." "Oh, youre going in already?" "It seems like she doubts my skills. Itd be much faster to prove my skills with my actions than to try to convince her with words. Now, everyone, prepare yourselves. Were going in." "...I warned you. Id rather not have to get rid of your corpse, so be careful." While she nagged at him, Lee Shin Woo picked the most elite (level 6) pdins and priests that had followed him here. He only picked those who, at minimum, possessed level 5 Intermediate Fire Resistance. Ultimately, he had picked six level 6 pdins and two level 6 priests. "Alright. Lets go." "Do you really not need me to go in with you?" "It wont take very long." The Pope said his goodbyes with a rxed expression. Lee Shin Woo then confidently led his elite force into the dungeon. They felt immense heat at the entrance, but it had no effect on Lee Shin Woo due to his High Rank Fire Resistance. Its tough. I feel like Ive experienced this once before. Im sharing my resistance with you, so buck up. [Power. I can feel power surging within me!] Jin acted like he was suffering, yet he walked on top of the sand as if hed gotten used to it already. Zenon couldnt handle the power that surged from the hot environment. Finally, the priests and pdins followed close behind, sweat dripping from their faces... Lee Shin Woo sighed softly and stepped forward. Thus began the dungeon conquest of the Sun Gods hero. Chapter 40 part7 [Level 7 elite dungeon - You have acquired the permit to the Cradle of Fire. All stats are increased by 50 within the dungeon. The dungeons information is added to your minimap. All actions are buffed within the dungeon.] It was strange; the Popes information on the dungeon was all wrong. He didnt care about the dungeons true name, but he didnt expect it to be an elite dungeon! Even so, he couldnt just pack up and leave. Lee Shin Woo didnt tell anyone about this and just hurried forward. He was prepared to hit level 8 before he left this dungeon. [A strong, hot wind is blowing. High Rank Fire Resistancepletely nullifies its effects.] [The ground is agonizingly hot. High Rank Fire Resistancepletely nullifies its effects.] "You guys all good?" "I feel like Im dying." "But youre still not dying." Lee Shin Woo felt like the entrances heat was akin to a tepid summer breeze, but the pdins and the priests looked like they were heroes facing off against certain death. Each and every step was difficult for them. Despite them equipping gear that increased their Fire Resistance, it seemed like the heat was too much for them. "I feel like its gotten a lot hotter all of a sudden. If His Holinesss analysis is correct, then its a sign that..." "The monsters inside are further strengthened. Because mankind has only killed the monsters thate outside the dungeon and havent tackled the dungeon itself, the trapped mana fundamentally strengthens the monsters..." Lee Shin Woo had experienced this phenomenon before, where monsters that have been trapped in a dungeon for several years are many levels stronger than their normal counterparts. This dungeon may be the same. In fact, Lee Shin Woo was shocked that the Magic Empire was so willing to leave a bomb at their very doorstep for so long. Its the same in both the Magic and the Underground Empire. These Emperors sure love sitting in their rooms doing nothing. Maybe theyre protecting the pce? No matter how threatening an elite level 7 dungeon was, the Emperor should be able to deal with it without much difficulty. But the fact that he left the dungeon alone for so many years meant that he had some sort of reason that he couldnt leave the pce. Or that hes afraid of something outside... Probably not. Lee Shin Woo couldnt think of anything that the Emperor would have to be afraid of. If there was, then itd be the Undead Emperor, or... death itself. [I-Im getting stronger. My power is growing.] Yeah, yeah. Get big and strong. [...Ah, an enemy approaches. From below!] Lee Shin Woo didnt need Zenons warning, as he sensed the enemys presence already. He silently thrust his greatsword into the very heart of the desert. A chilling sound was apanied by ck blood surging up to the surface. He raised his sword, revealing a red scorpion in the ce hed stabbed. The end of its tail was bent like a hook and emitted a red me, rather than poison. Jin was a bit surprised and took a step back. [Lv7 Sun Scorpion] "Everyone, prepare for battle. Be careful, it might be able to shoot its fire over long distances." "Understood!" With Lee Shin Woo at its center, the priests and pdins got into formation, leaving a certain amount of distance between them and Lee Shin Woo. While they were doing that, Lee Shin Woo roughly assessed the Sun Scorpions strength and abilities. He ripped off its outer shell and beat on it, and also figured out its methods of attacking. "Its weak." It is? A Sun Scorpions greatest strength wasnt its toughness. It was its heat! It wasnt veryrge, but the scorpions heat felt as though it had concentrated the surrounding deserts heat. Moreover, the me at the end of its tail would bypass Intermediate Fire Resistance entirely and burn the body! Of course, it didnt have any effect whatsoever on Lee Shin Woo. After hed tested this, Lee Shin Woo stamped on it and killed it. When he picked up the Fire Tail it dropped, it transformed into a Fire Tailbone like any other non-skeletal drop. He acted like he was pocketing it in his bag, but was actually activating Bone Reinforcement. Activating Bone Reinforcement had bepletely natural for him now. [Absorbing the Lv7 Fire Tailbone. Health has increased by 1. Skill proficiency in High Rank Fire and High Rank Fire Resistance has increased.] Perfect. Hed been fighting against either way weaker or way stronger opponents for the longest time, so he was needlessly happy from picking up a same level bone. He was slightly moved by the experience, but there were people who needed him. "Sir Kay, please help!" "We need help too! These guys are a lot stronger than... Oh, mes iing!" "me Shield!" In the short period of time that Lee Shin Woo spent studying the monster, the pdins were forced onto the defensive against three Sun Scorpions. Lee Shin Woo sighed and straightened his greatsword. Then, the Sun Scorpions mes disappeared, as if they were all a dream. Their tail mes disappeared too. The scorpions panicked and shook their tails, but it didnt change anything. "What...!?" "Thats Elemental Domination! I didnt think anyone could actually use that ability..." "Even the Heavenly Light General, the leader of the 12 generals, shouldnt be at that level...!" Elemental Domination. It wasnt a skill. When ones element dominates the other, the dominator can seize his opponents element and use it as he pleases. It was recorded as a legend, but the pdins and priests were seeing the rebirth of that ability right before their very eyes! ...Is what they thought, but it wasnt. Although it was true that Lee Shin Woo was far stronger than the Sun Scorpions and that he could indeed absorb their mes, it wasnt his own ability, but the Fire Dragons Scale Greatswords. [Special passive skill: Fire Eater - Absorbs the fire element and all fire-rted energy.] [Special passive skill: Countercurrent - Once it reaches the maximum capacity, the fire energy is concentrated in a single point, amplified, and discharged.] He hadnt fought against any fire enemies thus far strong enough to warrant the skills use, but after thinking about it, he realized he could make good use of the Fire Dragons Scale Greatsword here. Of course, there might be a limit to how much it could absorb. But at the very least, Lee Shin Woo hadnt met any enemies as powerful as he was. "Ill erase the mes, so do your best. If you cant, then you have to go back, so keep that in mind." "Keuk... Ill try my best!" "Yeah, keep it up." The level 7 monster, the Sun Scorpion. The level 6 pdins and priests had to fight these monsters with their lives on the line. If it werent for thebination of pdins and priests, (their defensive and healing capabilities were impressive, even whenpared to other level 6s) then they wouldnt have stood a chance. [Kiaaaaaaaah!] [Kishaaaa!] But that only applied if the Sun Scorpions were in tip-top shape. Lee Shin Woos greatsword had mercilessly stolen the mes they emitted, as well as the mes that made up their bodies, so they were weakened to the extent that they could barely be called level 7s. At least enough that the pdins and priests could take them on. "Its sucking their mes well." But what are you going to do with the fire? Are you going to use that countercurrent ability? Against them? Lee Shin Woo had already told Jin about the greatswords options, so Jin had asked about it while tilting his head. Lee Shin Woo firmly shook his head. I have no intention of wasting that energy. Im going to use the countercurrent ability, but the targets going to be me. ...As I thought, you... Hed thought this when they had first entered the Corrupted Dryads domain, which had been filled with trees spewing acid; Lee Shin Woo had to be a masochist! However, Lee Shin Woo immediately rejected that notion. Training my fire resistance is nice and all, but my main goal is to charge the Titan Bone Core. The level 8 Titan Bone Core, which had charged for 2 months, and would enable him to board the Titan Bone Golem for 4 minutes. The item had evolved, allowing the outside of the golem to endlessly umte heat and charge itself, but Lee Shin Woo wanted to go one step further; the heat should be able to reduce the charge time. And if that all goes well. Hede to a dungeon filled with the fire element, hadnt he? Lee Shin Woo secretly hoping to improve the golems performance with the loot he got here. After all, he would hit level 8 soon. The narrower the gap between his stats and the Titan Bone Golems, the lower the stats hed gain from synchronizing with it. Thats why he wanted to improve the golem. In the end, he just didnt want to lose out on his investment. What about that tailbone? I absorbed and analyzed it, but its unusable. I cant use something that weak to reinforce the core. When he had researched the core with Kratia before, they came to the conclusion that this was its limit, but Lee Shin Woo thought differently now. Didnt the Bone Gate evolve too? The Titan Bone Core, as well as the Titan Bone Golem it created, could definitely reach new heights. It should be possible. He hoped. "Weve... sessfully hunted them!" "Ah, just now? Do you need a break?" "Thats... Yes, just a little..." "Alright. Then lets rest for 5 minutes." While Lee Shin Woo was ruminating over the Titan Bone Core, the pdins managed to finish up. With their element sealed, the Sun Scorpions were weaker than other normal level 7s, so the pdins were able to win somehow. And with their victory, the pdins and priests had achieved a feat. Their stats mustve increased. "If you want to survive even one second longer in this dungeon, then fight desperately like your life depends on it and grow. Ill watch your backs so you dont die." """Thank you very much!""" Lee Shin Woo collected all of the scorpions tails and absorbed them, but left the Perium to the pdins. Sealing the scorpions fire was a huge achievement for him as well. He absorbed all of the fire and as a result, his health increased by 1. It was quite effective, as they werent even elites. I thought youd tell them all to leave. Yeah, thats what Id intended to do, but... Jin asked, and Lee Shin Woo recalled the Evileye General, the level 7 archer. Of course, Lee Shin Woo was confident that he could overpower her quite easily. Since she was weaker than the Beast General hed fought before. But while Lee Shin Woo wasnt here, he didnt know what might happen. The Pope was level 7, but the Sun God religion didnt have any other level 7s! Lee Shin Woo had only just realized how little military might the Sun God religion had. He didnt know how the other religious orders fared, but that wasnt really important right now. Its because of my actions that the Sun God religion has gotten famous enough to attract the attention of the 12 generals. It would be irrelevant if everyone liked them, but there are some who clearly oppose or are wary of the Sun God religion. If I continue to stay here, then nothing bad should happen, but if I were to disappear, then... Aha, youre trying to nurture the Sun God religions elites because youre worried about them. Actually, its more along the lines of me not wanting my foothold to disappear while Im gone. The Pope didnt think Lee Shin Woo would help them grow forever, but they were forced to concentrate entirely on supporting Lee Shin Woo and fostering his image, so they had no time to pursue anything else. So, Lee Shin Woo would increase their power in their stead. They wont be at the level of a hero, but I should be able to get them to level 7. Theres no helping that. Even if they reached level 7, a hero would far surpass them in power. But Lee Shin Woo wanted to train the Sun God religions elites so that they could at least stop one or two of the 12 generals. They had fought just three scorpions and were gasping for breath, so it may be impossible, but... "Alright, its been 5 minutes. Lets get a move on." "Keuk... Understood!" Their happy training camp began nheless... However, just three dayster, after traversing through 30% of the dungeon on foot, Lee Shin Woo was forced to stop their training. A level 8 enemy had appeared. It wasnt even the boss. Chapter 40 part8 Although he was nurturing the pdins and the priests, he was still required toe forward at times. It was no ordinary dungeon; it was an elite dungeon. Not only were the monsters that appeared within this limited, enclosed space huge, but a level 7 elite monster would appear whenever it felt like they were progressing smoothly. [Lv7 Elite Sr Scorpion King] [Kishaaaaaaaaah!] "Arent there not that many level 7 elites in this world?" "Indeed. However, so much time has passed since this dungeon was formed that..." Hed already experienced it in the Underground Empire, so he knew just how rare high level dungeons were. But contrary to the Underground Empire, where heroes actively conquered dungeons in order to kill the undead (who ran rampant due to the curse), as well as the Undead Emperor who ruled over them, no one on the surface would seek dangerous monsters or dungeons, so long as no significant harm came from them. And by neglecting these dungeons for hundreds of years, it came as no surprise that elite level 7 monsters, as well as a high level dungeon (or two) would appear... Thats why Lee Shin Woo was able to enter the level 7 dungeon without anypetition. "They mustve growth as time passed. S-Sir Kay! We cannot defeat this scorpion alone...!" "Tch." Lee Shin Woo cut through all the bothersome Sun Scorpions with his greatsword, ran towards the pdins and priests, and confronted the Sr Scorpion King one-on-one. Not only was its body almost 5 meters tall, but its body was also covered by a tough, red outer shell. If he wanted to pierce through its exoskeleton and inflict damage, then hed have to put in some work. [Kishaaaaaaht!] "Ah." But its greatest weapon, its fire, wasnt working. It shot a yellow me at him as if it were taking the initiative, but Lee Shin Woo just absorbed it with his greatsword. That wasnt all. "Zenon." [I got it.] He called, and Zenon settled into his greatsword. Lee Shin Woo hadnt consumed him with his greatswords Fire Eater ability. Zenon simply dwelled within his greatsword temporarily. But that temporary effect was quite immense. [The Lv7 Fire Dragons Scale Greatsword is temporarily reinforced. You now have the ability tomand all fire.] [The Soul Seeing Eye skill has be Lv3. All stats have increased by 5.] Hed only realized he could do this due to his contract with Sinea... To be exact, it was because of the Soul Seeing Eye. The name of this skill couldnt be taken at face value, as it not only increased his understanding of souls and anything rted to souls but also made it easier to control said souls. It was the same for transferring spirits to items. He needed to look more into the fusion among mana, the soul, and matter, but to sum it up, if a spirit waspatible with a certain item, they could be infused into said item. And thepatibility between Zenon, a fire lizard, and the Fire Dragons Scale Greatsword was obviously quite good. Combining with my sword is already this effective, so whatll happen if hebines with the Titan Bone Golem? He knew that it was nothing more than a temporary power-up, but he still wanted to try it at least once. The Titan Bone Core was already fully charged. Lee Shin Woo could start it up whenever he wanted, but... Ill leave it be just in case. Lee Shin Woo stared at the scorpion before him. After its initial assault had failed, it seemed to be more cautious, as it had stepped back and watched him... No, thats not what it was doing. It was actually gathering a frightening amount of mana at the end of its tail. Lee Shin Woo yelled instinctively. "Its a Sr Beam!?" [Kugyaaaaa!] Lee Shin Woo marveled at its Sr Beam; at the same time, the Scorpion King screamed and thrust its tail at him! Unfortunately, it wasnt an actual sr beam. It gathered as much heat as it could in one ce (the end of its tail) and swung it around like a mace; Heat Smash would be an apt name for it. A hammer of fire that threatened to smash through any defense! "Heuaaaahp!" If Lee Shin Woo avoided its strike, then the entire area would be caught ame. As they were deeply assimted, Jin could read his thoughts. Jin let out a battle cry and kicked off the ground. Lee Shin Woo pulled his greatsword back with both hands and then swung it directly at the scorpions tail in midair. The sound of their collision resounded throughout the entire dungeon, and all those who were fighting flinched. [Kyahahk!?] The moment his greatsword and its tail came into contact with each other, the condensed heat at the end of its tale strangely disappeared. The scorpion hadnt expected that, yet it didnt let that bother it and tried to push him back. However, that was its biggest mistake. Its tail had lost both its heat and the force behind it, so Lee Shin Woos greatsword just cut through it easily. Dirty bodily secretions spurt out, but before they could spread, Lee Shin Woo evaporated it all with heat. The scorpion felt immense pain, temporarily halting both its thoughts and its movements. All it was allowed to do was scream in agony. [Kishaaaaaahk!] "Heup!" Whereas, Lee Shin Woo ryed his intent to Jin once theynded. Jin changed his stance and prepared to jump again. Lee Shin Woo was amazed, as it felt like he and Jin moved as one. Then, the High Rank Assimtion skill leveled up. It had been quite some time. [The High Rank Assimtion skill has be Lv2. Agility and Magic have increased by 10.] The Assimtion skill leveled up, and the two matched their breathing (though the undead couldnt breathe). Then, they leaped beautifully, as if they had truly be one, and Lee Shin Woo swung his greatsword using the momentum. The sight of them cutting through the rampaging and tail-less scorpions head to stomach was akin to the creature with a humans upper body attached to a horses lower body: a Centaur. [You have acquired 5,192,430 Perium.] [You have acquired the Lv7 Sr Scorpion Kings fire tailbone.] He had only swung his sword twice: once to cut off its tail, and the second to cut through its head. Contrary to its status as an elite level 7 monster, it had died quite pitifully. The pdins and priests, who had just barely defeated the scorpions and turned back towards Lee Shin Woo, saw that scene and spoke in awe. "I knew you were strong, but..." "To think youd finish it with just two swings of your sword." "I cant even begin to imitate his horsemanship. It felt like they became one." "Hm." To be honest, Lee Shin Woo was just as surprised as they were. There was a huge difference in stats between a normal level 7 monster and an elite level 7 monster, with a huge difference between their skills as well. For example, the primary skill that increased Lee Shin Woos offensive and defensive abilities was his Rule of Bone skill. When one bes an elite, they gain a unique attack skill and a buff skill like Rule of Bone. In effect, there would be a huge difference between a normal level 7s attack/defensive power versus an elite level 7s, so much so that it was difficult to consider them both level 7. This was the primary reason why elite level 6 monsters could be more powerful than normal level 7 monsters. However, hed killed an elite in just two swings of his greatsword. If hed used Bursting Thunder as well, then hed probably have managed to kill it in one. It made no sense, no matter how much stronger hed gotten. If thats the case, then... Zenon, did you feel anything? I think the scorpion could increase its defense and magic resistance with its fire mana. The moment you attacked, I could feel something being sucked away from it. Aha. I felt the mana when we shed, but I thought it was nothing and ignored it. So thats what it was. He understood immediately. Not only had he nullified his enemys attack, but also nullified its shield as well. As a result, he was able to cut through it easily. Lee Shin Woo felt a bit sorry for the Sr Scorpion King. Wait, this... Mm, this wont work either. However, the loot was disappointing. He had been hopeful, as it was the loot of a level 7 elite, but its tailbone was no different than an agglomeration of several normal Sun Scorpions tailbones. He wouldnt be able to reinforce the Titan Bone Golem with this. "If the elites wont work, then I suppose I have no choice but to hope that the boss... Huh? Whats wrong with you guys?" "T-Thats... Sir Kay." The pdins and priests, who had been watching him, were now looking behind him. Lee Shin Woo tightly gripped his greatsword and looked behind him. Smack dab in the middle of the desert, the sand was... being sucked down. "Quicksand?" "No, its not a natural phenomenon." Lee Shin Woo sensed the presence of something huge beneath it, drawing the sand towards it. No, it wasnt really drawing the sand in. It was from hot wind. An artificial, powerful flow of air was added to the heat to create it. The hot air drew in not only all the sand here, but all the sand in the dungeon itself. At this rate, they wouldnt be safe here! Although he was flustered, Lee Shin Woo tried to give the pdins and priests their orders, but then saw a message. [Level 7 elite dungeon - You have found Cradle of Fires truth path. The dungeons information has been updated. Magic has increased by 10.] [Level 8 dungeon - Suns Nest. All stats are increased by 75 within the dungeon. The dungeons information is added to your minimap. All actions are buffed within the dungeon.] "...Ha." This was his first time in a level 7 dungeon, yet that same dungeon had been upgraded to a level 8 dungeon. Rather than feeling fear or terror, Lee Shin Woo was speechless. But for some reason, a corner of his face was smiling. "If its a level 8 dungeon... then a level 9 boss might show up." "L-Level 9!? Humanity cant contend with a level 9! Unless the Emperor intervenes himself!" "Of course its impossible. Its obviously impossible. ...But what if..." What if this dungeon hadnt been a fire element dungeon? What if he hadnt possessed the Fire Dragons Scale Greatsword? What if he hadnt had the good fortune of meeting Zenon and learning how to infuse him into a weapon? What if he hadnt had the Titan Bone Core? Then he would have had to give up on this dungeon. "Ivee this far, I cant just leave. You guys, get out of here now. Tell the Pope whats happened and make sure no one approaches the dungeon." "Sir Kay!? Youre not thinking of going in, are you... Keuk!" The hot air intensified and the sand they (the pdins and priests) were standing on began to crumble. It was clear that they didnt have much time to retreat! The pdins and the priests looked hesitant. The fact that they hadnt run away immediately touched Lee Shin Woo to no small measure. "Im not interested in your feelings right now, so hurry and run." "Sir Kay!" "Keep these two things in mind. First, I can return alive, whether I seed in conquering the dungeon or not. Second, itll be dangerous for anyone besides myself toe near the dungeon. If you understand, then get out and give the pope my message!" "Y-Yes sir!" All the pdins and priests simultaneously turned around and began to run at hismand. The hot wind had begun to affect the entire dungeon, and the sand began to coil and rise. It attempted to draw them in as well, but before it could, Lee Shin Woo extended his greatsword, absorbing and nullifying the hot air. "You see, I can absorb more than just heat." While he was at it, Lee Shin Woo used air to push the pdins and priests towards the dungeons entrance. When he was sure they were safe, he turned around. Lee Shin Woo and Jin slowly sank into the sand while being buffered by the hot air... and gazed into the eyes of the mastermind of this phenomena. [Lv8 Elite Desert Ghost] It was time the Sun Gods hero underwent a true test. Chapter 41 part1 The level 8 Elite Desert Ghost looked half scorpion and half spider, and was a huge 20 meters tall. It was so striking that he would believe it if someone told him that this was the boss! [You are facing a higher leveled foe! The Rebellion skill activates, and all stats are increased by 16%. Due to the existence of a partner, who you can share everything with, all stats are increased by an additional 11%, and all these effects are shared with your partner!] "Theyve all left, right?" "Yeah, theyre gone." "Good. Then, shall we begin?" "...Why are you putting your hand on my back?" The sand, which formed the desert, was devoured by the hot wind and disappeared. Lee Shin Woo couldnt defy gravity and began to fall, but even then, he remained calm. Jin remained calm as well, thinking Shin Woo will do something about it, but... Lee Shin Woo ced his hand on Jins back, causing Jin to flinch. "I guess I have no choice." "Hey, what are you doing all of a sudden... Heugyak!" It was only for a brief moment, but Jin was flustered and confused. However, he was soon able to get a hold of himself, as images and messages flowed into his head through the Assimtion skill. Calmly thinking about it, he was the strange one, as he was thinking about something so preposterous while they were falling down. No, the images flowing through his head were just as preposterous. "I told you, I wont sprout wings!" "The image is good enough. The designs perfect. Im going." "Ive already tried it before. I told you, I cant do it!" To be honest, Jin had once thought that he could sprout wings. Why? In the past, when Lee Shin Woo had used Bone Reinforcement on him with winged monsters bones, Jin was lucky enough to learn the Fly skill. Of course, he was really flustered back then, and tried his best to hide the truth from Lee Shin Woo. He then tried practicing it by himselfter, but... He failed. "No, you can do it. Focus on sharing our consciousness. I was going to attempt this after Id be more ustomed to the Disguise skill but..." "Theres no way itd work with just your Disguise skill... Huh?" Jin couldnt create wings, even if he used his Steel Heart ability. The Fly skill would only allow an individual to fly if they had the means to do so; it wasnt a skill that created weighty, steel wings that would enable him to fly. If thats the case, then why did he even receive the Fly skill? If an individual isnt capable of using a skill, then they wouldnt learn it, but why... Jin questioned andpletely gave up on their dream (it was really more Lee Shin Woos dream) of flying. He was a little disappointed that he wasnt able to make Lee Shin Woos dreame true, but that was a secret. [Guooooooh!] "Hey, that guys locked onto us. Hurry up." "Mmmm...!" However, Lee Shin Woos images were much clearer than his own attempts. He would focus Steel Heart on his body and create a new, exterior armor... "Like the design?" "Yeah. Disguise!" "S-Steel Heart!" When the level 9 Disguise skill was used on himself, it was absolute. However, when it was used on other people, it was quite strict, especially for things that didnt originally exist... one could say that creating wings out of thin air was pretty much impossible. Of course, Jin possessed the Steel Heart skill, which coated his body in a steel-like substance using mana. Because of that, it wasnt difficult for him to attach wings to his body. But this would result in the same oue as when he had tried it by himself. This time though, Lee Shin Woo had designed the wings, all of the details... And the power system as well. And through the simultaneous activation of Lee Shin Woos Disguise and Jins Steel Heart skills, the image became a reality! "Jeez, this... is really embarrassing!" With the slightest of movements, Jin could easily control the tough, huge steel wings, while also having firm abdominal armor to support them. These wings should allow him to slide down a slope, but it obviously didnt end there. The wings, the abdominal armor, and the leg armor were perforated with dozens of fine holes, and pipes were routed throughout the armor, acting as its power supply. "Jin, all you need to do is let it out!" "Keuk... Magic Breath!" Through thebination of the Disguise and Steel Heart skills, Jin looked outwardly like a steel Pegasus. While they plummeted to the ground, Jin was somehow able to use his Magic Breath. Due to their near perfect Assimtion, Jin was able to store Lee Shin Woos High Rank Wind with his Magic Breath! "I did it!" At the end of his desperate training, Jin had be capable of discharging Magic Breath from anywhere on his body. The Magic Breath flowed out of his toes first, and then traveled along the pipes and spurted wind out of all the holes connected to them. They began to float. He wasnt sure if they could truly fly yet, but they could at least float! But the wind was too chaotic, so they were immediately overturned within the air. "Ugyak!" "Control it! Keep your bnce... That guys opening its mouth!" [Kii, Kihiiii... Kyaaaaaaah!] Although the Desert Ghost had sucked up all the sand, it wouldnt allow any bugs to buzz around in the air. It marked its target and opened its mouth. The rotating sand, heat, and wind mixed together and changed into something unknown, likeva. Since it wasnt all elemental power and had some substance to it, Lee Shin Woo knew couldnt handle it with just his Absorption skill! We have to dodge...! His body became tense at the thought of avoiding it, but Jin recklessly discharged the wind element through his Magic Breath (in other words, Wind Breath). But releasing wind like this wouldnt do any good. They wouldnt be able to maneuver properly; at best, they would be able to hover. Jin was a sprinter in the past, so he had excellent motor skills. Even so, it would be impossible for him to control something hed never had in the past. But then... "...Ah!" His Flying skill activated. [The Low Rank Fly skill has be Lv10 and evolves to the intermediate level! Agility has increased by 75. You now have an unclear understanding of the fundamentals of flying. You can fly with any means at your disposal. The higher your agility, the quicker and more safely you can fly.] When he had first acquired the Fly skill, it was low rank level 8. Of course, the level was meaningless, as he couldnt even fly back then, but it had went up by two levels all of a sudden and reached the intermediate level. At that moment, Jin instinctively understood how to move the wings Lee Shin Woo had designed for him. The wings fluttered, and the finely controlled wind was sprayed out. [Gugyaaaaah!] "Nice work, Jin!" "Just wait until after the battle!" All of Jins supetive speed was concentrated entirely into his flight; at that moment, they, who had been flying round and round, disappeared instantly and reappeared in the opposite direction. Rather than flight, it was more like teleportation! The clump ofva passed where they had just been and flew far away; it hit the dungeons wall and melted it. If it continuously spewed outva, then it would be able to melt the entire dungeon. [Guoooooooh!] "Hoo. Do you think you can do it, Shin Woo? Fighting while running on the ground and flying in the air arepletely different." "Ha, of course they are." Just a short while ago hed been so unconfident, but now... Jin, whod gotten a feel for flying, ignored the hot wind, as well as the rotating sand storm within it, and circled around the Desert Ghost with ease. On the contrary, it worried Lee Shin Woo. However, Lee Shin Woo was already connected to Jin. If Jin could do it, then Lee Shin Woo could too. In conclusion, with enough spatial awareness (front to back, left and right, and top to bottom), all one needed to do was control their body! "Alright, then... Im going!" Once Jin stepped in the air, they charged at the Desert Ghost with explosive eleration! The Desert Ghost attempted to eviscerate them by making use of the hot air around it; it divided the air into dozens of wind des and rushed towards them, but Jin avoided them with ease and continued to charge forward. Even the sandstorm, which had fused with the wind, was of no use. Its wind couldnt even catch Jins shadow! Although they were prating through a level 8 elites defenses (the sandstorm and hot air), they were still unscathed. But in order to attack it, Lee Shin Woo would have to go face-to-face with the shield of hot wind that covered its body. He got a signal from Jin, inwardly nodded his head, and gripped his greatsword. Now! [Kyahaaaaah!] "Heup!" Lee Shin Woo forcefully swung his greatsword, his de emitting a brilliant red light. From an outsiders point of view, it may look like a toothpick against a natural disaster, but at the moment of impact, the natural disaster was the one that folded. A portion of the Desert Ghosts typhoon, which consisted of the sand, the wind, and the heat, was destroyed. However, that wasnt the end. It had lost its bnce, and Lee Shin Woo absorbed the typhoons energy into his greatsword. Then, the greatsword released wind des at the Desert Ghosts face! [Gyaaaah!?] Even while flustered, the Desert Ghost quickly fused the wind and heat near its face and formed a shield to protect itself. Jin followed up on Lee Shin Woos wind des by picking up the pace. The greatsword, which emanated a red light, let out a crackle and was covered in golden lightning. "Suck out all of its heat!" [I cant suck out all of it. However... I can do something about that shield!] The wind des crashed into the monsters shield and disappeared; they blew up right in front of its face, so the monster briefly closed its eyes and stiffened. At that moment, Lee Shin Woos greatsword sliced through the shield like paper and burrowed into its shell! "Thunder Strike!" Lee Shin Woo unleashed Bursting Thunders true power, causing its forehead to explode. It didnt matter that his opponent was a level 8 elite. His Rebellion skill had increased his stats by almost 30% and adding the speed of Jins flight, as well as Zenons ability (which nullified the Desert Ghosts fire shield), Lee Shin Woo managed tond a single powerful strike with Bursting Thunder. Plus. "Thorn Shadow!" [Kyahaaaaaaahk!] [Critical Hit!] Shadow greatswords sprouted from the greatswords edge and iled around inside its head. The serious injury caused the surrounding wind to momentarily stop, and the previously uplifted sand to fall. It screamed, and Lee Shin Woo knew he had to take it down quickly; if not, then its scream could attract other monsters over. First, Lee Shin Woo quickly pulled out his greatsword. Jin jet sted it and quickly retreated. Immediately after, theva around it began to boil over. [Kyahaaaaaaaahk!] "Thats no Desert Ghost. Its more of a Lava Ghost." "Enough with the jokes. Just focus on killing it!" The Desert Ghost was pissed, as it had sustained a grievous injury on its face. It beganunching itsva haphazardly. It didnt think it could catch Jin, so it hoped that if it shotva plumes in every which way, then one of them would hit him! But against Jin, that was the worst possible choice. He didnt look for a pattern; he instead saw through the attacks with his frightening reflexes and senses in order to avoid them. [Kushaaaaaaaah!] [Kyahaaaaahk!] Then, Lee Shin Woo suddenly felt ominous. The fallen sand had disturbed the monsters underground; these infuriated monsters had begun to mobilize! [Lv8 Sr Scarab] The Sr Scarabs were encased in shells and their wings rattled unpleasantly as they flew over. From a purely external view, they looked like stag beetles, but each one of them were more than 3 meters tall and they were obviously level 8. Lee Shin Woo and Jin were instantly surrounded by dozens of level 8 monsters. This was an umon experience both underground and on the surface. If hell existed, then this was probably what it was referring to. "Hey, what are you going to do about this?" Jin spoke as though they could run away easily (due to his newly gained wings), but Lee Shin Woo couldnt contain his smile. "If we y our cards right, you may be able to reach level 8 too." "I was stupid to ask." Why did he even ask, when he already knew how Lee Shin Woo would respond!? Jin sighed and felt more at ease for some reason. It felt like all those suffocating feelings he had been feeling on the surface were disappearing. He and Lee Shin Woo were the only two people here. They wouldbine their strength and get out of this hardship by themselves. They were bothrades who trusted each other 100%. This sense of unity could only be felt now. Everything culminated into his rxed sense of calm. Jin knew he was distorted, as he felt relief in that. But it didnt matter. Its a disease. Jin grinned and unfolded his steel wings. Even if a Pegasus were to appear, Jin was confident he could match it in flight. [The Intermediate Fly skill has be Lv3. Agility has increased by 60.] "Alright, lets go!" Once he fluttered his wings, the two became one, and they eventually became a streak of light. The level 8 dungeon was nothing more than a date spot to Jin now. Chapter 41 part2 No matter what he did, Jins skill would multiply his agility gain by a factor of three. Therefore, his agility stat was truly abnormal. Assuming Jins total stats were 10,000, his agility would be 6,000, 2,000 would be in magic, and the remaining 2,000 would be split between strength and health. Just to be clear, if Jin wasnt a horse, then he wouldnt have a way to effectively use these stats. At least he was armed with Steel Heart, a skill that changed his magic into strength or health; with it, he was able to deal with this imbnce, but it didnt change the fundamental problem. These disparate stats were specialpared to other horses, as well as flying monsters. [The Intermediate Fly skill has be Lv4. Agility has increased by 30.] So once Jin, whod acquired the Fly skill and a means to fly, actually began to fly, his flight was in a dimension of its own;pared to other monsters flight, it was like a superhuman ability. With the wings Lee Shin Woo designed and his own Wind Breath, Jin freely elerated and decelerated repeatedly. He, who could fly freely regardless of what direction he went, befitted the title of Child of Light. Jin was so fast that everything else seemed toe to a stop. [Kashat!] [Kihik!? Kiik?] "Where are you looking? Thats an afterimage!" "Youre doing great, Jin!" The Desert Ghost couldnt overpower them, despite the level 8 stat bonus, since Lee Shin Woos Rebellion skill was being applied to Jin as well! Although the Sr Scarabs knew how to fly, their skill level wasnt very high, so Jin could easily around with them. Lee Shin Woo and Jin didnt have to worry about the scarabs for now. [The Intermediate Fly skill has be Lv5. Agility has increased by 30.] "Ah, my stats exceeded 10,000 because of the skill level up." "10,000 stats arent the issue here. I told you, were leaving this dungeon once weve both hit level 8! Heup!" [Kehek!?] Lee Shin Woo said and simultaneously extended his greatsword once more. The Desert Ghost had shotva in every which direction in order to catch Lee Shin Woo and Jin, who both kept appearing and vanishing in thin air. But then, Lee Shin Woos greatsword dug into the Desert Ghosts forehead again and discharged a bolt of powerful lightning. To be exact, this was his third attack. He wasnt sure why, but it couldnt move from its spot; plus, Jin had gained wings and was actually flying around, so there was no way it could win. The carapace over its head had been half-way crushed. If he attacked a few more times, then he should be able to kill it. [Kyaaaaaaaahk!] "Huh!?" Then, the Desert Ghost exploded, as it couldnt bear the one-sided beating! To be exact, it blew up its remaining exoskeleton, where its powerful mes were concentrated. Due to its size, the exploding mes covered the entire dungeon. It didnt discriminate between friend or foe; the mes mercilessly melted the Sr Scarabs as well. There were some who took the attack straight up and disappeared right then and there, as well as some who lost their wings and fell down to the ground. All he was sure of was that hundreds of level 8s had been incapacitated by the attack. It was an attack that truly fit a level 8 elites finishing move. Even if one were to equip fire resistant armor from head to toe they wouldnt be able to survive this torrent ofva. "Hoo." [E-Eight scale greatswords!? What happened!?] Thats right. Through his Bone Armory skill, Lee Shin Woo had summoned 8 Fire Dragons Scale Greatswords, aside from his armor (since he had added level 6 fire to his armor, he was assured of its resistance) and the Prayer of the Dead (the level 7 cape that possessed the High Speed Casting and Magic Reinforcement options, and would buff any action rted to magic). No one, other than Lee Shin Woo, could replicate such a feat! "Why didnt you just summon those when they (the priests and pdins) left?" "SSeup, I wanted to see if I could beat it with a single sword..." The torrent of mes, which had covered the area surrounding Lee Shin Woo and Jin, was being absorbed by the eight greatswords. Lee Shin Woo looked at the greatswords and muttered in disappointment. The reason he went with just one sword was simple. He wanted to know how effective his Bursting Thunder skill was. However, he could no longer demand for a one-on-one confrontation any longer, so being stubborn would just be a waste of time. Now, he had no choice but to go into annihtion mode. [How are there eight scale greatswords!? Is that an Elementalists ability too!?] "The scale greatswords information is kept inside me. I can only summon a certain amount of them, but I can keep summoning items with the same info." [I-Is that so... You can summon treasures whenever you wish. I see. I suppose that is possible.] [Kyahaaahk!] Zenon realized that what Lee Shin Woo had shown before was merely a portion of his true abilities and spoke gibberish while shocked. The Desert Ghost, whod shed its exoskeleton and revealed its disgusting body within, noticed that they were still standing and shrieked. It was no simple scream. It wasposed of ultrasonic waves reinforced by High Rank Wind. "Heut!" [Kya!?] The ultrasonic waves traveled at the speed of sound, yet Jin moved his body and easily dodged the attack. It was then that the Desert Ghost realized that they were unscathed and was shocked. Why? It was such a powerful attack that even the Sr Scarabs, which possessed Fire Resistance, were severely harmed! "Lets go clean up. It feels like we lucked out, so I feel bad, [1] but... Lets go!" However, Lee Shin Woo didnt even give it the time to respond. The 7 Fire Dragons Scale Greatswords followed his gentle hand gesture and shot out all at once, aside from the one of he was holding (the one Zenon was inside of); the swords pierced the exposed, disgusting skin of its head. He had further reinforced them with wind mana, so their speed wasparable to the Desert Ghosts ultrasonic waves. The Desert Ghost couldnt move from its spot, so it obviously wasnt able to dodge the des anyway. [Kiaaaaaaaahk!] When it blew up its exoskeleton, it made sure to keep its head protected. But once the seven greatswords dug into its head and the Fire Eater option activated, its shell began to shrink. Its shell was a result of its mes, so there was no way it would remain unscathed when the seven greatswords were sucking out all of said mes. [Kihik, Kiheeeehk...!] [Impossible. How can a human be allowed to possess such power...!?] Zenon watched as the Desert Ghost died a dogs death, despite its status as a level 8 elite, and shuddered. Of course, this was all due to the option of the Fire Dragons Scale Greatsword; the option was incredibly effective against the monsters inside this dungeon. Even Lee Shin Woo wouldnt be able to dominate a level 8 elite monster normally, but Zenon didnt know that. "Zenon, lets finish it." [Ah, I got it.] "Jin." "Ok." It was truly ironic that Lee Shin Woo was using his weapon, which possessed a high level of fire, to absorb fire rather than release it, but... What hed learned today would help him in the future. What exactly were elements? At the end of his study, he should find what he was looking for. "Ha!" Jin elerated. The seven greatswords pierced through its head and its mes were being sucked away as well. The Desert Ghost rampaged about and violently twisted its body, but it still couldnt move from its spot. Lee Shin Woo suddenly thought about the possibility of it being bound here by something underground... "Lightning Strike!" [Kyak!] Lee Shin Woo raised his sword into the air and sliced its head open. He absorbed its mes and emitted lightning out of his de, unleashing a powerful attack. It not only cut its skin in half but the brain and respiratory organs thaty hidden within. mes burst from its body as ast-ditch effort to kill Lee Shin Woo, but even that was divided and absorbed by the eight greatswords. [You defeated an elite enemy with ease, and in the process, defeated the other higher leveled foes as well! You used an enemy to kill several of your other foes; a truly shocking karma! All stats have increased by 10.] [The Rebellion skill has be Lv5 and the skills effectiveness increases. All stats have increased by 10.] [The Absorption skill has be Lv10 and Magic has increased by 20.] [Lucky Strike! You have acquired 83,119,090 Perium. The Lucky Strike skill has be Lv3!] [You have acquired the Desert Ghosts Head Carapace.] [You have acquired the Lv8 me Wind Core. Through Bone Reinforcement, it has transformed into the Lv8 me Wind Bone Core.] Lee Shin Woo tilted his head, as he didnt quite understand what it meant by him defeating all the higher leveled enemies. Now that he thought about it, the Sr Scarabs that had been caught in the huge explosion had been level 8! He didnt even have a chance to fight against them and hadnt even been attacked; hed considered them a weak mob...! "Jin, have you achieved a feat of some kind?" "Two achievements rted to flying. My agility went up again..." "As I thought, you were destined to fly. Just as nned." "Even so, Im not going to forgive you for suddenly testing it out in the field." "Its all a misunderstanding. My secretary nned it all... Huh?" The dungeon suddenly vibrated while Lee Shin Woo (whod collected all the loot) went back and forth with Jin like always. He wondered whether the floor beneath them would copse with the Desert Ghosts death. Depending on the situation, Lee Shin Woo might have to run without hesitating. While thinking that, he looked down at the distant underground. With the Desert Ghosts disappearance, the opening to the underground could now barely be seen, and Lee Shin Woo saw darkness energy leaking from that crack. Lee Shin Woo swallowed and said. "...This feels kind of dangerous." "Thats funny. I thought the same thing." It wouldve been ok if it were normal darkness, but the darkness had been changed. In other words, it was the same energy as the curse that permeated the Underground Empire. Some of the other, lower level dungeons hed cleared had been affected by the curse, but a level 8 dungeon... "This dungeons boss... It might be stronger than the 12 generals." "Well, the Desert Ghost was stronger than most of the 12 generals anyway. Thats not unexpected." "No, what Im saying is that it might be stronger than the Archmage." He automatically gripped his greatsword tightly. On one hand, he thought Its dangerous, and on the other, he thought Im lucky to be given this opportunity before fighting the Archmage. Then, ckva surged from underground. This was the primary cause of Lee Shin Woos tension. It was no mere fire or darkness, a vestige of his long forgotten chuunibyou syndrome, or his past mes of Revenge... It was a new element formed from thebination of the fire and darkness elements. [Kyahaaaaaaaah!] [Kiiiiiiik!] [Kugugaaaahk!] "These bastards, what are they even saying?" "Mm." Jin imaged the fierce battle ahead of them and joked weakly. Lee Shin Woo saw the three Desert Ghosts as they stood up within theva... They had be undead and were reborn as [Lv8 Fiery Sands Dark me Ghost]. He looked at the elite monsters and shrugged his shoulders. "Doesnt seem like they want to be friends, huh?" [1] T/N: The expression he uses here is "eating it raw". This is usually used in a negative connotation, as it describes you producing results without struggling or putting in the effort. Chapter 41 part3 Lee Shin Woo decided to call the dark mes that the Fiery Sands Dark me Ghosts wielded a fusion element. Though the elements could exhibit extraordinary power based on the one wielding them, the dark me was well beyond that. It wasnt a simple fusion of the two elements, fire and darkness, with the end result retaining properties of both; instead, it was apletely different element. "Jeez, that was dangerous! Were done for if they eat your skill, so be careful!" "I... know! Uaaaaah! Theyreing again! Theyreing from over there too!" If he had to use one word to describe it, it would be plundering. The dark me erased anything it touched, and it would then be given to the elements wielder. How would darkness and fire fuse to result in something like that? Moreover, when one is afflicted by the undead curse, they usually just be an undead; so then how did they awaken the darkness element and fuse it together with the fire element!? "Damn it. These guys are copying my Absorption ability...!" "Youre still joking around, so I guess were still ok." "My bad, Jin. Its not a joke. I think were really going to die." Jins Fly skill continued to level up, even though they were in the midst of battle, so Jin continued to fly faster and faster. He disappeared from afar and then reappeared as if he were a bolt of lightning. The only reason they were still alive was because of Jins exceptional flight. However, the dark me was not only far-reaching, but it also began to eat into the very fabric of space itself; they were slowly losing ces to run away to. Yeah, they had to dodge the dark mes for now. "So... You still cant absorb that dark me?" "If I want to absorb that element unscathed, then I need to understand it. Even I cant fully understand it by just looking at it once! But Im trying my best to..." Lee Shin Woo knew he needed to risk his life to grow. Lee Shin Woo tried to analyze their dark mes with one of his bones, but one of the Dark me Ghosts ended up eating his Fire Dragons Scale Greatsword, gaining its Countercurrent and Fire Eater effects. As a result, the danger of this battle increased sharply. Seeing that, Lee Shin Woo was shocked, as the scale greatsword waspletely erased. The dark me almost controlled all the space inside the dungeon, so they would be able to devour any of his bone armaments before he could hit them. But what would happen if his main body was devoured by the mes? He didnt even want to think about the skills they might gain. "Its our chance! Rising Thunder!" [Kyahaaahk!] "Ugh! Theyreing!" Their saving grace was the fact that they could beat them with a powerful element, as the dark me couldnt consume it all. They asionallynded some hits while they avoided the dark me and hectically ran away. Before the Dark me Ghosts could retaliate, they would just run like hell. But at this rate, they would die before they took down one of them. It had been a long time since he was in such danger. Lee Shin Woo saw the dark mes dot the dungeon withrge cavities and slightly, very slightly thought of death. Couldnt he just take these guys to the Underground Empire? They would take care of the Undead Emperor for him. But then hed have to pledge his loyalty to these bugs, as they would be the new Emperor! "Shin Woo, should we run away?" "Let me think about it for a bit longer. I could bring these guys to the capital and see how the Emperor reacts, but if I do that, then itll be all over for me, the Sun God religion, and Lawrence once the situation is resolved. Then, everything Ive done thus far will go up in smoke." If he had no other options, then he would ride the Titan Bone Golem and vie for supremacy. But if they were to devour that as well and they were able to imitate the outer shell of a golem, then it really would be the end of the road for them. ...Wait a sec. "They eat it and then theyre able to use it..." "If youve thought of something, then hurry up. At this rate, well really die!" "Wait a sec. Im not sure itll work. If it fails, then itll just increase their defense... But." It was a lot better than running away. Now, he had no choice but to trust in his abilities and brave the risks! Lee Shin Woo resolved himself. Then, he summoned seven giant pieces of armor around him. They were just huge pieces of armor that held no element within them. Because hed used Gigantification, he consumed quite a bit of mana, but Lee Shin Woo was undeterred andunched the seven pieces of armor in every direction. The dark mes rushed over as if they were ants that had found a piece of candy, but it would take a long time for them to fully consume the armor due to their size. By using them as a distraction, Lee Shin Woo was somewhat able to erase the dark mes that filled the dungeon. "We can take a breath now, but wont it be a problem if they eat those?" "Let them eat first and then lets think." The dark me wasnt absolute. Was it because it was a fused element? While using the dark me to eat something, their main bodies became sluggish. Lee Shin Woo took advantage of this opportunity (of them eating the pieces of bone armor) and used Lightning Sprint, causing a deep scar on one of their jet-ck heads. [Kyahaaaaaah!] "Good boy. Now explode!" If he could, he would use hisbination attack (Lightning Sprint and explosion) to kill the one that had consumed his Fire Dragons Scale Greatsword, but the explosion had barely broken the exoskeleton around its head. And it had to take that moment to finish eating and begin to change. [Kiii... Kihiaaaaaaah!] The broken and unbroken areas were all covered in... ck bones. "See, I knew this would happen!" "Yeah, I knew that would happen too." The Fiery Sands Dark me Ghost finished eating the bone armor and began to change. The bone armor theyd absorbed was obviously tougher than their own shells. They, who had stolen an ability from their enemy, looked quite imposing. "Hey, I dont think we can even get through that anymore..." "Of course we cant. The dark mes even wrapping around the armor." "Then you made them stronger on purpose? Are you trying to use them to kill the Magic Emperor?" "Nope. Now I have to try something." Lee Shin Woo gazed at the giant bugs and tightly clenched his fist. Either way was hard. However, this way was much more likely to work than absorbing the dark me. He gritted his teeth. Ive been practicing. Ever since I came to that realization against the Beast General...! Although theyd eaten the giant armors, it seemed like they were still hungry, as their tongues darted in and out of their mouths and they lunged towards them. Lee Shin Woo relied entirely on Jin to dodge them and then concentrated on a single skill. He concentrated so hard that even his Assimtion skill was released, but Jin didnt realize, as he was flying around, dodging the dark me that came at him from each and every direction. "If they could move, then we would already be dead... Shin Woo, are you almost done?" "..." Lee Shin Woo was silent, even though he usually talked throughout the battle. His silence made Jin feel uneasy. The dark me hed erased through the armor was beginning to spread gradually once more. At this point, they had to choose whether to cut down their numbers or to run away from the dungeon; if they didnt, then they really would die. Although they possessed revival abilities, they had no way of overpowering the Dark me Ghosts. Would they be able to win if they self-destructed every single time they revived, causing the Dark me Ghosts to umte damage? I shouldve known ever since this guy came into the dungeon all smug. Normally, Lee Shin Woo made his choices very carefully and then made his move, but there were times when he became overconfident; whenever he did, something unimaginable happened, which would put them in a puzzling situation. They were always able to adapt and ovee their enemies, but that meant that if they couldnt adapt, they would die right then and there. True, Lee Shin Woos abilities and hisbat sense were incredible, but what would he do against these beasts... Then, Jin saw one of the monsters flinch. [Kyahaaaahk!?] [Kii!?] [Kiaaah!] It was the most fearsome of the three, the one that had eaten Lee Shin Woos Fire Dragons Scale Greatsword and had absorbed its Countercurrent and Absorption abilities. However, it suddenly twisted its body in pain. At the same time, a portion of the dark mesthat surrounded them copsed, making it a lot easier for Jin to move around. "I did it. Nice...!" "Wait. Youre the one doing that!?" "Just a little more...!" Lee Shin Woos body had also twisted atop Jin. However, the monsters reaction had been far more intense. At first, it seemed to be twisting its body left and right, but now, it was knocking into the other Dark me Ghosts! It couldnt escape the underground, and its head and body moved in every direction. It resembled a balloon figure that wobbled around in front of a newly opened store. [Kiiiiik!] [Kihiiiiii!] The other two Dark me Ghosts couldnt hide their unease at the sudden onset of theirrades insanity. Even while getting hit here and there, they tried tomunicate with theirrade in theirnguage, but theirrade waspletely out of it. It just screamed in pain and repeatedly tackled the other Dark me Ghosts! Due to the sudden internal conflict, the dark meceased its advance, allowing Lee Shin Woo and Jin to rest. Although this was their best chance to attack, Lee Shin Woo continued to tightly squeeze his fist and focus on something. Seeing that, Jin finally got it. "Shin Woo, are you using the bones to...?" "Yep." Lee Shin Woo looked at the Dark me Ghosts and nodded his head. He was using none other than the Rule of Bone skill. He was controlling someone elses bones; to be exact, he was controlling the Dark me Ghosts newly acquired bone armor. Ever since he fought the Beast General and learned of the Rule of Bones potential, he trained diligently. As a result, he was better able to meddle with another persons bones, and in the end, he was able to control the Dark me Ghosts bone armor and use it to control its movements! "Its really strong, but its still a lot easier than doing something about that dark me...!" "Theyre ignoring us and have started fighting amongst themselves!" The other two Dark me Ghosts realized that there was nothing more they could do, so they concentrated their attacks on the crazed Dark me Ghost. Lee Shin Woo and Jin were leftpletely alone. Thats because the Dark me Ghosts knew that Lee Shin Woo and Jin wouldnt be able to hurt them. I had something ready, just in case they figured out I was the culprit and attacked me. But this made things a lot easier on them. Lee Shin Woo took a deep breath and then concentrated even harder. Honestly, this part was even more crucial. [Kyaaaaaaahk!] [Kihaaaaah!] The Dark me Ghosts shot their dark mesat theirrade. The Dark me Ghost under his control took the dark mehead-on with its ck armor and was able to mitigate the damage by absorbing it. The magic reaction that arose from the collision between the dark mesthey shot out and the dark mesaround their armor... All those feelings were ryed to Lee Shin Woo. It was only natural, as it involved the bones he was controlling. In an instant, his understanding of the dark meskyrocketed. ...Nice. Now Im at the starting line. Lee Shin Woo smiled. This battle had just begun. Chapter 41 part4 Lee Shin Woo reaffirmed that a level 8 dungeon was indeed amazing. Since the dungeon was still standing, despite those giant monsters twisting their bodies around and shaking the ground, the ceiling, and the walls! The ground was especially impressive. These bugs, which possessed extraordinary strength, all groaned in agony, yet they couldnt escape the floor; this was no longer a Cradle of Fire, but a prison. [Kishaahk!] [Kueiiiii!] [Kiaaaaah!] Whenever the monsters (covered in dark mes and being several meters tall) collided with one another, their ck bone armor... no, their ck armor would break and fly in every which direction. When their dark mes shed, they would eat each other and disappear. If it were a one-on-one battle, then the Dark me Ghost, which had eaten the Fire Dragons Scale Greatsword (in other words, the one Lee Shin Woo was controlling), would be in the lead, but it was fighting two against one right now. Neither side got any sort of lead; their dark messimply crashed against each other again and again and disappeared. This may not have been Lee Shin Woos intent, but either way, it was aplete stalemate. "Good. Ive gotten a lot better at controlling bone, so..." It would be nice if he could focus all his attention on studying the dark me, but he had something he needed to do beforehand. He needed to collect the non-undead Dark me Ghosts, or rather the Desert Ghosts loot! Three level 8 elites hade rushing out after hed beaten the Desert Ghost, so he hadnt had the opportunity before. He immediately checked the loot. Hed acquired the Desert Ghosts head armor (in other words, the exoskeleton that enclosed its head), as well as a me Wind Bone Core. "My stats are at 12,564 right now... I need 236 more to level up. Will I level up if I absorb the exoskeleton and the bone core? Still..." As its name implied, Lee Shin Woo felt a powerful energy consisting of both me and wind from it. Of course, since it was now bone, he could absorb it. But there was a reason he hesitated. It seemed to have highpatibility with the Titan Bone Core. He felt as though it could increase the Titan Bone Cores maximum capacity. In other words, the amount of time hed be able to use the Titan Bone Golem. Furthermore, it should also increase the golems performance as well. ...Then, Ill save this forter. If I dont level up, then Ill use it. It couldnt be helped; Lee Shin Woo absorbed the Desert Ghosts head exoskeleton. Though not as much as the me Wind Core Bone, the exoskeleton retained arge volume of mes; the mes instantaneously spread throughout Lee Shin Woos body. [You have absorbed the Lv8 Elite Desert Ghosts Head Exoskeleton. Strength has increased by 10, Health by 50, and Magic by 60. High Rank Fire has be Lv6, and High Rank Fire Resistance has be Lv5. Magic has increased by 40.] [Kugeugeuk. Gyaahk...! (I cant... escape from here!) - Desert Ghost] "Only 76 more stats until I level up... Huh? ...Huh!?" Once he was finished with the Bone Reinforcement, his body shook. Was it due to the sudden rise of his stats? Of course not. He was used to the feeling of his stats rising so sharply. He was just deep inside the Desert Ghosts memories, feeling the depths of its fear and despair. It was only after he finished going through its memories that he understood why they (the Dark Desert Ghosts) couldnt leave the floor. "Those guys... Theyre trapped in a barrier." "A barrier?" "Yeah. Theyre animals, not trees; they cant live in the ground. It wasnt their original ecosystem." They werent born to live like this. Their original names hadnt even been Desert Ghost. They were incredibly rare, parasitic insect monsters that originated from the Mantis Forest. Of course, they were very powerful for parasites, but they were only about level 5 before. However, their species had a unique trait... if even a portion of their body came into contact with something, they would be able to absorb their power, no matter what it was. They were captured because of the no matter what it was part, and were then trapped inside a barrier and forced to live here along with the ones that would be their host. Although they couldnt move properly, they continually sucked power and mana from their host. They continued this for hundreds of years. These parasites, which had once been level 5, had suffered so many years to be level 8 elites. "Level 5 monsters bing level 8 elites..." "Yeah. That just goes to show how impressive their host is." "So their host is down below, huh. Then cant we just let them be and just leave!?" "Id like to, but..." The one whod put the parasites into this position probably didnt do this to torment them, but to weaken their would-be host. Their barriers were also meant to disallow the parasites host from escaping. The exact function of the barrier was... to disallow any living being from escaping. Lee Shin Woo was quite familiar with that type of barrier. "In other words, this barrier was created by the Magic Emperor. The Emperor from hundreds of years ago. He may even be the Crown Prince who chased out the 2nd prince. He could also be a past or future generation too." "Then is this a passageway that connects to the underground?" "If we were to force our way through, then yeah, wed probably get to the Underground Empire, but its not an official passageway. If the Underground Empires at the very bottom, then theres a stratum above it, and the dungeons underground is above that... The undead curse gradually moved up and managed to affect the underground part of this dungeon." The barrier here and the barrier in the Underground Empire were strangely different. Not only was its purpose different, but its function was different as well. Since the barrier was created for the sole purpose of trapping the parasites host. If thats the case, then why did they waste time and set up a new barrier? The answer was quite simple. The Magic Emperor wasnt powerful enough to move these monsters into the Underground Empire. It seemed like these monsters had originally lived here, and theyd never left ever since. "They left a bomb right next to the capital." "On the contrary, they did it because it was close to the capital." That bastard (the Magic Emperor) was afraid that these parasites would harm his Empire, so hed left them here and cast a barrier to prevent them from leaving. In exchange for its limited scope, the barrier was much more powerful than the Underground Empires barrier. The most representative feature of this barrier was that the one trapped within the barrier cannot move. However, the parasites were already connected to their host, so even if they couldnt move, they could still suck them dry. The Emperor had probably set it up that way. "Wait a sec. The fact that theyre moving so much now, when theyre not supposed to be able to means..." "Yep. They were able to escape the barrier by bing undead." While its main feature was to prevent the living from escaping, it had several other functions as well, so the parasites couldnt leave immediately, even after bing undead. However, they had cleared the most limiting condition. If Lee Shin Woo hadnte here, then the barrier wouldve broken before long. Why was the first one we took down not undead...? he wondered. This was just a hypothesis, but perhaps the barrier had loosened as the undead versions rampaged about, allowing the still living bugs to escape as well. "...Then, Shin Woo. What if the host has turned undead as well?" "Mm... Yeah. If theyve be undead as well, then theyll be able to break through that barrier soon." Jin asked, and Lee Shin Woo smiled and agreed. Then, he sighed and gazed at the distant Dark me Ghosts, while adding something disturbing. "They may be sucking their hosts strength, but the hosts level remains the same. If all goes well, then as they be undead, they may regain a portion of the powers theyve lost. Plus, if these guys rampage on the surface, then the undead curse will begin to spread across the Magic Empire in earnest. At that time, the Emperor will have no choice but to intervene personally." "The situations this bad, yet the Emperors not doing anything. What do you think hes doing?" "I wonder. I want to know too." Either the previous Emperors transition of power didnt go smoothly, so the current Emperor didnt know the current state of affairs regarding the dungeon, or... No, no matter how stupid he was, theres no way he could not know. The 12 generals are still managing the dungeon, so he knew about the danger it presented. But he was bothered by how passive the Emperors approach to the problem was. It was possible that his subordinates had reported that the threat of the trapped monsters had gone down. He might even think the same regarding the undead curse, that it wasnt a big deal. But it pisses me off that this is all just an assumption. As I thought, I have to see the Emperor in person. Then, what would he need to do to see the Emperor on short notice? His solution was quite simple. If he killed all of the monsters trapped here, then they would have to summon him to the pce! Honestly, he didnt really have any other choice. "If we dont kill them here and now, then the surface will be ruined. Itd be nice if they hurt some of the Emperors forces, but the innocent civilians would be hurt the most." "I have no idea whether youre a nice guy or an evil bastard. You say you want to save the innocent, but there are probably some innocent people in the Emperors forces as well." "But theyre prepared to die as part of the military. Moreover, I dont really care whether Im called a good guy or not. Weve settled everything ande to the surface, but I dont want to live in a ce where all that exists are the undead." He wasnt going to be hypocritical. Lee Shin Woo spoke and then looked over the bugs. Their ck armor was in tatters, but the binding power was still as strong as ever. To be exact, their health and magic had decreased enough that the reduced binding power of their armor was enough. Lee Shin Woo exined the situation to Jin and organized his thoughts; meanwhile the bugs continued to fight desperately. His analysis of the dark me continued to increase. As I thought, the dark mecant be created just because you have both the fire and darkness element. Because they originally had the ability to absorb energy, they were able to fuse the fire and darkness elements and create this new element. In other words, whether it was acquired or an innate ability, a fusion element required a seed of power that befitted the fusion element; only by having that could one create a fusion element. This information was incredibly important to Lee Shin Woo. And what conclusion did hee to? "Dark mes... If all goes well, I might be able to make them too." "Heok!? That monstrous ability!? Plus, that names kind of childish." "I cant do anything about that..." He possessed the Bone Reinforcement ability and Absorption abilities, so he already had the seed. Moreover, hed already experienced the real thing. The feelings ryed by the bone armor were so clear that he felt like his body would be sucked into the dark mes. Could I fuse other elements as well? Id like to acquire them before I fight that guy hidden inside... In any case, I have to focus on the dark me. He thought distressingly, but created darkness and fire in each hand nheless. While the pitiful bugs continued to fight amongst each other, Lee Shin Woo thought deeply, bringing all his abilities to the surface and focusing on learning a new element. [The High Rank Mana Bone skill has be Lv6. Magic has increased by 30.] [The Mana eleration skill have be Lv6. Magic has increased by 10.] While doing so, he became self-aware. That he was close to level 8, the realm of dominating magic. Chapter 41 part5 Following Lee Shin Woos entrance, the Sun God religions Pope and the Evileye General, Shurina Von Hegel were oddly confronting each other in front of the dungeon. The Pope was worried that the Emperor was meddling with Lee Shin Woo through the 12 generals, and the Evileye General was also suspicious of Lee Shin Woos sudden appearance. Neither side could voice such doubts first, but even so, they couldnt hide all their negative feelings. It had been a full day since they set up camp, and as the second day passed, the mood became even worse. "Your Holiness!" Both sides seemed almost ready to fight against each other, but the wounded pdins and priests had thene out of the dungeon and cooled everyone down. Even the Pope was surprised with their haggard and disheveled appearance; their equipment was riddled with holes. "Whats going on!? W-What happened to Kay!?" "Sir Kay is fine! But the dungeon...!" An uninjured priest reported whilst shaking. The priest looked like he couldnt believe what he himself was saying. "It turned into a level 8 dungeon...!" "What!? No matter how strong Kay is, a level 8 dungeon is...!" "What did you say!?" The Pope yelled in shock. The Evileye General listening in from the side was likewise shocked. A level 7 dungeon was already ssified as a national disaster, yet the dungeons level had risen even further! Ultimately, she yelled at the Pope. "Now what are you going to do!? By recklessly entering the dungeon, the Sun Gods hero made the dungeon even more dangerous!" "What idiocy. Man cannot change a dungeon. Its simply assuming its true form! On the contrary, its because of Kay that weve figured out how dangerous the dungeon truly is; yet, instead of thanking him, you want to shift all the me onto him? Is this how the 12 generals do things? Is this how..." "Enough!" The Evileye General knew what he would say next. He had wanted to say, Is this how the Empire does things? He was trying to insult the Emperor! Capital punishment wouldnt be enough for his crime! "The dungeon was dormant! If he hadnt gone into the dungeon, then it wouldve remained peaceful!" "...Do you really think that? Have you never studied the basics (of dungeons)? I suppose being one of the 12 generals isnt all that. Isnt that so?" "Eek..." Nheless, the Pope remained rxed and replied whilst snorting, and the Evileye General, whod wanted to retort, was speechless. Of course shed be. The fact that the 12 generals took shifts to watch over the dungeon meant that the word peaceful didnt apply to it. They knew that something would go wrong eventually, but because they didnt have enough manpower avable, they put forth a stopgap measure instead of a proper one. In a way, the Magic Empire had brought this on themselves. "Before you ask the Sun God religion to pay for its crimes, get the Emperor to apologize to all the citizens." "That doesnt matter right now. We need to do something about the level 8 dungeon!" "Ha. That was my original intention, but... I guess youre finally open to a constructive conversation." "Keuk...!" The Pope watched as the Evileye General bit her lower lip in humiliation, and snorted once more. However, he wasnt actually feeling that great. He came out strongly, so that the me wouldnt be shifted onto the Sun God religion, but he couldnt help being worried about Lee Shin Woo, who was trapped inside the dungeon. Lee Shin Woo was the Sun God religions treasure, as well as the link between him and the Lawrence shop. There was so much more he had to do, so he couldnt lose him here. "...Report this matter to the Emperor in person. Kay is strong, but he cant clear a level 8 dungeon all on his own. If the other 12 generals are busy and cannot intervene, then you must get the Emperor to take action. The Empires in danger. Do you understand?" "Whos fault do you think this is... I understand. I was going to report this matter to His Majesty, anyway!" The Evileye General tried to keep what was left of her pride, but the Pope had be so serious that she couldnt maintain eye contact and just went along with what he said. The Sun God religion may be weak, but the Pope was always someone others couldnt look down upon. Compared to other religious orders, where the Pope was selected based on support, irrespective of level, the Pope of the Sun God religion was a priest who could control powerful mes from a young age and was a hero who had single-handedly rebuilt the declining Sun God religion! In terms of both power and resolve, the Sun God religions Pope was far greater than the other religious orders popes. He had brought his order a young hero who would bring the order to new heights, so if Lee Shin Woo survived the dungeon, then the Sun God religion would soon be known as the most respectable religion in thend! But if that happens, it could harm the Emperors reputation. Kay has to die no matter what...! We have to stop the level 8 dungeons countercurrent, but I think we could wait until he dies first! Of course, the Pope mostly knew what she was thinking. He saw her call her soldiers over and secretly give them orders, so he clicked his tongue and called for the priests on standby. If thats how she was going to y, then he would respond in earnest. He already had something up his sleeve. "Ry this news to the Great God, Merciful God, and Living God religious orders as soon as possible. There are things that we should tell them, but also things that we should hide. Do you understand what Im saying?" "I understand, Your Holiness. Then Ill get going immediately!" The rtion between the Sun God religion and all the other religious orders wasnt good. However, when they fought against amon enemy, then they would prove to be the most trustworthy of allies. And if something this big was going on, then... Id rather not let them in on our pie, but its not worth trading our hero for it. Once the Pope and the Evileye General were finished taking appropriate measures, they looked at each other more menacingly than before. Then, the dungeon began to vibrate greatly. To be exact, the shes within the dungeon had surpassed the dungeons ability to contain them, and were thus affecting the outside world as well. "Oh my god. The entrance to the dungeon has copsed." "This mana I feel from within the dungeon... Wait a second. Isnt this an undeads mana...?" The Pope furrowed his brow. He knew about the disaster that was befalling the Underground Empire. It hadnt spread to the surface yet, but the undead had appeared in the dungeons halfway underground. I knew this would happen; the underground curse still hasnt been taken care of it. Dozens of years ago, each temple had been given an oracle. An oracle telling them to elect a hero to purify the undead curse. At the time, the Emperor and the religious orders selected heroes and dispatched them to the Underground Empire. He hadnt heard of them evering back, but he remembered the Emperor saying that the curse has been taken care of, and that the barrier is as perfect as ever. The Pope hadnt believed him, but hed thought that the Emperor had something ready just in case... But considering what was happening now, it seemed like he didnt. Emperor. What exactly are you hoping for? How long are you going to stay on the sidelines and just watch? Do you really want us to all die together? He wouldnt leave them to die. Their country was recognized as an Empire because of its citizens, not the Emperor. The Emperor would soon realize. No, he would make him realize. To do that, you need to stay alive, Kay. Prove to me that I wasnt mistaken about you...! At that moment, Lee Shin Woo, the main topic of conversation, ignored the wailing bugs before him... and was at a loss. [You have learned the fusion element, Beginner Dark Shadow! You seeded in fusing the characteristics of shadow, which cannot be an element, with darkness to create a fusion element. Magic has increased by 20!] [A shadow is hidden within the darkness, and looks as though it is not there. However, it most certainly exists. When the world is unable to differentiate the two, the shadow can then mishmash all cause and effect. This element could only be created by you, who possess the Jokers karma, and contains the power of reversal. This element will show its true worth when used in conjunction with the Jokers innate skills.] [By recognizing the other facets of darkness, you should be able to acquire a new element.] "Oh." Thats strange. This wasnt what he was going for. He wasnt trying to acquire Dark Shadow, but Dark me! Lee Shin Woo was flustered at the unforeseen situation. He had familiarized himself with the essence and structure of the dark me, and knew, for the most part, how to create the element. There was plenty of the real thing in front of him, and he had tried his best to fuse fire and darkness, yet... Yet! So does that mean Bone Reinforcement and Absorption wont cut it? That was his one miscalction. The parasites had gained the dark mes, as they possessed the ability to suck energy from their host; Lee Shin Woo had thought he could replicate those mes, as he possessed abilities simr to theirs. But at that point, Lee Shin Woo had already failed. What influenced the creation of fusion elements was less about the skills and more about ones fundamental characteristics. Meaning it was rted to ones ss karma. For Lee Shin Woo, it was simr to his Joker karma! Dark Shadow, huh. He had attempted to fuse darkness and fire together, but in the process, he had cast a shadow with his fire and fused the resulting shadow with his darkness element. The necessary knowledge, the proper state of mind, and his magic was factored in, and he managed to acquire a fusion element. After all, even a blind pig can find an acorn once in a while. [1] "Its not half bad." "No matter how I look at it, its much more dangerous than the dark me!" "But its much harder to use than the dark me. Ive got one more thing I have to practice from now on." And... Lee Shin Woo raised his head. The battle among the three Dark me Ghosts had gradually intensified, and the one Lee Shin Woo had been controlling was now covered in wounds. Everything that happened from now would be crucial. Even now, the resistance of the host below was fierce, and contrary to the dying Dark me Ghost, the other two seemed to be in good condition. If he didnt take them down in the proper order, then the situation may be too much for him to deal with. If thats the case, then... "Alright. Youve done well." [Guiiiiiik!] Lee Shin Woo clenched his fist towards the Dark me Ghost hed been controlling. Then, its armor sprouted sharp spears and tore through its rotten flesh. Jin predicted what would happen next. "Explode!" [Kyaaaaaaaaaahk!] As expected! The thorn armor, which had pierced through its entire body (from the tip of its head to the bottom of its feet), exploded! It was exhausted due to the battle, so there was no way itd be able to survive the explosion. It let out a death throe and finally found peace. "I wasnt rewarded yet. I guess its because I havent resolved the situation." Once it died, he snatched the midair loot and grinned. By killing one of the three, the barrier began to shake even more than before, and the remaining two Dark me Ghosts looked at him and couldnt hide their unease. They still werent able to remove their bone armor. "Wait just a little while longer, kids." [Kiiiik...] [Giguk, guiik...!] Lee Shin Woo controlled the bone armor, immobilizing the Dark me Ghosts (while they were fighting amongst themselves, Lee Shin Woo had been analyzing them and as a result, could halt their movements with much less effort than before), and looked over the bone in his hand. It was entirely jet-ck and unassuming, but he sensed an extraordinary energy within. "Lets get to level 8 before we fight the boss." He used Bone Reinforcement without hesitating, absorbing the rib bone that the pitiful Dark me Ghost had left behind. [1] T/N: "An ipetent person or an unsystematic approach is bound to seed every now and then by chance." Chapter 41 part6 [Absorbing the Lv8 Fiery Sands Dark me Ghosts rib bone. Strength has increased by 40, Agility by 5, Health by 50, and Magic by 80. You have acquired the fusion element, Intermediate Dark me Lv1 and Magic has increased by 50. The High Rank Regeneration skill has be Lv5, and Health and Magic have increased by 20. The Absorption skill has be Lv12 and Magic has increased by 40.] [As the Dark me is an innate skill that belongs to a different karma, you cannot advance the skill any higher than the intermediate level.] Once he absorbed the bone, Lee Shin Woo thought, as expected. Giving him a ton of stats was great, but it was nothing to write home about. He was more concerned about the fusion element hed obtained. Lee Shin Woo understood the basis behind it, as well as its structure; even though he shouldve had everything he needed, he wasnt able to learn the fusion element with his own efforts. Yet, by absorbing the Dark me Ghosts bone, he was able to gain the element without a hitch! I shouldve taken a hint. Since the Jokers karma allows me to imitate any and all karma. Although its an innate element that I cant learn myself, I can still acquire it through Bone Reinforcement. Its disappointing that I cant get it past the intermediate level, but... this is good enough. It had been such a long time since hed seen the message (informing him of his own limitations) that he actually felt happy. Lee Shin Woo had rebuilt all his skills, allowing him to break their limits and develop them further, but the Dark me was heterogeneous and was already apleted element. Therefore, he couldnt break through the intermediate limitation imposed on the skill. Even so, Lee Shin Woo wasnt going to give up here. He already had a way of using the Dark me at a level higher than intermediate. "But right now, this takes priority." Once hed absorbed the Dark me Ghosts bone, he felt his body teeming with mana. He wasnt stupid enough to not know what this meant. He was leveling up. "Huh? Do you want me to just keep all this other stuff?" "In your inventory. Thanks." He gave Jin the Titan Bone Core and the two other Bone Cores just in case; he didnt want them to be absorbed while he was leveling up. Absorbing the Heaven Doors Key would only benefit him, so he kept it on his person. However, it probably wouldnt go his way. Since he didnt even know how it worked yet. After that, he distanced himself from Jin. And how did he distance himself from Jin? Using wind mana to propel himself into the air and float. He could float with ease by slightly changing the appearance of his level 7 cape, the Prayer of the Dead. "Hey, you can fly yourself, so why did you make me do it!?" "Youre way faster and you look way cooler. And it makes it easier for me to concentrate on the battle." "Youuuuuuu!" It was obvious when you think about it. Lee Shin Woo had already given him all the gear he needed to fly, and so long as he properly controlled it, he could fly as much as he wanted. Then, why wouldnt Lee Shin Woo be able to fly, when he could use the Disguise skill that allowed him to imitate anything and everything? Whoever doubted his ability to fly was the strange one, not the other way around! But Lee Shin Woo calmly asked Jin to do something for him, even though Jin was so pissed. "Cover me while Im leveling up." "Wait, right now? What about them?" "They wont be able to move for the time being. Watch for any other monsters that maye." There existed other monsters within the level 8 dungeon aside from the Dark me Ghosts and their host. All sorts of monsters gathered, due to the immense energy the dungeon was emitting; of these remaining monsters, most of them were monsters like the Sr Scarabs. But the level 8 Dark me Ghosts rampage had prevented them froming out; even if they did, they would be immediately vaporized, so Lee Shin Woo hadnt had to fight against such weak mobs. However, Lee Shin Woo was preventing the two Dark me Ghosts from moving, so it wouldnt be strange for the monstersying in wait toe for them now. "While youre at it, pick up the level 8 bones on the floor too. Ill let you absorb all of them. You need to get to level 8 too." "Yay, Im so happy..." With a teary face, Jin nodded his head and epted the request. Then, Lee Shin Woo let go of the rampaging mana within him so he could proceed with the level up. Even though the wind mana disappeared, his body naturally remained afloat. His body was covered in a deep darkness and soon, the surrounding environment was stained in darkness. He never needed Jins protection. At this very moment, no one would be able to find Lee Shin Woo, nor would they be able to attack him. It was simr to Metafel Rerdans invincibility state when he was leveling up. [You were able toprehend your karma with no one to teach you, and have repeatedly grown to suit this achievement. Ultimately, you have managed to create a low level innate element, which cannot be ssified as mere karma; instead, it can be considered a revolution that came about from who you are.] [Your worth cannot be measured by what your body is made of nor what you create. Since you can fabricate it all and forge reality.] [You have finally reached the essence of the Joker karma. For now, you must borrow the power of darkness and shadow that obscures the line among all creation to do this. But if you manage to ovee this obstacle, then you will be a true Joker.] [You have evolved into a Level 8 Shadow Joker.] Lee Shin Woo had somewhat expected this to happen, as he had gained a deeper understanding of his Disguise skill. He would eventually ovee the limitations of life and death, and even ovee the limits of all creation. He knew he would be reborn and that the only term that could describe him would be a concept. As evidence, he had ovee the livings limitation of breathing; moreover, hed ovee the limitation of the undead: bones. He hadnt lost them. He had transcended them. Lee Shin Woo could do so at any time, and there was no need for him to obsess over them anymore. Now he didnt need to breathe to dominate his surroundings. From now on, he just needed to color the world with his shadow. That was the authority of a level 8... No, it was a high rank authority that only Lee Shin Woo had reached. Theres only one step left. He was lucky. If he hadnt acquired the innate element before hed leveled up, then he wouldve had a long road ahead of him. But he was able to learn of the fusion element within the dungeon, and was able to study an element that harmonized with ones unique characteristics. Dark Shadow, which reversed cause and effect, was capable of switching one between life and death; human or the undead. He couldnt right this instant, but if he trained, he was sure that he would be able to one day. His ss as Shadow Joker had made this clear. [You now have a deeper understanding of the Darkness element. High Rank Darkness has be Lv7 and Magic has increased by 40. You have gained a fundamental understanding of darkness and absorb the level 7 artifact, Evesting Night.] "Oh." He thought hed finally finished his level up, but he heard a message in his ear. Lee Shin Woo was extremely flustered, as he hadnt expected this to happen. It was the bracelet hed gotten off of Ethan Cruz, the level 7 bracelet, Evesting Night. It sharply increased the potency of ones darkness magic, but he hadnt been able to change it into bone thus far, so hed equipped it and forgotten all about it. However, he hadnt thought hed be able to absorb it through his understanding of the Darkness element, rather than through Bone Reinforcement! Is this what it means when they say that every stream and wave goes to the sea and bes one? To be honest, he didnt really know. However, he did know it wouldnt result in anything bad, so he let it be. This level up felt truly bizarre. First off, he didnt feel any pain whatsoever. It felt as though his entire being was melting into the darkness. Yeah, as if this is what was supposed to happen from the very beginning. The Evesting Night did the same; it melted into him and they became one. [Absorbing the Lv7 Evesting Night. Magic has increased by 150. The Mana eleration skill has be Lv7 and Magic has increased by 10. The High Rank Mana Bone skill has be Lv7 and Magic has increased by 30. High Rank Darkness has be Lv10 and has reached the MAX level. Magic has increased by 260. You have gained the title, He Who Has Reached the Peak. All stats have increased by 50.] In the process of absorbing the Evesting Night, Lee Shin Woo had finally reached the summit of his darkness element. It was only natural when he thought about it. Lee Shin Woo was born as a skeleton, so he had a high affinity with darkness at birth. Thus, it made sense that the first element that he mastered was the Darkness element. Since he had reached its peak, he no longer needed the Evesting Nights amplification ability. He definitely came out ahead if he were to weigh the pros and cons. Because hed absorbed the artifacts abilitiespletely, his Mana eleration and Mana Bone skills had leveled up, despite them just recently doing so. He was happy about that. Of course, his evolution hadnt stopped there. [The High Rank Assimtion skill has be Lv5. Agility and Magic have increased by 30.] It made sense that Assimtion leveled up too. Since the Assimtion skill didnt just refer to his assimtion with Jin, but his assimtion of the world as a whole. He understood the darkness and himself better, so he could now melt into the world; therefore, his Assimtion had leveled up. Perhaps Assimtion was far greater than Lee Shin Woo had imagined. He was really happy when he thought it might be connected to his Joker karma. [The High Rank Combat Sense skill has be Lv6. Agility has increased by 40.] Conversely, his Combat Sense skill had leveled up for a more simple reason. His senses had improved dramaticallypared to before, so his skill had followed suit and leveled up. Stats were one of the best indicators of onesbat ability, so with this, he could tell just how much hed grown. But then, a wave came crashing down that would prove iparable to his Combat Senses growth. He had understood the Jokers essence, reached the peak of the Darkness element, had awakened the Dark Shadow element, and had be a level 8... Because he had be so much more, he was able to attain this new skill! [The High Rank Bursting Thunder, Thorn Shadow, Emergency Evasion, High Rank Lightning Sprint, and Lightning Shadow skills are fusing together and evolving.] All of thebat skills hed acquired thus far had fused together and filled his body. It was no merebat skill; it felt as though a new weapon and armor was made for him that suited his existence. It had ovee the limitation of passive and active skills, and had be a skill that would create a new stage where he could contain and reveal all. Could he even call that a skill? He only called it a skill because he didnt know anything that would be appropriate. In fact, he could call it his alter ego. [You have learned the innate skill, Wild Card Lv1. All stats have increased by 200.] Once hed gained the skill of skills, Lee Shin Woo smiled within the darkness. Wild Card? That was the very essence of a Joker. Chapter 41 part7 [Lee Shin Woo] [Shadow Joker] [He Who Has Reached the Peak; 15 others] [Lv - 8 (Status Effectiveness 300%)] [Strength - 2,548, Agility - 2,717, Health - 2,913, Magic - 6,501] [Passive skills - Wild Card Lv1, Acting Lv20, Invisible Heart Lv4/Lv159, Rebellion Lv5, Mana eleration Lv7, High Rank Mana Bone Lv7, High Rank Command Lv7, High Rank Assimtion Lv5, High Rank Combat Sense Lv6, Lucky Strike Lv3, Soul Seeing Eye Lv3] [Active skills - Disguise Lv9, Instigate Lv8, Bone Reinforcement Lv12, Rule of Bone Lv11, Bone Armory Lv10, High Rank Regeneration Lv5, Sacrifice Lv1] [Elements - Darkness: MAX, Beginner Dark Shadow Lv1, Intermediate Dark me Lv1, High Rank Fire Lv6, High Rank Water Lv1, High Rank Wind Lv3, High Rank Earth Lv3, High Rank Ice Lv1, High Rank Acid Lv4, High Rank Lightning Lv5, Absorption Lv12] [Resistances - Holy: MAX, Darkness: MAX, Light: MAX, High Rank Fire Lv5, High Rank Water Lv1, High Rank Wind Lv3, High Rank Earth Lv4, High Rank Acid Lv3, High Rank Ice Lv1, High Rank Lightning Lv4] Lee Shin Woo melted into the darkness and then checked hispletely changed stats. His skills grew, which resulted in a noticeable increase in his stats as well. Hed just be level 8, yet his stats totaled 14,679. Moreover, by bing level 8, his status effectiveness had increased, so even he wasnt sure how much stronger hed gotten. Although his growth rate was lower now than when he had leveled up from level 6 to level 7, he had gained an overwhelming authority in its ce, so he didnt have anyints. As the message said, it would be nigh impossible for other level 8s to gain this much power. And I feel it too. That I wont lose to anyone Ive met anymore. He recalled the Archmage, Feotane Von Seldin, yet he didnt feel tense. When he was level 7, hed set the groundwork to countering the Archmages spatial magic. And now that hed learned the Dark Shadow element and had reached level 8, he was confident that he could counter his spatial magicpletely. If he were to factor in the dark mes as well... Wait, the dark mes? "Ah, thats right." He knew he was forgetting something. Lee Shin Woo stopped ruminating and got to work. The dense darkness was condensed into a single point, giving his body its shape. Itd be fine if he looked like a skeleton, but he decided to assume a human form, just in case the dungeon copsed and they were exposed. "Hoo." He appeared as a young man with a fit body and a tall height, causing him to emit a sort of decadent appeal. His body was much more bnced than when he was on Earth, but it was only natural when he took into ount the transcendent growth in his stats. He could make himself look like this with the Disguise skill, but making this form from darkness resulted in a way more lifelike feeling. "I dont even need to use Disguise anymore. Is this what happens when the world automatically oveps the frame of a living person onto ones essence? Interesting..." Of course, it was because of the Disguise skill that he was able to awaken, so he shouldnt be worrying about the differences between the two abilities. All of his abilities made up who he was. Perhaps Ive achieved enlightenment, Lee Shin Woo uselessly thought, and equipped himself through Bone Armory. He couldnt yet, but if he were to transcend Bone Reinforcement, Rule of Bone, and Bone Armory... his skills rted to bones, then Lee Shin Woo would be plete, or so he thought. Hed already transcended his previous physical form, so now he had to transcend his current abilities. "Shin Woo!" "Yeah, thanks for covering me." Once he became visible, Jin flew through the air and approached him. Lee Shin Woo replied nonchntly, epting the Titan Bone Core and the two Bone Cores, but Jins expression didnt look too bright. "Thats not the issue here. You lookpletely..." "Ah, lets talk about thatter." "...Ok." As expected, Jin also felt something after witnessing Lee Shin Woos evolution. Did he find out that he could transform into a human? If he did, then Lee Shin Woo would have to apologize until Jin cooled off. But there was something more pressing at the moment. "Bone Reinforcement." Lee Shin Woo said softly and tightened his grip. Darkness leaked from his fingertips, enveloping the Titan Bone Core and the two Bone Cores. The Titan Bone Core and the two other cores lost their shape and fused together; they were forming into apletely different shape. When he leveled up, his existence changedpletely, so all of his skills underwent fundamental growth, not just his Wild Card skill. If they hadnt, then thepleted Bone Core probably wouldnt be rebuilt. [Kyaaaaahk...!] [Kihik!] "Sorry, but youll have to stick with me for a little bit longer... Heup!" The Titan Bone Core was still evolving. He gripped the darkness in one hand and extended his other hands to the groaning Dark me Ghosts, who were trapped in their armor. Then, they surprisingly started to escape upwards! [Kyahak!?] [Kiiiiiiiiii!] Lee Shin Woo reinforced their bone armor by infusing his magic into them, allowing him to control them more easily. Then, the Dark me Ghosts escaped the barrier, even though they hadnt been able to do so by themselves! "Nows not the time to be fighting amongst ourselves! Get a hold of yourselves!" [Giiiiiiik!] Hed been the one egging them on, so it didnt sound righting from him. However, Lee Shin Woos expression didnt waver. Was he not going to instigate them now? This was aplete 180! Jin looked disapprovingly at him (thats what his goblin fire seemed to convey at least) and Lee Shin Woo whispered. "Jin, well be fighting the true boss soon. Bear with it until I get on the Titan. Ill take care of the rest once Ive gotten on." "Those bugs are still there, yet you want to call the host!? Are you going to try and fool them? You cant even talk to them." "Its because those bugs are there that Im attempting to call the boss. And I dont need to fool them. Youll see." Jin was confused. Lee Shin Woo clicked his tongue and raised his hand even higher. The sound of something rupturing sounded throughout the clearing. Immediately after, a ridiculous amount of fire surged from under the ground. The Dark me Ghosts had moved so forcefully that the barrier had beenpletely broken! [Kuaaaaaaaaaaaah!] [Giiiiiiiik!] [Gueeek!] A frightening amount of fire shook the clearing. The Dark me Ghosts began to shake when they heard those cries. Lee Shin Woo didnt concern himself with their reactions and used more of his strength topletely pull them out from the ground. The sight of the giant Dark me Ghosts unable to resist and being forced into the air was slightly adorable. "Holy crap... Shin Woo..." [Kuoooooooh!] Once a part of the barrier cracked, the rest of it gave way quickly. Ultimately, the mes surging from under the ground burnt away the remains of the barrier. Though they were far away, the surging golden mes momentarily obscured their vision. It was such that Lee Shin Woo couldntpletely shield himself from the sight with his darkness. In other words... [Kuhaaaaaaaah!] "Thats..." Jin shook at its overwhelming presence. On the other hand, Lee Shin Woo wasnt very surprised, as hed felt it before. It crowed as it flew, its feathers,posed of golden mes, rising into the sky. [Lv9 Corrupted Garuda - Sun God] "If the Pope knew about this, then hed grasp his forehead. Since hed have to remake all the stone statues of the Sun God." "Nows not the time to be joking around! If its corrupted, then that means its in the same condition as those Dryads!" "Yeah, youre right. Itd be great if we can return it to its original state, but... Man, that things ruined." Lee Shin Woo assumed that it was once covered in gold, but as of now, its body was a mix between a murky gold and ck; he looked down at the giant divine bird and shrugged his shoulders. It looked like it had avoided aplete undead transformation, but it wasnt alive; there was even less of a chance of him restoring its intellect. At least, thats what he saw. "Its soul is rotten. ...Well, it mustve gone through a lot, so it makes sense." "Shin Woo, lets run. We cant beat that thing. Lets let it rampage on the surface and hope it kills the Emperor for us." [Hes right. Thats... Not something a living being can oppose. Its existence borders on myth! As a spirit, I can tell. Only by transcending the barrier of the living and spirits can you gain that form!] Now that he thought about it, hedpletely forgotten about Zenon. While he was evolving, he had unsummoned his greatsword and Zenon was released; he had been hiding all this time. Lee Shin Woo called him to his side and soothed him. "Its ok. We dont need to fight right away. Lets just watch for now." [Huh?] The Garuda was slowlying up and getting closer and closer to them. However, Lee Shin Woo remained rxed. Zenon wondered why he was so confident, but he soon got his answer. The Dark me Ghosts were free falling towards the Garuda. [Kyaaaaaaah!] [Kihaaaah!] "Good. Let go of your anger!" "Theyre not letting go of their anger. Youre letting go of them." Jin calmly retorted, but that really wasnt very important to Lee Shin Woo. Lee Shin Woo would be happy as long as the Dark me Ghosts and the Garuda fought! Jin had thought that Lee Shin Woo would convince the Dark me Ghosts to fight against the Garuda, but he never needed to do so. If he left the three together, then...! [Kuaaaaaaaah!] The Garuda noticed the Dark me Ghosts and furiously spewed mes. The mes were so great that the sides of the clearing walls exploded; part of the walls were simultaneously vaporized. The Dark me Ghosts had been drawing energy from the Garuda for years, so it was seething in anger! [Giiiiiiiii!] [Guaaahk!] Of course, the Dark me Ghosts were quite pitiful. They were brought here and sealed by the Magic Emperor, and had no choice but to draw energy from the Garuda to survive! But so long as it was hostile towards them, the Dark me Ghosts had no choice but to use their dark mes in order to survive! And so, the battle between the level 9 bird and the two giant level 8 bugs began. Lee Shin Woo watched from above with Jin and Zenon and stuck his chest out boastingly. "See that? A swindler controls cause and effect, even while doing nothing." "Yeah, youre amazing." "That golden me is either High Rank Fire or fire mixed with something else (a fusion element). Im sure of it, considering the fact that the dark mes arent very effective against it. ...Based on the info Im getting from the ck armor, the only reason theyresting so long is because of the dark mes." But there was a pronounced difference in physical specs, so the battle would end at this rate. Rather than entering the battle himself, Lee Shin Woo reinforced their ck armor further by infusing more magic into them. He increased their defense as much as he could and was trying to draw out as much of the Garudas power as possible. "Those guys... Do you think they can win?" "Nope." Jin asked cautiously and Lee Shin Woo firmly replied. "On the contrary, the true battle will begin after they die." He smiled as he looked at the still-evolving darkness within his grasp. When those Dark me Ghosts had done their job and turned into Bone Cores, the Titan Bone Core would finally be reborn into the state that Lee Shin Woo envisioned. The Titan Bone Core would inherit the Dark me Ghosts will and strength and be reborn. He would then ride the reborn Titan Bone Golem to defeat this foe. There was nothing more wonderful than this! "Im d that youre still the Lee Shin Woo that Im used to, even after leveling up to level 8." "..." Thats strange. Jin hadnt insulted him at all, yet he felt unpleasant for some reason. As the battle continued, Lee Shin Woo wondered whether Jin had learned a skill like Instigate while he wasnt looking. Chapter 41 part8 [Kiiiiiiik!] [Kihiiii!] [Kuooooooooh!] Ten minutes after the monsters, which boasted a height of at least 50 meters, began their decisive battle, Lee Shin Woo was able to give the Garudas golden mes a proper name. "Lets call that shining me." "Its just as chunibyou as your dark me." "No, thats not the issue here. Its the fact that its the counter element to Dark Shadow." While light possessed the power to sever connections, the shining me took it one step further. The shining mes were capable of erasing all cause and effect of anything it touched. Whereas Dark Shadow allowed him to reverse cause and effect, so if the two elements were used against each other, then the winner would be determined by which was more powerful. Hed only just be level 8 and obtained a beginner level 1 innate element, so he couldnt ovee the Garuda if he went head-to-head with it. "I have the worst luck. I just got an innate element, but why did it have to be an element on par with it?" Lee Shin Woo realized how wide the world truly was. After reaching level 8, and obtaining both Dark Shadow and Wild Card, hed thought that perhaps he was unrivaled. However, he immediately met an enemy that shattered his delusions! Perhaps it was a good thing that he hadnt been conceited, he thought. Jin merely gazed at Lee Shin Woo speechlessly. "Arent you the one whos amazing for obtaining an element on par with that monsters...? No, wait. How are you even going to fight it anyway?" "With the dark mes. Dark Shadow wont work, but the dark mes will. Theres a chance itll work since the exhausted Dark me Ghosts are putting up a fight." The dark me was a powerful ability that destroyed anything it touched and returned what it destroyed to its wielder. Even if the shining me erased cause and effect, by stealing that ability, Lee Shin Woo would be able to weaken its efficacy. ...Of course, the Dark me Ghosts were too weak, so they werent able to nullify the Garudas shining me, but they were at least weakening it. And through their ck armor, Lee Shin Woo was able to gather indirect experience with the dark mes, increasing his proficiency and allowing him to set up countermeasures for the shining mes. As a result... [The Intermediate Dark me element has be Lv2! Magic has increased by 20.] "Sseup, Ill have to integrate this elements power someday." Hed already gotten a start. The Wild Card skill fused all of his skills together, so all of his attacks, defenses, or elemental conversions became unconstrained; if he studied exhaustively with this skill, then he should be able to reach the end of his path. This was another step forward. What a difficult next step, Lee Shin Woo quietly muttered, and extended one hand forward. At the same time, the Dark me Ghosts, which were fighting against the Garuda, stiffened. [Gik...!] [Kuhik...?] Once he reached level 8, all of his skills (even if they didnt level up) were affected by his karma and changed in a positive manner. His Rule of Bone was no exception and was strengthened considerably. So much so that he could easily control and restrain the two Dark me Ghosts, even though he was tired! "Youve done well. Now die." "You really do talk like a final boss!" If he let this go on, then the Dark me Ghosts would inevitably be killed by the Garuda. That in itself wasnt a huge problem, but there was a chance that the loot would be burned into dust by the shining mes. If nothing else, he knew the Dark me Ghosts had nothing left in them. [Guaaaaaah!] [Kihiiiiiik!] The Dark me Ghost suddenly screamed in agony. Although the Garuda was flustered, it didnt let go of this chance and unleashed its shining me onto them. But there was no way that Lee Shin Woo would help him out for nothing. The Dark me Ghosts mustered theirst remaining strength and barely blocked the shining mes; when their energy was finally depleted and the Garuda was wide open... -Kwaaaang! Lee Shin Woo blew up their ck armor. The darkness swelled, covering the Dark me Ghosts in their entirety. Then they exploded, unleashing destructive energy onto the Garuda! [The Beginner Dark Shadow element has be Lv3. Magic has increased by 20.] "Oh, this Dark Shadow abilitys great." "That was Dark Shadow!? Just now!?" "Yep. Once I acquired the innate element, it became my fundamental element. Its like my normal attacks are turned into elemental attacks." "Sorry. I dont get it." The Dark Shadow element was capable of reversing cause and effect. The exnation was quite ambiguous, but if his image and will were clear, then it was like an omnipotent ability. It was nigh-impossible to do this, aside from Lee Shin Woo himself, so thats why it was called an innate element. Lee Shin Woo had used the Dark Shadow element like this just now. Normally, Rule of Bone could only explode bones, but he had reversed cause and effect so that the rest of their body was considered bone. This allowed him to explode their entire body. This was only possible because of his Disguise skill (which he could use on others), as well as his Acting skill, which could even fool the world itself! "That doesnt make any sense! Now you can fool the world!?" "It does make sense. Youre looking at it right now. But its still imperfect, so dont go crazy with thepliments." "That modestys even scarier!" [Guaaaaaaaaaah...!] Hed exploded two level 8 elites, so even the level 9 divine bird (which was in the midst of its undead transformation) couldnt withstand it unscathed. Lee Shin Woo hadnded a direct hit with the explosions, and the Garuda screamed weakly and plummeted. During that time, Lee Shin Woo collected the loot that the Dark me Ghosts had left behind. "Jin, if I could, Id reinforce you, but I have to prioritize the battle for now. Dont worry, Ill make sure to make it up to youter." "No, you dont need to worry about that!" Lee Shin Woo was deeply moved by Jins humility and soon executed Bone Reinforcement. He reinforced himself with the Dark me Ghosts bones (he mustve been lucky, as one of them dropped two bones at once!), while he used the Dark me Bone Cores they left behind to reinforce the still-evolving Titan Bone Core. [Absorbing the Lv8 Fiery Sands Dark me Ghosts wing bone, head exoskeleton, and mr. Fully understanding the Fiery Sands Dark me Ghosts memories. Strength has increased by 80, Agility by 30, Health by 70, and Magic by 65. The Intermediate Dark me element has be Lv5 and Magic has increased by 60. The Absorption skill has be LV15 and Magic has increased by 60.] "Mmmmm." Perhaps it was because he was on equal footing with them now, as the stats he gained were much lower than before. Even if he factored that in, he still gained a huge amount of stats. But more importantly, he had absorbed several bones that originated from the same species, causing them to resonate. This allowed him to see through their entire lifetime! His proficiency in the Dark me and the Absorption skills werent the only things that grew. Bypletely analyzing the lives of such high level existences, Lee Shin Woos own existence grew. Lee Shin Woos state as one who overcame the boundaries ofbat skills and elements had grown. But thats not the issue here. What is... The memories of them draining the Garudas energy for hundreds of years! Those melted into Lee Shin Woos body, helping him better understand the Garudas abilities, its characteristics, as well as its ws. They werent represented as stats or skills, but these memories gave him the upper hand against the Garuda. Plus... [The Titan Bone Core is evolving. You have acquired the Lv8 Dark me Bone Core.] The level 8 Titan Bone Core had absorbed four Elite Bone Cores and finished evolving, assuming a different form. The core itself was smaller than before, but the energy within was about two times greater than before! It was such immense energy that Lee Shin Woo wondered why it hadnt evolved into a level 9 artifact instead. That wasnt all. ck lines traversed along the outside of the once fully red core like blood vessels. Those lines were the core of its evolution, but it felt a lot gloomier than before,pared to when theva emitted the feeling of a Giant. But more importantly, the name...! "Dark me... Keuk!" He knew that it meant Dark me in English. He knew that, but...! Lee Shin Woo gritted his teeth. Once hed gotten over the humiliating name, he distanced himself from Jin before the Garuda recovered. "You know you cante with me on the golem, right?" "...If youre in trouble, Ille charging at him to distract him." "Thanks, but you wont need to." Lee Shin Woo grinned. Then, he gripped the core. As the one whod remodeled the core, he knew best how it had changed, so he didnt need to check its info. Oh, right. If he showed the core to Kratia, then shed be really happy. No, she may look into his new ability first. But in order for that time toe, Lee Shin Woo had to beat this guy. "Synchronize." The core absorbed Lee Shin Woos overflowing mana, and as it had been remodeled with Lee Shin Woos power, it had adopted more of his features; it pulsed darkly and responded. The outside of the core was released and covered his body. The disorderly looking ck lines covered the outside of Lee Shin Woos body, forming a geometric shape. Eventually, a shape formed onto his body and shined. [Synchronizationplete. Titan activating.] Although this was his second time experiencing this, it was really difficult to adjust to the feeling of his small body transforming into a several meter tall Giant. But by reaching level 8, Lee Shin Woo had, in many ways, ovee his physical limitations, allowing him to focus without getting lost. He only realized after the fact, but the Titan was about 10 meters tall. Compared to before, when it was about 7 meters tall, it increased its height by about half. Lee Shin Woo was amazed and clenched both hands tightly. At that moment, a message appeared before him. [Activating the Dark me Titan. 500 seconds remaining.] [Your Strength and Magic temporarily increase by 2,500, and Health and Agility by 2,000.] Not only could the Titan be operated for more than double its previous time, but the stat bonuses also didnt decrease much, despite him leveling up! With the stat bonuses, his total stats were 24,084. In other words, he wasnt much different from a level 9 being. Plus... [While riding the Titan, the Dark me skill sublimates. With your current understanding, you can utilize high rank level 5 Dark me.] A considerable amount of heat radiated from the core and flowed throughout his body, but he weed the feeling. The dark mes asserted their existence within the crimson me! As he had hoped for, the Titan had be a golem specialized in Dark me. Although he couldnt raise his Dark me skill over the intermediate level normally, by using the Dark me Golem he could. "Shin Woo, itsing!" [Kyaaaaaahk!] At that moment, the Garuda struck. It realized that the Dark me Titan was no normal foe, and unleashed thergest st of shining me it could muster before the Titan could move. However, Lee Shin Woo was already in full control of the Titan. Before hed gotten on the golem, he had wrapped the Titan in wind mana, and gently raised it up into the sky as if it were floating in response. He extended both his hands and created a wall of dark me. When the shining me and his dark me met, another message appeared before him. [You are currently controlling a Titan, and are fighting against a higher level foe, who possesses the power of a god. The Rebellion skill activates. All stats have increased by 56%!] Three conditions had been met, so the Rebellion skill gave Lee Shin Woo enough power to fight against a level 9 head on! [The Intermediate Dark me element has be Lv6. Magic has increased by 20!] The Dark me had also intensified and vaporized the shining me. As he thought, it was still too hard for him to absorb the shining mes, but blocking them was no problem. He had already known about this from the Dark me Ghosts, but doing it in person made him shiver. [Kyahaaaaah!] "Ha." Compared to the Dark me Ghosts, Lee Shin Woo easily eliminated the condensed shining me. Seeing that, the Garuda screamed out and charged. Lee Shin Woo summoned the Fire Dragons Scale Greatsword to fight it head on. He activated his Gigantification of course, in order to increase its size to 10 meters long. [Zenon, lets go.] [I-I understand!] Zenon meekly obeyed Lee Shin Woos orders, settling into the greatsword and reinforcing it. Because of its increased size, Zenon had to expend more energy to reinforce it, but if he couldnt do that, then he had no right to be an Elder Smander Prince! He hadnt done much thus far, so Zenon gritted his teeth and promised that hed win against the Garuda. It seemed as though his feelings were ryed to Lee Shin Woo, as he smiled more deeply than before. [Alright. Were all ready now! Lets go!] "Youre too prepared. It feels like youll tear the world asunder!" [Gyawooooooo!] Jin, whod retreated to a safe distance, retorted, and the Garuda screamed as if belittling him. It fluttered its wings and quickly flew towards Lee Shin Woo. It looked quite majestic; its mes zed, seemingly twisting thendscape. "Its only level 9 and its contaminated as well, so it must not be an important god." [It looks plenty important enough to me!] "Yeah. Time for us to kill a god." [Guaaaaaaaahk!] Ah, hed always wanted to say this line. While wielding the dark me, Lee Shin Woo hadnt realized that hed aroused the hot-bloodedness hed had as a child. This was thest battle with the dungeons boss. Chapter 42 part1 The protagonist awakens in the midst of danger and bravely defeats the final boss; hes embraced by the princess and then goes home with everyone... That stuff only happened insideics, Lee Shin Woo realized. Even though hed gained a new ability, there was no guarantee that he could take down the final boss with it. For example, against the Sun God Garuda in front of him! [Kureureureureuraaaa!] [Huahp!] Whenever the ck and golden mes shed, it would let off a deafening roar, as if the sky itself was copsing. The dungeon had already reached its limit. The explosions caused by the golden mes, which distorted and erased cause and effect, had an indirect effect on the dungeon, causing it to copse. [Guyaaaaaahk!] [Keuk...!] Whereas Lee Shin Woo was in the heart of these raging mes. Whenever he shed with the Garuda, he would grit his teeth at the resulting shock. It had been imprisoned for hundreds of years, and had been contaminated by the undead curse. And because of its fight with the Dark me Ghosts, its magic had declined; it was in the worst possible situation. Despite that, it wasnt being pushed back very far in a head-to-head confrontation with Lee Shin Woo. [Time remaining: 317 seconds] Three minutes had already passed. If he couldnt beat it by then, then hed bepletely screwed. If it was this tough fighting it while inthe Titan, then how would he fare without it? He wouldnt get out of this losing just one or two lives. As expected of a level 9 Garuda. Its strong. Really strong. Now that he thought about it, he felt the exact same way when hed first met the Archmage. One didnt level up purely through an umtion of stats; one needed to achieve enough feats as well. Hedpletely changed his way of thinking to reach level 8, but the Garuda had also grown both physically and mentally to reach level 9, so much so that it was difficult for him toprehend the difficulty. Lee Shin Woo thought hed be able to defeat such a high level entity by just matching its stats, but he was wrong. [Gilululululululu!] [Huahp...!] Lee Shin Woo gritted his teeth, as if to dispel all his hesitation, and thrust his sword. His sword, enveloped in mes, was threatening enough to instill a sense of fear in any strong foe, but the Garuda merely expelled mes from its body and took his greatsword head-on. It was always like this. Lee Shin Woo was used to fighting against stronger foes, and swung his sword so that the Garuda couldnt dodge. However, the Garuda took his strike head-on, as if never intending to avoid his attack. Even if he attacked again, the Garuda wouldnt be hurt. The shining mes would be diminished for a mere second; they would return to full strength in but a moment. I cant even inflict a little damage to it like this. During their 3 minute long sh, Lee Shin Woo hade to a realization. That it didnt move its body to fight; it only controlled its shining mes to fight. The shining mes, which enveloped its body, was both a peerless shield and weapon. It would naturally change the shape of its me to match Lee Shin Woos attacks, and it could effortlessly change from offense to defense. Thus, Lee Shin Woo realized that it was far greater at handling its innate element than he was. Most of its stats are probably in magic. Itspletely optimized for fighting with its element alone. But theres one saving grace: that maintaining its shining me drains its health and magic simultaneously... As Zenon had said before, the Garuda had transcended its physical body, and was halfway to bing a spirit. Therefore, its fighting style resembled that of a spirit using an element, rather than a living being with a physical body. And whether its power came from naturalw, magic, a natural element, or an innate element, its shining mes was an almighty ability that erased everything and anything! He could understand why the Magic Emperor had imprisoned it within a barrier rather than fighting it. Rather, Lee Shin Woo thought, Youre lucky the barriersted so long. It was a conceptual barrier that could not be erased by the shining mes, so if he were to fight against the Magic Emperor, then hed need to prepare some countermeasures. If he could survive, that is. [Kureureureureureureuk!] [Heup!] The Garuda seized the opportunity, unleashing dozens of shining me spears, but with one swing of his greatsword, Lee Shin Woo was able to repel them without much difficulty. Although his sword swing looked simple, it was actually quiteplex; he loaded his dark me into the magic wavelength and moved inscrutably, repelling the shining me. It was a shocking sight, but Lee Shin Woo, who had managed to do such a feat, just gritted his teeth in fury. Were still at a stalemate, even after all this...! Now that he could use level 5 High Rank Dark me, he remained unscathed, but he had a time constraint. He had 280 seconds left before his time was up; he had to kill the Garuda within that time. Theres a way I can beat it. Though it pisses me off that its simr to what the Emperor came up with. If he could, Lee Shin Woo wouldve wanted to defeat it head-on with his dark mes. Since there was no better opponent than a foe of equal strength to test out and develop his innate element. But that was a miscalction. Hed promised himself that he wouldnt get conceited when obtaining great power, but he had been conceited ever since he thought he could beat the level 9 divine bird head-on. He was a level down and had just obtained an innate element. He had just realized this fact. [...Fine. Ill throw away my useless pride, and return to who I used to be: someone who does anything to win.] [Can we really call this guy the Sun Gods hero...!?] Lee Shin Woo hadnt been wasting time. He had been observing the Garudas shining me ever since it had fought against the Dark me Ghosts. And as a result, he concluded that... The way to win was extremely simple, unrefined, and somewhat pissed him off! [So what is that simple and unrefined method? Id appreciate it if you let me in on it, since Im in the sword you keep smashing into it!] [Fine. Let me exin.] The Shining me was both a fusion element and an innate element. Thus, the price for using it was high. The more the Garuda (which was specialized in magic) expelled such mes, the more it exhausted its magic. In other words, all he needed to do was make it use up all of its magic. He could easily kill it if he just waited until it wasted all its magic! Thats probably what the Emperor was hoping for when he created this barrier. Although, it had recovered its energy through the undead curse... [Everyone knows that! If we (spirits) use up the magic that makes up the source of our existence, then we die too!] [That things too strong for me to kill it with any other method!] Lee Shin Woo couldnt hold back and yelled. Likewise, Zenon lost his temper. Zenon gritted his teeth and asked. [So how exactly are you going to go about this? At this rate, your armor will give out before its magic does!] [Hoo. Youre clueless. Everything Ive done was to gain momentum...] If he continued on like this, hed never beat it. However, Lee Shin Woo still had a card to y. His innate skill, Wild Card, which hed gained upon leveling up thatbined all of his offensive skills! [If you had something like that, you shouldve used it earlier!] [Shut up. This skill isnt easy to use; it wont unleash its full power just because I want it to. I wanted to beat it with just my innate skills, but I couldnt activate Wild Card before. I needed time to gather info while I shed with it.] Wild Card, as its name might imply, transcended the limitations of active and passive skills. Thus, it was a skill that buffed all of his actions. Strictly speaking, he had constantly been using it up until now. Whenever Lee Shin Woo swung his sword in an attempt to harm his foe, his attack would be much faster and more powerful than before. And it was all because of this skill. Lightning Sprint, Lightning Shadow, and Bursting Thunder, all his high rankbat skills dwelled within this skill. Thus, their buffs were included as well. But unlike them, he could use Wild Card with any element. But thats ultimately just the basic property of this skill. Thats why it doesnt work unless Im using my activebat skills, or using an element at the same time. Not only did it fuse several skills in order to explosively increase his offensive and defensive capabilities, but whenever he attacked, he could swiftly switch from a skill to an element. That alone made it an amazing ability, but that wasnt its true value. [Wild Card - Innate Skill Lv1] [The most offensive of the Jokers cards used to engrave their existence onto the world. When youre in a pinch, all of your abilities are fused together, allowing you to perform an almighty act which can surmount any obstacle, regardless of the circumstances you are in. All of your stats, characteristics, and skills are fused together, and that power is amplified. This skill grows when presented with a clear, indisputable victory.] In a game, a wild card could change into any other card, but the fact that it could change wasnt very important. What was important was that one could win as a result of its change. Therefore, Wild Card didnt give him a method to achieve some result, but would lead him to the result itself. In other words, it would lead him to victory. [So, in other words, you win just by using it!? Isnt that the strongest skill there is!?] [You still dont get it.] Nothing is free. Every skill had a price, and Wild Card was no exception. In order to be victorious in a game, one must first understand the game. [There are four conditions to fully activating Wild Card.] Understanding his abilities, understanding his enemys abilities, understanding the situation he and his enemy are in, and understanding the win condition (the games rules). Missing any one of these would make the Wild Card a half-assed skill. Like Lee Shin Woos battle with the Garuda. [Then... Then, can you use the skill to its fullest now?] [Yep. Probably.] Normally, he would have to use his innate element (which was a match made in heaven with Wild Card), Dark Shadow, to reverse cause and effect a few times to keep things going smoothly. However, his foe had such a specialized power that it had taken this long to set up the game. But if he were to defeat the Garuda and obtain its shining me as well, things would be different from now on. He would possess three innate elements; he was happy just thinking about it. Now then. He didnt need to, but Lee Shin Woo decided to say it out loud to signal the start of hiseback. [Wild Card.] [Gureuk!] Lee Shin Woos greatsword rushed towards the Garuda a second time. The Garuda snorted, as if saying itll be the same, no matter how many times you try and ignited its shining me. At that moment, Lee Shin Woos Combat Sense, Assimtion, Mana Bone, Soul Seeing Eye, Dark me, Rule of Bone, Bone Armory, High Rank Regeneration, Mana eleration... Acting, Disguise, and Instigate skills simultaneously activated. [Gureureureureuk!?] The world was instantly filled with the dark me covered greatsword. It wasnt a figure of speech. The vast dungeon clearing was filled with countless greatswords. These greatswords, armed with Dark me, the only power that could erase the shining me, radiated darkness at their edge and aimed at the Garuda! The Garuda was flustered and widened is eyes, yet it still ignited its shining me, burning all of the greatswords. But in the blink of an eye, hundreds, no thousands of dark me swords rushed towards it. [Ive already seen through all your abilities. Erase them all, if you can.] [Kikuoooooh!] Lee Shin Woo was still encased in the golem, with dark mes violently zing atop it. The Garuda was furious, and expelled shining mes in every direction, as if saying I wont lose. However, the golem before it remained unscathed. No, it looked a little closer than before. The show had already begun. Chapter 42 part2 [Kukaaaah!?] How did this humans power increase so suddenly? Had he been hiding his strength all this time? The Garuda, surrounded by dark me greatswords, looked around and couldnt hide its panic. [Kikuoooooh!] [Next.] Though it expelled its mes in every which direction and managed to melt the greatswords, more greatswords would take their ce and attack it. Each and every greatsword was tinged in dark me, so the Garuda could not oppose them without its shining me! At first, the Garuda thought it may be a hallucination, but there was not a single person in the world that could fool it, the master of the shining mes. Just in case, it allowed one of the greatswords through, but was met with agonizing pain. Lee Shin Woos Dark me was much more powerful than the Dark me Ghosts, so the Garuda immediately released its shining me and erased the greatsword. However, it had taken considerable damage in the process. [Guaaaahk! Kugiaaaaah!] [Hoo.] There was only one thing it could think of. Either he had way more magic than it did, or he was supplying himself limitless mana through some unknown means! But what about the Garuda? It had just awoken after hundreds of years of imprisonment, so its body was in terrible shape. Its body had been contaminated, its mana hadnt recovered properly, and it couldnt use any of its other authorities, aside from its Shining me. A few more attacks like this, and it wouldnt have enough mana to even produce its shining mes! [Kureureuk...!] Then, what should it do? It obviously had to run away. If it ran away at full speed, a human wouldnt be able to follow (the Garuda still hadnt figured out just how fast Jin was). First, it would run away, somehow replenish its mana, figure out the humans abilities, and then form some countermeasures to them. Yeah. That would be the rational decision. But because the Garudas mind and body had been corrupted by the undead curse, it made the exact opposite call. It unleashed even greater mes, burning away the greatswords, and then charged at the Titan! [Kuhaaaaaaaahk!] [Nice looking mes you got there!] It was level 9! Although it was standing on the precipice of life and death, there was no way it couldnt kill a level 8 human! On the contrary, if it were to kill him and then absorb his mysterious mana source, it would soon be restored from this corrupted state! Its mind was filled with violence, void of any reason; the Garuda looked like any other undead in the Underground Empire. The Garuda had barely kept itself together before, but hadpletely snapped after fighting Lee Shin Woo. Good. On the other hand, Lee Shin Woo couldnt stop himself from inwardly smiling. After hed analyzed both his and his enemys environment, he had activated Wild Card, which was definitely working. Once hed activated the skill, hed anticipated the Garudas response, its panicked state, and even its current action... No, by using Wild Card, everything was going ording to his script. This skill, Wild Card... Turns a limited space into my stage. It sets up the situation, causing my enemy and the circumstances to go in a certain direction; a direction in which I win. Im the only main character here...! Honestly, his innate skills (e.g. Disguise, Instigate, Acting, etc.) werent suitable for battle. Regardless, Lee Shin Woo had used those skills resourcefully (or forcefully) to ovee danger. However, they werent meant to be used to attack the enemy. But when Wild Card fuses all of his skills together and amplifies them, the Jokers innate skills be the most powerful skills in the world. The clearing, filled to the brim with greatswords, was a good example of this. Those were mostly created with his Disguise and Acting skills... To be frank, they were all falsities that only he and the Garuda could see. If I can make them think its real, then it supnts whats actually real. Moreover, its gotten hit by one of my greatswords already, so its already afraid. Normally, it would be impossible to use his Disguise, Acting, and Instigate skills on such arge scale. But it was made possible by his Wild Card skill, which made the entire area his own, amplified all of his skills, mixed and matched them, and activated them! You cant act without the proper stage. Wild Card sets up the perfect stage for me, and when I, the actor, sets foot on that stage, the y begins! Of course, not all of the greatswords within the clearing were fakes. A few of the swords had been created by his Bone Armory skill, so some real weapons were mixed in with the fakes. And when the Garuda had tested to see if it were hallucinating or not, Lee Shin Woo had used a real greatsword. Once it pierced its body, true dark me erupted from the de and caused a grievous wound! [Kugyaaaaaahk!] [You really think youll be able to burn all of these with those measly mes? You need more!] As a result, the stage was set. The Garuda thought all of the greatswords were real threats, so it was burning each and every one of them with its mes. While Lee Shin Woo had barely used any mana, the Garuda was releasing its shining mes over a wide area, so its mana was draining fast. Thus, the once close battle hadpletely turned in his favor. It might be different if the Garuda could reabsorb its mana, but it wasnt a plete level 9! Moreover, Lee Shin Woo was dominating the mana in the entire area (as Wild Card had increased his reach), so he was gradually strangling it! [Kuguooooooh...!] It hadnt even been 3 minutes since hed used the Wild Card skill (he had 140 seconds left before the Titan deactivated), yet the mes that enclosed its body had be pale and diminished significantly. Plus, its form looked clearer than before as well. Its half-rotten eyes looked into Lee Shin Woos eyes. Its hostility, anger, and regret were reflected within those eyes, as it couldnt defeat him. [Hoo. Hoo. Now youre starting to look at me.] [Kikuoooooh!] Originally, its golden body mustve been beautiful. However, the many years spent trapped here caused its skin to split, and the undead curse caused his body to rot, ckening its body here and there. That was the biggest cause of its rapidly dwindling intellect. It had been imprisoned by the Magic Emperors barrier, and was corrupted by the Undead Emperors curse, so the Garuda was just an unfortunate victim of the strife between the two. It was quite pitiful, but directing that anger at Lee Shin Woo would do nothing but inconvenience him. [If you even have a shred of reason left, then we shouldnt have to fight...] [You wouldve looked a little cool if you werent raising your greatsword.] It seemed as though Zenon had also figured out Lee Shin Woos personality by fighting with him, as he retorted like Jin would. But what he didnt know was that if the Garuda really did have any reason left in it, then Lee Shin Woo wouldve sent it to the surface to wreak havoc onto the Emperors forces. Lee Shin Woo thought about wanting to see the Emperors face at least once, and simultaneously thrust with his greatsword forward. His strike was reinforced by Wild Card, allowing it to surpass all limitations. He was able to cut through the weakened shining me shield like a hot knife through butter and severed one of its wings. [Critical Hit!] [Dark me steals your enemys Strength and Magic. While you have the Dark me active, Strength is increased by 150 and Magic by 350.] [You have acquired the fusion element, Beginner Shining me Lv1. Magic has increased by 20.] He hadpletely severed one of its wings. The severed wing fell from the sky, the dark mes engulfing and vaporizing it on the way down. Then, he felt the Garudas strength wane while the Titans magic increased! At longst, his Dark me had absorbed the Shining me and destroyed it, resulting in him acquiring the Shining me! [Kuguooooooooooh!] The Garuda, losing one of its wings, let out an agonizing cry that threatened to blow up the dungeon. No, it actually happened. A high level monster and a Titan had shed, so the dungeon had begin to copse on the inside. But its cry was the straw that broke the camels back. The ceiling and the walls began to break! "The dungeons copsing!" "No, more importantly, look over there! That giant bird and that giant...!" "A greatsword! The size is different, but thats the greatsword that Sir Kay wields...!" "Does that mean that that giant is Kay!?" "A-Are the other members of the 12 generals almost here!? No, even if one or two of the 12 generals doe, we still wouldnt be able to beat that..." Moonlight fell upon the shing Garuda and Titan, and the surrounding humans just watched in shock! They now had an audience. Everyone watched the several meter tall firebird, and the dark me giant fighting against it. It was like a reenactment of myth, and no one could do anything as they all just remained rooted in ce in awe of what was happening in front of them. This is dangerous. Lee Shin Woo had prepared his Wild Card in case it tried to escape, but felt a little nervous that it might go to waste. However, that didnt end up happening. On the contrary, its contamination spread even further with the loss of its wing, so a somber darkness came out of its body, simultaneously strengthening its magic and taking away all its intellect. As a result, the darkness and the shining mes mixed together, and the Garuda charged Lee Shin Woo once more! [Kyahaaaaaaahk!] [Darkness? Ha, thats good news for me.] If it had stuck to its shining mes, then it wouldvested longer. But to think it would use darkness against him, when it couldnt even properly control it yet! In the process of reaching level 8, Lee Shin Woo hadpletely mastered the Darkness element. Yet, the Garuda was trying to harm him, not with a fusion element, but with the darkness element that naturally d its body once it became an undead? Thats funny. He snorted and took it head-on. [Die!] [1] [Kugooooooooh!] He raised his greatsword up high and swung downwards like lightning. As if copying the Garuda, Lee Shin Woos de was d in both dark and golden mes (half and half), but the power contained within was iparably greater than the Garudas mes. "The power thats enveloping the golems sword..." "Its mixing light and darkness together. It looks to be the stronger of the two...!" The humans looked up at Lee Shin Woos sword and yelled in shock. However, Lee Shin Woo merely used Dark Shadow to mix Dark me and Shining me together. Now that the Garudas shining mes had weakened was the perfect time for him to use Dark Shadow! [Guaaaaaaaaaaah!] [Huahp!] When Lee Shin Woos greatsword and its beak shed, the Garudas darkness energy flowed backwards and exploded. The explosion was both gruesome and beautiful, and the ground cried out once more. The Garudas beak was broken into pieces, and its shining mes had dispersed. Lines of mes appeared from its head to its tail. Although it was corrupted, it was still a divine bird. It wouldnt forgive the greatsword for daring to touch its body and used itsst remaining energy to burn it in an instant. However, it couldnt undo Lee Shin Woos strike, so it was cut in half. But it wasnt over just yet. [Young spirit.] [H-Huh!?] Zenon was simply dwelling with Lee Shin Woos greatsword. He had been rxing within it and watched the battle between the Garuda and Lee Shin Woo as if he were watching a movie. But then, he suddenly heard someone initiate a conversation with him. [I am the Child of the Sun, the Father of the me. Garuda. I have a request for you, as one who has lived the same life as myself...] To think, it was the Garuda, who Lee Shin Woo had just cut in half and killed! Thats right. Once the boss battle was over, the conversation with a soul event had started. Without Lee Shin Woo at that...! [1] T/N: This actually says "Be cut in half and die". Chapter 42 part3 Its not over. Lee Shin Woo narrowed his eyes. Although the Garudas corpse had disappeared, it hadnt dropped any loot yet. He had a hunch as to why. Since a snow-white light rose from within the Garudas body as it disappeared and was sticking to the Titans body. When the greatsword melted away, Zenon immediately left the de and entered the Titan. This peculiar phenomenon probably had something to do with Zenon... His assumption waspletely correct. Zenon was busy speaking with the Garudas final remaining will. [Young spirit. Could you inherit my will?] [L-Lord Garuda. Im just a regr spirit following this human...] Zenon was conversing with a part of the Garudas consciousness. When it had realized that its body and soul were being eroded by the undead curse, the Garuda had torn a piece of its soul off and stored it away; its soul was incredibly pure. Of course, not everyone could do this just because they were a high level. It was only possible for the Garuda because it had developed its innate element, the Shining me, and the light element to near perfection. [The fact that I was able to meet you, one who wields the same fire energy as me, before I died in vain must be due to God. And if youve chosen that human as your contractor, then I will respect your decision.] [Is that so...] The Garuda spoke amicably, but it just made Zenon feel a sense of awe and break into a cold sweat. It probably didnt understand Zenon and Lee Shin Woos rtionship in the least. If thats not it, then it wouldnt be so calm! Zenon thought about it faintly, but he didnt say it out loud. [If you have something you want from me, then... Please say so.] His short interaction with Lee Shin Woo was drawing attention to him. Right now, the right move was to just listen to what the Garuda had to say! [This human, who youve entrusted your soul to, is incredibly strong. Moreover, hes realized part of the truth of this world at such a young age, so if he doesnt tread down the wrong path, then he should be able to correct the chaos of this world.] [Chaos...] [You should already know. That curse, which was able to corrupt even I, who had transcended death, came about due to mankinds unending greed... If left unchecked, the world is doomed. So long as your contractor... a hero doesnt correct it.] Thats right. The Garuda possessed some divinity, albeit weak, so it knew that Lee Shin Woo was one of Gods heroes! Hearing that, Zenon slightly tilted his head. [Then why arent you telling him this yourself?] [Its rted to what Im about to tell you. I will give you the power to erase anything, so... if that hero treads the wrong path, then Id like you to destroy him with your own two hands.] Zenon could tell how earnest the Garuda was being and justughed inside. He doesnt think that thats actually possible, does he? However, the Garuda maintained its serious tone and continued. [Your contractors ability is exceptional. At such a young age, he not only reached level 8 but also possesses the ability to distort the truth. In my long life, Ive never seen someone like him. He should be able to correct the chaos that gues the surface and the underground. However, if he were to go astray, then it will result in unspeakable disaster...] [Yes, thats true.] Now that Lee Shin Woo was level 8, he considered life and death the same. And with his Wild Card skill, he could distort reality in a limited space. The Garuda probably didnt know this, but Lee Shin Woos innate element, Dark Shadow, was incredibly dangerous (The Garuda thought that Lee Shin Woos innate element was something like the Fiery Sands Dark me Ghosts Dark me). And if he were to advance even further? What if he were to use that power for evil? The world would be even worse than it is now. He was right of course. Hes right, but... But I dont think this human will do something so troublesome. Moreover, contrary to the Garuda, he hasnt been affected by the curse, and can actually use the curse for himself... Zenon couldnt imagine Lee Shin Woo straying from his path. If he had to be wary of anyone who had a dangerous ability and was talented, then there were so many more that hed have to be worried about. After all, even the Garuda, who had obtained divinity, had caused a lot of trouble! Yet, he had the gall to say something like exterminate the hero, so Zenon was speechless. Regardless of the why, Zenon thought it just wanted vengeance against the one whod killed it... What would Lee Shin Woo... The contractor of the Spirits Spring, say at a time like this... Lee Shin Woo would keep his mouth shut and get what he could first. If he retorted, then the Garuda might leave, which would be such a waste! Zenon nodded his head and the Garuda continued in satisfaction. [Of course, you do not possess the power to oppose your contractor. So Ill give you what you need. I will instill my power into this golem that you currently reside in, so if the timees when you must put him down, you just need toe into this golem. It will cause the giant to ignite the umting shining mes inside itself, and even your contractor wont be able to avoid death.] [...I understand.] [And Ill give you my power as well. You will be my sessor who wields both light and me, so if you continue to train both, then you will one day be able to use my innate element... Shining me! I grant you this authority for the sake of all spirits, so if youre in a situation where your own power is insufficient, then you should borrow their power to ovee it!] So the Garuda did have an underlying motive for bestowing his power. He was giving him one of the Garudas abilities, the power of light which could sever all! It thought that if he was given this power, which could sever all connections if need be, then he wouldnt be controlled by Lee Shin Woo. [Then, young spirit. I hope you make the right decision. I hope that you use this power that I leave behind for the betterment of this world...!] The Garudas remaining consciousness emitted a bright light and split into two. One went into Zenon, and the other was absorbed by the Titan. It forcefully raised Zenons level and raised his body and soul to new heights. To be more specific, Zenons karma exploded and he leveled up! [Lv8 Shining Smander Zenon] That wasnt all. Zenon realized that he could now use the high rank level 1 light element. To think he, who was born a fire spirit, would be able to use another element as well! The Garuda wasnt wrong when it said that he would be its sessor! But what he gained wasnt purely positive either. The Garudas will, which possessed divinity, had a huge effect on Zenon and nted a sense of distrust in Lee Shin Woo. But it was the exact opposite of Zenons original feelings, so he felt quite ufortable. [Is this the price of thoughtlessly epting a gods power?] [Yeah. Thats not something you ept without thinking.] He had forged an improper contract with God and be a magical girl... No wait, he was forced into bing a hero. Lee Shin Woo genuinely gave him some advice and Zenon found himself nodding automatically... But then asked in shock. [Did you hear everything!?] [Not everything, but most of it. If it knew that I was the one who made the Titan and it was made of bone, then it wouldnt have done something as stupid as talking within it. Even at the very end, that asshole looked down on me.] [...I think he did. He thought hed lost to you because of his corruption.] Of course, it was true that the Garuda had weakened, so much so that it was iparable to its original strength, but had made a basic miscalction. It hadnt realized that Lee Shin Woo had used his ability to create a stage in which he could win against the Garuda! In other words, Lee Shin Woo was way too talented! [Ill take care of it, so stay still.] [Mm, Mmmm...!] Lee Shin Woo looked squarely at Zenon with his Soul Seeing Eye. Immediately after, he used his Dark me and Shining me to cut out a piece of Zenons body. Then, the unpleasant feeling disappeared. He was a little weaker, but it wasnt enough to lower his level. Lee Shin Woo erased the Garudas foolish will with his shining mes and absorbed only the essence within. [The Beginner Shining me skill has be Lv3. Magic has increased by 20.] With this, the negative effects of the Garudas power disappeared from Zenon. He was going to erase the traces of the Garudas will from the golem as well but decided to leave it be, as he found that he could use it for himself. But Lee Shin Woo found his experiences and abilities a bitcking to properly study it. Moreover, he couldnt maintain the Titan Bone Golem any longer. [Beginning to recharge heat. Time before fully charged: 45 days] Its gotten a lot stronger, and the recharge time went down too. Its more efficient at absorbing heat now, which may be attributed to the reinforced Dark mes power of absorption. ...The next time I call the Titan, I hope I canbine all the mes together. Lee Shin Woo gripped the Titan Bone Core, which released the Titan form and returned to its original size, and then sighed. The Garuda had engraved the Shining me deep within the golem. If he got more used to the Shining me and advanced enough that he was able tobine the Shining me and the Dark me together, then he should be able to develop the golem even further. To be more specific, he would be able to raise the Titan to level 9. [After unearthing the dungeons secrets, you managed to defeat the dungeons master, who had managed to acquire divinity. You have acquired the title, He Who Challenges God. All stats are increased by 10% when battling against the divine. All stats have increased by 50. The Rebellion skill has be Lv6 and all stats have increased by 10.] By the time Lee Shin Woo had eliminated all traces of the Garuda, a message indicating that the battle was over finally appeared! He had just acquired an innate element, yet there was another headache inducing word (god) that hed have to look into... But more importantly, he had to collect all the loot! [Lucky Strike! You have acquired 681,993,040 Perium! The Lucky Strike skill has be Lv5!] [You have acquired the Lv9 Garudas Wing Bone and Sphenoid Bone!] [You have acquired the Lv9 Phoenixs Feather. The Bone Reinforcement skill is not at a high enough level, so a change does not ur.] [You have acquired the Lv8 God Sword of Light. Through the Bone Reinforcement skill, it changes into the Lv8 Death Gods Shining Bone Sword (+3).] [You have acquired a Lv7 Sunstone. Through the Bone Reinforcement skill, it changes into the Lv8 Sun Fossil.] No way. To think Lucky Strike would activate here. He gaped from gaining 700 million Perium all at once. That wasnt all. Befitting a divine bird trapped underground for hundreds of years, it dropped such amazing loot! But Lee Shin Woo couldnt keep his eyes off of one of the two bones... the Garudas Wing Bone. "Shin Woo, are you ok... H-Huh!?" Once hed confirmed that the battle was over, Jin had flown over to Lee Shin Woo, but for some reason, he felt a chill and started shaking. As if he felt the pain that was toe! Chapter 42 part4 The Pope and the Evileye General had requested reinforcements from the other religious orders and the pce at the same time. However, the Evileye General dyed her reinforcements as long as possible; the Pope saw through her scheme and had asked the other religious orders for assistance in saving the hero Kay. Which turned out quite well for him. "In the name of the Great God, we ept your call for help. It would be a waste to let the hero Kay die in a ce like this. The Great God has also taken an interest in that man." "You came, Bykel!" It hadnt been long, yet the reinforcements from the Great God, Merciful God, and God of Life religions hade. They had probablye after weighing their own interests, but it meant they, like the Sun God religion, understood the severity of the situation! As proof of this, the Great God religion had sent their top level 6 Archbishop, Bykel Von Guraolit, while the Merciful God religion had sent their level 7 Pdin Leader, Maria Eldaletz, widely considered the Merciful God religions deterrent against the 12 Generals. The God of Life religion had outright sent their entire Pdin order, which consisted of level 6s who specialized in defense. "A level 8 dungeon... Now Ive seen everything. But I wont back down. Since the Merciful God will watch over all, even if they worship another God...!" "The God of Life is the same. His grace extends to all creation, and all living beings have the right to struggle until the endes." "Keuk." The Evileye General, Shurina Von Hegel, gritted her teeth as she saw the three religious orders ready to enter the dungeon without hesitation, despite it being a level 8 dungeon. If the level 7 Pope of the Sun God religion, as well as the Pdin Leader of the God of Mercy religion, worked together, then they might be able to save Kay from the level 8 dungeon! And if that happened, then the odds would be against the Emperors side, or more specifically her, who was responsible for this area... "Recklessly entering the dungeon is dangerous. As one of the 12 Generals who protect all the citizens of the Empire, I cannot let you enter the dungeon without His Majestys explicit instruction, so long as it has be a level 8 dungeon!" "Sorry, but our hero is still fighting even now. Were just going to go in, save him, ande right out." "Youll provoke the monsters inside more than is necessary if you go inside. You must go inside only after weve established a line of defense!" Those who heard her shook their heads. Her ability to escape reality was on the level of an innate skill. "Youre still uttering such nonsense. A line of defense? What do you think a line of defense will do against a level 8 dungeon!?" "What youre trying to do is so obvious that its distasteful, Evileye General. If thats the case, then why hasnt the pce sent any reinforcements when its so close to the capital? It makes no sense that our reinforcements arrived before yours when our religious orders are so far apart from each other." The Merciful God religions Pdin Leader, Maria Eldaletz said harshly. Although the other religious orders werent pleased with Kays increasing fame, they decided to overlook it and agreed to work together in order to cut down the Emperors authority. Moreover, there were rumors that Kay had be level 8, so someone as powerful as him may eventually be able to oppose the Emperor head-on. They couldnt lose someone so valuable here. No matter what! - Kwang! At that moment, the dungeon exploded. Those arguing were shocked and looked back. The dungeon began to copse and the hot mes melted the ceiling, exposing the dungeons interior. A giant firebird and giant were shing against each other. "T-Thats...?" "The dungeons copsed!" "More importantly, those are...!? That giant bird and giant... what exactly are they...!?" As they werent within range of his Wild Card skill, they didnt see the countless greatswords; they merely saw the two of them confronting each other and igniting their mes. But that was plenty. "T-The mes..." "Theyve been sublimated. To the realm of the gods!" The sight of the Dark me and Shining me shing, exploding, and then vaporizing each other several times was overwhelming, regardless of whether they were fighting or not. The other religions, as well as the Evileye Generals troops reacted simrly, but the members of the Sun God religion...! They, who could wield fire, albeit weakly, instinctively knew what the firebird and giant were, which shocked them. "A greatsword! The size is different, but thats definitely what Sir Kay wielded...!" "Then is that giant Sir Kay!?" "Impossible. His mes have sublimated into something greater than mere me. Thats... the power of a god. Two gods are fighting against one another!" "Is that really... Kay...?" He knew that Kay was strong. He also knew that Kay was hiding something. However, hed never thought that Kay was actually involved with the Sun God. The Pope just thought that Kay had some ulterior motive and was a clever individual that fit well with them. However... "Its blinding. A truly blinding power... What else could you call that other than the sun?" The Pope let his thoughts be known. Of course, Lee Shin Woos Titan used Dark me as its main element, but hed added the Shining me that hed just acquired to his greatsword. And with his Dark Shadow, he had reversed the Dark me, coating both his greatsword and body in golden mes. Whereas the Garuda had, at first, expelled Shining me, but was now gradually being enveloped in darkness. It looked like it was currently encased in ckened mes. Their roles hadpletely flipped. "Aaah." "Sir Kay... He really was sent by God." "How...?" Even those from the other religions were speechless at the overwhelming sight. The Merciful God religions Pdin Leader, Maria Eldaletz focused on Lee Shin Woos transcendent element. As she was strong herself, she, more than the others, knew just how impossibly strong Lee Shin Woo currently was. And the Evileye General, Shurina Von Hegel was no exception. But the way she reacted was different from the others. "A-Are the other 12 Generals not here yet!? No, one or two of them wont be enough to deal with that..." "Theres no need to call reinforcements anymore, Evileye General." At some point, the Sun God religions Pope had approached the panicking Evileye General. He was briefly captivated by the Titan, which exhibited greatness almost in line with the Sun God himself, but he got a hold of himself and looked more energetic than before. He was confident as he smiled at the Evileye General. It was the face of someone sure that God was by his side. "Since it looks like Kay can deal with it himself." "How foolish. That giant cannot be controlled by man! How can you be so sure that that giant wont attack us!?" "Haha. I suppose you cant see it. But weve spent so much time with Kay that we see it clearly. Very clearly." "Thats impossible..." Thats right. Although hed changed into an enormous Titan, his moves were synonymous with Kays, who theyd spent more than a month with. It couldnt be controlled by man? No, if that were true, then they wouldnt need to be afraid. Since it would just be another powerful monster rampaging about. The reason they were in awe of Kays new form was because he had full control of that tremendous power and was sublimating it with his own abilities. Kay had be the true master of that power. "Oh Sun God, please grant your blessing to your loving children. And I thank you for your never-ending grace of sending him to us..." After hed shut up the Evileye General, the Pope quietly prayed to the Sun God in thanks. No believer of the Sun God could bear witness to the sight and stay still! The Sun Gods child was using His mes to exterminate the wicked mes that surged from beneath the ground, so they couldnt be a believer if they couldnt recognize their gods mes. "Oh. Ooooh." "Sir Kay is swinging his ming greatsword... Hes shing with the firebird!" "R-Run away! The heats spreading!" "Uaaaaaahk!" The heat from the battle intensified. When the Garuda and Titannded their final blows, the shock created a wavelength of mana that surpassed mere heat and spread throughout the entire area. However, they werepletely oblivious to the fact. "But this heat is..." "Uoh... Ooooh!?" The others, aside from the Sun God religion, were shocked and avoided it, but the Sun Gods devotees didnt move, as if they had been given a revtion from the Sun God himself. They couldnt oppose such heat... However, when they were struck by the heat, they started glowing with hot mana. The heat hadnt harmed them. Rather, it had stimted their own mana and strengthened it! "Fire is burning bright within my body." "The Sun God is blessing us right now!" "No, this is Sir Kays blessing...!" Surprisingly, there were level 6 pdins and priests that grew to level 7 as a result. Three of them had leveled up at that! Those who hadnt found that their fire element and resistance had increased, and there were those who gained stats, a new title, and even a new skill! "The Sun God." "That man is undoubtedly the Sun God." "Hoo..." The Pope was no exception. While he hadnt leveled up, he had been stuck as a high rank level 7 for the longest time. But the heat had caused several skills to level up, and with his newly acquired title, his stats had increased significantly. He was shocked. He had long thought his advancement was hopeless, but now the path was wide open for him! "Hoo. Im d no one has died." While the members of the Sun God religion took control of their newfound power, the others were speechless at their sudden increase in strength, which had more than doubled collectively. Then, Lee Shin Woo came out from the explosion. Of course, this was after the Titan was released. "Hello. I told you Id leave after I cleared the dungeon, but you called reinforcements anyway. You didnt need to." "Haha. Hahahaha. Youre right. You always say that, so I had no way of knowing whether you were telling the truth or not. So I ended up doing something I shouldnt have." The Pope couldnt help butugh at the sight of Lee Shin Woo greeting him from atop a winged horse. The emergence of a level 8 dungeon, the advent of an absolute boss monster that couldnt be ovee, the giant that fought against it, and the me of mes! The Sun Gods believers had also awakened from just watching the mythical battle. Those were all unbelievable events, yet Lee Shin Woo, the source of all this, looked exactly the same as before. "Ive never lied to you before. Im a bit sad that you thought that way." Lee Shin Woos statement only caused the Popes smile to widen further. He wanted to bow down before Lee Shin Woo but barely stopped himself. As he requested, the Pope decided to remain as a trader, an equal, and replied. "Dont worry. Ill believe everything you say from now on. Theres no one I trust more." "Hoo. Good, thats plenty. And having an audience was kind of nice." Was the Pope satisfied? Lee Shin Woo grinned. Then, he nonchntly dropped a bombshell that would surprise all the surface dwellers. "Ive taken care of the tail end of the darkness thates from the underground. You need an audience for a moment of history like this." Chapter 42 part5 Lee Shin Woo wanted to put everything aside and just collect the loot but now wasnt the time. By killing the Garuda, which plugged up the hole, Lee Shin Woo had allowed the underground curse to leak from the partially destroyed dungeon. First, Lee Shin Woo ced all the Perium, the wing bone, the sphenoid bone, the Phoenixs Feather, the Death Gods Shining Bone Sword, and the Sun Fossil into his inventory. After that, he called the Popes party over. The Evileye General eyed Lee Shin Woo as if she were going to kill him, but everyone else looked at him with admiration. "Sir Kay... You truly are amazing." "I could feel the power of a god. The Sun God mustve chosen you to represent Him." "I would like to duel you someday." He could understand why the believers in the Sun God were acting so ardently towards him, but he was taken aback by the reactions of the other three religions. They worshipped different gods, so he thought theyd ostracize him, but the power hed disyed had broken down all barriers among the religions and they looked at him with pure reverence. "Sir Kay, I admire your faith. Although the God you believe in is different from my own, that determination of yours is something to admire. Id really like to learn that sword aura you used at the end." "Oh, mm... Ill teach you if I have the time." Maria Eldaletz, the beauty whose blonde hair was tied up, looked at him with a bright expression, which was especially burdensome to him. Seeing that, Jin began to feel worse and worse. Youre so popr. You must be loving it. Youre popr too. This isnt being popr. Ive be a clown! Even though youre the Joker! Thats right. Before, Jin had been considered just a strong horse that Kay rode on, but now that he had steel wings and could fly, the pdins were curious and were checking him out. After all, it was any knights dream to fly in the sky atop a winged horse! "So it wasnt just fast." "Is this horse a divine creature sent by the Sun God...?" "A divine creature... It probably is. I thought it was quite the beautiful horse before." "Ahem!" Jin saw Maria Eldaletz flirt with Lee Shin Woo and felt unpleasant, so he kicked the approaching pdins with his hind legs. The pdins misunderstood his actions and thought it truly is a divine creature that chooses its owner. "The undead curse, huh. Do you think we can just leave it like this?" Whereas, the Pope remained the most calm out of everyone there. He and the Evileye General knew how serious the situation was. He also knew why Lee Shin Woo had prioritized exploring the bottom of the dungeon first. "Yes. I should be able to do something about it with the power I just acquired." "Its not power you already possessed?" "Im telling the truth. Seriously." "Haha." While teasing Lee Shin Woo, the Pope exchanged nces with the Great Gods Archbishop, Bykel. Right now, they were keeping the Evileye General in check. If word got out that the undead curse had appeared at the bottom of the dungeon, a dungeon which was close to the capital and was managed by one of the 12 Generals, then the Emperors image would worsen. They didnt know what the Evileye General would do, so they were keeping tabs on her. Lee Shin Woo soon saw what they were doing and understood why they were doing it. "Theres nothing to worry about. That woman wont be able to do a thing." "If you say so." "Yes. So long as another one of the 12 Generals doesnt try and kill us." "...!?" It wasnt the Pope that was startled, but the Evileye General herself. Lee Shin Woo grinned at her. There was a sharp edge underneath that congenial smile. "The Evileye, was it? Theyre quite beautiful." "I-Is that so?" "Now, get a move on while being mindful of others. So that those beautiful eyes dont get hurt." "...Ok." The Evileye General shook. Those who saw her awkward movements instantly understood what was going on. She was hiding something, and that secret of hers involved being one of the 12 Generals in some capacity. And Lee Shin Woo had seen through it all... Is it a skill that lets her establish a target? Its quite unique, but its easy to understand. At first, Lee Shin Woo hadnt realized this, but he could tell with ease now that he was level 8. The Evileye Generals ability was a support focused ability, rather than an offensive ability. It was an ability that allowed her to target someone. She could share this ability with her allies, and it increased the likelihood of hitting the target and/ornding a fatal strike. It was a good ability for her own use, but its true valuey in its ability to be shared with allies! And Lee Shin Woo felt the presence of a powerful foe waiting from afar. They were probably sharing the Evileye Generals targeting ability and specialized in long range attacks. Its a nice ability, but... Killing her and taking that ability is pointless since its a rank lower than my Wild Card skill, which allows me to control the situation in its entirety. Moreover, although its use was unquestionably simple, countering it was also incredibly easy. It would be easy for him to erase the targeting with his Shining me, or he could reverse the attack with Dark Shadow. No, he even knew how much damage they would inflict if he decided to tank the hit. But this was limited to Lee Shin Woo alone. He wasnt sure hed be able to protect everyone else. If thats the case, then he had no choice but to kill that general (the one lying in wait). But because that meant that hed have to fight against the Emperor, he wasnt too happy about the situation. Thats why hed warned the Evileye General. He basically said, If you dont want to die, then be good and follow me. "As I thought, the Evileye General is..." "Protect Sir Kay. He is currently carrying out Gods will." Although she was a member of the loyal 12 Generals, she had no reason to risk her life. She bit her lower lip and followed the group from the rear. This meant that she wouldnt try anything. Seeing that, Lee Shin Woo smiled thinly and led the group into the dungeon. Due to the sh between the Titan and the Garuda, they were pretty much descending a rock face, but most of the people here were stronger than level 6. No matter how steep the slope, they could follow him with ease. "By the way, if you find any loot, please pick it up for me." "Understood!" "How can this be? Arent these the bones of level 8 monsters...? To think that there are so many of their bonesying around." "But why are there only bones as loot?" Even if they were the ones that killed the monsters, Lee Shin Woo had imed ownership over the loot. His karma would change the monsters loot to bone, but bones already had a high drop rate, so they werent really suspicious. With the pdins help and his discreet use of Rule of Bone, he was able to collect the bones that had been left behind. Nice. Level 8 dungeons are on another level. Itll be close, but if I give him the Garudas Wing Bone, then Jin should reach level 8 as well. ...Wait a sec. The Garudas Wing Bone? Youre going to give that thing to me? Hey, dont! What the hell are you thinking!? Lee Shin Woo had been so focused on his fights with the Dark me Ghosts and the Garuda that he hadnt noticed, but during those bloody battles, the level 8 Sr Scarabs had been climbing up from the bottom of the dungeon and died in droves. He didnt think that there would be that many of them, but... He didnt know why insect-type monsters were so fearsome. Though they couldnt bepared to cockroaches, in which finding one meant that there were a hundred more of them, but the Sr Scarabs had been breeding for hundreds of years at the bottom of the dungeon. Thus, there was a surprising amount of Sr Scarabs that had been in the dungeon...! "What if we had to kill all of these ourselves?" "In a sense, it mightve been a tougher battle than the one we had with the divine bird." Once they arrived at the bottom of the dungeon and followed the path, they asionally found some shaking Sr Scarabs that werent dead. Since there was really no point in killing them, Lee Shin Woo allowed Jin or the members of the Sun God religion to kill them for karma. They were just finishing them off, so they wouldnt get much karma from it. Even so, they were still killing level 8 monsters, so either their stats or their skills would grow. "Theres nothing we can use these bones for, but they dropped quite a bit of Perium. So much that you could buy a city with it." "Haha. I suppose the Lawrence shop wont need our support anymore." "By the way, why did you ept Lawrences help? With your power, you shouldve been able to attain whatever you wish, regardless of his mary support." "Its the opposite. Im helping Lawrence out. Since hes my friend." "...Ahem." "A friend, huh." Lee Shin Woo replied, but for some reason, some of the female pdins and priests turned their heads away and blushed. From their reactions, Lee Shin Woo could tell what the friendship novel that was being sold in the capital was all about and felt strange. A gay romance between himself and himself? Thats impossible! "Weve arrived." "This ce is... Ahem." How much longer did they go on like that? Soon, the group arrived at the hole that the Garuda had escaped from. The barrier had been broken into pieces, and they could see the ck energy leaking from within. The expressions of any priest that neared the energy darkened immediately, but when Lee Shin Woo extended his hand, they were ok again. "W-What did you just do...!?" "I burned it away with a clean me. But be careful. If you approach it without me, then youll be undead soon." "Undead!?" "That firebird was undead as well. Because of this energy." "Even that bird, which possessed a gods power, was affected by this energy...?" "Yes." Lee Shin Woo pondered briefly. Should we talk about the barrier that had originally imprisoned the Garuda? No, that would be a huge mistake. He shouldnt reveal any more information than is strictly necessary. When the Emperor gets word of his actions here, hell be wary of him anyway, so there was no reason to reveal more information and make him an evenrger threat! "I dont know why the firebird was here for so long. But I do know that if it hadnt been weakened and degenerated by this energy, then I wouldnt have been able to beat it." "An energy that leaks from underground... Weve experienced this in a few of the other dungeons. We cant hold onto the notion that theyre turning into the undead naturally anymore. This is critical." "The God of Life will not tolerate this foul energy. If youve found this kind of energy elsewhere, then I cannot overlook this. Well have to mobilize all of our members and respond!" They adopted grave expressions and chattered about just by watching the darkness energy leaking out. Even the Evileye General was in a cold sweat. "Why did the Emperor turn a blind eye to this until itd be this bad?" "The golemwork that the Empire is so proud of couldnt even pick up such clear signs that this was happening?" "...I trust that youre not going to say that the Emperor left it here on purpose." "The monsters arent the issue here. If this energy reaches the capital, then...!" The Evileye General cowered at the interrogation. It wouldve been nice if they had managed to kill Lee Shin Woo before all this was revealed, but Lee Shin Woo had seen through her n! Lee Shin Woo pped his hands and calmed everyone down. "Now, lets collect some of the energy. We also need to form a barrier to stop the energy from leaking; a temporary one works too. Its no time to be going around abandoned dungeons and ying hero anymore." All eyes were on Lee Shin Woo. The Evileye General looked like she was about to cry. "This is a holy war. A holy war between us and those trying to turn us into the undead!" Thus, Lee Shin Woo had bemander of the surfaces undead resistance force in ce of the ipetent God. Chapter 42 part6 Temporarily sealing off the leak went smoothly, as some of the members of the God of Life religion were skilled in sealing magic. Plus, the priests of the other religions supported them with their own skills and magic, so they were able to plug up the hole and prevent the undead curse from leaking. Lee Shin Woo was surprised to see that and was especially surprised at their ability to seal a portion of the curse into a small container with said sealing techniques. "What a nice ability." "It wouldve been nice if we were a tad bit stronger, but this is our limit. But at the very least, we were able to strengthen the seal with the help of your magic, Sir Kay. Thank you very much." The priests of the God of Life religion didnt respect the Pope, yet they were well-behaved in front of Lee Shin Woo. At this point, they were almost revering him, but Lee Shin Woo decided not to let it bother him. Since his title as the Sun Gods hero wouldnt be enough to unite all of the surfaces forces in their fight against the undead. However, this was a good enough position to do start on that. "Please dont forget what happened today. This awful mana... You must not make light of this energy of death. This isnt something that can be solved by a few sacrifices. We all have to work together." "I agree with Kay. I believe the Sun God sent Kay to us in order to deal with this threat. Please lend us your strength. I promise that each religion will be rewarded appropriately for their deeds." The Popes attitude wasnt much different from Lee Shin Woos, but there were differences in core areas. His words were swaying all those present, and it was also coaxing the leaders of the three religious orders as well; the three religious leaders nodded their heads. "Of course." "Pope. You dont even need to ask. We trust Sir Kay." "Its a bit strange to say that we trust him. Its more precise to say that theres no reason for someone with such strength to lie to us." Hey, wait. It wasnt just reverence, but a full blown religion! Lee Shin Woo was surprised and went into a cold sweat, as the situation had progressed so smoothly. Yet, the Evileye General, Shurina Von Hegel, bit her lower lip and gazed at Lee Shin Woo. However, she looked at him warmly. Her type (the one who couldnt hide what they were thinking) was so easy to trick! Of course, Lee Shin Woo was the swindler! If I can coax her, then I should be able to acquire some information on the other 12 Generals. Of course, Rem was providing him with general information on them through the golemwork, but it would be different to hear it from one of the 12 Generals themselves. Moreover, if things went well, he could learn more about the Magic Emperor as well. If he could, hed like to know more about the Emperor prior to meeting him. Youre thinking about something evil again, arent you? No Im not. Initiating a sexual rtionship would be best, but... Jins gaze was scary, so he decided against it. Looking at her now, he felt like he could control her if he just picked up one of her weaknesses. His rtionship with her would go in a different direction from the religious members, which was worsened by the fact that she didnt think of him as human. "Then, lets go back. Youll be really busy from here on out." "If its to stop theing catastrophe, then... Well do whatever it takes." "...Kuheuk." They sealed the hole and were on their way back to the capital. The religions had broken down all barriers and became close. They didnt speak to the Evileye General or her troops, as if theyd made a promise prior (whats worse, the soldiers were too weak to even enter the dungeon). They wouldnt allow the Emperors forces to get in their way. Although they wouldnt be able to exclude the Emperors forces in such an important matter, they would only allow them to join once the Emperor had acknowledged his mistake. ...And in the process, the Evileye General would be subject to ridicule. To be honest, they had already considered her a corpse. At that point, Lee Shin Woo quietly spoke to the Pope. "Pope. Could you please leave her to me?" "You... I know you dont have a lover, but are you really going to go after one of the 12 Generals? I know shes good-looking and all, but everything else is a trap." "Sir Kay, theres no need for one such are yourself to desire such a dirty woman! A dog of the royal family is not fit to be by the side of one who can wield a gods power...!" "...Haha." The Pope reacting like that wasnt anything new, but Maria Eldaletz had, at some point,e over and was pissed. Her, the Evileye General, and every other strong young woman hed met were all the same: they couldnt hide their feelings. Lee Shin Woo smiled bitterly and said. "Thats not why Im approaching her. You never know what one will do when theyre at risk of death. If possible, I want her to help us. We should be able to help each other out." "...Im not sure if Ive told you before, but Id like to say it again. Im d were not enemies." "As expected of you, Sir Kay. You had such a n ready...!" Ah, this wont do. The Shining mes buff was way too strong, so they took it positively, regardless of what he said! They should be ring at him instead! Lee Shin Woo felt burdened by them and did his best to avoid their gaze. When he locked eyes with the Evileye General, she shrieked and turned her head away from him. Mm, her mental state was so fragile right now that itd break if he just gave her a slight nudge. Lets get away from the General following us and then talk. That would be simple with the use of his Wild Card and Disguise skills. Lee Shin Woo had sessfully ryed his message, and the Evileye General, who was at a loss, had cried and epted his offer. After that, the party reached the capital and the various factions split and went their separate ways. "Mr. Shin Woo, you came back safely!" [Paul Zero! Im so d youre safe. Youre even stronger than before?] "Of course I am. Ah... Sorry, but I think things will be even more hectic than before, so stop with the cute act for now. You can do it all you wantter. Id like to hear your report first." Lee Shin Woo, having safely returned to his residence within the capital, was met by Sinea and Ye Jin Jin rushing towards him. However, he somewhat cold-heartedly restrained them, and then learned of what had happened while he was away. Transferring the newly born spirits to the Spirits Spring was going smoothly due to Sinea and the other spirits efforts, but there was a problem with his shop. He had expected this, but someone was openly sabotaging his shop. Not only were there several people messing with his shop, but the key members of the Empire were discreetly aiding the Lawrence shopspetitors. But because Bisher Moon had mobilized his workers and taken certain precautions, they were able to weather the storm. "But you should have nothing to worry about soon. Public opinion will side with us, and above all, the other religions will support the Lawrence shop as well." "How did that happen!?" "To put it simply... You could see it as all the forces, aside from the Emperors, have joined a single team. Since the undead curse isnt just a threat to us heroes." [Thats not simple at all, Paul Zero!] "Mr. Shin Woo. Youre so amazing...!" He hadnt even told him about the innate elements that hed acquired, yet Sinea and Ye Jin Jins eyes were already sparkling. At this point, Lee Shin Woo barely realized that something was off, and as a result of his self-diagnosis, he confirmed that something was indeed wrong. When he leveled up, he gained the innate skill, Wild Card, which was always active. But it turns out that it not only buffed all of his skills, abilities, etc... but also had a hugely positive effect on all of his words and actions! In other words, it had evolved into a cheat skill! The skill really fits me and my level as a Joker has increased, but still, what the hell is this? It seems like my level as a human has gone down. Lee Shin Woo felt a bit down and shook his head, but then, Jin retorted, who was the only one that had remained calm. Since this is something that he needed to hear, he was here too. "But Shin Woo, do you really need to rely on the shop anymore?" If Lee Shin Woo added his Dark Shadow to his Disguise skill, then he could reduce Jins body to less than half. To be honest, he could do even more, now that hed acquired Wild Card and Dark Shadow, but he was keeping that forter. Lee Shin Woo needed to prepare himself too. "Yeah, I dont really need it since Ive cemented my position as the hero Kay. But in the future, the Lawrence shop will probably be more beneficial to us than Kays name." "Huh?" "I beg your pardon?" "Mm. Im talking about after weve eliminated the curse and have dealt with the trouble on the surface. ...Itd probably be difficult for us to return to our original worlds. So, we have no choice but to continue to live on the surface. You get me thus far, right?" "Yes, of course." The reason Lee Shin Woo was preventing the undead curse from spreading to the surface was not only because he didnt want his enemies to increase, but mostly because he didnt want to live in a world filled with death. That would be a stagnant world, unable to move forward! Ye Jin Jin probably thought the same. "But if we just protect the world, we lose out. Im protecting this shop so that we have a way to enter the world without using force. Since money and status are the best for living happily in peace. And the shop lets us gain both." "You were thinking that far ahead? ...Then, you mustve nned for me to be your representative a long time ago." Ye Jin Jin seemed to be misunderstanding something and blushed in happiness. Of course, there was no way Lee Shin Woo thought that far ahead. Disguising himself as a merchant and figuring out the surface had gone a lot better than expected, so hed changed his objective. Thats all! But for some reason Ye Jin Jin was really touched, so he decided to just let her think whatever she wanted. "In any case, we can just leave the shop as is. So... what about the Red Moon?" "Theyre currently fighting against our Moon Shadow." That made sense. If Bisher Moon were inside the capital then there was no way he wouldnt know about Lee Shin Woos return. He had felt it was strange that Bisher hadnte to see him, but it seemed like he was busy fighting off the Red Moon. "By the way... Mr. Shin Woo, if we dont have to worry about the shop from now on, can I fight against the Red Moon too? If we have to move only at night, I can do that." "Ill allow it once youve reached level 7. ...Anyway, I n on going back down soon, so will you be ok?" "I thought about it, but theres a lot more I can do up here than down there. If youre not here, then Ill be here in your stead." Ye Jin Jin had made her decision. Since she was drinking plenty of medicine because of his trickery, she would soon be strong enough to move around safely without fear. It might be tough on her, as her stats had increased while her skills had not, but her stats should supplement her long-range spear throwing, and if need be, her ability to run away... "Ah." "Huh? Whats wrong?" "Mm... Its nothing. Really, its nothing." The Evileye General, Shurina Von Hegels eyes would be a good fit for Ye Jin Jin, but it was a little toote to be changing his strategy. After all, hed decided to use her to gain information on the Emperor. Moreover, Lee Shin Woo had no taste in deliberately killing someone weaker than him, especially when they had no intention of harming him. If she were a monster, he wouldve killed her without any hesitation... "Ill go to the secret shopter and see if therere any simr abilities or artifacts... Oh, right." At that moment, someone softly knocked on his mansions front door. Could he really not be a noble? Lee Shin Woo shrugged his shoulders and stood up. "We have a visitor. A really important one at that." Chapter 42 part7 The Evileye General, Shurina Von Hegel, entered his residence discreetly, as if she didnt want to be seen, and instead of giving Lee Shin Woo a friendly greeting, she said... "Honestly, the best way you can help me is by letting me kill you." "You wouldnt be able to kill me, even if you brought all of the 12 Generals. Youre well aware of this, so you came alone, no?" "...Yes." Lee Shin Woo grinned at the Evileye General, whod suffered a total loss. She had been watching him while hiding out of sight... Her eyes were so sharp that they resembled that of a killers, but it wasnt surprising anymore, so he just ignored it. "Lets start with the situation youre in. Ive heard. Apparently, youre in a bit of a pickle, right?" "Who do you think is responsible for all this... Keuk. Anyway, youre right. Im being watched. Me, one of the 12 Generals. You have no idea how hard it was to sneak over here unnoticed!" Did she reallye unnoticed? Lee Shin Woo tilted his head, expanded his senses, and scanned the surrounding area. Nothing bad would happen even if she had been discovered, but... as she said, no one had followed her, as per her title of as one of the 12 Generals. At this point, she was almost crying, and Lee Shin Woo smiled softly. "It mustve been tough on you. So, who can you trade for your life?" "I... originally held the lowest seat amongst the 12 Generals. As you well know, I possess a special ability, so I was assigned to every important battle. But because I didnt have enough strength to protect myself, I wasnt able to go very far. My subordinates suffered the same fate, and theyre not in the best position right now..." In other words, there was no one she could even sell out. This part made her swell with emotion, as her eyes brimmed with tears. Coercing her didnt seem like the best course of action, as she would be just more intimidated than before. Therefore, Lee Shin Woo decided to increase their level of intimacy first. "Then lets talk. How much I can help you depends on what information you can give me." "Keuk...!" "Theres no rush. Why dont you drink a cup of tea?" The Evileye General felt slightly immoral for selling out her country, but... Lee Shin Woos tea was so warm that it made her forget the situation she was in, and ended up relying upon that warmth. Even if she was the lowest seat, she was still one of the 12 Generals. She ended up telling him one or two things that he couldnt find out through the golemwork. Moreover, this new info mixed with his old info, giving him more insight. And there was something particrly interesting amongst the information... "Hmm, so the Emperor hasnt made an official appearance in years." "Yes. The only ones who can see him are the 12 Generals and a small handful of high rank bureaucrats. But we can only see him at a certain time and at a certain ce. Ive never met him in the daytime." "...Hmm." Learning about the Emperors appearance was huge. Information regarding the Emperor was top secret... and Lee Shin Woo felt like he was really suspicious. "Of course, His Majesty is a remarkable individual, so we have no idea what he wants or what hes thinking about... But those who nder his name areing up with all kinds of false rumors. For example..." "For example, the Emperors a Vampire. Something like that?" "Gah!" The Evileye General stiffened. Lee Shin Woo shrugged his shoulders and continued. "He only operates at night, so anyone would think hes a Vampire. So what is he for real?" "Youll pay if His Majesty finds out that youve put him in the same boat as the undead! Hes a human. Hisplexion and even his mana arepletely human as well...!" "Despite that, the rumors that hes a Vampire wont cease. Arent you at least a little suspicious?" "Ugh." The Evileye General stiffened once more. She was sensitive to any unfavorable remark made about the Emperor, as if she had been brainwashed. At that moment, an rm rang in his head. The feeling got even stronger, so he scanned his surroundings, but there was no one here besides the Evileye General. "Thats... They just dont know how great His Majesty truly is, and arent aware of whats in store for them. His Majesty is an Archmage and has realized something we havent, so we cannot judge him..." Hearing that, Lee Shin Woo had already considered the Emperor a Vampire, or considered other possibilities that might apply. Before, when hed gotten the report from Bisher Moon regarding the Red Moon, he had been surprised by how bold the Vampire had been, but... if the Emperor himself was also a Vampire, everything mades sense. If thats the case, then God wasnt referring to the Undead Emperor, but to the... Shes said that the Emperor had sought immortality. What if she was referring to the Magic Emperor, not the undead one? Perhaps part of the reason for the rapid progress of golem development was for that very purpose. And if thats true, then it exins the Emperors current appearance, the immense magic he sensed from the far-off pce, and the Red Moon, which controls the capital at night. Lee Shin Woo thought and scoffed. Their goals arepletely different, but their means are simr. This is noughing matter. As expected of brothers... The Crown Prince had banished the 2nd prince hundreds of years ago, so hed thought that perhaps the current Magic and Undead Emperors were different, but with what he knew now, he discarded all such thoughts. Lee Shin Woo was sure that the surface and underground were ruled by the Crown Prince and the 2nd prince respectively. Nothing else would exin their lunacy and obsession. But if thats true, then... Does the Emperor not care if the others be undead? Is that why he just left the death energy as is? But what if the undead underground were to invade the surface? It didnt make sense that he wouldnt have something prepared. It seemed fine for now, as the undead curse was the only thing surfacing, while the undead themselves seemed to have no intention of invading... But Lee Shin Woo was confused about something. The undead had ovee their greatest obstacle by bing the undead, so why hadnt the Undead Emperor ordered his forces to invade the surface yet? What exactly was stopping him? Was it Arema Steelworker? Seagald Von Retadane? Though they were forces independent of the Emperors, they only held one of the 12 General positions a piece. On the other hand, the Emperor possessed the Archmage, as well as the remaining 12 Generals, so it made absolutely no sense that he couldnte up to the surface because of them. But its not like I can go and ask the Archmage, Hey, why arent you guys going to the surface?. "Why arent you asking anything else? Did you get everything you wanted... If not, then are you thinking about something that she cant answer?" At that moment, the Evileye General (who sat in front of him) said something out of the blue. The mood, which Lee Shin Woo had been controlling, had changed. "...What?" This time, Lee Shin Woo was surprised. Her body and voice hadnt changed, yet... the quality of her magic had changed! Moreover, Lee Shin Woo was somewhat familiar with that magic. He narrowed his eyes and voiced his assumption. "Darkness magic... The Emperor?" "If you were that curious about me, then you shouldvee to see me yourself. You see, I hate ipetent individuals like the owner of this body, but I like people overflowing with talent like yourself. Indeed, whenever, wherever." Lee Shin Woo raised his head and looked straight at the Evileye General. He sensed darkness mana deep within the recesses of her eyes. It was an unseverable rtionship that he must have made beforehand. Lee Shin Woo had experienced this before; by giving ones name, an unbreakable link would be formed. And this link was formed between the Evileye General and the Emperor. "Ha, so the Evileye General was disposable from the very beginning." "She had a chance. But she wasted it. The contract is absolute, but she didnt realize that. How unfortunate." The Magic Emperor spoke brazenly with the Evileye Generals face and voice and shook his head. Lee Shin Woo snorted and simultaneously analyzed his mana. He came to an immediate conclusion. It was an innate element. Darkness and... probably the lightning element. It would be simple to call it the Dark Lightning element, but the dark lightning he felt from the Emperor wasnt so simple. Lightnings speed, power, and conductivity... It felt like hed developed it in apletely different direction. And it was probably what was allowing the Emperor to perform such a feat. "Do you all get such unique abilities when you reach level 9?" "Hoh. You saw through my Lightning Bind with one nce. I suppose that makes sense. Since you managed to kill the divine bird that was on par with me..." "Now that were at it, let me ask you something. How did you imprison it?" He didnt ask because he was really curious. When he absorbed the Garudas bone, hed know then. But he wanted to ask a good question to buy him some more time. "Oh, I thought youd ask me about that." Was it because he was sure that he was stronger than him? The Emperor answered happily. Perhaps the Emperor was still underestimating him, he who had defeated the divine bird that had escaped its imprisonment. "Its innate element responds when it recognizes external stimuli. If thats the case, then you make it so that it cant recognize it. If you prevent it from moving, then the next step is simple. You mustve felt it, but my power, Lighting Bind, is quite powerful in that regard. Since you didnt even notice that youd been affected yourself." "Yeah, youre right." Lee Shin Woo hadnt been able to move his body ever since the Emperor had shown up. It would probably be easy to dispel with his innate elements, whether it be his Dark Shadow, Dark me, or his Shining me, but he was deliberately not doing so. If he did, the Emperor would just restrain him again. This space was already filled with the Emperors magic. It might be different if he had been facing another level 8, but it would be difficult for even him to take control of a level 9s mana. "Did you spread your mana all over the Empire?" "All the materials used to create the capitals buildings and roads are subject to the pces approval. Each of those materials is saturated with mana, mana which I can change into my own whenever I wish. No one managed to figure it out, so dont be so frustrated, Sun Gods hero, Kay." Even Lee Shin Woo couldnt see through this borate trap. The Wild Card skill had its limitations. Lee Shin Woo couldnt break through the barrier set up over hundreds of years and see through the Emperors mana. Was this a level 9s power? Lee Shin Woo suddenly realized how wide the world was due to the Emperors ability and unfathomable method of controlling the capital. Hed heard from Kratia that a magicians power would increase several times over within their workshop, but this bastard had turned the entire capital into his workshop... "Do you have anything else youd like to ask? As a parting gift, Ill answer any questions you have." "Why are you ignoring the undead curse? At this rate, the undead curse will spread to the Empire." "Ho. Youre not going to ask if Im a Vampire or what not?" "Since theres no point." Lee Shin Woo dered. He didnt know how the Emperor took it, but he grinned and replied. "You must think its so urgent, but that curse is still too weak. More people need to die to unite the Empire." "...Hmm." Did he not get a report from Arema Steelworker regarding the undead curse? The true power of the curse lies in its ability to kill the world itself, not just living beings! No. The Emperor, with his high rank innate darkness element, should be able to absorb all of the curses energy. If thats the case, then he could understand why he was speaking so peacefully. "Dont worry. Everything is going ording to n. Humanity has been subject to danger a few times before, but each and every time we work together and ovee said danger. And every time, humanity dwindles in size and then repoptes itself. This is the way the world works. ...However, theres one problem this time." "Huh?" "Its you. I was confident that with our golems, which are spread across the Empire, that we would know about all dangers and preempt them, but... I didnt know about you, one who possesses enough power to clear a level 8 dungeon by yourself, beforehand. And because of that, my n has gone a bit awry." The Evileye Generals face became wrinkled. It didnt fit a young womans face, but for some reason, he didnt feel like it was strange. It mustve been because of the mood. "I thought long and hard before I came to see you, but I couldnt understand. I struggled and looked at all the possibilities, but there was only one answer I came to... Though I couldnt believe it myself." Then, the Emperor looked straight at Lee Shin Woo. The words that came next... Lee Shin Woo would probably never forget them. "Youre a hero, but also an undead. God sent you like that, right? To spy on the surface and the underground!" Chapter 43 part1 "None can hide from me on the surface, especially if theyre strong. But that wasnt the case with you. I formed several hypotheses, but none of them fit. Of them, there was only one remaining possibility: that you came from a ce beyond my gaze. And that means you either came from another world or the underground..." "Hoh, what an interesting deduction." "You may think that youre the only hero here, but God has brought several heroes here from other worlds." No, he already knew that. After all, there were two other heroes on the surface right now! "But unfortunately, Gods summoning magic is too conspicuous. After the golemwork was created, I would find and kill any hero summoned on the surface, unless one of Gods apostles secretly descended into the world." Wait a sec... The surface, not the underground? This is the first time hed heard about it. So God had sent heroes to the surface rather than the underground in the past? Why? In order to defeat the Magic Emperor, who assumedplete control over the Empire? Of course, just looking at the Emperor gave him some idea. The Underground Empire wasnt the only problem. Both the surface and the underground had their fair share of problems! "Hoo." The Emperor noticed that Lee Shin Woo was beginning to listen, sported a disgusting smile fit for a middle-aged man, and continued. "God can no longer send heroes to the surface. Thus, you came from underground. Moreover, the barrier doesnt allow the living to pass through it, so you must be undead. But if you were one of the undergrounds undead, then you wouldnt have been able to leave..." "Mm..." Wait a sec. What he was saying wasrgely contradictory. On the outside, Lee Shin Woo acted calm, but he was actually quite shocked. The hell is this guy saying? Lets say that the Emperor was talking about the barrier under the assumption that Lee Shin Woo came from the underground. But what did he mean after that? If he were one of the undergrounds undead, then he couldnt havee out? Why not? They had gone through the trouble of turning themselves into the undead to pass through the barrier, so why couldnt they leave? But the Emperor spoke firmly and voiced his conclusion as if he were putting an end to Lee Shin Woos many questions. "So I thought about it. If God wanted to nurture a hero without being noticed by me, then she would call them underground and transform them into an undead so that they could go through the barrier! Am I right? Undead hero!" "...Phew." "Hoo. Not so rxed now, hmm." Of course he wouldnt be. Since it was soughable! That probably wasnt Gods n when she made him an undead! Hed gotten it all wrong, yet hed stille to the right conclusion: that he was an undead hero. Lee Shin Woo couldnt suppress his admiration. Whereas, the Emperor, who couldnt know what he was thinking, raised a hand towards Lee Shin Woo and stretched out his fingers (Lightning Bind, which restrained Lee Shin Woos movements, got even tighter). Then, he smiled in satisfaction. "You fooled me with that disguise ability of yours... I acknowledge it. Its impressive enough that even I cannot replicate it, but you were much too rash and arrogant. Thats why you failed." "...Id like to ask onest thing. How do you n on killing me? I dont know what you think of me, but Im the one who killed that divine bird. You wont be able to kill me through trivial means." "Hoo. Youre still bluffing, even though you cant even move a finger due to my Lightning Bind." The Emperor smiled and refuted him. He mustve thought what Lee Shin Woo was saying was ridiculous. "It was called a divine bird long ago. But it was weakened by my barrier, the parasites, and the undead curse. You think I dont know? That you could barely beat it by sacrificing all the Sun God religions pdins and priests?" "Mm." As he thought. On the way back to the capital, Lee Shin Woo and the Pope had conversed discreetly. If his abilities were revealed, then the Emperor would be more wary of him than necessary, so they would spread rumors that not only was the divine bird weakened but that the Sun God religion had sacrificed its pdins and priests to defeat it. Of course, he didnt doubt the Popes abilities, but those rumors had reached the Emperor in just one day. Not only that, the Emperorpletely fell for it. Did the Evileye General not properly report to him? No, the Emperor probably thought that she was exaggerating his abilities to save herself, and may not havepletely trusted in her report. Then that means... That innate element, Lightning Bind, was nothing more than the ability to connect himself with someone else whenever he wanted. This means he cant read ones mind, see the past, or get notified if something doesnt make sense in his domain. Its power was incredible, yes, butpared to his other innate elements, which could affect cause and effect, Lee Shin Woo felt like it was weaker. Was Lee Shin Woo the only one who thought that way? Perhaps the Emperor hadnt evenpletely mastered the darkness element. It looks perfect, but this guys informationwork is full of holes. Its fine, now that I know. Then again, the only thing he could interfere with was the status quo, so hed so diligently created golems and spread them across the Empire. Moreover, it seemed like the Emperor wasnt yet aware that Rem had taken control of those golems, so he couldnt help butugh. No one other than Lee Shin Woo couldve thought up something like this. With this, however, Lee Shin Woo was already above the Emperor. What the Emperor said next was proof of this. "Shall I tell you what the biggest reason you were discovered was? Someone with the strength to match a divine bird couldnt have been so easily ensnared by my ability. Youre the hero who defeated the divine bird one-on-one when you couldnt even resist my ability and are just waiting for death? Haha, what a funny lie." "If I die here, then itll be rough on you. You shouldnt look down on the feelings of so many people." It wasnt a threat. He wasnt trying to buy time either. He didnt need to anymore anyway. He was just curious. Rumors of the dungeon and the undead curse were spreading throughout the capital, so if Lee Shin Woo were to die, everyone would suspect and hate the Emperor. So what was he thinking? "Thats only temporary. Didnt I tell you before? As time passes, the people have no choice but to fall back on the pce, on the absolute Emperor. Without you, the religious order cannot lead people. You... must be sacrificed to maintain public order." "..." Another simple answer. This so-called Emperor ced way too much confidence in his power. He was speechless that a guy like this would be brazen enough to utter the word arrogant. Of course, he possessed such absolute power, which enabled him to control the Empire. Moreover, hed be a Vampire and thus immortal, so he could understand why the Emperor felt like he had nothing to fear... But it seemed like he still hadnt realized it. That nothingsts forever in the world. "If I had my way, I wouldve destroyed Lawrence as well, but theres no way a mere merchant can take your ce. There should be no problem with just leaving him be." "You shouldnt look down on Lawrence." Since Im Lawrence. "Haha. I dont look down on people. I make my decisions objectively. And if Im acting confident, then theres only one reason for that. ...Its because I am the Emperor who rules over all creation!" Having said his piece, the Emperor tightly clenched his hand. Therge quantity of mana enclosing Lee Shin Woo... No, the entire mansion converged onto Lee Shin Woo and exploded! And as a result, the Emperor... or the Evileye General was affected as well. She was dead the moment shed picked Lee Shin Woo over the Emperor. - Saaa The magic explosion muffled all sound, and the entire mansion was vaporized. In its ce, the darkness of the capital flooded in and filled the area to the brim. The only thing that proved that the Evileye General had been here was her skull... and soon, even that melted into the air and disappeared. [The Wild Card skill has be Lv2. All stats have increased by 30.] [The Beginner Dark Shadow element has be Lv5. Magic has increased by 20.] [The Acting skill has be Lv21. Your acting can even fool magic.] [You have acquired the Lv7 Evileye General, Shurina Von Hegels skull.] "So in order to fool the Emperor, youre hosting a hero get-together here?" Lee Shin Woo smiled at Pleine, who had pushed her head forward over the counter and looked speechless. "Its been a while. Its nice to see you, Pleine. Haha." "Its nice to see you too... Wait a sec! Thats not what I want to say!" "Wow. That scary shopdys talking so proudly...!" [Was I able to enter because we formed an official contract? Its a really interesting space.] [So Lee Shin Woo, who is that woman!? I sense divinity from her!] Thats right. Lee Shin Woos entire party was in the secret shop right now. To be more specific, Lee Shin Woo, whod sensed the Emperors visit, had sent everyone else to the secret shop. Then, hed spoken with the Emperor ande to the secret shop after. "I cant believe you acted in front of the Emperor and managed to fool him." "Well, thats my karma. Ah, and because he was using the Evileye Generals body, he couldnt control his magic perfectly, which is one of the reasons that I could deal with him so easily. That Lightning Bind element or whatnot didnt seem like it was at a very high level either." And what were his countless reasons? He had several ways of dealing with the situation, but hed chosen Wild Card and Dark Shadow this time around. The Emperor said it, didnt he? That there was no way someone powerful enough to fight the divine bird head-to-head wouldnt be able to resist his Lightning Bind. He was right. The Emperor believed that he was restraining Lee Shin Woo with his Lightning Bind, but what he was actually restraining was Lee Shin Woos armor. If Lee Shin Woo hadpletely understood the Emperors innate element, then his armor wouldnt have been restrained by his opponents magic either. "The next step was easy. When he unleashed that magic explosion, I used Dark Shadow to twist cause and effect, focusing the explosive power onto the Evileye General. I hid my body within the darkness, took the Evileye Generals bone, and then came here, to the secret shop." When one reaches the peak of the darkness element, doing something like this became possible. Lee Shin Woo waved his hand as if he were bragging. His hand softly melted into the darkness, flickered, and then returned to its original form. Seeing that, Pleine shook even more. "Whats worse, you came without any permits! You shouldnt juste in here whenever you want with the Heaven Doors Key!" "Well, it couldnt be helped. Since I dont have any permits left..." When he came to the surface, the Heaven Doors Key had eaten all of his permits, and he hadnt gained any on the surface. If Ye Jin Jin didnt have any permits left, then he wouldve had to use the Heaven Doors Key to get them here, but if he did, the Emperor wouldve known. "Were not going to stay for very long, so just look the other way this time. If I had been properly rewarded for my actions on the surface, then I wouldve had permits to spare." "Ah, nothing makes sense anymore..." Lee Shin Woo looked at the grief-stricken shop owner and grinned. Then, he suddenly thought of something. The one thing the Emperor had said that had bothered him. "Pleine, Id like to ask you something." "I cant promise you that Ill answer it, but go ahead." "Why hasnt the Undead Emperor gone to the surface when he can supposedly go through the barrier by being undead?" "..." Pleines eyes became empty. Lee Shin Woo spoke even more forcefully. "Cant you tell me at least this much? I deserve to hear it." "...You should already know the answer to that question, Mr. Shin Woo." Pleine responded with a bitter smile. Immediately after, she said something so simple and clear... the despondent truth. "Its because the undead cannot move forward." Chapter 43 part2 "B-But..." "But what? You already knew this, Mr. Shin Woo. That all the undead in the Underground Empire have stagnated. Even if they raise their levels, their existence wont change..." There was no doubt about it, so when she said the unthinkable, he fumbled with his words. "But dont the undead have a clear sense of identity? Like the Archmage. Compared to most humans, hes much more..." "Mr. Shin Woo, an undeads sense of identity or their intellect has no bearing on their true identity. It doesnt matter how rational or knowledgeable they are; having a clear goal doesnt matter either. Because the undead are irrevocably tied to the past, they cannot see the future. And they cannot even act in the present. That is their identity, which they cannot escape from." Lee Shin Woo was struck by a dull shock. He could understand it mentally. Thats exactly what individuality and identity meant. No matter how skilled one was, they couldnt go against their natural instincts. And to the undead, that instinct was stagnation. The undead didnt want to change. They wanted to stay in the same ce and repeat things over and over again. Lee Shin Woo could understand. At least, he thought he could understand, but... he really didnt get it. "How... How can that be? The Undead Emperor is level 9. The Archmage is not only level 8 like me, but understands mana much better than I do. Whats worse, he knows spatial magic, so he can get through the barrier whenever he wants..." "Its because theyve be undead. They mustve stayed underground for far too long. They have be unable to go to the surface." "..." "They forever remember the day that they were banished, and they hate everything on the surface. They want to tear the Magic Emperor to pieces, but... Despite that, they wish to remain underground. You must ept it, even if it doesnt make sense. Its their natural instinct, just like eating is necessary for humans to survive." How pitiful. Lee Shin Woo briefly thought that they did nothing wrong. They researched a way to get out, and made themselves into the undead, yet... As a result, they were unable to escape and were trapped underground. How ironic. "Come to think of it, God told me that I had to kill the Emperor to stop the spread of the undead curse. She didnt say, they mighte to the surface, so stop them." "Yes. For her part, she didnt lie to you about that from the very beginning. It was also something she couldnt hide from you." It was so obvious that hed forgotten at some point. Hed stopped thinking at a crucial moment. No, hed thought that the fearsome undead werent affected by logic and could do whatever they wanted. I can understand why the Magic Emperor wasnt worried. He shouldve gotten a report from Arema Steelworker on the Undead Emperors movements, so he would be sure that the Undead Emperor isnt going to invade the surface. That must be why the surface dispatched heroes at first, but then stopped soon after. Hed finally solved the puzzle. There were still some mysteries he hadnt solved yet, but he could just look into those in the Underground Empire. Like the actual goal of General Seagalds Anti-Skull... What a pain in the ass. That guys goal might be different from what I first suspected... "Mr. Shin Woo. Youre not thinking something strange, are you? Something like, Ill send all of the undead to the surface myself." "Oh, nice idea." "Mr. Shin Woo!?" "Im just joking around." Pleine was startled and yelled. Lee Shin Woo grinned and tried to calm her down, but it didnt work. She must have some deep-rooted feelings. "When God made you into an undead, she granted you a little bit of divinity to erase the undeads identity. It was a desperate attempt on her part, but it worked a lot better than she could have hoped. But to think youd be able to do the same with other undead..." "Ah, as I thought." Lee Shin Woo was talented in using the darkness element, and was even able to make the Pauls his subordinates when he was at a low level, making them freer than before. They prioritized his orders, but they had no other restraints. In other words, they werent stagnant like the other undead in the Empire. They were freed from the past and were capable of moving forward. "So I thought you might take the Empires side and lead them to the surface..." "Putting the deceased on the proper path, huh... That sounds pretty cool." "You wouldnt be putting them on the proper path, but on the path to ruin!" It was a joke, of course. To repeat, Lee Shin Woo didnt want to live in a world filled with death. But this n showed him some actors that he could control on his stage. Since ancient times, there was nothing better than a foreign enemy to unite the people. If he controlled the situation properly, then he could lead it in a favorable direction for him. His vague ns, which hed formed uponing to the surface and acting as Kay, were being adjusted in his head. "...Haha. Its be quite interesting." "Haha. Your ominous smile is making me shake all over." When he was level 7, he may have had some special abilities, but he was still at a much lower level than Pleine. But by reaching level 8, his existence had fundamentally changed. As a result, he became almost on par with Gods representative, Pleine. She still beat him in terms of pure magic and power, but he was ahead of her in terms of his authority. It seemed like Lee Shin Woo was still unaware of this, but Pleine had noticed. No matter how talented he is, or whether he was bestowed divinity or not, I didnt expect him to max out one of his elements already. Its much more surprising than learning a high rank element! But what is his element? I cant tell with just the energy its emitting...! Of course, she didnt say all that. She didnt want Lee Shin Woo to be biased or conceited about his own abilities. He would continue to grow at a rapid pace, and if she said something now and affected that growth, then she wouldnt be able to take it back. "Alright, I get it. In the end, my job hasnt changed much." "If youre willing, Id like to hear what the job of yours entails... You wont tell me, will you?" "You can just watch and enjoy, Pleine." "Will I really be able to enjoy it..." "Jin Jin,e over here." "Y-Yes!" Was she intimidated by the sight of them talking so intimately? After theyd deepened their rtionship, she acted close to him too, but she walked over stiffly, as if shed forgotten all about that. Seeing that, Lee Shin Woo smiled bitterly and asked. "Are you still far from level 7?" "Ah, no. Im not close if you look at mybat experience, but I achieved a lot of feats in the Underground Empire, so I gained a lot of stats. And as you know, I used a lot of the money I got from working as Lawrences representative to buy medicine..." "You bought it and...?" "I need about 1,000 stats to reach level 7." "So youre still not there yet... But its a relief. Youre farther along than I thought." She had grown a lot, considering the fact that she had been at the tail end of level 5 when she came up to the surface. If the other heroes knew about this, then they wouldve wrung her neck. She had grown faster than he did when he was at her level. However... Hoo. Shes my own creation, so this much is expected. Lee Shin Woo knew how diligently shed been working. If she had just taken what he had given her for free, then she wouldnt have grown so much. To achieve a feat, one needed to be proactive, no matter how little it was. If she hadnt tried so hard, then she wouldnt have achieved it. And she probably hadnt beenx on her skill training either. Shed ground her bones [1] to catch up to Lee Shin Woo, if even a little. But Lee Shin Woo was made up of nothing but bones, so it wasnt enough! "...Youve nurtured another hero quite well." Pleine, who was listening to their conversation from the side, was astonished. But Lee Shin Woo shook his head, as if displeased. "In case I had to leave Jin Jin on the surface alone, I wanted to get her to level 7. But that damn Emperor came looking for me and messed up my ns. So going back there isnt such a good idea, and though its not ideal, I have no choice but to proceed like this..." "Why isnt it a good idea?" "In a sense, me dying is good for me." Lee Shin Woo exined the current situation, as well as what he would do in the future to Ye Jin Jin, who was tilting her head, and the rest of his party. "The Emperor destroyed the Lawrence mansion, fully prepared to take a hit to his reputation. My fame went up significantly, and the fear and animosity towards the undead curse increased as well. The person at the center of all that was killed, so everyone will direct their anger towards the Emperor." "Thats true." The Emperor said he was prepared for all that. He added that the people had no choice but to rely on the Emperor. And he was right. As long as things continued as they were, that is. "But what would happen if I came out and said Actually, Im alive.? Of course, the people would be happy, but that forces me into a fight against the Emperor. Since I came back to life, the Emperor will consider me his mortal enemy, and itll be hard to move around afterwards, so... Itd be really, really tough on me." "But you said that it couldnt go on like this." "Yeah. So Ill set up Kays recement. Thats you." Hearing that, Ye Jin Jin looked extremely confused. "But Im already Lawrences representative..." "Lawrence wille forward. Lawrence, angered by his friends death, will do everything in his power to keep his friends wishes alive. Together with you, who is both Lawrences and Kays representative. If we tell people that youre not just business savvy, but you were trained by Kay, have great power, and can wield mes, then wouldnt that make quite the story?" "...Its such a great story that I feel like a story depicting the love triangle between Kay, Lawrence, and Izuna (Ye Jin Jins false name) wille out." "Exactly. Itll draw peoples attention. If that happens, then those who supported me will support you and Lawrence. You see, if they harm you, the sessor to Kays name and beliefs, then the Empire will break downpletely." Honestly, that crazy Vampire Emperor may damn the risks and try to kill Ye Jin Jin anyway. So, he would need to set up some countermeasures just in case. "It seems like the perfect n. However, Mr. Shin Woo... Arent there actually two huge problems with that n?" Ye Jin Jin, who was deeply absorbed by what he was saying (acting in Lee Shin Woos stead felt romantic to her), pointed out some ws in his n, as if she felt really bad for doing so. "First off, Lawrence is one of your names, Mr. Shin Woo. But youre going back to the Underground Empire, arent you?" "From now on, Bisher Moon will be Lawrence. Not only has Lawrence never officially appeared, but through my influence, Bisher has be able to disguise himself freely, so he can y the part of Lawrence. Moreover, he can more freely connect the Lawrence shop and Moon Shadow together, so theres no better choice." "Now that you mention it... But even you cant fix the second problem, Mr. Shin Woo." "Go ahead." "Its me. Me!" Lee Shin Woo looked oblivious and Ye Jin Jin ultimately looked at him with a half-crying face and yelled. "Im not as strong as you and I cant wield mes! You even told me to get to level 7, but I couldnt even do that. Mm, even though I tried my best. I really did my best...!" "Thats ok." "Thats ok!?" Lee Shin Woo took out an artifact from his chest, and once he did, it drew everyones attention. They had no choice but to pay attention to it. [Phoenixs Feather] [Lv9] [Durability: So long as one ember remains, it self-repairs itself] [Defense: 2,500 - 3,500] [Element: Fire Lv8] [Options: All stats increase by 100, Magic increases by an additional 100, you take no fire damage, you take no critical damage, automatic health recovery, and level 8 fire is added to every one of the wielders attacks] [Special passive skill: Sun Gods Breath - By storing enough fire mana, the wielder can concentrate the mes and discharge it whenever they wish.] [Special active skill: Sun Gods Blessing - When the wielder dies, the wielder can defy death once through the use of the mes that burn away cause and effect and return to life. The one who revives through this effect receives the Sun Gods blessing.] The soft dress boasted greater defensive capabilities than any of the armor within his possession. Plus, it increased ones stats by a crazy amount, and it would even add an element to ones attacks, increasing ones offensive abilities. It was the whole package, excelling in both offense and defense. It was the greatest inheritance left behind by the divine bird, the Garuda... Whats worse, it was the first time Gods representative, Pleine, had ever seen a level 9 piece of equipment. [1] T/N: Ground ones bones is a Korean idiom. It means to feel unbearable pain and/or work incredibly hard. Chapter 43 part3 "Y-Youre going to... give this to me?" "Yep. Well, Im not exactly giving it to you, but lending it to you." It was a level 9 artifact, so just giving it to her wouldnt have a good effect on her karma. He could barely even lend it to her, as the items level was much too high, but... by using his Dark Shadow and Wild Card skills, he was able to make up for her deficiencies. "What?! Mr. Shin Woo, this is the best item Ive ever seen! How could you hand it out so casually?!" "I pretty much have no way of using it right now, so I decided to give it to Jin Jin, who can use it effectively." Pleine, who was watching from the side, widened her eyes and tried to stop him, but Lee Shin Woo just shrugged. Of course, Lee Shin Woo was well aware of how amazing the Phoenixs Feather was... It didnt matter that it was more geared towards women. If he were to absorb it, he could adjust it to a form that suited him. But thats the problem. I cant. With a little more study, his Bone Reinforcement, Rule of Bone, or Bone Armory skills may evolve to even greater heights. However, that wasnt happening anytime soon. These skills wouldnt be able to alter an artifact that the level 9 divine bird, the Garuda, dropped. "Still... Do I even have the right to ept this? I-Im scared. If something happens to me and I cant return it, then... Especially this special active skill! You can only use it once, but if I were to waste it...!" "That abilitys why Im giving you this item. Think about it. The Sun Gods Blessing is ultimately the Garudas blessing. But I killed the Garuda, so will that blessing actually benefit me? I dont think so." This was the truth. Though the Garuda had rotted away (literally), it was still a level 9 divine bird. Even till the bitter end, it was suspicious and wary of Lee Shin Woo, so there was a chance those feelings were stored within this artifact. It wouldnt be much of an issue with Lee Shin Woos abilities, but it was still kind of awkward for him. "The best case scenario is if nothing happens to you, but... itd be a weight off my shoulders if you were to use this skill to survive if you find yourself in danger. So, dont feel so burdened and just wear it." "However..." As expected, Ye Jin Jin still felt burdened from his request, even though hed gone so far to assure her. Well, it made sense. To Lee Shin Woo, a revival ability wasnt really a big deal, but to Ye Jin Jin, it must be. The artifacts other abilities were quite considerable as well. He supposed it couldnt be helped. Lee Shin Woo decided to give her some extra service. He beckoned her with his finger and Ye Jin Jin came over to him, albeit confused. Then, he whispered a few words into her ear. It was super effective! "Huah... I-I understand!" "Good girl." Shortly after, she distanced herself from him. However, her face was flushed beet red as she quietly nodded her head. She had barely epted the Phoenixs Feather. Her reaction caused him to smile in satisfaction, and those who had watched their interaction narrowed their eyes. Of course, he didnt let that bother him at all. "But theres no way that you can just wear this cheat item. Its impossible, so long as you dont possess the level 6 high rank fire element like me. I can temporarily trick the item by using my Wild Card skill, but it wontst so it wont work with me alone." [...Is that where Ie in?] "Hoh. You got so smart from just one level up, our little Zenon." He hadnt even called him, but Zenon came forward. Once hed be a level 8 Shining Smander, he retained his appearance as a fire lizard. However, his body was a lot smaller than before, as he had shed his skin. He had much smoother curves than before and gave off a sense of elegance. As he thought, the higher level the spirit, the more attractive they became. [I can control that artifact. That girl... Ye Jin Jin, right? I can help her use the artifact. Moreover, if I were to help her, Ye Jin Jin will be able to unleash even greater mes, and she wont have any problems being your representative.] "90 points. Youre just a little bit off." [Ill stay by her side and protect her. At the same time, Ill ry information on the surface to you. And... youre hoping that I grow with her, right?] "Bingo. 100 points. Youve just obtained the light element, so you need time to try out your new abilities and grow. If you stay by her side, then you can go wild without people suspecting a thing." As expected, forming a contract with a spirit would cause the spirit to adopt some of the contractors qualities. Zenon had said exactly what Lee Shin Woo had wanted and went inside of the Phoenixs Feather. The Phoenixs Feather, which had unrestrainedly expelled mes everywhere, calmed down and looked like a normal red dress now. He passed the dress over to Ye Jin Jin without hesitation. Ye Jin Jin epted it with much difficulty and felt the dress over. Then, she carefully voiced her appreciation. "When I look at it up close, it looks quite splendid. It might be difficult to talk to someone wearing this everyday!" "Who cares? Its better for a hero to stand out anyway. Youre pretty and have a nice body, so itll look nice on you. Dont worry." "Hehehe..." He added in somepliments here and there, making her feel happy. If she met a silver-tongued bastard, then shed bepletely fooled by him... he thought. But when he thought about it again, Lee Shin Woo realized he was that silver-tongued bastard. "Ye Jin Jin, Zenon, and Bisher Moon (whos still in the Empire working); you guys will be responsible for the surface. Rem will support you too. I made sure to check, but the Emperor doesnt know that Ive taken control of the golemwork. We should be able to acquire information regarding the movements of his forces, the 12 Generals, and his ns. Mostly everything, aside from the Emperor himself." "Understood!" [I trust that you havent changed your mind. Ill definitely make a world where all spirits can live in peace.] What a trustworthy response. Although Ye Jin Jin currently needed the Phoenixs Feather and Zenon to do much of anything right now, if she were to be Lawrence and Kays representative, then... the amount of karma and Perium she gained would skyrocket. Thus, shed quickly be level 7. She might even reach level 8 before the underground heroes. Thats how far his influence reached! "Mm. Ill lend you one more thing." No matter how offensively capable the Phoenixs Feather was, it was still a defensive item, so Lee Shin Woo decided to let her borrow a weapon too. It was a javelin created by transforming the level 7 Fire Dragons Scale Greatsword! In exchange for its special options, it gained the ability to amplify the fire element when thrown. "This is an amazing item!? Can I really have it?" "Yeah. You can have this one. If it breaks, I can fix it from afar." Although he had to use one of his 10 Bone Armory slots for it, both his Rule of Bone and Bone Armory skills had grown significantly; even if she were on the surface and he were underground, he could still maintain the weapon for her and even reinforce it. "Wow. Wow...!" [Mm. I should be able to reinforce and withdraw the weapon with my control if its a weapon with such powerful mes.] It wasnt much for Lee Shin Woo, but to Ye Jin Jin, it was an unbreakable divine spear. And thus, he had sessfully created a hero on the spot. The Emperor must be astonished right now! He also wanted to transfer the Evileye Generals Evileye to her, but he couldnt as of yet. If his Bone Reinforcement advanced a little bit more, and if he studied how to interfere with bone and other matter a bit more, then he should be able to do it, but he couldnt yet. "And Sinea." [Y-Yeah? Do I have to stay on the surface too?] "Stay in the Spirits Spring for me. We need someone to lead the spirits in the Spirits Spring in Zenons stead. Since weve formed an official contract, you can always call for me, no matter where I am, so dont feel so lonely..." [Euuu.] Sinea had stuck to Lee Shin Woo all the timetely as if she thought that being by his side was only natural. Was that why her eyes were brimming with tears? But the Elder Dryad Princess knew full well that she shouldnt be stubborn. In the end, she nodded her head and said. [Make sure you dote on meter.] "You got it." "...Dote on her, huh." "How do you think hell dote on her?" He ignored the others reactions again and Lee Shin Woo ordered to go their separate ways. Ye Jin Jin nodded her head and bought medicine with all the money shed umted thus far. She took all of it at once, wore the Phoenixs Feather, with Zenon inside, ced the Javelin Lee Shin Woo had created for her on her back and then left. "...Then, shall we get going?" "In the end, its just us two going back." Pleine, who was wondering what the rest would have to say, widened her eyes. "Oh my. Are you really not going to shop for anything? Moreover, the two of you should have some ns moving forward. Are you not going to tell me what they are?" "I told you. Watch and enjoy." Lee Shin Woo winked at her and activated the Heaven Doors Key. Lee Shin Woo took out some of the umted bones from his inventory and used all the mana hed saved up to create a gate... Pleine watched on vacantly, but when they took one step into the gate she said to their backs... "You dont need to feel sorry for me." "Alright." "Since I knew this would happen. Im actually quite happy that this day came much faster than Id expected." "I appreciate it." Jin tilted his head from beside Lee Shin Woo. Did he not understand yet? It might be for the best if he didnt understand till the very end. "So you dont need to avoid me out of guilt. Do you understand? I told you in advance." "Yes, yes." "Thank you. While youre at it... My stupid little sister might trouble you, but be kind to her for my sake." "Ill think about it." Lee Shin Woo was a stern man. Pleine was pouting, saying that he wasnt a simple skeleton, but Lee Shin Woo, who was half-way through the gate, turned his head back and asked. "Is my body really not your type?" "Oh my." Did he even say that ever since they first met? Pleine narrowed her eyes and replied. "That was a lie. You see, Im not the type of girl that judges people based on their bodies. Youre flirting with me, arent you?" "Id always wanted to tell you this." Lee Shin Woo smiled refreshingly and told her his true feelings. "I really wasnt flirting with you. And your face is pretty, but youre really not my type. See youter!" "What...!" Lee Shin Woo, whod sessfully carried out his revenge, waved his hand at the shaking Pleine and left the secret shop. For some reason, Jin, who wasnt even a part of their conversation, wasughing along side of him. Chapter 43 part4 The first thing they did after leaving the secret shop was inspecting the wine factorys facilities. After that, they told the Dryads where their princess was, and what she was doing. After hed calmed down the spirits thattched onto him, he collected the wine barrels and supplied new oak barrels. And only then could he sigh. "Weve finallye to a safe ce... so shall we start?" "...Start what?" Jin replied, and gulped down spit he didnt even have. He tried to feign ignorance, but he already knew what Lee Shin Woo was nning. He could tell just looking at Lee Shin Woo taking out and sorting the 10,000 or so bones hed collected from the level 8 dungeon! "What do you mean? Before we go, were going to level you up." "I still need 2,500 stats to level up. Do you really think itll be that easy?" "Yeah. So long as I have this, the Garudas Wing Bone!" "I think so too..." Jin saw Lee Shin Woos unnecessarily brisk smile (whenever Lee Shin Woo smiled like this, it usually meant that something assuredly not fun was going to happen), and realized that he had no way to escape. Since meeting with Lee Shin Woo this time, Jins best friend resignation had been patting him on the shoulder. "You could say that your level up is the fruit of your time on the surface. Im sure of it this time. If you absorb the Garudas Wing Bone, then... When you level up, youll gain real wings!" "You could make me wings. Can you not make me into a human!?" "Oh, about that. I hadnt really exined that part thoroughly enough to you." "Ugh..." Lee Shin Woo suddenly sobered up. Jin, who had been pushing him, felt tense. Jin thought that maybe Lee Shin Woo could already transform into aplete human. He didnt get this from Lee Shin Woos reaction but from Ye Jin Jin and Sineas reactions. ...All the more reason he didnt want to hear it from him. He was scared of getting a definite answer. "You must have some idea by now, but just a little while ago, I became able to disguise myselfpletely as a human. No, to be more specific, calling it a disguise at this point doesnt really fit. Itd be more urate to say that I can define myself. Its because I have this ability that I was able to use the Wild Card or Dark Shadow skills." "Ugh..." "However, that abilitys focused on me. Which means I cant yet use it to fundamentally change others. Several of my abilities grew as I leveled up, so... I could probably change your outside appearance to that of a humans, but its ultimately limited to just the outside. ...I thought that might hurt you even more, so I didnt say anything. Sorry." "Ugh... Uaaaaah." "Jin!?" Lee Shin Woo had made up his mind and spoken, but Jin reacted in apletely unexpected way. He expected him to kick with his hind legs or use his Magic Breath, but Jin just rolled onto the ground while screaming. "Eugeuuu! Uaaaaah!" Lee Shin Woo was truly taken aback at the sight of Jin rolling on the floor, his four legs writhing. Because Jins agility was so high, his feet left afterimages, butughing would be the worst possible decision here, so he suppressed the feeling. "Heueu. Hoooo..." "Jin, have you calmed down?" "Grr." A few minutester, Jin stopped writhing around. But when he asked a question, Jin grit his teeth. Seeing that, he realized that Jin hadnt calmed down yet, so he decided to wait patiently for a few more minutes. Jin skillfully stood up by himself and stepped onto the ground with his four legs. "Im good." "A-Alright." "Just wanted to get this out there. You didnt do anything wrong. I just wanted to vent. Moreover, I know that youre trying to figure out how to turn me back into a human." "Mm..." If he were to say You knew about that already?, then their partnership might break. Lee Shin Woo looked into his eyes and Jin sighed. Then, Jin spoke much softer than before. "You said you could change my outer appearance, right?" "Yeah. To whatever appearance you recognize." "Alright. Then could you turn me back, before I level up, just once? I want to show you what I looked like when I was still human." ...It was a long timeing. At least, thats what Lee Shin Woo thought. When Jin said that, the hanging tension between them had already implied theing results. Even so, he couldnt not do it. This was an event of sorts. An event that had to ur if Lee Shin Woo and Jin wanted to continue to be partners from now on. In the end, Lee Shin Woo nodded his head. "...Alright." "Im all set." Lee Shin Woo slowly extended his hand towards Jin and used his Disguise skill. The change was immediate. The horse shape turned into a humans build, and in the middle of it, skin began to cover Jins body. If Lee Shin Woo were disguising himself, it wouldnt take this long. But because he was using it on someone else, so dramatically at that, the process was a bit horrifying. The basic modeling was finished, which set the groundwork for adjusting the fine lines of the human body; it was starting to look like a human now. "...Hoo." Jins image was indispensable, as he was transforming from a skeleton horse to a human. Not a weak image, like something hed seen just once or twice, but his own image, the image of himself all his life. Therefore, there could be only one viable result: Jin Taylors human appearance on Earth. "It really is my body." She was finished disguising. Jins voice was always quite beautiful, but it had be even more so when shed transformed into a human. It was the type of voice that made someone feel better just by listening to it. "...That so?" "Yep." Jins legs were slender as if it was evidence that she was a sprinter, and the beauty of her leg lines, which started at her muscled thighs, was truly striking. The hot pants really fit her. Her upper body was thin as well. Jins loose-fitting T-shirt didnt cover fully cover her slender waist. It was the same for her slender stomach. But her chest was so voluptuous that he wondered whether she could really run with it. Jin saw where he was looking and smiled as if she found it funny. Then, she exined. "Shin Woo, you shouldnt underestimate the recent sports bras." "Whats worse, it even disguised what youre wearing as well... Never mind." Hed only transformed her outer appearance, but hed almost responded unnecessarily. It was definitely because he was agitated. Lee Shin Woo then asked her. "So how do you feel?" "Mm." Lee Shin Woo looked into her eyes (as she wasughing) and smiled bitterly. Her blond ponytailed hair was quite striking, but her endlessly blue eyes and her facial features were so beautiful that he felt like it was a bit of a waste that she was an athlete. When she was still an athlete, she mustve had a ton of fans, he thought calmly... and then he bowed his head and apologized to her. "Im sorry for everything till now. Im a real bastard." Thats right. Hed desperately ignored it until now, but hed already known for a while. That Jin was a girl. There was no way he couldnt know. Our countries were different, the way we lived were different... We had too many different fundamental values that couldnt be attributed to just those two factors. No, that was just an excuse. Hed known from the beginning. He was suspicious when hed first heard Jins voice, and he was sure of it when he saw how well she got along with Ye Jin Jin. He had been apany employee in South Korea. There was no way that Lee Shin Woo, whod met so many people during his time as apany employee, wouldnt recognize his partners gender, who he spent 24 hours a day with. But the reason hed regarded Jin as a man was because it was morefortable for him that way. Jin knew that, and he trusted that Jin understood. "You dont need to apologize. At first, I thought itd be better if I kept it ambiguous. Even if Im a skeleton horse, itd be tough to ride on top a girls back, right?" "No... Im so sorry." "Moreover, look. Were a skeleton and skeleton horse. Who cares about gender? What was the point in even distinguishing my gender?" "Im sorry." Lee Shin Woo had thought that way, so hed left it alone, but you never know how someone might react. They really shouldve tackled this issue from the beginning. Thats why Lee Shin Woo was apologizing. "The more you apologize, the more miserable I feel... Haha." The reason why trivial issues like this had be such a big deal, despite them being a skeleton and a skeleton horse was because... well, it was kind of obvious. Could he really write it off by saying that their timing was off or their mental attitude wasnt good? It was fine when Jin was still a skeleton horse since her feelings wouldnt show on her face, but now, he could see her bitter expression on her face. So no matter how shameless Lee Shin Woo was, he felt like something was stabbing him in the heart. "I guess theres some hope for me yet if youre feeling so apologetic. Though its kind ofughable for me, a skeleton horse, to be saying stuff like this." "I should be able to turn you back into a human soon." "Alright. I trust you. When the timees, we can start there. ...Well be able to start from there, right?" Jins specialty was acting weak and unconfident, despite her exceptional abilities. Even after she assumed her beautiful human form, she remained the same, so he smiled automatically. She was well aware that her outer appearance was just a secondary factor to their rtionship. "Yeah, of course." "Alright. I trust you, so Ill go back to being a horse. Ill level up as fast as I can." "Ok." Lee Shin Woo used all the elite level 8 bones, as well as the Garudas Wing Bone on Jin, and Jin finally leveled up. In the process, shed gained actual wings! Though they wereprised of bone, she wouldnt need to use the jet engines all across her body anymore to stabilize herself in the air. Steel Heart formed over the bone wings, and by shooting out mana from that section alone, Jin would be able to fly. And there was one more trivial change as well. The moment hed used the Garudas Wing Bone for Bone Reinforcement, both Lee Shin Woo and Jin gained the light element. Chapter 43 part5 [You have learned the Lv1 High Rank Light element. Magic has increased by 100.] [Light is one of the two great elements that govern the world. It is the power that signals the beginning, elerates the growth and development of all creation, and is the power that allows you to reach an unreachable domain. Light dispels the darkness and possesses the power of severing rtionships.] [It is incredibly difficult to grasp the nature of the light element, and is not an element easily wielded. This power, which can be acquired only by severing everything, is often referred to as divine power by priests. As true divinity is something only gods can wield, the light element is not true divinity.] "Ah, so this is how I get the light element, huh." Lee Shin Woo perused the message a few times and was deeply moved. He hadnt shown any signs, but hed been trying very hard to obtain the light element. Hed used his Bone Winged Serpent staff to reverse darkness into light, studied his Light Resistance, recollected Seira Von Retadanes powerful light and had tried to copy the mana pattern shed used, to no avail. To put it bluntly, it wouldnt be an exaggeration to say that hed dumped all his free time into acquiring the light element. "The fact that I did all that, but still didnt get it must mean that I dont have much affinity with the light element." That was only natural. The Light element wasnt normally obtainable by the undead, so it made sense that hispatibility with the element was at an all time low. Lee Shin Woo wasnt aware of this, but whenever the Garuda used the light element or its Shining me, which was mixed with the light element, it took damage, as it had degenerated into an undead. Regardless, the Garuda was able to wield the high rank light element with ease, and as a result of absorbing its bone (he still had his share, the Garudas Sphenoid Bone, but in the process of reinforcing Jin with the Wing Bone, the Sphenoid Bone had awakened as well), he was able to acquire the High Rank Light element as well. If God hadnt bestowed him with Light Resistance, then even Lee Shin Woo wouldnt have been able to obtain the light element. Jin was in the same boat. Dark me is nice and all, but Bone Reinforcements the best for permanent growth. Rather than researching the element by himself, it was a far more effective approach to absorb a divine birds bone, which could wield the light element at an already high level. Of course, he kept in mind that there was a chance that he wouldnt obtain the light element from Bone Reinforcement either, but he got lucky. Since hed been yearning for the light element ever since hed acquired the darkness element, he felt like hed justpleted a high rank quest. It makes sense that I got the element, but its really surprising that Jin did as well. It mightve been the best time for her to level up. If not, maybe my Joker karma affected her? Normally, humans (all of mankind, excluding monsters) couldnt wield the elements themselves. Even if they could, it would be the result of processing natural mana, or through a special skill or spell. Which meant that they would have to go one step higher from the middle. However, Jin had acquired the light element regardless! There were several reasons as to why she did. Lee Shin Woos Joker karma couldve affected her, or perhaps Jin gained a deeper understanding of magic and her limits were released as she leveled up. If not, then perhaps Jin was considered a monster, rather than a human being now. He had one more idea, but if he said it, Jin would definitely hit him, so he just thought about it. Since Lee Shin Woo wouldnt be able to look at Jin for a while! Now that I think about it, the Emperor used a high rank element with ease. Maybe the difference between man and monster bes meaningless when one passes level 8. When he had reached level 8, Lee Shin Woo had reached the peak of the darkness element. And because of his innate skills, he could define himself however he wished, so it felt like he was right. He epted it and nodded his head. Lee Shin Woo looked at Jin, who was flying with her steel-covered wings and tried using his light element again. It had been so hard getting it, yet once he did, it was so simple to use. But he could already control cause and effect through his Shining me and other innate skills, so Lee Shin Woo didnt feel that the light element, which severed rtionships, was very appealing to him. "Though I suppose its useful in healing, growth and development, or attacking at an incredibly fast speed." Lee Shin Woo glimpsed to the side again. Jin, whod be ustomed to flying with only her wings, used light mana as an auxiliary propulsion system... she was trying to fly even faster with those boosters of hers and managed to top her previous max speed. She wasnt able to control her speed 100%, so she collided with objects here and there. He decided to ignore the fact that her doing so was causing the underground cave to reach its limit. "Uaaaaah! Its too fasssssst!" "Sorry, Jin. I cant understand you at all." Befitting the skill God had bestowed upon her, Jin had truly be a Child of Light. She could reach light speed now! He was so jealous! But it wasnt in his character to just stay jealous. "Yeah. There should be several innate elements that are derived from the light element." After all, Lee Shin Woo possessed the Beginner Shining me already. Of course, this was created from the divine birds karma, so Lee Shin Woo could only advance it to the intermediate level. However, Lee Shin Woo knew that there had to be a high rank derivative of the light element or even a fusion innate element. The message that described the light element had been extremely suspicious. It would allow him to reach an unreachable domain... This must not be referring to learning the light element itself, but whatys beyond it! Now that I think about it, when I was first affected by the light element, my Holy Resistance reacted, resulting in the creation of Light Resistance. Which means... Perhaps the holy element was an innate element that was derived from the light element...? No, it might even be a fusion element with the darkness element. With that in mind, Lee Shin Woo felt his heart pound (he was still in his human form). But he couldnt try it out right now. Just because he knew that he couldbine the two elements and create an innate element didnt mean that he could just be like how about I give it a go? andbine them so easily. Innate elements required, above all, karma that suited them. The resulting change in the element would follow. So, Lee Shin Woo was merely at the starting line now. "If for no other reason..." Lee Shin Woo raised the remaining sphenoid bone. It was fine if he didnt get much from it. If the Shining me was reinforced, then... that would be fine. [Absorbing the Lv9 Garudas Sphenoid Bone. Strength and Health have increased by 130, Agility by 200, and Magic by 250. The High Rank Light element has be Lv4 and Magic has increased by 60. The Beginner Shining me element has be Lv5 and Magic has increased by 20. The Soul Seeing Eyes skill has be Lv5 and all stats have increased by 10. The Mana eleration and Mana Bone skills have be Lv8, and Magic has increased by 40. You have learned the special passive skill, Manatization. Health and Magic has increased by 20.] ...He thought, but he gained something else entirely. Manatization. Lee Shin Woo had a feeling as to what it was when he obtained the skill. When he thought back to the Garudas body, he knew the answer. It had made half its body into mana. That ability had be a skill. A level 9 indeed. An unimaginable skill just pops up out of nowhere. Lee Shin Woo closed his eyes and thought. He was already somewhat capable of turning his body into mana. As a result of reaching the peak of the darkness element, he could temporarily turn his body into darkness. However, this skill, Manatization, was simr but also fundamentally different. This skill is... permanent. The Garuda was almost half spirit. It had attempted to transcend the limitations of its physical body and soul by turning its body into mana. In lieu of that though, the Manatization skill would transform his body into mana. To be more specific, it would rece all his stats: Strength, Agility, and Health, etc. with Magic. Could he call it artificially bing a spirit? Was it a natural development for him... No, he supposed it was only one of the many possibilities of maximum growth for one who understands the principle behind magic. But this skill... There are a lot of things Im concerned about. Of course, turning his body into mana wasnt without its weaknesses. The spirits physical strength wasnt very good. There was no going back once he decided to change his body into mana, and training the Manatization skill meant that he would be picking one of the two roads in front of him, without the ability to go back. ...For everyone besides Lee Shin Woo that is. "I gained quite the ability here." Cold sweat trailed down his back. He could already define his existence however he wished, and change it whenever he needed to! In other words, even if he trains the Manatization skill and changes all his body into mana, he could immediately change his body back whenever he wanted! To be blunter, he, who had focused most of his stats in Magic, had be able to redistribute his stats at will! "...Training Manatization might be better thantraining to get the holy element." Even he thought this was a cheat skill. Combining his ability as a Joker and the Manatization skill was far too dangerous! But thats precisely why he was drawn to it. If Lee Shin Woo switched between his mana body (in other words, an evil spirit) and his physical body, then he could respond with the appropriate form during battle. Perhaps that was, in its own way, a perfect form... "Moreover, maybe I can solve my skill issue with this." Changing his body into mana meant that he would be changing his bones into mana as well. If he could cause a fundamental change in his bones by training his Manatization, then wouldnt it fundamentally change his Bone Reinforcement, Rule of Bone, and Bone Armory? Perhaps he could raise them to an even higher level! This was only spection for now, but Lee Shin Woo realized that his Manatization was the key to evolving his skills. if he were to train this skill, which changed everything he was into mana, then he would ultimately transcend matter and magic! "Lord Garuda, thank you so much. If I get to level 10, then its all because of you!" Lee Shin Woo genuinely thanked the dead Garuda. If it knew, it would probably be really pissed, but fortunately, there werent any problems on that front, since its soul had been burnt away as well. Chapter 43 part6 He still had two pieces of loot left. One of them was the level 8 Sun Fossil, [1] which hed made before by using the Shard of the Sun Temples Central Pir. Lee Shin Woo wondered what he should do with this but ultimately used it on his Titan Core. Not only did the recharge time reduce by 2 weeks, but its growth (due to the Garudas power) was elerated as well. He touched it in satisfaction and turned his attention to the final piece of loot. This was the biggest issue here. It was just too good of an item. [Death Gods Shining Bone Sword (+3)] [Lv8] [Durability: 5,000/5,000] [Attack Power: 2,500 - 2,750] [Element: Light Lv8] [Options: Strength +150, Magic +100, and when you attack, you sever your enemys link between their Health and Magic] [Special passive skill: Smile of the Death God - When you are attacked or attack during battle, there is a high chance that the Shining Bone Sword will duplicate, which will automatically attack your foe. Once the duplicated Shining Bone Sword strikes, it disappears.] [Special active skill: Fury of the Death God - This ability can only be used by umting arge quantity of mana within the sword. Unleashes a sh at every foe within your sight, and severs all spatial and magical interference.] One might think that Lee Shin Woo wouldnt feel enthusiastic about the weapon, as hed given the Phoenixs Feather to Ye Jin Jin just a little while ago, but this was actually the first time hed ever gotten a level 8 weapon! As evidence of this, its attack power was ridiculously high, even when factoring in its evolution and the +3 tag. Plus, its max attack power was about 250 higher than his previous most powerful weapon, the level 7 Giant Drake Horn Lance. When he took into ount the fact that the Death Gods Shining Bone Sword could be wielded with one hand, while the Giant Drake Horn Lance required two and could only be used when charging, Lee Shin Woo could tell just how high-ss this weapon was. "If I fought the Emperor with this in hand, wouldnt I just win...?" Lee Shin Woo briefly deluded himself, but soon shook his head. He wasnt sure about the Undead Emperor, but the Magic Emperor was no pushover. He could die if he was conceited. Even though he had 154 extra lives, it wouldnt change the gravity of death. Lets stop thinking about such pointless stuff and... absorb this. His Bone Armory skill was now level 10. His weapons and armor were reinforced within his Bone Armory, as the equipments info was shared with each other. In other words, if he were to absorb the Death Gods Shining Bone Sword, then all of his stored equipment would be reinforced instantaneously! It was less burdensome to absorb equipment than bones, but absorbing such a high level weapon should take a lot out of him. Once he had prepared himself, he gripped the sword and absorbed it. [Storing the Death Gods Shining Bone Sword in the Bone Armory. Strength has increased by 150 and Magic by 100. The Bone Armory skill has be Lv11, and Health and Magic have increased by 20. You can now summon and maintain twenty pieces of equipment at a time. All equipment stored within the Bone Armory have been reinforced.] [You can now summon the Lv7 Dead Bone Full Armor.] "!?" Lee Shin Woo had expected his Bone Armory to level up once he absorbed the Death Gods Shining Bone Sword. Since this was his first time absorbing a level 8 artifact. But he didnt think his Bone Armorys summoning limit would double! When Bone Armory reached level 10, the skill had be much stronger, but Lee Shin Woo was shocked, as he didnt think one more level would make this much of a difference. By bing level 8, Lee Shin Woo could use more mana at one time and could even draw in ambient mana, so this could be seen as his Bone Armory bing two times as effective! Not only that, his armor set had been upgraded to level 7 as well. He had nothing else to ask for. Lee Shin Woo felt as though his Bone Armory skill was almost perfect and shook. "With this... Maybe I really should hold a ceremony for the Garuda... More importantly, are there no half-rotten mythological creatures in the Underground Empire?" "Youre terrible." Jin, whod returned after bing somewhat familiar with her new body and the light element, looked at Lee Shin Woo unkindly. Of course, Lee Shin Woo didnt pay her any mind and immediately swapped his armor. After that, he resummoned his Prayer of the Dead (the cape), which had be slightly stronger both in terms of its defense and subsequent properties. If he included Ye Jin Jins javelin, then he had three slots used up right now. "Alright. Then to fill up the other seventeen slots..." He summoned two Giant Drake Horn Lances, two Fire Dragons Scale Greatswords, two Light Gods Fury, and two copies of the Titans Fortress. After that, he summoned nine Death Gods Shining Bone Swords and attached one of them to his waist. Lee Shin Woos mana had bottomed out, as he had used so much at once, but by using his Mana eleration and Mana Bone skills, his mana was quickly replenished. Lee Shin Woo dominated the mana around him, which somewhat resembled the Archmage, Feotane Von Seldin. "It would be a sight to see, shooting all the fully charged Death Gods Shining Bone Swords." "The fact that these weapons are going to be following us around everywhere is terrifying..." Of course, charging level 7 and level 8 weapons was still an arduous task for Lee Shin Woo, but it would also be good mana practice for him. It would be his warm-up for his training in Manatization. "Then, theres nothing else to do here, right? Jin, lets go inspect the troops." "Inspecting the troops... What exactly do you mean by that?" "Moving a mountain with one finger, or making a tunnel, or setting up a barracks... You know, stuff like that." "How are you going to move a mountain...? With a beam...?" Lee Shin Woo climbed atop Jin, whose speed was iparable to before (they both felt a bit awkward) and left the wine factory. They then went to one of therge cities (in the level 3 danger zone), where the Heaven Defying Generals troops were divided and stationed, went down into the sewers, and checked on the condition of his troops. While he was on the surface, he had given his appointedmanders (the Giantsmanders were Eta and Arogan, the Chimerasmander was Chi Paul, and finally, the Avenger, Shino Rendu was the Paul Corps) orders to move around his troops in rotations. As they were undead, which didnt tire, there were arge number of bones gathered from each squad. [Lord Paul Zero, it seems like youve be even stronger!] [Thats not all. The power hes conveying is even stronger than before. The Titan has be even stronger!] [Ooooh. As expected of the Titans seconding...!] [Look at me. Ive received the Titans energy and can now wield mes!] "You guys are no pushovers. Ill make you even stronger, so bring me all the bones youve collected." The Giants were first. The conspicuouslyrge Giants were forced to move carefully, killing everything in the area and then returning to hide within the sewers. Even so, they had collected thergest amount of bones amongst the squads. He used most of them to reinforce the Giants but kept the garbage bones to himself. Lee Shin Woo could always use them to either fuel the Heaven Doors Key or heal himself. Not only were they strengthened by Bone Reinforcement, but the reinforced Titan Core had strengthened the entire tribe once more. The Giants saw him off and Lee Shin Woo moved on to the next group. [Lord Paul Zero. Im d youvee back safely!] "Yeah, Im d youre safe too. Youve be a lot stronger, huh." Next up was Shino Rendus squad, which consisted of the quickest of the Pauls. This squad was best suited for investigation or infiltration. They had found a hidden level 5 dungeon and had brought back arge number of elite bones. [Id like to be level 8 as soon as possible too...!] "Dont be impatient. If you do your best, then youll reach level 8 eventually." Shino Rendu, who thirsted for revenge, had inherited Metafel Rerdans essence, and could thus develop his stats and skills separately without achieving a feat, using Bone Reinforcement, or leveling up his skills, by eating any monsters, including the undead. How much must he have eaten for him to possess an intermediate level 7s stats? Moreover, Lee Shin Woo had used only the elite bones to reinforce him, yet Shino hadnt had his fill. It seemed like he was excited by Lee Shin Woos level up. "What about the 12 Generals movements?" [Nothing much changed after myst report. But... we met the Fire yer Sword God on our way back from a hunt.] "The Fire yer Sword God?" Sinceing to the Underground Empire, hed met several people with extremely chunni titles before, but this was the first time hed ever heard something as ridiculous as the Fire yer Sword God. Lee Shin Woo tilted his head and Shino Rendu added. [He was definitely Seagald Von Retadane.] "...Ah." As he thought. Seagald was one of the 12 Generals, so that mustve been the title he received from the Emperor. But he still had his doubts. It was way too much to give one of the 12 Generals a title like that. The Fire yer Sword God? Would the Emperor really give one of his men the title of God? Lee Shin Woo felt like hed need to look into this further. But there was something more important than that to be done... "So what happened? The fact that youre here means that he didnt kill you." [He asked us to join his troops, but I refused, saying that I already followed someone else. I was prepared to die, but surprisingly, he just let us go. I felt like he wasnt our enemy, for now at least.] "...Yeah. As long as you came back alive, its fine." When faced with an unbeatable foe, Lee Shin Woos policy was to trick them and get out of there alive, but... It wouldve been better had he gotten a spy to infiltrate Seagalds ranks. They had all survived though, so that was good enough. Lee Shin Woo tapped Shino Rendus shoulder, who looked like he was saying I stayed loyal to you until the very end, Lord Paul Zero!. It seems like hes gotten smarter than before, but... perhaps this was as far as his intellect would go. [We exist for Lord Paul Zero!] [Uooooh! Its not Seagald who walks the righteous path, but Lord Paul Zero!] [Glory to Lord Paul Zero!] Moreover, Shinos Pauls were saying that theyd follow Lee Shin Woo instead of General Seagald till the very end. They didnt even give Lee Shin Woo an opportunity to retort. Lee Shin Woo looked tepidly at Shino and asked. "Did you hear anything out of the ordinary from him? [He said that he could probably cooperate with you, Lord Paul Zero. He said that our enemies are the same.] "Enemies, huh..." He felt like hed heard that somewhere before. Now that he thought about it, it was the same thing that he, as the Heaven Defying General, had told the other heroes. He moaned automatically. In any case, so long as Seagald was aware of the Heaven Defying General, he would have an opportunity to meet with him in the not too distant future. Since Seagalds power was an unknown, he would have to approach him carefully. "Alright. I may need your power soon, so rest up for now." [I understand!] Compared to the other squads, the golem squad had sustained more casualties, as they followed their masters orders to the letter. However, they were also easier to restore back to full strength, as they had brought back the cores. Once hed finished reinforcing the golems, he approached the Chimera squad. They had been using the underground waterworks of a city that bordered the level 4 danger zone as their base camp, and because their revenge was mostly focused on Arema Steelworker and the Emperor, they had been the most active. They also had some information they needed to share with him. [Arema Steelworker is on the move. He is heading towards the city in the level 4 danger zone... Bayran.] [1] T/N: I assume that this Sun Fossil and the Hands that Cover the Sun are equivalent. Chapter 44 part1 "Bayran." Bayran was located in the level 4 danger zone and was an extremelyrge city, which led directly to the capital. He knew he needed to go there eventually. But to think that Arema Steelworker was going over there... This was obviously no coincidence. "Arema Steelworker, huh." [Thats correct. You already knew that their movements were unusual following ourst great battle. Weve also seen the Emperors forces and the Anti-Skull fight in a few small skirmishes, but...] "Did they make any suspicious moves after that?" [Yes. Arema Steelworker and some golems, which emitted a strong energy, appeared where you said they would, and weve confirmed that theyre moving in a particr direction. Its the route to Bayran.] "...As I thought. Good work. Its important info. But you mentioned that their movements werent particrly hidden?" [Yes. ...They moved so conspicuously that I suspect it was on purpose. Please take that into consideration.] He could trust in the Chimeras and their hostility towards Arema Steelworker, but something smelled off with their info... Why was Arema Steelworker acting now, when he had been so quiet thus far? ording to the information hed procured on the surface, Arema Steelworker wasnt the type to take risks against the Undead Emperor. Moreover, hes showing himself and going to Bayran? That was way too suspicious. That guys objective might be the heroes instead. Everything was progressing as the Magic Emperor wished. However, all of the heroes were currently underground and attempting to overthrow the Undead Emperor. A few of the 12 Generals had been killed, and killing the Undead Emperor had be an actual possibility. Perhaps Arema Steelworker was wary of the heroes interrupting his n. If not, then perhaps he was trying to eliminate them in case they posed a threat to the surface... No, that was unlikely. Since Arema Steelworker should have in-depth knowledge regarding the underground barrier. If its none of those options, then theres only one possibility left... He may be trying to kill the Heaven Defying General. Paul Zero, or the Heaven Defying General was considered the hottest potato underground. They didnt know where the Heaven Defying General would pop up and he was bizarre, as he acted outside the scope of normal undead behavior. No one could tell whether the Heaven Defying General was really an undead or not. ...Thus, there was a high likelihood of Arema Steelworker being wary of him. Arema Steelworkers conspicuous movements must be to draw the Heaven Defying General to Bayran and annihte his forces. Lets assume this information has been leaked to the other heroes... He may be trying to get the Heaven Defying General and the heroes to meet. Lee Shin Woo quickly organized his thoughts. And then, he smiled bitterly at the Chi Pauls, who were awaiting his orders, and said. "Im going to Bayran. I have another mission for you." [But my lord!] "Its a trap, I know. Hes probably trying to get us, the imperial troops, and the heroes to fight against each other. Going with arge force is a bad idea." [Thats true, but my lord, Im concerned for your safety!] They imed they were concerned for his safety, but they couldnt hide their thirst for vengeance that dwelled within their zing goblin fire. If anyone other than their master, Lee Shin Woo, had ordered them not to go, then they might have fought back. Lee Shin Woo smiled bitterly and exined. "If I bring you all with me, then theyll know Im the Heaven Defying General. Also, you dont have to be concerned for my safety. Even if he attacks me with all four of the Four Heavenly Commanders, I can win all by myself. Of course, he could have something hidden up his sleeve, but the moment we face off head-to-head, hell be no match for me. Im sure of it. You see, I have a secret weapon of my own." [A weapon...?] Thats right. Once hed ascertained Arema Steelworkers true identity, hed given Bisher Moon a single order through Rem. Bisher Moon had fulfilled his duty and gotten Lee Shin Woo what hed wanted. Fortunately, Bisher had passed it on to him before Lee Shin Woo had to leave the surface. So long as he had that, there was no chance that hed lose to Arema Steelworker. Though I wasnt able to create a new seal that surpassed Arema Steelworkers... The end justifies the means. Whats important was that Arema Steelworkers golem army posed absolutely no threat to Lee Shin Woo. Lee Shin Woo didnt even consider him a target anymore. He was worried about the other 12 Generals interfering, especially... Seagald Von Retadane... One of the 12 Generals, who possessed the title of Fire yer Sword God. He was part of the Four Heavenly Commanders. The undead whomanded the organization, Anti-Skull. How would he, who researched till the bitter end so that his people didnt turn into the undead, have turned out? Would he be deluded, just like the Undead Emperor? If not, then would he be independent and free-willed like Lee Shin Woo? Perhaps my greatest foe will be him... Would Seagald have missed Arema Steelworkers movements? Unlikely. Hed even encountered Lee Shin Woos troops, who had moved as secretly as possible. They had been quiet until now, but if they decided to act in earnest, then their mobility and information gathering wouldnt lose to any of the other factions. "I suppose I wont know anything for sure until I meet him in person." "Meet who?" "Anyone. This might be as big of a mess as the one on the surface." "Youre the one whos going to make the mess, Shin Woo. Just like what youve done up till now." "Im just preparing myself thoroughly." Prepare yourself for the worst, ready yourself for every variable, and then make your move. This line of thinking had be even better ever since hed gained the Wild Card skill. If Jin could read his mind, then shed say so in the other words, youre going to make a mess of things from now on too. and despair, but fortunately, she didnt possess a mind reading skill. I wanted to go only after Id gathered a few more maps. He possessed three Bayran Inner Maps. These maps were dropped by the 12 Generals. Unfortunately, each of the three maps contents were different. If he had two more maps, or even just one more, then he would be able topare the differences among them and create a singr map, but... It couldnt be helped. He didnt have any more. Lee Shin Woo had no other choice but to arrive on site and rely on his Wild Card skill! "Hoo... Mm?" [Lord Paul Zero...!] "Good grief." Lee Shin Woo shrugged his shoulders and sighed. However, Chi Paul was looking straight at him. His gaze was so intense that it felt likesers would shoot out of them. "...Fine. Lets go. You have to try and get your revenge, dont you." [Really!?] Their very essence was made up of vengeance. He couldnt stop them froming, especially when they wanted to meet the target of their revenge so badly. Above all, Lee Shin Woo felt slightly guilty towards all of his undead subordinates. He thought that if his subordinates had free-will, then hed respect it. However, that had turned out to be a lie. "Im going to pretend to be a human. I told you before, but we cant go together. So well space ourselves out, exchange opinions from afar, and then act." [Understood!] Chi Paul was a level 7 elite. Ever since he had been in Lee Shin Woos service, he had been a level 7 elite. However, he had grown immensely, and through this recent round of Bone Reinforcement, his stats were almost at 9,000. Moreover, four of the other Chi Pauls had gotten to level 7 through their recent reinforcement, so they were more than enough to take on one of the 12 Generals. If he used them well, then they would definitely be a lot of help to him. Its nice to be back underground. After all, I can call guys like this without hesitation. Now that he thought about it, Lee Shin Woos actions on the surface had been a one-man show. Even his most trustworthy ally, the Pope, hadnt stepped foot onto the battlefield and was the type to show his true worth when dealing with other people. Lee Shin Woo wondered how Ye Jin Jin was doing on the surface, but soon grinned and organized his thoughts. "Then, get ready to leave. Ill do a final check over the data." [Yes sir!] Was there really any need to look over the data? Lee Shin Woo wanted to pay his respects to his seniors before the battle, and it was also meant to act as a pick-off throw. He then essed the chatting channel. [Lee Shin Woo: Seniors, have you all been well?] [Lloyd H.K.: I feel like Im going to die.] [Erian Ruparte: I feel for you. We just got out of a dungeon. You have good timing, Lee Shin Woo.] The first person to greet him was Lloyd. Hed gone through a lot, but Lee Shin Woo could say that Lloyd was, without question, the most hero-like of the heroes. After his duel with Lee Shin Woo, Lloyd had matured mentally a little bit, and had be a hero that would really suit aic book. [Lee Shin Woo: Im d youre alright. I just cleared a dungeon myself. Its nice that there are so many dungeons in the level 4 danger zone.] [Lloyd H.K.: But theres danger lurking everywhere. You never know when youll meet one of the 12 Generals.] [Prince Altania: I agree 100%.] [Lee Shin Woo: ...Senior Prince, theres no reason to deliberately follow Kratias speech pattern, is there?] [Prince Altania: Im not. Its just that, hanging out with her for so long has made me talk a lot less!] She didnt seem to talk any less than before, but he just grinned and went with the flow. He felt at peace somewhere in his heart, as he was able to talk with hisrades after such a long time. It was a rtionship filled with lies and deceit, but he felt warmth from the rtionship regardless. Perhaps this was proof that he was changing. [Erian Rupate: I was concerned since you hadnt kept in contact for so long. Though I know that youre the type of person who works well alone.] [Lee Shin Woo: I apologize. I knew I needed to get a lot stronger, so... I waspletely absorbed in my endeavors.] [Lloyd H.K.: Its fine, since youre ok. ...You see, I have high expectations for you. I was able to grow because of you, so I hope you always stay as you are... Why am I suddenly saying something so embarrassing!?] [Prince Altania: So you can feel embarrassment, huh. You really have grown.] [Lloyd H.K.: Prince, you...!] Will theree a day where he tells them the truth? If not, then would it be better if he never told some of them, since he can assume a perfect human form... He briefly pondered on the multiple scenarios that popped up in his head and just grinned. Lee Shin Woo realized that he considered the other heroes asrades, or allies. Back then (when he had firste to the Underground Empire), he wouldve held his stomach inughter. Of course, this had only be possible because he had be so strong than none of them could pose a threat to him. But still, allies huh... It wasnt a bad feeling. That was even more surprising, but Lee Shin Woo decided to ept that newfound feeling. Perhaps this was natural growth that came about due to his level up. [Prince Altania: In any case, Kratia suggested that we meet up. You must have it rough being alone, Junior, so Ille personally to...] [Lee Shin Woo: Im going to Bayran right now. Its arge city within the level 4 danger zone. Is there anyone currently in that area?] [Lloyd H.K.: Bayran...] [Prince Altania: Eut. Thats...] They muttered, but none of the other heroes said yes. It was exactly as hed expected. It would be dangerous anyway, as there was a chance that the other 12 Generals, or undead forces would be there, so he was just going to warn them that they shouldnt approach. [Lee Shin Woo: Yes, its dangerous. And itll get even more dangerous from here on out. I rmend that you do not approach Bayran unless I ask you for help. You too, Senior Prince.] Thats right. This was his way of keeping his seniors out of danger, but... [Seira Von Retadane: Im already on my way there. ...What a coincidence, Lee Shin Woo. Would you like to meet up?] "...Huh?" A coincidence? He was pretty sure he should be the one saying that. The person hed least wanted to associate himself with had taken the bait. Chapter 44 part2 [Seira Von Retadane: I felt uneasy going alone, but Id feel a lot better going with someone as talented as you. Lets meet in front of the city.] [Lee Shin Woo: Oh, uh... thats...] [Seira Von Retadane: Then lets do that. Ill send you a private chat request when I get close.] [Ms. Seira Von Retadane has left the chat.] Retadane had one-sidedly left the chat without giving Lee Shin Woo the chance to retort. He was dumbfounded by the unexpected turn of events and remained quiet for a moment. Then, Lloyd interjected. [Lloyd H.K.: She definitely likes him.] [Erian Ruparte: Doesnt she just like him as a strong hero...? Though I felt that exchange just now was a bit strange as well. Did she just acknowledge him as her partner? It seems like Retadane, who had always acted alone, is finally forming a party.] [Prince Altania: Uaaaah. That womans really unpleasant! Hey, Junior! PM me a littleter!] [Lee Shin Woo: Senior, please dont shorten it like that.] Seira Von Retadane. He couldnt get a read on her. But it was a fact that apanying her to Bayran and watching her would be morefortable for him than sending her off by herself. Especially because Seagald may interfere. Itll be a lot harder to use Wild Card it seems. Wild Card was the ability to set up a stage where his victory was absolute. However, it first required that hepletely understood the situation and its many variables. Adding in a level 8 hero like her would create more problems for him. But recognizing and controlling those factors was what the Joker karma was all about. I cant forget about my promise with Pleine either. Even if he let her foolishly enter Bayran alone, all that awaited her was a dogs death at the hands of Arema Steelworker or Seagald Von Retadane. He was d that she was being more active in overthrowing the Underground Empire, but no matter how enthusiastic she was, she would still die. [Lee Shin Woo: I feel like she made the decision on a whim, but it feels good to form a party with such a powerful Battle Priest... In any case, for the time being, please dont even think of approaching Bayran.] [Lloyd H.K.: Shin Woo, hit me up with a private chatter. I want to know how far you two went... Guek!] [Erian Ruparte: She may not look it, but Retadane is a delicate woman. Shes deeply regretful too. ...Lee Shin Woo, please take care of her. I trust you.] Contrary to the witless Lloyd, Erian implored him to understand her, as she was a woman herself. To Lee Shin Woo, Seira Von Retadanes inner darkness wasnt as simple as she suggested, but he nodded his head for now. However... [Prince Altania: PM. Gogo.] [Ms. Prince Altania has left the chat.] [Lee Shin Woo: ...] [Lloyd H.K.: Seems like Prince likes Lee Shin Woo too.] [Erian Ruparte: Lloyd, please dont say that to Prince. Seriously.] [Lloyd H.K.: Of course I wont. Do I really look that witless? I wont tell her in person.] [Erian Ruparte: Oh, Lord...] Erian sighed. Lee Shin Woo grinned and was getting ready to leave the chatting channel. However, there was something that he remembered. [Lee Shin Woo: What about our rookie? Silene Viesa.] [Lloyd H.K.: Ah... That guy. I havent seen himtely.] [Lee Shin Woo: ...Hm.] [Erian Ruparte: Im worried that something might have happened to him. Since we can still request a private chat, hes not dead, but...] [Lee Shin Woo: Ill try to contact himter.] He felt uneasy. Its toote, he suddenly thought. What couldve happened during the two months hed been gone? In any case, he would eventually learn Silene Viesas fate so long as he was still here. If he could, he would at least pick up Silene Viesas bone. He then left the chatting channel. It was fine since the private chat request hadnt disconnected. Lee Shin Woo had gotten a private chat request from both Kratia and Prince simultaneously, but he chose Kratia first. "Its been a while." [Yeah. Good job.] He decided not to ask. She seemed to agree with him, as she went on to the main point. [Bayran. Well go there too. Our special trainings done with, and Prince has gotten a lot better (personality wise).] "Theres a chance that Arema Steelworker, Seagald Von Retadane, and the other 12 Generals will show up. To put it bluntly, itll be dangerous for you too." [Weve trained enough. I want to be stronger now too. Like you.] "...How did you know?" [Shin Woo, you may seem bold, but youre actually quite thorough. If you werent at least level 8 by now, then you wouldnt be going there. Youve probably gotten some new ability too. I cant wait. I really want to see it.] As expected, her intuition was sharp. Lee Shin Woo smiled bitterly and agreed with her. But he didnt forget to warn her. "I may not be able to keep you safe. You might die." [Im like you, Shin Woo. I wont go if theres a chance that I could die. If I do die, then its because I miscalcted. I wont hate you.] "If you die, then itll feel pretty awkward for me, but... Well, whatever. If youre that confident, then Ill leave you to it. Ah, Senior Prince too." [If need be, make me into a named undead. I like being a human, but being an undead would be kind of interesting too.] "Dont say that kind of thing, even as a joke." Lee Shin Woo exchanged a few more words with her, and after designating the time and ce they were going to meet, closed the private chat. He then declined Princes private chat request since she was with Kratia, and decided to just ignore her for now. After all, harassing her like this would get a better reaction out of her. "So wait. Three more girls are going to be joining up with us? Weve just gotten away from Jin Jin and that spirit..." "Is that really that important?" "It is." Jin kicked the air with her legs, as if she were displeased and fluttered her steel-covered wings. (they were currently flying) Shed lowered her speed so that the Chi Pauls would be able to follow them, but she slowed down even more (the Chi Pauls were Chimeras, so they were capable of morphing their bodies; with it, they could change their stats slightly. Their running mode was fast enough to keep up with Jin, who was flying at a leisurely pace). "Lets make some time for just the two of us. Feel free to train your skills in the meantime." "..." Lee Shin Woo was speechless at the loving and honest skeleton horses response and trained his skills as she suggested. He imparted his mana into the seventeen weapons floating around them and controlled them; at the same time, he trained his Manatization! If he felt it became too easy, then he would study the Light element as well! [The High Rank Light element has be Lv5 and Magic has increased by 20!] He had started training itst, but it was the first to level up. He was astonished that it had gone all the way up to level 5 when he had gotten it just a short while ago. But by absorbing the Garudas bone and the Shining Bone Sword, his understanding of the light element had deepened. Therefore, it wasntpletely unreasonable that he was making such progress with it. "Youre not going to train those innate elements or what not?" "Studying an innate element requires that I understand my own existence. In other words, you cant attain them by focusing on a single point. It only bes meaningful when other people are added into the fray, and their focus points are linked and fused together with your own. So, making ame attempt by yourself wont get you anywhere. Moreover, its not something you can train while youre on the move either." They werent innate elements for nothing. The Dark Shadow element, which was only at the beginner level, was a lot harder to use and used much more mana than the high rank light element. Of course, he could gather that much mana in the blink of an eye now! [The Manatization skill has be Lv2, and Health and Magic have increased by 10. A portion of your skin is manatized. Although your physical strength decreases, you have a chance to ignore physical attacks. A portion of your Strength, Health, and Agility are manatized.] Next up was his Manatization. This skill would manatize more and more of his body, depending on its level. As Lee Shin Woo had expected, this skill had changed his other stats into magic, from the tens to the hundreds, once it had leveled up. Just in case, he tested it out. He was able to redefine himself whenever he wanted to redistribute his stats. This was as expected as well. Lee Shin Woo had a really high affinity with this skill. It was a skill that would help him be whatever he wanted... a skillparable to the Jokers innate skills! "If I could, Id coop myself up somewhere and train, but the situation wont allow it." "Shin Woo, I honestly think that you can already do whatever you want right now." "Jin, Im the type who gets to the max level before fighting the boss." "I have no idea what youre talking about..." She didnt understand what he was saying, but as she wanted, they were alone together and they could talk freely. Before they left, Lee Shin Woo had inspected himself, which allowed him to level up his skills. [The Manatization skill has be Lv3 and Health and Magic have increased by 10. A portion of your internal body is manatized and you can more effectively handle mana. But at the same time, your muscr strength decreases proportionally. A portion of your Strength, Health, and Magic is manatized.] "If I can, Id like to level it up to level 5 before I get there. But is it not possible for a high rank skill like this?" "Its amazing that you were even able to level it up to level 3 in such a short period of time." Lee Shin Woo touched his halfway transparent hand and inspected his Manatization skill for thest time. After that, he returned his hand to its normal, human state. His stats, which had been converted into mana, were returned to their original values as well. He wasnt entirely sure before hed started training his skills, but now he was. Once he mastered this skill and leveled up his Disguise skill even further, his bone-rted skills would be able to affect everything, not just bone! "...But Shin Woo, why do you think Seira Von Retadane is going to Bayran all of a sudden? Did she figure out where the Fire yer Sword God or the Golden General were going?" "Thats unlikely. She said she was going there before I even said anything, so she has no ulterior motive for me... Ah!" They had gotten close to their destination and gradually began their descent. Lee Shin Woo, whod finished inspecting his skills and had been talking to Jin, realized one possibility and was shocked. "Retadane took most of the loot from killing the Vulture General... If thats the case, then maybe she has one of the Bayran Inner Maps too." "Then there are four of them. Its safer now, so isnt that better for us?" "It is." Jin cheered, and Lee Shin Woo agreed with him. Immediately after, his voice became slightly lower. "If I could tell her that I killed two more of the 12 Generals, that is." "Oh..." He could already see the three women from afar waiting at their meeting ce. It was time to make a choice. Lee Shin Woo briefly thought about it and soon made his decision. Chapter 44 part3 "I see you two came as well. It doesnt matter to me... As long as you dont hold me back." Once she saw Prince and Kratia, Seira Von Retadane shrugged her shoulders and said. She was being genuine, but she still managed to piss Prince off. "Hold you back!? Didnt you see me use that really strong spell back then? You ever heard of the Fire Demon?" "Yes, I saw it. It was indeed a powerful spell, but Im not sure youll be able to protect yourself with it. A magician is most powerful when protected by several of their allies. However, there arent that many of us, and were attempting to infiltrate a city where we dont know how many enemies there are or where they are. I do believe youre not cut out for this." "But...!" "And please call me Retadane." "Ugh." Retadane pointed out her ws, being correct from start to finish, and Prince became weak. Lee Shin Woo smiled bitterly and added. "Well have to move covertly, but Ill take care of it. Since I have just the skill for it." "As expected of my Junior! You do the things that Retadane cant do so naturally! It makes me shiver in excitement!" "That sounds incredibly unpleasant. Youre spiteful towards me for some reason, while youre really possessive of Lee Shin Woo. ...Though I dont have anyints if you can deal with the issue of stealth." It seemed only natural that she acted this way if he took into consideration that she was a level 8 hero with the highest seniority, but... To Lee Shin Woo, who knew about all the forces involved with Bayran and the inside story on Retadane, he felt like her actions were foolish, or even a bit cute. She must be hoping that Seagald doesnte. He briefly organized his thoughts and then asked Retadane. This was to put the decision hed made beforehand into motion. "Retadane, do you have a reason for going to Bayran?" "Yes. Now that you mention it, I wanted to talk about that." Retadane then pulled out a piece of paper from her chest. As he suspected, it was a Bayran Inner Map. "Ooooooooh!" "Hm." "I got this from the Vulture General. You should remember seeing it when I was distributing the loot. It seems like its only given to the one who inflicted the most damage to him. In this case, me." As expected, thats why the map had automaticallye to him when hed killed the Beast General. Lee Shin Woo thoroughly looked over the map. While he was analyzing the map and mentallyparing it to the other maps he owned, she continued to speak. "I wondered why this came off of one of the 12 Generals, and also suspected that it might be a trap... I came to the conclusion that I needed to see for myself. After that, I investigated for two months and prepared my skills and equipment... When I was about to leave, Lee Shin Woo mentioned Bayran." "So what, you think it was fate?" Retadane exined calmly, but it seemed like Prince found something unpleasant about it, as she pouted suddenly. Then, Retadane nodded her head seriously. "Yes. The fact that Lee Shin Woo was headed to Bayran too means that God is leading us there. I feel like theres something important in Bayran. Something thats rted to our purification of the Underground Empire." "...Oh, thats what you were talking about?" "What else is there?" "Oh, nothing. Never mind." Retadane ignored Princes clearly suspicious signs (Kratia softly hit the back of Princes head instead and Lee Shin Woo inwardly apuded) and went deeper into her motives. "Moreover... Moreover, I know this ce well." "You know this ce well... Perhaps...?" "No. My family wasnt responsible for this area. Its just that... this ce was created for a special reason." "A special reason..." "Yes. ...This city was created for spirits." For a moment, Lee Shin Woo stopped moving. Retadane retained her bitter expression. "The citizens of the Empire loved spirits. They believed that spirits were Gods representatives and that their forms were far more developed than humans. Thus, Elementalists, who couldmune with spirits and borrow their power, were treated very well." "...I see." Thats only natural. Since only those who loved spirits and the spirits themselves were sent underground. Lee Shin Woo nodded his head and Kratias eyes shined. "Most magicians reject Elementalists. Since their power often goes against a magicians reason. Like Shin Woo." "You didnt have to add thatst part." "Its strange that the Empire, which had progressed their magic engineering so far, would love spirits so much." "There were, of course, some people within the Empire that hated spirits as well." Retadane confirmed Kratias theory with a nod of her head. "Bayran was created to protect the spirits and the Elementalists from such individuals. Its connected directly to the capital, theke is clean and beautiful, and there are several mountains around it. Its a ce well-suited for the spirits. The pces Elementalist Order used Bayran as a branch office as well." "And what about protecting the spirits?" "If the spirits are scattered, then theres a chance that theyll be hunted down by humans, but if theyre all in one ce, then even the entire Knight Order would be no match for them. The Empire wanted to create a ce where the spirits could stay and rx. ...Though it was a failure." "A failure, huh." Perhaps joining up with Retadane had been a good idea. Since there was no other way to obtain such detailed information about the Empire, aside from someone who had actually lived during that time! Lee Shin Woo inwardly nodded in satisfaction at granny Retadanes story as she was just getting to the climax of the story. "They wanted to create a special dungeon called the Spirits Spring within Bayran. They sought to create a space where only spirits and those the spirits permitted could enter, but... In the process, something went wrong. The pces Elementalist Leader, Princess Dana Von Etliber was put in charge of creating the Spirits Spring... and was also put in charge of Bayran as well." "Dana Von Etliber." He could tell how this was going to end. Lee Shin Woo had heard this story and this persons name before. Lee Shin Woo narrowed his eyes and Retadane continued calmly. He briefly felt an indescribable sadness and fury from her expression, but Lee Shin Woo wanted to believe that it was just a delusion. He wanted to believe it was, but... "She is also one of the 12 Generals, called the Spirit General. To this day, shes probably still in Bayran." "!?" Kratia and Princes eyes widened. Lee Shin Woo just sighed. "We dont know whether or not the other 12 Generals wille, but theres already one of them there." "Plus, it should be filled with several corrupted spirits as well. Even so, I will find her. I was scared thus far, but... I believe now is the time to go looking for her. Lee Shin Woo, could you please help me? Are you prepared to fight against the 12 Generals?" "Yes. After all, its our duty to take down the 12 Generals." "Good. Just keep thinking like that. ...Youre quite reliable. Please make sure I dont lose my way." It seemed like she was trying her best to not show any signs, but Lee Shin Woo could hear the loneliness within her voice. Retadane, who was likely the daughter of a duke, mustve been close with the princess. He thought she was just a crazy woman who was only interested in killing the undead, but looking at her now, perhaps her hatred towards the undead wasnt so simple... He felt that pointless feeling slightly, very slightly. "With this party, killing the 12 Generals is... No, its a piece of cake. Weve only gathered elites!" "If we exclude you, Prince." "Why would you exclude me!? Ive gotten a lot stronger too! Ive really gotten a lot stronger!" "Taking on one of the 12 Generals isnt an issue. I already told you. That there wouldnt be just one or two of them there. ...If youre not confident, then you can turn around now." Prince was pissed as she hung onto Kratia and questioned Retadane, but Lee Shin Woo replied calmly. Hearing that, Prince straightened her back, as if ice had been poured onto it, and responded confidently, even while pouting. "Im all ready. Im just shaking a bit! Since Im so excited!" "Then youre fine. I came prepared too, so I have something to show you." Lee Shin Woo then took out three pieces of paper. The three women tilted their heads, but one of them stiffened at the sight of the papers. "These are..." "Theyre all Bayran Inner Maps..." "Lee Shin Woo, where did you get these?" "I got each of them from a different member of the 12 Generals." "What!?" Kratia remained calm, as it wasnt news to her. Princes pupils shook. Seira Von Retadane didnt even respond; she just looked stiff. Lee Shin Woo didnt give them a chance to respond and continued. "Im not sure how Bayran was when youst saw it, but the imperial troops have made a lot of changes to it. And if we put all the maps together, then..." "Wait, its filled with traps everywhere! Such vicious traps at that!" "The worst part about it is that there may be more maps than just these four. There are twelve generals, per their title. But the chance of that is low. Of course, there may be some fakes among the maps, but... with this many of them, we should be able to pick the safest route byparing them, no?" He was originally going to do this, but he didnt say that and just looked at Retadane. She was still looking at the maps with a stiff expression, but once she realized that he was waiting for her response, she quietly agreed. "My knowledge will be helpful in your analysis. But well need some time to prepare. We should stay here before we infiltrate the city. Im sorry everyone, but could you prepare the camp?" "Of course." She probably had much she wanted to ask him and much she wanted to tell him, but she generously let it go. Whereas Prince looked like she wanted to ask Lee Shin Woo a hundred questions, but Kratia immediately stopped her. "You knew, didnt you!? That my Junior took down some of the other 12 Generals alone!" "Of course. Since I was with him each time. So technically he didnt take them down alone. We took them down together." "Aaaaaaaah!" Lee Shin Woo had not only killed a few of the 12 Generals in an unknown ce without her knowledge, but Lee Shin Woo and Kratia had taken them out, just the two of them (though Jin was actually with them as well!). Upon this realization, Prince screamed and was hit by Kratia again. "Why didnt you tell me...?" "I knew youd worry about me. Im sorry, Senior. We didnt fight them because we wanted to. We had the misfortune of running into them, so we had no choice but to fight them to survive." "Ahhhhhh!" It was a lie, of course, but Lee Shin Woos acting was enough to trick her. Retadane, who was standing beside them and perusing the maps, nodded slightly. She probably attributed that to why Lee Shin Woo was so strong. "...In any case, Ive gotten a lot stronger too. You dont need to do something so dangerous alone anymore. Just follow me!" "Ok, Senior. Then please help me set up this tent." "Leave it to me!" He really loved idiots; they were so easy to manipte... Lee Shin Woo watched Prince busily move around to set up the tent and smiled. Beside him, Kratia and Jin were speechless, but as always, Lee Shin Woo just ignored them. Chapter 44 part4 Prince groaned as she attempted to set up the tent, but was unable to, so Kratia came over to help. While they were at it, Lee Shin Woo started cooking dinner. He took out fresh vegetables and meat from his inventory, and even had rice, which was all hard to acquire, even from the secret shop. Seeing that, Princes eyes popped out. "Where did you get that!? Did you go to the surface or something?" "I obviously bought it from the secret shop." Of course hed brought it from the surface. He had stored the Lawrence shops best products in his inventory, but hed never have guessed that shed figure it out on her first try! Lee Shin Woo was shocked by her insight and somehow gave her the slip, but it unfortunately had the opposite effect. "Liar. Ive never seen such juicy meat before... What kind of meat is this? No, the meats one thing, but Ive never seen this grain in the secret shop before! Ive never seen these spices before either!" "Shin Woo, you know how to cook too?" "Yeah, I know camp cooking. Wait and see. Youll love it." While Lee Shin Woo prepared a fire and the food, Prince and Kratia hung around him, fiddling with the meats bone or chewing on the uncooked rice rather than setting up the tent. It seemed like they couldnt believe how good the ingredients were. Then, Retadane, who had been diligently studying the maps, silently said. "Saving the best products and giving them to her favorites is just like her." "What!? Junior, are you and that terrifying shopkeeper..." "Senior, this is all money. You can buy the shopkeepers affection with money." "Affection!? As I thought, you...!" "Ah, this seniors a real pain in the ass." The dinner menu consisted of a stew that consisted of meat, veggies, and wine. Hed also used the meats fat to fry off some Arancini as well. The stew and the rice were finished at the same time. He added in the leftover veggies, meat, and cheese from his inventory, and then crushed the bread into a fine powder. Lee Shin Woo coated the mixture and fried it off. If he were to add a hot ragu sauce, itd be perfect. "This really is a mans cooking..." "Thats what I said. Please make do with this ready-made sauce." "Ive never seen this ready-made sauce before. Mm, its delicious!" Prince grabbed the Arancini with both hands and downed them, throwing all etiquette away with the wind. Kratia didnt really like eating, but it seemed like she was satisfied with the taste, and Retadane was surprisingly a glutton. Her face was as icy as ever, but he could tell that she was satisfied with the meal based on how much she ate. "Thank you for the fine meal. Its not nearly enough in return, but Ill brew us some tea." "Thank you. Hows it going...?" "I keep looking at the maps, but its hard. It may be impossible to find a route without any danger." "When Im finished cleaning, Ille and help you." Once they were finished doing the dishes and preparing camp, the four gathered around and put all their attention into finding the safest route. They were shocked by howrge Bayran was, and they were just as surprised to find that the Empire hadid magic traps all over the city. "Why did they have to go this far...? Wasnt this a city designed for spirits?" "...This... It seems to operate by drawing magic from the citys inhabitants. There mustve been another reason." "Probably. Last I saw her, the princess was really tired, and she seemed to be hesitating about something. Perhaps another project was underway at the same time as the Spirits Spring project." "The Spirits Spring Project..." The party studied the maps and conversed; in the middle of that, Lee Shin Woo dwelled on the word Spirits Spring. At first, hed thought they were modeling it after the Spirits Spring on the surface, but there was a chance that it was something else entirely. Especially because Bayran was covered by a type of mana he was quite familiar with... spatial mana. It was even more likely if the Archmage, Feotane Von Seldin, was involved with the city. Well, I guess Ill find out when I get inside. And so long as the Archmage himself doesnt appear, I have nothing to worry about. He was able to get Retadanes help, so the current situation was a lot better than hed anticipated. They were beginning to decipher the contents of the maps and Lee Shin Woo ryed these details to the faraway Chi Paul through his Assimtion skill and his darkness element induced telepathy, and nodded his head. The sight of the Empires darkness covering Bayran made him feel like a demon would pop out. "In other words, theyre on my stage..." "What did you just say, Junior?" "Nothing. Im just excited as to how strong our enemies will be." With Retadanes memories and the four maps, as well as Lee Shin Woos insight, they were able toplete the map by tomorrow morning. "If we go through this route, then... we should be able to avoid critical danger." "Even if we can deal with the magical traps, we cant deal with all the physical ones. If were unlucky, then... we may end up with normal critical injuries." "I dont think critical injuries are normal in any way...!" "There are also critical, critical injuries." "!?" The four heroes (+Jin) had finished off yesterdays stew, steeled themselves, and set off on their designated route. Fortunately, there was no threat of danger along the way, but the closer they got to the citys walls, the more shocked they were by the scale of the city. "What a huge moat." "It must be hard for humans to manage. To my knowledge, it was cared for with the help of water spirits, but... Im not sure how it is anymore." [Kyahaaaaaah!] Once Retadane was finished talking, they heard a shriek from the center of the moat, which was wide enough to be ake. Lee Shin Woo could see the spiritsing up from underneath the water. [Lv5 Corrupted Undine] Its translucent body, reminiscent of slimes, was mixed with foul water. If they were all at the corrupted stage, then it meant that there was no helping them anymore. They were far too contaminated. Upon seeing the spirit in such a state, Lee Shin Woo bitterly smacked his lips, but then, more and more Corrupted Undines popped up everywhere. "There were other dangers aside from the traps I see." "Theyre probably here to distract you enough to set off the traps. The entire city is set up with traps designed to kill intruders." "But were lucky. This is easy." Kratia quietly took a step forward and extended her hand. The tiny orb, the Eternal Ice shined, and radiated light within the air. Then, the plentiful water filling the moat froze over. [G-Giiik...!] [Gigigigigigi] The Corrupted Undines were also caught by her spell, and merely screamed, as they couldnt get out of the ice. Kratia ignored their cries and took another step forward. The moat was frozen solid, so they could walk wherever they pleased. The party watched, dumbfounded, then hesitated for a moment before following after her. "To think you were able to freeze such arge area..." "You didnt reach level 8 already, did you...?" Lee Shin Woo killed one of the Corrupted Undine to see what loot they dropped, but he already possessed both high rank water and ice elements, so he didnt feel as though their drops would increase them any further. If they had any effect, then he mightve sent his party off first, stayed back, and killed the undines. Chi Paul. Take this opportunity to go into the city too. Mm... If youre this far away, theres no chance of you running into us. [Understood. Once weve safely infiltrated the city, I will report to you again.] They crossed over the frozen moat and were met by the front gate. This was also Kratias job. It was set up so that a person without sufficient magical knowledge would be unable to open it without being bombarded by magic shells. However, Lee Shin Woo had figured out that around half of the mechanisms that fired those magic shells were already broken. They were destroyed so technically and delicately that a normal person would not likely realize it. "It seems like someones already inside." "The imperial troops wouldnt have been caught by the traps. So then who would... Ah." She mustvee to a realization as she spoke. While speaking, Retadanesplexion changed. Her eyebrows wriggled ever so slightly. Lee Shin Woo just shrugged his shoulders. "I wonder. Perhaps its another faction unrted to the imperial army." "Lee Shin Woo... you knew?" "Im not privy to the details, but I had a hunch. I dont know what theyre doing inside, so... lets hurry." "Keuk." But no matter how rushed they were, they actually didnt progress that quickly. It was because the very core of the magic traps that covered Bayran was spatial magic. Feotane Von Seldin had put his heart and soul into this giant magic circle that covered the city. It would blur ones senses, partially distort the surrounding space, reduce it, and ultimately not allow one to move as they wished. Even if one knew the right path, one would have to go round and round in order to escape the effects of the spatial magic! Moreover, there were magic circles across the city that sucked in magic. These would steal magic from anyone lost in the city and torment them. Whats worse, these magic circles would use the stolen magic to activate the magic traps! It was like a demonic world. "Would the capital also be like this?" "What could they possibly be hiding that theyre going to all the effort to..." "Magic. Terrifying magic." Kratia, who had been constantly emitting her mana and leading the party on the right path, quietly reported. Lee Shin Woo sympathized with her and nodded his head. "Theres a high concentration of magic focused in one ce, which cannot be exined by human logic. Spirits Spring? No. The magics far too aggressive. Countless elements are gathered in one ce, but its not natural. Im curious what Shin Woo thinks, since hes a spirit expert." "Im no spirit expert. ...I wont know until I get close. But I do wonder whether this ce was really set up for spirits." Lee Shin Woo could understand that the undines were corrupted by the undead curse. That was fine. But he felt as though the traps and the magic circles across the city werent there just to repel invaders; they were also set up for a specific reason or purpose. That feeling was even stronger after actually infiltrating the city and looking into it further. "This isnt a city designed for someone to live in. Rather, its a fortress city created for a specific purpose... No, thats not it either." Lee Shin Woo was keeping it a secret from his party, but he could ovee the spatial magic at any time. Therefore, he could ignore the spatial magic current, which would otherwise obscure his vision of anything further than 100 meters, and looked at the building in the center of the city. He saw a metal cylinder aimed towards the sky. Every kind of magic circle imaginable was ced on it; that alone was enough to evoke a sense of danger, but even now, Lee Shin Woo could feel various currents of mana being gathered into it. If he ignored the enormous quantity of mana, then it looked like a cannon. "It feels like this entire city was sacrificed toplete a weapon... No, its alreadyplete, but it was left alone for so long that it was heavily modified." "A weapon?" "Yeah." Lee Shin Woo had widened his senses, which had enabled him to see the cannon, as well as something else. Hed felt this mana signature before... Arema Steelworker was over there. He was getting closer and closer to the center of the city, where the cannon was located. ...well, he was getting closer and closer, but because of Feotane Von Seldins magic, he was going at a very slow pace. "I feel another persons magic too. We should really hold a party." "So what are you saying?" "We should quicken our pace. Now isnt the time to be worrying about spirits." So many heroes had gathered in one ce, so he thought theyd be able to take care of this easily. However, the Heaven Defying General may need to take center stage. Lee Shin Woo shrugged his shoulders and grabbed the map. Retadane just quietly watched him. Chapter 44 part5 "This way is safe. Well be fine as long as we go this way." "Oh? I thought this spot originally had traps..." "The traps have been destroyed." Once hed sensed Arema Steelworkers energy, Lee Shin Woo had volunteered to lead the group. Prince was the first to notice that they progressed at a much faster pace. "Junior, what are you doing? For some reason, its be easier to walk and Im not as dizzy as before." "I was conserving my magic before, so that I wouldnt use more than is strictly necessary, but I felt like Id miss something important. So Ive taken out my secret weapon." Lee Shin Woo said, and with the hand not grasping the map... gripped his delicately made, snow-white bone sword. The faint light that it emitted rxed his party. Retadane noticed how high the concentration of light was and said. "Its a light element weapon, I see." "Yes. As you know, the light element possesses the ability to sever things. This weapon focuses that ability into defense, and it also has a maximized special active skill as well. With this ability, I can remove some of the spatial magic that is meddling with us." "Uooooh. Nice!" Prince was pointlessly amazed. However, the weapon didnt actually have an ability like that! It did possess the special passive skill (Death Gods Smile) and the special active skill (Death Gods Fury), but they were more designed to kill ones opponent. Lee Shin Woo was using his Wild Card skill as the base and from there, used his light and shining me elements to eliminate the effects of the spatial magic. "Junior, where did you find such an amazing weapon?" "I got it from the treasure box after beating the boss of a level 7 dungeon. I was really lucky." "A level 7 dungeon...!?" He wasnt lying. When he had first entered the dungeon, it was certainly an elite level 7 dungeon. Although, it had be a level 8 dungeonter and the boss was a level 9 Garuda! But it seemed like his lie was still enough to astound his party members. Especially Prince, who was the most shocked. "Level 7! ...Level 7!?" "Ah, please quiet down, Senior." "Then what level is that weapon? Level 6? Level 7? Wait, its not..." "Yes, it is." "Level 8!? Its just a weapon, but its a higher level than me!?" Prince rolled on the floor, mortified. Lee Shin Woo watched on, speechless. Then, Retadane interjected. "The fact that you obtained a level 8 weapon, a light element weapon at that... Was the dungeon boss level 8 by any chance?" "It seemed like itd just be level 8. However, it was indeed level 8. I had to prepare a lot beforehand to take him down. I got some help from the secret shop too. The reason I was out of contact for so long was because I was so busy clearing that dungeon..." The boss had, in no way, just be a level 8. And although it had been weakened, it was still a level 9 divine bird that had remained trapped for hundreds of years. Plus, Lee Shin Woo had pretty much only bought bones from the secret shop! "Since youve taken down three of the 12 Generals, you mustve had plenty of Perium. Ive never bought expendable equipment from the secret shop before, but if that woman supported you fully, then..." Retadane was dumbfounded, yet nodded her head. He was sure that, right now, she was thinking of Pleine as a wasteful woman. The misunderstanding between the sisters was deepening, and may even lead to a feud in the future! However, Lee Shin Woo decided not to worry about trivial matters. "But even so, if youre not strong enough, then it would still be impossible. In other words... Lee Shin Woo, are you level 8?" He pondered briefly, but there was a chance that hed have to show a portion of his power in this city. If thats the case, then it would be impossible to hide his level. Lee Shin Woo didnt really feel the necessity in hiding it any longer either. Thus, he just honestly nodded his head and said. "Yes." "...I thought youd shown us all your tricks, but to think there was even more to you. Im surprised. Youre always showing me something unbelievable." This time, Retadane was actually shocked. It wasnt because shede to know that Lee Shin Woo was level 8. It was that she hadnt recognized how powerful he was before now. Normally, the level of ones existence is shown freely, and one would need to work tirelessly to hide it. But to her, Lee Shin Woo had never shown a level that was simr to hers. "I was level 7 then, Retadane. It was only after that I reached level 8, by going through a variety of experiences. You can trust me." "...I thought I was the one testing you, but it seems like you were the one testing us all along." "I wasnt testing you. I think of you all as trustworthyrades. Ah, that includes Senior Lloyd and Senior Erian as well." "Comrades..." Comrades. Retadane let that word roll off her tongue a few times and then smiled bitterly, as if shed just eaten licorice. Lee Shin Woo could tell that she was repulsed by the idea and merely smiled. She had been a hero for dozens of years and had gone through every kind of ordeal imaginable, so she may have felt that it was pretentious of him to say. "Retadane, regardless of what you think..." "Shin Woo, somethingsing." "Huh?" But before Lee Shin Woo could tell her anything, Kratia curtly warned him. Spirits. He didnt know what allowed them to move freely without being affected by the spatial magic, but all of the corrupted spirits in the city wereing for them. [Lv5 Corrupted Sylph] [Lv5 Corrupted Smander] Therge force was mostlyposed of Sylphs and Smanders. The fire and wind spirits mixed together, bing a ck storm that came rushing towards them; the sight of which was truly frightening. Spirits wereposed of pure elemental mana. This was their greatest feature, and the more spirits there were, the more their power would increase (exponentially)! "Therere tens of thousands of them at least!" "Well intercept them. Focus on your magic!" Retadane and Kratia were already poised to intercept them. However, the firestorm was sorge that they were akin to a speck of dust. They didnt know what to do to push them back. Unfortunately, the spirits were unaffected by the spatial magic and didnt set off the traps either. On the contrary, they received mana from them and their attacks became even greater than before. "Fire Demon! Tch, you shouldve attacked the other trespassers instead!" Prince summoned the Fire Demon much faster than before, perhaps due to her special training with Kratia, andined. Then... theing firestorm that had beening straight for them began to go astray. "Huh?" "What the hell is that?" They found it strange, yet they didnt let their guard down. However, the firestorm went more and more astray. As more time passed, the firestormpletely missed them and ran off into apletely different direction. Then, the firestorm descended. Someone was fighting off the firestorm and gathering their mana. The Corrupted Sylphs and Smanders were truly attacking another invader! "Senior..." "Prince Altania..." Lee Shin Woo stared nkly at Prince, and the other party members soon followed. Kratia quietly said. "Prince, when did you learn Word Magic?" "Hehe..." She wasnt entirely sure what was going on, but since itd gone favorably for them, she decided to bluff. Prince swept her hanging silver hair with one hand and with a haughty expression, dered! "Those spirits definitely changed directions after I spoke up!" "Theres no way you know Word Magic, but Im d the situation was resolved well. We must continue with caution. Lee Shin Woo, please continue to lead us." "Ok. Lets take the shortest route." "Then why did you even praise me in the first ce!? Hey! Are you really going to embarrass me like this!?" But the events continued to repeat. While Lee Shin Woo nullified the spatial magic and they went full speed ahead towards the center of the city, they sprung a few unavoidable traps (traps that would randomly draw nearby spirits and traps that summoned monsters out of nowhere). Despite that, the traps had all avoided their party. "W-Whats going on?" "Dont look a gift horse in the mouth. Perhaps theyre afraid of the light element?" "Its possible if my weapons hidden ability activated, but... this is too much. Perhaps another group of trespassers are provoking them that much more. Regardless... we have no choice but to take advantage of this opportunity and go deeper into the city." The party had stubbornly advanced, and the spirits and monsters had taken notice of this! Because they headed for the other invaders, there was a hugemotion within the city. The spirits and monsters slowed the other groups advance, while allowing Lee Shin Woos group to advance even quicker. They couldnt ask for any better. Is it you? Of course it is. I did it the moment I sensed the other trespassers. Lee Shin Woo shamelessly answered Jins question and moved his legs. He was obviously using the Wild Card skill right now. And the element he was using? Dark Shadow! He knew all about the surrounding area, as well as his enemies from afar. With the shadow that loomed over the city, he connected the two together, causing the spirits and monsters to go over to them. This level of twisting cause and effect was childs y! He could achieve such a result by just manipting cause and effect, so it was indeed suited to be a Jokers innate element. [The Beginner Dark Shadow element has be Lv7 and Magic has increased by 20.] Oh, it leveled up again. When hed first entered the city and used Dark Shadow, the innate element had leveled up, but one more hour of distorting cause and effect had caused it to level up again! Lee Shin Woo was looking forward to getting Dark Shadow to the intermediate level. His intermediate dark me was quite powerful as well, but he could only imagine how powerful his innate element would end up being if he were to level it up to the intermediate level! You were already dangerous before, but now that youve gotten an innate element, youre controlling the situation, even though it doesnt look like youre actually doing anything. Thats the very definition of a Joker. In the midst of his naiverades counting their blessings and traversing through the city, Lee Shin Woo and Jin spoke to each other and he smiled wickedly. His poker face shouldve been perfect, but Kratia, who had been watching him, looked sullen. "Shin Woo, youve started hiding a lot more from me." "Really? I think Im always being honest." "When were alone, prepare yourself." "Kratia, dont threaten my Junior." The party bickered, yet continued through the city smoothly. It took another hour before they had arrived before the city walls that divided the inner and outer parts of the city. Chapter 44 part6 There existed a high thorn wall that surrounded the pce, which existed at the center of Heita, or the Underground Empires, capital. It was the final defense against any invaders and was around 100 meters tall. It also possessed magical properties that allowed it to sense any intruders that would do its master harm beforehand, as well as stopping them from entering. Was that all? Its defensive capabilities were without peer, and anyone lower than level 8 couldnt damage the wall, regardless of what they did. It might go differently if one uses magic or an element, but pure physical strength and skills wouldnt be able to damage the wall. At this point, it could be considered on the level of an authority. The thorn walls defense was absolute, and only after getting through that wall could the heroes even dream of challenging the Emperor. "I didnt think thered be one here too..." "A thorn wall... I caught a glimpse of it once before. It was at least 80 meters tall. Though it does seem smaller than the one in the capital." "Last I saw, it wasnt here. Which means it was createdter. As I thought... There were rumors that the Empire was undertaking some secret project that was hidden from even the high rank nobles." As expected, there had to be something important here if the defense was so severe. What was the Emperor thinking? And why was the Spirit Princess so deeply involved in this project? Retadane looked up at the ck, sharp thorned wall in anguish. Lee Shin Woo wasnt hoping for much, but he asked her anyway. "If you were a high rank noble, then you must know a way to easily tear down this wall, no?" "...No. All I know is that the nobles who opposed the creation of this wall were killed." "Seira, you sure are useless. Youre just old. Youre not even as helpful as our Junior here." "Please call me Retadane." "Ugaaaaah! My face! My beautiful face is cracking! Junior! Juniooooor!" Lee Shin Woo saw Retadane, who was unable to restrain herself, give Prince an iron w. He then tapped on the thorn wall. It was so tough that he groaned. "What exactly is this made of?" "Evil Eye. Its said that this ore is formed by long-term exposure from darkness element magic. It is the source of the darkness element here, which is what allowed the Underground Empire to flourish. Its to my understanding that that ore was mined and used for the creation of the thorn wall." "Hoh. So there was a different source of magic, aside from the Emperors, that I felt from the capital." "Stop talking between yourselves and help me, Junior!" It would be hard enough to take on the level 9 Emperor, yet he even had this weapon up his sleeve. The more he learned about this damn Underground Empire purification quest, the more difficult it got. He was beginning to understand why God was so depressed. "In other words, the thorn wall is nothing more than a byproduct of that magic source." "As I said before, Evil Eye must be exposed to darkness magic for such a long time that we can safely say that this is all they have. Im actually quite surprised that they even have a thorn wall in Bayran. When exactly did they make it? They likely constructed it right before the Empires demise." "...Please let her go now. Shes starting to foam at the mouth." "Ah." Retadane let go, and Prince whined, her eyes seemed to be asking him why didnt he help earlier. Lee Shin Woo consoled her and then investigated the thorn wall. They seemingly ced a great amount of trust in the wall, as there were no traps nearby. When he looked further into it, it was simply because the thorn wall would activate on its own and destroy any nearby traps. "The thorn wall is a fortress in and of itself." "So if I were to gather my magic, Ill get attacked?" "Yep. Its really dangerous, everyone stay back." Lee Shin Woo sensed tremendous energy undtions behind the thorn wall. He could feel arge quantity of mana that had been umted for dozens of years at the center... as well as a rebellious living energy. Perhaps this was... No, it was definitely a spirits energy. A city designed for spirits. ...No, it wasnt. Now that hed gotten to the center of Bayran, he was sure of it. This city wasnt created for spirits. Rather, this city was created to use spirits and to create something with them. Spirits Spring? There was something thaty dormant inside that didnt suit such a peaceful and gentle environment. ...Perhaps it hadnt been able to sleep in the first ce. The Spirit General, or the Spirit Princess... Either way, shes not in the best of shape. And he was certain that the Spirit General and Retadane were deeply involved in the past. If we go in like this, wont it just turn into a melodrama?, Lee Shin Woo thought and sighed deeply. While investigating the mana, he also looked for the location of the other trespassers. Because hed activated the traps (through the traps, the spirits and monsters attacked the other trespassers, who had no recollection of ever setting off those traps), they were progressing as slow as a turtle. But... Theres another grouping from the north. Who was it? That was obvious. It was probably a force sent by the Emperor after hed noticed themotion. Though they hadnt entered the city as of yet, he was sure they wereing to Bayran based on their direction and speed. And thus, the elite heroes, Anti-Skull, Arema Steelworkers golem force, as well as the imperial troops had gathered in one ce. "Everyone, gather up. Lets talk." "Alright. Its time for my brilliant brain to go to work." "Ill show you the location of the other invaders on the map. I also have a general idea as to where the Spirit General is. But the problems the imperial troops that areing down to Bayran as we speak." "Shin Woo, your mana detection is abnormal." "If youre bitter about it, then get to level 8 too." "Keuk." Lee Shin Woo ced four dots on the map. He could identify Arema Steelworkers magic, so he knew where Anti-Skull and the golems forces were. But he was worried about the forces that came from the capital. They were far away, but for some reason, he was familiar with this presence. Their presence was faint, such that if he stopped focusing he felt like hed lose sight of the presence. "A faint presence...? No way!" Retadane looked at the quickly approaching dot, gritted her teeth and yelled. "Golden Shadow...! Vellun Von Dorthe ising with the Emperors personal intelligence unit!" "Golden Shadow... I think Ive heard that somewhere before." "Its an organization that consists of people who are stealthy and quick on their feet. By the Emperorsmand, they wander across the Empire in secret and collect information for him... Theyre also famous for eliminating anyone who opposes the Empire without anyone ever knowing." "So theyre assassins." Now he remembered. A long time ago, when Lee Shin Woo was having so much fun destroying cities, the lord had misunderstood and thought he was part of the Golden Shadow. Considering the fact that the Golden Shadow was the Emperors personal hit-squad, he couldpletely understand the lords reaction. "But wait a second. Did you say Dorthe?" "Yes. Vellun Von Dorthe. Hes the Dorthe ns firstborn. Their family has a long history of being a shadow n. Back then, both brothers were chosen to be a part of the 12 Generals, which was the topic of conversation at the time. That reaction... Did you perhaps...?" "Yes. I killed his younger brother." "Junior. Lately, your personalitys really starting to show in your voice." The Golden Shadow General, Vellun Von Dorthe. He was the Lightning Shadow Generals older brother, and apparently, he was more skilled than his younger brother in several ways. Perhaps he couldpletely assimte with his shadow. "Shadow, huh..." "That mans dangerous. Hes incredibly fast and stealthy. Its difficult to detect him, even if hes right in front of you. In a way, he may be more dangerous than the Archmage, Feotane Von Seldin. This is troubling. We may be able to take him down if we work together, but if were attacked by the other forces, then..." "I suppose it wont be such a pleasant experience. Alright. Lets formte a n." "What n?" "A n that makes all the forces inside the city fight and destroy each other." It really was a Lee Shin Woo-esque thing to say. Kratia and Jin nodded their heads as if expecting him to say that, but Prince and Retadane looked on vacantly. "If that were so easy, then there would be nothing to think about. How would you...?" "Its easy. Now that you mention it, this city is filled with traps, monsters, and spirits. If we can figure out how theyre organized, then all we need to do is gradually lead the forces to them." "Lets say you lead the other forces to the traps. What are you going to do about the imperial troops? They know this city inside and out." "Ill just draw them out myself. I can do that much." Lee Shin Woo said confidently, and Retadane was so speechless that she pped her forehead. "You heard me, right? Theres a chance that the Golden Shadow General is with them. Your abilities are remarkable, but youll die if youre ambushed." "You said that that guy could melt into shadows, right?" "Thats right. He can assimte with his element, a possessor of a transcendent ability that only a handful of people in the Empire..." Retadane stopped right in the middle. Kratia and Prince were the same. Lee Shin Woos hand had also melted into the darkness. "I also possess such a transcendent ability. Theres a chance I wont be taken out. Please trust me." "How can this be..." "Shin Woo..." "Junior, where did you evene from? Are you really my Junior?" While Kratia and Retadane remained dumbfounded, Prince, with a worried expression, walked over to Lee Shin Woo and pulled his cheek. Shed never pulled his cheek before, so there was no way that she could confirm whether he was the real deal or not. But he was well aware that she was truly concerned for him. "I said I went through a level 7 dungeon. I couldnt clear it without getting this strong." "Mm..." "Is that all?" Retadane suddenly asked, her eyes tinged with suspicion. "Are you cooperating with someone right now? In other words... Like that undead who told us about the Heaven Defying General." "Yes, youre right." Lee Shin Woo answered nonchntly and Retadane furrowed her brows. "As I thought... I was suspicious when you said you wereing to Bayran alone, but the fact that theyre not around means that... No, are you trying to be considerate?" "Itll be troublesome if both sides were to fight." "Hoo. That was the right call. I told you that your decision was right, but I dont have the confidence to hold myself back in front of them... However, my thought process hasnt changed. You cannot trust thempletely. Youve acquired power, so I trust that you wont be taken down by unforeseen circumstances." Retadane was still the same as always. When he mentioned the Heaven Defying General, Lee Shin Woo was worried that Retadane would enter her psycho mode, but it turned out better than hed expected. He smiled faintly and tried to convince her once more. "Lets call it a win-win. No harm wille to us, so long as their goal to kill the Emperor remains the same." "...Undead with a clear goal. Thats what makes them so scary." "Huh?" "Nothing. Never mind." Retadanes voice quieted down half-way through, and Lee Shin Woo pretended like he couldnt hear her. Everyone knew how scary the undead were. On the contrary, Lee Shin Woo was perhaps the one who knew best! "If they help us, then you may be able to draw out the imperial troops as well. You drawing them out and forcing them to sh against the Heaven Defying Generals troops is another issue entirely, but... It seems like we have no choice but to try." "Huh? No, Im going to draw them out by myself. Ill be enough. You guys should do something else in the meantime." "Something else...?" "Beyond this." Lee Shin Woo extended one hand and pointed towards the thorn wall. He circled the location of the giant cannon and the Spirit General and said. "We force them to fight and then we get what they came for. Whether its the Anti-Skull or the golems, theres something that they want here. If we can, we steal it, and if we cant, then we destroy it. Please take care of that, seniors." Chapter 44 part7 Even if they followed his instructions, there was still a problem. They hadnt gotten through the thorn wall yet. Thats why they had stopped here in the first ce. "I have an idea." While they were talking amongst themselves, Lee Shin Woo had thought up some ways to get through the thorn wall with his party, but Kratias eyes were sparkling, so he decided to hear her out first. "I analyzed the thorn wall and found that the ore would temporarily ovep its defense and durability in the specific area whenever it is attacked, nullifying the damage. "...Hey, wait. Thats ridiculous." Darkness signified a link. By using this power, the ores were pieced together. The secret behind the thorn walls formidable defensey in gathering ore which possessed simr characteristics, assimting them together, and ovepping them together. "Now that you mention it... This is indeed the power of darkness. I understand now. A magicians deductive ability is quite surprising." "This is basic for a magician. Prince is still below average." "Keuk." Of course, Lee Shin Woo already knew all this. His peak darkness element mastery wasnt just for show. If Lee Shin Woo were alone, he couldve just forced his way through the wall. "Then why is it that level 8 or lower physical attacks cant damage the wall?" "You need to think about it in reverse. A level 8s physical attacks can somewhat ignore the darkness element surrounding the Evil Eye ore. An attack that messes with the walls ovepping defense will inflict damage." "Ah... As I thought." Lee Shin Woo understood what she meant, as he had gone through several changes when hed reached level 8. Yeah, thats right. He hadnt felt anything unusual, as he could use several elements and had even unlocked a few innate elements as well, but level 8 was arge leap towards a higher realm. I hadnt realized because everything else Id gotten was so amazing. But now that I know, its fine. Since itll make Wild Card, which lets me define myself, better than before. If he really wanted to, he could unleash a physical attack that defied physics, so Kratias deduction was spot on. Lee Shin Woo nodded his head and Kratia continued. "Ive thought of three ways. First, we take advantage of the limitation of the thorn walls ovepping defense; we attack in two ces at once. One person attacks the same spot, and the other uses that opportunity to unleash a quick and powerful attack on the wall. As long as the ovepping darkness element doesnt react, then the second attacker should be able to damage a portion of the wall." "A good n." The fact that its defensive capabilities were assimted and ovepped meant that the wall focused all of its defense at one point at a time. It didnt just take that defense from nowhere. In other words, if one person were to attack one ce, forcing the wall to ovep its defenses in that specific area, then another person could attack and damage the wall before the concentration of defense could shift to the new area. "Second, I use my ice. Ice is, at its core, based around death, and change. My magic freezes everything and in the process, can make everything move slower as well. Mana, as well as these ores ovepping ability, are no exception. Therefore, if I make the wall respond slower than normal, then we should be able to get through without much difficulty. Of course, it would take an immense amount of mana to do so." "Cool." "Im always cool." Hoo. If all the heroes were like Kratia, then they wouldve conquered the Underground Empire already... Lee Shin Woo looked at Kratia as if deeply moved, and experienced Jins rodeo. This was quite the bold move for a woman whod wondered whether she was qualified or not. "Lastly... We use light. I dont think I even need to exin this." "Thats right. After listening to you, Ive gotten the gist of it." Retadane agreed as if the answer were obvious. The mace end of her il was already umting a bright white light. It was clear that she had transcended human limitations, as she could create the light element. "Light is the power of severing. It goes without saying that it can sever things that have been connected through the darkness element. But because I cannot even begin toprehend the concentration of darkness magic that has gathered in this wall... Even I, who can use such powerful light, am not confident that I can break through it by myself." "Thats why I told you all the options. Well mix all three of them together." That was the most effective method. Especially because they were pressed for time. Kratia stretched out three fingers. Seeing that, Retadane nodded her head in understanding. "As expected. Lee Shin Woo will attack the wall first, forcing the wall to concentrate its defenses in a different location. And during that time, youll use your ice magic. Then, Ill use my light magic to its fullest in that area... If we do that, then we should be able to get through the thorn wall." "Well be able to break through only a portion of it. Theres a chance that it can regenerate." "If we can get in, then getting out shouldnt be too difficult. ...I see. There was indeed a way to break through the thorn wall." Retadane was deeply moved at the realization that they couldbine their power to break through the thorn wall. Many years ago, when she was still young, she remembered seeing the chaotic form of the thorn wall and being unable to do anything buttch on to her older brother... "...Lets begin. Lee Shin Woo, you have the toughest job. Can we leave it to you?" "Of course." If Lee Shin Woo were to help Retadane with his own light element, they would be able to break through the thorn wall with ease. Lee Shin Woo didnt say anything, but the party seemed to think that he was putting in a lot of effort just to wield the Shining Bone Sword. They didnt even suspect that Lee Shin Woo could masterfully wield the Shining Bone Swords light element and cut through the thorn wall alone. Forget the light element. I could use the Shining me to outright erase the thorn walls karma. Lee Shin Woo decided to humor them and stepped forward, gripping the sword with both hands. He didnt even need to gather his mana. With but a thought, the worlds mana woulde to his aid. Plus, there was already a significant amount of mana within the sword itself. "Im ready. Tell me when youre all ready." "Im ready as well." "Not yet. Just a little while longer... Done." Lee Shin Woo nodded his head and silently thrust his sword. His sword pierced through the wall with ease, as if he were slicing through butter. Since the light element was attached to every one of his attacks, the wall was unable to activate its defensive ability at the moment of impact. But right after, he could feel its incredible toughness. While Lee Shin Woos attack possessed transcendent strength, the thorn walls own defense was transcendent as well. "Hoo. Its better than I expected." Darknesss ability of assimtion. They had developed this ability into an ovepping ability. He could see the wall gathering all of the Evil Eye ores strength into one ce so that it could crush the sword. What a tremendous flow. The energy being ovepped into this space could even hurt the Garuda. Even if theyre rotten, theyre still the Empire, huh...! Lee Shin Woo saw as the darkness thatprised the wall move around and smiled automatically. There was so much he learned from seeing that. Hed reached the peak of the darkness element, but it didnt mean hed mastered every facet of using it. Ovep. What a good idea. "Now!" "Im going! Huaaaaahp!" While Lee Shin Woo was experiencing the thorn walls ability first hand and analyzing it, Kratia had burst a portion of the wall with her ice magic. She cast a small blizzard with her violently rotating orb and temporarily halted the walls ovepping function. Then, Retadanes il exploded with light. She let out a battle cry and a portion of the wall copsed! "Shin Woo, you can stop now! We have to go in now!" "Lee Shin Woo, will you really be ok!?" "I have someone working with me. On the contrary, Im more worried about you." "That nonchnt expression... Very good. Leave the inside to us!" "Shin Woo, you have to tell me everythingter." "Good luck, Junior! If you die, Ill kill you!" Lee Shin Woo watched as his party, aside from him and Jin rushed through the opening, and then withdrew his sword. The area he pulled the sword out of seemed to emit an unbing scream and caused an uproar in the entire area. At the same time, darkness thorns were formed in the damaged area, which attempted to punish the intruder, but the moment they touched his body, the thornspletely fell apart. "What do you think youre doing?" "It almost seems harder hiding that ability than using it." "Still... its like Ive stopped being human." "You stopped being human a while ago." Once the party was gone, Jin spoke. Lee Shin Woo just grinned and replied. And he picked up the remains of the thorn wall. Its name was indeed Evil Eye. Each piece was only a level 6 piece of ore, so he couldnt believe that altogether it formed such a tremendous artifact. "So the more pieces that are gathered, the more powerful it gets. But instead of ovepping the properties in emergencies only, why not ovep matter itself?" "What a crazy idea! What happened to the conversation of mass!?" "When I first came here, he [1] died, along with my body." Lee Shin Woo tried to apply the technique hed just learned with his own darkness magic, applying it to the thorn walls debris. He thought itd be really tough to do, but he was able to condense the debris into the size of a bean with ease, perhaps because he, whod mastered the darkness element, had seen the ability first hand and understood its fundamental principles. "Aha. So this is the real way of using this ore. You dont ovep the magic together, you ovep the matter itself together instead. Youre not supposed to make this stupid wall with it." "..." Of course, in the process of ovepping matter, it became heavier as well, but it was still lighter thanbining the weight of all the debris. The conservation truly was dead. What was so special about this ability? Well, if he were to gather all the Evil Eye in one ce, then he would be able to create the worlds heaviest and most durable artifact with the highest magic concentration. "Does the Undead Emperor know this too? Im excited." "So are you going to break this whole thing down...?" "Are you crazy? This thing will be thest bastion that stops the others from entering. Ill do it after its done its job." He wondered what he would have to do if the hole wasnt mended, but it hadpletely regenerated, though he didnt know where the additional material hade from. He tapped on the once copsed area and found that it was as tough as ever. "Good. Then were all good to go." Lee Shin Woo ced the level 6 (+7) Evil Eye bean into his chest, grinned and turned around. The Chi Pauls had already lined up in front of him. Including the original Chi Paul, there were five level 7 elites. They feared nothing. [You called for us, so we came. What shall we do?] "What do you mean? We do we what we do best." Lee Shin Woo checked the location of all the forces onest time. Hed already memorized where all the traps were, as well as where the monsters and spirits were. "Our goal is to confuse our enemies, cause them to lose their way, cause them to fight against each other, and lose sight of their goals and themselves... Basically, just make a mess of things. Today, were killing four of the 12 Generals!" [Understood!] Chi Paul yelled vigorously. The others needed no exnation. When Lee Shin Woo hadpletely mastered the darkness element, he had be able to directly transmit his thoughts to his subordinates. His subordinates went everywhere. It was time to raise the curtains for the Heaven Defying Generals performance. [1] T/N: Refers to the conservation of mass as a he. Chapter 45 part1 Lee Shin Woo first followed the golems presence. If he wanted everything to go as nned, then hed need to make contact with them first. He and his party had run through the city without stopping, and hed roughly recorded info on the city, which made it easier to use his Wild Card skill. Lee Shin Woo and Jin, who melted into the citys darkness, resembled shadows as they ran with such speed and secrecy. But Jin, who was running at full speed, wasnt feeling very good. "I know its assimtion, but its strange because it feels like Im stuck to the ground..." "We have no choice. Your light-speed sprint is way too conspicuous." "Ugh. Damn it." They quickly found their objective. Lee Shin Woo and Jin had met him a few times before; the elite level 7 golem, Guillotine Steelworker, was leading many level 6 golems in breaking through the traps. They were zing a trail through the minefield so to speak, using their bodies as a sacrifice. [Be strong. Were slowly getting closer to our destination.] [Yes, sir!] [Some of the traps we havent set off keep summoning spirits and monsters... Huh!? Who is it!?] Lee Shin Woo and Jin hid within the buildings side post, but when the time was right, he released his Assimtion with the darkness and came forward. Guillotine, who hadnt been able to sense him before he exposed himself, was shocked and pointed his spear at him. A level 7 elite just wasnt enough to threaten him anymore. "What did youe here for, Golem?" [Y-You are...!?] Guillotine red at him. Did he recall Lee Shin Woos ck armor (while hiding within the shadows, Lee Shin Woos armor was reced with the element) and the imposing horse he was riding? He exerted even more pressure into the spear. [Paul Zero, were you the Heaven Defying General...?] "A lot of you called me that." Lee Shin Woo confidently nodded his head. Hed introduced himself as Paul Zero in front of Arema Steelworker and Guillotine in the past, but they wouldnt think that he was the same undead as before. After all, his growth rate was astounding, even to him. [Youve finally shown your true colors...! There was a lot I wanted to ask you. To think youd use your subordinate to spy on us and expose us to the imperial army!] "Oh." Lee Shin Woo briefly looked through his memories and as though hed remembered, soon replied in a sluggish voice. "Now that you mention it, that did happen. Yeah, it did. I ordered my subordinate to do that. So how about it? Did you get into contact with Anti-Skull after that? Considering how theyre here too, it seems like youve gotten quite friendly with each other." [You bastard...!] Thats right. In the past, before hed fought against the Lightning Shadow General, Hansen Von Dorthe, hed first impersonated Kadinans (satellite city) lord, Nellopa, and had sent a false report that The Golden General, Arema Steelworker and Seagald Von Retadanes Anti-Skull had joined forces and were attacking the city. Following that event, the imperial army became wary of both Arema Steelworker and Anti-Skull, forcing the golems and Anti-Skull out of hiding. It seemed like Guillotine was under the impression that Lee Shin Woo had ordered a subordinate to carry out his n under his name, but unfortunately, Lee Shin Woo had executed the n himself. [Who do you work for? How can you, a mere undead, do such a thing!?] "Im sick of questions like that. I dont work for anyone. I just do what I want. Unlike you guys, whore just the Magic Emperors faithful hunting dogs." [...!] "So how long do I have to wait here before Arema Steelworker arrives? If you want to keep me here, then say something more exciting." Guillotine Steelworker was speechless. Lee Shin Woo was exaggerating a yawn, and Guillotine kept opening and closing his mouth, but he eventually managed to say something. [You. Did you know from the very beginning...? What are you nning!?] "nning? Dont say something so sad. I just dont want to lose your forces for nothing. Youve already expended some of your forces getting through these traps. A good general values his soldiers lives. Am I wrong?" How are you so good at cutting down a persons self-confidence? Hey, the way you said so good sounded a bit weird? While Lee Shin Woo and Jinmunicated via telepathy, Guillotines body shook. A golem can shake when they be level 7?, Lee Shin Woo asked, only to notice Guillotines shaking starting to intensify. Lee Shin Woo was shocked. [Youll regret it...! Our Lord will soon be here with the remainder of the Four Heavenly Commanders. I know how strong you are, but well see how rxed you are after theye...!] "Oh man, Im so scared. No matter how strong I am, I have no ns on fighting the level 8 Golden General." [Do you want to talk? Its already toote. By bing an undead, it seems that in exchange for your strength, your brains rotted away. Its toote to feel regret...] [Guillotine, are you alright?] [My lord!] In the midst of Lee Shin Woo ying around with Guillotine, several golems rushed onto the premises, apanied by powerful energy being shot towards Lee Shin Woo. While its power was significantly reduced due to the countless traps nearby, it was still a concentrated st of a level 8s mana, so it was enough to cause Lee Shin Woo to worry. [...A shield?] But the energy hed shot out (it was probably metal element mana) was blocked by a shield that came out of nowhere, causing it to vanish. "Did you really think I wouldnt be prepared when Ivee all this way to meet the Golden General?" [Ugh...] The shield was the level 7 Titans Fortress and was one of the 17 weapons that Lee Shin Woo had summoned and fully charged. Seeing that, Arema Steelworker was shocked. Lee Shin Woo saw him take a step back and nodded his head. With just one move, Arema Steelworker had realized that Lee Shin Woo was level 8. Though Lee Shin Woo could perform such a move when he was level 7 as well! [The Heaven Defying General... I have heard of you. A hidden dragon that appeared just recently. I didnt think wed meet like this.] "Ive met you once before. Dont you remember?" [You mean that subordinate of yours. He had potential. I see that he takes after his master in terms of guts and talent.] Even if he told him that he was Paul Zero, it was unlikely that Arema Steelworker would believe him. Lee Shin Woo shrugged his shoulders and decided to make the first move. "So why are you here? Is this what the Magic Emperor wants?" [So you know. You must havee from the surface as well.] Lee Shin Woo could feel an invisible pressure tightening around him on all sides. When one bes level 8, they gain the ability to influence the mana around them and control it; a type of authority. Perhaps because it originated from a golem, the ambient mana took on a metallic property that smelled of blood. It seemed to be a derivative of the earth element, much like the wood element, but it seemed more independent from the source... perhaps it was a specialized element that could only be obtained when one bes a golem. When he hadst felt Arema Steelworkers strength, he had tried his best to act unfazed, but now, he wasnt the least bit affected. He could match that pressure... No, he could go even further beyond it. To him, he saw Arema Steelworkers action as just a waste of mana. [I dont know how much you know... or who youre working for. But what I am sure of is that youre a threat to my master. You wanted something, so you came all the way here, but... Its quite unfortunate. Ill kill you where you stand.] Arema Steelworker gathered a tremendous amount of energy into his fist. ording to his calctions, Arema Steelworker was using the metal element mana to temporarily increase his durability and reinforce himself as well. It was as though he was making his body into the most powerful weapon. The Four Heavenly Commanders behind him exerted incredible strength as well. At this rate, he would have to fight against them. Since he really didnt want to fight them, he quickly took out the Anti-Arema Steelworker weapon hed brought from the surface. [!?] At that moment, Arema Steelworker sounded as though hed caught a bug of some sort and stood still. The tremendous mana that hed gathered was released and gently disappeared amongst the mass of golems. The other golems were the same. They rubbed their eyes, as if they couldnt believe what was happening, blinked, or even tapped their heads to confirm that what was happening was real. However, it didnt change anything. [T-That...] Arema Steelworkers voice quivered. The Golden General that had been so imposing when theyd first met was no longer here. He was acting like a cowardly middle-schooler who had just been caught writing a poem at the corner of their notes about their first love! [That... How... How do you have that? How the hell do you have that!?] "I wonder. Why dont you use your brain? If not... Then why dont we ask the servants of the Steelworker family?" [You bastard, Paul Zero...! Paul Zero...!] "Ah, thats right." Lee Shin Woo sounded regretful as if hed just remembered something. "If you return to the surface like that, your servants might run away in fear. Isnt that right?" [You bastard... You bastard...! Ill kill you. Ill kill you!] "Go ahead and try." Arema Steelworkers body shook and then went thud. He took a step forward and raised his hand, but Lee Shin Woo extended the ultimate weapon and he stopped once more. This was so fun. [Why is the lord... Why? How?] "Ah, I have yours too, so dont feel left out. Yours were broken up, but the security was all the same. It wasnt such a good idea to record it in the golemwork, now was it?" [The information hidden on the golemwork is only essible by myself and His Majesty...! Theres absolutely no way that an outsider can ess it!] "Ta-dah! Theres no such thing as an absolute in this world!" Lee Shin Woo smiled sweetly. Whenever he used the ultimate weapon, Arema Steelworker would flinch. If he could, he would y around a little bit longer, but even now, Anti-Skull and the imperial army wereing to the city. He needed to negotiate with them if he wanted the time that Chi Paul and his forces had bought him to not go to waste. "Now, Golden General. Are you willing to hear me out now?" [You... I want to kill you, but...!] His words (that of a level 8 golem) were so frightening that it almost seemed like he would be cursed, but Lee Shin Woo didnt pay it any mind. Soon, he heard exactly what he wanted to hear. [Ill hear... what you have to say...!] "Hoo. We can finally talk. What a joyous asion." [But promise me that youll give it back...! Me and my subordinates precious bodies...!] "Oh, but of course. If you do exactly as I say, that is." Lee Shin Woo sounded so sure of himself that only Jin could think that Ah, this assholes lying again...!. He replied and shook Arema Steelworkers level 8 human body. Thats right. When Arema Steelworker had left the surface and had ced himself into a golem, he had left his physical body in his familys safe house, so that he could one day return to his original body. ...And once hed figured that out, Lee Shin Woo had snatched their bodies in order to use them as his ultimate weapon against them! Chapter 45 part2 [Weve exchangedmunications with Anti-Skull a few times. Weve also forged a temporary alliance as well.] "What do you know about its leader?" [...Not much. But I do know that he disagrees with Jissehanu.] Jissehanu. That was the first time hed heard that name from someone other than the Goddess when shed first summoned and exined the situation to him. He was not only the Undead Empires Emperor but was also the 2nd prince that was exiled from the surface. Jissehanu had immersed himself in research, in an attempt to one day return to the surface, but... was consequently the very person that had trapped all of his people underground. [He was against Jissehanus research from the very beginning. It was the first time he, the Emperors sword, had disobeyed him. And he ultimately created a separate organization without the Emperors knowledge... To this day, Im not entirely sure what his true intentions are.] "But youre working together for now because you both oppose the Undead Emperor." [Thats right. ...And because hes undead. He wouldnt be able to change anything by himself. No matter what his intentions were.] Arema Steelworker said as he gazed at Lee Shin Woo. His eyes seemed to ask But how is it that youre doing this, and are you truly undead?. Lee Shin Woo just ignored his questioning gaze and asked. "Then why did youe to Bayran with them all of a sudden? What made youe here, knowing that youd provoke the imperial army and meet with human beings that are still living and breathing?" [Thats...] "Thats?" Lee Shin Woo tilted his head and shook Arema Steelworkers body (the soulless one). Seeing that, Arema Steelworker responded post haste. [Theres a magical weapon at the center of Bayran that was built to destroy the barrier! We were nning on using that to strike the Undead Emperor!] "Aha!" Hed solved the puzzle! This city was supposedly built for spirits and they had even brought in the Spirit General (princess) to help; ultimately, this was another one of the Emperors experiments that would allow him to go outside! [The Spirit General, Dana Von Etliber is the possessor of a powerful authority thatpels spirits to follow her. In the past, the Emperor hypothesized that they would be able to destroy the barrier by using her power to umte all of the spirits power in one ce. Bayran was constructed so that she could use her power to its fullest.] Impressive. Whether it be the Magic Empire or the Underground Empire, neither of them really cared about the spirits! The 2nd prince merely cooperated with the spirits, as their positions were the same, but theyd never gone out of their way to help them! "So they tricked them. They drew them to the city, telling them that they were creating a paradise for spirits when they were actually using them as a power source for a barrier-breaking weapon." [Thats right. It was impossible for the Princess to do alone, butbined with the Emperors obsession and highly advanced magic engineering, they almost brought it to fruition. This city was brought about through magic engineering. Though its still a bit behind the surfaces...] The Dryads had implored him to meet with Dana Von Etliber, foolishly believing that meeting her would solve everything when... If so... Lee Shin Woo sported a crooked smile. Of course, he really wasnt ming the Undead Emperor. On the contrary, he actually wanted to apud him for doing everything he could to return to the surface. But it was funny. That all that hard work had been for nothing. That the weapon that the Emperor had created to escape was being used against him. "So youre going to aim that cannon at the capital and fire it." [Paul Zero. You should feel it too. That magical tools power is no joke; its been untouched, umting energy for dozens of years. If it hits the capital, then even the Emperor wont remain unscathed. It seems like Jissehanu realized this too, seeing as how he sent one of the 12 Generals, but its already toote. He wont be able to stop it.] "Hmm, as I thought... You n on taking on the Undead Emperor directly." [Who do you think... is to me for that...!?] Thats right. It was all Lee Shin Woos fault! Originally, Arema Steelworker was only ordered to watch the Underground Empire. Because the undead werent capable of change and had no means ofing to the surface, all he had to do was watch them. At least, thats all he shouldve had to do. [But you made them aware of our existence...! Theyve begun obsessing over us! We had no choice but toe out of hiding, if for no other reason than to protect the location of our base...!] To think that his tactic, which he hadnt put much thought into, had been this effective! Lee Shin Woo realized that this chain of events was truly his fault and couldnt help but marvel at what he had done. I didntpletely understand the undead at the time, so... I didnt want to be the only one who took the fall and just wanted to make a mess of things. At this point, Lee Shin Woo started to make some assumptions, but the undead were indeed entities that acted in order to maintain the status quo. The Undead Emperor, Jissehanu, as well as the undead in the capital likely followed this principle. In other words, they were acting in order to preserve the Emperors authority. Thus, they had designated Arema Steelworker and his golems as a high level threat and looked into them, as they had killed the Lightning Shadow General (even though it was Lee Shin Woo) and had cleared out the secret production facility (also Lee Shin Woo). At this rate, their base would eventually be discovered, so Arema Steelworker decided that they would risk fighting head-on in order to keep the location and the existence of their base a secret. So, they had forged an alliance with Anti-Skull and had begun to move. "Then what about the humans?" [The humans... The heroes will divert Jissehanus attention from us.] "As expected. Good insight. But you couldve joined forces with them too." [Theyd be expendable. Ive seen Seira Von Retadane before, but I was disappointed. Yes, she can use the light element. But she cant ovee the Emperor, let alone the Archmage. The magicians were promising, but once they reach the capitals stronghold, they would need at least dozens of years to get through.] Expendable, huh. It was easy to understand. Lee Shin Woo inwardly smiled bitterly. He felt the exact same way about the golems! After that, Lee Shin Woo asked a few more questions regarding their position and the current situation. Once hed gathered enough information, Lee Shin Woo nodded his head and wrapped everything up by pping his hands. "Now that we know enough about each other, lets work together to reach our goal." [You wont even show your face. How impudent!] "Lets join up with Anti-Skull, shall we? If our goal of killing the Emperor aligns, then we could form a good rtionship with them." [Do you really think that man will trust you?] Lee Shin Woo just ignored him and formted a n. In response, Arema Steelworker retorted. It had been a while since the Metal Generals overwhelming pressure had disappeared. Lee Shin Woo just shrugged his shoulders and said. "If it turns south, then Ill just have to rely on the Metal Generals strength, now wont I?" [You bastard...!] If he managed to recruit the Metal General and Anti-Skull and attack the Emperor together, then he wouldnt need to do anything more. He would make the three forces destroy each other, and in the aftermath, the Heaven Defying Generals troops could clean up what remained. If he were to then kill the Magic Emperor after that, in tandem with the heroes, then that would be ideal... Of course, Lee Shin Woo was sure that things wouldnt go so smoothly. I need to get rid of the heroes deep-seated hatred of the undead... He turned his gaze towards the frontrunner of that hatred, Seira Von Retadane, who was heading towards the center of the city and sighed. She would personally confront the Metal General or the Annihtion me Sword God if she were to see them, so hed sent the heroes inside, but even now, he wondered whether that was the right call or not. SSeup. It cant be helped. Whether its the Metal General, the Golden Shadow General, or the Annihtion me General, itll be fine as long as I handle them. They should be able to take on the Spirit General, whos been stuck here for dozens of years. ...But why do I feel uneasy now that Ive thought that? Lee Shin Woo, whod secured the allegiance of the Metal General, followed the traces of Anti-Skull, which had entered the city. In the process, he spoke to Chi Paul through telepathy and ordered them to hold the imperial troops back. [Lord Paul Zero. Please tell me one thing. If we have to fight against Arema Steelworker, could you give me the honor of killing him myself?] [I promise. When the timees, Ill leave it to you.] [Thank you very much.] Hearing that, the Chi Pauls moved more quickly than before, as if theyd self-buffed themselves through their revenge. As ordered, the Chi Pauls activated the traps here and there, and led the imperial troops into them. This would slow the imperial army down, no matter how secretly they were moving! Of course, Lee Shin Woo hadnt made that promise willy-nilly. He was hoping that Chi Paul woulde out stronger than before after killing the one whod made him like this, like Shino Rendu when hed absorbed the Mercenary Kings bone. If all goes well, then he may reach level 8 before Shino Rendu... No, more importantly. Lee Shin Woo sensed a familiar mana reaction and nodded his head. He was sure of it. It was Anti-Skull. Despite them being harassed by the Chi Pauls just a short while ago, their troops were as imposing as ever. Moreover, he sensed several level 7s in the middle of their force! "As I thought, he has enough power to take on the Emperor alone." [When the Retadane family was banished, their power was second only to Jissehanu and are likewise descendants of the royal family.] Arema Steelworker said nonchntly. How kind! He would definitely keep him around a little more before Chi Paul killed him. "Arema." [Keuk.] Lee Shin Woo gave a brief and concise order. Arema Steelworker gritted his teeth, stepped forward, and revealed himself. Anti-Skull, which had split up into several groups, stiffened right then and there. [Metal General!] At the center, a knight exerting the most pressure amongst them stepped forward. He was garbed in a full suite of te armor, but the goblin fire that seeped through his visor proved that he was an undead. But he wasnt Seagald Von Retadane. He was a level 7 elite, Tarian Von Retadane. [Lets group up. Theres been a problem that I have to exin to you guys.] [A problem...? Wait a sec, is that man...?] Lee Shin Woo btedly stepped forward. Tarian was shocked upon realizing who he was. Lee Shin Woo softly raised one hand and introduced himself. "Im Paul Zero. I wanted to thank you on behalf of my subordinates." [The Heaven Defying General...!] Although hed introduced himself amicably, Tarian remained shocked. No, he was actually exerting a significant amount of pressure... [Enough. Theyll be of great help to me and your Anti-Skull!] [Metal General... Are you sure?] It was momentarily silent. A short whileter, he slowly nodded his head. [Alright. We dont have time. I suppose we have to take all the help we can get, even if it means getting help from the devil himself.] "Hoo. Good thinking." Lee Shin Woo narrowed his eyes (he was in his skeleton form, so he didnt have eyes) and smiled. For a moment, Tarian hadnt controlled himself and had let his killing intent slip out, but... there was no way Lee Shin Woo would let that go unnoticed. Does he hate me for stealing his subordinates? No, that wouldnt be enough to... If Anti-Skull were truly an organization devoted to killing the Emperor, then there was no reason for them to kill him, the Heaven Defying General, especially because he could help them. Since Lee Shin Woo had only done things that would be harmful to the Emperor as the Heaven Defying General. Them bing undead and going crazy didnt fit either... Since that wouldnt exin their actions thus far. Theres something more important here that Im not getting. To Anti-Skull, to Seagald Von Retadane... What if Anti-Skulls objective... wasnt killing the Emperor? Lee Shin Woo organized his thoughts and his lips twitched. Unfortunately for them, only Lee Shin Woo had the ability to sense their hidden feelings. Chapter 45 part3 [The Golden Shadow General... He has quite the troublesome ability.] [But his bones will be buried in this city today.] "I dont really like that expression... You gotta eat all the way down to the bone too." [...You.] The pressure exerted by Tarian Von Retadanes Anti-Skull force (there were three level 7 elites including him, fifteen level 6 elites, and 500 normal level 6s) and Arema Steelworkers Metal Army (which consisted of the Four Heavenly Commanders (level 7 elites) and 200 level 6 elite golems). But Lee Shin Woo was all alone. He was, of course, with the level 8 Jin, but to everyone else, Jin just looked like a strong warhorse. Arema Steelworker then asked. [What about your subordinates?] "Theyre doing their own thing. Theyre keeping the Golden Shadow General busy." [What...!?] Lee Shin Woo had only brought along his Chi Paul squad, which only consisted of 31 Chi Pauls. However, there were five level 7 elites among them, and the rest were level 6 elites at the cusp of level 7, so his force was no pushover. Lee Shin Woo spoke so nonchntly that both Anti-Skull and the Metal Army felt tense. "Were all on the same side now, right? Dont be so tense. My boys wont be able to stop the Golden Shadow General on their own... So, thats why Im asking for your help." [...Thats true. As expected of the Heaven Defying General.] Unlike his reply, his expression indicated no signs of understanding. In the midst of the heavy silence, the two forces exchanged nces. Lee Shin Woo had forced Anti-Skull and the Metal Army into an uneasy alliance, so there was no way theyd be pleased. So long as I possess the golems bodies, theres no way theyll attack me first. But, Anti-Skull doesnt know that yet... He didnt know why, but for some reason, Anti-Skull was hostile towards him, and he didnt want this situation to drag on forever. Tarian would probably try to consult with Arema when Lee Shin Woo wasnt looking, and if he fails (he would obviously fail), there was a chance that their alliance would break apart. If theres no way of bringing Anti-Skull over to my side, then it wouldnt be such a bad idea to make them fight against the golems. Although he was working together with them, Lee Shin Woos brain was still busy. He also couldnt keep the golems on his side forever. Before they tried something in an attempt to regain their bodies from him, he would need to find the right time to kill them... How could I take care of them without them noticing?, Lee Shin Woo wondered, and then asked Tarian Von Retadane, who hadnt been able to fully conceal his killing intent. "The Annihtion me Sword God isnt with you?" [He didnte. He had something more important to do.] "This is an important assignment." [As his representative, my abilities and position are sufficient.] "Sufficient abilities and position, huh." He probably wasnt wrong. Although Tarian Von Retadane couldnt match Arema Steelworker, he was definitely stronger than Aremas Four Heavenly Commanders. But unlike Arema, who personally led his Metal Army, Anti-Skulls leader hadnte, which felt a bit off... Lee Shin Woo directed his questioning gaze at Guillotine, and Guillotine just shrugged his shoulders. [Well ask themter. But the alliance isnt as solid as youd think.] "Hmm." It seemed as though Anti-Skull wasnt the only one with trust issues. He wondered. It could be the truth, but... Perhaps the golems were dissatisfied with Lee Shin Woo, as he held the noose around their necks, and were just hiding their true feelings. I feel like itll be fine, no matter how the situation turns, but... I suppose I should send Kratia a message first. Once hed simply exined the situation to her, he looked over the Anti-Skull squad once more. Unlike the undead hed awakened, the Anti-Skulls undead emitted a familiar type of mana. Lee Shin Woo wondered what it was but soon found the answer. Its light. Thats right. Although Anti-Skull had experimented with a variety of poisons, he sensed traces of the light element from their mana. Of course, they couldnt use the light element on their own, they just gave off the feeling that theyd somehow copied the light element. It makes sense. After all, if you have the light element, the element that represents life, then you should be able to fight back against the undead curse. Perhaps these guys have retained their intellect, and theyre no longer ordinary undead due to the light elements severing effect. As always, it was just his delusions at work and he didnt have any proof, but it made sense. However, he still had his doubts. If those countless tests to resist the undead curse were an attempt to obtain the light element, then who the hell was Seagald Von Retadane, the one in charge of those tests? There are plenty of clues. Seira Von Retadane, who could use the light element. The royal family, with power that matched Jissehanus at the time of their exile and was also the origin of the Retadane family. It was likely that the Retadane family studied the light element. Seira Von Retadane and Seagald Von Retadane were likely born with the ability to wield light, and thats why Seagald was capable of executing such a grandiose n. Like my affinity with the darkness element... He could easily understand why Seira Von Retadane became the first hero, and why Pleine was chosen as Gods apostle. It was because their family was born with the light element! Lineage was everything. After all, the Golden Shadow General was the firstborn of a family that could control shadows. However, thats where things differ... How you use what you have and how you develop it. And this guy... No matter how I think of it, he failed. At some point, Lee Shin Woo discovered thin ck threads secretly traveling across the ground and the nearby buildings. The mana threads were created from the buildings and peoples shadows. He thought he had hidden himself, but it was a pitiful attempt to Lee Shin Woo, who could use Dark Shadow. It might work if the Golden Shadow were fighting against those weaker than him, but how would his technique fare against Lee Shin Woo...? [Stop!] When Lee Shin Woo was about to secretly extend his sword and slice the shadow, Arema, who was standing at the forefront, discovered the traces and stiffly ordered his troops to stop. Unlike the others, Jin, who had been walking slowly to match their pace, stopped with ease. [Hes nearby. Golden Shadow! A tough battle awaits us. The nearby roads and buildings have been turned inside out...!] [Is it the Golden Shadow Generals barrier!?] Right when the group flinched and stopped, Chi Paul reported through telepathy. The Golden Shadow had been caught in the traps, but ultimately, the Golden Shadow General joined the battle. Although three of the Chi Pauls, including one level 7 elite, had sustained critical injuries and were forced to retire, the rest of his forces were able to retreat safely. He was a level 8 capable of controlling shadows and was also a part of the 12 Generals, yet none of them had died. As he thought, their anger towards Arema Steelworker was increasing their abilities by a level or perhaps even more. [Tell the injured to return. Pick out only those who can still fight and wait at the ce I designate. If all goes well, you may be able to fight against Anti-Skull as well.] [Understood!] [Everyone, get ready for battle. Hell likely ambush us. Focus!] Lee Shin Woo saw the Metal Army and Anti-Skull prepare for battle and summoned his own weapons. It was the jet-ck Giant Drake Horn Lance that hed infused darkness mana into prior! Arema Steelworker and Tarian Von Retadane flinched at the sight of it. [Where did you get...?] [...Darkness? It is darkness!] Lee Shin Woo had fully charged his seventeen weapons with mana, but only nine of them had been floating in the air. The other eight had been hiding in the shadows, but hed chosen to extract them. He wasnt really trying to show off, but it was kind ofughable that a level 8 golem was flinching. "Is this the first time youve seen ance?" [If you can wield darkness so easily, then even if you were to fight alone... Hesing!] Suddenly, the shadow underneath them spread out and covered the entire area! It seemed as though it would dye the entire world ck. Arema Steelworker gritted his teeth, gathered his own mana, and fought back against the darkness. However, he was only able to protect a portion of his golems. Most of them had been trapped within the darkness. [Vellun Von Dorthe...!] [Arema Steelworker. You finally show your true colors. To think youd so fearlessly step foot into one of His Majestys cities. Im happy that Ill be able to bury you here.] A gloomy mans voice resounded throughout the darkness. Although they were both level 8s, it seemed as though the Golden Shadow Generalsmand over his element overpowered Aremas. Arema instantly gathered his mana and fired it within the darkness. However, the darkness merely dispersed for a short time and soon filled the air once more. [You really think you can fill the entire world with darkness?] [The Underground Empire is governed by darkness. Your metal element is merely unusual. Thats all!] [Come on. Ill show you the true strength of that unusual power of mine...!] It felt like theyde to blows at any time. But surprisingly, the Golden Shadow General didnt strike. Rather than challenging Arema Steelworkers golden mana, the Golden Shadow General safely hid within the darkness and then ambushed one of the Four Heavenly Commanders. [Keoheok!] [Stake!] It was the right call. Since Stake hadnt been able to mount a proper defense and waspletely destroyed. It made sense. After all, it was the surprise attack of a level 8 and one of the 12 Generals. Even Lee Shin Woo had briefly lost track of his movements. His stats are geared towards Agility and Magic. Its a ssic strategy. He relies on magic, rather than physical strength to hurt his enemies. Stake Steelworkers death signaled the start of the battle. The Golden Shadow Generals forces attacked all at once. His forces hid within the darkness hed created and continually appeared and disappeared in different areas. They then grouped up and attacked, looking like a wave of darkness. As I thought, using shadows was a specialized form of darkness. But Lee Shin Woo could see them clearly, as hed reached peak darkness mastery. If he mixed his darkness within theirs, then he could quickly defeat their entire force, but because he knew that Anti-Skull was hiding something, Lee Shin Woo decided to not do more than what was necessary. They act like theyre so powerful, but the technique doesnt feel invincible... Heup! [Kuhaahk!?] [Guaah!] Lee Shin Woo swung hisnce strangely. The approaching wave lost its cutting edge and copsed instantaneously. The Golden Shadow, which had been pointing their weapons at Lee Shin Woo, were flung out. He squashed a portion of them with hisnce and challenged the Golden Shadow General. "Youve just lost your subordinates. You just going to sit there?" [Keuk. You rat. Lets see how long you can avoid me!] Lee Shin Woo had just grinned at the face of Stake Steelworkers death and fought off the Golden Shadow with ease. Arema Steelworker was enraged at the sight, spread out his mana, and began to chase after the Golden Shadow General. Tarian Von Retadanes Anti-Skull force was likewise struggling against the Golden Shadow. Lets see. I wonder what Anti-Skulls hidden objective is... If Rem was with him, then hed be able to more easily observe their movements. Unfortunately, it wasnt with him right now. But now that itde to this, there was no helping it. He had no choice but to use hisst resort: asking the bones themselves. All of you, attack Tarian. Thats right. So that I can easily kill him unnoticed... Just a little more. You can do it, Golden Shadow! Lee Shin Woo licked his lips and hisnce slowly melted into the darkness. The Golden Shadow General probably had no idea that the darkness hed created was being used by someone else. Chapter 45 part4 The darkness swayed and spread. However, that very darkness was ripped apart by golden mana. While the Metal Army and Anti-Skull fought against the Golden Shadow, Arema Steelworker yed a game of hide-and-seek with the Golden Shadow General, Vellun Von Dorthe. Their mana mixed together messily and continuously exploded. The two level 8s were so imposing that some of their troops were unable to maintain their bnce and fell to the floor. However, the situation was so urgent that they had no time to worry about them. [Hes gone that way!] [Damn it, block... Kuhahk!?] The Golden Shadow troops hid within the Golden Shadow generals shadow, and even the Four Heavenly Commanders were no match for them. They truly were the Emperors personal assassination squad. If the Metal Army or Anti-Skull were to have faced them alone, it wouldve been twice as hard to fight them off. Plus, the Golden Shadow Generals ability works well in several situations. If his shadow expanded and covered the entire area it then starts obscuring the line between friend and foe. But the Golden Shadow troops, which were used to said phenomenon, could move with ease and execute their foes. However, their enemies were a different story. They would either attack incorrectly and harm their allies, or they would evade an attack but their movements would ovep with another, causing them to both expose weak points. The confusion was quite entertaining. On the other hand, the Chi Pauls were doing just fine against the Golden Shadow, so much so that Lee Shin Woo was shocked. The key to this battle is the Golden Shadow General. And if we kill him, then we need someone who can keep up with Arema Steelworker. If Seagald Von Retadane had been here, then the battle would be progressing a lot differently. Unfortunately, his representative, Tarian Von Retadane was slightlycking in terms of ability. No, he looked like he was holding back. He was only focused on protecting his allies from harm and wasnt actively trying to fight back... Theres a limit to how suspicious you can be. Lee Shin Woo had been quiet watching Tarian and smiled, dumbfounded. He was dying on purpose. He was trying to extend the battle as long as possible while keeping Anti-Skulls casualties at a bare minimum. What was more hrious was... he must think that no one had noticed, but he was looking at Lee Shin Woo and trying to find a weak spot. He knew that Tarian couldnt conceal his killing intent, but he didnt think he was this foolish. To think he wouldnt even be able to properly assess his opponents abilities! Though Lee Shin Woo was concealing them! So we have the same idea. The faint, lingering idea of maintaining their alliance broke at that very instant. If thats what he wanted, then he had no choice but to respond in kind! Jin, just hide for a little bit. Wait, why? While the Golden Shadow attacked Tarian and obscured his vision, Lee Shin Woos body melted into the air. He had discreetly spread his mana everywhere. Lee Shin Woos darkness was mixed with the Golden Shadow Generals darkness. [Die, you rebel!] [Hmph. Itsughable that the undead curse has so much influence on one such as yourself !] [Keuk!] He said roughly and swung his sword, pushing the Golden Shadow towards the golems. When he was finished dealing with them, Tarian looked for Lee Shin Woo once more, but... At that moment, something pierced through his back. What appeared behind him was clearly a member of the Golden Shadow. "I cannot permit you to live, as someone who opposes our great Emperor!" [Keoheok...!?] His sword seemed entirelyprised of darkness. It was a shadow sword created through his Wild Card skill, which also doubled as all of hisbat skills as well. This sword, which simultaneously possessed the properties of Shadow Horn and Thorn Shadow, was quite powerful indeed, but by fusing with the surrounding darkness, it also paralyzed the attacked foe. A level 8 would be able to use their own mana to eliminate the ambient mana, but it would be impossible for Tarian. [The rebels stopped moving!] [One of ours has beaten Tarian Von Retadane!] [This is our chance. Attack while hes still weakened!] Lee Shin Woos attack was merely the precursor. Soon, the Golden Shadow rushed crazily towards him and mounted a full-on offensive. The Anti-Skull were clearly flustered and rushed over to stop them. Unfortunately, the darkness that covered them waspletely different now. [Protect Lord Tarian... Keoheok!?] [W-Why!? I didnt attack you...!] [D-Dont move. This is their trick! Cut through the darkness!] [But Lord Tarian... Keok. Kaaaah!] They had definitely aimed for the enemy, yet they had cut down their allies instead. They moved towards Tarian, yet they got farther and farther away. The power which had helped them resist the undead curse and maintain their intellect wasnt helping them here. [The Beginner Dark Shadow element has be Lv8 and Magic has increased by 20.] It was chaos. The Golden Shadow went wild, while the Anti-Skull cried out and cut through the darkness. Since theirmander, who couldve righted the situation, was paralyzed, Anti-Skulls forces began to noticeably dwindle. [Keok. Damn you... With my light...!] "Stop struggling. It wont work." Lee Shin Woo grinned and whispered to Tarian, who was desperately trying to gather his mana. Because Tarian was a part of the Retadane family, who specialized in light, it was clear that he was trying to use some sort of light spell. But even if he tried, it wouldnt matter. Even if he could create light, he was just level 7 as well as an undead, so he wouldnt be able to beat back Lee Shin Woos darkness, would he? Even if he could create light powerful enough to undo his binds, he could just use Dark Shadow to reverse the light into darkness. So long as he wasnt level 8 or possessed MAX light mastery or maybe even high rank mastery, he wouldnt be able to ovee his Dark Shadow. [As I thought, you arent... Golden Shadow...!] "I want to ask you something. Why do you hate me so much? Did you really think you could beat me?" [How dare you oppose the Retadane ns light!] "Mm. Oh, so thats it." Perhaps Lee Shin Woo had been misunderstanding him. Hed thought that Anti-Skull, like his own troops, possessed a clear ego and would be able to move forward and develop, but... Perhaps these guys were the same as any regr undead. "Hoo. If Seagalds like this too, then I will be extremely disappointed."." [Do you think... someone like you could defeat him...] Lee Shin Woo decided not to listen anymore and gave him the peace of death. There was no reason to listen anymore. [You have acquired 5,698,100 Perium.] [You have acquired the Lv7 Tarian Von Retadanes finger bone.] The Golden Shadow delighted at the sight of Tarians body disappearing in the air, while Anti-Skull screamed. The golems were also tense, as someone much stronger than even the Four Heavenly Commanders had been so easily killed. [Golden Shadow. I know it was strong before, but to think itd be even stronger after bing undead...! We cant drag this out any longer. Paul Zero, if were really allies, then please help our lord!] "Sure." Guillotine Steelworker had no idea that Lee Shin Woo was the one whod killed Tarian, yet he became warier of Golden Shadow and requested for Lee Shin Woos help! Lee Shin Woo came out of the darkness, revealing himself, and replied naturally. In that short period of time, he returned to his Heaven Defying General form and was sitting atop his horse, as if theyd never been apart. [Darkness...?] "Hoo." [You dare fight me with darkness... Huh? Ugh!] Once Lee Shin Woo got involved, the Golden Shadow General attempted to retreat, but that was impossible. Lee Shin Woo had already finished analyzing his darkness. By the time Lee Shin Woo had mixed his darkness with the Golden Shadow Generals, Wild Card had already activated. He could only move through the shadows because he was the source of the darkness. Theres no way hed be able to move properly if another persons darkness was mixed with his. As it was a level 8 authority, he should be able to turn it back to his entirely, but that was impossible right now. Because Lee Shin Woos darkness dwarfed his own. [What is this...!?] [Gigantic Fist!] While the Golden Shadow were hesitating, Arema Steelworker took the opportunity to unleash a killing blow. It might fall behind the other 12 Generals in terms of speed or special ability, but the force behind metal element mana concentrated at one point was unmatched! [Kahaahk...!] The golems fist and the enemys armor colliding erupted in a sound akin to a mountain copsing. Even Lee Shin Woo wouldnt be able to replicate such physical force. Thisbination of tremendous mass and magic, which was only possible in a golems body, struck the Golden Shadow General. [General!] [Impossible. That persons darkness...!] The Golden Shadow General had, up until this point, remained untouched, but when the Golden Shadow saw their general fall, they were shocked and altogether attacked Arema Steelworker. However, the golems didnt just stand still. Moreover, the Anti-Skull joined in, furious at theirmanders demise. [Good, then...] "Hey, you gotta leave my share too." Arema Steelworker was going to follow-up, without giving the Golden Shadow General a chance to recover, but Lee Shin Woo immediately stopped him. The Golden Shadow General had escaped from the brink of death as if proving that investing almost all of his stats into Agility and Magic wasnt for nothing. If one more of Aremas attacks went through, then the Golden Shadow General would die and Lee Shin Woos contribution would lessen. In order to safely procure the bone, Lee Shin Woo had to be the one to kill the general. "I told you before, didnt I? The bones are mine." [You were just watching this entire time, yet you want tond the final blow?] "I was analyzing his darkness in order to nullify it. If I didnt, then would you have been able to defeat him this easily? You havent forgotten that hes level 8 and one of the 12 Generals, have you?" [...Youre not wrong.] He definitely wasnt wrong, as Wild Card could only fully activate when hed fully analyzed his opponent. It looked like theyd taken him down so easily, but this was all due to his unseen efforts! Lee Shin Woo snorted, piercing the Golden Shadow Generals body with hisnce and embedding it into the ground. [Kahahk...?] "Tch. Its not like Im teaching a fish how to swim." This would probably be hisst-ditch effort. The Golden Shadow General tried to switch his body with a fake, like in Japanese manga, and hide within the darkness, so Lee Shin Woo cut through both the false and real bodies. If Lee Shin Woo hadnt reached peak darkness mastery or didnt possess Wild Card, then he mightve been fooled. [How did you so easily...] "It cant be helped. You werent a good match for me. Regret the fact that Im good at using the darkness element." Lee Shin Woo grinned and put more pressure into hisnce. The Shining me, covered on the outside by darkness, kept the Golden Shadow General from escaping andpletely burned him away. [You have hunted one of the 12 Generals, the Lv8 Golden Shadow General, Vellun Von Dorthe! All heroes who contributed gain 50,000,000 Perium and all stats are increased by 100. You have acquired 15 permits to Gods secret shop. Proficiency in allbat-rted skills increases significantly!] [The Wild Card skill has be Lv3. All stats have increased by 30.] Thus, Lee Shin Woo killed another one of the 12 Generals. And hed killed him so easily too! ...He couldve taken care of the general himself quite easily, but he decided not to tell anyone that. Chapter 45 part5 [Commander! [Thats impossible!] [We were able to take care of him somehow.] [Whenever hes in danger, he can just retreat into the shadows, so even if you beat him, youre not supposed to be able to kill him...] [He caught him. No, the reason our Lord was even able to hit him was...] Lee Shin Woo was able to kill one of the 12 Generals, the Golden Shadow General that was under the direct control of the Emperor, and everyone was shocked at how futilely he had died. In the midst of all that, Lee Shin Woo nonchntly picked up the bone that was left behind. It was a leg bone. He also dropped Perium, a Bayran Inner Map, his level 6 ck leather armor, as well as a dark knife. Lee Shin Woo immediately went for the knife. He checked and mentally noted that his Invisible Heart was at its max level, nodded his head, and backed off. "The rest is all yours." [...] Arema Steelworker just stared at Lee Shin Woo, without even going for the loot. He had realized that Lee Shin Woo had been one-sidedly controlling the battle. The reason he had been able to kill the Golden Shadow General so easily, especially when their affinity was so bad, was because of Lee Shin Woo. He had won, but he didnt feel good at all. It felt like Lee Shin Woo had yed around with him throughout the entire fight. Arema had tried to not show his full strength, but Lee Shin Woo may already be aware of that. He had be a puppet that danced upon his stage. To think that I, Arema Steelworker, would be so easily manipted. Perhaps the moment I met this unknown undead, I was... No, perhaps when I met that skeleton long ago, I had already made the wrong decision. At first, Arema had nned to attack Lee Shin Woo when he was vulnerable, and trade their physical bodies for his life. But he realized. That the only reason Lee Shin Woo had even deigned to bargain with them was that it was just easier for him. He hadnt been afraid of him at all. If he attacked him now, then his physical body would be immediately destroyed. He was absolutely sure of it. [You are...] Once he realized that his hated enemy was clearly stronger than him, Arema actually calmed down. Lee Shin Woo saw the change in his mental state and his eyes changed as well. [What are your intentions? You possess such power, so why are you pointlessly ying around here?] "Life." Lee Shin Woo curtly replied. There was no reason to lie, so he decided to answer honestly. "I want to live in a world where I can just live my life." [Youre already dead, so how exactly are you going to achieve that?] "Thats.... I wonder. It might work out in the end." [...] Hed already found sess. Lee Shin Woo had pursued life, and as a result of his endeavors, he had be an existence which couldnt be ssified as either living or dead. Of course, it was the result of developing several of his abilities, but... perhaps it was all due to his ardent wish to live. His start as an undead came about due to his childish wish of not wanting to die. But he didnt need to tell Arema that. Arema Steelworker just watched him with a piercing gaze. Lee Shin Woo just shrugged his shoulders and said. "Now, lets finish up the rest of them. ...Anti-Skull, dont just stand there discouraged and get a move on. Yourmander is dead; do you n on joining him!?" [Keuk. Whod die in a ce like this?] [Id rather not listen to someone like you. But... for Lord Tarian! Since its for Lord Tarian!] [Ill get my revenge... on these Golden Shadow bastards!] Once Tarian had died, Lee Shin Woo was able to reignite their spirits by slightly instigating them and manipted them wholeheartedly. Of course, the level 7 elites among them were an exception, but even they couldnt voice their hostility towards him now; they merely gritted their teeth and rushed towards the Golden Shadow. Without them even realizing that that was exactly what Lee Shin Woo wanted. [R-Retreat. We cant hold on any longer!] [Keuk. But now that the Commanders dead, we cant hide within the darkness anymore...!] [Kill them all. Dont let a single one of them escape!] Once they realized how unfavorable the battle was for them, Golden Shadow tried to retreat immediately, but retreat was impossible even when Vellun Von Dorthe was alive, so how could it be possible for them now? Especially because the Anti-Skull were rushing towards them like madmen as if their very lives were burning out! [Keuk. These crazy bastards...!] [Fine, lets die together!] [Kuoooooooh!] [Dont forget the name of Anti-Skull, even in the grave!] [Uooooh! Im not letting go of my sword until I kill you all!] Their eyes shone red, and they heroically battled against the Golden Shadow, dying for their cause. They were determined to wipe out the Golden Shadow in order to avenge their leader, and emitted a fearsome spirit! The golems watched on, dumbstruck, and shook. They didnt know that Anti-Skull was such a fearsome organization! If their swords were aimed at them, instead of the Golden Shadow, then not all, but at least two of the remaining three Heavenly Commanders would have to be prepared for death. [T-These bastards... Retreat. Retreat!] [Killing your enemy is good and all, but throwing your lives away to do so is foolish... Ugh, theyre not listening at all!] The level 7 elites were the only ones to maintain their sanity and were shocked at the sight of theirrades so vigorously attacking the Golden Shadow. They tried to stop them, but because of Lee Shin Woo instigating them with Tarians death, their hatred towards the Golden Shadow exploded, such that even they couldnt stop their rampage anymore. The level 6s were quickly dwindling. No one wouldve expected that such rare elites would be dying so futilely. [W-We cant let this continue. Dont you remember Lord Seagalds orders!?] [You fools! If we all die here, then well be hindering him... Kuheok!?] In the midst of all that, there was a problem that arose. The level 7 elites were so busy trying to calm down their subordinates with theirmand-rted skills that they temporarily let down their guard. Of the two of them, one of themanders was killed by the Golden Shadows ambush (it was actually Lee Shin Woo)! [No, Douvaiiiiiiiiiiine!] [No, Commander Douvaine was...!] [Keuk. Kuaaaaaah! You bastards!] And so, two of the three level 7manders were killed. Lee Shin Woo didnt even need to provoke them further. Their anger increased even more. But Lee Shin Woo decided to give them a little push. "Avenge them! Can you really call yourselves Anti-Skull if you cant even avenge your fallenrades!?" [Keuk. Thats not true...!] [Commander Tarian, Commander Douvaine... Ill avenge you!] [...But whose voice is this anyway?] A voice provoked Anti-Skull from all across the area. No one knew who was speaking to them, nor where it wasing from, but it was enough to provoke the excited soldiers. And his provocation even reached thest remaining level 7 elite as well. [Damn it... Damn iiiiiiit!] "Hm." That was easy. Lee Shin Woo, whod collected Douvaines bone, watched on and tilted his head. He could trick Anti-Skull as easily as he could fool the rest of the Empires undead! However, Lee Shin Woo was overlooking the fact that his Instigate skill had grown. When hed gotten to level 8, his physical strength and magic had obviously grown, along with his elemental power, but he was not yet aware of how much his Jokers innate abilities had grown. This is strange... Is it because of Wild Card? No, did Instigate itself get stronger? Its like I can just activate it with my mind now. If he were still level 7, then he wouldnt be able to take control of another level 7 with just a few words! When he became level 8, he had gained Wild Card, and his very existence could affect the world. Now, his Instigate skill had neared the power of an authority that couldnt be exined by his increase in physical strength, magic nor elemental power. And if he were to construct the proper situation with Wild Card, then he could easily control lower leveled existences than him like this. "Good work." [Keok!?] Lee Shin Woo tested out his Instigate skill a few more times and got a feel for his newly improved innate skills. Once hed seeded in applying Wild Card better than before, he killed thest level 7 elitemander, who had been wildly fighting against the Golden Shadow. Golden Shadow was almostpletely eliminated, as the remaining Anti-Skull force had staked their lives on killing them. But they were actually already dead. What an ideal scenario. It was exactly as Lee Shin Woo had nned. If he hadnt felt such murderous intent, then he wouldve watched a little while longer. "Hoo. Its gotten a bit cleaner." [...] Lee Shin Woo took care of the remaining Golden Shadow and surveyed the battlefield. Since the golems werent particrly hostile towards him, he decided to keep them around for now. Aside from Stake Steelworker, who had been killed by the Golden Shadow General, the golems were pretty much unscathed. [You not only led so many opposing forces here but also manipted them to your hearts content and achieved the result you desired. This karma goes beyond tactics; it is more akin to control or domination.] [You have acquired the title, Overlord of the Subconscious. All stats have increased by 15. The Instigate skill has be Lv9 and Magic has increased by 20. The High Rank Command skill has be Lv8 and all stats have increased by 5. When used in conjunction with Instigate, you can more effectively ignore the effects of the opposing sides Command skill.] Hed somewhat expected this, but hed acquired another amazing title. Lee Shin Woo looked at it, shrugged his shoulders, and then collected the loot. The golems merely watched him, dumbfounded. They didnt know what hed done exactly, but they had some idea as to what role he had in this battle. But in the midst of that, Arema Steelworker quietly said. [...Is this what you wanted?] "What are you talking about?" [No... Never mind.] Then, Guillotine Steelworker quietly looked at Arema. Arema firmly shook his head and Guillotine bit his lip and stepped back. The other golems saw those gestures and realized what theirmander was conveying. They all wore the same indescribable expression in silence. Good. Theyrepletely disheartened. Youre evil. Lee Shin Woo was pleased with the result. If he wanted, he couldve taken care of the situation more quietly. But hed wanted to show the golems who was superior by giving them a taste of his abilities. It seemed like it worked. Now... It was time to absorb all the bones he couldnt before, as he had been so busily moving around! He was the type to eat the tastiest part of the meal first, but because he wanted to know what the Anti-Skulls true goal was (as well as Seagald Von Retadanes location and ns), so hebined the twomanders and Tarians bones together and absorbed them first. Even though they were elites, they were a lower level than him, so absorbing all three at once only gave him a measly 30 stats, but that wasnt what was important. What was important was... [Lord Seagald... Pleasee back safely.] [Dont worry. There are only three people who can stop me in the Empire. One of them, Arema Steelworker, has forged a temporary alliance with us. ...Ill be fine by myself. Ill be back. Im counting on you guys to lure them away.] By absorbing all three of their memories simultaneously, memories flowed through him automatically. They were quite recent memories, so Seagald Von Retadane was definitely included in them. Thats right. This was a memory of the threemanders seeing Seagald off before he undertook an independent mission. As expected, Seagald was here! Tarians forces were just bait! [You will achieve everything you want.] [Well seed in the name of Anti-Skull!] [For the Empire!] [Yeah.] Seagald Von Retadanes voice was clean and possessed a clear will behind it. Lee Shin Woo tried to go through the memories ASAP, as he needed to find out where Seagald was, but then, thest remaining memory of Seagald resounded through his head. [For the Empire. ...For my foolish little sister who has lost her way.] Lee Shin Woo suddenly raised his head. He heard a boom go off from within the walls where the cannon was located. Chapter 46 part1 Lee Shin Woo figured out where Seagald was. He was already in the center of Bayran, protected by the thorn wall! Tarians force had just been bait and the golems, which theyd form a temporary alliance with, were as well. [So they were trying to kill us here?] "No. They made it so that you couldnt interfere. It seems like their interests dont align with yours. ...Or they know exactly who you are." [...] Even after absorbing his precious subordinates bones, Lee Shin Woo didnt know what Seagalds true intentions were. However, he was sure of one thing: that this loyalty towards the Empire hadnt changed. Was Anti-Skull really just created to protect people from the undead curse? To kill the Emperor, who spread the undead curse? No, probably not. Theres no way its that simple. On second thought, there was something else that was strange. The Undead Emperor, Jissehanu, had seemingly been researching immortality but was actually looking for a way to break through the barrier. And there mustve been a few people who knew what he was nning. The Retadanes are a family of high rank nobles that have been with Jissehanu since the very beginning. Were they really not aware of how to get past the barrier? Seira might not have, but it wouldnt make sense for Seagald Von Retadane, the past head of the Retadane family, to have no knowledge about it. No... What even was Anti-Skull? Was it truly an organization designed to research methods to resist the undead curse? Was that all? If not, then perhaps... "Damn. Lets think about thister. Lets get a move on for now!" [Agreed. It seems like our alliance with Anti-Skull is already meaningless...!] As always, Arema Steelworker despised following Lee Shin Woos orders and moving ording to his will. However, he hated Seagald Von Retadane more, whod put him in this situation in the first ce. Above all, he wanted to know what Seagald was nning. His strength may not be enough, but he was sure the Heaven Defying General would be able to find out. "Im going at full speed, so try to keep up. Leave behind anyone who cant keep up." [It might take a bit longer, but were all going.] "Your choice. Lets go!" Jin really ran at full speed. They couldnt reveal everything, so Lee Shin Woo didnt reveal his darkness and Jin didnt reveal her light. However, just the fact that she used all of her skills and exhibited such overwhelming speed was enough to astound the others with her speed. [That horse...!?] [I knew he wasnt normal, but to think even his horse was unusual!] The Metal Army realized just how far ahead Lee Shin Woo had gotten, gritted their teeth, and followed him. Fortunately, no other traps activated as they rushed after him! Arema and the rest of the golems were relieved, thinking that all the traps had been destroyed already. They couldnt even imagine that Lee Shin Woo was actively disarming them as they went along. Anyway, what was that explosion all about anyway? It mustve been Seagald Von Retadane. If not, then it mightve been the Spirit General, Dana Von Etliber. It looked like magic to me. Itd be nice if it was Kratia or Prince, but it probably wasnt. Which means... The first thing that came to mind was the Archmage, Feotane Von Seldin. There was a chance he was here. The pce mightve sent some insurance, aside from the Golden Shadow General. "There really are three of the four Heavenly Commanders (of the 12 Generals) here." If that were indeed true, then not immediately striking down Arema Steelworker while also bringing him to his side was a wise decision. If the Annihtion me Sword God and the Archmage were truly there, then it wouldnt matter how strong Lee Shin Woo was, he wouldnt be able to take them on whilst protecting his allies. Damn. That only matters if theyre still alive. As a test, Lee Shin Woo sent all of them a private chat request. All of them denied his request, but the fact that they even denied his request meant that they were still alive. But it also meant that they didnt have the time to answer him... Thats probably what it meant. It was just a hypothesis, but there should be three level 8 members of the 12 Generals in there! [Lord Paul Zero!] [We were waiting for you!] Lee Shin Woo soon arrived in front of the thorn wall. Hed called the Chi Pauls beforehand. Aside from the three whod been injured and retreated, all of the Chi Pauls had gathered here. [I see it. The thorn wall... Huh? Are those your subordinates?] [Theyre not weaker than me. Where exactly did theye from...?] Arema Steelworker and his elites had arrived. They were shocked once they saw the Chi Pauls standing by. Although they were standing right in front of them, they couldnt properly sense their presence, as if they were looking at the Golden Shadow. [I wouldve been suspicious if you hadnt called your subordinates in such a dire situation. So you did have your forces here.] [Theyre all strong too. How did you nurture them in the Empire...? No, wait. Did theye from the surface?] [...Hoo.] The golems stirred up amotion while the Chi Pauls desperately suppressed their urge to kill them. He knew this would happen. After all, they had been used as their test subjects in the past! Fortunately, unlike Tarian, they were decent enough actors to not allow their emotions to show. It was all due to Lee Shin Woos influence. This is why you had to have a good master! [Paul Zero. Do you have a way to get through the wall? If you dont, then we have no choice but for the two of us to attack at once.] "We dont have time to waste here." Lee Shin Woo replied and extended his hand, feeling as though Arema was a pain in the ass. Even now, he was trying to get a feel for his abilities. The area of the wall his fingertips were pointed at copsed without any resistance. He had condensed the Evil Eye ore into a single, tiny piece, which was floating over to him. But such a trivial thing had given Arema Steelworker quite the shock. [Impossible. The thorn wall!?] "Lets go." Hedpletely broken the link in the affected area, so the copsed area didnt repair itself. With just one gesture, Lee Shin Woo had broken the thorn wall, the Empires pride and joy. Lee Shin Woo just tookmand of the Chi Pauls and went inside. Arema Steelworker couldnt believe his eyes and pounded on the thorn wall with his full strength. Aside from the area Lee Shin Woo had just demolished, the rest of the wall retained its incredible durability. [Y-Youre...?] "I see it. No... Its tremendous." The thorn wall must also prevent people from sensing the mana within its walls. While he could sense the cannons immense mana before, once he broke through the thorn wall and went inside, he realized that that was just the tip of the iceberg. That wasnt all. He also felt traces of other mana spread far and wide...! "It is the Archmage." [Feotane Von Seldin... This isnt even funny.] There were monsters everywhere. There were traps set-up around the city that summoned monsters or undead, but this wasnt evenparable to that. The Archmage had probably used his spatial magic to summon monsters from wherever he could! [Break through!] [Understood!] For now at least, the golems and the Chi Pauls were like-minded, and charged. Lee Shin Woo and Arema Steelworker used their respective Command skills to aid their troops and fought at the vanguard. Hundreds, no thousands of monsters sensed their hostility and rushed towards them, but they couldnt stop Lee Shin Woo or Arema Steelworker. "Uooooooh! Were running all the way to the cannon!" [Show them the pride of a Steelworker!] The two level 8s (one of them was riding atop another level 8) charged side by side. It looked like an eraser as they cleared a path through the battlefield. Of course, the ones they didnt kill were soon erased by the following Chi Pauls and golems. It was a real spectacle; hundreds, no thousands of monsters turning to dust in an instant. "Ah...!" "T-The Heaven Defying General!?" In the midst of all that, the heroes finally noticed them. Kratia, who knew that Lee Shin Woo was the Heaven Defying General, looked slightly relieved, while Prince was shocked that the Heaven Defying General had shown up with the Metal General. She was more concerned about Lee Shin Woo not showing up than being fearful of them. "W-What about Junior!? What about our Junior!?" "Arema, were helping the heroes. Theyre on our side." [Those half-wits, huh. I thought as much, but... Are you a hero who died and turned into an undead? And one who still retained the spirit of a hero?] "Think what you want. But listen to my orders." [Keuk...!] It was great that hed found them, but at the same time, there were others that caught his eye. First up was Feotane Von Seldin, who was floating around the cannon and emitting an overwhelming pressure. As expected, hed found his way here too! [Hm. It seems we have more guests. If you wanted to kill the Empires monsters so badly, then you shouldve requested an audience with His Majesty first!] Once hed discovered Lee Shin Woos group, he seemed to get a bit tense, though superficially, as he didnt lose his cool. He was probably confident in his spatial element. And hed also used that very magic to cause chaos. [Ah. Aaah...!] [Giiiiii!] [Kugureureuaaaaah!] But there was a bigger issue than the Archmage himself. A beautiful woman was tied to the center of the cannons gun barrel with a chain made of Evil Eye. She had ck hair and pale, white skin. He could sense arge quantity of mana from within her, and there were hundreds of corrupted spirits roaming around her... Most of them were level 6, or even level 7 spirits, which were further increasing her power. [Lv8 Spirit General Dana Von Etliber (Undead transformation dyed)] Once he was finished looking her over, he was shocked at the information he saw. What? She wasnt undead? Her undead transformation was being dyed? What the hell did that even mean? He didnt know what it meant, so he examined her himself and came to a shocking conclusion. The undead curse... Still hasnt properly saturated her body. She was definitely being affected by the undead curse. She was indeed being affected by it, but the curse was being sucked out of her body as if Lee Shin Woo or Jin were absorbing it. Thus, her undead transformation hadnt progressed. She was experiencing so much pain, but he couldnt really say that she was alive. If thats the case, then where was the mana that escaped her body heading? The answer was simple. It was going into the cannon. "Hey, Arema. Even if you were to fire this death energy charged cannon at the pce, it doesnt seem like itll do any damage. On the contrary, wont it make him stronger instead?" [...It does seem that way. Seagald, that bastard. What the hell is he thinking?] Thats how it was built. The mana of the citys inhabitants and spirits would be gathered by the Spirit Generals ability so that the cannon could be fired. The undead curse had filled the Undead Empire, so the curse that affected her body was being drained by the cannon itself. It was truly horrifying, but... It was precisely because of this that she hadnt turned into an undead yet and had survived. No one couldve expected this. They hadnt scrapped this failed project before moving on to the next, which had resulted in all their failed products remaining here. Thats what this all meant. She doesnt seem sane though. She had been the cannons straw that supplied energy to it by gathering the worlds and spirits magic for dozens of years. It would be a miracle if she had actually retained her sanity. Seira Von Retadane must have thought that she wouldnt be in this situation as a princess. And right now, Seira Von Retadane was... "Die. Just die already!" [...Little sister. Nows not the time for this. Dont you see that Lich looking down at us?] "Die! Please... die!" Having a bloody sibling feud with the Annihtion me Sword God, Seagald Von Retadane. Chapter 46 part2 I knew shed be like this. Lee Shin Woo thought as he watched her crazily swinging her il at the Annihtion me Sword God. He knew shed be like this if she met Seagald, so it didnt feel out of ce at all. This is why he didnt want to bring her along. Plus, hed wanted to take care of Seagald before he got into the city, but it was toote, he was already here! He hadnt nned for this! [Tch. Damn skeleton! There are too many monsters, so theres nothing much we can do...!] [Guaaaaahk!] [Gieeeeek!] Arema Steelworker gritted his teeth with a simr expression from beside him. In the midst of that, Arema punched with his steel fist, killing dozens of monsters in a single blow; truly befitting of one of the Empires Four Heavenly Commanders. Lee Shin Woo just couldntpare in terms of pure physical strength. He was strong enough to take on Seagald at least. Lee Shin Woo wanted to be the one to take on Seagald, but he was concerned about the Lich. It was obvious that Arema wasnt a good match for the Archmage! Thats why hed moved so stealthily before! "Ill take care of the Lich. You handle Seagald. Its unfortunate that that crazy womans there, but youll have to put your life on the line." [...Dont forget to uphold your end of the bargain. Well engrave that contract upon our very souls.] Sure. If you can even find your own soul, that is. A persons words be karma, especially if the speaker is at a high level. Breaking ones promise would result in extremely negative karma. Unfortunately, Lee Shin Woo possessed karma that specialized in lying, cheating, oring up with excuses! Whats worse, Lee Shin Woo also had the Shining me, Dark Shadow, and Dark me, so the contract was meaningless before him; Arema was wasting his time by trusting in the contract. "A contracts sacred. I have no intention of carrying these things around forever, so dont worry and just go fight." [Ha. You sound trustworthy. Worry about yourself. Since its a lot more troublesome fighting against the Archmage than Seagald.] "Ill promise you this. My battle will end a lot quicker than yours." Lee Shin Woo assured, looked up at the Archmage, and had Jin unfurl her wings. Everyone on the battle flinched, as the ridiculously fast horse had sprouted wings. But what came next was even more shocking. She fluttered her wings and arrived in front of the Archmage instantaneously. Lee Shin Woo was already aiming the tip of hisnce, which was covered in a swaying ck energy, at the middle of the Archmages forehead. [Huh!?] "Ha!" Lee Shin Woo let out a short battle cry and thrust forward! It was so quick that no one could tell where it was going. On the contrary, it felt like itd be easier to dodge a random lightning bolt that came from a clear blue sky. As a Lich, whose stats were primarily focused on magic, he couldnt dodge it. And he thought there was no real reason to dodge it either. Feotanes body, as well as the area around him, was tinged in his magic, and the space was distorted. Once he entered the Archmages domain, it wouldnt matter how strong Lee Shin Woos attack was; his attack would either go awry or break under the pressure. [What!? My mana!? Why is my mana...!?] At least, thats what Feotane Von Seldin thought, but overconfidence would alwayse back to bite you. Lee Shin Woo erased the Archmages spatial mana, as if he were putting out a candle me, and thrust hisnce into his forehead. He screamed in pain as if he were an ordinary person meeting a ninja in the middle of the night! "If you wanted to dodge my attack, then you shouldve tried something new. Heup!" [Guaaaaaaah!] After stabbing the Lich, he threw hisnce into the air. In an instant, the Lichs agonizing cries became distant. If he could, he wouldve taken this more slowly, but Lee Shin Woo didnt have that option right now; this was the best he could do. Ha. Hes really something. Dark Shadow was almost not enough; I almost needed to pull out the Shining and Dark mes too... The Archmage really lives up to his name... Wait, why is that guy still level 8? Lee Shin Woo had discreetly applied Dark Shadow to his previous attack, allowing him to nullify the Archmages mana and reach him. Although he could use innate elements, repeatedly fighting in CQC against the Lich, who could almost infinitely use his spatial magic, was impossible. His instinct as a Joker allowed him to put up a strong front, but it was a close call. Hed almost used 70% of his mana in thatst attack. It was really a close call. He thought hed die. Sseup. The title of Four Heavenly Commanders isnt for nothing. Hed only realized this after reaching level 8 and fighting against them, but the Archmages magic was considerable. It was proof that he was highly ranked amongst level 8s. He could barely match it if he were to call his 17 weapons and suck them dry, but if he were to do that, then he would soon be crushed by the spatial magic. Feotane Von Seldin possessed enough magic to ovee Lee Shin Woos elemental advantage. ...If I want to fight against a guy like that, then my best options doing as much damage as I can while his spatial magics disabled and then running away. Lets move on. Doing as much damage as he could and then retreating. He wasnt going to repeat thatst attack again. Since there was no way someone of his level would get hit by the same attack twice! He became even more sure of it when he saw Arema Steelworker, who showed what a true warrior was; Lee Shin Woo was only good at CQC because of Jin. He actually didnt specialize in it. What he did specialize in was... [Keoheok!?] Controlling bone! Before the Lich got a hold of himself and pulled thence out, Lee Shin Woo caused it to explode through Rule of Bone; the explosion was focused entirely on the Lich! In order to deal with this, the Lich released his own magic, but he was suddenly struck by anothernce. The Archmage had been so focused on his magic in order to deal with the resulting energy of the explosion that he couldnt dodge the secondnce. [That wont work twice... Kuhahk!] The Archmages overwhelming spatial magic had crumpled thence, but it didnt matter. Thence had already pierced his body, and crumpling up a weapon wouldnt decrease the force of its explosion! He exploded that one too. The Lich emitted even more magic to deal with the resulting energy, but Lee Shin Woo then lodged another weapon, a sword gleaming with white light... and caused a third explosion. [Critical Hit!] [Ugh...!] The Lich wasnt able to withstand Lee Shin Woos attacks and felt his consciousness go white as his body and magic began to fade. This severing property was definitely the light element, or perhaps something even greater...! Fortunately, it wasnt powerful enough to sever him from his core, but if he were to die here, then he would lose a significant amount of magic. However, there was something even more important than that...! [You tricked me, who controls space itself... How!? How did you do it!?] "You already know, dont you. Yeah, I tricked you. Or rather, I tricked your mana." Victory in a battle between magicians relied on three factors. One, the level of the one using magic. Two, the level of ones magic; in terms of this battle, itd be the level of his elements. And finally, the quantity of the mana one possessed. Hed cleared both the first and second conditions, but he didnt feel like he could ovee the Archmage in the third, so he used Rule of Bone and Wild Card in conjunction to ovee that hurdle. He had a brief period of time to recover between hitting him with a weapon and then exploding it. If he could repeatedly give himself that time, then it would be Lee Shin Woos win. Thus, Lee Shin Woo could fool his wide-reaching mana senses with his Wild Card skill and struck with his weapons. This was only possible because of his Acting skill, which had leveled up and enabled him to fool a part of the world, mana itself. [Trick...? You tricked my mana...!?] "If you dont want them to see, then shut their eyes. If you dont want them to smell, then block their nose. If you dont want them to hear your secret, then you cover their ears. Watch. If I know what I want to trick, then its easy." [Even if you did trick me, how were you able to erase the spatial magic protecting me... Kahahk!] The Archmage couldnt figure out what hed done and gritted his teeth. At that moment, Lee Shin Woo summoned a fourth weapon, sliced apart a bracelet the Archmage was wearing, and then lodged it into the Archmages chest and exploded it. The bracelet was probably an artifact that supplemented his Health or Magic. The Archmages body had already reached its limit and shouldve disappeared already; his bracelet and his body glimmered and he had been alive despite the critical damage. That ended it. Ultimately, the Archmage died without getting an answer to his question. The Archmage hadnt been able to figure out the specifics of Lee Shin Woos innate element. "Tch." However, Lee Shin Woo clicked his tongue, as though hed found the Archmages death and disappearance annoying. The reason was clear. Since all he had left behind was the bracelet hed sliced in half. That meant only one thing. The Lich hadnt truly died. It didnt matter if his physical body was destroyed since his soul remained safe and sound within a separate container. His physical body would eventually be restored. Hed be back. I tried erasing his existence with Shining me, stealing his soul through Dark me, and when that didnt work, I tried using Dark Shadow to inverse the transmission of his consciousness back to his container and bring the container here instead, but... Each and every one of the weapons Lee Shin Woo had used had held an innate element, but none of his three innate elements had worked. Then, did that mean that he had no choice but to find that damn Lichs soul to kill him? The Emperor was probably a Lich too, so he would need to find a way to destroy souls remotely...! "Huh?" In the midst of all this, the floating bracelet gathered an enormous amount of mana and restored itself. No, that wasnt all. It actually became stronger than before. Lee Shin Woo then grabbed the artifact. [The artifact has absorbed a portion of the Lichs core mana and is evolving!] [You have acquired the Lv8 Proof of Death (+4)!] "Core mana...?" The artifact wasprised of bones, but it was difficult to figure out how it was made; it was probably made from the bones of an ancient high level monster, as well as the Archmages own bones. But there was something more important than all that. Lee Shin Woo had destroyed the artifact, yet it had actually evolved once the Lich had disappeared. Why? The answer was included in the message. It had absorbed some of the Lichs core mana... In other words, Lee Shin Woo had seeded in taking a portion of Feotane Von Seldins soul. So it wasnt entirely ineffective, huh. Lee Shin Woo smiled slightly. He hadnt been going in the wrong direction. Now all he needed to do was push on and refine himself! It was good that he fought the Archmage here. With that feeling of relief, he turned around, but... [Oh...] "Gu, Keoheok." [It looks like well finally be together, little sister.] "Ah..." He saw Seagalds sword pierce through Seira Von Retadanes heart. Chapter 46 part3 Arema Steelworker had really done his best. He was not only mad at Seagald but was also stressed out from all the events that had urred here, so he went at full power and tried taking it all out on Seagald. [Its not your turn yet, Arema.] [Ha, are you avoiding me?] [Seira, are you going to oppose me?] However, Seagald just ignored Aremas attack and taunt, and concentrated entirely on his little sister, Seira Von Retadane. One simply couldnt avoid the Metal General without any repercussions; as evidence of this, Seagalds armor was chipped in several ces. Even so, he didnt bat an eye at Arema. "Kuhaaaaaaaah!" [Haha. Youve grown a lot!] Moreover, Seira Von Retadane wouldnt ept Aremas help; she just red at Seagald with eyes wide open and swung her il. Arema would have to be careful so that he didnt get in the way of that il. The power of severing, or light mana, was extremely dangerous to Arema Steelworker as well, even though he was already separated from his physical body and his soul was safely encased in a golems shell. [Kuaaaah! Youre both crazy!] [My lord, well get that crazy woman away from him! Then you can focus on the Annihtion me Sword God...] [You cant. Since this damn woman is level 8... Grr!] Why did he have to be involved in this? Why did he have to save that foolish woman, who was being manipted by the curse? Arema attacked once more, his fists containing all of that rage and frustration. Although he wasnt looking, Seagald was still able to dodge Aremas attack and faced off against Seira once more. [I made you wait too long, Seira.] "Die! Just die!" [Im sorry I made you worry. But the pieces are all set now. Thats why I came to see you.] "Uoooooooh! The power of light!" [What a sight.] How could they be so engaged in their conversation without caring about anything around them? Seira being crazy was a given, but Seagald was too. Last they spoke, he seemed quite sane, so how did it turn out like this? Or was there something that induced such behavior? No, that wasnt important. If Seagald wasnt going to take him on, then he had no choice but to unleash an attack; one so powerful that Seagald would have no choice but to shift his focus! Arema released his Gigantification and returned to his normal, human form. He then focused all of his mana into one ce. The ambient mana that wasnt yet under Seagald or Retadanes control was being sucked in by Arema. [This is...!] Metal, the element he could only learn once he became a golem. By concentrating his mana into a single spot and converting it into the metal element, he could temporarily form a metallic substance that surpassed the limits of metal. [Metal God!] It was only temporary, but for an instant, Arema Steelworker had formed metal that surpassed all metal in this world and had truly be a Metal God. He possessed exceptional durability and destructive power that befitted his namesake, the Metal God General. While Seira and Seagald were fighting, Arema charged at full speed. As expected, Seagald noticed this. He couldnt dodge it. He could only take it or block it. Seira was also attacking him, meaning he couldnt dodge either of the attacks. Huh? At that moment, Arema felt something strange. It felt as though Seagald had disappeared. In the past, hed felt something simr from the Archmage. Was it the spatial element? No, Seagald wielded the light element, so that didnt make any sense... But it doesnt matter. The Archmage was a pain in the ass, but it was because of that that he had researched ways of dealing with him. His Metal God ability was one of them. It covered his outer body in metal and was also an aggregation of high level mana; just by existing, the Metal God ability repressed the usage of ambient mana! A level 8s authority, or rather, their ability to dominate mana, was in essence, a guaranteed reinforcement in a small space. At this range, it wouldnt matter what he used; whether it was spatial magic or something else, it wouldnt be perfect! Arema kicked off the ground onest time. His extended right fist hit Seagalds helmet... [Huh...!?] Arema yelled in bewilderment. The moment his fist struck, his helmet turned into transparent mes. Transparent me? What the hell was that? These zing mes were so powerful that they threatened to melt Aremas fist. But his own Metal God ability was no pushover. If Seagald was being protected by these unknown mes, then all he needed to do was get through them...! [Youve improved, Arema.] [Youre the one who hid such a terrifying ability...] Ultimately, he managed to erase Seagalds me, though a portion of his hand was melted away in exchange. To be exact, he had destroyed half of Seagalds head, which had been protected by the transparent me-turned helmet. Seagald had concentrated entirely on his element, like Arema had, and had changed his helmet temporarily. Or at least, that was Aremas assumption. Tch. In terms of elements, hes way above me. If that Retadane wench hadnt attacked with me, then I wouldve been pushed back... More importantly, did the Heaven Defying General see this? No, is he actually putting up a fight against the Lich? In any case, Seagald was critically injured. A part of his body had melted away, so he couldnt fight anymore, but if the Heaven Defying General were to help out, then they should be able to kill Seagald. However... [Oh...] "Gu, Keoheok." [It looks like well finally be together, little sister.] "Ah..." Arema, who was shaken by Seagalds newfound power, suddenly realized what just happened. Seagald had taken both of their attacks, but in return, had stabbed Seira in the heart! [Damn it...!] "Guaaaaaaaah!" [Open your eyes, Seira. Dont be controlled by your hatred. Open your eyes and look at me. Ill show you the right path!] [So youve finally killed your little sister!] "Urgh...!" A transparent light erupted from Seagalds de and was flowing through Retadanes body. Seira, whod lost her il, began to shake. The light that burst from her body epted those bizarre mes and began to change her body. To put it bluntly, it was an incredibly unpleasant scene. "Ha!" [Keuk!?] At that moment, Lee Shin Woo, whod descended from the sky, thrust his sword at Seagald. Seagald hadnt moved an inch when Arema had attacked him with his Metal Body, but surprisingly, he avoided Lee Shin Woos attack and retreated. "Transparent mes. Is that what it means by Annihtion me? It wasnt the power of burning others, but burning oneself. ...Its an innate element that was created by fusing fire and light together, right?" [...Heaven Defying General, Paul Zero. To think youd be able to defeat the Archmage this quickly.] "Unfortunately, I wasnt able to kill him for good. That guy sure is good at running away." Lee Shin Woonded futilely. The white light at the tip of his Shining Bone Sword had missed its target and merely burned the air around him. No, perhaps it had burned away some of Seagalds mes that he didnt have time to withdraw. If he could, he wouldve helped Seira immediately, but his instincts were telling him not to look away from Seagald. He pointed his Shining Bone Sword at Seagald and looked at him. "Your control over your magic is exceptional. You feel like a real magic swordsman..." Lee Shin Woo was superior in magic, but Seagald seemed physically stronger than him. But the worst part was Seagalds innate element; ording to his title, it was called Annihtion me. Contrary to his Shining me, which came outwards and extinguished all cause and effect, the Annihtion me was collected inside of ones body and erased ones own cause and effect. One could erase their presence, their mana, their physical body, traces of any injuries, or even a portion of the curse that shackled them! How far it reached depended on the user. Thus, Arema Steelworkers attack, which shouldve been fatal, was not, and his attack against Seira had be unavoidable when it normally should have been. In a sense, it was simr to Lee Shin Woos Wild Card skill, which fooled his enemies and the world itself. It would probably have a great affinity with his Wild Card ability. Maybe just as much as his Dark Shadow ability did. [What is that me? Youre a lot different than what Id heard.] "Youre a lot different from what Ive heard about you too, so Im quite surprised myself." Lee Shin Woo greeted him and took a step back. Seira was staggering and Lee Shin Woo grabbed Seagalds sword, which was still embedded in her heart. The Annihtion me within her body zed, as if putting up fierce resistance, but once he focused his white mes into it, her body became cleared of the transparent mes. "Keuk." "Guaaaaaaaaahk!" "Just bear with it, you old bag!" He pulled out the sword and vaporized it upon realizing that he couldnt steal it. Now wasnt the time to be greedy over a weapon. "Hoo... Arema, can you keep fighting?" [How can you say that when you look at me? Now its your turn.] "I have to treat this woman." [Treat? A way other thanpletely killing her before she bes an undead?] Arema said sarcastically. Someone calmly assessing the situation and then speaking logically pissed Lee Shin Woo off the most. Lee Shin Woo clicked his tongue and extended his hand towards Arema. It was the most fundamental power of the light element: the ability to heal! "This should be enough, right?" He infused a ton of magic into extinguishing the Annihtion me and healing Arema. Of course, his body wasnt exactly the same as before, and his spent magic wouldnt return, but this should be enough for him to continue fighting. [This is...!? Who the hell are you!?] "Doesnt matter. Fight him a little while longer." [Id rather you not touch her right now.] Seagald said and instantaneously appeared in front of Lee Shin Woo with a new sword in hand. He swung his sword downwards... but Jin came rushing over at light speed and kicked him away. [Ha!] [Kuhahk!?] The sight of her feet sprouting steel thorns covered in white light and hitting Seagald was quite striking. That wasnt all. Her entire body, including her wings, was wrapped in light as if she were a mythical beast. [A horse!? How did a horse!?] "My horse will help you. Can you do it?" [Theres no way a horse exists that can kick Seagald at light speed...! Damn it. Fine, Ill do it! Thats fine, right!?] Arema, who saw Seagald fly away from Jins kick and barely stand up, was speechless at such an unexinable phenomenon but was soon ready to fight once more. [Now that itse to this, I wouldnt be surprised if a skeleton turned into a human. Seagald, how did it feel, getting kicked by a horse!?] [A skill befitting an irregr. However...] Seagalds body zed within the air and then disappeared. His mana and his presence had disappeared, but everyone was sure that he was still here. [No matter how fast light is, it cant catch something that doesnt exist.] [Hmph.] Jin snorted, but Arema broke into a cold sweat. She wasnt experienced in battle. She wouldntst long against Arema. Whatever youre doing, do it fast. Hurry...! She scraped at the air with her horse hooves. Arema tightened his fist as they were simultaneously attacked by the transparent Sword God. Lee Shin Woo confirmed that they were fighting and quickly turned around to begin Seiras treatment. Chapter 46 part4 "Huaah! Uooooh!" "Oh, grannys got a nice voice!" He was really worried about Prince and Kratia too, but with Jin and Arema fighting against the Annihtion me Sword God, he should have enough time. Moreover, Kratia had harmonized with her orb, temporarily boosting her abilities above their limit, so she wouldnt die, regardless of how the situation progressed. "Uuuuaaaaaaah!" I have to focus on saving this olddy now. Lee Shin Woo observed the disparate energy deep within her and his expression soured. Hed learned three innate elements, so hed thought it would be easy to save her, but things were a lot different from what hed expected. "Seagald, you bastard." Seagald hadnt killed his sister just because he was a crazy bastard. He inflicted a grievous injury onto Seira and had simultaneously infused Annihtion me into her. The Annihtion me and the undead curse, which would transform one into the undead depending on how close they were to death, had ovepped and had be something else entirely. And that was... Anti-Skull...? Thats right. He thought hed felt this energy before, but it was simr to Seagald Von Retadanes mana. In other words, this was a ceremony that turned someone into a member of Anti-Skull. Seagald had attempted to kill his sister and induct her into Anti-Skull! He said something about losing her way or that hed show her the right path, but how could Anti-Skull be the right path!? He was willing to go so far as to kill his own little sister to ensure that she was on his side!? As I thought, all these undead bastards are crazy! ...But wait a sec. But as the different energies interfered with each other, Lee Shin Woo came to another realization. The Annihtion me element had eliminated a portion of the undead curses mana and had changed its inherent properties, creating something entirely new... It was simr to his Pauls mana. He felt as though he was struck by lightning when he came to a realization. Was the reason they came into contact with the Pauls to perfect the Anti-Skull experiment...? So Im the reason Anti-Skull was perfected? His Pauls had told him that theyd met with Seagald, yet they had left unscathed. If thats the case, then why did theye into contact with Pauls that werent under the directmand of the Heaven Defying General? It made sense if they were used as data to perfect the Anti-Skull test. If thats the case, then was the reason Seagald chose now to act because hed gotten inspiration from the way Lee Shin Woo created the Pauls and managed toplete the Anti-Skull test? So hed led his own little sister to Bayran, and had even led the other forces here to cause chaos! "Guuuuu. Huaaaaaaah!" "If you were smart enough to make that call, then you shouldve just told your little sister how to live. You may have copied my methods, but at the end of the day, youre still undead...!" Once he understood Seiras condition, he attempted to reverse her condition with each of his innate elements one-by-one. He tried Dark Shadow first. It wouldve been easy if he could sever cause-and-effect, reversing her death, but... Hed somewhat expected this himself, but he wasnt at the level where he could do that yet. It was simr to bringing a dead person back to life. If he could do this, then he wouldve given Jin a human body already. He tried his Dark me next. He wanted to steal the curse that ate away at her, but because of what Seagald had done, her mana, the undead curse, and Seagalds Annihtion me element were mixing together and bing something else entirely. Unless he stole all of her mana, there was nothing he could do. If he were to steal all of her mana, she would vanish without a trace. The Shining me was also out of the question using the same logic. What about light? Eh, this wont work either. Seagalds Annihtion me element devoured Seiras light and actually became stronger. He prepared this specifically for Seira... Though my darkness should work. So long as the curse was, at its core, based on the darkness element, it had no choice but to be controlled by it. Lee Shin Woo had already achieved peak darkness mastery, and if he linked himself with Seiras mana, which filled her body to the brim and was bursting, then he could cause her mana to change in apletely different direction! ...But it would still change her into an undead. He would stop her from bing a part of Anti-Skull, but would in-turn turn her into an undead like the Pauls. Then... What other options do I have? Sacrifice? In the past, when hed saved Ye Jin Jin, hed gained a skill called Sacrifice due to his karma. It was a skill that allowed him to kill himself to save someone on the brink of death. Hed umted 164 lives as if they were mileage, so he decided to test out the skill. But then... [The target is changing due to a status ailment. Thus, you cannot target them with this skill.] "How can you call this a status ailment!? You said I could save someone on the brink of death! Shes clearly dying! So does it only work when theyre dying from something physical!? A case like thatd be hard to find. What a shitty skill!" "Uuuaaah!" As expected of Anti-Skulls leader. Lee Shin Woo had mastered several abilities, yet even he was hard-pressed to deal with this. Then again, it was because Seagald was this skilled that he was able to free the undead from the curse and turn them into Anti-Skull in the first ce! He was so skilled that it pissed Lee Shin Woo off! ...Alright. Lets give up on saving her. Granny, you lived a long life. He boldly decided to give up on her. Plus, he didnt really cherish her enough to risk his life to save her. He just thought that itd be better to save her. But because it wouldnt work, he had to give up on it! But if he just left her like this, she would definitely be a powerful ally to Seagald in the future (for a level 8, she didnt seem like much, but she might get stronger as an undead), so rather than let that happen, it would be better to kill her here and now. And if it were possible, then... "Sseup. What should I do with you..." "Uuuaaaah." Even now, Seira was doing her best to resist the transformation, but her screams were getting louder and louder. The Annihtion me element, which was attempting to remake her, the undead curse, which had undergone a special evolution that made it more offensive, and her own mana, which wasnt capable of mounting a proper resistance and was being influenced by the two... Why did he have to pierce her heart, not only infusing his Annihtion me element into her, but also contaminating all of her veins and arteries. ...This bastard. He even anticipated my intervention. Moreover, Seira was the hero that had operated in the Underground Empire the longest, so she had umted the most of the undead curse within her body. All those factors worked together to cause the worst possible oue. In any case, she wouldntst long. Her body wouldnt survive, so he had to make a decision fast. ...In the end, he only really had one option. I guess I have no choice. I have to do it. "Geuk. Gureureureuuuuu...!" Lee Shin Woo extended his hand with a truly regretful expression and ced it upon her chest wound. His hand emitted a deep darkness and was absorbed into her wound; at the same time, he took hold of her seizing body. Eventually, the darkness spread, taking hold over their surroundings as well! Lee Shin Woo wasnt aware of this, but time slowed within this space. "Alright. Lets talk first. It wont be toote to make a decision afterwards." Because of the shock to her mind and body, it was impossible to hold a proper conversation with her. However, if he were to connect them together with his darkness element, then he would be able to talk to her mentally, like how he talked to Jin or his subordinates. [Undead! Get away from me this instant!] He seeded in his attempt. She didnt scream; rather, he could feel her intent. Although it wasnt very kind to him. [Youre no longer alive, either. Youll be an undead soon. Youll be together with your older brother. Arent you happy?] [I dont want to... I dont want to! I dont want to be an undead!] Why was it that he decided to tease someone endlessly whenever he could? Because of his unnecessary jab, Seiras seizures intensified noticeably! [Id rather die than be an undead! Kill me! I said kill me!] [Then wholl save the Empire? You were always preaching about God or what not; are you going to abandon your calling as a hero?] [Lee Shin Woo will... Hell save the Empire.] Lee Shin Woo hesitated. He hadnt even imagined that shed bring him up. Is it because she didnt need to hesitate and could just speak her mind? Like always, she continued with a lengthy speech. [I regret not being able to take down the Emperor and my older brother with my own hands, but he should be able to stop them.] [Hes still only level 8.] [Hes different from me, and the other heroes. Unlike me, who indiscriminately hates the undead due to the undead curse, he considers even the undead as chess pieces. Hell do everything in his power topletely destroy the Underground Empire...!] No way. Shed unexpectedly assessed him perfectly!? Lee Shin Woo had no intention of dating her or something as frivolous as that, but he didnt think she had such a favorable opinion of him! [An undeads existence is wrong. And the Underground Empire is even worse, as theyre attempting to use their strength to take over the surface as well. It was my fate to stop them from leaving the underground, but... Its fine now since Lee Shin Woo is there. So just kill me, Undead.] [It seems like you know a part of the truth. If you know why theyre trying to invade the surface, then why didnt you join them?] [I hate the surface too, but...!] [Ooh, as I thought.] Lee Shin Woo was actually having a lot of fun right now. Seira, who had hidden all of her feelings before, was pouring her heart and soul out to Lee Shin Woo. He just regretted that he didnt have a bowl of popcorn with him. [I hate them. The Emperor who banished us underground and the God who abandoned us! But if, in the process of escaping to the surface, it means that we have to hurt innocent people on the surface and he has to put his little sisters close friend and his fiance into such a miserable state, then... Id rather bury the Empire and its empty greed, so that humanity can live on!] [Fiance...? Ah, the princess was Seagalds fiance, huh. I understand.] Lee Shin Woo decided to reflect on his statement of Seira being an insane woman. She was definitely insane, but she was still a hero who had her own thoughts and feelings. ...Was there some hope here? [If thats the case, then you dont hate the undead. You hate the undead curse, and the Undead Emperors forces, who seek to invade the surface. Why do you hate even me, who is against them and seeks to destroy the undead curse? Think calmly. Cant we be friends?] [The undead curse... Ah, now that Ive be neither dead nor alive, I can say this clearly. ...That I can never join hands with the undead!] [Seriously, why not?] Seira seized once more. Her own mana, light, the undead curse, and the Annihtion me element mixed together, causing a reaction between them and zed violently. If Lee Shin Woos darkness element hadnt blended into it and hadnt kept her stable, then she wouldve already turned into a member of Anti-Skull. [There are no undead free of the undead curse! Even my older brother, who searched for a way to resist it for dozens of years, stabbed my chest! My older brother, who could wield the light better than anyone else, was unable to avoid the effects of the curse, so no one can escape its effects! We have to bury everything, so that nothinges out. Thats the only way the world can continue on!] [Is that really what you think?] [Yes! So now, please... If youre truly cooperating with Lee Shin Woo, then... If youre even acting as though you are, then just kill me! I said, kill me!] [Unfortunately...] Lee Shin Woo unleashed even more darkness, forcing a connection between them, and for the first time, the Annihtion me element began to wane. The undead curse, which had mutated and was eating away at her, instantaneously lost its strength, and Seiras own light mana and Lee Shin Woos darkness mixed together and became murky. This was the start of their contract. [I cant just let you go like this, Senior.] [What... L-Lee Shin Woo?] It hadntsted very long, but their face-to-face talk had at leaste to an end. Lee Shin Woo made his decision. He would make this troublesome granny into his ally... Into an undead. Chapter 46 part5 [This is... a contract. Contract mana?] [Exactly. Its the most peaceful of the darkness elements powers.] [These memories... Kuheuk!] What Lee Shin Woo had done was simple. He had increased the darkness between himself and Seira, and had used the most fundamental feature of the darkness element, the contract. They would be connected together, so in a lot of ways, it was a really convenient ability to use. But there was a condition automatically added to a contract: that one cannot lie during the contract process. And he used that fact to quickly and concisely ry some truthful information to her regarding himself. Telling her who he was, why he looked like this, what he had been doing thus far, as well as what he wanted to do from now on. And what she wanted to do. [How did you...? Why... Ah!] [Theres no point in giving you the long story. You dont have that kind of time anyway. You know that Im not lying to you. Since a contract is sacred.] Lee Shin Woo was capable of viting the contract through his Dark Shadow and Wild Card skills, but it was unnecessary to tell her that. In any case, what he was rying to her were... only truthful memories of his past. [Keuk. How did this happen...!?] [You can do stuff like this when you reach peak mastery of an element. You pretty much understand now, right?] [I cant believe it! But still... Why would God!?] [Want me to ask your older sister? Moreover, I already told you why she did it. Everyone else did fail, and Im close to clearing the mission. No... you said it yourself. That youll leave everything to me. So dont go dying and leaving everything to me. It pisses me off.] [Keut!] Lee Shin Woo could feel her anguish quite clearly. If she were still alive, then she wouldve gonepletely nuts after hearing his story. Since she couldnt restrain her deep-seated hatred of the undead. But she was dying right now; her life as a human being was already over, and she was progressively turning into an undead. Thats why she could assess the situation calmly. And she realized that everything Lee Shin Woo had been saying was true. ...No, she had actually realized before then. [Perhaps... I had my suspicions. That you might be the Heaven Defying General himself... If that were true, then it would exin all of my questions and all of your secrets. But I thought it was impossible. Since there was no way I would confuse a human with an undead! Since there was no way that you, who personified a hero who only showed up in stories... could be an undead!] [My acting was great, right? If I was honest and told my seniors that I was an undead, then theyd either try to kill me or attack me, so I couldnt tell them the truth.] [Ah, I trusted you... I thought a human that couldpletely purify the Empire had finally appeared.] Her voice sounded lost, as if she were wandering through fog. He heard her bewilderment, and happily thought that he was indeed not normal. However, he couldnt help being happy! It was so sweet; watching a woman whod held on with only her belief as that belief shattered in front of her! [I am nning on killing them all. And it doesnt really matter whether someones dead or alive.] [How can you say that so nonchntly? How... How are you unaffected by the undead curse?] [Gods the one who made me like this. ...Isnt it because I have Darkness Resistance? The reason your older brothers rtively sane is because of the light element. On the contrary, its more unbelievable that you were able to wield the light element with such ease. ...Though Ive pretty much figured out why.] Lee Shin Woo wasnt the only one who revealed things about himself. Seira also had to reveal her past or whatever her feelings were. [Dont snoop around someones thoughts as you please.] [I just shared some basic information for the contract.] [Easy for you to say! To think that you were this kind of person!] [Im not a human, Im a skeleton.] [Kuuuuuu! I hate you!] She was deeply affected by the curse not only because of how long shed been down here, but also because she somewhat knew why the Underground Empire had turned out like this. The Emperor and Seagald, as well as the countless citizens of the Underground Empire... It was because of their greed and their obsession that lead the Empire to ruin. She had hated them from the very beginning. Thus, her hatred towards the undead was greater than anyones, so much so that it devolved into madness. [But now you know. That there was an undead that stood against them from the very beginning. And that you can also be like that too.] [I cant believe it. I cant believe it...!] [Stop throwing a tantrum. If this goes on any further, then I wont be able to do anything for you anymore. Youll be a part of Anti-Skull. Considering the Annihtion mes effects on you and the curse, youll be one of the top members of Anti-Skull... Theres a high chance that youll be unconditionally loyal to General Seagald.] Their discussion of whether she wanted to form a contract with him and be an undead, or be a part of Anti-Skull and follow Seagald, was perhaps quiteughable. But at the very least, she shared amon goal with him, and he didnt really care what happened to her after that mutual goal was achieved. Whereas, Lee Shin Woo didnt know what Seagalds goal was. He had no idea whether Seagalds goals differed or aligned with the Emperors. But he did know that Anti-Skull was filled with psychos. He thought talking to her would be a pain while she was still alive, so hed also thought about killing her, turning her into an undead, and then talking to her! I shouldve just killed her and taken her bones. ...It might not be so different. Lee Shin Woo did his best to ensure that these thoughts remained hidden from Seira. He didnt know if she knew what he was thinking, but she was still struggling to make her choice. [So kill me before I be like that...!] [You dont want revenge? You hated the undead so much. I can give you another chance, but youre just going to run away?] [But Ill have to be an undead!] Lee Shin Woo had been really curious about something and decided to ask. Perhaps it was more of a question to himself, who could define himself however he wished. [If you yourself dont believe anything has changed about you, then whats the difference whether youre an undead or not? Are you taking some sort of regr qualifying examination or something? If not, then is it because the undead cant kill other undead? Or is it because undead cant fight for humanity?] [I... I...!] [Youre just bias towards the undead. You dont understand even after looking at me? No, you just dont want to ept it, right? Thats what you call being stubborn.] [Keuk...!] He wished shed just agree already. Just undergoing the contract process allowed him to see about half her thoughts. Lee Shin Woo was getting frustrated and asked curtly. [Do you want to live?] [...I do! I do, but...!] [Then theres your answer. Contract established.] He didnt have any more time to waste with her. He still had some preciousrades of his to save. Lee Shin Woo firmly dered. [Then live. Think about the restter.] [Hey, wait. No, this... Geuk. Guaaaaaaaah!] Thus far, she had only experienced superficial pain. Because her own mana had been resisting the ambient mana, she hadnt turned into an undead. But once he finished speaking, the undead curse, the light, Annihtion me, and his mana equally covered her, initiating the change. Death had given her a kiss and passed by. And the next stage hade right after. [Youre just going to change a little bit.] [Guaaaaaaaah!] Seira screamed however, at the changes her body and soul were undergoing. The white light and the jet-ck darkness entwined together and began to change her body and soul. [Giiiiiiiik!] [Oh, shes changing quite a bit.] Lee Shin Woo just watched vacantly as she let out her horrific screams, and enjoyed the fact that the mana explosion was more intense than hed expected. Ah, maybe its more intense because she could originally use light? The undead opposed light. Thus, Seagald Von Retadane, who possessed the light element, could act in opposition to his instincts as an undead... But at the same time, the process of bing an undead mustve been quite difficult for him. So, Lee Shin Woo was relieved that he was supervising her undead transformation himself. He was an undead and the possessor of both the light and darkness elements, so he knew how to handle them so that they wouldnt oppose each other. He controlled the flow of mana that was changing her calmly and meticulously. [Aaah...!] [Calmly follow me. Calmly.] [Ugh...] It was a mysterious experience. It felt like he was creating Seiras new body. And in order to live, Seira followed his instructions and moved her mana ordingly. Her human body, which had endured over several years, broke apart naturally and her mana began to construct a new body for her. It was more powerful than her old one and ironically, possessed more life force and magic than before. Like when Jin had reached level 8, Lee Shin Woo used all of his innate abilities to create the body Seira wanted. ...Good. Its going well. She really is beautiful. Fortunately, her starting point was really good, so he was able to create a new body for her without her physical appearance/features changing much. Her umted karma, her inventory, and her Perium mustve had an effect on her. [Aaaaaaaaaaah!] The equipment shed been wearing broke apart. In exchange, her naked body was covered by a deep gray dress. It was far greater than any equipment shed worn in the past! Lee Shin Woo felt it was actually something you would wear at a funeral, but it was indeed quite beautiful. "Alright. Were all done." "Ah. Ah...?" Could he call her an undead right now... It was hard to answer. In terms of her dying anding back, she was indeed an undead, but he couldnt really say what the difference between her past body and her current body was. Her light element had remained unchanged, and was actually more powerful than before. In the process of destroying the Annihtion mes mana, a part of that mana was analyzed and imbued to her. Lee Shin Woo was the same. Whats worse, he had used his darkness after Seagalds attempt at converting her. Because Lee Shin Woo had gone after Seagalds clumsy attempt, Seira had be even more powerful than expected. Or, at least in terms of pure power. [The Lv8 Undead Banshee Princess Seira has been born and has entered a subordinate contract with you.] [You have analyzed another fusion element of light and fire. The High Rank Light element has be Lv6 and Magic has increased by 20. The High Rank Fire element has be Lv7 and Magic has increased by 20. The Beginner Shining me element has be Lv6 and Magic has increased by 20.] [You have acquired a simrly leveled powerful subordinate. The High Rank Command skill has be Lv9 and all stats have increased by 5.] After everything was over and Lee Shin Woo had checked his messages, he took a look at Seira and smiled bitterly. A banshee, huh. That was truly... "A Banshee... It really does fit you." "Aaaaaah! Aaaaaah!" Seira had finally be a new entity, but it seemed as though she couldnt ept reality, as she continued screaming. As she cried, her eyes and her hair had, at some point, burned and turned into a dark gray, like used-up charcoal. "I guess this is where you cry for a while. I understand. But youll get in my way, so lets talkter." "I dont understand...! I dont understand anything. Why! You!" "Yeah, yeah. Youre going through puberty. I understand." Lee Shin Woo thought of her as a young girl going through puberty! He waved his hand and the Heaven Doors Key activated and sucked her in. Where did she go? That was something only Lee Shin Woo and Seira knew. "Alright. Now that the urgent stuff has been taken care of..." "Shin Woo!" Youre mine, level 8 Banshee! he said, as if he were a Pokemon trainer, and then turned around. He saw Jining towards him. Fortunately, she was safe, but it seemed like she wouldnt be if things went on for just a little while longer. "Come over here. At this rate, well all die!" "...A-Alright. I got it. Sorry about that." "Just hurry up!" Lee Shin Woo was, of course, not given any time to rest. He got atop Jins back to fight against Seagald. Chapter 47 part1 Prince looked around, dumbstruck. Everything had gone well since theyd separated from Lee Shin Woo and entered the center of the city, so she didnt know how things had all gone to hell. "Its a mess!" "Agreed." What was with that huge ass cannon and the Spirit General tied in the middle of it? Putting aside the Archmage, who had appeared and summoned a ton of monsters as if waiting for them, why was the Annihtion me Sword God fighting against Seira (they had expected her to go wild, as if she were a crazed woman, so they werent as surprised)? And where had Lee Shin Woo gone; the Heaven Defying General was supposedly helping him clean up the city, yet why had the Heaven Defying General shown up with the Metal God General, rather than him!? "Kratia, there are so many level 8s rampaging about. What can we even do?" "Theres nothing we can do for now, Prince. Bring out the popcorn." Lee Shin Woo had driven off the Lich, but the countless monsters hed summoned still filled the battlefield. The golems and the Chi Pauls were diligently cutting down their numbers, but there were still so many of them that Kratia and Prince had a hard time dealing with all of them swarming the area. If the Archmage could summon an endless supply of monsters, then he could defeat any army. This was the true power of the Empire! The Archmage had already disappeared, but their fear of him hadnt. "Popcorn? I dont know what that is!" "I dont really know what it is either. Shin Woo told me that its something you eat when theres nothing you can do." "Ugh. So where did my Junior go anyway...?" "Shin Woo is..." Kratia set her orb in the shape of an ice spear and cut apart the monsters nearby, then briefly looked at Lee Shin Woo who had appeared beyond them. Lee Shin Woo had grabbed onto Seira Von Retadane, whose heart had been pierced by the Empires strongest general and was trying to do something. Thats what she saw, but... she felt like even someone as exceptional as Lee Shin Woo wouldnt be able to save someone with a pierced heart. Prince asked another question as if shed noticed where Kratia was looking. "And seriously, what is that? Is he really on our side? He seems like hes trying to help us. It really does seem like hes helping Seira! Why? Why is an undead helping us?" "...I think well find out soon enough." "Wait a sec. Do you know something? What did you do as you traveled with my Junior!? Uaaah. I cant stand it; theres so much I dont know! Fire Demon!" Princes mana responded to her cry of pent-up frustration and manifested a fire demon onto the battlefield once more. Through Kratias special training, she had seeded in modifying her summoning magic, which had been passed down through her family. Because of that, she was able to summon the fire demon without cross-dressing! [Kuoooooh!] The Fire Demon was more powerful than before, yet the mana consumption was lower. This was all due to Kratias help in fixing the structure of her summoning magic. The unnecessary forms that had been added as it was passed along were removed, and a more efficient magic form was added through Kratias in-depth knowledge of another worlds magic. Thus, she could bring out the Fire Demons maximum power. And with this, Prince now possessed power befitting a level 7 magician. "I thought Id gotten stronger, but... Ah, this is crazy!" [Kuhaaaaaah!] Of course, Prince was plenty strong, as she possessed magic befitting her level and also had her familys secret art. It was just that the people here were the most powerful individuals in the Empire! All the more reason why she couldnt stand it. The only way she could further develop was through time. Lloyd and Erian seemed rxed, as they werent aware of this, but Prince knew. That there would soon be a battle that would determine the fate of the Empire! She couldnt afford to just lollygag around, especially if she wanted to do even a little bit more during that climactic battle... "Prince." "What!?" Then, Kratia called Prince with her usual calm andposed voice. Prince yelled sharply in response and turned around, but noticed that Kratia was pointing at a certain spot. "Look at that." "The Spirit General? I saw her before. She didnt seem like shed be an immediate threat... or thats what I thought, but whats with her?" [Giiiiiii. Gyauaaaaaaah!] Just a little while ago, the Spirit General remained tied on the cannon, but now, she was letting out bizarre cries and was twisting her body around. The cannon responded in kind; her struggle caused the cannons umted mana to struggle as well. It had already been tense, but that tension had risen instantaneously. Why were they tense? They felt as though the cannons mana would burst forth and evaporate everything in the area! "If all of the undead curse within it explodes, then... Well definitely be undead, right?" "Well be lucky to retain our forms as undead. Theres a high chance well be broken down on an atomic level and disappear." "Dont say something like that! Why did it be like that?" "...Theres a high chance its the Archmages doing. When the Archmages body was destroyed by Shin... The Heaven Defying General, he mustve given the Spirit General an order. It was probably a forceful activation." Kratia was right on the mark. Ever since the level 8 Spirit General was tied to the cannon, the pce became capable of forcing orders upon her. And that authority was also given to the Archmage as well. And when hed been defeated by Lee Shin Woo, he ordered the Spirit General to fire, in order to eliminate all that threatened the Empire in one fell swoop. It was regrettable that the royal family would lose such a powerful weapon, but if the Annihtion me Sword God, the Metal God General, and the Heaven Defying General were to all die here, then the Emperor would have no other enemies remaining! "...We have to stop it." Kratia saw the Metal God General and Jin fight against the Annihtion me Sword God, as well as Lee Shin Woo struggling to keep Seira alive, and nodded her head as if shed made a hard decision. "How?" "Lets freeze her for now. If we stop the progress in its tracks, then Shin Woo will take care of the rest." "I shouldnt be saying this, but arent you depending on my Junior a bit too much...?" "Were partners. ...Open a path, Prince." "Tch. Easy for you to say!" If it was so easy, then I wouldve done it already, she wanted to say, but she raised her hands anyway so that she could fulfill Kratias request. Then... a section of the nearby monsters vanished and the Chi Pauls appeared. [Well assist you, as per Lord Paul Zeros orders. I assume we have to stop that woman, right?] "Yeah. Please." "Uh..." [Got it.] Once they met, Prince opened her eyes wide. Although she shouldve hated the undead, she didnt really bare any hostility towards these chimeras. A part of it was that the Chi Pauls had grown such that they could hide their death energy, but it was more that Prince had undergone a fundamental change. She couldnt understand it herself and looked on dumbfounded; the Chi Pauls just ignored her and charged forward. Their bodies were veiled in mes. [This is the power that Lord Paul Zero bestowed upon us. Kill all those who go against him!] [Uoooooooh!] [Open a path. This is the order he gave us!] [Kuoooh!] The Chimera Avengers charged, veiled in at least level 5 intermediate mes. Though the monsters were no pushovers, they could not withstand the Chi Pauls might and just burned away. Prince watched them and briefly hesitated, but... She soon bit her lip and extended her hand towards them. "Fire Demon. Be their me!" Her spell just looked like a summon but it was more of an amalgamation of her familys will and mana. If she could control that will freely, then it didnt matter how the fire demon was manifested. And Prince, who possessed high proficiency in the spell, could share the fire demons power with others! The Fire Demon followed her will and was absorbed by the Chi Pauls, strengthening their mes to its utmost. [What tremendous heat... Alright, were quickening our pace!] [Follow me!] "Good job, Prince." "Hmph. Seiras already shown me what happens when you go crazy over the undead, so I cant do something stupid after seeing that." Yeah, thats right. Perhaps the reason Prince could remain so calm in spite of all this was because shed seen how stupid Retadane had acted. While she nodded in understanding, Kratia gripped her Orb with both hands and infused her mana into it; at the same time, she began casting. "It is through the Winter Queens grace that all creation remains in ce. Her breath freezes blood and covers the skin with snow..." "You shouldve told me in advance, you bad..." Although the Chi Pauls were tearing through the monsters, the two of them werent safe. Prince maintained her spell, reinforcing herself and the Chi Pauls, but also cast another spell to protect her and Kratia. Fortunately, the Chi Pauls, strengthened by her Fire Demon, had brought them to the cannon before her barrier was broken. The Spirit Generals struggles intensified, and even now, the vibrations of the cannons umted magic was shaking their cors. "Itll really blow. Hurry up and do something, Kratia!" "Im done! Absolute Freeze!" Kratia extended both her hands and forcefully threw her Orb! The Orb broke into pieces midair, transforming into countless ice crystals, and rushed towards the Spirit General. The monsters attempted to stop her, but the Chi Pauls and Prince stopped them in their tracks, allowing her spell to go unhindered and freeze the Spirit General. She had put everything she had into that spell, freezing both the Spirit Generals movements and even her mana at the same time! [Aaaaaah. Guaaaaaaaah!] "Keuk. Shes resisting... Prince, give me your magic!" "Yeah, sure. Here, take it all why dont you!" As a result of their special training, the two could now transfer mana to each other. Kratia took all of Princes mana without leaving a single drop, converted it into ice, and used it on the Spirit General. Although the Spirit General was a level 8, she was just an empty doll following orders, so she couldnt properly resist Kratias high rank spell. Her movements werepletely restricted. The flow of her exploding mana slightly ever so slightly calmed down. "Did it work!?" "You just jinxed it, Prince." "Why!?" Both Prince and Kratia were exhausted, as if theyd fall over on the spot. Although they were breathing heavily, they still joked around. She didnt actually think it would fail. Kratias spell had been perfect, and the Spirit Generals mana had beenpletely restrained. So long as the Archmage didnte back, she wouldnt be able to break through it...! [Impressive spell, Hero. Because of you, I can use this weapon more easily than before.] Prince just had to jinx it. They then saw the Annihtion me Sword God atop the cannon. Though his armor was in tatters and rotten white blood flowed from his body, he seemed like he had energy to spare. Prince immediately searched for any traces of the Metal God General... found him injured on the ground and sighed. She didnt know why he had helped them, but he wasnt able to prevent Seiras death or restrain the Annihtion me Sword God. He waspletely useless! [I thought Id have to do much more but to think you used such an impressive magic form to restrain her. You would be a good fit in Anti-Skull.] "Regrettably, I already have a previous engagement after I die." Kratia dered firmly, even in the midst of the Annihtion me Sword Gods overwhelming pressure. He seemed even more taken by her grit, as he smiled. [Is that so? Youll probably change your mind once you die. Like my little sister did...] "Your little sister isnt here anymore." [Keok!?] The Annihtion me Sword God fell from the cannon. In his stead, Lee Shin Woo and Jin had appeared. Jin had brought him here at just the right time! [Wait, my little sister is...!?] The Annihtion me Sword God barely recovered from a light-speed kick, looked around, and yelled in shock. Of course, Seira could no longer be seen on the battlefield, as Lee Shin Woo had sent her away with his Heaven Doors Key. The Annihtion me Sword God probably had no idea what had happened to her. Since he still didntpletelyprehend the Heaven Defying Generals power! [...What did you do with my little sister?] "Your little sister died, just as you wanted. I couldnt save her, no matter what I did. ...Though Im not so sure your little sister will be yours after death." Lee Shin Woo said angrily and gripped his Death Gods Shining Bone Sword. There was an incredible amount of mana within. It was a fitting weapon to use against the Annihtion me Sword God. "But thats all. Dont think you can just make a mess on my stage and leave as you please, Seagald Von Retadane." [I cant just leave. Since theres still something I want.] The Annihtion me Sword God smiled and gripped his own sword. His Annihtion me zed and his presence was erased from the world once more. In a sense, he was stronger than the Garuda... Lee Shin Woo gritted his teeth and charged at him. The impact between Annihtion me and Dark Shadow boomed, resounding far and wide as if signaling the start of their battle. Chapter 47 part2 [Too shallow.] Seagald dered. [Youve learned some good skills and umted some experience as well. But thats all. You dont have the basics down, so everything you do is sloppy.] [Shut up.] Lee Shin Woo and Seagalds des shed in the air and erupted in intense mes. No, thats what he thought, but... At that moment, Seagalds sword wasing for Lee Shin Woos helmet. If he hadnt responded with his darkness and stopped it, then the battle wouldve been decided right then and there. [And only your elements are strong. But do you know something? That your mana, which you thought was infinite when you reached level 8, will eventually run out. I wonder how much energy and mana you had to waste to block my attack? You can only attain victory after youve calcted and distributed your power.] The problem was that this had been repeated a few times already. I had an inkling, but this guy... Lee Shin Woo wasnt a good match for him. The fact that he was skilled in the light element wasnt the issue. The problem was his innate element, the Annihtion me. The Annihtion me was a technique that erased oneself. It looked as convoluted as Lee Shin Woos innate elements, but it was actually quite simple. It would act as if you werent there, even if you were. Conversely, it would seem as if you were there, even if you werent. In other words, it was fundamentally simr to Lee Shin Woo: it was based on trickery! Theyre simr, but oppose each other. Annihtion me was, in a sense, the greatest stealth tool at a nce. The user could erase only a select part of themselves and fool their opponent; and during that time, they can do whatever they wish. He had fooled Lee Shin Woo into thinking that their swords would sh, but he was actually aiming for Lee Shin Woos helmet. He mustve erased truth. It really was a pain in the ass to face in CQC. But if he widened the distance between them, Seagald would attack his allies. It was really a frustrating situation. He never had any intention of walking atop my stage. Wild Card was a skill that could lead him to certain victory only if he knew everything there was to know about his opponent. However, Seagald kept erasing himself from Lee Shin Woos stage, which made it difficult to ascertain what was real. Even now, Seagald was acting as though they were fighting face-to-face, but... That probably wasnt real. His goal wasnt to kill Lee Shin Woo but to control the cannon. He wanted to find an opportunity to use the cannon. [If you look away, youll die!] [Hah, youre quite sharp!] ...If thats the case. Lee Shin Woo swung his sword, imbuing his sword with his Dark me. Dark Shadows level was still too low, so it couldnt fend off Seagalds Annihtion me. However, Dark me would weaken Seagalds mes whenever their swords shed! And thats exactly what happened. The moment their swords shed, the Dark me mixed with the Annihtion me, creating a new current that Seagald wasnt aware of. Seagalds power was really a good match for his Wild Card skill...! Lee Shin Woo inwardly smiled and thrust his sword once more. [Ha!] [Keuk. This is...?] After that brief exchange, Lee Shin Woo had, for the first time, broken Seagalds shoulder armor. Lee Shin Woos lie and Seagalds lie had resonated, which ultimately confused Seagald. Seagald knew that Lee Shin Woo had used his power against him, and he was even more flustered because of it. Lee Shin Woo had gained the upper hand and continued with the resonance of their elements. Dark me with lightning, Annihtion me with ice, and finally, Lee Shin Woo was able to grasp Seagalds true body. He broke Seagalds armor, the broken pieces fluttering in the wind. Seagald quickly used his Annihtion me to avoid the attack and looked at Lee Shin Woo. [...Is it a stealing ability?] [Hmm, I wonder. I may just be fooling you.] [Ha. Its power befitting the title of Heaven Defying! Did you force all your opponents into this kind of situation?] Seagald did his best to act calm and reply nonchntly but was quickly doing some calctions in his head. His opponents special ability was on par with, or perhaps even greater than his own! However, he was still superior when it came to basicbat abilities. If thats the case, then if he were to attack him such that he couldnt defend and then take that opportunity to control the cannon, then... No, he couldnt ignore the level 7 elite magician, ming chimeras, and the golems, who were just waiting for their opportunity to strike. If it was all going ording to n, then those golems wouldve been on my side, but... Tarian, you idiot. They figured out what your true intentions were. That much is obvious, since hes not with them. Ah, Tarian. You made things so much harder for me! The inside of his head was bing quite busy. But there was still a way out of this. He knew there was a chance that a single squad wouldnt be able to aplish its mission, so he had some reserve troops stationed nearby. He had ordered them to advance after taking care of all the traps, so they should join the battlefield soon. And when they do, therell be chaos. If he were to use that chaos to subdue the Heaven Defying General and then take control of the cannon, then hed be able to achieve his goal! ...But the only problem was that they were quite dyed. [Tch...] [Your swords be restless. That creates an opening!] [Everything you say pisses me off!] Whereas Lee Shin Woo was seething; he couldnt even defeat Seagald when he was diverting his attention away from their battle. He wasnt a match for Seagald in terms of overall stats or fundamentalbat abilities, aside from magic; the only reason he was able to match up against him was because Jin bnced out his stats. He pushed back with his innate skills, which were based around magic, but Seagalds innate element was no pushover. Contrary to Seagalds expectations, Lee Shin Woo still had plenty of mana left over and could attack as soon as Seagalds mana bottomed out. However, Seagald was no fool, and he would probably retreat if his mana ran low. He was that skilled. Honestly, his opponent was well-rounded. ...To be more specific, he was kind of like Lee Shin Woo. If just a little bit. A warrior only needs to be good at CQC, so why the hell does he have to use his Annihtion me too? He was one to talk. He knew that, but it pissed him off anyway. Lee Shin Woo mightve been able to overpower him if his Manatization skill had reached level 5; if his Dark Shadow or Shining me were at the intermediate stage, he wouldve also been able to deal with Seagalds Annihtion me with ease and burn his body to a crisp! Acting like youre the one being pushed back? ...It might work against someone else, but it wont work on me. As stated, the Annihtion me Sword Gods objective was the cannon. He would act as though he were being pushed back, but if he had the opportunity, he would jump on it and head towards the cannon. The moment Lee Shin Woo gave Seagald the opportunity, it would be game over. If thats the case, then... since he was out of options, he had no choice but to use his final resort. He summoned all the weapons hed been saving. Lee Shin Woo gritted his teeth and spoke to his partner. Lets go, Jin. Got it. She knew that the Annihtion me Sword God wasnt to be taken lightly, so she answered seriously and readied herself. Her steel wings fluttered and they rushed towards Seagald like a bullet. [Keuk!?] At the same time, a dozen of Lee Shin Woos weapons came out from within the surrounding darkness and flew towards Seagald all at once. Lee Shin Woo had been saving these weapons until now! There was no way even Seagald couldve expected this. Each and every one of them contains a huge amount of mana! What kind of power is this, Heaven Defying General...!? What was most frightening about it was that they were all at least level 7. The startled Seagald used his Annihtion me and erased himself from that spot. However, Lee Shin Woo had expected him to do so andunched his weapons in all directions. Lee Shin Woo had summoned all of his weapons because hed expected this prior. Hed experienced Seagalds Annihtion me a few times already, so the moment his weapons touched him, it would be easy to figure out where he was! "Found you...!" [Heaven Defying General...!] In the end, one of the Death Gods Shining Bone Swords found him. It had only pierced his shoulder, but Lee Shin Woo then used the mana umted within the Death Gods Shining Bone Sword to use its active skill. The skills name was Death Gods Fury. It was a skill that he can only use by infusing a ton of mana into the sword. It would sever any magical or spatial interference and sh anything that was within his vision! It was the best skill to use against Seagald! [Kuhahk!?] [Thats only the beginning!] He wasnt sure if Seagald knew or not, but Lee Shin Woo possessed eight other Shining Bone Swords, aside from the one on his person. Moreover, so long as the swords were infused with enough mana, he could keep using the skill to ignore any spatial and magical interference and keep attacking him! It wasnt just one sh; he was simultaneously hit by seven more shes. Each and every strike was incredibly powerful, and if Seagald wasnt a wielder of light, then he wouldve died right then and there. [Kuaaaaahk!] "Jin!" "I know!" That wasnt the end. Lee Shin Woo and Jin charged forward, right as the Shining Bone Swords did their job! She turned ridiculously fast once she found her target. Jin stepped on the air, turned her body, kicked off the air once more, and charged towards Seagald! She converted all of her mana into light and put everything she had into her sprint. That was her light. At this very moment, nothing existed that could surpass her speed. "...Tch!" But once they made contact with Seagald, Lee Shin Woo clicked his tongue. Seagalds body crumpled from his attack... but he realized that it was just a clump of Annihtion me. He wasnt even a ninja, so whats with the body recement technique!? "That bastard ran away." "Oh, he really did." He mightve run away once hed been hit by the Shining Bone Swords. Seagald had realized that he couldnt defeat Lee Shin Woo with his Annihtion me alone and had chosen to retreat. Seagald had probably used some sort of escape artifact that activated through the use of his Annihtion me. He had even used Wild Card a few times, yet his opponent had still gotten away... How humiliating! "...Should we follow him?" "Hes gotten quite far away. To think hed even abandon the troops that hade to save him." In case of any reinforcements, Lee Shin Woo had put his Pauls on standby. He got their report and just sighed. They had discovered Anti-Skull beforehand and were engaged in battle. Just recently, they had begun to disperse and retreat. Seagald mustve ordered their retreat once hed escaped. He mustve been sure that Lee Shin Woo wouldve followed him if he were to go and save them personally. As expected... he was quite smart. He really was like Lee Shin Woo. "Chi Paul squad, Anti-Skull is fighting against our forces in the west. Take care of them. Dont let any of them escape." [Understood!] Once they received their orders, the Chi Pauls mobilized immediately. Lee Shin Woo cleaned up the rest of the Archmages summoned monsters in their stead by blowing up his remaining weapons. In the blink of an eye, the battle was over and the battlefield had be silent. [Gu...uuuu...] Ah, now that he thought about it, it wasnt entirely over. There was still the Spirit General that needed to be taken care of; she had broken through Kratias spell and was twisting her body around in order to execute the Archmages order. He had worked so hard, yet he couldnt rest yet. The Archmage and the Annihtion me Sword God had gotten away, but he wasnt even able to remain pissed in peace! "Hey, you!" He gritted his teeth, rotated in the air, and approached the Spirit General. Then, Prince raised her staff while shaking and pointed at Lee Shin Woo. "Where did my Junior go! Give him back!" "...Ha." Kratia sighed deeply and hit the back of her neck. Prince fainted as if she were in aic book. Normally, one wouldnt ck out from that; Lee Shin Woo looked on vacantly, and Kratia just responded calmly. "Lets take care of that first and then talk." "...Alright." All the troublesome people were gone now. He hadnt figured out what the Annihtion me Sword God intended to do with the cannon, but now was the time to deal with the source of all the chaos. Chapter 47 part3 "Jin, lets just back off. You dont think you can absorb all of the undead curse within the cannon, do you?" "Nope. If it were just her, then I might be able to do something about it, but the curse will flow into her from the cannon anyway, so theres no point. Im trying my best here, but its too much..." "Jin, its dangerous to absorb it so recklessly. My Stasis Magic will wear off." "Ah, thats right. Kratia, good job." "Of course." Her application of first aid was top-notch. She didnt simply freeze her target; she hadpletely halted the Spirit General from using any of her power, which included both her magic and her physical strength. It felt like shed used the time element as well. Perhaps Lee Shin Woo had been looking down on the ice element thus far. He could wield the Lv1 High Rank Ice element, but that wasnt something he could boast about in front of Kratia. [Guu...Guaaaaah...] "Ah, this womans lost it too. Where should I even start..." Her ominous, yet beautiful ck hair was disheveled, and her widened, golden eyes evoked a creepy feeling; and the princess continued to cry out. Lee Shin Woo had, from the very beginning, assumed that she wouldnt be ok, but her condition was a lot worse than hed expected. After all, she had been used as a battery and an energy cable for the cannon for dozens of years, which had worn away at both her body and her mind... In other words, the contract had been in ce before the fall of the Empire. Thats what had caused her to be in such a sorry state. So hes willing to use his daughter or anything at his disposal to go to the surface, huh... He recalled what Seira had said before. That Seagald was willing to use his fiance for his goals... If his goal involved using the cannon, then she was right. Lee Shin Woo smiled bitterly and ced his hand on the cannon. As expected, he didnt own the cannon, so he couldnt change it into bone. Honestly, hed already tried it before fighting Seagald. It was because he knew that he couldnt change it into bone that he had been so anxious during his fight. Ah, he was getting pissed again! "Seagald, Ill kill you no matter what..." "Shin Woo, you talking like that makes you sound more like an undead." "Hes never lost his prey before, but he lost two of them at once, so thats probably why hes like that." "You were able to drive them away without losing the cannon pretty much unscathed. I feel like thats a decisive victory in your favor, Shin Woo..." Whereas, Kratia and Jin, who couldnt do anything more, just calmly conversed and watched on. The golems were standing behind them in order to protect the Metal God General. Kratia nced at them and then asked Jin. "How did you talk them into this? Theyrepletely subservient to Shin Woo." "He took advantage of their weakness; theyre just helping us out temporarily." "...Sounds like something a viin would do." Kratia had no idea how Lee Shin Woo had grasped one of the Four Heavenly Commanders weaknesses and forced him to do his bidding, but because Jin looked clueless as well, she didnt ask her anything else. It really didnt matter, so long as they didnte attacking them. "So Shin Woo... do you think its impossible?" "Mm, I have to take care of this woman first. Then I can move on to the next step." "...Are you going to brainwash her too?" "Hey, dont put it that way. It makes me sound like a weirdo." All he was doing was changing her mind a little bit and turning her into apletely different person than before! Lee Shin Woo ignored Kratias rude remark and focused on the princess once more. Fortunately, it was much easier to deal with her than Seira. Her contract was forced onto her through the darkness element, so I can easily deal with it. Its a relief its notplicated. Lee Shin Woo stretched his hand and ced it upon the princesss forehead. Darkness covered her, an amount simr to when hed transformed Seira into a banshee, and he immediately erased the contract that bound her. [You dont need to be tied to the cannon any longer.] [You dont need to listen to the Emperors or the Archmages orders any longer.] [Im erasing all illegitimate contracts.] The deep-seated curse, which had bound her mind and body for dozens of years, was erased by a deeper darkness. [A-Ah...?] At that moment, her wide-open golden eyes returned to normal. Her eyes gleamed with a faint intellect, and widened even further when she looked into Lee Shin woos goblin fire. Terror and hatred. Anger and fear... Her eyes reflected the amalgamation of all these emotions. If he knew shed have responded like this, then hed have turned back into a human. Lee Shin Woo slightly regretted hisck of foresight and quickly said. "The mana inside of this damn cannons going to explode, so dont say anything and follow my instructions. You dont want to die when youve just gotten your sanity back, right?" [Uuaah...] Was it because she hadnt been able to speak for dozens of years? Fortunately, she was able to understand Lee Shin Woo because of the link between them and nodded her head. She then began to control her mana. Even if its rotten, its still a herring. She was able to return her mana to normal and circte it throughout her body. Once she began to properly circte the mana throughout her body, her ruined body regained a bit of its strength back. As expected, the effects of mana were truly amazing. [Ugh. Keuk... Kuheuk...!] But there was a problem. The amount of mana she could control was far less than the cannons capacity. No matter what she did, the cannons mana wouldnt obey hermands. It made sense; she was only the trigger. It didnt matter when they pulled the trigger; what mattered was that they had already pulled the trigger, activating the cannon. Lee Shin Woo realized that aftering into contact with her. Now he had no choice but to do something about the cannon himself! "Hey, do you have a good way of dealing with this?" [Uuuah.] She was made aware of the situation by Lee Shin Woo but shook her head as tears streamed down her face. Because she had just realized what shed done for dozens of years, she wasnt in the right state of mind. She, who had possessed the title of Spirit Princess, had sucked away the spirits life force and turned it into destructive power! She couldnt show her face to the spirits, who had once been her friends. She was in no condition to be stopping the cannon! [Ugh. The... spirits...!] Of course, her friends had mostly been killed by Lee Shin Woo andpany, allowing them to be at peace, but it probably wouldnt be a good idea to tell her that right now. Lee Shin Woo grabbed onto the Evil Eye chain that connected her and the cannon and said. "You can mourn themter. But if you die here, then you wont be able to do anything. And you cant take your revenge on the ones who did this to you either. If you want to take revenge on the ones who did this to the underground spirits, then you have to survive." [Re...venge...?] "Thats right." Kratia and Jin, who were watching from behind, said its finally started and chattered on, but Lee Shin Woo just ignored them and continued. "The people who forced you underground. And the people who led the Empire to its ruin. The ones who forced you to sacrifice your friends. All the people who used you. Theyre still living and breathing, so are you just going to wallow away in self pity and die?" [Ah, but... Im...] "And there are still some spirits that are alive here." [Aaaah...!] Mm. Going at it this way got a better reaction out of her. Lee Shin Woo took this opportunity and pushed forward. "You have to stop this if you want to save them. Its not just the underground. The spirits on the surface are waiting for you to rescue them." "Living spirits... Aah." Her voice was bing firmer and her eyes were bing clearer. Dana Von Etliber was the Empires greatest Elementalist. She could tell that Lee Shin Woo not only wielded several elements but was also connected with several spirits as well. For some reason, that fact reinvigorated her. "How can an undead contract... No, I shouldnt be talking about other people when Im in this state." "Oh. Your echos gone now... It seems like youre back." Although herplexion was still ghastly and she hadnt been released of her dyed undead transformation state, she had regained her mindpletely. Lee Shin Woo nodded his head in satisfaction and she said the words he had been waiting for. "I want to live...! Please help me!" "I was waiting for you to say that. Im d youre a lot easier to deal with than that old bag. Alright. Then, lets save you first. Kratia, Im going to pull this woman out, so use your Stasis Magic on the cannon one more time!" "Easy for you to say!" "?" First, Lee Shin Woo pulled off the Evil Eye chains that bound her to the cannon. If she couldnt control the cannon, then he was better off just releasing her from it! The chains had originally been tied with aplicated spell, but due to his control over darkness he was able to pull them out with ease. Then, he superimposed his previous fragment of Evil Eye with this one, creating a single grain. "Next up." "H-How did you...!?" Dana Von Etliber couldnt believe her sudden freedom and looked dumbfounded. But that wasnt the end. Now that her link with the cannon was broken, the undead curse was quickly descending upon her in order to transform her into an undead! She, who hadnt been picked by God, would turn into an undead if he didnt do anything. If her condition was even a little bit better, then he and Jin couldve continuously sucked the curse out of her and prolonged her life, but she was in terrible shape, so a makeshift method wouldnt work. So... I have no choice but to try an experimental method! Lee Shin Woo immediately extended his hand towards her and used his Dark Shadow. If he were to simultaneously eliminate as much of the curse as possible while also giving her an ability to repel the curse, then she could live! Hed failed with Seira, but he couldnt afford to fail a second time! "You cant reject this power. Itll nullify the mana thats attempting to turn you into an undead." "I understand... But is that really possible?" "A deeper darkness consumes the weaker one." Eventually, Dark Shadow covered the princesss body and imbued it with darkness. The princess didnt resist the energy; in fact, she used her own mana to supplement it. Befitting an Elementalist who had controlled countless spirits, she seemed confident in harmonizing her own mana with another persons. It was quite relieving for Lee Shin Woo. A body which cant be infiltrated by the curse. He hadnt understood this before, but now that he understood it, the idea behind it was quite simple. Couldnt he just copy the blessing God had given him? Dark Shadow, which possessed the power to reverse all cause-and-effect, had the ability to do so. Danas case was different from Seiras; Seiras body had been all but dead, and her mana and physical body had sustained critical damage. She had been putting off her death. However, Danas body, which had been in contact with the undead curse for dozens of years, was, at this point, neither dead nor alive. Her body was extremely vulnerable to the undead curse but was also the optimal container for an ability that repelled it. Of course, it should be impossible to bestow this karma upon someone without being God herself, but Lee Shin Woo was able to do it! Wild Card...! This was the third change, following Jin and Seira. Whenever he used it, he felt himself bing more familiar with it. He could do this regrly now. But there was one issue here: that this was a contract created through the darkness element. [Is it really ok?] [To be frank... Id like to hear more before I make a decision. But if I dont do as you say, then Ill be an undead just like Seagald, Feotane, or my father. If thats the case, then I have to live first, no matter what happens in the future. You told Seira before that she had to live first too.] [Ah, you were listening?] [Moreover, I feel like Im fated to be with you. Youre thest remaining Elementalist in this dead world. I can feel how happy the spirits are through their memories. Id like to believe in that. And please introduce those girls to meter.] As expected, he shouldve just said he was an Elementalist like her; that was all it took to convince her. It had gone so much more smoothly than his time with Seira that it moved him to tears. And then, Lee Shin Woo began her transformation in earnest. Of course, the change was a lot smaller than with Seira. Because she wasnt a hero, she hadnt umted much karma. Plus, he had managed to steal arge quantity of mana from the cannon; with the addition of his Dark Shadow, her body and mind were given a small advantage, thats all. ...Reject death. Survive. Thebination of Lee Shin Woos authority, which distorted reality, Dana Von Etlibers miraculous body, which bordered between life and death, and her incredible mana ability... All of those factors mixed together and created a miracle. Something that hadnt existed in the world was born once more. "Aaaaaah!" A blinding light burst forth. Immediately after, her body was covered in darkness. There was pretty much no change to her outward appearance, but Lee Shin Woo knew that she was apletely different existence than before. [You have created the Lv8 Immortal Princess Dana, and have formed a subordinate contract with her.] [While this was only possible because the target aided you with her own will and ability, you have seeded in creating a never before seen species! The Immortal, a high rank species that lives between the border of life and death, and is closer to death than any other, yet has avoided death and lives. This embodies the way you yourself live. As their creator, they will give you unlimited love and esteem.] [You have acquired the title, Species Creator and all stats have increased by 100! You have fulfilled a portion of the requirements in achieving the fusion element between light and darkness! The Rebellion skill has be Lv8 and all stats have increased by 30. When you meet the conditions of the Rebellion skill, all stats increase by 24%.] With his Rebellion skill going up by 2 levels in one go, overall... It felt like God would scold him for this, but like always, Lee Shin Woo didnt let it bother him and just decided to move on! Chapter 47 part4 [Lv8 Immortal Princess Dana] [Immortals are a species that has avoided death. They possess a perfect body that can switch between a spirits astral body and a humans physical body. They are also able to wield the darkness element proficiently.] [As they are fated to live one step away from death, most lethal curses and poisons are ineffective against them and they age extremely slowly. Just their very existence distorts the worlds cause-and-effect, and the world is at risk of copse if too many are gathered. While they have a long lifespan, their reproductive rate is low.] [The Beginner Dark Shadow element has be Lv9. Magic has increased by 20.] "Wow, thats awesome. I want to be an Immortal too." "Youre already an undead." A new species had been born! It was a bewildering achievement, but the wavelength was truly amazing. It wasnt just an amazing karma for her, but for Lee Shin Woo, the one whod achieved the feat, as well. It felt like hed constructed a bridge, allowing them to go somewhere they couldnt before. It was a mysterious feeling, as though his potential had expanded. In other words, this was the first case where Lee Shin Woo had fooled the world with the Jokers innate skills. "Immortal..." Whereas, the previous Dana Von Etliber, now the Immortal Princess Dana, looked over her body; she was astonished as she absorbed the relevant information that flowed through her mind. She was neither human nor undead; her mind and body possessed apletely different authority from them. Dana could now switch between her astral body and her physical body as well as avoid death; her new abilities were so amazing that she couldntprehend them. "Ah, you definitely got that from me. I havent perfected that ability yet, so why did she..." "Maybe its because of the subjects condition? You said she was in a unique situation. She was exposed to the undead curse for dozens of years without Gods blessing, yet she survived regardless. Do you really think thered be another case underground of a human surviving that long?" "Thats true, but could you not use the word subject...?" Jin spoke sullenly and Lee Shin Woo replied with a bitter smile. By now, hed mostly figured out how she ticked. Whenever he spoke to another girl or he engaged in any sort of skinship with them, Jins mood would sour. "Wow... This is quite the mysterious feeling. But Im sure its not due to my long-awaited freedom. I wanted to be free, but how could I pay you back for such a gift...?" "Im d youre so amazed at your new body and all, but even an Immortal will die if this thing blows. Focus on this now." "Ah! T-Thats right!" Of course, saving the princess was quite a big deal, but Lee Shin Woos original goal was to calm down the cannon which would soon blow. Dana was so shocked by her rebirth as an Immortal that shedpletely forgotten the current situation, but she was alerted thanks to Lee Shin Woos request. Because an Immortal could freely choose their bodily state, she was currently floating in the air with ease. "Kratia, how is it?" "Hoo. Hoo... Now... you ask...!?" "M-My bad..." While Lee Shin Woo was busy saving Dana, Kratia had been keeping the cannon at bay. She gritted her teeth and looked over towards them. She had assimted her Orb and had been converting all of her mana into ice. Shed managed to slow down the mana, but shed used way too much mana today, so she was approaching her limit. "You asked how is it...? It feels like... itll blow any minute now...!" "Ill help a bit." Lee Shin Woo had also used a ton of mana today, but he gathered more mana and helped Kratia with her Stasis Magic, looking like it didnt bother him in the least. Because he could use the high rank ice element, he was able to help her pretty easily, but... "This is just a temporary solution." "Unfortunately... its impossible to stop the cannon once its been activated. Now that itse to this, we have no choice but to get rid of the energy." "Alright. Then lets focus on that." Lee Shin Woo retraced his steps. First, this hundred meter tall cannon had activated its umted mana and was about to blow. Second, the mana itd gathered from the denizens of Bayran, as well as the spirits, had been contaminated and stored within. Third, once the mana had been activated, stopping it was impossible. It had to fire somewhere. "What if we stop it and run away?" "We could." "...Huh?" Kratia had asked without much thought, and Lee Shin Woo agreed much the same. Then, Kratia looked at him vacantly. Though it was difficult to tell the difference with her, as she normally had a pretty neutral expression. "We can...?" "Yep. Of course, we cant get away by just running. Even Jin cant get away from the st running at top speed." Of course, Lee Shin Woo and Jin both possessed resurrection abilities, but the cannon was so powerful that they would probably die more than a few times. What about the others? They would die without question. Even Dana Von Etliber, whod just been reborn as an Immortal, would die too. It wasnt something that even she, as someone whod barely avoided death, could survive. "But I can transport us somewhere else with the Heaven Doors Key, a ce where the st wont reach us." "Then cant we just run away...?" "But theres a maximum upancy. If we took the Heaven Doors Key, then Id have to sacrifice all the Pauls and golems." And Lee Shin Woo didnt want that. Not only did he still have a use for Arema, he didnt want his loyal Pauls to die here. Above all, he couldnt allow this much energy to go to waste. [Hoo. Hoo... So therere things that even the Heaven Defying General cant do, huh?] "Oh, youre awake." Arema Steelworker had awoken, but he probably wouldnt be helpful in the current situation. However, he decided upon a course of action that Lee Shin Woo hadnt expected. Arema Steelworker aimed his fist at him. Hed collected a considerable amount of energy at the end of his fist. Why was he doing this now? Lee Shin Woo tilted his head, as he couldnt understand why. "What are you doing?" [I heard everything. Ill die here anyway, and youre trying to run away... If thats the case, then I have only one job. To bury you, and even my body, here. I, Arema Steelworker, cannot retreat, even against you!] "...Ah." Now that he thought about it, one could interpret their conversation that way! Lee Shin Woos intention was more along the lines of at this rate, well all die, so lets all find a different way out of this, but Arema and the golems had interpreted it as the golems will all die here anyway! The situation had be pointlesslyplicated! "Arema, it seems like youre misunderstanding something. If possible, Im going to save you guys too. To do that, Im..." [Thats just an excuse. You left your enemies behind you and talked without a second thought. You only have yourself to me!] Jeez. It looked like he wouldnt be able to clear up the misunderstanding! This was no time to be fighting amongst themselves, yet Arema Steelworker had collected a ton of metal mana andunched it towards him regardless. However, before Lee Shin Woo could waste his time fighting Arema, someone else had stood in front of him. It was none other than Dana. "Arema, know your ce! This is no ce for you, a golem and a dirty follower of the surface!" [You survived, Princess! But what can an Elementalist do without any spirits!?] "Ha!" She didnt have any spirits on hand, but Lee Shin Woo had bestowed upon her a high concentration of darkness element mana. Although it was her first time wielding said element, she extended the darkness forward and absorbed Aremas attack. At the same time, sheunched dozens of darkness chains towards him and immobilized him! [Kuhahk!?] "You were always weak to elemental mana. That must be why you always hated Elementalists like myself. I wonder just how humiliating it must have been for you!" [Keuk. This darkness... You didnt... Heaven Defying General, you bastard! What did you do to this woman!?] "To think youd be looking elsewhere during our fight. It seems youve grown!" [Help our lord!] [My lord!] Aremas golems rushed into the fray. Lee Shin Woo was busy enough dealing with the cannon as is! Lee Shin Woo gritted his teeth andunched his remaining weapons, killing the weakest golems with ease. Hed only let them live, as he felt like hed find a use for themter, but it was quiteughable to see them rushing forward. [Chi Paul.] At the same time, he didnt forget to send a message to his subordinate. [Im listening, Lord Paul Zero!] [Whats the situation over there?] [They had three level 7 elites, but weve just finished dealing with their entire force. Were in the middle of collecting all the loot!] [Alright, good.] As he thought, Anti-Skull was dangerous. There were six level 7 elites that had entered into the inner city! If Lee Shin Woo hadnt brought enough troops, then he wouldve been the one thatd lost! No, the loot wasnt important right now. Their most important battley in front of them. [I keep telling you toe and go. Sorry about that, Chi Paul. But I have good news for you this time.] [Are you saying that...?] [Thats right. You guys will have to take care of the golems personally. I can do it myself, but Im busy dealing with something a bit more important right now.] [Its an honor! Thank you so much! Well be there ASAP!] Those werent empty words. Since he could feel the Chi Pauls rushing over to the inner city! Moreover, they wereing over extremely quickly, as the chaos in the city had destroyed all the traps! [Damn you, Heaven Defying General... Let me go!] "Rx. Since Im not the one wholl kill you." [Keuk. Keuuuk!] While Arema was struggling against Dana, Lee Shin Woo used his energy to pressure the golems, killing the level 6 golems, as they werent worth the Chi Pauls time, and preventing the rest from moving. The remaining level 7 Four Heavenly Commanders were unable to resist, and merely staggered and screamed. It was truly an overwhelming pressure. But even Lee Shin Woo was restless. To think hed have to y around with these idiots when the cannon could blow at any minute...! If he hadnt managed to evolve Dana as smoothly as he did, then hed be the one in trouble! [Lord Paul Zero!] "How the hell did you guys get here so fast!?" At that moment, the Chi Pauls had returned to the battle with impable timing. They were so happy to be facing off against the golems that their eyes gleamed. They were right about to rush into the battle, but Lee Shin Woo stopped them. "Before you go, I have a present for you." [A present... Does that mean...?] Chi Paul asked, representing the rest of them. Lee Shin Woo smiled benevolently and took out an item hed taken out once before. Seeing that, Chi Paul, as well as Arema, who was fighting against Dana, widened their eyes. [Y-You bastard...! Thats...! Thats...!] "This is Aremas real body. ...Youll be able to do your best after eating this, right?" [Lord Paul Zero...! Thank you so much...!] [You bastard, Paul Zeroooooooooo!] As if he were a mother giving her son a lunchbox filled with a nutritious and light meal before their college exam, Lee Shin Woo passed Chi Paul Aremas real body. Chi Paul was deeply touched and his throat was choked up, yet he barely managed to respond. Whereas, Arema Steelworker was filled with rage and hatred. "You demon..." "Affirmative." Jin said quietly. Although Kratia was busy maintaining the Statis Magic, she faintly nodded her head and agreed with her. Chapter 47 part5 [Huaah. Uoooooh!] When Chi Paul absorbed Arema Steelworkers body, the change was incredibly dramatic. He screamed, as though he were a Saiyan witnessing his friends death and turning Super Saiyan, and resulted in a dramatically changed Chi Paul! [Kuguoooooh!] [Kihi. Kihiiiiit! Power. This power...! Is for taking my revenge!] [Aah. Its delicious. So delicious! The bodies of those traitors. They taste sweet. So sweet!] Beside him, the other Chi Pauls had absorbed the remaining Four Heavenly Commanders original bodies, or the other golems knight bodies. Each and every one of the Chi Pauls were transforming into a frightening and strange new appearance. Theyd hidden the fact that they were Chimeras so well until now, but they suddenly had transformed into such a fearsome state, as if they were cats gnawing at and spitting out a grasshopper. [Its... Its not over yet. We need more toplete our evolution...!] "Right. What you need is over there." Their master, Lee Shin Woo, knew exactly what they needed toplete their evolution! They required Arema Steelworker, who had forgotten all about his battle with Dana and rushed over, along with the rest of the Four Heavenly Commanders, and the golems. [How dare you... How dare you give my body to those lowly beasts!] [I cant forgive you. I cant permit this...! Ill rip you to pieces!] Yeah. Just eating their bodies wouldntplete their revenge. Only by eating their golem bodies, which held their very souls, could they take one step further as Avengers! [Lord Paul Zero! At this very moment, we are so d that we pledged our loyalty to you...! We will prove our loyalty to you now!] [Kuoooooooh!] [Revenge! Its time for our long-awaited revenge!] [Unleash your rage onto the arrogant and narrow-minded surface dwellers!] [Well crush you, exactly like what you did to us!] All the Chimeras had ovee their limits and were emitting their increased mana; they then faced the golems and rushed towards them. Although Chi Paul shouldve been a level 7 still, the pressure he emitted was no less than a level 8s. No, the main Chi Paul wasnt the only one; the other Chi Pauls were the same! Lee Shin Woo soon realized that his Chi Pauls were under the effect of his Rebellion skill. It was quite advantageous to him. "Help them, Dana. With their help, you should be able to take down those golems with ease, as theyre tired from battle after battle." "Its quite persuasive hearing it from the very man that exhausted the golems to that extent." "Theyre the knights that were sacrificed in the surface dwellers n...! Of course Ill help. The surface dwellers must pay for their sins!" Fortunately, Dana wasnt swayed by their hideous appearance and had immediately figured out the truth. The more he talked with her, the less he could stand Seira Von Retandane...! Lee Shin Woo was moved and wiped the resulting tears. He then left the battle to her and turned around. He wanted to watch the Chimeras take their revenge, but as hed said several times, he didnt have the time to do so! "Shin Woo. This is really killing me...!" "Dont worry. Aremas attack caused my head to spin, giving me an idea." "Are you nning on changes its vector?" "Yeah." It seemed like Kratia had the same idea. Lee Shin Woo nodded his head and ced his hand onto the cannon once more. It felt as though the massive umted energy would blow at any time, and the ice element mana holding it would melt away. As he thought, stopping it now would be impossible. "But changing its direction might be possible. Since its a cannon." "I was thinking about that too." Kratia hadnt only been focusing on keeping the massive energy in check. She had been trying to push the energy into a different direction, in order to reduce the damage it inflicted. However, doing so wasnt so simple. It was difficult enough that Dana, who had been controlling the cannon before, had failed, so how hard must it have been for her!? But Lee Shin Woo hadnt suggested it without having anything in mind. "Ta-da! So heres where this guyes in." It was the bone bracelet that hed equipped to his wrist. It was the artifact that the Archmage had left behind, the Proof of Death. It would also serve as proof that Lee Shin Woo could beat the Archmage, as it had absorbed a portion of the Archmages soul, but aside from that, the artifact itself was quite impressive... [Proof of Death (+4)] [Lv8] [Durability: 1,327/2,500] [Element: Darkness Lv8] [Options: Magic +500; The creator can assume absolute control over simr artifacts and the effectiveness of every artifact in their control is increased.] [Special active skill: Rush of Death - This artifact messes with the energy of any artifact that it resonates with. It will cause a huge explosion that deals three times the corresponding artifacts maximum mana.] "This ispletely..." "Yep. Its what allowed him to control Dana. Im telling you, that Lich is really thorough!" "If you had... something like this... then use it earlier!" Kratia was pissed and kept hitting Lee Shin Woos chest. She wasnt being charming; she was really trying to hurt him, but her anger made sense, considering how much shed been doing up to now. But Lee Shin Woo felt like it was unfair. Right after he beat the Lich, Seiras heart had been pierced by her older brother. Hed managed to save her life by turning her into a Banshee, but then he had to fight against Seagald. And now, the cannon was about to blow. Hed revived the princess to help deal with it, but then Arema had decided to attack him onest time! Lee Shin Woo didnt even have any time to look over his loot! At first, I thought this bracelet just supplemented ones mana or life force, since the Lich was able tost so long against me. But the Archmage had just been efficiently draining energy from the cannon with the bracelet. By equipping this bracelet, the Archmage could exhibit unrivaled power with artifacts that hed created. "Heres where it gets important." "Yeah, this is where it starts." Lee Shin Woo and Kratia agreed to a temporary ceasefire. Once they exchanged eye contact, Kratia ceased her Stasis Magic. Lee Shin Woo immediately imbued a generous amount of his darkness mana into the Proof of Death, and turned the cannon around. The bracelets special active skill is most likely to me for the energy going out of control. I may not be able to cancel a skill thats been activated already, but I should be able to adjust the result of that skill...! Although he couldnt stop the cannon from firing, he could turn the cannon in the direction he wanted! Was it because hed reached peak mastery in the darkness element? If not, was it because of his innate ability to distort cause-and-effect as a Joker? Hed done it so easily that his struggles thus far felt funny. The cannon screeched as he adjusted the height of the cannon, as well as its direction! "Alright. If I turn it this way, itll face the capital, right?" "But Shin Woo, theres a fundamental problem with that." "Youre talking about the undead curse, right?" "They may not be as strong as the forces in the pce, but theyll be at least 1.5x as strong." No matter where he shot this, the energy would result in a catastrophe. If he shot it straight, then he might be able to pierce right through the barrier and deliver the undead curse to the surface. It had that much power. "Its so powerful that it may create a dungeon. You cant just shoot it as is... Though its much better than us dying." "...This is where it all starts. Kratia, watch. You may be able to wield this power in the near future." "Thats that unknown power that you used to change the Spirit General..." Thats right. Lee Shin Woo began to use his innate element, Dark Shadow. It might be impossible. He might fail, like how he failed to save Seiras life as a human. But he might seed too. On his second try he managed to turn Dana into a new species didnt he? So, he would never know without trying. Moreover, I have this bracelet... the artifacts controller. What would the Lich think when he realized that hed lost the Proof of Death? He may think that another person wouldnt be able to use the artifact that hed created as they pleased. Since he had so much pride, as he had created the item and was able to wield it so well. However... Lee Shin Woo was the master of darkness. If the artifact was created by the darkness element, then Lee Shin Woo would be able to wield it better than any other. At least, he should. Even if that werent true, he would make it so. He would fool them. The world, mana, the artifact itself, and the cannon. Hed fool them all. [The Beginner Dark Shadow element has be Lv10 and evolved into the intermediate level! You can cause more fundamental reversals of cause-and-effect! Magic has increased by 100!] Was it a coincidence? At that moment, the Dark Shadow element evolved into the intermediate level. Itd only reached level 9 just a short while ago, when hed turned Dana into an Immortal! If it had reached the intermediate level earlier, then he mightve been able to save Seira. However, it was precisely because shed turned into a Banshee that the Dark Shadow element had leveled up this much. In any case, the new Dark Shadow gave him a ton of confidence. At the same time, he realized how to more efficiently use the Dark Shadow element. Im going to start by making small changes in cause-and-effect. Until it causes a huge domino effect and everything breaks down. Although this bracelet was originally the Archmages, it had be Lee Shin Woos item now. That would be the start. He would channel his Dark Shadow through the artifact and control this ridiculously huge cannon... No, he would take ownership of it! "It didnt work before, but now I should be able to...!" Lee Shin Woo ced his bracelet-equipped hand onto the gun barrel and concentrated. He would fool the world, the cannon, and reverse cause-and-effect! Darkness formed, as if were being squeezed out of his fingertips. The area he touched was only the beginning; the darkness spread throughout the gun barrel, as if they were branches of a tree, and immediately covered it. Thus, it wouldnt matter how rowdy the massive energy within was. His authority had made the cannon his! [Through the Bone Reinforcement skill, the Lv9 Heaven Rending Cannon has changed.] It had begun to change. The cannon itself was made of an unknown metal, and it became distorted, beginning to emit a bizarre sound. Its shape became more mysterious and frightening than before. Though it was duller than before, it was more dark and damp, as well as more deadly than before. It was also smaller, but it looked longer. It felt like it had changed from a cannon to a sniper rifle. [You have acquired the Lv9 Heaven Defying g Bearer (+5).] [The form and the energy it contains is unstable, so there is a chance it could get damaged.] One of the giant sources of darkness that existed in the Empire had fallen into Lee Shin Woos hands. The undead curse struggled within, as it if would blow any minute now, but it was beginning to change due to the effects of Dark Shadow. The speed of conversion was incredibly fast. "T-This is..." "Unbelievable...!" What happens when you reverse a curse? It bes a blessing. What happens when you reverse death? It bes life. The energy, that had been waiting to blow, had finally been converted into... [Firing.] "Eat this, you damn Lich Emperor! Its the blessing of life that you wanted so badly!" It fired a blinding beam of light mana straight at the capital! Chapter 47 part6 Everyone shut their eyes tightly at the blinding light. The undead curse, which had built and built over dozens of years, had been converted into the highest level of light by Dark Shadow; a light so powerful that it couldnt be ssified as either intermediate or high rank. [Keuk!] [Gyaahk!] It didnt matter how much you trained your body if you were to face it. Only Lee Shin Woo, who had reached peak darkness mastery, could deal with it somewhat. Fortunately, it didnt target his party. With the help of the Proof of Death, hed changed the cannons trajectory; it possessed enough light to topple a country, and that very light went towards the capital in a gentle curve. Hed converted all of the umted energy into light, and he would return it to its creator... It was a usible ending. [The Heaven Defying g Bearer (+5) has been destroyed. Your Bone Reinforcement is not at a high enough level yet to absorb it. Repairing it is possible.] "Of course itd be destroyed." While he vacantly watched the arc of light, he heard the sound of the hundred meter tall bone cannon begin to break apart and simultaneously received that message. Lee Shin Woo had expected this to happen and merely smiled bitterly. He hadnt let out a tester or anything; hed discharged all of cannons umted energy at once. It would be stranger if it hadnt broken after releasing all that energy. Once the cannon was finished releasing all its energy, it broke into pieces and fell to the ground. Lee Shin Woo picked up the pieces of the Heaven Defying g Bearer and ced them into his inventory. When hed reached level 8, his inventory had expanded, so he was able to store all of the pieces. "Shin Woo, you always go above and beyond my imagination when solving problems. Its thrilling. Though I dont miss it." "You dont need to miss it." Kratia, who had just watched from start to finish, came over to him with a vacant expression and said. Lee Shin Woo pushed her aside, as she looked kind of out of it. While doing so, Kratia spoke unexpectedly. "I think I gleaned something from that. Theres something beyond what I was seeking." "Oh, really?" "It was an element. If an element is brought to its maximum potential, it then evolves into more of a concept than an amalgamation of mana, right?" "R-Right... You really pieced that together from just watching that beam?" "Thanks, Shin Woo. You gave me some hints and a clear view of it right in front of me." As expected, geniuses were different. Lee Shin Woo had barelye to that realization after acquiring an innate element, yet Kratia, who was a human without Bone Reinforcement, was able to figure something out from watching his Dark Shadow first hand. He was astonished by her findings. "...Given time and a budget, I should be able to do it too." "Theres plenty of time in the future." "Im not talking about the time I have left." Because the shot was so powerful, the light remained in the air, as if it were a mirage. Kratia pointed to the mirage, no, the capital it was aimed at and said. "Your battles already begun. We dont have much time left here." "Ah, so thats what you were talking about." He couldnt help but nod. If the Emperor just sat back and did nothing after getting attacked by that barrage of light, then he wouldnt be an Emperor; hed be an idiot. The final battle was approaching. Even though Kratia was a genius, she wouldnt be able to obtain an innate element in that short period of time. There was an absolute limit to ones level. "If only you could use Bone Reinforcement on me too..." "Ill use it on youter if I can. For now, lets clean up and talk about how were going to take down that pissed off Emperor... Huh?" In any case, theyd taken care of the foremost problem, so Lee Shin Woo had nned on taking care of Arema Steelworker himself. But he was shocked when he turned around. Even Wild Card couldnt predict this situation. [K-Keoheok...!] [K-Kuhaaaah...!] Chi Pauls sharp nails were prating through Aremas face and stomach. Lee Shin Woo could tell that its nails were piercing through Aremas core. He wasnt the only one. The other Chi Pauls were inflicting severe wounds to the other golems as well. Dana was helping them, sure, but how did they manage this in such a short period of time? Lee Shin Woo briefly felt it to be strange, but he understood when he saw the Chi Pauls crying bloody tears. [Kahaaahk!] [My eyes... My eyes hurt.] [Itll get better. Lord Paul Zero is watching us. So, concentrate on your revenge!] The light that had just recently flooded the city. Dana, as well as Arema Steelworker and his golems were unable to endure the light. However, the Chi Pauls were able to endure purely through their desire for revenge and used this opportunity to strike. An ability, which borders on an authority, that allows them to ignore everything else in the pursuit of their revenge... Its like the Joker karma. There was meaning behind their ss after all. Lee Shin Woo felt like hed understood just how frightening the Avenger ss was. He remembered how badly they wanted to take revenge on Arema and thought, perhaps this was the most desirable oue while also thinking of fatalism, something that didnt suit him at all. [Its... Its not over yet.] [We cant let you go so easily.] This would be the start of their true revenge. The Chi Pauls used their mes to melt the golems bit by bit, cut them apart, and eat them. They ate the clumps of iron with such voracity that they would soon finish their entire bodies. [W-What are you... What are you doing!? Stop... Stop...!] [Keuk. Kuhaah...!] Arema Steelworker cried out. Although his core had been pierced, he endured, perhaps because his core contained his human soul. But in the face of these level 8 enemies, there was nothing he could do; he merely screamed and was forced to just spectate as his golem body was devoured. "They wont get heavy metal poisoning?" "Thats really not a problem at this point, you think?" Lee Shin Woo tilted his head and muttered. Jin then sighed and retorted. Kratia tried her best to look away, while Dana said M-My eyes!, unexpectedly letting out a cute voice while turning round and round in the air. "...Heot!" And Prince awoke at the best time. Did she even know how many times shed avoided death while shey unconscious? She looked around, and soon pointed at Lee Shin Woo and yelled. "My junior! Give me back my junior!" "You really are a pain... Mm, you think its time?" "Itll probably be ok. ...Probably." "What the hell are you talking about!?" Prince gritted her teeth and yelled, seeing how familiarly the Heaven Defying General and Kratia were conversing. Lee Shin Woo took off his helmet and instantaneously changed his undead face into his human one. Prince shut her mouth. "...Huh?" "Well, this is how it is, Senior. Ill exin it soon, so please be patient." "Huh? ...Huh?" Prince couldnt understand what was going on and tilted her head. Kratia thought she might struggle like Seira did, so she grabbed onto her. Fortunately, she didnt struggle. She was shocked, unable to ept what was going on, and after trying to process everything... she lost consciousness and fell to the floor once more. "Kratia, did you hit her too hard?" "I admit, I was trying to hurt her. ...But I think she fainted for a different reason this time." "You admit it!?" "With her personality, it makes sense... Ugh, shes definitely the type you dont want as your friend." "Jin, how dare you talk behind her back while shes unconscious..." "Since she knows youre undead now, introduce me properly when she wakes up." The heroes conversed warmly, washing away a tiny bit of their exhaustion. Then, Chi Paul screamed in joy at fulfilling its revenge. [Kuooooooooh!] "...I guess I got to go." "Are you going to do to them what you did to me?" "It wont be as extreme as what I did to you. Then, Ill get going." The blinding light had subsided somewhat, so Dana approached him and asked. Lee Shin Woo just grinned and replied, and then went towards the Chi Pauls, who hadpletely devoured all of the golems without leaving a single speck of them. They looked quite menacing, such that they couldnt show themselves to outsiders, but once they saw Lee Shin Woo, they politely prostrated themselves and didnt forget to show their respect. [Thank you... Thank you so much!] [I will devote my entire being to you Lord Paul Zero, for giving me a new life and an opportunity to fulfill my revenge!] [If you still have a use for us hideous, leftover monsters, then please use us whenever you see fit!] "How could you call yourselves monsters? You guys are family to me." Lee Shin Woo acted and Jin retched from behind him, but like always, he ignored her. He raised both his hands and covered the Chi Pauls with his darkness, which contained the power of Wild Card. He wasnt creating an Immortal or anything; he was just trying to make them grow into a different, more favorable direction. "Your revenge has been fulfilled. Youve already indulged in it, so now digest it and make it your own. Then, not me, but all of you need to decide where you go next." [Our revenge isnt finished yet. We cannot rest until the Undead Emperor, as well as the Magic Emperor, who sent Arema down here, are killed. Pleasemand us until then!] "Alright. Then, follow me." [Yes, sir!] The darknesspletely covered the Chimeras, and their bodies, which had be monstrous, melted away within the darkness. Lee Shin Woo spoke as if it were incredibly easy, but it actually wasnt so. In the process of obtaining their revenge, the Chimeras forms had be twisted, and Lee Shin Woo was trying to change their appearance to match their karma; he was doing something ridiculous again! "Thisll hurt. Bear with it." [This doesnt even tickle...!] They had eaten both human and metallic bodies, and were unable to properly digest them, so Lee Shin Woo just extracted their souls. He then infused his mana into their bodies, which were aplete mess from mixing everything together, and transformed them into their most natural shape. After that, he returned their souls to their bodies and then tweaked them to suit them. Because hed acquired so much knowledge pertaining to golems, and had managed to create a few species, it wasnt very difficult for him. If God were to hear about this, shed be shocked! "...Alright, Im finished. That was simple." "Hoooo..." Ultimately, their bodies looked no different from a humans. But they were golems on the inside, so they were definitely not human. Perhaps hed seeded in creating the perfect Android that everyone dreamed of. Though there was one part of them that wasnt robotic: their soul! [Lv8 Android Zero Avenger Chi Paul] [You havebined the info of countless golems and managed to create an android, a being which cannot be distinguished from a regr human. All stats have increased by 20.] In the end, it turned out exactly as hed expected. While the other Chimera Avenger remained at level 7 (or leveled up from level 6), Chi Paul, whod devoured Arema Steelworker, had reached level 8! "A-Ah." Chi Paul, which had originally been made up of several souls and bodies, had finally be a singr being. Its consciousness, which felt as though it were obscured by a thick mist, had cleared uppletely without a single cloud in sight. It felt as though it had woken up from a dream and had returned to reality. Chi Paul just vacantly stared at its creator. The naked handsome man was instantly garbed in armor that resembled Lee Shin Woos. But contrary to Lee Shin Woos armor, Chi Pauls armor was a dazzling mix of red and gold. Perhaps it was a symbol of its strength. "Father." "Huh?" "Father!" "Huh!?" Chi Paul called him father and kneeled before him, and the other Chi Pauls followed suit. Lee Shin Woo had suddenly be the father of all these grown men, so he was startled and took a step back. However, the Chi Pauls were relentless. "Thank you, Father!" "Father!" "Im your son, Father!" "Uh..." How the hell did it turn out like this? These disgusting guys looked at him with such bright eyes, so Lee Shin Woo wondered whether he should forbid them from calling him father for the time being or not. But he ultimately decided against it. He was weak to his allies! "Yeah. Im your father." On that day, hed gained so much, and lost something trivial. The undead curse, as well as the fate of the Underground Empire, had taken one step forward towards their mutual end. Chapter 48 part1 [You have hunted one of the 12 Generals, the Lv8 Metal God General, Arema Steelworker! All contributing heroes gain 50,000,000 Perium and all stats are increased by 100. You have acquired 15 permits to Gods secret shop. Proficiency in allbat-rted skills increases significantly!] [The Wild Card skill has be Lv4. All stats have increased by 30. You can now more naturally mix your skills together and disguise them.] [The Manatization skill has be Lv4, and Health and Magic have increased by 10. All of your skin is manatized, allowing you to use mana more efficiently. However, your physical strength is reduced by an equivalent amount. A portion of your Strength, Health, and Agility are converted into Magic.] [The Mana eleration and High Rank Mana Bone skills have be Lv9, and Magic has increased by 40. You may have figured out how to wield the very source of mana. The time when these two skills fuse is nearing.] [The High Rank Assimtion skill has be Lv7. Agility and Magic have increased by 40.] [You have received Gods grace. The Invisible Heart skills maximum level has increased by 10.] Lee Shin Woo received his rewards from the battle only after all the Chi Pauls had finished transforming into androids. Since they ate the golems whole, he didnt receive any Perium, any metal (it probably transformed into bone), or any golem cores. However, he still managed to receive the reward for defeating one of the 12 Generals, albeit btedly. "My apologies, Father. I wasnt even thinking..." "No, it was because of your Avenger karma. Its fine. Id rather you level up than get one or two level 8 bones. You have nothing to feel sorry about, Chi Paul." "Father...!" "Id appreciate it if you werent so touched by everything I say..." Lee Shin Woo felt a little guilty, since they retained their title of Chi Paul, despite no longer being Chimeras, and checked how they felt. When he asked them about it, they responded with We like this name, since its the name you gave us, Father!, which only made him feel even guiltier. [You manipted a battlefield containing the 12 Generals as you pleased and attained victory. Although you lost two of them, you killed two of the 12 Generals and brought one of them over to your side. You sowed chaos, proving your standing as a Joker!] [You have acquired the title, Compass Breaker and all stats have increased by 30! Strength has increased by an additional 50!] "Why do I feel like these titles keep getting more and more chuuni? Although I like how much they raise my stats." "...I got the title, Witch who Challenges Time, and my Magic and Agility increased by 30. Its strange. The level of your titles are very different, Shin Woo." There was one thing that was fortunate for him. When hed killed the Golden Shadow General, Vellun Von Dorthe, only Jin and he had gained the hero rewards, but killing Arema Steelworker had yielded rewards for Kratia as well! However, there were still some rewards left that only Lee Shin Woo could obtain... He was referring to the princess that was blinking her eyes beside him. Did her eyes still hurt a little bit? Lee Shin Woo took out a handkerchief for her to wipe her tears, but then a message appeared. [You have made one of the 12 Generals, the Lv8 Spirit General, Dana Von Etliber into your loyal subordinate, and have released her from the clutches of the undead curse. This is a greater achievement than simply killing one of the 12 Generals. This act will cause your enemies to quake in fear while also raising the morale of your allies. All stats have increased by 100. You have acquired 20 permits to Gods secret shop. Proficiency in allbat-rted skills increases significantly!] [You have received Gods grace. The Invisible Heart skills maximum level has increased by 15.] [Proficiency in the High Rank Command skill has increased. You now understand the potential that lies beyond the Command skill.] "Ooh. I thought the Species Creator title meant Id miss out on everything else, but guess not." "Isnt it because that was your reward for creating a new species, rather than killing one of the 12 Generals?" "Ha. Gods being generous." Following the battle, Lee Shin Woos stats increased significantly, which resulted in his body undergoing a change; he closed his eyes gently and smiled (hed already returned to his human form). But if God were actually here then shed feel awkward, as there wasnt much more that she could really do for him. Though his means were truly wicked, hed managed to kill two level 8 members of the 12 Generals (one of them being a spy from the surface with his own secret n) and made another his subordinate. Hed done what none of the heroes had been able to do before all in one spot. Even he didnt know how to feel about it, but in terms of results, he was a real hero. "Ah, shall we eat the bones we couldnt eat before? ...Jin, you want them?" "Im good! Im fine now!" Most of the bones werent anything special, besides the Golden Shadows leg bone. His bone was worth absorbing. With his High Rank Combat Sense skill leveling up, Lee Shin Woos stats increased by a little more than 120. Furthermore, by absorbing his darkness knife, Lee Shin Woo was finally able to able to summon weapons imbued with the darkness element! Moreover, they were more perfect than before! "...It seems like youve gotten even further away from me, Shin Woo." "Hes always like this. It seems like whenever you blink, this happens." "So he was always such an exceptional individual. I understand." It was unbelievable; it hadnt been long since hed leveled up, yet he was close to 20,000 total stats at 19,945. Hed given up on getting to level 9, as hed felt it would be impossible, but at some point, the road to getting there had shortened significantly. Hed grown so much quicker than before, so he tilted his head in confusion. But in a way, it was only natural. When hed be level 8, hed been doing the unexinable on a regr basis, causing his karma to skyrocket. "I still need to increase my stats by about 6,000... Itll probably be difficult to get to level 9 before fighting the Emperor. Beating him should be a piece of cake if I reach level 9." "Thats what you call greed." "I hope the Emperor doesnte over here right away." After all, theyd just shot and created a huge st at the capital. Kratia felt like they should run away ASAP, but Lee Shin Woo firmly shook his head. "You really think the Emperor could get out unscathed from that big of a st? He cant respond right away. Moreover, theres the matter of his troops. At least 20% of his troops shouldve been vaporized by that st." "Probably not, Hero." Surprisingly, Dana was the one who retorted. She folded the handkerchief, ced it within her chest, and spoke calmly. He had no idea why she was calling him Hero. "The capitals thorn wall is on apletely different level than the one here. Its because the source of darkness mana is in the capital. Moreover, my father... the Emperor may have done something to it after bing an undead. So your beam shouldnt have cut down their troops." "Its that powerful...?" "Regardless of how powerful the defense, troops level 5 or less wouldve been destroyed. However, low-leveled enemies are meaningless against us." In other words, assuming she were right, there were only elite level 6 troops or higher left in the capital. He was wondering why he hadnt gotten a message notifying him of some extraordinary feat, but if the capitals defenses were that thorough then it made sense. "Then we have to just be satisfied with them not getting any stronger." "Hoo, hoo... You werent listening, Hero." But then, for some reason, Dana smiled meaningfully. At that moment... a message appeared in front of Lee Shin Woo. [You havepletely destroyed the capitals thorn wall, as well as the rest of its physical and magical defenses! You are the first to achieve such an incredible feat! Now your enemies will have to face the heroes in the open. The final battle is approaching!] [You have acquired the title, Shield Breaker! You have acquired the special passive skill, Soul Strike MAX. All your physical and magical attacks gain 10% true damage. Your attacks ignore your opponents defenses, resistances, properties and inflict true damage onto them! You have fulfilled a portion of the conditions necessary to achieve the light and darkness fusion element!] "Huh!?" "It seems like youve achieved a feat. It makes sense. You unleashed such light. The thorn wall must have copsed." "It wasnt just the thorn wall. I destroyed all of the capitals physical and magical defenses too. So this is what you were talking about..." "Yes." Lee Shin Woo felt like hed been struck by lightning. In other words, rather than reducing the capitals troops, Dana was... "So youre saying its more important that the st eliminated all the capitals defenses." "Thats correct. My father was always more talented in defense, rather than offense. The capitals thorn wall was considered an absolute defense, and although hes been trapped in the capital for so many years, my father has drawn more power from the source to perfect the defense. Yet you destroyed it so... Hoo, hoo. It was quite a delightful st." The thorn wall, an obstacle thaty beyond the 12 Generals, had been destroyed, so now the heroes could invade the capital freely. When he thought about it, it was truly ironic. Hed used the very weapon the Emperor had prepared to get to the surface to destroy his defenses! And because of that, hed gained the Soul Strike skill in preparation for the final battle, so Lee Shin Woo didnt have anyints. Moreover, this skill smelled like an authority, just like his innate elements. The fact that hed fulfilled a portion of the conditions necessary to acquire the light and darkness fusion element was proof of that. It meant that there was more to pursue. I cant really deny it anymore. Jeez. While the talented heroes were fighting against the Demon King, I was just trying to find a way to be human again, so how did it turn out like this? It didnt matter; it didnt change anything. There was no reason to hide the fact that hed fired the cannon anymore. Hed provoked the Emperor for sure, and hed have to give it everything he had to keep himself alive. The Lich whod lost his body once before was still out there too. ...Wait a sec. He thought back to the recent battle and recalled something. "What was Seagald Von Retadane even trying to do here?" "Wasnt he trying to recruit his little sister? He perfected the Anti-Skull process by watching the Pauls and led her here to..." "No, thats not it. He didnte here for just Seira. He came here for this cannon too... Whats the original name again? Heaven Rending Cannon? He was trying to do something with this too." "Maybe he was trying to shoot it at the capital to strengthen the Emperor." "No way." If that were his intention, then he wouldnt have gone about it like this. He wouldve sworn his allegiance to the Emperor and... "Ah." He realized all of a sudden. When he thought back to how he used the Heaven Rending Cannon, then the answer became simple. He knew what Seagald had intended to use the cannon for. It was simr to what hed used it for! "The Anti-Skull test... The Anti-Skull tests objective is...?" "Resisting the undead transformation... No, thats not it. Its to make sane undead." "What happens if theyre sane?" "Theyll try to invade the surface... Ah." Jin realized it too now. "Shin Woo, is Seagald...?" "Yeah." Lee Shin Woo clicked his tongue and nodded his head. "That bastard. By mixing his mana into the Heaven Rending Cannon and firing it at the capital, he was trying to convert all of the imperial forces into Anti-Skull... He would lead the Emperor and invade the surface!" Chapter 48 part2 Rather than hate the Emperor, whod turned his people into the undead, he was trying to change his mind and correct his mistake. That was Seagalds goal. He was never against the Emperor in the first ce. On the contrary, if the undead curse had never urred, then he would still be the one closest to the Emperor. "Now I get it. If we assume that that was his goal, then everything makes sense... I wonder how I never even considered it." "Opposing the Heaven Defying General, and backstabbing the Metal God General, a spy sent from the surface were both..." "Then why start acting now? Because the Anti-Skull test wasnt perfect?" Lee Shin Woo briefly thought about it and soon firmly shook his head. "Theres that, but they also couldnt approach and convert the Emperors forces into Anti-Skull given their strength. The entire reason we were able to cause such chaos here was because wed killed so many of the 12 Generals." "Thats really persuasive;ing from the guy whos killed most of them." "The timing... The timing was paramount..." Hed finally figured out Seagalds n, but it didnt change anything, at least for the time being. At any rate, Seagald had failed miserably, and the once Heaven Rending Cannon, now Heaven Defying g Bearer, had expended all of its energy and shattered with Lee Shin Woo cing it into his inventory after. "But theres a chance he might try something simr in the future." "We have to take this seriously. To think wed have to worry about both the Imperial Army and Anti-Skull... You really shouldve killed Seagald back there." "Im so sorry that I wasnt skilled enough." Hed never even thought about this before, but if Seagalds technique worked on the Emperor or the Archmage, then it posed a serious problem. A simple issue he could originally deal with purely underground would suddenly involve the surface and turn into a major catastrophe. The biggest problem was that the undead curse, which had been suppressed thus far, was spreading to the surface! He had to stop that no matter what. The biggest threat to the surface wasnt the Undead Emperor; it was Seagald Von Retadane! Retadane mightve known about this before; maybe thats why she hated her older brother so much. "Shin Woo, are your undead safe from Anti-Skull?" "Nothing to worry about there. The Anti-Skull transformation is a little inferior to my own process." Lee Shin Woos contract was a result of his innate skills as a Joker, as well as his peak darkness mastery. No matter how hard Seagald tried to turn them, they were already contracted to Lee Shin Woo, so he wouldnt be able to steal them from him. "No, thats not the issue here! Listen to me!" "The current situations more important than you are, Senior." "Dont just cut me off like that!" Then, someone grabbed onto Lee Shin Woos armor from behind and began shaking him. It was, of course, the sleeping beauty that had btedly awoken from her second nap, Prince. "Hows this even possible? How can something like this even happen?" "Please refer those questions to God." "You really think I can meet God whenever I want like you!?" "No, well, I cant meet Her whenever I want either..." Once she regained consciousness, she didnt panic like theyd expected. Rather, she simply asked them for an exnation. So they gave her a detailed exnation. Once they did, she was in disbelief. "If you werent going to believe us, then why did you ask for an exnation?" "A skeleton and skeleton horse were heroes all along...!" "Dont believe us then. Its your choice. Even without you, it doesnt change much in our fight against the Emperor." "What do you mean it doesnt change much!? Dont you know how strong I am? I was just feeling under the weather today. If I use my full strength, then...!" Lee Shin Woo and Jin were both relieved by her familiar response. They had, unknowingly, gotten attached to her in the time theyd spent together. Lee Shin Woo just smiled at her nonsense and said. "In any case, I am your junior, Senior Prince, so please dont worry. Im not entirely sure whether Im undead or human anymore. Haha." "Thats because youre not normal, Shin Woo." "I didnt even know that my junior was masquerading as the Heaven Defying General and going around the Empire like an idiot..." "It just turned out that way. By chance." "Ugh..." Prince retained her perplexed expression. If she had remained calm, then he wouldve been worried. But her confusion was brief, and she seemed to have made her decision, as she ced her hand on Lee Shin Woos shoulder. "You did good! You can rely on me from now on!" "You talk like youre actually reliable." "Who cares if youre undead? Youre just missing some muscles and skin!" "I can make them, you know." "Wait, what? You..." She was probably going to ask what was really on her mind now. Prince briefly hesitated and spoke while pouting. "I lumped all the undead together without thinking about you. Since I thought all undead were on the side of the Empire..." "...Its ok. Im sorry for not telling you earlier. Maybe I was just too afraid." Hed concluded that he couldnt reveal his identity to the heroes due to the undead curse or what not, but seeing her now, Lee Shin Woo realized that perhaps he just hadnt trusted her enough. In the first ce, Lee Shin Woo wasnt familiar with abstract feelings like trust. "Now that were at it, should I tell seniors Lloyd and Erian about me? Jin, dont you want to try the chatting channel, too?" "Nope." "Ah, wait... Wouldnt it be better if you did that face-to-face? Itll be a shock." "You really arent reliable in important matters, Senior." "Why not!? Im just taking everyone into consideration!" The mood had certainly rxed. Fortunately, Dana was someone he could get through to, unlike Seira. Plus, she was friendly and sweet, so she immediately mingled with the group and began talking with them. Lee Shin Woo thought woman are really amazing and quietly hurried up... And arrived at the site for the final task remaining in the city. "Weve arrived." "This is... The thorn wall? Cant we just break it and leave?" "Its hard to get into the thorn wall, but its not that hard to get out of the wall. Hero, I will..." "No." Lee Shin Woo ignored the others, disembarked from Jin, and approached the wall. He seemed so defenseless that Dana tried to stop him, but Jin quietly shook her head. Lee Shin Woo then began what he came to do. "Gather. Agglomerate." He said just two words and extended his hand, cing it atop the thorn wall. Hispanions looked on while wondering, what is he doing? and tilted their heads... Soon, the thorn wall that seemed to wrap around the inner city vibrated and soon after they widened their eyes. "...This isnt happening, right?" "The Hero shouldnt have control over the thorn wall... Ha, I see. Hes using a simr method that he used on the Heaven Rending Cannon with the Proof of Death!" Of course he wasnt. Even without the Proof of Death, he could control the thorn wall however he wished. Once he told it to gather, the thorn wall obeyed and began to gather. It was no mere magical ovep any longer; it was aplete ovep, or unison! The Evil Eyes existence had gradually gotten even stronger due to the battle behind its walls. The Evil Eye, poorly processed by man, received Lee Shin Woos call and began to awaken from its slumber. It seemingly returned to its proper form. "M-My god... Ovepping matter itself? Did Evil Eye originally possess such an ability? No, thats impossible. Even the Emperor himself doesnt possess such a karma." "When you see this, it makes you regret destroying the capitals thorn wall..." "Wouldnt it be broken when we get there? We can just pick up the pieces when were there." "No, I dont think thats the issue here. Since the source of darkness, where the Evil Eye ore is mined from, lies within the capital!" He may be able to devour the very source of darkness as well, Dana thought. She watched as the thorn wall, with a circumference of several kilometers, begin to dwindle more and more until it waspressed so much that it could be seen in its entirety with the naked eye. When she saw that, she ended up thinking that. "Shin Woo... What are you going to do with that?" The others were either shocked, had stopped thinking entirely, or couldnt understand what was going on, so they kept their mouths shut. On the other hand, Kratias eyes shined, just like Lee Shin Woos, as she saw the thorn wall gradually reduce in size. Now that he thought about it, hed been so busy since reuniting with her that he hadnt had a proper conversation with her as of yet. Lee Shin Woo solemnly nodded his head and took out something from his chest. It was the Titan Core. When she saw that, her eyes seemed to radiate light. "Ooh. Oooooh...!" "Its already been reinforced with Dark me. Im going to reinforce it with this new ore and create a Titan that integrates all my mes together." "Ooooooh! What a cool idea!" Her radiant eyes seemed more blinding than the Heaven Rending Cannons beam! In any case, hed found someone to help him. If Kratia helped him out, then he should be able to create an entirely new golem before the final battle! Lee Shin Woo let her look over the core some more and concentrated on scaling down andpressing the Evil Eye. Hed already thrown in the piece of Evil Eye hed picked up before. Around that point, the other heroespletely gave up on understanding what he was doing. How much time had passed? When the space the thorn wall had once upied was empty, a watermelon sized ckish-red ore was ced before them. It was giving off a truly dreary feeling. Lee Shin Woo gulped and ced his hand atop it. [You have acquired the Lv9 Demon Heart.] "Oh. The names changed." "You used level 6 materials, yet it evolved into a level 9 item..." "Demon Heart... To think Shin Woos heart, which hed lost by bing undead, would show up here..." "Hey." Lee Shin Woo examined the Demon Heart. It was incredibly heavy, but he could somehow lift it with both hands. If he didnt use the darkness element, then it wouldve been impossible to lift. Its weight, its durability, and its magic. All of these were much greater than the original thorn wall. If he hadnt witnessed thepression process of the thorn wall, then even Lee Shin Woo wouldnt have imagined that it came from the Evil Eye ore. "Alright. Weve got everything we came for. Lets go." "But Shin Woo, where are we going? The wine factory?" "No, were going somewhere even better." It had existed for several years but was so secretive that it hadnt been discovered by the Emperor. Lee Shin Woo knew of its location and had just recently be the owner of it. "The Metal Armys secret base. No, lets call it our base now." "You demon... Thats definitely Shin Woos heart." "Heaven Defying General Paul Zero... So cool." Jin shook her head and muttered, but Kratia nodded her head, as though she were impressed by anything Paul Zero did. Seeing that, Prince just said thoughtlessly. "Im hungry. Lets eat when we get there." Chapter 48 part3 No matter how hungry Prince was, or how much Kratia wanted to study the Titan Core, there was something else they had to do beforehand. It was collecting the loot from the battle. Lee Shin Woos party safely got out of Bayran and then gathered with the android Chi Pauls, the Chi Pauls that had already withdrawn from the city, and the Giants; he praised them for their hard work and then reinforced them with the bones that were gathered. [Thank you very much, Lord Paul Zero!] "Theres not much time left. Are you all ready?" [We all saw the light that you unleashed, Lord Paul Zero. Were prepared to sacrifice everything for you at any time!] [Glory to the Titan!] "Alright, good. Those who havent been reinforced yet,e forward!" He first reinforced them, fully healing them and strengthening them. Then, they hid within one of their nearby bases and got back on track. "What a huge army! No matter how I look at it, those Giants dont fit at all...!" "Haha. Theyre just a portion of my army. Ah, some of my forces are also on the surface. This is a secret, but Jin Jin already knows about me and is doing something for me on the surface." "Even Ye Jin Jin!? Im the senior here, but Ive never been to the surface before...!" "All the citizens of the Underground Empire yearn to go the surface, yet you so easily..." Hed managed to collect the thorn wall, the loot, as well as the forces hed brought with him. By the time he was finished with all that, Lee Shin Woo was about to activate the Heaven Doors Key but remembered that he had some things to do before going to the Metal Armys base. Therefore, he decided to visit the wine factory first, which was near the level 3 danger zone. Plus, most of the materials that Kratia had studied had been left there, and above all, he needed to check on the progress of the wine. "Junior, youre good at cooking food with oil." "Well, this is how it turns out when a man cooks." "...One more bowl." Once the long, exhausting battle was over, Lee Shin Woo cooked meat fried rice over high heat (he called it high heat, but he was actually using his Lv7 High Rank Fire element) for hispanions, who yearned for food more than anything else. The best way to prepare delicious food when one couldnt cook well was to use delicious ingredients and prepare them in the simplest way! Of course, everyone liked his food. "Its quite delicious, Hero. Theres nothing you cant do." "Therere things Shin Woo cant do. Like fighting head-to-head." "Jin, arent you being too hard on metely? Ah, we have soup too." He also prepared a soup using a variety of vegetables from the surface; the soups base tasted like something between soybean paste and soy sauce, and he let ite to a roaring boil. Because he prepared it so simply, it tasted good. It was quite mildpared to the rich fried rice, yet it was nheless filled with vor, making the two dishes a good match. "This soup is delicious! Why didnt you cook before, if you were so good at it?" "I couldnt eat before, so I didnt really want to cook for other people." "Youre really honest... Ah, give me another bowl too!" But now, he could enjoy food. He tried his best to ignore Jins betrayed look and ate some more fried rice. Right now, he felt like he had made the right call to pursue a human body. However, Jin wasnt the only one staring at him. He turned around, looked at the almostpletely still woman, and tilted his head. "What, youre not eating? You can eat too, you know." "How can you be so... nonchnt about all this..." She, the Elder Banshee Princess, Seira Von Retadanes hands shook in rage. But she couldnt just throw away her bowl of food, so she ced it onto the floor, pointed her finger at Lee Shin Woo, and said. "We have something else to talk about! Because of you, I turned into this...! Plus, I turned into an undead! How can you be so calm and eat as if nothing happened when Lee Shin Woo has been hiding the fact that hes been undead this entire time!? How is that even possible? How can you eat his food without a care in the world!?" "I already knew a while back, so it doesnt matter." "Mm... I know hes not a bad guy, so theres no helping it. Moreover, hes my junior! Plus, he doesnt smell like hes dead! From the outside... oh, I guess its the same on the inside too. Hespletely human; more importantly, hes on my side!" Kratia answered immediately. Prince, with her lips smeared with oily rice, also came to his defense, though she was extremely biased. Whereas, Jin, who was likewise an undead hero like Lee Shin Woo, said nothing. The Immoral Princess Dana, who had been eating her third bowl of fried rice, looked at her close friend and former fiances younger sister andughed. "Seira, youve been freed of the undead curse. You shouldnt waste your time being dissatisfied and throwing a tantrum. If it wasnt for the Hero, then you wouldnt be able to eat this delicious food. Im in the same boat as well." "Dana...!" Although the twos species werepletely different, one being an Immortal while the other was a Banshee, as well as one being alive and the other undead, their situation was the same. They were given another chance at life by Lee Shin Woo. And on the same day at that. "Its a blessing, Seira. Youre happy youre alive, right? Being able to move forward; its such a precious thing. Moreover, didnt the Hero say that it didnt matter what we looked like? What matters is that were here, alive." "But thus far hespletely..." "It doesnt matter if hes deceived you. You know why he had to lie to you, Seira." "I... I still cant ept this. This isnt what I chose. This is contract fraud." "Tch. She found out." He figured shed be happy that he saved her, but it seems like she was still going through puberty. Lee Shin Woo was about to say something, but Dana winked at him. She was telling him to leave it to her. "The Hero was willing to go that far to save you and give you another chance. At the time, you couldnt make a rational decision, could you? Why dont you first think about why he saved you when he normally cuts down his enemies without mercy." "...Dana." "I know, Seira. Theres too much that happened all at once for you to ept it. Mulling things over is a good thing. But Seira, lets take it slow, step by step and think about things together. Theres no need to rush. We can be together from now on. ...Ah, but there is one thing." Danas motherly speech caused even Seiras expression to soften. Seeing that, Lee Shin Woo realized that not just anyone could be a princess. During that time, Danas attitude changed. Her emotions had intensified, signaling to him that she was instinctively gathering various types of elemental mana. "One thing we cant take slow is our revenge. To be honest, I really dont care what happens to the surface from now on, but I must take my revenge on my father, who bound me for so many years and made me like this; as well as his forces and my fiance who abandoned me." "Dana." "Can you help me, Seira? Could you trust me and the Hero, and help us?" Hed already formed an official contract with her, so he didnt need to check what she was thinking. But even knowing that, Dana still gave Seira the chance to make her own decision. As she said, she was starting small; she was trying to resolve Seiras countless contradictions and aspirations one-by-one. Did she seed? Seira soon sighed and shook her head. "Stop speaking nonsense, Dana. I know already. That I already made my choice... At this point, Im just spitting on my own face." Shes right. She was just wasting time. However, she picked up the bowl of fried rice and soup again, so Lee Shin Woo decided not to intervene. Dana looked satisfied with herself as she backed off. "Hoo, hoo. If you already know, then theres nothing more I have to say." "But I do have a question. Why are acting so close to Lee Shin Woo? Im pretty sure youve only known him for a few hours, so why are you acting like that? Did he brainwash you?" "Oh my." Danas eyes lit up. Jin, who sensed something unusual going on, kicked Lee Shin Woo, but he was actually innocent this time. Hed already formed an official contract with her, and there was no need to enter a rtionship with her, so why would he be attracted to her!? "He hasnt brainwashed me, Seira. I just felt fated to be with him, thats all. Think about it, Seira. It would be strange if I hadnt fallen for him; a brave hero saving me from all that pain and suffering." "That kind of pure and beautiful love only shows up in fairytales; it doesnt often work out that way. Moreover, why are you calling him Hero? Theres a limit to being old-fashioned." "Hoo. You were always so pessimistic, Seira. Thats why men didnt approach you." "What... That goes for you as well!" "I already had a fiance before I was even born, so I couldnt even dream of love!" Ah, it was going so well, but they started arguing over an unexpected topic! The level 8 Banshee and Immortal were looking at each other so seriously! Lee Shin Woo stood up in a fluster. "If youre done eating, then should I bring out the dessert? Ive cooled some wine jelly, so Ill just bring it right up!" "...Not yet. Ill soon finish eating, so please wait a little longer." However, Seira herself stopped Lee Shin Woo. She red at Dana, as if deeply unsatisfied (for her, it was quite the rare expression) and then began to eat some fried rice. The fact that she was eating her food meant that she epted the situation. He thought shed throw a tantrum before calming down, but things had surprisingly gone better than expected. Lee Shin Woo sat back down, and Seira looked at him with a satisfied, yet lukewarm expression, as though something was nd; her skin was paler now that she was an undead, making her lips more alluring than before. She pouted and said. "The fried rice and soup were delicious." "...Im d to hear it." "Eut..." While Seira was eating, Lee Shin Woo finished his work in the wine factory and called the Dryads, who were hiding due to the shock from unexpected visitors. He introduced them to Dana and as expected, they were really happy to see her. "There really were living spirits left in the Underground Empire! Ah, what a joyous asion..." [Its nice to meet you, Princess.] [Its the famous princess. Shes not human, but shes still alive!] [I smell Paul Zero from her. She mustve formed a contract with Paul Zero!] [So thats why shes still alive! She smells good.] [Want to y with us? Want to imitate Paul Zero?] Dana brightened up immediately. The others mood brightened as well. Jin followed Dana and began conversing with the Dryads as well. Hed wondered how this would go a while back, but it seemed like it had all worked out. Lee Shin Woo sighed in relief and drew in her empty bowl from behind. It was shining as if he didnt even need to wash it. Lee Shin Woo took it and stared at her. Then, Seira added in an unnecessary exnation. "...In the Empire, eating everything off your te is the greatestpliment to the chef. Its not because I was hungry." "So thats why everyone ate everything." "B-But... Didnt you used to speak politely to me?" "Weve formed a master-servant contract, so wouldnt me speaking politely be kind of weird? And its not my style anyway." "I see." He yed along with Prince because it was fun. Lee Shin Woo took the bowl and threw it into his inventory. Seira watched vacantly as he did so and added. "My inventorys disappeared. How unfortunate; I wanted to brew a cup of tea for you in exchange for the meal." "Eh, I can just buy you a teapot and some tea leavester." "...Is that so? Thank you." Seira thanked him and nodded her head. He thought thatd be it, so he turned around, but she grabbed onto him once more. "Now... I dont have to cling to the Retadane name anymore. Its all because of you." "Man, you really have to pin everything on me?" "...So, you can call me Seira now." "Huh?" "Im going to try living as Banshee Seira from now on. ...Thats all." Seira turned around and left. He watched her, dumbfounded, and Jin, whode back secretly, kicked him once more. He couldnt tell why shed done that at all. Chapter 48 part4 Lee Shin Woo was barely able to get Dana to part with the Dryads by promising to introduce her to the spirits on the surface. Then, he and his party left the wine factory and traveled to the Metal Armys base. If he hadnt acquired the administrator seal and been to their base before, then he wouldnt have been able to lead them into the chaos; and if that happened, he wouldve had to work that much harder to lower the Imperial Army and the Anti-Skulls forces. "Moreover, its because of that that we got ourselves such a nice facility." "Thats really not the way a human being thinks." "Wow. I didnt know you could use golems like this..." "Im really satisfied." "Its quite vast. To think they built and operated a hidden facility like this..." They had taken the golem train and arrived at the Metal Armys base. While the younger generation of heroes looked around, as if fascinated, Seira and Dana were absolutely speechless. Of course, they realized by now that Arema Steelworker was a spy from the surface, but they hadnt expected such an expansive facility being run under the entire Empire in the past; even when the Underground Empire was still thriving. "Its because of this that they were able to move so covertly." "Im surprised you were able to recreate that seal or what not, Hero. Its not easy to do, even for a magician." The Empire had the Archmage, Feotane Von Seldin, but even he wasnt able to find this base. This base had existed for far too long for him to me it on them bing undead. Lee Shin Woo just shrugged his shoulders. "Now that you mention it, I feel like its because of my innate ability. Ah, using Bone Reinforcement on the golems helped too, since it lets me look at them closely." "I see. Its abination of your talent and your disposition." "Makes sense. Lets take a look, starting from the outside." They passed the golem train terminal and first encountered a long, outside corridor. There were a few huge rooms and warehouses, but all of them were empty. He assumed that they were originally filled with his troops: level 6 golems. They were, of course, in his Chi Pauls bellies now. "But this shouldnt be all there is." "They should have a golem manufacturing facility somewhere." He was well aware of this, as hed killed some of them. There were, of course, golems that had been created dozens of years ago, but there had also been golems with recent production numbers among them. While spying on the Underground Empire, Arema Steelworker had also been increasing his forces. His party had finished looking through the outer corridors, and then went towards the inner facilities, which couldnt be essed without the Steelworker seal; they were really excited, and... "Ooooooh!" "Oh, its over there." Kratias yell resounded as if sounding fanfare. The party soon entered a huge room filled with devices and mysterious crystals. Above all, both walls were adorned with vaults filled with level 6 Original Cores. Once she saw the cores, she couldnt contain her excitement. "Kratia, is this..." "Yeah." Kratia nodded her head enthusiastically as if deeply moved. Whenever she was introduced to a new, unknown magical technique, she tended to get really excited. "A manufacturing facility that produces arge quantity of Original Cores... It really did exist. The surfaces magic engineering is amazing!" "Kratia, you seem a bit different." "Uooooh!" Kratiapletely ignored Prince and uttered a sound, as if she were a human power nt, and rushed over to the magical device and began to observe it. He would feel bad if he interrupted her since she was concentrating so hard. Lee Shin Woo decided to leave this entire facility to Kratia and looked through the other facilities. He looked through the golems weapon storehouse, the material storehouse, the golem production facility, as well as the repair facility... Even Lee Shin Woo had gotten excited from looking through these storehouses that remained intact for dozens of years. "I should be able to expand the golem squad significantly!" "Oh God." "Godll like it too. Probably." By the time hed gone through about 80% of the inner facilities, Lee Shin Woo found one of the things he was looking for. It was the golem terminal that remotely controlled the railroad. "Jin, do you remember what that Steelworker bastard told usst time? It was when we still had to get their permission to use the golem trains." "Did they even say anything important regarding the trains?" "They did. It was incredibly important info at that. They definitely told us that they had a line that went directly to the capital." "The capital!? Oh my god!" "Theres a line that goes directly to the capital!?" Dana and Seira, whod both been quietly listening in, yelled in astonishment. They should know exactly what this meant! Lee Shin Woo nodded his head and added. "Im pretty sure it was Guillotine. He said that In the process of escaping the capital, wepletely destroyed the passageway and the road was closed." "He mustve been lying." "He was lying." They had been fighting like prepubescent girls before, but now they were agreeing with each other. Lee Shin Woo felt that their rtionship was really entertaining and nodded his head. "Its obviously a lie. If that line was discovered, then whether they closed the road or not wouldnt have mattered; the Imperial Army wouldve gotten through. At the time, I didnt know what high level individuals could do, so I assumed they were telling the truth and let it go, but now that Im level 8, I know. Their line was never discovered after escaping the capital. And thats why they were able to continue using this base." "Impossible... Its preposterous..." "Arema Steelworker. He truly was looking down on the Underground Empire. It frustrates me that we never even knew about this. We were ying in the palm of his hand..." Dana and Seira were in sync as if theyd made arrangements beforehand. The more pissed they were, the more aggressively they would fight. Lee Shin Woo nodded his head in satisfaction and said. "In any case, thats why, at the time, I hadnt used the line to go to the capital. But nows different. I thought thered be a facility that controlled ess to the line inside... Hoo. It was really here." "You thought this far ahead? Ah, as expected of a hero hand-picked by God..." Dana looked at Lee Shin Woo as if she were a love struck girl. In response, Seira looked at Dana with a sullen expression and said. "I wanted to say this before, but there are a lot more heroes picked by God than just Lee Shin Woo, Dana." "But what were you all doing while the Hero was doing all this?" "Ugh. We were... We were also..." "I know! Popcorn! This is where we eat popcorn, right?" "Prince, youre really..." While they were noisily chatting in the background, Lee Shin Woo carefully looked at the device. Without the Steelworker seal, he couldnt even approach it; it was set up that way. Whats worse, it couldnt be controlled without Arema Steelworkers seal. But that wont stop me anymore. Lee Shin Woo was level 8 and he had the Wild Card skill now. Even if he didnt absorb Arema Steelworker, he was skilled enough to create the right seal, so long as he knew how the devices locking mechanism worked! Honestly, he could make it even easier and just use his Shining me to erase the locks cause-and-effect or his Dark me to steal ownership of the device. He could also use his Dark Shadow to reverse its locked state and open it and had several other methods avable to him as well, but he decided to just make the seal. "Alright. It really is open." "We can go to the capital!? Directly!?" "If thats the case, then... Then, now that the capitals defense mechanisms are gone, then we can just take this train and..." "Yep. We can just ignore their monsters and attack their life points directly." [1] Of course, he didnt mean that they would go right away. He still had lots he needed to prepare. But now he had a reliable way of traveling to the capital whenever he wanted. "The final battle... truly is near." "Its not going to be the final battle. Since some of the undead curse has spread to the surface already. Moreover, the Magic Emperors no joke, so we can only rx and live in peace once hes out of the picture." "The undead curse is affecting the surface..." Dana, who was quietly listening to him, scowled. Lee Shin Woo nced at her, and once he noticed his gaze, she lightly sighed and said. "Im not sure if you know this or not, but killing my father... Killing the Emperor wontpletely eliminate the curse." "Huh? What do you mean... Ah, are you talking about that source or what not?" "Yes, exactly." Seira had told him about it before. The reason they were able to mine Evil Eye was because the source of darkness, which had revived the Empire, had been close by. The ore that had been affected by said darkness was already so powerful, so how insanely powerful would the source itself be? It was scary just thinking about it. "Why didnt they equip that to the cannon and fire it? They wouldve been able to break through the barrier that way, right?" "But that wouldve destroyed both the underground and the surface. Thats just how powerful the source is. And the Emperor already used that to create the undead curse." "Thanks for exining it in a way that I could understand right away." "It was truly foolish. He didnt even think about the consequences and just went ahead with it. He used the source of darkness as the base of the undead curse, so the curse itself doesnt weaken. Once the Emperor is killed, something must be done about the source for the curse to fade away." "...Hmm." Lee Shin Woo felt like hed be able to do something about the source of darkness with his abilities. But he was concerned about something: what if the Emperor decided to use the source against him? He wouldnt do that unless he was crazy, but he was already crazy, so there was still a chance hed use it! "Is that source or whatever always next to the Emperor?" "Processing it is possible, but its difficult to move it, even for the Emperor himself. Its probably exactly where I remember it." "...I see. Well, I guess itll just work out." He would first get the Emperor and the Lich away from the source. He would kill the Emperor after taking care of the source. Since he had Seira and Dana on his side, both of which had detailed information on the capital, it shouldnt be too difficult. "But the questions how we take care of the two Liches." "Lets first think about where their life vessels may be hidden within the capital." "No need..." The party debated over the final battle, but then, the door opened and a small ice magician entered. Her hands were full of blueprints, which looked pretty cute. "Since I found out a way to improve the Huginns Eye." Kratia dered confidently. Huginns Eye? That level 8 artifact that they used to sense golems or the undead? He briefly tilted his head, but his eyes soon widened. When the culmination of the surfaces magic engineering met with another worlds magic, the story (the day before the final battle) would trulymence...! [1] T/N: Yu-Gi-Oh! or possibly some other TCG reference. Chapter 48 part5 To Prince, the Metal Armys base was a safe hiding ce, but to Seira and Dana, it was a ce that allowed them to ruminate over their anger. To Lee Shin Woo, it was a golem manufacturing facility, as well as a beachhead that would allow him a direct route to attack the capital. And finally, to Kratia, is was like a treasure vault. "As expected. Another worlds magic engineerings impressive. I see unlimited potential." "Im not so sure, but if you think so, Im sure its true." Its been so long since Kratia hadst been so energetic. Then again, it made sense. After all, shed underwent special training in battle magic, so she hadnt had enough time to study anything. But following the battle, she had projects like the Titan or the Huginns Eye to look forward to, so... Normally, one would loathe an increased workload, but she got excited over it like a pervert. Its a bit upsetting, but people like her probably revolutionize the world, he thought vaguely and finished up all the tasks he needed to do here. Hed only pulled the lever on the far right side, yet he heard a loud noise from afar. "Now we can go to the capital whenever we want." "...Im getting tense." "Its not like were going right away." If he could, hed like to reach level 9 before then. Moreover, he wanted toplete the Titan before then as well. If there were a Hyperbolic Time Chamber lying around somewhere, then hed go in, undergo strict mana training, and reach level 9 no matter what, but... It was most unfortunate that he didnt have the time right now. "Its all Seagalds fault." "But it was ultimately you who pulled the trigger, Lee Shin Woo." "Giving me the cold, hard truth isnt good for my mental health, so can you not...?" There was onest thing he needed to find, so he exited the room and perused the other facilities more quickly than before. There was still Aremas room, as well as a ce simr to themand and control center (where all the golems situation reports were directed to) to get to. There was also a storehouse filled with emergency-use consumable magical devices as well. And... "Found it." "Its really dark. Whats the room even for?" "Dont move. If you set foot into this room without Aremas seal, a ton of traps will activate." Just how important could it be, for the security of this particr room to be even stricter than themand and control center, or the device that remotely controlled the tracks. The party didnt know why they had to, but they followed Lee Shin Woos instructions and waited outside. Lee Shin Woo used Aremas seal and then went into the room. At that moment, the once dark room lighted up. It was an extremely small room. Aside from the lights, all that could be seen was a small table, a crystal thaty atop it, and a chair. "What kind of treasure is it, for them to go so far to protect it?" "This isnt a treasure. This is the Empires most dangerous switch." "Switch...?" "Ah, is it...!?" It seems like Dana was the first to realize what it was. Lee Shin Woo strode into the room and ced his hand atop the crystal. As expected, it was a device that would send a signal somewhere through the infusion of mana. Moreover, it used darkness element mana as a foundation to connect you to someone far away. This is... "Amunication device. Moreover, its amunication line unaffected by the barrier." The reason for it being unaffected by the barrier was extremely simple. Thismunication device was created by the same person whod made the barrier... In other words, it was created by the surfaces Magic Emperor. He ignored the others, who widened their eyes, and calmly sat in the chair. "What are you doing!? Are you going to dere war on the Emperor!?" "You dumbass. Theres no way Id do that." Lee Shin Woo scolded Jin and tapped his cheek. With that, his face and armor began to change. It was an unbelievable change, even to those witnessing it firsthand. Whats worse, the group couldnt even sense any magic, so they watched dumbfoundedly. [Why are you so surprised? I can switch between a human and an undead, so why wouldnt I be able to turn into a golem too?] "No, you... Your mana presence too." "Arema Steelworker. If I hadnt seen this with my own two eyes, then I wouldve thought that Arema Steelworker had returned from the dead. My god. How?" "When I transformed the Chimeras, I received some info on Arema too. ...Ah, with my current abilities, I could imitate him pretty well without it though." At that time, everyone realized what his intentions were. They were just speechless. Lee Shin Woo was trying to do something unbelievable! Lee Shin Woo told his party to remain quiet just in case, and even told them to even stand far away from him. After that, he made sure his disguise was perfect and activated Wild Card while sifting through Aremas memories. This skill would conceal any awkwardness of his. "Done." He stepped far enough away from the crystal and then infused his mana into it. Lee Shin Woo waited a short while and then, a persons face appeared on the crystal. Someone he couldnt meet no matter what hed done on the surface... The surfaces Emperor had appeared. Hed indirectly met the Magic Emperor before. At the time, the Emperor had been controlling the Evileye General, Shurina Von Hegel, so Lee Shin Woo could recognize him immediately. This was the real deal, the true Magic Emperor. He wasnt borrowing another persons body this time. He had shown up in his true form. Then again, he supposed there was no reason for the Emperor to put up a facade in front of the general hed sent underground. [Arema.] [Your Majesty.] There was no reason to waste time between them. Arema had served the Magic Emperor for several years and they shared the same beliefs. They could tell what the other was thinking without even saying it. [So theres been a change underground.] [Thats correct.] [Report, my loyal friend.] Yet, Lee Shin Woo was fooling that very Emperor! [Anti-Skull has made their stand. The exiles were transformed into Anti-Skull and Seagald was attempting to break through the barrier. Hes an irregr. Hes not like a normal undead; the most dangerous type of individual.] [So... are you saying that he can move forward? Truly?] [Its truly unbelievable, but... Thats correct. I was forced to sacrifice the Four Heavenly Commanders to find that out...] Lee Shin Woo had figured out how Arema or the Magic Emperor referred to the denizens underground when Chi Paul had absorbed Aremas body and had be an Android. He couldnt sift through the memories in any detail, but it was the bare minimum to imitate Arema Steelworker. [...Seagald. A descendant of the Retadanes.] [...] A voice filled with profound emotion. He didnt know what else to say, so he remained quiet, but being silent was what Arema Steelworker would do here as well. As one of his vassals, asking about the Emperors personal feelings was impermissible! How long did he remain silent? The Emperor suddenly spoke. [The Retadane family still had that much power left? He must be level 8. Am I right?] [Thats correct. But he uses some unknown power. mes... mes that control everything.] [mes...?] The Emperor narrowed his eyes. Lee Shin Woo acted like he hadnt noticed this and raised his voice. [Thats correct. mes that could both hide and disguise himself... Ive never seen mes like it. If he didnt have such an unusual ability, Stake wouldnt have been killed. I wasnt careful enough!] [Hides and disguises him...? An innate element...?] [Your Majesty?] [Move forward? Doesnt act like an undead, but acts like a human being?] The Emperor was in deep thought. If he acted like he hadnt noticed this as well, then itd show. Lee Shin Woo questioned and the Emperor asked once more. [What else did you find out about him?] [I was able to steal one of his weapons in exchange for one of my subordinates. It was broken, but weve managed to preserve its shape. But does this hold any significance...] [Show me.] [Yes, Your Majesty.] Lee Shin Woo showed him the weapon hed prepared beforehand. What was it, you say? It was a bisected Fire Dragons Scale Greatsword. [...Ha.] The Emperorughed. [Hahahahahaha!] The room reverberated with hisughter. [Your Majesty!? Did you figure something out...?] [Yes indeed! I didnt think Id see him again, but thats where he was!] The Emperor raised his voice, as if it would pierce the heavens themselves. The fury and the humiliation in his voice...! Lee Shin Woo acted like he couldnt understand, but then widened his eyes as if hede to a sudden realization. [Your Majesty, is that...? The surface! Thats impossible! Are you saying that hes already gone to the surface!?] [I thought Id killed him. I was arrogant. I thought he was some foolish hero, but I was wrong. Its been a long time since Ive made a mistake like this. He acted like he was dead. A wielder of an innate fire element shouldve seen through my Lightning Bind. They wouldnt have been killed so easily! What a show. Retadane. He wasnt raised as the sessor of light, but as an entertainer on a stage!] The Emperors voice kept rising and falling. Lee Shin Woo groaned quietly and the Emperor added. [There was an individual who rapidly increased his influence with the backing of merchants and religious orders. I assumed he was one of the heroes summoned underground, so I took care of him immediately, but his sessor soon appeared, who could wield his power, albeit poorly. I was trying to figure out when I could kill her, but... My assumption was wrong. Theyre nothing more than pawns that were sacrificed by him.] [Cut the tail...] [Indeed.] Lee Shin Woo presumed. The Emperor gritted his teeth and nodded his head. [He moved as he pleased by acting like a muscle-headed hero, but he mustve went back underground when hed gotten all he needed. He left behind such good bait (the religious orders), diverted my attention, and hid himself, acting as though he were dead!] [How dare that traitor... Your Majesty, if you just give me another chance, I promise to catch him and present his head to you!] [No. You wont be enough.] Lee Shin Woo gritted his teeth and dered. Then, the Emperor stood up. That pale skin and the protruding fangs. He mustve sucked blood just recently, as his teeth were stained with blood. [Ill send you reinforcements. These lowly peasants dont know their ce and werent satisfied being underground, so they dare bare their fangs at me? Then, Ill just catch them all and crush them...!] [As you wish, Your Majesty!] [My loyal friend, Arema. Can you figure out where they are?] [If you just give me a little more time, then I can figure out where theyre hiding!] [Excellent. The day your suffering is at an end and you return to the surface, Ill give you everything you could want!] The line went dead. Just in case, he remained in that posture for a little longer. Once he confirmed that the line was dead, he inspected themunication device once more, stepped outside, and closed the door while maintaining Aremas form. "Nice. Thats one thing off my list!" Then, Lee Shin Woo returned to his hero form and smiled refreshingly. "Junior, what did you just do?" "Ah, nothing much." Lee Shin Woo waved his hand and replied. "I told you that I was on the surface for a while, right? While I was there, I acted like a hero who could wield mes. But when I met Seagald, I was like He can wield mes too?. So, I thought I could me Seagald for everything." "...Is it really that easy?" "People who arent at the site of the crime normally take a few clues ande to a conclusion themselves, so if I were to twist those clues around, then its easy to fool them." Lee Shin Woo had left the surface very subtly. He was caught in a huge explosion, so no one could ascertain whether he had survived or not, and a sessor had even appeared soon after. The Magic Emperor had been leery of this. But then hed met Seagald, the only undead who didnt act like an undead, who could not only use an innate element, but also used a sword as his primary weapon. It would be strange if the Emperor didnt suspect Seagald. And if that happened, it would be easier for him to im that his words to the Emperor were an act. Though in reality, it was all an act. "Well, it wouldve been annoying to have to worry about both Anti-Skull and the pce. I figured the Magic Emperor could take care of Anti-Skull for us, so I improvised." "That was... improvised...? I thought everything was nned out from the start..." "It was obviously improvised. Ha. Now that you mention it, I was worried about leaving Jin Jin alone on the surface, but with this, the Emperor wont worry about the religious orders as much. I have to figure out where the Anti-Skulls main base is and tell the Emperor ASAP." "..." Lee Shin Woo hummed as he walked through the corridor. Everyone else was speechless. Kratia, who had been quietly watching him, murmured. "The wicked Heaven Defying General. Hes so cool." Chapter 48 part6 Once hed finished going through the base and lying to the Magic Emperor, the group gathered in one spot and discussed their future ns. Of their many tasks, they first had to prioritize improving the Huginns Eye, rather than working on golems or the Titan. The reason being quite simple. "We need to find out where the Lichs life vessel is, but its more important that we find out where Seagald is hiding and report it to the Emperor." "Whenever youre doing something evil, youre smarter than everyone else, Shin Woo." "Hey, people will misunderstand. Call it a way of survival. You think Im doing this to save myself? Im doing this so we can all survive." "You shouldve just kept acting as Paul Zero." "Theyll misunderstand. Ah, I feel a headacheing, so dont exin it. Its fine." Aside from that, they decided what tasks they needed toplete in order to attain victory in the final battle. He decided to focus on improving the Titan (which now used the Demon Heart), creating cores and golems, and repairing the Heaven Defying g Bearer, which had broken to pieces in the previous battle. Unfortunately, Lee Shin Woo was forced to leave all that to Kratia. But Kratia looked happy to be undertaking that massive workload instead. "Junior, if Kratias busy doing other stuff, then what do I do, since I was learning magic from her? Hmm? Pop some popcorn?" Most seniors wouldnt pass this kind of responsibility to their juniors, but that was precisely Princes charm; she didnt even recognize those norms and did away with them. Lee Shin Woo patted her head in satisfaction. She acted as if she hated it, but she was actually quite pleased; her image as a senior waspletely broken at this point. Seeing that, Kratia looked at her as if she were hopeless and said. "Youve got the basics down, so practice by yourself from now on. A real battle would be best." "A real battle, huh... Ah, Senior. Would you like to go to the surface instead?" "Ah, really? I can go up to the surface? Really?" Princes eyes widened at Lee Shin Woos suggestion. Lee Shin Woo nodded his head and exined. "The only thing we can do here is invade the capital. Its dangerous outside, so its difficult to move freely, right?" "If Im not traveling with you, then yeah... Youre right. I wonder how Lloyd and Erian are doing." "Now that you mention it, youre right. If theyre hiding in a dungeon, theyll remain safe, but if they leave... I guess I should exin it to them too." The biggest pain in the ass was the heroes not currently present. It was obvious that it would get bloody underground, and if Lee Shin Woo just left the other heroes be, they might die all of a sudden. Thats not all. While Lloyd was level 7 and was thus barely qualified to participate in the final battle, Erian would cling to Lloyd like glue... though he at least needed to know how things were going. And if they wanted to fight together in the final battle, then... it would be best to stop them. "Then cant you just send those two to the surface too, Shin Woo?" "I thought about that, but I feel like its not such a good idea..." "What a coincidence. I agree." Aside from the fact that Erian was an elf, a species unseen on the surface, Lloyd was the model hero whod show up in fairytales. If he sent him to the surface, then hed cause a lot of trouble for him 100%. He might even die faster there than if he were here. "Then Ill leave them be for now. Ill exin things to themter. Senior Prince, please think about it. If you decide to go to the surface, then I can have Jin Jin help or I can help you do things on your own. Ive identified several dungeons, and going to the surface is best if youre looking for rapid growth." "Junior...!" "But if you catch the Emperors attention, then you will die. Hes level 9." "Junior!" Prince was tearing up but ultimately decided to go to the surface. If she wanted to get used to the new Fire Demon summoning spell that shed developed with Kratia and grow, then going to the surface was the best option. There was honestly only one viable option for her. "Youre not nning on invading the capital without me, are you? Right? You saw how strong my Fire Demon was, right?" "Yes, yes. I promise Ill go with you when the timees, so please dont die. More importantly, how many of the 12 Generals are left?" "I have an idea. But first, Lee Shin Woo, could you please tell us about all the members of the 12 Generals youve killed thus far?" This time it was Seira. Lee Shin Woo thought back and went down the list one-by-one. Seira and the others were absolutely speechless. "To think you killed five of them yourself... I had my suspicions, but you really were the one who killed the Beast General! I thought it was strange that the loot was so sparse!" "Of course. You should be thankful that I let you finish off the Vulture General. Though I was busy rescuing Lloyd and taking care of Ethan Cruz. Do you guys even realize how close you all were to turning undead then?" "Junior, are you some sort of fairytale protagonist? You do all the dirty work and protect everyone. ...Thats pretty cool!" Seira had ended up killing the Vulture General, but if Lee Shin Woo and Kratia hadnt prepared their countermeasures so thoroughly, then the fight wouldve been a lot tougher. Normally, Seira shouldnt have had any trouble taking down a level 7 General by herself, but at the time, shed been affected by madness, so he didnt know how it would have actually turned out. "And as you know, the Spirit Generals on our side now." "Hoo, hoo." "That means that you actually defeated 7 of the 12 Generals... Moreover, you were able to defeat my brother... Seagald and the Archmage as well." She looked like she couldnt believe what she was saying. As humans grew, their karma became personalized to them, which causes them to have certain affinities and weaknesses. The 12 Generals abilities varied, so even if you managed to defeat one of them, it also meant that you would likely struggle against another. But it sounded like Lee Shin Woo wouldnt lose in a one-on-one confrontation with any one of them. "...And now that I think about it, youre actually undead, not human." "Hey, dont forget about the horse." "Im surprised that the Mercenary King, Metafel, had reached level 8. If you include him as well, then youve defeated three level 8 Generals, and have taken one on as your subordinate." "I didnt finish off Arema myself, but I guess thats about right." Moreover, Lee Shin Woo had begun hunting the 12 Generals ever since he was level 6. Lee Shin Woo exined that he had acquired the Heaven Defying General title himself, and after exining his achievements, the group had no choice but to acknowledge it. Higher level foes were stronger than you; that was a basic principle in this world. Yet, Lee Shin Woo had ignored that basic principle, so there was no title that fit him better than Heaven Defying! "But I heard the Emperor appoints the 12 Generals himself? I heard the Emperor could bolster the 12 Generals ranks by appointing candidates." "I believe its a type of darkness magic that uses the source of darkness. He forcibly bestows the title onto them, which strengthens their karma. Thats how he makes them even stronger. However, theres a limit to this as well." Seira briefly exined how the 12 Generals were appointed (the Magic Emperor used his own magic to appoint his own 12 Generals. In other words, he couldnt bolster the 12 Generals ranks as much as he wanted) and then continued onto the main topic. "Normally, level 7 or level 8 individuals donte out of thin air. The reason the heroes here are so powerful is because they were picked based on their inherent talent. And the fact that so many of your subordinates are level 7 or higher... is something that even I cannot exin, though it likely has something to do with your ability, Lee Shin Woo." "So? Theres no one like that in the capital?" "There should be some level 7s in the capital, but Im absolutely sure that there arent any level 8s there. If they had other level 8s, then there wouldnt have been any level 7 Generals in the first ce." That made sense. Since the 12 Generals were the Empires twelve strongest. Seira continued on. "Those level 7s are weaker than the original 12 Generals, so even if they were to rece them, they would ultimately be much weaker than the generals youve killed thus far. In other words, they arent a threat." "Theres a chance that the 12 General candidates grew... Ah, never mind." The only reason Metafel Rerdan was able to grow was because he was an Elite Ghoul with the ability to eat others. That, as well as other miracles intertwined, allowing him to reach level 8, but the chance that that would happen to the others was extremely low. "We only need to worry about the level 8 12 Generals. The others arent worth talking about, so you can just ignore them." "I see. First, the Archmage survived..." "Im not sure what Seagalds position is, but I do know that at that moment, hes not on the Emperors side. If thats the case, then theres only one person left. Thest of the Empires Four Heavenly Commanders, the Heaven Sundering General, Leofield Von Tariman." "Duke Tariman..." Dana murmured. Lee Shin Woo furrowed his brow, as he felt like hed heard that name before... He remembered. It was from a memory fragment he gained long ago. "The owner of the first memories I absorbed... In other words, a level 1 skeleton learned spearmanship from Leofield." "That sounds right. Since he created the spearmanship that the army uses. Its not an exaggeration to say that the entire army uses his spearmanship." Technically, he had learned the basics of how to fight from Leofield. Lee Shin Woo grinned at the strange connection, but Dana sported a serious expression and said. "But his own spearmanship is far greater than the soldiers, Hero." Was she scared just remembering him? Dana was shaking. "He specializes in mass murder and was monstrous enough to be able to overwhelm the Annihtion me Sword God in a one-on-one confrontation. Hes definitely human, but hes big enough that he makes you wonder whether he has Giants blood mixed in his veins or not. ...And this is the most important part. Hes aplete musclehead, so you cant reason with him. He might even be dumber than most undead." "Dana, you onlypare two things when theyre somewhat simr. That man doesnt even have a brain. He doesnt listen to anyone aside from the Emperor... Hes just abat machine." "But hes still one of the Four Heavenly Commanders, huh." "Since hes extremely strong. His spearmanship, which is reinforced by his almost fully mastered wind element, can cut through anything. The other Four Heavenly Commanders avoided fighting him head-on. If I had to pick one person in the Empire whos mastered martial arts, then Id have to pick between Seagald Von Retadane and Leofield Von Tariman... But Id ultimately pick Leofield." "You must be wary of this man. Hes one of the few people that can ruin your ns with just pure strength alone." Seira and Dana were in agreement and voiced their concerns regarding thest of the Four Heavenly Commanders. However, Lee Shin Woo just shrugged his shoulders after listening to them. "I feel like Ill be able to kill him quite easily." "Avoid fighting him head-on at all costs! I know how great yourbat skills and your other abilities are, but you cannot beat him in closebat, Hero! You should instead attack him from a distance; throw those exploding weapons at him. No, he might just cut through those explosions..." "I dont think thats the issue here... Its fine. Just keep exining the capitals forces and its facilities." Dana stared at Lee Shin Woo as if she were worried about him, but the other women beside her, including Seira, looked at her in displeasure, so she was forced to back off immediately. Lee Shin Woo was more afraid of this situation than the Heaven Sundering General. But he didnt say anything so he could make it out of this alive. Chapter 48 part7 An hour passed, and when they were about done, Lee Shin Woo looked over the map, which hed made with Dana and Seiras help, and nodded his head. "Mm. This looks about right." "Youre quite good at drawing too, Hero." Because itd been dozens of years since Dana or Seira hadst been to the capital, there was no guarantee that their knowledge was reliable. However, once he heard their exnation regarding the capital, he pretty much knew how he should move from then on. "The structures a lot simpler than Bayran, which had traps everywhere. All we need to know is where the fortifications are, where the troops are stationed, and where the pce is... Oh. The source of darkness is beneath the pce!? Then he pretty much does leave it right next to him!" "Dana told you that already. That the source of darkness couldnt be moved. So the Emperor just moved right next to it." How valuable was it for him to do such a thing!? "He wanted to monopolize it. Since its a treasure that made the underground, which was originally nothing more than a slightlyrge prison, into an Empire, and so... The Emperor wouldnt have wanted it to leave his side." "Ah, as I thought. Maintaining an Empire this size is abnormal, huh." "Of course it is. Itd be impossible with even the surfaces magic engineering." "So why is that source thing here?" Why exactly did such a treasurey dormant underground? What, did they try to destroy it, but were met by a level 10 dragon or something? No, probably not. Lee Shin Woo grumbled and Dana smiled. "Of course not. Its just a huge, evesting mass of pure energy. Some say its a relic left behind during the Age of Gods, before civilization even began. We cannot identify the origins of many level 7 artifacts and up. Please look at it that way." "The dungeons loot does seem kind of out of ce..." Lee Shin Woo was sure of something. The source of darkness... There was something behind it! Something that was a pain in the ass! However, there was no point in worrying about that now, so he decided to worry about itter. Getting the Emperor and the Lich away from the source of darkness took priority. "The remaining problem is... Mm. We need to figure out where exactly the train will take us in the capital." "You can just sacrifice one of your Pauls." "Mm, thats a bit... How about I use a golem instead." He was reluctant to sacrifice one of the Pauls, as theyd regained a part of their human selves. Lee Shin Woo instead decided to sacrifice one of the remaining level 4 Bronze Golems in his golem squad. "Alright. Weve gone over the main issues. Lets do it as weve discussed. Ill take Senior Prince to the surface right now. ...Oh, and Dana, youe to the surface too." "Id like to be with you Hero, but... Ah, is this perhaps rted to what you were talking about before?" "Yep." Lee Shin Woo grinned, seeing Danas eyes gleam with excitement, and said exactly what she wanted to hear. "Ill introduce you to the spirits on the surface. Youre plenty strong already, but an Elementalist needs their spirits." "Aaaah! Thank you so much, Hero!" As expected, it was easy to convince her when spirits were involved. The spirits of Bayran had been sacrificed over several years, and she had essentially been the one to kill them, but... perhaps that was why she wanted to meet living spirits so much. "Ill take these two to the surface and take a look around, so you guys can all just rest..." Lee Shin Woo stopped partway. No matter how he looked at it, it didnt seem like theyd just stay put and rest. Everyone, including Kratia, looked at him, intent on going to the surface. He supposed it only made sense. They had lived underground for so many years, so how could they not want to see the surface? But why was it that he felt that that wasnt the only reason? And why did the back of his head sting so much? "Are you guys fighting something Im not aware of...? Are you fighting something somewhere else?" "Probably a fight over love." "Kratia, youre actually Korean, arent you?" Lee Shin Woo ultimately sighed and was forced to take all of them to the surface. Since they were so physically and mentally fatigued from thest battle, he was going to let them rest for a day or two anyway, so it wouldnt be problematic to his schedule. Plus, the Heaven Doors Key required much fewer bones and mana than before. "This is..." "It really is the night sky." With the Heaven Doors Key, an unbelievable high rank artifact, they could easily ignore the barrier and cross over to the surface; the party arrived in a quiet forest near the capital and were speechless for a time. A city filled with life, as well as a natural sky with the moon and stars. No matter how much they looked, the party remained mesmerized by the abundance of life. "Ah, I remember us being like this when we first got here too." "To think wed be able toe to the surface so easily..." "There was an artifact that could easily break through the barrier like this... My father is truly pitiful." "Yeah. Instead of developing the undead curse, he couldve just gone around killing Steves instead; it wouldve been a lot simpler." "Steve?" "Hes a great guy in the neighborhood who always leaves something for me whenever I see him." "???" Lee Shin Woo waited for them to calm down and then led them into the capital. Rem essed the golemwork, allowing them to use a path with no one around, so no one noticed them. After the Emperor had torched his house, the Lawrence shop and Ye Jin Jin (she was operating under the alias, Izuna on the surface) moved closer to the Sun God religion. Of course, that location was reported to Lee Shin Woo beforehand. "This must be it." "Its quite grand..." "You normally cant enter this part of the capital with just money... How many months did this take you to procure?" "Its not all that great. Since were publicly antagonizing the Emperor." To be more specific, he and the Emperor had opposing opinions of what was happening on the surface. Just that would draw the Emperors attention, but... Lee Shin Woo hoped his little trick would divert the Emperors attention. "Mr. Shin Woo!" "Its been a while." Once she was quietly informed of his arrival, the front gate opened and Ye Jin Jin came bursting out. She looked around, ensuring that the Emperor wasnt watching, and then jumped into his arms, repeatedly kissing his cheek. Ye Jin Jin was wearing the Phoenixs Feather even when she wasnt fighting, just like shed been told. "Im so d youre safe! I missed you!" "Im more d that youre safe. Good job." "Hmmm." "As I thought..." "Tch. How vulgar." Seeing that, his party passed judgment and looked at her maliciously. He really couldnt take this; the mood was stifling! He pretty much knew what they were thinking, but it was precisely because he knew that that he couldnt understand why they were reacting like this! Lee Shin Woo thought that hed have to somehow resolve this issue soon, but then Ye Jin Jins blush intensified and she dropped a bombshell. "Youre going to sleep over today, right? Right?" "...Tch!" "So vulgar...!" "Oh my. Isnt that Ms. Retadanes voice...? And who is this extremely beautifuldy... Ah, even Senior Prince is here?" Only then did Ye Jin Jin notice his party and tilt her head. The women didnt even introduce themselves and continuously red at Ye Jin Jin. Lee Shin Woo sighed at the idiotic situation and then said. "For now, lets just go in. Ill exin everything. ...Actually, there are some things that I wont be able to exin to you." "I suppose thats true." "Youre truly a sinful man, Hero. Hoo." And thus, his rtionship with Ye Jin Jin was revealed to all. His rtionship with her had also caused the mood to worsen. Thus far, Lee Shin Woo had never formed a rtionship with a woman unless it was strictly necessary, so he really wasnt good at being considerate of other peoples feelings. He couldnt help but acknowledge that w of his. When you really think about it, thats why I had that issue with Jin. He hadnt matured at all. Lee Shin Woo made small talk, but the mood didnt improve; he clicked his tongue and thought about it. His only ally in this situation, Prince, just patted his shoulder. "I guess youre in the same ship as Lloyd. Im just d youve finally noticed." "That feels really humiliating. Arent they in the wrong, not me?" Hed only known Dana for a day, and it wouldnt surprise him if Seira hated him as if he were her worst enemy. Lee Shin Woo couldnt understand these two at all, the two responsible for the current atmosphere. However, Prince justughed at him, which frustrated him to no end, and dismissed him. "Lifes not rational, Junior." "Damn it. How could you of all people say something like that..." "Hey, what did you just say?" This idiot senior said something wise, which only further pissed him off! Prince then gave some more advice to the grumbling Lee Shin Woo. "Why dont you just marry all of them? You can just propose to them after the battles over!" "Could you please not say something so ominous? Im not nning on starting a family yet." Lee Shin Woo immediately shot her down. He saw the women fighting amongst each other with their words, and just sighed and said. "Jin Jin, hows the religious order nowadays?" "Pardon? Ah, the religious order!?" He couldnt let them fight any longer when there were more important matters at hand. Ye Jin Jin noticed this immediately, as she looked at him and said. "Theyre fighting well! Mr. Shin Woo... or the Hero Kays death caused the factions that oppose the Emperors rule to increase in strength. And theyre constantly finding traces of the undead or death energy doing significant damage to the Empire, so... The Sun God religion, which is at the forefront, is getting a lot of support!" "What about you?" His question embarrassed Ye Jin Jin a bit. "I got a bit famous since we went with the concept of a female knight enraged over her lovers death. No... I mightve gotten more famous than the Hero Kay." "Good. Thats what sessful marketing is all about. What about Bisher Moon?" "Hes still fighting against the Vampires. Sometimes I help out, but theres only so much I can do at night." "Hmm... An opportunity will present itself soon enough." "An opportunity?" "Yeah." The Emperor said hed send reinforcements. Who would he send? Hed obviously send undead who could freely traverse through the Underground Empire. If thats the case, he would definitely send the Vampires from the Red Moon. They were reinforcements to fight Seagald. The reinforcements should be substantial, and if so many forces were sent underground, then it would make it easier for Bisher Moon. But that wouldnt solve the fundamental problem. The enemy on the surface, and the enemy underground. He needed an opportunity to kill both of them. And that opportunity... "If I can kill some of the 12 Generals, then the stage will be set..." "Whatre you nning?" "What else would a performer be thinking about besides his stage?" Following Lee Shin Woos reunion with Ye Jin Jin, Jin looked at him more sharply than before and retorted. Lee Shin Woo just shrugged his shoulders, replied, and turned around. He was done assessing the situation. There was only one thing left to do. "Dana, enough with the nonsense and follow me. Ill introduce you to the spirits." Chapter 49 part1 Lee Shin Woo let the others rest (unlike before, the womenplied, but considering the fact that Ye Jin Jin was shooting some kind of SOS signal, something mustve gone down) and went to the Spirits Spring with Dana. They were able to arrive quickly with the use of the Heaven Doors Key. "T-This is..." "This is the Spirits Spring. The real Spirits Spring." "The Spirits Spring... I see, this truly is..." The moment they entered, Dana realized that this was what shed been looking for. The Undead Emperor had tricked her into thinking that they were creating a paradise for the spirits, a ce where they could rx and put them at ease. But this was the true Spirits Spring! To think it existed on the surface! [Ah, the Contractor has arrived.] [Its been a while, Contractor. Youve gotten even stronger. Im always ready to fight.] [Someone tell her that hes here. The person shes been waiting for hase.] The spirits of the Spirits Spring greeted him somewhat differently from the Dryads in the wine factory. The Dryads treated him as if he were their lover, their husband, or their father, but these spirits treated Lee Shin Woo as if he were their boss. "Contractor...? Youre contracted with this many spirits? Now that I think about it, I feel a faint connection between you and these spirits." Dana quickly noticed. How could he have formed a contract with several thousand spirits? She looked on in disbelief, but as she observed the spirits, she realized something even more astounding. "No, wait. Thats not it. Hero, did you form a contract with this entire space...?" "You (an Elementalist) catch on quick. Youre right. Ive formed a contract with this space, the Spirits Spring itself to be exact. Its less effective than forming a contract individually with each and every spirit, but... its still a win-win." "To think... that that was possible." She knew that Lee Shin Woo had done some amazing things, but of those achievements, this was the most surprising. Of course, she was already surprised about the fact that the Spirits Spring even existed in the first ce. But then... [Huh? That girl is...] [In terms of being an Elementalist, shes better than the Contractor!?] [Who exactly did the Contractor bring? Oh my god!] The spirits trickled in, one or two at a time, to greet Lee Shin Woo, but soon realized how skilled hispanion was and were shocked. It was only natural. After all, she was the Underground Empires greatest Elementalist. Lee Shin Woo was highly skilled in forming contracts rather than being an Elementalist, while Danas ability to draw spirits to her was unmatched. The Emperor had bedded the most powerful of the exiled Elementalists, creating Dana in the process. She was born with high magic and a strong affinity with spirits! It was only natural that she would be loved by spirits. Moreover, by transforming her into an Immortal, she had gained the ability to use the darkness element. This allowed her to more easily form contracts with spirits. "Its nice to meet you, everyone. My name is Dana." [A peculiar energy. Shes not human, but something else. Shes like us spirits.] [The contractor did something to her. If thats the case, then she is like us.] [Come in, friend of the spirits. Well take you inside.] The spirits immediately swarmed Dana. Dana didnt know what to do and looked at Lee Shin Woo. He looked at her kindly and nodded his head. "Go ahead and follow them. Since that was my intention from the very beginning." "Hero...! I understand. Then, please excuse me for a bit!" Dana bowed at Lee Shin Woo while looking overjoyed and went inside the cave with the spirits. Once hed given her away to the spirits, the Elder Dryad Princess Sinea appeared behind him and hugged him. It felt like she was hugging him tighter than normal; maybe he was imagining things. [Paul Zero, whos that prettydy? I smell your scent on her.] "Sinea, not you too. Im getting tired of it." [S-Sorry. That wasnt my intention... Are you tired? Come here, Ill give you ap pillow.] While Dana was enjoying herself with the spirits, Lee Shin Woo rested on Sineasp. Her soft and refreshing scent really made him want to unwind and just keep resting. Of course, he didnte here just to rest. He was able to assess the state of the spirits here through Sinea, who had taken overmand of the Spirits Spring as Zenon was still outside travelling with Ye Jin Jin. And he also briefly exined his ns from now on. [Will it go well? Theyre really strong.] "If the stage is set properly. Im preparing just in case that doesnt go well, so dont worry. All you need to do is do your best." [Im ready to whatever you need me to do, Paul Zero. Im just... worried about you.] "Thats why Im preparing so much. And..." Lee Shin Woo pointed at Dana, who was chatting andughing along with the spirits. "Shes a good person. Im not good enough tomand the spirits of the Spirits Spring, but Dana should be able to draw more power from them than normal." [Are you going to make her form a contract with the spring?] "Yeah." Lee Shin Woos contract with the Spirits Spring was very irregr. However, something that happened once could happen again. Thus, Lee Shin Woo would personally connect Dana, the princess who was universally beloved by spirits, and the Spirits Spring together, allowing her to control the power of the spirits here. He had enough on his te already, so it wasnt a good idea for him tomand the spirits as well. So Danas timing couldnt be better, as she had a strong affinity with spirits. [It cant be helped, I suppose. She seems capable ofmanding the Spirits Spring too...] "If we add her power into the mix, then the spirits should no longer have to fear the undead curse. Since thats the base of her species." [Paul Zero, you did something incredible somewhere else again, didnt you?] "Mm. Ill start telling you now." [Oh my. Hoo, hoo.] Lee Shin Woo noticed that Dana wouldnt be free of the spirits for a while, so he drew Sinea towards him. She obviously didnt resist. That sweet reposested another hour. "Will I... really be able to do it?" "Think of it in more simple terms. Ive already formed a contract with the Spirits Spring, and Ive formed a contract with you as well. Itll be easy to form a contract between you two." "Ill form a contract with the Spirits Spring... Me..." After hed exined everything to her, Dana looked around the Spirits Spring with bright eyes. He thought she would jump at the opportunity, but she seemed more deeply moved than hed expected. It felt like she could survive off spirits, rather than three meals a day. "I see. So I willmand this ce together with you, Hero..." [Im here too. Take care of me, Dana.] "Keuk..." Dana briefly red at Sinea, who was still clinging onto Lee Shin Woo, but she still couldnt give up the opportunity that Lee Shin Woo was giving her. On the contrary... "Alright. Ill be in your care!" "Ah, shes acting strange too. Why am I surrounded by weirdos?" Shed already made up her mind, so no matter how many rivals she had, she wouldnt lose! Dana shook Sineas outstretched hand. At that moment, the Spirits Spring reacted to her and began to brighten. The spirits within the Spirits Spring did the same. [The Spirits Spring is growing!] [Aah. Aaaaah.] [Shes a descendant of one of the exiled Elementalists!] [We need to embrace her.] [Were so thankful that she came to lead us.] [The Spirits Spring is so happy. The traces of the past contractors within her are resonating with us.] In a way, they were a lot happier than when Lee Shin Woo had formed a contract with them... He watched on unhappily; the light intensified and was eventually absorbed by Dana. She began to open her eyes slowly. Her golden eyes showed more life in them than before; radiating with various elements and magic. "Its been a long time since Ive felt like this. I didnt think a day like this woulde... Its all because of you, Hero. You so easily gave me back everything that Id lost." "Its a coincidence. My ability was just good." "Hero..." Lee Shin Woo answered brusquely and realized that perhaps this was the core reason as to why she liked him so much. If she were alone, he wouldve epted her without hesitation... Well, thats that. Since its best if I leave her like this for now. He knew that human emotion could yield immeasurable power. Of course, Lee Shin Woo wasnt going to just leave them (the women) like this. He couldnt understand why they liked him so much, but since they did, he could stimte those emotions and use them to help them survive and kill the Magic and Undead Emperors. In the process, hed have to go through the trouble of taking care of any improper emotions, but he could deal with thatter so long as they could make it through the battle. That was Lee Shin Woos true intentions. "...Huh? Ah." Lee Shin Woo had such a Joker-esque thought, but soon realized that Dana and all the spirits were staring at him. Sinea had probably exined his ns to them. He nodded his head and said. "The time for your revenge is nigh. Did you hear? The spirits underground were sacrificed in vain. You have no allies underground nor on the surface. Ultimately, you have to save yourselves. Its almost time. ...You must create a ce where you can live with your descendants yourselves. Can you do it?" [Of course.] [Ive been waiting for you to say that.] [Ill cultivate a ce like this, so that spirits like us can live peacefully, even if I have to risk my own life to do so!] "Good. Then break it up. Prepare yourselves." After hed formed a contract between Dana and the Spirits Spring, Lee Shin Woo parted ways with Sinea, who was weeping and clinging onto him, and returned to his house. The ragged Ye Jin Jin and the other angry women greeted him. "Did you guys fight?" "We just drank some tea. ...Would you like some too?" "Its not some radioactive tea or something, is it...?" "Heuk, heuk. Mr. Shin Woo." [1] It was such a relief that Sinea wasnt here too. Ye Jin Jin hugged him and he beganforting her; this situation was ridiculous. If he slept with her that anger of theirs would probably spread to him as well, but... he couldnt leave a customer unhappy. Plus, hed have to increase her burden in the future. "Then, rest up. I have something else I have to talk to Ye Jin Jin about." "Something to talk about? Are you really just going to talk?" "No, Im going to do other stuff too." "Keuk...!" "This is why men are...!" "A bad man. So cool." That night, Lee Shin Woo exined what would happen soon, as well as what she would have to do on the surface. Not only had she risen to level 7, shed also grown immensely in such a short time, so she was definitely qualified to handle things here. Ye Jin Jin couldnt readily believe what he was saying, but she ultimately nodded her head. The edge of the javelin hed given her was still sharp. "Junior, Ill do my best here! I really like the Sun God religion!" "Its great that you like them and all, but please be wary of the pope. After all, he covets talented people." Prince impersonated a priest of the Sun God religion, and Dana temporarily stayed in the Spirits Spring to get familiar with the spirits there. Now, he was done with everything he needed to do here. The next day, the party did some light shopping and then returned underground. [1] T/N: Heuk, heuk is equivalent to boo hoo or sobbing. Chapter 49 part2 "Its tough." "Did you ever think itd be easy?" Lee Shin Woo and Kratia returned to the Underground Empire and immediately went to work on improving the Huginns Eye. Although Kratia had found the documents, which acted as the catalyst, when they actually tried to actually apply that information, they encountered several problems. "If we fail, the artifacts done for. The difficultys too high." "Even if this one breaks, there might be another one out there, right?" "Do you want me to break it?" "No, my bad." The magical engineering theory that Kratia had proposed was much too difficult for Lee Shin Woo to understand. Hed managed to recreate the Steelworker seal and created never before seen artifacts in the past, so it wouldnt be strange if he were to receive the Magic Engineer title. However, that was all brought about by his intuition, as well as his mana sense. He specialized in practical application rather than theory. "That mana sense is important. If I do something wrong, then you should be able to fix it, Shin Woo." "Yeah, yeah. I already know you need me. Lets finish up. We need to kill those Liches, but finding Seagald takes precedence." Hed given the rest of his party jobs to do while he and Kratia were improving the Huginns Eye. Seira, who had epted her status as an undead Banshee, was getting used to her Banshee abilities, as well as the darkness element shed inherited from Lee Shin Woo. Whereas Jin had only one job to do regardless of whether shed gotten to level 8 or acquired the light element, and that was running. Of course, it wasnt just running. She would run using every skill and ability she had. She just ran and ran, like a madwoman. She just kept running, even though it seemed like she may not be able to run any faster. At their levels, rather than focusing on hunting a monster or two, it was much more effective to get used to their own abilities. "Alright. I think its possible. No, itll definitely work." And thus, three days passed. Kratias eyes shined on the dawn of the fourth day. She and Lee Shin Woo had formed and discarded over thirty hypotheses, but at the end of that all, she said... "If we can imitate the targets mana, then we can find them. We can make it like that." "Ah, you got that from the golems basic abilities." "It was hard to adapt it to the Huginns Eye. But itll work now. Lets begin." Kratia had mapped out the design but improving it was actually Lee Shin Woos job. He was able to modify the Huginns Eye with his Disguise and Wild Card skills, as well as his darkness element. Soon, Kratia stretched her hand towards Lee Shin Woo, but he stopped her. "Wait a sec. Lets set-up up some insurance first." By insurance, he meant Dark Shadow. Even if they messed up the adjustment, with Dark Shadows ability to reverse cause-and-effect, they would be able to return it to its original state. "Thats the time element!" "What are you talking about? Its different. Its merely changing a damaged state to an undamaged state." "I cant understand what youre saying. Whats an innate element? And whats a fusion element? It goes beyond all logic...!" Only a small handful of people had ever attained innate elements, so it was only natural that Kratia couldntprehend them. Lee Shin Woo smiled bitterly and used Dark Shadow to ensure that he had saved the image of the undamaged Huginns Eye. With this, he reduced any dy in the reversal as much as possible, and he could reverse any mistake as soon as he detected it. This had only be possible because the Dark Shadow element had leveled up to the intermediate level. "Then, lets start for real. We probably wont have to use our insurance." "I trust you." Lee Shin Woo and Kratia grabbed each others hand. He established a connection with her using the darkness element, causing the image in her head to clearly show in his eyes. The connection was secure. Lee Shin Woo now understood the image and grabbed the Huginns Eye with his free hand. ...Shall we begin? It felt like hed be a surgeon in the operating room, as the sharply refined mana burst forth and Wild Cards influence intensified. He began modifying the artifact. Hed practiced a few times already, so the image ryed from Kratia was incredibly clear, and her thoughts were also indirectly ryed. Thus, it made it easier for him to modify the artifact. Good. There are no problems. Everything went so smoothly that he actually felt worried. Moreover, his mana sense had instinctively found the right path, and so he began to infuse his mana into the Huginns Eye. The route was a bit different from what Kratia had first suggested. Kratia was briefly startled but soon created a new magic form on the spot. Lee Shin Woo nodded his head and continued to infuse his mana into it. And so, the artifact evolved. "..." "...!" They couldnt say a thing, but their emotions ran wild at each and every moment. If the mana lost its ce, then the artifact would explode. If he responded a second toote, then the level 8 artifact would crumble into nothingness. "Heut..." But it would be fine now. He could feel it. This was Lee Shin Woos intuition talking. He was creating a new artifact that would find whomever he wanted, and pursue every trace of mana that existed within this world. The Archmage had exhausted every means avable to him to create this supreme artifact, but with the coboration of two, young geniuses, the Huginns Eye was reaching a realm even beyond that. The Archmage would probably have no idea that this item would eventually be the noose around his neck. An artifact that can categorize mana, can divide the strands into more detail, can affect arge area, and can pick out a specific target... Something that can pick up information from anywhere thats affected by mana, like Odins raven...! At some point, the current of mana being infused ceased. Lee Shin Woo took a deep breath and carefully ced it on the table. As if waiting for him to ce it down, light surged from the artifact, and it began to suck in the atmospheric mana like a vacuum! "We seeded...!" "Yeah. The artifacts crazily sucking in the surrounding mana, which means..." Kratia said silently, and Lee Shin Woo likewise lowered his voice. Kratia didnt show her emotions often (though she tended to show them quite often nowadays), but looked quite happy and gripped Lee Shin Woos hand tightly while still being connected. [The Lv8 Huginns Eye has acquired suitable karma and is evolving.] [You have acquired the Lv9 Mana Radar.] "..." "...Shin Woo?" "No, its nothing." Lee Shin Woo picked up the new level 9 artifact and felt dissatisfied. It had such a cool name before, so why did it change into such an intuitive one!? Of course, this was all Lee Shin Woos fault. As the one that modified the item, Lee Shin Woos thoughts had caused an extreme change in the artifact, causing it to be a reflection of his subconscious will. Lee Shin Woo didnt know what to think. He stared at the Mana Radar but ultimately grabbed it. And was shocked. "This is more amazing than my wildest imagination..." First, its search range. It had a huge range when it was a level 8 artifact, but now that itd leveled up its range could cover the entire Underground Empire. That quality was enough to prove that it was a level 9 artifact, but what was even more shocking was its primary function! By categorizing the target and subdividing them, the user could figure out everything there was to know about a target theyd met once or someone who had a deep connection to mana. "This can find anything. Theres nothing it cant find. Whats worse, even if its an artifact..." "Yeah. It really is amazing. The result of adding our power to the surface and undergrounds magic engineering." They had, unbeknownst to the Magic or Undead Emperors,bined the surface and undergrounds techniques to create such a divine artifact. Would they ever be aware of this fact!? Though the two had be easier to kill because of that! [You have created a level 9 artifact with the help of a talentedrade. Though it was originally a level 8 artifact, you fused together the knowledge of several worlds and civilizations in order to develop it one step further. These techniques are so impressive that it is difficult to appraise them.] [You have acquired the title Gods Hand. All stats have increased by 50. The chance that you create a high-quality item increases.] Hed been expecting a message like this. Kratia was rewarded as well this time. The two briefly enjoyed the status bonuses. But the most weing news was that his recently acquired title would make the rest of his tasks easier! "Then, Shin Woo. Lets move on to the next thing. A Titan equipped with the Demon Heart. Im really excited." "Theres something I need to do before that. Wait just a little bit." "...Tch." Lee Shin Woo entered Seagalds mana into the Mana Radar. If it were anyone else, they probably wouldnt have understood Seagalds Annihtion me, even if they experienced it first hand. However, Lee Shin Woo already had three innate elements, and had temporarily stolen the Annihtion me with his Dark me! Perfectly imitating Seagalds mana pattern wasnt impossible for him! "...But why is it acting like this?" "Whats wrong, Shin Woo?" "Its just that theres no way hes here." Lee Shin Woo couldnt believe his eyes and shook the level 9 Mana Radar around. In Korea, hed learned to hit things when they didnt work to get them working again, but he suppressed that urge, as he didnt want to damage such a precious artifact. It wasnt a level 9 artifact for nothing; no matter how many times he tried the search, the result was the same. So long as there wasnt a fundamental issue with the artifact itself, there was no way the information would be wrong. "Do you know where this is?" "Just a minute. Im not familiar with these coordinates. Let me look through your memories... Yeah, I know where it is." Soon, Kratia understood why he was reacting like that and sported a peculiar expression. Who else could understand the absurdity of this all besides her? "This bastard. He really is on the surface..." "Now I know why he was never caught..." Thats right. He didnt know how long hed been there, but the Anti-Skulls leader... Seagald Von Retadane was on the surface. Chapter 49 part3 "Shin Woo, didnt you say that the Magic Emperor oversees the golemwork? So then how did Seagald get up there undetected?" "Seagald has his Annihtion me. Maybe he used that to mess with the golemwork." "Is that even possible?" "Innate elements make it possible. Inymens terms, theyre like Haki in One Piece. In the first half, the characters fought with their Devil Fruit and their abilities, but in thetter half, they added Haki, whichpletely ruined the power bnce." "Im not sure I understand, but I get that its a cheat." There was also a high chance that he used Annihtion me to pass through the barrier. The barrier, which doesnt allow any living being to pass through it, wasnt just some conceptual barrier, but also acted as a physical and magical barricade. If the barrier was destroyed, then the Emperor would surely know. So the fact that the Emperor didnt know that Seagald was here meant that hed used his Annihtion me to erase his and his subordinates presences to pass through the barrier undetected. It really was an overpowered ability. "I cant understand it logically." "Its not a power that makes logical sense." Comparing innate elements and determining which one was better wasughable, but Lee Shin Woo really felt that the Annihtion me was incredibly powerful. Seagalds Annihtion me was more powerful than the Emperors Lightning Bind. Most importantly was the fact that the Emperor wasnt always using his Lightning Bind to control the golemwork. If thats the case, then it would be stranger if Seagald had been found. "Its possible. He might already be forming a bridgehead to invade the surface." "Like what you did by acting like a hero and hiding the fact that you were undead, Shin Woo?" "No, there wasnt anyone suspicious in the Empire besides me. No matter how amazing the Annihtion me is, it wouldnt allow him to act perfectly like me. He, as well as his subordinates, wouldnt have been able to hide in in sight." "Then?" ...Hes probably in a dungeon. The citizens of the Empire resented the Empire for neglecting the dungeons that endangered them. Its entirely possible that Seagald had found an abandoned dungeon and transformed it into his base. No. If the surfaces sewers had been converted into secret facilities like the undergrounds, then there was a chance that he could even be in the capital at this very moment... "Ha. What a vicious bastard. To think he was already preparing himself for an invasion of the surface." "Shin Woo, youre smiling." "I cant help it." By learning of Seagalds n beforehand, he would be able to turn things in his favor! Kratia watched him and gave a silent prayer. "Annihtion me Sword god... It was truly the perfect n. Its unfortunate you had to meet Shin Woo." "All ns look perfect until you figure them out." Lee Shin Woo recorded Seagalds location and reported it to the Emperor through themunication device. Once he did so, the Emperor was furious beyond belief. [The surface!? Youre saying that that lowly undead fooled me!? How dare he trick me!?] [Im 100% certain. Hes confusing us by quickly moving between the surface and the underground. Thats why my report waste; I had no idea that he could return to the surface...!] [Grr...] Lee Shin Woo could hear the Emperor grinding his teeth. The angrier he got, the easier it became for Lee Shin Woo to trick him, so there was nothing better for him. [I got it. Arema, you did well; you brought this to my attention before it was toote and I wont forget it. Now that I know hes here, theres no one that can stop me from punishing him!] [Its an honor, Your Majesty.] [Some of his forces must still be underground. That works in our favor. A few of the 12 Generals have finished their training, so finish off the rest of Anti-Skull with their help. We cant let them provoke Jissehanu no matter what. Dont let them even think abouting to the surface. Do you understand?] [I understand, Your Majesty.] Mm. As he thought, the Magic Emperor was indeed afraid of the Undead Emperor, Jissehanu. It was only natural; Jissehanu had studied magic like a madman for hundreds of years all in order to take his revenge and was also level 9. If the Magic Emperor was truly afraid, then... Lee Shin Woo thought about it, but first bowed his head deeply before the Emperor. [As you wish, Your Majesty.] [Theyll arrive shortly. Dont let any of them get away.] [Of course, Your Majesty.] The line went dead. Lee Shin Woo left the room and released the Arema disguise, sporting an evenrger smile than before. "Soon..." "Soon what?" "Jeez, you surprised me!" Just a second ago, there was definitely nothing there, but Jin suddenly appeared before him, raking the air with her hooves! Lee Shin Woo took a step back in shock and Jin spoke boastingly. "No matter how good your perception range is, or how fast your reflexes are, its impossible for you to react when someone instantly closes the distance from outside of that range, right?" "Im more surprised about how nonchnt you are about doing it." "I almost have a full grasp on my speed. Now all thats left is you getting on and getting used to it too." No, wait. He couldnt keep up with her speed, yes, but Wild Card was always active and had a huge range, so if she were able to fool even him, then... In a way, she had done something even more surprising than the likes of innate elements like Annihtion me or Shining me. Lee Shin Woo gazed at Jin, who snorted boastfully and looked at him doubtfully. It didnt happen nowadays, but looking at her now, so confident, reminded him of the time when hed had to get used to her speed. "...Do I really have to?" "Its ok. Lately, the Assimtion skill hasnt been gaining much proficiency. Itll work out as long as we level it up some more." "Assimtion, huh... Thatd be nice, but I have a lot on my te right now." Lee Shin Woos Assimtion skill was already high rank level 7. It could only level up three more times; would he really be able to handle her speed with just that? Actually, would he even be able to level it up? Lee Shin Woo looked really disinclined and Jin retorted with a sullen voice. "Seagald was kicking your ass in CQCst time." "Ugh." "I fought against him with Arema, but I didnt evennd a single hit. I just attacked." "Ugh." Although Lee Shin Woosbat senses were far greater than Jins, their Agility stats were ultimately different. If their Assimtion was perfect, like Jin said, then Lee Shin Woo wouldnt have been pushed back. They would be able to face off against Seagald in close quartersbat. "Yourbat techniques are inherently powerful too. You put in a lot of effort and were rewarded for it. But now youre giving up on a head-to-head fight just because you lost? If thats not what youre doing, wouldnt it make sense to humiliate him back?" "Y-Yeah. I think so too." "Then, start training with me for at least three hours a day. Since itd be more efficient to train with me than for you to try improving your reaction speed." "...Yes maam, I understand." There were no holes in her argument! Lee Shin Woo was forced to lower his head at his partners lecture, and Jin forgave him whilst sporting a serious expression. Jin was happy that shed get three hours alone with him every day from now on, but Lee Shin Woo wasnt astute enough to notice. He was just thinking about how to level up his Assimtion skill as quickly as possible and then went back to Kratia. "Lord Arema Steelworker. Its an honor to finally meet you." "To think Id have a chance to meet the star of the surface... Im grateful to His Majesty for the opportunity." [Hmm.] Three days had passed since then. By then, a force of three hundred strong had been sent down from the surface. It was an elite force, consisting mostly of level 6s with two level 7s and even a level 8! He could tell that the Emperor had nned for this. But there was something even more surprising than that. [Lv8 Steel Armor General Horain Von Bateks - Elder Vampire] [Lv7 Wind Demon General Melloto Von Medain - Vampire] [Lv7 Conviction General Kisera Von Vulture - Vampire] These guys... Theyre not only members of the 12 Generals, but also Vampires! Moreover, all of the levels 6s were Vampires as well! So this is what the Emperor meant by training? Lee Shin Woo was absolutely speechless. He supposed sending undead would make it much easier to pass through the barrier! I have to assume that theyre connected to the Emperor through his Lightning Bind. The innate element that resulted from the fusion between the lightning and darkness element: Lightning Bind. It would force a connection between two people and was a fearsome innate element that allowed the Emperor to do certain things. But it wasnt as simple as it sounded; the Emperor couldnt just link himself to just anyone. As proof of this, there had been no link between Aremas golem body and the Emperor. But the people here must have been turned into Vampires by the Emperor himself, so there was a chance that they were connected to him. Theres no way the Emperors suspicious of me. But theres a chance he wanted to see the underground himself. If thats the case, then he wouldnt be able to make them his subordinates through Instigate. If so, then what was the best way to get rid of them? Hed already made his decision. Lee Shin Woo inwardly smiled refreshingly and said. [I already know where their base is. Lets get going immediately.] "U-Understood. Youre not taking your time, I see." [I just cant tolerate the sight of those insects any longer.] Hed prepared for situations like this. His golem squad, which had been on standby outside, appeared. Once he was finished creating the Mana Radar, he focused on manufacturing golems. He managed to create more than 200 level 6 golems, and integrated some better materials into one of them, creating a level 7 elite golem as well! "I apologize for asking now, but where are the Four Heavenly Commanders...?" [...Im going to ask Anti-Skull about them myself... Do you have a problem with that?] "N-No!" Lee Shin Woos voice was tinged with anger, causing the Vampires to flinch and be speechless; they hadnt known that Anti-Skull had killed the Four Heavenly Commanders. The level 8 Steel Armor General was the only one able to endure the pressure, and Horain Von Bateks asked carefully. "Lord Arema. Have you found all of their bases?" [Of course. Therere five of them.] The Mana Radar had obviously not only picked up Seagalds location but the location of the underground Anti-Skull bases as well. They broke up their forces, befitting a group that acted in the shadows, but it didnt matter. Lee Shin Woo had figured out where all of them were. "Five bases... May I ask where they are?" [Four of the five are nothing special. We just need to go there and destroy them.] To be honest, Anti-Skull only had four bases underground. [But destroying thest one will prove difficult.] "Y-Youre not saying..." Horain, who was quick on the uptake, immediately realized what he was saying and gulped. Lee Shin Woo nodded his head and dered. [Theyre building their forces within the capital. We have to kill them before they join forces with Jissehanu.] Too bad there wasnt actually anything like that in the capital! Chapter 49 part4 First, Lee Shin Woo split up the Vampires into three groups and sent them off to three different Anti-Skull bases. He stated that hed go to thest remaining base, but he was actually nning to send to the Pauls to take care of it. [Three days. In three days, well regroup here and then... go to the capital.] "B-But Lord Arema, what about the thorn wall..." [Hoo. Youll see when we get there. ...Prepare yourself for death. For the Emperor!] "F-For the Emperor!" And so, Lee Shin Woo expertly fooled them and sent them away. After that, he cemented his alibi. To be exact, he nned on sneaking into the capital alone as Arema and then barelying out alive. "Shin Woo, are you really going to go to the capital?" "Think about it. This is a good opportunity for me to take a look around the capital without them suspecting that it was the Heaven Defying General or the heroes." Because hed taken out Aremast, the pce didnt know what had happened to the Metal God General and his forces. He would cause chaos as Arema Steelworker and paint a target on the Vampires backs; then, hed take what he came for and leave. "I need to find out exactly where the train leads (in the capital) and see how it performs; and if I can, Id like to go into the inner depths of the capital." "But do you really have to take such a big risk? Cant you just take out the Vampires after you kill Seagald and his forces?" "I may still be able to use the Emperor. But if I was the one to take them out, then the Emperor would know that Im not the real Arema Steelworker through his Lightning Bind. I want to avoid that. If at all possible, I want the Vampires to fight someone else and die. Well, if it doesnt work out, I can always call the Pauls and make it look like an ident." Why wasnt he discarding the Emperor at this point in time? Jin couldnt understand why, so she just waited for Lee Shin Woo to continue. Lee Shin Woo grinned and went on to the crux of the matter. "Moreover... Itd be nice if the Emperor kills Seagald, but if he doesnt, then what happens? When I think about that, I feel like I have to take matters into my own hands." "Oh,e on. Hes level 9; you really think hed lose track of him?" "Sure, hes level 9, but all this time, he hadnt even noticed that Seagald was on the surface. Even I missed him once. Can he not use his full power unless he takes matters into his own hands?" Lee Shin Woo spoke boldly, but hed actually encountered the Emperor once before and even escaped unscathed, so he wasnt talking out of his ass. To be brutally honest, he felt like the Lightning Bind element was kind of a wishy-washy ability! "Lightning Bind. An ability that forcefully creates a link between you and another. It allows him to bind his enemies, coerce his subordinates, or even allow him to transfer his consciousness to another, allowing him to see from afar... In many ways, its a good ability, but theres one problem with it: it doesnt have any inherentbat power." "But it seems strong enough to me." "If youpare it to Seagalds Annihtion me or my Dark Shadow, then its undoubtedly weaker in a purebat sense. Should I say that its unsuited for battle, or that its disadvantageous in a real battle?" He had a sudden thought. Perhaps the Emperor had obtained Lightning Bind because he wanted to control the Empire safely from the shadows. Though there werent many cases of this, innate elements werergely influenced by ones karma. He had not only exiled both the powerful 2nd prince and the Elementalists underground, but heid traps in the capital, which were activated by his mana. Plus, he never acted on his own and justmanded his troops to act in his ce... He couldnt help but think that the Magic Emperor was nothing more than a coward! "Still, didnt you say that hes the one who created the barrier? Now he knows, theres no way that hell lose Seagald." "Im just preparing for the what if. Lets think about what happens if the Emperor loses Seagald. Then whatll Seagald do?" "If I were Seagald, then Id hide. Isnt it the basics of the basics to regroup when youre at a disadvantage?" Lee Shin Woo firmly shook his head at Jins remark. "When something goes wrong, you have two options: to regroup or to push forward. Seagald will probably pick thetter this time since the former requires time." One can only afford to rx and take care of themselves in a battle if theyre willing to sacrifice time. But... "Think about it. The surfaces Magic Emperor is gunning for him, and the Heaven Defying General is waiting for him underground. Lets assume that Seagalds goal is to turn the Undead Emperor, Jissehanu into Anti-Skull and invade the surface. When he realizes that his enemies have multiplied, would he think that buying time is the right decision?" "Oh. Ohhhh..." Jin didnt really understand, but she acted like she did and nodded her head. Lee Shin Woo sighed softly and continued. "So, his only choice would be to move forward with his n. Hed be forced to proceed with his n, even though hes surrounded on both sides. Hed then go straight for the capital, to Jissehanu." "...You." "Yep. At that time, Ill force the Vampires, the Imperial Army, and Anti-Skull to fight against each other, and... in the midst of all that, Ill achieve my own goal. Which is to kill Seagald." In other words, everything hed done was to kill Seagald. He predicted what Seagalds next move would be and prepared ordingly. Plus, he blocked off all of his retreat paths and forced him into the jaws of death. Eliminating the Anti-Skull bases was part of that strategy. Indeed, it was just a small part of his strategy. "Shin Woo, you... what the hell did you do in the past?" "I was a businessman." "Is businessman some kind of secret code for some sort of hit squad?" "Hahahaha." Jin couldnt understand his entire exnation, but she knew one thing: what happened when you made Lee Shin Woo your enemy. The moment Lee Shin Woo had manipted the Magic Emperor into pursuing Seagald was the moment that signed Seagalds death warrant...! "Im going to scout the capital, simultaneously chip away at the Imperial Army and the Vampires forces, and kill Seagald. These are my goals for this operation." "So thats whatll act as the bridgehead for the final battle, huh..." "Haha. ...This could actually be the final battle." "What are you talking about? Youre not going to the capital to fight the Emperor, are you!?" Jin freaked out and yelled. However, Lee Shin Woo just shook his head, saying that she got it all wrong, but didnt give her a proper exnation. Since he knew that she wouldnt understand anything he said at the moment. "Eeek..." "Try to understand. We dont know if itll go ording to n... Ill exin it to you once things have be a bit more clear." "Tch." Jin was pissed that Lee Shin Woo wasnt willing to reveal his n to even her, his partner, but she didnt show it, as a skeleton horse wouldnt look cute no matter how much it pouted. Instead... "If you want to get out of that mess, then youll have to train some more. Lets get back to training." "Ugh... Fine...!" Lee Shin Woo thought back to the past few days and dry heaved. During their training, he couldnt tell the difference between heaven and earth, or the difference between himself and Jin. But at the end of their training, he did manage to level up his Assimtion skill to level 8. However, when Jin realized this, she increased the difficulty of their training even further! How harsh must that training have been if his Combat Sense skill, which grew at a snails pace, leveled up to level 8? It was harder to stay atop Jins back than fighting against the enemy! He steeled himself, promising himself that hed get through this training, but that resolve of his was torn to shreds just 20 minutes into their training. "Uaaaaaaaaah!" "Not yet! Your reaction to that turn was too slow! If you cant handle the speed, then you wont be able to fight properly! Tense up your muscles and react!" "Youve never even ridden a horse before, so how the hell do you even know that?" "Next. elerate, turn vertically, and ascend!" "Uaaaaaaaaaah!" Lee Shin Woo was the one whod given her wings, but she had managed to use those wings to fly in a manner he hadnt even imagined! Is this what he got for opening Pandoras Box...! "Uaaaaaaaah." "Uooooooooh!" Lee Shin Woo choked down his tears and clung onto Jins back. Unfortunately, he didnt know that him doing that caused Jin to only get worse! A little bitter, Lee Shin Woo finished his training with Jin and found Kratia. She was mentally exhausted, so when she looked at him, she only slightly opening her eyes and said quietly. "Shin Woo, who were you fighting?" "Myself." "Just forgive them already. You still have a lot to do, Shin Woo." "I want to forgive her too, but Jin wont forgive me." "..." Kratia figured that Jins goal was a lot different than what Lee Shin Woo thought, and wondered whether she should tell him or not. But it was true that Lee Shin Woo and Jins skills were improving, so she decided to keep her mouth shut. "Id like to improve the Titan before you go to the capital." "Its not as easy as it sounds." "If you bring the perfected Titan Core with you, then therell be less for me to worry about." "So you were worried about me." "Were partners after all." In a way, improving the Titan Core would prove to be much more difficult than improving the Huginns Eye. While he knew what areas of the Huginns Eye he wanted to improve and focus on, he was still at the drawing board for the Titan Core; he didnt know how tobine the Titan Core and the Demon Heart. "Its simple. We just use it on the outside." "Wait, you want to use this precious mana metal to make armor?" "...Well definitely be able to get it to level 9." "I can already fight against level 9s. This thing cant just be any normal level 9. It has to be an ultimate weapon that will allow me to ovee any unforeseen situations." Lee Shin Woo wanted to imbue the Titan Core with the Demon Hearts properties. The Demon Heart that was the result of the Evil Eye ovepping again and again. At this point, it was the very definition of being ovepped. If that ability was transferred to the Titan, then what would happen? He would not only be able to ovep his Dark me, but also his other mes; no, if things went well, then he may be able to surpass that and stack all of his abilities together, sublimating them into something new! "Though I honestly feel like its just a pipe dream." "In any case, lets begin. We studied the Shining me yesterday, right? Lets study the Dark me today." In order to figure out how to harmonize different elements together in the Titan Core, Lee Shin Woo started with helping Kratia understand how each of these elements worked. It was time well spent, as they not only gained a greater understanding of the Demon Heart and the Titan Core, but also increased Kratias control over her own element at an exponential rate. No... her skills improved even moreso. "...Shin Woo." "What?" "Thanks." "For what?" Lee Shin Woo shrugged his shoulders and manifested his Dark me. Kratia created an ice crystal, touched the Dark me with it, and smiled. Not yet. The Emperor still hadnt contacted him yet. Chapter 49 part5 The next morning, Lee Shin Woo was staring into the eyes of Seira, the beauty with gray hair and eyes. She had somehow figured out that Lee Shin Woos goal was to kill Seagald and had grabbed onto him. "Ill go too." "No." "Im going." "Stay here and train some more." "Keut. Ill go no matter what...!" Why was she clinging to him? She obviously wanted to go with Lee Shin Woo. It was easy enough to figure out, but... "Dont you remember how badly you failedst time? Dont you think you should just stay and watch?" "This is my primary reason for living, even if I had to be an undead. I wont overdo it. Please let me go with you." Seira was calm and collected. He didnt know what she was thinking, but at the very least, she didnt show any signs of insanity like before. Honestly, it would be a huge problem if she did show any signs. Since the effects of the undead curse had beenpletely dispelled. "I beg of you, Lee Shin Woo. Ill do everything you ask of me. I wont be foolish likest time. Please take me with you." "...Do you really need to see your older brothers death that badly?" "Yes, I must." A faint light shone within her gray eyes. Lee Shin Woo realized that these were a Banshees Tears. The dense magic within them was difficult for even Lee Shin Woo toprehend. "Please dont doubt me. I should be able to help you. I also practiced my Banshee abilities plenty. Right now, Im definitely... definitely a good match for you." "A good match, huh. Banshees specialize in mental confusion, right?" "...To be more specific, its the ability to manipte a situation." "Manipting a situation... If its as you say, then it does indeed have goodpatibility with my Wild Card skill." Honestly, he didnt really know the specifics to a Banshees ability, even though he was the one who led to her creation. However, hed heard that Banshees were an undead species that possessed a peculiar authority. They were an incredibly rare species and their creation required several conditions... Because of these stringent conditions, they were extremely powerful in exchange. Moreover, she was no normal Banshee; she was a level 8 Elder Banshee Princess. Her authority was definitely amazing. Lee Shin Woo briefly thought about it... and if he followed her logic, then she would indeed be a trustworthy ally. However... "Alright, then prove it. I cant take you with me before I have a chance to assess your abilities myself." "Of course. Itd be nice if there were a dungeon nearby." "Youll find one if you follow the mana patterns of living monsters. Just wait a sec. Im going to use the Mana Radar to... Huh?" Lee Shin Woo rummaged for his Mana Radar, but then stopped. Chi Paul, who shouldve been in the middle of destroying one of the Anti-Skull bases, sent him an unbelievable report. [Were being pushed back, Father! Please send reinforcements!] He couldnt believe what he was hearing and listened vacantly. "Youre being pushed back...?" No matter howrge Anti-Skull was, their forces were split among four bases (if he included the base on the surface, then they would probably be split among five bases), so he thought his Pauls would be more than enough to clear them out. But they were being pushed back? [Its the Annihtion me Sword God, Father! He appeared out of nowhere while we were fighting...] "What...!?" Why had the Annihtion me Sword God, who should still be on the surface, suddenly appeared underground? Lee Shin Woo furrowed his brow at the unbelievable news and then Chi Paul added something else he couldnt understand. [Huh...? He disappeared again! He sustained heavy losses, but... we have several members who need immediate treatment. Father, I apologize, but could youe personally!?] "What!?" Chi Paul was so flustered that Lee Shin Woo couldnt understand him! Lee Shin Woo gritted his teeth, called Jin over, and mounted her. Seira followed suit and rode behind him, grabbing onto Lee Shin Woos waist." "Hey, let go!" "Im sorry. Please excuse me." "Shin Woo, I dont like this girl!" "I knew that already, but the situations urgent, so we have to go right away. I have to go and check things out myself. Full speed ahead." "...You got it." "Full speed... Ouguaaaaaaah!?" Jin paid Seira back for treating her like some convenient ride and by the end of it, Seira looked like a reanimated corpse. In any case, they quickly arrived at their destination due to Jin running at top speed. [We once served the Empire together, so why do we have to fight against each other!? Open your eyes, soldiers!] [Youre the one in the wrong! We saw Seagald preach freedom while stabbing his younger sister in the heart!] [You fools...!] He came to the sight of a battle in full swing between the Pauls and Anti-Skull. This base was well-hidden and was protected by a barrier, so Lee Shin Woo thought it would just take some time to break the barrier and fight them; he didnt think the Pauls would have any problems against them. But what he saw... [L-Lord Paul Zero hase!] "Father! My apologies, but please take care of these guys!" Once he saw Lee Shin Woo, Chi Paul, who fought more fiercely than anyone and was protecting the wounded, rejoiced and yelled. Lee Shin Woo looked at Chi Paul and doubted his eyes. Chi Paul, who had be a level 8 Android Zero just a short while ago and had gained a body simr to Arema Steelworkers, was aplete mess! Of his injuries, his most severe were... "Burns... Chi Paul can wield fire and possesses Fire Resistance, yet hes been burned? Then, it really was Seagald... No, did he even really disappear?" "Im sure of it! But I believe there was some sort of condition for appearing so suddenly..." Lee Shin Woo listened to Chi Pauls report and immediately activated the Mana Radar, but Seagald really wasnt here. However, he wasnt on the surface either. He was underground, probably in... the centermost Anti-Skull base! No wait, his location just changed. Seagald had moved to another base! "This is like that damn Lichs... Whatever, so long as hes not here. Lets start treatment first. Come over here if youre dying!" Lee Shin Woo activated a wide range Bone Reinforcement on the wounded Pauls. This was why hed umted all these bones. Lee Shin Woo had expended 20% of his stored up bones all at once, fully restoring the health of the injured Pauls. They were all in perfect condition, aside from those whod been broken into pieces and died. "But in that short period of time, we lost 700 of them..." "Once he appeared, he used a widespread me. Those at high levels were able to endure it, but anyone level 5 or less didnt have enough resistance, so..." Lee Shin Woo listened to the rest of Chi Pauls report, who sported a bitter expression despite being fully healed, and gritted his teeth. This was the first time hed ever sustained such heavy losses since takingmand of the Pauls. He felt even more bitter, as hed sustained such losses from something he hadnt expected. If he knew this would happen, then he wouldve eschewed the idea of sending the Pauls to gain somebat experience ande himself. But it was toote to start regretting it now. His rage towards Seagald would not abate and burned bright. "One of the level 7 Giants was killed. If Arogan and Eta werent here, then we wouldve sustained even heavier losses." As expected. Even now, the two level 7 Elite Titans, Eta and Arogan, rampaged about on the frontlines of the battlefield. They had sustained some severe burns as well, but their anger gave them strength and allowed them to push through the pain. "Why did Seagald show up here all of a sudden... Lets figure that outter. First..." "This is a good ce to show you what I can do." Lee Shin Woo was about to rush forward to the front lines, along with Eta and Arogan, but then, Seira, who had been drooped over, recovered and stepped into the air. Her gray hair and dress fluttered in the air. "You could fly!?" "Now really isnt the time to be asking that, is it!?" [Im a Banshee, so isnt it only natural that I can change into an astral body?] Her body slightly shone. In this way, she was quite simr to an Immortal, Danas species. Seira realized what he was thinking and smiled slightly. [Perhaps it was because you revived me first that you were able to turn Dana into an immortal after. Banshees and Immortals seem simr, but they are fundamentally different. Though it took me some time before I came to that realization...] "Specifically?" [Immortals avoid death, but I bring death. Lee Shin Woo, you made us like this. Your ability to switch between life and death made us like this.] She said and entered the battlefield garbed in her fluttering dress. Lee Shin Woo saw crystals of light form around her eyes and instinctively covered his ears. [Gyaaaaaaaaaaahk!] "Guaaah!" The frightening shriek resounded throughout the battlefield. All who heard her cry staggered. Her cry didnt differentiate between ally or foe, and all were anguished by it. But then, something happened; something so shocking that it made him forget about what had just happened. [Kuhahk!?] [How can this be... Lord Seagald. Lord Seagald will rescue... Kueok!] The grievously wounded Anti-Skull troops toppled over all at once, as if theyd nned this beforehand. Hundreds of soldiers had been incapacitated, and the Pauls took that opportunity to finish the rest of them off. There were some among the Anti-Skull troops that died by themselves without them needing to finish them off. "This is... I see. This is a Banshees Cry. Its not a cry that forewarns death, but a cry that actually calls death...!" [Gyaaaaaaahk! Huhiiiiiii...!] Whenever her screams, which sounded akin to wailing or sobbing, resounded far and wide through the battlefield, the Anti-Skull soldiers would stagger. The lower leveled, unwounded soldiers would fall to the floor, and the level 6 and 7 officers were affected as well. [This is our chance. Push them back!] [A Banshees Cry... This cry is helping us. Its a funeral march. The Banshee is singing a funeral march for our enemies!] Everyone should be able to hear her cries, yet for some strange reason, only the Anti-Skull were affected; the others werent negatively impacted by her cries at all. At most, they would feel goosebumps. Although it was such a formidable authority, it could differentiate between friend and foe. Hundreds of Anti-Skull troops met death at the hands of her cries, and then hundreds more died. When Lee Shin Woo had first arrived, the battle was a close one, but now, the fight had entirely turned in the Pauls favor! "This... has elemental power mixed in." In the midst of all that, Lee Shin Woo came to a realization. She wasnt just crying. Seira was imbuing her cries with the light element. Light was the power of severing. With it, she wouldnt allow it to affect anyone on her side... In other words, she was controlling it so that it wouldnt affect anyone in the same contract as her! It wasnt something just anyone could do. Seira could proficiently wield the light element, so it was possible for her! ...Wait a sec. Isnt this the first time that that grannys actually making herself useful? Lee Shin Woo thought momentarily, but it was obvious shed hate him if he said it out loud, so he kept his mouth shut. A Banshees Cry resounded through the battlefield once more. And 30 minutester, the battle ended. Chapter 50 part1 "So is there anyone here who can tell me what happened in detail?" The battle was over. While the Pauls were collecting the loot, Lee Shin Woo gathered themanders in one spot and held a discussion. He may be able to gain some info from the Anti-Skulls bones, but it wouldnt be the same as hearing it from those who actually fought against Seagald himself. [Excuse me...] "Huh? A-Ah, sure." Lee Shin Woo looked at Shino Rendu, who had carefully raised his hand, and smiled bitterly. His gaze wasnt directed at him, but at Seira, who was a bit behind Lee Shin Woo. Shinos hands shook and his gaze wavered. He resembled a drug abuser, so it was kind of frightening. [Could I please... talk with her a little bit?] "...Shino Rendu. Its been a while. I see you were following Lee Shin Woo all this time." [Y-Yeah. That means...] Now that he thought about it, Shino Rendu one-sidedly loved Seira in the past! Hed forgotten all about it because it hadnt mattered; he never imagined that theyd both be undead and meet each other again. The others seemingly noticed the peculiar mood and tilted their heads. Whereas Seira just shrugged her shoulders. [Seira... No, Retadane. Why are you...?] "Everyone whos died has their own story to tell. In any case, I died; I came to an understanding with Lee Shin Woo and formed a contract with him. Right now, Im working alongside him. Thats all." Lee Shin Woo had disclosed his identity as a hero to the Pauls some time ago. Shino Rendu knew this as well. The fact that he was qualified to be a hero would only serve as a positive for the Pauls; they would never see it as a detriment. Shino Rendu was the same. It didnt matter that Lee Shin Woo was once his junior. [T-Then, well be able to fight together from now on.] "...Yes, so long as you dont betray Lee Shin Woo." [Of course! Im so happy that I could meet you again...] "Shino Rendu, Id rather you not give me any unwanted attention." [Ah...] Lee Shin Woo heard and instinctively turned around. Some really sad stuff would be happening now. He decided not to listen to this. Yeah, after all, he had so much more to do! "So, those who fought against Seagald... Ah, thats right. Eta." [Titan.] No matter how many times he said it, they refused to believe that he wasnt a Titan; Eta took one knee before Lee Shin Woo. Lee Shin Woo had healed her right after the battle, so her body and armor were fully repaired. However, she, as well as all those whod fought and lost against Seagald, all sported sour expressions. [I discovered him because I was at the vanguard. His appearance was sudden and intense.] "How did he appear? He probably wasnt hiding here before. Did you sense space element mana? You should remember that mana that covered the Giants Domain." [No, it wasnt. It waspletely different. It was a shadow... A fires shadow.] "...What?" [Please excuse my rudeness, but may I touch you, Titan?] "Of course." Once he consented, Eta carefully extended her pinky finger. Lee Shin Woo gripped her pinky and closed his eyes. The two were linked together through the darkness element, and Etas memories were directly transmitted to Lee Shin Woo. Now, Lee Shin Woo understand what she meant by a fires shadow. One of them suddenly burned themselves, creating this me, and a shadow formed from within it. Fires shadow is indeed an apt description of it. Seagald showed up with this. He immediately killed a level 7 Giant who attempted to stop him; that was only the beginning. He then cajoled Eta, Arogan, and the Pauls with those mes... And then, he faded into the darkness and disappeared. He had a rough idea as to what had happened through Etas memories. However, he didnt have enough information to be absolutely sure yet. If it were as she said, then... his face stiffened and he said. "Eta, have you collected the bones of the burned Anti-Skull soldier? No, there were probably some other troops with the same mission as him. Bring me the officers bones first." [Understood!] Fortunately, they were able to gather the burned Anti-Skull soldiers bone. Lee Shin Woo immediately absorbed it, and clearly heard Seagalds instructions. [Call me if something unexpected happens. You sacrifice yourself to the me and create a fires shadow. And it is through this shadow that I cane over to you. That is our link.] Lee Shin Woo was briefly silent. He realized what Seagald meant, as well as how he was temporarily summoned. "...Man, I cant put up with this any longer." "Shin Woo!?" "No, not yet. Lets look through a few more. Bone Reinforcement!" He was already sure of it, but he absorbed the other officers bones regardless just in case he was misunderstanding something. However, Seagald had given the other officers the same instructions; he couldnt find a single artifact on their bodies, so he sighed and epted the truth. The bastard didnt use spatial magic or a unique artifact. It was more of an intuitive and logical power; it was none other than an innate element. A power that differed from Annihtion me at that! "This asshole had two innate elements. Man, he really fooled me. So he was taking it easy during our fight, huh... Hes really starting to resemble me more and more." "Really!?" "What part of that surprised you? Say it." He wasnt one to talk; after all, he possessed three innate elements. However, Lee Shin Woo was really frustrated. All of Lee Shin Woos innate elements focused on cause-and-effect, whether it be erasing it, stealing it, or reversing it. Yet, Seagalds innate elements werepletely different! But because his innate elements were so heavily specialized, he could make better use of his Wild Card skill, which manipted cause-and-effect. Even so, he was still jealous of Seagald. "He has two innate elements? To think there was someone else like you... Was Seagald a businessman from Earth too?" "If he was, then Id be able to talk to him." Lee Shin Woo smiled weakly at Jins joke and went through the Anti-Skulls memories once more. What name would fit for that innate element? Well, he called it a fires shadow before, so Fire Shadow should work. What a confusing name. Now that he thought about it, everyone he foughttely possessed a fusion element of darkness and something else! The Undead Emperor definitely had something like that, and if thats the case, then it was definitely a sign of power intion in the second act! Jin still looked curious, so Lee Shin Woo gave her a brief exnation. "Jin, you know that darkness has the power to form connections, right?" "Oh, can Seagald use the darkness element too?" "Seira, who hes blood-rted to, was able to use the darkness element once she became undead. So, its not unusual that he can use the darkness element. On the contrary, hes a genius for being able to fuse the fire and light elements together, so it would be strange if he couldnt handle the darkness element." Of course, his darkness was much weaker than Lee Shin Woos. However, it was different if the darkness element was fused with another element. Fire Shadow! His subordinate would sacrifice themselves, creating a shadow from the resulting me, which would link him and his subordinate together. The Fire Shadow element was at the very peak of transportation abilities and was also a trick. With the addition of his stealth ability, Annihtion me, as well as hisbat abilities... Lee Shin Woo couldnt help butugh. "When I fought him, I did my best, but he was holding back the entire time." Of course, Lee Shin Woo could use the fire element at the high rank level and had mastered the darkness element. If Seagald had actually used his Fire Shadow ability in front of Lee Shin Woo, then the victor would have been decided in an instant: Lee Shin Woo would have won right then and there. But Seagald shouldnt have known that. In other words, he had been holding back. That really pissed him off. "However..." Things would be different now. Lee Shin Woo thought that hed miscalcted, but after learning about all the circumstances, he realized that Seagald had actually miscalcted. If he really wanted to hide his Fire Shadow ability, then he shouldve hidden it until the very end, regardless of how many of his subordinates he had to sacrifice. However, he had given his subordinates an option of summoning him with Fire Shadow, and as a result, Lee Shin Woo had learned about the ability. "He travels through the Fire Shadow. The moment he uses that ability against me..." He could make it so that Seagald couldnt escape the shadow, or he could make it so that Seagald would burn eternally. Indeed, hed finally satisfied all the conditions of Wild Card! Lee Shin Woo tightened his fist and then Jin asked. "But why did he appear and then disappear all of a sudden, Shin Woo? It wouldve been the perfect crime if he killed all of your troops and then left before you arrived." "Its obvious if you think about it a little, Jin." "I dont like that about you. Take it down a level." Lee Shin Woo felt that he mightve gone a bit strange, as he felt that Jins sulking voice was cute. He grinned and said. "There are four Anti-Skull bases." "Ah, I see! Seagald showed up at the other bases too!" "Bingo." Lee Shin Woo had originally split up his troops without much thought. At the time, he thought that destroying all the bases would be tougher on Seagald, but he hadnt expected that it would result in this! "Seagald mustve thought when he was called at different locations simultaneously. Should I stay, or should I move on to the next one? But think about it. There were a ton of Pauls here and even if he did his best, he wouldnt be able to save a lot of his troops. He judged that it was better to save another base than to stay here, which was a lost cause." And it did indeed turn out that way. Aside from the level 8 and two level 7s, the other three bases were attacked by three groups of 100 level 6 Vampires. If not for Seagald, then they wouldve been able to take over the other Anti-Skull bases. But now that Seagald wasing... "The Magic Emperor will be pissed. He lost track of Seagald on the surface and would lose the generals he sent underground... Now that he knows how dangerous Seagald is, he wont be able to give up. He has no choice but toe out even stronger." "...Yeah. This wasnt even your intention, but it turned out to be beneficial for you, Shin Woo. Heot, did you n all this out Shin Woo!?" "Of course I did! Im always a step ahead!" He was lying, of course. If he knew that Seagald was going toe out like this, then he wouldve apanied the Pauls here! But he would lie as much as necessary to shock Jin! ...But now that itse to this... Lee Shin Woos was busy thinking, even while joking around with Jin. If the surface got more involved than hed first nned, then there would be a higher risk. Above all, he would have to push forward the date of the final battle... Sseup, I guess it cant be helped. I just have to do everything I can. Lee Shin Woo couldnt do anything about it. The only thing he could do was create the ideal stage with the conditions he was given! He shed Jin a smile, who was looking at him astonished and was formting a n in his head. Chapter 50 part2 [Seagaldddddddddd! That bastard tricked me!] The Emperor seemed pissed; it was only natural. After all, all of the Vampires hed dispatched had been killed, including the level 8 Steel Armor General. Even Lee Shin Woo hadnt thought that the level 8 general would be killed so easily! Once hed finished cleaning up, he led his Pauls in a quick retreat. Seagald had epted his subordinates summons at each base, and the Vampires were unable to withstand his assault and died. [I apologize, Your Majesty. If I hadnt divided our forces, then...!] There was some good news though. Through his and the Vampires attacks on their bases, Anti-Skulls forces had been cut down by a good 1/3. However, that wouldnt be enough to cause the Emperors anger to abate. [Raise your head, Arema. That wont solve anything! We have to kill him!] [But Your Majesty...!] Lee Shin Woo trailed off. The Emperor should already know. That entrusting the Metal God General alone with eliminating Seagald, who could suddenly appear and disappear anytime he wanted and had even killed a level 8 Vampire, was too much to ask for. [Ivepletely destroyed all of his forces on the surface, so he wont be able to return. He wont be able to fool the golemwork anymore either. ...So Arema, I need to trouble you for just a little while longer.] [...Of course. I am ready to give my life for you, Your Majesty.] [No, Im sorry for giving you such a difficult task. But my friend, I wont let you die in vain. Ill send you as many reinforcements as I can.] Ultimately, the cowardly Emperor chose the second best n instead of the very best. The Emperor was under the assumption that Arema had no choice but to obey him, as he held his strings (his physical body), but to the current Arema... or Lee Shin Woo, it was the best possible oue! [Ill send all the forces I have avable. So remember, you have to stop him. Dont let those filthy undead covet the surface. Understand?] [...Understood! I promise to do as you ask!] The line went dead. Lee Shin Woo briefly pondered and soon extended his hand towards themunication device. Then, the device made a crunching noise, turned to bone, and was absorbed by Lee Shin Woo. [Magic has increased by 10.] [Through your mastery of the Darkness Element, you were able to trace this darkness back to its source. The coordinates have been added to the Heaven Doors Key.] From here on out, he wouldntmunicate with the Emperor anymore. He was probably sending all of his forces underground, aside from a small handful that he needed to protect himself. Since he was sending such arge force, there was no need to contact him anymore. I had no choice but to use my own darkness to dispose of themunication device; otherwise, he wouldve known that it was tampered with. And... Would it really work out? Lee Shin Woo had thought, but he had achieved his secondary objective: trace the darkness back to its source and figure out where the Emperor was hiding. When would the Emperor figure this out? ...He would probably never figure it out. By that time, hed have a sword slicing through his throat. "Now, lets make a dummy and put it over here..." Darkness radiated from his fingertips and formed into a solid shape. This dummy device was created so that the Emperor wouldnt realize that the originalmunication device was damaged, and would act as a receiver that only received his signals. "Thanks, Arema Steelworker. You really did a lot for me." Lee Shin Woo put away the device, returned to his original form, and muttered in satisfaction. Then, he left the room and locked it. He saw Kratia right in front of him. It mightve been just him, but she seemed pretty impatient. "Lets hurry up and improve the Titan." "I have to go once the surface sends reinforcements. Can we really do it before then?" "We have to. Seagalds dangerous, the capital even more so. The more unknowns there are, the more you have to prepare, Shin Woo." "Youre right, but..." Honestly, Lee Shin Woos side was a force to be reckoned with. He had five level 8s, which included himself, Jin, Chi Paul, Seira, and Dana, along with several level 7 Giants, which had exceptionally high physical stats; he couldnt even count how many he had with both hands. Ye Jin Jin (she had recently hit level 7) wore a level 9 artifact and was apanied by the level 8 spirit, Zenon, so she was probably more powerful than most level 8s as well. Even though both sides have a level 9 boss, I think I can take them on with these forces. Despite that, Lee Shin Woo was still busy setting up the board. Why else would he be doing this? Because something unexpected could pop up out of nowhere. After all, Lee Shin Woo himself was an unknown that hadnt existed just two years ago. The Underground Empire had changed this much with his sudden appearance, so it would be foolish to assume that his enemies were exactly the same. Seagald was a clear example of this. "Wheres Seagald going?" "Hes going around the bases and collecting all the surviving troops. Hes almost done... When hes finished, hell probably go straight to the capital." "As I thought." Lee Shin Woo thought as much. When Seagald hade for Bayran, he thought that the battle wasing to an end. The Emperor probably thought the same; several of the 12 Generals had been killed and the capital had sustained a st of light from the cannon. "Shin Woo." Kratia stared right at Lee Shin Woo, who was organizing his thoughts. He felt like he knew what she was going to say. "Im going too." "You cant." "Jins going." "Shes level 8... No, I just cant go without her." "..." If Jin were here, she wouldve smiled in delight, despite knowing that that wasnt what he meant. Of course, Jin wasnt the one in front of him, but Kratia. She was puffing up her cheeks. Kratia was being quite expressive for such a cold magician. "But Seiras going too." "She keeps insisting that she sees her older brothers death. And shes level 8 too." Originally, he hadnt intended on bringing Seira along, but due to her insistence, as well as seeing her authority as a Banshee in the previous battle, he caved. Her abilities were reallypatible with his own. He would be able to maximize his abilities as a Joker with her around. "I can help too." "Yeah, you would help. But the problems that youll be in danger." "But youre the one in the most danger." "Ill be fine; even if Im killed, I wont die. Dont you worry, I can get out of any situation." He didnt lie unnecessarily. In the end, Kratia sighed at Lee Shin Woos boasting and said. "...Shin Woo, youre a precious sample, so youre not allowed to die." "Im d that youre concerned about me, but could you do something about that title..." He smiled bitterly and softly patted her shoulder. In order to take her mind off of it, he needed to... "Lets improve the Titan. Im trusting you. Since Im taking time out of my practice time with Jin, we have to get somewhere with it." "Leave it to me. Ill do it no matter what." From that moment on, the two focused on nothing else but fusing the Titan Core and the Demon Heart together. No, it wouldnt be a wrongful assumption to say that they were trying to use the Demon Heart to fundamentally strengthen the Titan Core. The Titan was a weapon that amplified Lee Shin Woos abilities, and in order to turn it into a shield that could protect him, he ovepped all of his abilities and melted them into the darkness. But, in order to transform it into an absolute weapon that turned lies into truth...! "...Ah." "Shin Woo?" "It might work if we limit its potential." The Titan was currently infused with the Dark me element; divided, that made the fire and darkness elements. And the Demon Hearts ovepping ability definitely originated from the darkness element. When he first nned out the Titans improvements, he thought he could use the Demon Heart as a medium to fuse all his elements together, but that was impossible from the very beginning. Lee Shin Woo himself didnt wield that many elements together at one time. "But what would happen if I used darkness as the foundation and thenbined all my mes with it? Wont that work?" "In other words, youre going to add your Shining me too? But thats the light element. The reinforcement will be unstable unless you can grasp the fusion element between light and darkness. The reason why elements cant be ovepped is because conflicting elements cant mix very well." "Mm..." Lee Shin Woo thought long and hard. It was clear that imparting his mes into the Titan during the creation stage was impossible. Instead, focusing entirely on the fire aspect and maximizing that would increase the Titans strength much more... Then, Kratia spoke, as if shede up with an idea. "...Shin Woo, hows this?" "What is it?" Kratia was struck with inspiration. She drew arge X through their current blueprint and drew the Titan Core and the Demon Hearts mana circuits such that even Lee Shin Woo was able to understand it. Then, she began exining. "Changing the Demon Hearts properties during the nning phase is impossible. Then what about making two different types of circuits?" "As expected." Depending on the way the Demon Heart was used, the Titans functionality would change. If thats the case, then Lee Shin Woo didnt need to think about it. Kratia saw him nod his head, and she herself nodded and said. "First, make a simple circuit that goes straight from the Demon Heart to the Titan Core. If you activate this line, then the Demon Hearts defensive capabilities should transfer to the Titan. Lets call this Normal Mode." No matter how he looked at it, she really was a genius. He honestly didnt really understand what she was talking about, so he felt like he had be like Jin and just nodded his head. Kratia then created an even moreplicated magic form atop the n and said. "If Normal Mode is when the Titan is connected with the Demon Heart, thus reinforcing it, then the next mode is a bit different. You instead connect with the Demon Heart and then that connects with the Titan Core. Lets call this Showdown Mode. Were going to make these two lines and make it so that you can switch between them." While the former idea, where the Titan gains the Demon Hearts defensive and magical abilities, was a simple concept (this improvement was always possible), thetter idea was soplex that it could only be derived from Kratias genius. Since this method would first involve Lee Shin Woo passing his power through the Demon Heart, thus reinforcing it, and then he would activate the Titan Core after. "In other words, this mode will allow me to directly control the Demon Heart. Youre making it so that I can control the Demon Heart myself and preserve its ovepping ability... And that power will spread throughout the Titan." "Yep. Then you just need to use the Demon Hearts ovepping ability to ovep your Dark me and Shining me. Then, you apply it to the Titan. Because its a lot more stressful on you, the Titans safety and durability will decrease, but this is the only way." "Sorry to say, but its too chuuni. ...And ultimately ovepping the Dark me and Shining me falls to me. Well, I was the one who suggested it, so its only right that I take on the burden!" It was quite sudden, but fusing together two conflicting powers was totally likebining items! ...Wouldnt it be possible? "But theres also something else Ive thought of. If you can use the ovepping power properly, then this should be possible too." But Kratia didnt stop there. Maybe shed already thought of the theory and application. She drew the structure of the core, as well as the inside of the Titan itself, causing Lee Shin Woo to sport a doubtful expression. "Hey, this is...?" "In conclusion, controlling the Dark me and Shining me so that they can be ovepped by the Demon Heart. Theres a way to control them. I dont know whatys beyond that, but..." Lee Shin Woo looked at thepleted interior design of the Titan and shuddered. With this, he could definitely... "That... might be possible." That night, they finished upgrading the Titan. The very next day, the troops from the surface arrived in the Underground Empire. Chapter 50 part3 Today was the day that Lee Shin Woo would meet with the second group of Vampires and head towards the capital. He left the Metal Army base and arrived at the secret rendezvous location, but was at a bit of a loss. [Its a pleasure to meet you, Lord Arema Steelworker, the Empires Guardian!] [Its an honor to meet a Steelworker!] [For the Emperor!] There was, of course, no problem with the quality of the army. Two more level eight generals hade, and they were definitely more powerful than the Steel Armor General. That wasnt all. Though they werent part of the 12 Generals, there were still five level 7 elites amongst the 500 level 6 elite Vampires. The Emperor truly did send his best. However... "Its been a while, Arema Steelworker." [...It really has been a long time.] An unknown woman acted like she knew him, with a really displeased expression at that. Beauty was the most apt term for this charming middle-aged woman, but it really didnt matter to Lee Shin Woo either way. [Lv8 Light General Sorura Von Line - Elder Vampire] She mustve known Arema Steelworker for a long time. Lee Shin Woo had figured out her name but didnt know anything else about her, so he contacted Chi Paul and tried to get some info on her. However, he wasnt able to get much on her. What he did know was that she really wasnt a rtive. "You went so far as to be a golem ande down here, yet you werent able to do anything right, let alone fulfill your mission; ultimately forcing me toe down to this wretched ce." "Hahaha. Forgive her, Arema. Madam Line is just happy to see you. She knows more than anyone how much youve sacrificed and what youve achieved here. Isnt that right, Madam?" "How ridiculous. No matter how much youve achieved in the past, it doesnt matter if you fail now. Im so ashamed that I was once at the same level as this man." The other level 8 general was a middle-aged man, called the Sun Spear General Judika Von Beloduns (he was also an Elder Vampire as well), and he likewise acted like he knew Arema, but Lee Shin Woo didnt know who he was either. They werent suspicious of him, as he maintained Aremas basic qualities, but... "Oh my. It seems to me that Arema has gotten just as strong as we have. Isnt that right, Arema?" [Hmph. Theres nothing for me to say. Youll see soon enough.] "Haha, youre still the same." To think that hed run into this kind of problem. He was briefly puzzled, but soon realized that the Emperor had sent generals with the same standing as Arema himself; they had served the Emperor just as long as he had, and they had achieved just as much. Lee Shin Woo realized this and decided to throw out a feeler. [If you all came down here, then what about the surface?] [Dont worry about the Emperors safety, Arema. One of the Four Heavenly Commanders is still by His Majestys side.] Bingo! As expected, these guys were part of the Four Heavenly Commanders! Hed learned that the surfaces four strongest generals were also called the Four Heavenly Commanders when he was on the surface. He hadnt known who they were, but now he knew who three of the four were. Including Arema that is. So thats how it was. Arema was part of the Four Heavenly Commanders on both the surface and underground... Even though he had died the simplest death of the Four Heavenly Commanders! He inwardlyughed, and the LightGeneral, Sorura Von Line furrowed her brow once more and said. "Kuroin Von Begner... I dont like his attitude. He was the first to ept bing a Vampire, and he acts like hed lick His Majestys feet if he just asked him..." "Those words can be construed as disloyalty towards the Emperor, Madam." "I just want to maintain peace in the Empire. His Majesty knows how I feel. Moreover, I ended up bing a wretched Vampire too. So dont nitpick, got it?" "Hoo. As always, youre quite fussy, Madam." "And youre always noisy and annoying." Lee Shin Woo just watched the fussy woman and the chatty man. If he were being honest, then he felt like they were good people. But they were going to die anyway, so it didnt really matter. But it concerned him that they knew Arema Steelworker from a long while back. If his identity was exposed half-way through the operation, then he would have to kill these precious soldiers right then and there. If he knew this would happen then he would have absorbed Arema Steelworker directly (though hed feel a bit sorry for Chi Paul)... No, theres no point in regretting it now. I can do it. I can act like him with just the info I have on hand. Only then can I call myself a true Joker. When he was still in South Korea there was a voice phishing scam that worked by just knowing ones name and telephone number. It was the most simple, but also most advanced level of trickery that anticipated ones responses and behavior while leading them to give you what you wanted. But Lee Shin Woo already knew Arema Steelworkers personality, and could perfectly replicate his appearance and voice. There was no way he couldnt do what so many other swindlers could! Then, the Light Generpproached him, pped his back, and said curtly. "Youre just as slow as ever, Arema. How long do you n to dawdle around? If youre ready, then wipe that stupid expression off your face and give the order to march." [Mm.] It was really difficult to measure how close they were. But if they were close enough that she told him to hurry up and give the order, then despite the hostility that she showed him earlier... she didnt seem to really hate Arema Steelworker. She was essentially acknowledging that he had the right tomand them, including her. Lee Shin Woo snorted and said. [Im d you have my back. I hope you stay like that when you fight against Seagald.] "Are you looking down on me? I wont be defeated like you. You wont get a chance to do anything, Arema. Just think about a way to safely get into the capital." "His Majesty told me that you knew where Seagald was. Do you have a surefire method of finding him? Or do you have an artifact that can find him?" [Its nothing so amazing. My subordinates scoured the underground for dozens of years, so I was able to find his bases. In exchange, I lost some of my precious subordinates, but... He shouldnt be able to hide within the capital. Especially if his goal is Jissehanu.] "As expected." The Sun Spear General shrugged his shoulders and narrowed his eyes. He was doubting him... No, a person who was about to joke around often looked like this. "You stuck by Jissehanus side for dozens of years, so you should know the capital like the back of your hand." [Dont make it sound like I feel anything for Jissehanu. All I feel for him is hatred. Youll make me feel nauseous.] "Haha. Ive never doubted your loyalty, Arema. Anyway, be more friendly, like old times." [You and I? Dont make meugh.] "Kek. Youve gotten even more rigid. Seems like Madam Line is going to have a hard time... Ugh!" "You... I told you to shut up!" Good, it worked! They werent suspicious of him at all! It felt like they were tested him whenever he spoke, but he got a feel for it with hisment. Lee Shin Woo smiled and took a step forward. [Are you all ready?] [Yes, sir!] [Good.] The Vampires were frozen stiff, as they couldnt interfere with the Four Heavenly Commanders conversation, and the several hundred level 6 golems Lee Shin Woo had prepared were likewise all lined up. Lee Shin Woo spared a nce at one of the golems, coughed, and then turned his gaze towards the rest of the troops. [Listen up! That rebel, Seagald Von Retadane, dares to challenge the Emperor, who rules over both the surface and underground and had the gall to confuse His Majesty with his petty mes! Right now, hes headed towards the underground capital. Hes going to use that poor ability of his to brainwash Jissehanu and attempt to tread upon the surface. Not only has he troubled our great Emperor, but that dirty skeleton is trying to hurt our innocent citizens. We cant let that happen!] [No, we cant!] [We have to kill him!] The Vampires were enthralled and responded strongly. Lee Shin Woos overwhelming pressure caused them all to unite as one. Even the LightGeneral, whose hand was shaking the Sun Spear Generals head, was surprised and widened her eyes. [As one of the Empires Four Heavenly Commanders, I, Arema Steelworker, order you! Were going to the capital. Well destroy anything in our way and present Seagalds head to His Majesty! Its going to be dangerous. Those fools will try to stop us. The Lich may show up too. Even Jissehanu maye. But even so, can we afford to back down!?] [No!] [The Emperors forces knows no retreat!] [Thats right! Ill tell you once more, so listen up. Were going to the capital! Were going to kill Seagald Von Retadane! Ill give you all this chance. Anyone who catches him, hurts him, or kills him! Youll be rewarded based on your contribution! Lets take back the Empires eternal peace with our own two hands. His Majesty will certainly recognize those who have died and those who have survived!] [Thats right!] [Itll definitely go as you say, Lord Arema!] The Vampires had instantaneously be one and cried out. Though some of them were indeed loyal to the Emperor, Lee Shin Woo had instantly amplified their emotions through his speech. Even if there were some who may have opposed the Magic Emperor, with his Lv9 High Rank Command skill, which was amplified by his Acting and Instigate skills, his speech would cause them to yell Aye!. Even the LightGenerals heart throbbed, despite her not swearing fealty to the Emperor. Though in her case, it wasnt because of the contents of his speech... [Alright, then. March! We wont turn back until we kill Seagald!] [Uooooooooooh!] The soldiers were excited. The LightGeneral and the Sun Spear General got a hold of themselves but had raised an arm alongside the soldiers. They soon realized this and lowered their arms in embarrassment. "Im surprised, Arema. When did you get so good at talking? It was as if you were a different person." [I just realized that you need several ways tomand.] "...Hmph. Youre still as dull as ever, but at least it seems like you havent regressed." The Sun Spear General was shocked, but the LightGeneral was still as sarcastic as ever. Lee Shin Woo didnt say anything and turned his gaze to the front. He was looking at the golem that hed looked at before. And he spoke to that golem telepathically. [It was an amazing speech. I see that thats how youve been fooling us till now.] [If youre that amazed by my abilities, then justpliment me.] Lee Shin Woo telepathically spoke to that golem... no, that empty shell that Seira was in and took a step forward. He had taken another step forward towards the fated battle. Chapter 50 part4 "Dont you want to know whats happened on the surface during the time you were away?" The Light General, Sorura Von Line. She seemed to have some strange feelings towards Arema Steelworker... No, it was probably an ongoing thing. Thats the conclusion that Lee Shin Woo came to. [Im happy so long as His Majesty is safe.] "You still say the stupidest of things. I told you before, without you, the Empire and the Emperor wont exist." [Watch your mouth.] At first, Lee Shin Woo had thought that there was some sort of bad blood between them. When he considered her and Aremas personalities, he assumed that they had disagreed in politics or values. However... "Dont you want to know whats happened to your family ever since you stuffed yourself and your rtives into golems and went underground?" [His Majesty told me that hed bestow upon me the highest position in the Empire, second only to his own. I trust that my familys still going strong.] "What unshakeable loyalty. All the other members of the Four Heavenly Generals got married and had kids, but youre the only one stuck in that metal shell of yours. Dont you feel miserable?" [Not at all.] "...I got married too. Though my husband died already." Lee Shin Woo was starting to catch on. Hed thought, Theres no way she likes this half-wit, does she?, but after listening to her, that suspicion became absolute certainty. It seems like these two had feelings for each other when they were young! ...If not, then this beautifuldy had a one-sided love for Arema! Why now? What a pain in the ass. He already had enough trouble as it was dealing with the women in his life, but now he had to deal with a woman who still loved an already dead man? It felt really awkward. Since there was a higher chance that she would figure out that he was a fake. But she didnt know that Arema was actually dead. And with aplicated expression, she grumpily quarreled with him. "Dont you have anything to say?" [Should I? Am I supposed to ask about your husband?] "...Has your heart be metal as well?" She responded despondently. Lee Shin Woo did his best to ignore her while Jin, who he had been riding on before, snickered. Jin was also disguised as a golem right now. Her body was originally covered in steel, so it was easy to disguise her. [You usually talk a lot more. Whats wrong? Is it too much for even you to ept a middle-aged woman?] [Knock it off, Jin. The more I talk to her, the more awkward itll get. I guess I just have to hope that we arrive at the capital quickly...] That didnt work as he wished either. Hed created these golems as consumables. He adjusted them so that their cores energy would be depleted, in return allowing them to move faster and stronger than normal. Thus, they would be able to keep up, no matter how fast the surfaces troops marched. But the issuey with the Vampires! "Keuk. Thats an artifact created through powerful light mana. Those Retadane bastards, did they predict the Emperors course of action and prepare this in advance...?" [...You all know that Seagald can wield light, right...? If this is enough to stop you, then youll never be able to defeat him.] "I know! We prepared a countermeasure!" Lee Shin Woo said sarcastically, unable to hide his disappointment at how pathetic they were. But then, the Light General replied temperamentally. As her name implied, it seemed like she could originally wield light. And apparently, after bing an Elder Vampire, she would hurt herself whenever she used the light element. Meaning that not everyone could be like Seira or Seagald, and bnce both light and darkness together. In other words, her bing an Elder Vampire had effectively sealed her greatest ability. She was aplete idiot. [So what exactly is that countermeasure of yours? ...Did His Majesty perhaps...?] "Exactly. The Emperor created an artifact that can convert the undead curse into a darkness element barrier. Its not very strong, but its effective over a wide area and makes one unable to use the light element. How is it, Arema? This is an artifact that was created by His Majesty himself." The Sun Spear General passed him a metal disk and Lee Shin Woo observed it. He obviously didnt ossify it. Not only was it not his, but the Emperor was a higher level than him. Above all, Lee Shin Woos Bone Reinforcement had advanced recently, allowing him some control over it. As expected, its growing. I dont need to feel restless. He assumed that his recent advances in Bone Reinforcement were due to his training in the Manatization skill. As he studied this skill, which allowed him to transform his body into mana, he became more capable of controlling mana and matter. His Manatization skill had gotten to level 5 just recently, and this was the fruit of that effort. He was sure that the day he mastered the Manatization skill would also be the day that Bone Reinforcement and Rule of Bone fundamentally changed! But more importantly... He put that past him and observed the disk. It reminded him of the pieces of metal within those liquid hand warmers hed used when he was a student... [Dark Red Sr Eclipse +5] [Lv7] [Durability: 5/5] [Options: Once activated, the object breaks into pieces and the magic contained within is released, creating a widespread barrier of darkness. A Vampires abilities are doubled within this area, and the power of light is weakened. But this artifact cannot block light that far exceeds its level.] [This is... a consumable artifact that contains His Majestys power. Its truly amazing. However...] "Dont worry, we have a few more like this. His Majesty wants this operation to seed no matter what. Doesnt us (three of the Four Heavenly Commanders) being here prove that?" [...That wasnt like me. I mightve been scared of being defeated by him once before. Laugh if you want to.] "No. Im not going tough at you, Arema." The Sun Spear General sported a serious expression and patted his shoulder. "On the contrary, you did well to survive against him. Not only did the Emperor realize how dangerous he was, but you also went as far as to sacrifice your subordinates to find out where his bases were and what his goals are. Theres no one that can deny your aplishments because of that. Youre still the Empires greatest shield. Keep your head up high." [Youre still as silver-tongued as always.] Lee Shin Woo replied and smiled bitterly. Then, the Sun Spear General smiled in satisfaction. The Light General watched their interaction and gritted her teeth, as if in disapproval. What about the other Vampires? They were just moving their feet in silence, not daring to interfere in the Four Heavenly Commanders conversation. [Hoo, its gotten quiet all of a sudden.] It was the second day of their march. Once it became daytime, the Vampires set up camp and took a break. While Vampires looked so human-like that they could be called demi-undead, they still possessed a critical weakness: they couldnt operate during the daytime. For undead, theyre quite a strange species. Seems like they can reproduce too. It also seems like the undead traits are minimized, like the stubbornness and the impulsiveness... This mustve been the reason why the Emperor decided to be a Vampire, despite the undead being an imperfect existence. But did Vampires ovee all the disadvantages that came with being an undead...? If asked, Lee Shin Woo would shake his head. Lee Shin Woo could tell, as one who had ovee all of these disadvantages. The Vampires possessed an imperfection, a more pronounced w than the other undead species. Their weakness during the day was one such w. Theyre not even in direct sunlight, but theyre half-asleep already. Their resistance to sunlight is weak, their senses weaken, and their mana bes inactive... No, is this because the artificial sun is just that strong? [...Huh?] Lee Shin Woo observed the Vampires and wondered how he should fight the Emperor when the time came. But then, he suddenly felt a presence from behind him and turned around. There stood the Light General, Surora Von Line. She seemedpletely different from before, when she agonized under the light of the artificial sun. [Huh...?] [I know youre surprised, but dont be so loud. Just listen to me.] She was likely talking to him telepathically through darkness element mana. He didnt really know what was going on, but Lee Shin Woo nodded his head. Then, she sighed as if she were relieved and then continued. [The others are affected by a Vampires natural weakness to sunlight, but Im different. I could originally wield the light element, so I can move around during the day without any problems. Though I suppose you could say that I bear a penalty just as severe myself.] He thought she was a dumbass for bing a Vampire when she could originally wield the light element, but that wasnt entirely the case. Lee Shin Woo nodded his head in acknowledgment and then she confessed something even more shocking. [Thats not all. I was able to sever my connection with the Emperor. You told me that your own connection with the Emperor was severed when you were encased in a golems body. Isnt that right?] [...] How surprising. She was transformed into a Vampire through the Emperors power, yet she was able to sever the connection with him? What the hell was she going on about? [Thats what light is all about. The Emperors strong, but he cannot use the light element. Thats why he had no choice but to make use of me, and thats how I was able to grasp the Emperors weakness.] [You...!] [Listen to everything I have to say and then make your decision. Since I brought enough information to make even your loyalty waver! If I hadnt, then I wouldnt have humiliated myself and be a Vampire and thene all the way down here to see you!] Arema would be fuming right now, Lee Shin Woo thought, but she continued sharply, so he kept his mouth shut for now. [Your body! Do you even know what happened to your body!? You dont, do you!? Let me tell you. Its gone. Its gone without a trace! The Emperor just realized this, but he did everything he could to keep you from finding out!] [...!] [He hasnt kept a single one of his promises to you; hes just using you. Now you... dont have a body to return to...] How did she hide these feelings from him all this time? he wondered, as her voice was so intense, even through telepathy. Lee Shin Woo saw tears flow down her cheeks and didnt say anything. Arema, youre pretty good..., he thought frivolously. When shed asked if he had any interest in what happened on the surface... she probably wanted to tell him about this. [I can give you anything you want as proof. I didnte here to kill Retadane. I came here to convince you. The Emperors losing power. If you want to take your revenge, then nows the time! ...If you want to keep listening, then nod your head. If not, then you can kill me or let me go. Do as you wish.] She finished, and then opened her arms wide and stood there defenselessly. But her eyes were staring straight at him. To think that not only did she have feelings for Arema, but she would bring such a bombshell to light... Lee Shin Woo tried desperately to keep his lips from curling upwards. Does he take the safe choice and kill her here, or does he risk exposing his identity... There was only one choice he could take. [It looks like a stormsing.] The Joker nodded his head without hesitation. The woman in front of him just smiled sadly. Chapter 50 part5 Three dayster, the group safely arrived at the capital. They had passed right through the level 4 danger zone, Bayran and then headed straight for the capital! Though he wasnt here with the other heroes, he was still deeply moved. "Is this... really?" [Are you surprised?] "Obviously..." The Light General was astonished; the outer fortress waspletely gone, exposing the inner city within. "Its the capital, yet there are absolutely no defenses! How are we supposed to take this? Is this really the capital? Is the capital actually inside a hidden subspace?" [Calm down. It wasnt originally like this. The capitals defensive facilities were all destroyed in a recent battle.] "What kind of battle wouldve destroyed all of its defensive facilities?" The Sun Spear General had been smiling ever since theyd been reunited, but even he was stuck between shock and confusion and didnt know what to do. But its not like he could say Im actually the Heaven Defying General and the hero Lee Shin Woo. I aimed the cannon the Lich made at the capital and shot light at it!, so Lee Shin Woo just remained quiet. The Sun Spear General seemed toe to his own conclusion and patted him on the shoulder. "Now I get how much you went through." [Hmph.] This hmph was Arema Steelworkers equivalent to Thanks for understanding, my friend. It seemed to get through to them, as the Sun Spear Generalughed and the Light General just sighed. Lee Shin Woo was suddenly fearful of how effective his acting was. [Im sure you already know, but Ill say it again. Its impossible to move covertly within the capital. We need to move as quickly as possible and achieve our goal. Once we do, we have to get out of here as quickly as possible.] "We know already. Thats why weve prepared so much." Lee Shin Woo saw the Sun Spear General take out three more of the consumable artifact, the Dark Red Sr Eclipse and just nodded his head. Yeah, he needed to trust them. They were the surfaces Four Heavenly Commanders, werent they? ...Even Arema Steelworker had been one of the Four Heavenly Commanders! [Then... Lets get going. I cant tell you exactly where Seagald is, so we should send scouts out to look for him.] "Yeah. You know the capital best, so Ill leave it to you." Amazing. Lee Shin Woo picked some scouts from the Vampires and golems and sent them off in various directions. Of course, Lee Shin Woo already knew where Seagalds current location was, so scouts were unnecessary. He was just sending them to provoke the Imperial Army. They would also get in Seagalds way, as well as help adjust his timing and start the battle! Lee Shin Woo sent his golems along the safest route, but hed mostly dispatched them to pick up any more Evil Eye ore that might beying around. He really hoped that there was at least a little bit left! [Then lets get a move on. Judika, is the report system secure?] "Of course. Dont look down on the power of a Vampire." Im sorry, but I am looking down on it right now, Lee Shin Woo was instinctively about to say, but desperately restrained himself from doing so and quickly moved forward. In his ce, the Light General snorted, but the Sun Spear General just ignored her. Lee Shin Woo realized something was off 30 minutester. They marched through the inner city, which had been turned to ash by the cannon, and got closer and closer to the capital. While doing so, the Mana Radar picked up something. This is...? It was neither Seagald nor the Archmage... It was a mana signature that Lee Shin Woo wasnt familiar with. But then, why was the Mana Radar picking it up? That reason was extremely simple. Currently, the Mana Radar didnt just detect the mana that he was familiar with, but also any mana level 8 or over as well. And at this very moment, there was a presence headed right for them. There were also three level 7 elites around them, as well as hundreds of level 6 soldiers as well. [...] "Arema?" How many level 8 undead remained within the Underground Empire that he wasnt aware of? He couldnt see their face, but he knew who it was. But the issue was: why were theying towards them right now? He looked at the Sun Spear General, who had paused and was looking at him strangely, and asked. [Ill ask just in case, but you guys... No one followed you down from the surface, right?] "Of course not. We came straight from the pce. Theres no way someone followed us. ...But for you to be like that... Are you saying what I think youre saying?" [It might be tough, but we got to move as quickly as possible. Ill order some of these guys to buy us some time.] Lee Shin Woo split 50 Vampires and 100 golems from his main force and sent them away. He was clearly sending them to their deaths, but the golems always followed orders, and the Vampires were psychopaths that were loyal to a fault, so they left without a singleint. The main force marched on even quicker than before. He already knew where Seagald was, so he picked the optimum route while acting appropriately; the aftermath wouldnt matter. However... Another 30 minutester, Lee Shin Woo inwardly groaned. He knew they wouldntst long against a level 8 opponent, but this was too much; they were taken out as soon as they met them. They werent able to buy him any time at all. But heres where it starts. Were we able to throw off our enemies even a little? ...Mm, I guess it was too much to hope for. Then that means they have a way of tracking us. Their enemy was heading straight for them. Which meant they had a way of tracking them in real-time. Hed said it in passing, but perhaps the Archmage really did have a Muninns Eye! [1] [If you could do that, then go after Seagald. Damn it.] [Maybe the Lich is already after him.] [...Youre right.] As Jin said, the Mana Radar had picked up two familiar level 8 undead fighting against each other around the capitals inner fortress. It was Seagald and the Archmage, Feotane Von Seldin. However, Lee Shin Woo hade here to prevent Seagald from meeting either the Lich or the Emperor and turn them into Anti-Skull. The fact that he was dealing with the Archmage right now wasnt good news for him. What should I do? Even if I go, the Archmage will lose to Seagald. I dont have any time to waste. How about leading him to Seagald... No, thats impossible, even for me. If thats the case, then how about using the Heaven Doors Key and sending him off somewhere? He couldnt just shoot the gate at someone like the Meid Zangetsuha [2] the Sun Spear General was actually the one to stop him. "Youre the one who knows the capital best, Arema. Theres no point in us going first. ...I dont know whos following us, but if one of us has to stay back, then Ill stay." [No, if you keep going this way, youll eventually find Seagald. Moreover, the one whosing this way is probably Leofield Von Tariman. You cant stop him.] "Ha, thats great. I always wanted to fight against him. They say his spearmanship is unmatched! As a spear user myself, I want to see just whos more skilled with the spear!" [You...] Why? Wasnt he one of the Emperors puppets? If thats true, then shouldnt he be jumping at the chance to catch Seagald? Even though he was acting, Lee Shin Woo was genuinely confused and trailed off. The Sun Spear General, Judika Von Beloduns spoke with a clear smile. He was being genuine for the first time sinceing down here. "Arema, Madam Line isnt the only one who has something they regret. I, like her, regret not stopping you that day. I cant forget how I allowed my friend to sacrifice his bright future. So... let me do this much." [Judika...] Lee Shin Woo believed that others acted rationally and in their best interests so that no harm woulde to them. Thus, he didnt expect Judika to volunteer to stay as bait. Human emotion truly was difficult to predict. The Light General and this guy were both difficult to predict. He strived to keep his emotions from showing (this also befitted Aremas personality) and spoke calmly. [Dont die, Judika. ...But if you do die, Ill be sure to pick up your bones, so dont worry.] That was the truth. He couldnt let a single level 8 bone go to waste. "I wont die, so dont worry, Arema. Im counting on you. Since His Majesty told us to strike down Seagald without fail. His Majestys orders are absolute. Thats something you always used to say." [Of course. Seagald will die by my hand.] Lee Shin Woo extended a hand, as though he were hesitating. The Sun Spear General grabbed his hand and shed him a calm smile. He said he wouldnt die, yet his expression said otherwise; he looked like he was ready to die. "Then lets meet up a little whileter." [Got it. Come back safely.] He probably wouldnte back. Since he could tell how strong he was... Lee Shin Woo tried his best not to show it (to someone else, one might interpret it as him stopping himself from crying) and turned around. The Sun Spear General just grinned and began walking towards the direction of their pursuers. It was like a scene straight out of a movie. "...To think he felt that way for so many years." [Indeed. Its already been so many years; whats he thinking? ...Youre all idiots. You and him.] "...Arema." Lee Shin Woos acting was so perfect that one might wonder whether Arema really was dead, saying Oh, Arema really was alive?. He spoke brusquely, but the deep emotion within them caused even Jin to tilt her head! So, how would the Light General fare? She fixed the scarf around her next and looked at him unkindly. "You were just acting like you were as tough as nails. You really fooled me." [I have no idea what youre talking about.] "Ha... Even when they age, men are always idiots." She said and looked at him warmly. If Jin didnt know that the Light General was directing that gaze at Arema, not Lee Shin Woo, then she would be putting up a huge fuss right now. Lee Shin Woo then thought. If you keep being like this, then itll be harder to kill youter. And thus, the Vampire and the Demon... Err, the hero put the Sun Spear Generals sacrifice behind them and began running towards Seagald. [1] T/N: Muninn is one of Odins ravens, like Huginn. [2] Chapter 51 part1 The Sun General did his job. Befitting one of the surfaces Heavenly Commanders, he was able to hold out against thest remaining Heavenly Commander of the Underground Empire. Leofield likely possessed an artifact that tracked their movements, and so his subordinates attacked the Sun General along with him, rather than follow the Vampires main force. Lee Shin Woo nodded his head in satisfaction, as he checked what was happening through the Mana Radar. [No one else is chasing us anymore. Judikas holding them back.] "That man... Hell die." [You dont know that.] "Hmph. I guess it doesnt matter. I just hope he does his job properly." He strongly agreed with her, but he feigned indifference. The Light General changed topics, as she understood how he was feeling. "...So." She didnt really care why the Sun Spear General had done what he did; after all, he, her biggest obstacle, got rid of himself on his own. She secretly formed a barrier so that her subordinates couldnt hear her and said. "Do we really have to kill Seagald here?" [We do. I believe I already exined it to you.] "Did you? Im d to see you havent been idling around all these years." The previous day, Lee Shin Woo had acted surprised at the revtion that Arema Steelworkers true body was gone (this was important) and conversed with the Light General. In the end, he decided to get his revenge. Despite that, he was stillmitted to killing Seagald, as Seagalds vengeance wasnt only aimed at the surfaces Emperor. [Hell eventually ravage the surface. We cant drag innocent citizens into our affairs. We have to finish it here.] "Ha. You still care so much for the people who have long since abandoned you, I see." [This world is nothing without humans.] Lee Shin Woo said and was momentarily silent. He took out what hed prepared while she was resting yesterday. It was an envelope. "This is...?" [Just in case I die.] "I dont need it." [Youll need it. No... I want to entrust it to you.] "Arema..." Lee Shin Woo recalled writing a personal note for himself, yet a friend of his, who he thought was quite close, had revealed it to the entire school; he used that memory to help him put on a convincingly sad expression. His face became naturally tinged in betrayal and emptiness. Seeing that, Jin wondered whether or not it was ok for golems to have advanced so far. Lee Shin Woo justpletely ignored her consternation and continued. [I know. The best case scenario is me getting through this battle alive. But if I cant return to the surface, then I hope you can do this in my stead. ...Id like you to prove that I existed.] "This is..." [You dont need to look at it now. If I die and your feelings havent changed, then open it. Therell be people who can help you. Theres someone I met on the surface... Hes a hero, but hes trustworthy.] "You..." The Light General couldnt formte a coherent response and just stared at Lee Shin Woo. However, Lee Shin Woo was acting exactly as Arema would, putting up a front that would work on Aremas past lover! And that woman, who had loved Arema so dearly, just bit her lip and epted it. "I wont let you die. Ill hold on to this envelope for you, but Ill never get a chance to open it." [...Hmph.] This time his hmph meant You always say something that causes my resolve to waver. At this point, Lee Shin Woos acting was so perfect that it was almost impossible to differentiate him from Arema. [Shin Woo, youll definitely get an Oscar this year.] [Im in character right now, so be quiet.] [Youre not even denying that youre from the surface now, are you?] Fortunately, his beautiful performance, which confused himself along with everyone else, would soone to an end. After all, he started sensing traces of the Archmage and the Annihtion me Sword God close by. He really brought the rest of Anti-Skull with him. Im sure of it. Hes definitely trying to end it here. Seagald was nning on bringing the Lich and the Emperor to his side no matter what. If that happened, Lee Shin Woos forces wouldnt lose, but the alreadyplicated situation would be even moreplicated! But based on how its going, were actually at an advantage. Originally, Lee Shin Woo hadnt expected the Magic Emperor to send two of his Heavenly Commanders down. Moreover, to think hed be able to use one of them to hold off the underground Heavenly Commander, Leofield Von Tariman! Not only that, the Archmage wasnt staying next to the Emperor and was facing off against Seagald. Yeah, everythings perfect. Ill kill him here no matter what...! [Yeah, even if I have to die...] "I told you to stop saying that!" He instinctively muttered, and the Light General nervously yelled. He was supposed to add one or two times after it, but had deliberately omitted it. She obviously didnt know the truth. This kind of thing was important. He kept saying things that foreshadowed his death! So that if he did die, they could say it really felt like he was going to die! [Kuwaaaaaaah!] The closer they got to their destination, the louder the monsters screams became. They were probably summoned by the Archmage himself. Had he been visiting the high level dungeons for that many years? Lee Shin Woo was speechless and tightened his fist. Surprisingly, his fist was covered in a blindingly bright golden mana... metal element mana! [You have learned the Lv1 High Rank Metal Element and Magic has increased by 100!] The gold element, or more specifically, the metal element. It was an element that could only be wielded by individuals with a metal body, and although it originated from the earth element, it was both stronger and tougher than its counterpart, almost resembling pure physical force. "T-Thats...!? Arema, youre finally able to wield an element on your own. And its a never before seen element at that...!" [Im leading the way, so its only natural that Im the one who discovered it.] "...You always did hide your own achievements. You really havent changed at all." [Hmph.] While the element specialized in reinforcing metal, it was also possible to concentrate it and fire it off like a brute (like Arema). It satisfied both physical force and mana, and was a well-rounded element that increased ones attack and defense. And Lee Shin Woo was now able to replicate that extraordinary element... [When did you learn that element!? You didnt even absorb Aremas bones!] [I actually just learned it right now. I thought it wouldnt work. I tried recreating it by basing it off the earth element, but it turns out I could do it.] [It just turns out you can do it... It just turns out you can do it!?] Hed tried to replicate the element, but had ended up learning it instead! Lee Shin Woo didnt know this yet, but by acting as Arema Steelworker for the past few days, he was able topletely understand him, enabling him to use his element! [You are exceptionally talented in handling the Metal element. The High Rank Metal Element has be Lv4 and Magic has increased by 60.] Hmm, so it starts off at high rank level 4, huh? Maybe Aremas was at this level too. Though his body was tough, he wasnt very good at handling an element... If Arema Steelworkers friends hadnte down and forced him to concentrate entirely on acting, then this wouldnt have happened. It was such a relief that Arema Steelworker had wielded the Metal element. If Arema Steelworker had possessed an innate element, then even Lee Shin Woo wouldnt have been able to replicate it so easily! Several coincidences had coincided, creating a miracle, and that miracle caused Lee Shin Woo to advance even further. It was truly a feat befitting a Joker. [Huaaaaaahp!] Its a good thing, he thought, and used his newly learned metal element to form a sphere and throw it. He increased his arms physical strength to an abnormal level through the Manatization skill, causing the sphere to rush towards Seagald! [Keuk...!?] Seagald had sensed the distant projectile and tried evading it by erasing his entire presence, but he was facing off against none other than the Archmage, Feotane Von Seldin. The Archmage immediately froze the space around Seagald, so Seagald was unable to fully erase his presence. Ultimately, Seagald had lost his arm from the shoulder down. Lee Shin Woo inwardly tightened his fist and yelled Strike!. It was a perfect surprise attack, a perfectbination attack, and a perfect... It was a perfect dead ball, Shin Woo. [I came for revenge, Seagald!] Lee Shin Woo, like always, ignored Jins retort and yelled boomingly! Seagald had btedly freed himself from the time prison and retreated; he gripped his long sword with his still good hand and looked down at him. If looks could kill, then Lee Shin Woo wouldve been torn in half by now. [Arema Steelworker...! After all that, you still didnt die...!?] [My body, which you so lovingly broke apart, still throbs! This isnt nearly enough, Seagald. I wont let you die quickly; Ill break your arms and legs and then kill you slowly...!] Seagald was genuinely angry. Hed lost everything in Bayran, so thats why he could speak with such hatred! Hearing Aremas retort, Seagald realized that hed made a mistake in Bayran. If hed finished off Arema in Bayran, then he wouldnt be in this situation where the surface had sent reinforcements! [And who is this? Arent you Arema Steelworker!?] Several monsters were fighting off Anti-Skull, and the Archmage, Feotane Von Seldin, who was holding his own against Seagald, recognized Lee Shin Woo as well. To be exact, he recognized Arema Steelworker. Lee Shin Woo yelled in a booming voice once more. [Lich, I have a lot I want to say to you, but let me tell you just one thing. Lets work together!] [Work together? You want me to work together with you, someone who rebelled against His Majesty, to fight against this dirty me wielding bastard?] [Yeah.] Lee Shin Woo firmly nodded his head and continued. [We can settle things once hes dead. Itd be easier for you to fight against me than Seagald, no?] [Ha, how entertaining. You led those dirty Vampires here, yet you want me to bury my head in the sand. I know you have an ulterior motive. I really...] The Lich smiled wickedly and swung his staff. At that moment, a massive buff was applied to the Vampires! [Like it! Fine, you rust bucket! Lets work together!] [Archmage, you fool...! Youre abandoning me, who has His Majestys best interests in mind, to join forces with the surface. What the hell is wrong with you!?] [Seagald Von Retadane, you fool.] The Archmages staff was d in darkness once more. [Try again once His Majesty forgets about that beam of light you shot at us!] So thats what they thought had happened. This was great! Yeah, now that he thought about it, the Archmage had retreated early on, so he didnt know who had shot the cannon; he mistakenly assumed that Anti-Skull was the one that had fired the cannon! [Didnt I tell you that it wasnt me!?] [Seagald, you bastard. How dare you lie in front of me, Arema Steelworker!?] "Those that heed the Emperorsmand; all forces, charge! Bury those lowly skeletons so that they can never look up at the sky!" Lee Shin Woo charged, and the Light General followed him, leading the rest of the Vampires. This was a battle that would decide the very fate of the capital, yet the heroes werent even involved! Chapter 51 part2 Because of the giant artifact that had oncein in Bayran, the Heaven Rending Cannon... No, now the Heaven Defying g Bearer, all of the capitals defenses were destroyed, and all those level 5 or lower were killed by the light st right then and there. It was the capital, so it was only right that normal level 1 or 2 citizens had resided there, but now, there was absolutely no trace of them. And thus, the capital had received a blessing of light and had be a true city of death. The st of light had substantially weakened the undead curse as well, and even the Imperial Army, which consisted of level 6s or higher, was weakened. [You unleashed that horror upon us, yet you insist that youre fighting for the Emperor? Shut your mouth, you traitor. That dirty light of yours will never shine upon the underground ever again!] [I already told you, that wasnt me...! I wanted to free you from your shackles. I never intended to eliminate everything in the process!] [I told you to shut your mouth!] The Archmage and Emperor were rightfully angry. Even the Undead Emperor, who had been content to quietly build his forces, decided to take this chance to wipe out any forces underground beside his own. And to uphold this order, the Lich was prepared to do everything and anything necessary. As Kratia had said, that st was the signal for the final battle. The moment the Heaven Defying g Bearer was shot, the battle had already started! ...But it had turned out a bit different from her expectations. [Ah, dont you hear the cries of our dearly departed citizens? That light of yours (which severs all links) is like dust; its still in the air! Seagald... Seagalddddd!] [Keuk...!] Thats right. The Emperor had decided to kill Seagald, the one they assumed had shot the light st at the capital, first, not the heroes who hade here under Gods will, or the forces from the surface, or even the spy, Arema Steelworker! Only Seagald, who had formed his own independent force and specialized in light, even after undeath, had the ability to assault the capital. At least, thats what the Lich and the Emperor thought. [You fool. You foolish Lich...! Think about it. You know how much us Retadanes loved and treasured the people! Theres no way Id do something like that!] [You wont fool me! Even His Majesty is aware that only you are capable of wielding such light! Your sword is zing with the same light, and youre shooting at me with the very same light!] The situation was really in his favor. If Lee Shin Woo hadnt experienced converting the umted darkness within the cannon into light through Dark Shadow himself, then even he wouldnt be able to believe that hed performed such a miracle either. Yet, the Lich hadnt noticed the presence of Lee Shin Woos Shining me, despite taking a direct hit. Therefore, the Lich couldnt sense Lee Shin Woos light element. And thus, all suspicion was pushed onto Seagald, who hade to Bayran for the express purpose of using said cannon! [Keuk, youve been deluded for so many years. Thats why I opposed the undead curse... Can you even hear me? Are you even looking at me? Feotane Von Seldin! Where did your intellect go; is it along with that soul of yours!?] [Ha! Seagald, you talk too much, even when your tongues rotted away!] The Archmage was no pushover, but Lee Shin Woo (as Arema) was also supporting him right now. He rode his golem horse, which he didnt have before, and rushed forward. Seagald grit his teeth. This wasnt the same slow-witted Arema! [Arema, what did you do!? Tell me, what did the Heaven Defying General (who used you like a mere underling) do!? Dont you think its strange that hes the only one not here? Youre being used as well! Its not toote, I can still...] [I told you to shut that filthy mouth of yours!] Lee Shin Woo umted as much mana as he could at the end of his fist, and used the very same technique Arema had used against Seagald: the Metal God technique! This technique, which suppressed the opponents mana, was impossible to block, even with the use of the Annihtion me. Moreover, the Lich supported him from behind, using his Spatial Magic at just the right time...! [Keuk!] Seagald was able to protect hisst good arm by using a ton of mana, but the cost was great. Though a level 8s mana reserves were high, they werent infinite. He looked at the sky, as ifmenting his situation, and then grit his teeth and yelled. [Feotane... Please get a hold of yourself!] [My heads just fine!] [Youre still talking, Seagald!?] [Keuk, Aremaaaaaaaaa!] Metal and fire mixed together and melted, and when both of them were gone, Seagald was engulfed in the Archmages Spatial Magic. Lee Shin Woo moved away preemptively to allow way for Feotanes magic; he then moved back in instantaneously and threw his fist. If it hit, it would definitely inflict some damage. [Critical Hit!] [Kuhahk!] It was as though a sharp drill had pierced through his body and soul, ignoring Seagalds authorities, and causing severe pain! Was this the power of the metal element? Was this also a part of an innate element? Seagald felt an unfamiliar fear creep up on him, rather than the pain. Of course, it wasnt Aremas ability, but the skill Lee Shin Woo received as a reward for destroying a part of the capital with the cannon, the special passive skill, Soul Strike! However, there was no way Seagald would know that. [Hoo, now are you prepared to face me?] [Arema...!] Was this really Arema!? Seagald was astonished as he parried Aremas metal element reinforced strikes. Before, he was a bit... weaker. He was a show-off; a spy that came from the surface that relied upon his tough body and his status as one of the Four Heavenly Commanders. Whats worse, Arema was much weaker just a few days ago when they hadst fought! But then how was he attacking with such agility and precision now!? Seagald then voiced such doubts. [Are you really Arema...?] [Ha. Seems like youre the one who needs to get a hold of himself, Seagald.] [Anti-Skull. You tried to escape the true blessing of death with such a crude method. Thats why youve be like this!] [Grr...!] Normally, the Metal God General and the Archmage had absolutely no affinity, yet they were cooperating so well now, whether it be their condemnation of him or their attacks! He couldnt get away, due to the never-ending barrage of physical strikes and magical attacks. Even if he dominated the ambient mana and tried to fight back, thebination of the Lichs Spatial Magic and the metal elements ability to freeze his mana made it difficult to do so. Was it because they were both level 8? They knew exactly how to fight against him. Even he wouldnt be able tost against the two Heavenly Commanders attacks forever. "Push them back. Kill all those who seek to spread that filthy curse to the surface!" "Kuooooooh!" "The suns hot...! Light General, please hurry and use the Dark Red Sr Eclipse!" "You filthy, lifeless corpses!" Moreover, there was a level 8 behind himmanding the Vampires and ughtering Anti-Skull, so Seagald was really feeling the pressure. Now that all their bases had been destroyed, everything would be over once his subordinates died. [...But ultimately...] In the midst of the intense battle, Seagald was barely, just barely able to retreat using his Annihtion me. He then looked at the sky and muttered... [Were just in time.] [Mm...? It doesnt matter, die!] Lee Shin Woo felt like the air was hotter than before, but decided to not worry about that for now. The issue was that Seagald was in a strange stance. In most cases, when an enemy gets into a special position, it means theyre trying to do something! It didnt matter what he was trying to do; Lee Shin Woo knew it would be all over if he killed him, so he concentrated all his magic into his fist and struck. [Keuk... This isnt enough to bring me down!] [Ugh!] However, Seagald let it hit him. In an instant, part of his lower body disappeared. Although hed lost an arm and a leg, Seagald kept his bnce and moved through the air! His spirit truly befitted that of a Heavenly Commander. [Kahahk...!] [If possible, I didnt want to hurt you, but youre a Lich, so I suppose it doesnt matter. Try and understand.] Seagald had taken a direct hit from Lee Shin Woos attack but had simultaneously mustered up as much fire as he could and burned the Lichs body. Even spatial element mana couldnt erase the Annihtion me, and it went exactly as Seagald had wanted,pletely burning the Lich. Lee Shin Woo furrowed his brow, as he couldnt understand what Seagald was doing. But then, Seagald extracted something from the Lichs stomach. [So it was here.] [Kahahk...! Were you aiming for that from the very beginning...!] [I cant control it with my power alone. Do you remember, Archmage? When we were still on good terms, we managed it together. The two pieces of the controller will now be one...!] [Kuhahk... What rubbish...!] He didnt know what this controller was for, but he knew he was trying to do something with it, so Lee Shin Woo stopped him with metal element mana and then attempted to kill him. But then, Seagald disappeared. In the process, he had probably lost another piece of his body, but... He wasnt dead. [Kuah!] [Ugh!] And thus, the powerful energy Lee Shin Woo had emitted destroyed the Archmages body! There was nothing more frustrating than killing ones ally! He really is fast! Thats why I told you to practice with me, didnt I!? I thought it would be enough to catch him! Lee Shin Woo realized that Seagald had utilized Fire Shadow and immediately used his darkness to try to find and then destroy him. However, he soon opened his eyes wide open. He couldnt find any traces of him. That wasnt possible. He couldnt find him with his mastered darkness element? Even if hed used his Annihtion me to erase his presence, Lee Shin Woo shouldve been able to find him. So if that didnt work, then either Seagald had finally died, or... [He moved somewhere where there isnt even a speck of darkness.] Had Seagald mastered the light element? No, there was no way. Lee Shin Woo had done so with the darkness element, but it wasnt as easy as it sounded. At the very least, Seagalds light didnt seem so absolute. [Kuaaaaaahk!] [L-Light General...!] [M-My skin! My eyes!] But then... the Vampires fighting against Anti-Skull began to scream simultaneously! The Light General, having noticed that their skin quickly began to burn, realized one thing and yelled. "Arema, look up!" [...No way.] He quickly looked up, and the sight caused him to go off character. But he thought theyd left him off the hook considering the circumstances. The artificial sun, which radiated light all across the Underground Empire, wasing towards them. ...With Seagald Von Retadane smack dab in the middle of it. Chapter 51 part3 When the surfaces traitors (thats how the surfaced referred to the underground denizens) were chased out, they were forced to struggle desperately to survive. As the surface dwellers had exiled them out of fear and envy, there were several talented individuals amongst them. And there were some whose authorities rivaled even Gods. [This will be our new nation. Well live here. ...And survive.] Of course, the one with the most talent was Jissehanu, the second prince who inherited the royal familys barrier ability (which was based on the darkness element). Although he hadnt been able to break through the Magic Emperors barrier, he had managed to expand the space underground, create a barrier that stabilized it and kept it from copsing, and protected the people. And thus, he had be ruler of the Underground Empire, the Emperor. [Nature can flourish underground as well. The spirits will help us with that.] The Elementalist Leader, who had formed an alliance with Jissehanu, recreated the miracle of mother nature over the vastnd that Jissehanu had acquired. The earth spirits would either tten or uplift thend, while the water spirits were gathered to create rivers; even more water spirits were gathered to create the sea. The fire spirits provided them with much needed heat so that they could survive. And thus, that woman became one of the Emperors consorts. [My lord, I will create the sun with my light. One that shines even brighter than the surfaces.] [If youre in charge of the day, then Ill take care of the night. Lets support this newly formed Empire together.] The two with the brightest light and the ckest darkness worked together to create the Underground Empires sun. The light user would be responsible for sunrise, while its descent would be managed by the darkness user. The sun wouldnt shine upon the Empire without either one of them. Thus, they formed a new n and were responsible for helping the Emperor maintain the Empire. Until the day of their dissent. [You wouldnt have known, Arema, as one whose from above. That my family was responsible for maintaining this sun for several years. And now... Ive fused together with it!] It was impossible for Seagald to control the artificial sun by himself. Thats why hed sought to transform the capital into Anti-Skull through the Heaven Rending Cannon, but hed failed, so he decided to enter the capital directly. He lured the Lich out and then stole the other sun controller from him. Lee Shin Woo and his group had interfered in the middle, which had made this a lot moreplicated, but in the end, Seagald had seeded. With his controller, he drew the sun towards him, and with the Lichs controller, he was able to fuse with it. While they were fighting, Seagald had looked up into the air; that hadnt been him acknowledging his defeat or giving up. He was trying to figure out how much time he needed to buy before he could counterattack. Though Lee Shin Woo was called the Heaven Defying General, even he couldnt have predicted this. Seagald had surprised him a second time. [...Ha, you risked your life to enter the capital for that? Youll soon disappear without a trace, so whats the point?] [Hoo, hoo. I apud your bravery, Arema. I know just how much youve changed in such a short period of time. But now... its over. If your mana was just a tiny bit stronger, then I wouldnt be here right now. You were so close.] Seagald, having sessfully fused with the artificial sun, acted triumphantly, as if he hadnt been struggling against him before. Lee Shin Woo had disabled at least half of Seagalds body, but it didnt matter. What would he fear, now that he had ess to the artificial sun? After all, the most powerful source of light in this world was now in his grasp! [I grieve over the loss of Anti-Skull. If they were here, then they wouldve been happy to see a new world ahead of them!] [Ha, are you going to use that sun to turn the undead in the capital into psychos?] [Its called Anti-Skull. The moment we be able to move forward, despite being undead, is the moment we be perfect existences. A perfect existence which can coexist with both light and darkness... A new species that can challenge God herself!] Lee Shin Woo looked up at Seagald. It didnt matter that Seagald hadnt mastered the light element. Right now, he was light itself. In other words, he was fused with an almighty item that bumped his light element to its max. It was an item on the level of his Titan! This bastard. His n really came together. Moreover, he was willing to do whatever it took to achieve his goal... I really am unlucky. Lee Shin Woo had no choice but to acknowledge him. Seagald had managed to control the super artifact that had shined upon the Underground Empire for so many years, so he must be feeling invincible. I had my suspicions. I thought it was starting to feel hotter, but I thought it was just because of Seagalds ability. To think it was caused by the artificial suns descent; he couldnt even imagine it. He thought Seagalds objective was the Lich, but he was wrong; his objective had been to steal the Lichs artifact and take full control over the artificial sun! Each and every thing he does surpasses my imagination. Hell probably try to use that thing to turn the undead into Anti-Skull. If missiles dont work, then fire a nuke, huh. Lee Shin Woo looked at the giant sun that shined before him, as well as... Seagald, who waspletely hidden within the sun, and just muttered in astonishment. Now he understood; there was no way even his darkness would be able to sense him if he was in that thing. "Keuk. To think even the artifact wont work...! [That pathetic darkness of yours cant protect you against this light. Give it up.] Whereas, the Light General stared at the man whod cowardly brought a nuke with him... No, Seagald, whod assimted with the artificial sun, and activated the Dark Red Sr Eclipse. She was gritting her teeth, as the artifact had absolutely no effect. Ultimately, the Dark Red Sr Eclipse was nothing more than an artifact that used the undead curse. Even if it gathered all of the darkness in the area, it wouldnt be able to block the suns light (which was further amplified by Seagald). [Guaaaaaaaah!] [Y-Your... Majesty...!] [Kik. Kihiiiiii!] The Vampires were unable to withstand the light and burned away, and the Light General instinctively foresaw her impending doom. Lee Shin Woo knew that shed given up. [Run away.] "I cant do that." Unfortunately, he hadnt been able to use her much, but she still had a job to do on the surface, so the best choice would be to send her back. She shouldnt die here. But as expected, she didnt obey his orders. Lee Shin Woo wasnt nning on dragging this out and inwardly sighed. He then activated both Command and Instigate simultaneously and yelled. [Sorura Von Line! I told you to run!] "Keuk! Y-You coward...! Are you trying to bear the burden alone again!?" [Line...?] Surprisingly, Seagald reacted to that name. [Line... Ah, I see. Youe from a branch family. So they were still alive.] Seagalds voice resounded far and wide, revealing a secret that he really didnt care for. As expected, there was a reason she could originally wield the light element. ...Though that really didnt matter right now. [To think Id have to kill a descendent of a branch family. But I suppose this too is fate. It seems like God has always given us such a cruel fate.] "The Retadane name has long since been removed from the family register. You traitor, youre just a terrorist attempting to spread the curse all across the world. Dont get so cocky!" Seagalds words actually reinvigorated the Light General. She raised both her arms, causing the suns light to subside ever so slightly. She was really trying to fight that giant light crystal with light mana? He was absolutely gobsmacked. "Ive long surpassed the Retadanes. Ill make you regret using that light against me!" [Youre talented enough to talk big. I didnt think a level 8 would show up in a branch family. Unfortunately... it seems like you havent achieved bnce yet.] [Sorura!] His Wild Card skill wasnt entirely ineffective against Seagald. The artificial sun umted mana above their heads, and Lee Shin Woo, sensing danger, rushed over to the Light General with Jin and stood in front of her. [Kuooooooooh!] Pure light shot out from the sun. One single property... the ability to annihte the darkness that made up the undead, had been maximized. Even if she could wield light, it didnt matter. The st could kill her instantly! He covered her, as if he were embracing her, and then screamed. [Guaaaaaaaah!] [Youre enduring it quite well, Arema.] "Arema!" His scream sounded as though the very world was on the verge of copse; in addition, his outer shell was being melted away by the light! Seagald was satisfied by his newly acquired strength, and the Light General wept as she looked up at Lee Shin Woo from his embrace. Lee Shin Woo gritted his teeth... and then spoke once more. [Sorura... Ill be brief... Run away!] "But...!" Her voice was even more anguished than Lee Shin Woos. However, he opened his eyes wide and then spoke even louder, so that she wouldnt forget his words. [I said run away! Arent you going to get revenge for us both!?] "Keuk...! But Im...!" [When you get back, make sure you take revenge...] Lee Shin Woo opened a gate behind Sorura. Hed obviously created it through the Heaven Doors Key, but she didnt need to know that. No one would expect an artifact of its kind to exist, as it could infinitely create portals between the underground and the surface; most people would think it was a one-time use item. "Arema! Are you going to leave me again!?" [You should be able to do it with their help. ...Ill leave it to you.] "Arema... Aremaaaaaaa!" Lee Shin Woo softly pushed the screaming Light General back. Her body disappeared within the gate... and soon the gate closed shut. Seagald was shocked at the realization that she was no longer here. [That ability...!?] [Hoo... You dont need to know. But there is something Ive been wanting to ask you.] Lee Shin Woo was speaking so calmly, despite screaming so loudly before. He sighed lengthily as if enjoying Seagalds subtle gaze. Lee Shin Woo had used every means avable to him to analyze Seagalds state after hed fused with the sun and hade to the conclusion that... [You cant properly use the Annihtion me in that state, can you?] [Mm...?] Was he surprised by his question? Or was he surprised that his way of speaking had changed? The suns light abated momentarily. It seemed like he was using the special passive skill Arrogance, which was used when a strong opponent was sure of their victory, as he obliged him. [While the Annihtion me is indeed my specialty, its not enough to control this giant artifact, which has condensed light energy for hundreds of years. But this is good enough. I can fulfill all my goals with this light...!] [Ah, so thats how it is. I was wondering. So you can only wield light in your current state, huh? Only light...] If thats the case, then this battle... "This battle is already over." Lee Shin Woo, the wielder of Max Light Resistance, shed his golem skin and smiled. The performers smile lit up blindingly beneath the underground sun. Chapter 51 part4 It had been strange from the very beginning. Seagald had taken control of such a tremendous artifact and was now capable of using light at its maximum potential, yet rather than use that light to supplement his Annihtion me, he insisted on using just the light element alone. He thought, It wouldnt hurt to ask and Seagald actually gave him his answer. Well, it made sense. Intermediate... No, even High Rank Annihtion me wouldnt match up to a mastered light element. Well... at least when their opponent wasnt as ridiculous as Lee Shin Woo and possessed maxed Light Resistance. "Well, I guess it does happen in games. The boss changes their type or their attack pattern halfway through the fight, but it usually doesnt make the fight easier..." Seagalds only mistake was not assessing the situation properly; he wasnt aware that the unthinkable happened and two heroes who possessed max Light Resistance stood before him. Then again, Lee Shin Woo wouldve still been able to win without it! "Hey, do you have an Arrogance passive too? Youre being really condescending right now... Whatre you going to do if he returns to his original form?" "Jin, youve been a bit more pricklytely." [...!?] All the nuisances were gone now. The sun looked down at Lee Shin Woo and Jin, whod returned to their original forms, and just shook. He was confident that hed prepared for every possible variable, so why? At this very moment, Seagald Von Retadanes head waspletely empty. Unfortunately, that wasnt the end of it. "I feel bad that Seira wont get her turn." [Seira?] Lee Shin Woo remarked abruptly, and Seagald instinctively replied. Then, a golem thaty a step away from the battlefield awkwardly moved forward. "...Hoo." The golems outer shell was halfway melted, but surprisingly, an undead popped right out. It was none other than the Elder Banshee Princess, Seira. "I knew you would be able to defeat him without my help, but you were way too disheartened from losing your prey just once. To be honest, I dont think you really needed to prepare all that much." [Seira...!?] Seagald couldnt understand what was going on; even if he did, there wasnt anything he could do about it. Thus, Seagald stopped thinking altogether. No, that was actually a lie. Even if there was nothing to be gained, he couldnt help but keep thinking. He had so many questions, even though those questions had developed from a small twister into a raging typhoon. [Seira...!] Why? How? Unfortunately, Seirapletely ignored Seagald and just looked at Lee Shin Woo, speaking curtly. "I just wanted to watch you end my older brother from close up. Youre being so cocky, but you wont lose him a second time, right? If that happens, then I really will look down on you." Seira, whod gotten her first breath of fresh air in a few days, stretched her arms and took a deep breath. She narrowed her eyes at Lee Shin Woo, who was acting so conceited right now. Of course, Lee Shin Woo had mostly expected that kind of response from her and just snorted. "Dont worry. He wont get away from me this time. He has nowhere to run." [Wont get away? Keuk...!?] Hearing that, Seagald instinctively gathered his mana, but soon realized what Lee Shin Woo meant. The sun had cast a giant shadow underneath it... and there were a dozen weapons burrowed within those shadows, restricting Seagalds movements. [Thats...!] "I prepared this to use against your second innate element. Anyone can do this if they master the darkness element." [Keuk. Keuk...!?] Lee Shin Woo couldnt find Seagald before, as his shadow had disappeared. But now that he had assimted with the sun... the world was filled with darkness that could imprison him. "Shadow doesnt exist within light, but light always casts a shadow. The brighter the light, the greater the shadow; just like you right now." It had been difficult for Lee Shin Woo to track Seagald due to his small size and his incredible speed. Hed given up his greatest assets for a slow and giant body, so theres no way Lee Shin Woo wouldnt take advantage of that, would he? [Heaven Defying General... Heaven Defying General...!] How was he able to imitate Arema Steelworker so perfectly? Why was his little sister working with him, despite bing an undead? No, where did it all go wrong? Where did he go wrong with his calctions or his n...!? What facey behind his mask? Was he even really undead? What was he thinking? He couldnt figure out his motives, and he couldnt guess them either. Just a little while ago, he had been speaking to the Light General as Arema Steelworker himself! How exactly did he do that!? [Heaven Defying Generalllllllllllll!] "Shut it." Lee Shin Woo drew one of the 12 swords restraining the sun. The Shining Bone Sword. Once he gripped the sword, it becamerger, longer, and sharper, resembling a ymore. The pressure exerted from the de was stifling! He was using the Rule of Bone and Mana Bone skills too. In addition, he used Manatization to reinforce the weapon. The Manatization skill could be used on weapons created through the Bone Armory, as they were ssified as his bones. [Did you get even stronger in that short period of time!?] "Nope. I didnt think Id lose you, so I didnt go at my full strengthst time. You did the same, didnt you?" [...!] "Im reflecting on it. You see, once I gained the Wild Card skill, I mistakenly thought that I always had full control of the situation. But you smashed through those delusions of mine, making me train even harder. Thanks for that, by the way." Lee Shin Woo replied genuinely and simultaneously kicked off the ground. The blinding light descended upon him, but it didnt have any effect on the two heroes, as they possessed max Light Resistance. And thus, they soared through the air, as if they were a lightning bolt. [Kahahk!] And so, Lee Shin Woo stabbed his ymore into the giant center of the sun, where Seagald was located. Rotten white blood spilled from Seagalds body; it shined for but an instant before it was evaporated by the intense heat. Lee Shin Woo kept his eyes fixed on Seagald and said. "Seira, if you have anyst words, then nows the time." "I have nothing to say." [Seira...!] It was exactly as she said. She didnt get in his way and didnt speak excessively. She just silently watched their battle. There were still some parts of her that werent all that reliable, but he was sure that she had indeed been reborn as a new person. "Alright, then..." [Guaaahk!?] The Shining Bone Swords ability, Death Gods Fury (which severed all spatial and magical interferences and cut the opponent without fail), was so overpowered that it overshadowed its other skill, but it did actually have another special passive skill. The special passive skill, the Death Gods Smile. While wielding the Shining Bone Sword, if the user is attacked or attacks, there is a high chance that the Shining Bone Sword will duplicate and automatically attack his foe. That skill had activated. There was an extra sword piercing through Seagalds body. And another. The ymores continued to multiply, causing the sun to eventually resemble a porcupine. [Heaven Defying General...! Kuaaaaaaaah!] But then... Seagalds pain and hatred doubled, burning the swords away. Had he undergone some sort of unattainable awakening in the midst of that awful pain? Surprisingly, the artificial suns light began to mix with his mes. And those mes even became transparent! Thats right. When faced with his own death, Seagald had be able to supplement the suns light with his Annihtion me! If he was able to freely use both the suns light and his Annihtion me, then there would be no one left to stop him. Whether it be the Archmage or the Emperor himself. [The Intermediate Dark Shadow Element has be Lv3 and Magic has increased by 40.] [The Beginner Shining me Element has be Lv7 and Magic has increased by 10.] [The Intermediate Dark me Element has be Lv7 and Magic has increased by 20.] But that wouldnt stop Lee Shin Woo. [How!?] "As I said, youre way too big." Seagald attempted to hide any traces of his existence within the suns Annihtion me, but with Lee Shin Woos Dark Shadow, he was able to tie him down to his darkness and make his presence even clearer. The sun, which had once been so bright, now had a hideous dark spot on it. "Theres no escape." At the same time, he used his Shining and Dark mes to devour any of the mes he couldnt reverse. A part of those mes became Lee Shin Woos strength, and this time it was Seagald who was burnt. "I wont lose you this time." The suns Annihtion me disappeared. The Shining Bone Sword multiplied again and again, piercing the artificial sun repeatedly. At this point, it was difficult to make out Seagalds original body. "Since Wild Cards already activated." The swords lodged within the suns shadow simultaneously rose upwards. He didnt need to restrain it anymore. Once hed countered the Annihtion me, this entire area became Lee Shin Woos domain. "Youre not the only one who came prepared." Though the artificial sun had descended so far down, such that it could almost reach the floor, only darkness could be seen around it. While they fought, Jin, Lee Shin Woo, and Seira quietly but quickly dominated the mana little by little, making this area their domain... At this very moment, the ownership of this domain had been transferred to Lee Shin Woo entirely. "So die. ...I always wanted to say that." The dozen Shining Bone Swords, which rose from the darkness, were instantly suffused with a huge amount of magic. Seagald already knew what wasing, so he desperately tried using his Annihtion me to avoid it, but it didnt work. But what if he were to use Fire Shadow instead? If he tried that, it would just mix with Lee Shin Woos darkness and disappear. [If I die... Who will avenge our citizens!?] "Theres no need. No one wants a psychopath whos willing to damn the entire world just for some paltry revenge." Seira said sarcastically and Lee Shin Woo took a short deep breath. He asked himself if he missed anything, but he didnt. This battle truly befitted his status as a Joker. Lee Shin Woo was satisfied with his performance. [If you kill me, then the sun will never shine upon the Empire ever again!] "Thats ok." The Shining Bone Swords emitted darkness simultaneously. Their shes were absolute, their trajectory unforeseeable. And dozens of these shes mutted the artificial sun. Not even a speck of light or fire was left behind. It waspletely gone. "Since the underground doesnt need a sun anymore." Seagald had died. There was no Annihtion me, nor a Sword God left. The first andst Anti-Skull was gone. Chapter 51 part5 It was momentarily silent. The battle was over once the fire and light waspletely extinguished and darkness reigned. [You have hunted a member of the 12 Generals, the Lv8 Annihtion me Sword God Seagald Von Retadane! All contributing heroes receive 50,000,000 Perium and all stats are increased by 100. You have acquired 15 permits to Gods secret shop. Proficiency in allbat-rted skills has increased significantly!] [You have received Gods grace. The Invisible Heart skills maximum level has increased by 15.] [The Wild Card skill has be Lv5 and all stats have increased by 30.] [You have acquired the title, He Who Brings Down the Sun. All stats have increased by 30. The High Rank Light and Fire Elements have be Lv7 and Lv8 respectively, and Magic has increased by 40.] [The Manatization skill has be Lv6, and Health and Magic have increased by 20. You feel as though you can take your skills in apletely different direction through Manatization. All of your innate skills have responded, and are attempting to change.] [The Soul Seeing Eye skill has be Lv6 and all stats have increased by 20.] Each and every line caused his heart to pound. His Invisible Heart skill had finally surpassed 200 max lives, yet there was no change; on the other hand, hed defeated the artificial sun, yet had gotten such a bombastic name in return. He thought the stat bonuses would be pretty good... or something like that, but there was something more important than all that. That he had somehow won. "Hoo, I barely got him." "Oh? It wasnt easy?" He sighed forcefully and muttered. Jin, whod supported him through the battle, tilted her head and asked. Lee Shin Woo just replied curtly. "No matter how perfect the stage or the script is, theres no guarantee that the y will be a sess until the curtains close." "...I guess thats true." "And I was actually kind of worried at the end when the sun began emitting Annihtion me. I was lucky that his awakening had just begun since I could take care of it with my elements, but if I had made a single mistake while bluffing, then that bastard wouldve beaten me." "I had no idea that you were engaged in such intense psychological warfare..." Thats just how perfect Lee Shin Woos acting had been. Of course, hed gone a step further by appearing as Arema Steelworker and then returning to his Heaven Defying General form, confusing Seagald in the process. Whats worse, Seira had popped out of a golem, causing his entire thought process toe to a grinding halt. Thus, he was able to push Seagald into a corner. Bluffing was necessary in a battle to the death. Showing what you dont have, but not showing what you do have. Although Seagalds Annihtion me was perfectly suited for this task, he was still pushed back by Lee Shin Woo. That was the cause of his defeat. "I thought he lost for apletely different reason, so Im absolutely speechless..." "You two, could you please be quiet?" The two, somewhat lethargic due to the pleasure and exhaustion from the battle, were scolded by Seira. "I would appreciate it if you gave me some time to pray." Seira, whod inflicted significant mental damage to Seagald, sped her hands before the wreckage of the artificial sun and closed her eyes. There were teardrops at the edges of her eyes, befitting a true Banshee. To think shed treat him like family now of all times. Lee Shin Woo, who was absolutely bbergasted, just snorted. "Werent you the one that asked me to kill him ASAP?" "...Yes, I did. I still consider him my older brother, when hes not intending to kill me or this world." To him, that meant that the only good Seagald was a dead Seagald, but he didnt tell her that. Seira seemed to feel a sense of shame, as she didnt pray for very long. Seeing that, Lee Shin Woo was about to go off to collect the loot. However, Seira quietly said... "If my older brother had met you under different circumstances, would he have been alive right now like me? Would you have not had to kill him?" "Nope. There was no hope for him when his vengeance was targeted at not the Magic Emperor and his forces, but humanity as a whole." "...I see. Thank you. That makes me feel a little better." He could hear the bitterness in her voice, yet her expression seemed more peaceful than before. Perhaps that was a question she was asking herself, not Lee Shin Woo. After bing a hero, she had resolved to kill her older brother herself. She hadnt thought that she was in the right. The fact that she even had to ask Lee Shin Woo was... No, there was no point in thinking about this anymore. Seagald was dead now; the end. "Good work." "I wasnt helpful at all. I just watched on the sidelines. ...But Ill do my best for the remainder of the battle." "Of course you will. You have to earn your keep." Lee Shin Woo scolded Seira and stretched his hand towards the wreckage. Then, he was flooded with a string of messages. [Lucky Strike! You have acquired 899,550,410 Perium. The Lucky Strike skill has be Lv7!] [You have acquired the Lv9 Light Tinged Annihtion me Sword Gods Frontal Bone.] [You have acquired the Lv8 Annihtion me Sword God, Seagald Von Retadanes Finger Bone.] [You have acquired the Lv9 Annihtion me Tinged Artificial Sun. Through Bone Reinforcement, it has been changed into the Lv9 Annihtion me Bone Core.] Originally, Seagald wouldve dropped all of his equipment and artifacts as well, but by fusing with the artificial sun, all of said equipment had been destroyed. However, Lee Shin Woo was content with this. Since he not only received two of Seagalds bones but also received the artificial suns core! "This is..." "So this is the sun that shone upon the Underground Empire." "Its very different, but yeah." Seagalds influence had caused it to change once, and Lee Shin Woo had caused it to change a second time, resulting in the Annihtion me Bone Core artifact. The inside of the small bone core was illuminated by a transparent light, and its exterior was an unusual shape. However, the amount of mes it contained within were immeasurable, and it was hard for him, who possessed Lv8 High Rank Fire and Lv7 High Rank Light, to even hold it. Seeing that, Jin knew exactly what Lee Shin Woo was thinking. "You want to use that on the Titan, dont you?" "Of course I do. Kratia and I managed to cover the Titans weaknesses, so I thought the Titan Core was perfect. But now that I think about it, theres something above perfection, isnt there?" "Ah, I see. If thats what you think, then I suppose its true. In your original world, that is." First, Lee Shin Woo very carefully stored the Annihtion me Bone Core into his inventory. Then, he collected the 9 million Perium from the opponent that gave him the most grief and gripped the level 8 and 9 bones in both hands. "So this is purely Seagalds and this ones been affected by the artificial sun." "A bone sommelier..." "Want one?" "Ill pass. I think level 8s enough for me." Lee Shin Woo wasnt being honest with her. He just wanted to see her reaction, as she hated Bone Reinforcement. He grinned and absorbed the level 8 finger bone first. At that moment, Lee Shin Woo was afflicted with sharp pain. This would always happen whenever he absorbed a high level existences bone, but the bone of one whod trained for so many years was very different! [Absorbing the Lv8 Annihtion me Sword God, Seagald Von Retadanes Finger Bone through Bone Reinforcement. Strength has increased by 60 and Agility by 70. The High Rank Light Element has be Lv8 and Magic has increased by 20. High Rank Fire Resistance has be Lv8 and Magic has increased by 60.] [The High Rank Combat Sense skill has be Lv10, allowing you to see a glimpse of the realm beyond. The skill is now maxed and will have both a direct and indirect effect on your skills. Agility has increased by 140.] [You have learned the fusion element, Beginner Fire Shadow Lv5. Magic has increased by 50.] [Im the only one who can right His Majestys wrongs. I will return the Empire to the surface no matter what. - Seagald Von Retadane] He had a level 9 bone waiting, so his expectations hadnt been high, but surprisingly, the bone had an abundance of power and memories within. Sure, Lee Shin Woo was happy about his Light Element and his Fire Resistance leveling up, but he was most happy about his maxed out Combat Sense! Logically speaking, Seagald had far outstripped Lee Shin Woo in terms of basicbat abilities. "Hoo..." By absorbing Seagalds bone, Lee Shin Woo had inherited hisbat abilities. Thus, his Combat Sense had risen to High Rank Lv10, maxing it out. And the change hed undergone wasnt the easiest thing to exin. Of course, its not like hisbat abilitiespletely transcended Seagalds now, but if he trained enough with these memories and experiences, then he would eventually get to where he wanted to be. It really is way better to steal someone elses abilities than to just train on my own, he thought like a thief and turned his attention to the next skill. It was none other than Fire Shadow. I was probably able to learn it as quickly as I did because of how high my fire and darkness elements are. Had Seagald used Fire Shadow for a long time? No, absolutely not. He specialized in light and fire, so he only gained this ability after bing undead and acquiring the darkness element. The fact that Seagald had even obtained another innate element just by acquiring the darkness element was unbelievable, but Fire Shadow really wasnt muchpared to the Annihtion me. It was just that Lee Shin Woo, whod absorbed the memories and knowledge, specialized in fire and darkness, which allowed him to learn it right off the bat. "So what does that element even do? Seagald couldnt even use it properly when he fought against you." "This maximizes the darkness elements ability to link people." In a way, it was simr to Lightning Bind. But contrary to Lightning Bind, which allowed the Magic Emperor to control his subordinates from long range, Fire Shadow reflected Seagalds desire to rush over and save his subordinates, wherever they may be. In other words, it focused on protecting his forces, rather than reinforcing them directly. "But it seems like Seagald didnt understand this ability fully, even though it was his ability. As evidenced by how he made his subordinates sacrifice themselves or how he only used it as a transportation ability." Lee Shin Woo looked down at the shadow cast by the me and smiled. That shadow stretched out, touching Jins and then Seiras shadow as well. They both flinched simultaneously. Whenever the fires shadow erupted from the ground, he could feel his connection with them deepen. [The Beginner Fire Shadow Element has be Lv7 and Magic has increased by 20.] And thus, Lee Shin Woo came to a conclusion. The Fire Shadow Element wasnt a simple transportation skill; it was a wide area buff skill that affected anyone connected to him! Chapter 51 part6 Lee Shin Woo tested out the Fire Shadow Element several times and felt as though this element suited him more than Seagald. Fire Shadow would connect him to his subordinates, strengthen them, and protect them... This ability, which would buff his contractees, was simr to the Lightning Bind Element, but alsopletely different. "...It feels a bit unpleasant. It feels like youre right beside me at all times." "Im testing out the ability, so bear with it." "This is strange. Its a buff? It feels like some unknown power is strengthening my every move." "My fire-using subordinates will likely experience the most extreme change." While the Magic Emperors Lightning Bind specialized in controlling his subordinates power, Fire Shadow was the opposite; it used the users power to strengthen their subordinates. Lightning Bind forcefully took control of ones body at long-range, whereas Fire Shadow allowed the user to transport to their subordinates side. They were both opposite extremes. ...The reason Seagalds soldiers were forced to immte themselves to summon him was all due to his inexperience with it. Seagalds skill in the light element had far outstripped his skill in the darkness element, thus disallowing him from using the Fire Shadow Element properly. ...This is fun. Plus, its really useful. It was definitely something I needed. Lee Shin Woo hadnt been able to strengthen his subordinates with the darkness element, so he was overjoyed that hed gotten an innate element with the ability to do so. Fire Shadow would likely strengthen his darkness as well. To be more specific, he felt as though he would find new possibilities. Like with the ovepping ability. "Oh, this works?" Lee Shin Woo found that he could only transfer the effects of his skills or elements. With this, Lee Shin Woo could have some fun. But because Jin and Seira resented him for this, he soon stopped. "If you do it again, Ill get mad for real. Ill cry for you. Do you understand what this means?" "Do you have any idea how much strategic valueys in this ability..." "Stop. Use it when you need that strategic value." "Yes, maam. Im so sorry." After hed gotten familiar with the Fire Shadow Element and raised it to Beginner Lv8, Lee Shin Woo lifted the next item. It was none other than the level 9 bone. Was it just him, or was there lighting from the bone? He soon realized that it wasnt him seeing things. This bone, which had undergone a deep fusion with the artificial sun, was already part artifact. He took a deep breath and tightly gripped the bone. Then, he activated Bone Reinforcement. [Absorbing the Lv9 Light Tinged Annihtion me Sword Gods Frontal Bone through Bone Reinforcement. Strength and Agility have increased by 200, Health by 100, and Magic by 300. The High Rank Light and Fire Elements have be Lv10 and have been maxed out. Magic has increased by 480.] Lee Shin Woo somewhat knew what to expect, as hed absorbed the level 9 Garudas bone before. Yet, he was absolutely gobsmacked. It wasnt just the effect of Seagalds bone; the abilities from the bone fused together with his own, causing him to reach a new level. He had maxed the Light and Fire Elements in one go! ...Its hot! Shit, its really hot! Hed been looking forward to this, but the aftereffects of mastering two elements simultaneously were huge. It felt as though the bright light and the hot mes were erupting from his cells and exploding. When hed mastered the Darkness Element, all he needed to do was feel and think about the darkness element, but this was different. The various elements asserted their existence within him and went wild. Lee Shin Woos mind was in a daze. Fortunately, he had a close association with both the Fire and Light Elements. A me-wielding swordsman appearing within the Retadane family, which had inherited the Light Element for generations, was no coincidence. Lee Shin Woo studied these two elements in-depth and then closed his eyes. [High Rank Fire Resistance has be Lv10 and has been maxed out. Magic has increased by 50.] Eventually, his Fire Resistance had been maxed out as well. The element had been maxed out, so it was only natural that the resistance would follow suit. Then, the unpleasantness, which was akin to wearing clothes that didnt fit, disappeared; he felt great, as though hed just dipped into a warm hot spring. Yeah, I shouldnt overthink it. I shouldnt separate myself from the two elements. Just like how I can be darkness and the other way around, I can be fire and light as well. When hed mastered the Darkness Element, Lee Shin Woo had transformed his entire body into darkness; like that time, he transformed his body into fire and light, filling the entire area with the two elements. When he became one with the darkness, he had collected it at a single point. But it was different with the fire and light elements; he switched between expanding and contracting them, as well as heating them and cooling them. Surprisingly, his Manatization skill, which had leveled up not too long ago, had leveled up once again. [The Manatization skill has be Lv7, and Health and Magic have increased by 20.] [You have reached the peak of light and darkness. You have satisfied the conditions required to fuse the two elements together. You have acquired the title, Chaos Spawn. All stats have increased by 30. The power of all your elements increases by 10%.] "...Hoo." Ultimately, the light and firepletely disappeared and nothing remained. Then, Lee Shin Woo appeared from within the void andnded on the ground. The Darkness Element is strengthened when the Light Element is maxed out. It was a natural phenomenon. Contrary to others, who geared more to one side or the other, Lee Shin Woo had chosen the right path. "Have you be a god?" "Youd be like this too if you max an element." "Isnt that what a god is?" "At first, thats what I thought too, but I found that gods arent pushovers. I have no idea how they all be gods so easily." Seira asked and Lee Shin Woo teasingly replied. Then, he caught his breath. He knew that it wasnt over yet. Hed won big, of course, but he had yet to receive Seagalds greatest ability. [You have acquired the fusion element, Intermediate Annihtion me Lv1. Magic has increased by 100.] It was the Annihtion me, which was both a fusion and innate element, and was created bybining the essence of both the Fire and Light Elements. Because he had mastered both the Light and Fire Elements, the Annihtion me started off at the intermediate level, despite it being Seagalds innate element! Though there was still the matter of it being capped at intermediate level 10! Theyre fundamentally simr, but its alsopletely different from Shining me. Shining me was used to vaporize anything and everything. On the other hand, the Annihtion me was collected inside ones body and burned ones self. But that didnt mean that it would vaporize the user. The burnt body and soul wouldnt be destroyed, and something else would be substituted in their ce. And thus, the user would appear in apletely different state, unbeknownst to their opponent. Thats why he felt as though Seagalds Annihtion me was greater than the Garudas Shining me. And thats why I had such a hard time dealing with him, but... It ultimately became my power. It was aplicated ability, so he would need to practice with it to use it to its full effect, but Lee Shin Woo was quite talented himself. When he fought against Seagald, hed gotten a good grasp on how the Annihtion me worked, so if he just practiced it a little bit more, then he could truly make it his own. [Your Magic stat is over 10,000! You have acquired the title, He Who Begins to Resemble Mana. Magic has increased by 100. Your body is saturated with a higher quantity and more powerful mana. The Manatization skill grows more quickly than before.] Lee Shin Woo felt relieved, as he thought his body was finished with all the changes. However, another unexpected happened. Hed gotten a title for passing the 1,000 Magic mark before, but apparently, there was a version of it for passing the 10,000 mark too! Lee Shin Woo really had no way of knowing that this existed beforehand. Regardless of Kratias genius, or Jins Child of Light, their stats were nowhere near close to 10,000! As expected, Manatization and this titles goal align. Honestly... He was really lucky. His priority was the Manatization skill, yet by passing the 10,000 Magic mark, his body had been transformed to be more suitable for the skill. His stats, which had originally been bnced, werepletely all over the ce, but it didnt really matter. Once the Joker mastered the Manatization skill, their preexisting body wouldnt matter! "A single battle caused you to change so much. Is this man always like this?" "Thats not the first time someones asked me that." "Normally, one needs time to digest what has happened and will grow from it slowly, but... He grew so much all at once." "Thats why Shin Woo got so strong in such a short period of time. Is there really any other reason besides that?" "...Ha, he truly is loved by God." So is that the recent trend? If God loves you, she turns you into a skeleton? is what she wanted to say, but Jin remembered everything Lee Shin Woo had done thus far and just kept her mouth shut. It really did feel like Lee Shin Woo was loved by God. Whereas, Lee Shin Woo had no idea what they were talking about and was drawing out the remaining essence from Seagalds bone. It consisted of memories of Seagald and the Archmage creating the artificial sun together, and even then, Seagald was already level 8. [This sun will continually shine upon the Empire, and no one will be able to drop it from the sky. One day, when we return to the surface, this sun will be unnecessary. When that timees, I wille and collect it. - Seagald Von Retadane] ...How ironic. Before hed died, Seagald had said that if he died, then the sun will never shine upon the Empire ever again. Seagald had stated that hed collect the sun once they return to the surface... Did he keep his promise, since he assimted with the sun, or should he say that he was indeed an undead, as he had forgotten his promise? Well... Anyway, itll turn out exactly as you said, Seagald. There was no longer a need for the sun underground, as there would soon be a victor. By retrieving his light, Lee Shin Woo felt the Empire fill with darkness and took a deep breath. With this, the Empires darkness would be even stronger, and anyone who had relied on the artificial sun would lose their way. The end was near. Neither side would back off now. The unavoidable final battle was approaching. "...Shall we make a break for it?" "Alright." Lee Shin Woo checked his Mana Radar and confirmed that the Sun Spear General, who stayed back to stop Leofield Von Tariman, was dead. He then checked that the remaining golems had aplished their mission (of collecting the bone he left behind), nodded his head, and opened a gate. His party soon disappeared from the capital. Though the underground capital, which had lost all traces of light, had regained its silence, that silence would certainly notst for very long. Chapter 52 part1 [Lee Shin Woo] [Shadow Joker] [He Who Begins to Resemble Mana; 24 others] [Lv - 8 (Status Effectiveness 300%)] [Strength - 4,255 Agility - 4,505 Health - 4,308 Magic - 10,545] [Passive Skills - Soul Strike: MAX, Combat Sense: MAX, Wild Card Lv5, Acting Lv21, Invisible Heart Lv4/Lv209, Rebellion Lv8, Mana eleration Lv9, High Rank Mana Bone Lv9, High Rank Command Lv9, High Rank Assimtion Lv8, Lucky Strike Lv7, Soul Seeing Eye Lv6, Manatization Lv7] [Active Skills - Disguise Lv9, Instigate Lv9, Bone Reinforcement Lv12, Rule of Bone Lv11, Bone Armory Lv11, High Rank Regeneration Lv5, Sacrifice Lv1] [Elements - Darkness: MAX, Light: MAX, Fire: MAX, Intermediate Dark Shadow Lv3, Intermediate Annihtion me Lv1, Beginner Shining me Lv7, Intermediate Dark me Lv7, Beginner Fire Shadow Lv8, High Rank Water Lv4, High Rank Wind Lv3, High Rank Earth Lv3, High Rank Metal Lv4, High Rank Ice Lv1, High Rank Acid Lv4, High Rank Lightning Lv6, Absorption Lv15] [Resistances - Holy: MAX, Darkness: MAX, Light: MAX, Fire: MAX, Beginner Shining me Lv1, Intermediate Dark me Lv1, High Rank Water Lv3, High Rank Wind Lv3, High Rank Earth Lv4, High Rank Acid Lv3, High Rank Ice Lv1, High Rank Lightning Lv5] "23,613, huh... It was just a joke, but if things go well, I think I can really get to level 9." "...What do you have to do to get your stats to rise by the thousands?" "Who knows. It justes naturally to me." Following the battle, Lee Shin Woo had returned to the Metal Army base. His loyal subordinate, Erem 290, presented the Sun Spear Generals bone to him, and he then reexamined his stats. Compared to Seagalds bone, the Sun Spear Generals wasnt anything special, but it leveled up his Water Resistance and Element (which he seldom used), causing his Magic to increase significantly once more. Even if its rotten, its still a herring. Or, even if hes just an extra, hes still one of the Four Heavenly Commanders. "But Shin Woo, are you really ok with just absorbing others bones all willy-nilly like that? That was a huge problem for you before." "Mm, my shoulders hurt a little, but this much is fine. Honestly, its just a scam. I can just fool the world into thinking that Im the legitimate owner of this karma." "Thats how it works...?" Jin couldnt understand him and just tilted her head, but to Lee Shin Woo it was a simple matter. It was unclear how the world perceived a legitimate owner of karma, so as long as Lee Shin Woo fooled the world into thinking he was that legitimate owner, everything would be fine. "So I can just kill the Heaven Sundering General, Leofield Von Tariman." "Is it really that simple!?" "His Dark Shadow lets him distort order." Thats right. To put it bluntly, Lee Shin Woo was using Dark Shadow, which reversed cause-and-effect, to act like a gangster! If hed gained this power earlier, then he wouldve acted like a swindler even earlier and plunged this world into chaos! "How will you handle all that karma...?" "Think about it this way: Just put it back before you get caught!" "Stop. It sounds like youre a high school girl sneaking out of the house in her older sisters clothes!" Lee Shin Woo joked around with Jin and was greeted by Kratia. Once he was done giving her a progress report, Kratia immediately rushed outside and was mesmerized by the sunless underground night sky. There had always been a slight presence of light, even during nighttime. But now that the artificial sun was gone, it waspletely dark. Now, morning would nevere for the underground. Like it had been when the first residents of the Underground Empire hade. "...The suns gone. The yang energy has dwindled, but in exchange, the yin energy has gotten even stronger. ...Its great that Ive gotten stronger and all, but the Emperor and the Archmage probably got stronger too." Lee Shin Woo knew he couldnt have allowed the sun to remain, especially because Seagald had fused with it. ...Despite that, he couldnt help but worry. He was worried about the powerful Archmage, Feotane Von Seldin (even so, Lee Shin Woo had destroyed his physical body twice), and was especially worried about the Emperor, who he assumed to be at least level 9! If those twos darkness was further strengthened, then could Kratia even do something against them? Unlike Prince, Kratia didnt want to be useless (as always, she was being really disrespectful towards Prince) and furrowed her brow in anguish. Her helping Lee Shin Woo study the Titan may have been good enough, but that wasnt enough for her. Now that itse to this... "I studied the Titan and gathered plenty of data. And because of you, Shin Woo, Ive gotten a grasp on innate elements. ...Maybe its time for me to change too." Shed prepared herself for this, but she hadnt taken the plunge. So, in a way, it may have been for the best. It was better for her to throw away her pride as a magician. While she was making a huge decision, she suddenly overheard someone speak. "It truly is dark. It would usually brighten around now, like the surface. ...Though I havent known about the surfaces brightness for very long." "Dana?" It was Dana, once the princess of the Underground Empire, now an Immortal. She, who shouldve been in the Spirits Spring training with the spirits, had shown up in a one piece outfit and was heading towards her. In that short period of time, she had seemingly fully adjusted to her body, as she seemed much stronger than before. "When did you get here?" "I came right over once I heard from the Hero. ...I believe the Hero was going to call me if the situation worsened." As Seira had pointed out, Lee Shin Woo had prepared several cards for Seagald. One of those cards was the squad stationed in the Spirits Spring. Because Lee Shin Woo had formed a contract with the Spirits Spring, he could create a gate to the Spirits Spring anytime, anywhere. Thus, he could call over more personnel (surpassing the gates limitation) more quickly than usual. Dana had been prepared to jump into the fight against Seagald if necessary. But as you are well aware, Lee Shin Woo hadnt needed Seira, let alone Dana. "It... truly is dark. Ive never seen such darkness, even when I was strapped to the Heaven Rending Cannon in Bayran. This is the first time Ive seen such a thing... ever since I was born." "Yeah. Its scary since its so dark." "Hoo, hoo. Im not scared at all. Since I now know that theres a true sun on the surface." "..." Contrary to everything shed learned, the surface was very different from what shed expected, and she was deeply moved by what shed seen. The underground was changing so quickly due to the machinations of just one man. And regardless of how events progressed, the Underground Empire would soon meet its end. What would happen to her then? She thought about it and then smiled bitterly. She dare not think about it. After all, she hadnt expected that shed be sublimated into a greater existence, an Immortal. The Hero must have some sort of scenario mapped out already. Everything will go as he wishes, and I have noints there. On the contrary, seeing such exceptional ability from the man I love causes my heart to pound. ...But how much can I really do on his stage? Can I really help him? Coincidentally, she was thinking along the same lines as Kratia. Lee Shin Woo was so talented that they felt stupid for pledging their aid. Kratia, who had no idea what she was thinking, tilted her head at Dana, who was vacantly gazing at the sky and asked. "Are you sad now that your fiances dead? ...Or did you want to be there when it happened?" "...Pardon? Fiance? Ah, youre talking about Seagald. Im not sure. I regret not being able to sock him in the face, but we werent close enough for me to feel sad over his passing. He was my fiance in name only... And I also have someone I love." "You sound like the main character of a romance novel." Kratia said, dumbfounded, and Dana looked askance at her and repeated. "You seem to not have any dreams; it must be because youre a magician. Most Elementalists are pure and have a wild imagination. Everyone carries a story within their hearts. Its just that my story is a romance." "Then what about Shin Woo? Shin Woos an Elementalist too." "Mm... I heard there was a darkness magic book on the surface made of human skin." It sounded more like a book a demon would carry around, rather than an Elementalist, but Kratia could understandpletely. "You can appraise someone so calmly, yet still like them, huh..." "Hes extremely cruel and not considerate of others, but he also cares for us immensely. I like him. But sometimes, I think he spoils us too much." "I dont really get it. His Heaven Defying General personas really cool, but... I think Ill need to study love a bit more." Kratia always thought hed been the prime candidate to practice on. If he, a mere skeleton, was able to draw the affection of so many women and form suchplicated rtionships with them, then he would be really helpful in her understanding of love and human feelings. If Lee Shin Woo had heard her, hed probably be really mad. "Persona...?" "You were both out here?" "Oh, its you, Seira." Dana was somewhat perplexed at Kratias speech, as she spoke as though she wasnt human. But then, Seira appeared at such perfect timing. She floated over to them and then looked at the night sky, which had once upied the twos attention. "The Empire will soon disappear without a trace. You know that, right?" "Yes, somewhat. Were you perhaps thinking about what your role was in all this, Seira?" "No. As long as the Empire perishes, Im happy. Since its no time to be worrying about our methods. I dont care if Lee Shin Woo uses me as a chess piece or puts me on his stage, so long as he destroys the Empire. ...You were thinking quitevishly, it seems, Dana." "..." Seira wasnt concerned with Danas petnce or her puffed up cheeks and just said what she wanted to say. Her attitude had changed so dramatically that it was hard to believe that just a short while ago she was praying for the dead. "If you have any unfinished business on this curse-ridden world, then you should deal with it before everything ends. ...Oh my, I should get going." "What about the Hero? Its just you, Seira?" Danas cheeks puffed up even more. Seira, feeling her gaze, smiled as if entertained, and turned around. At that moment, Lee Shin Woo entered the chatting channel and was met with... [Lloyd H.K.: S-Silene is... Shin Woo, Silenes been captured! We have to go and save him!] [Lee Shin Woo: Oh, no. What sad and surprising news...] What an obvious trap! Moreover, there was an idiot right here who wanted to go head long into that trap! A signal for battle had been lit in such an unexpected locale. Chapter 52 part2 [Lloyd H.K.: Shin Woo, Silene is...!] [Lee Shin Woo: Senior, I get it already, so please dont cry and take your time.] [Erian Ruparte: Weve been anxioustely since Retadane disappeared, but... Lee Shin Woo. Im sorry. Youre the one whos suffering the most...] [Lee Shin Woo: No, its fine, so please go ahead and exin.] Wait, why would he suffer from Seiras death? He urged them to get to the main point whilst tilting his head. Then, Erian continued, as if she understood what he was thinking. [Erian Ruparte: Anyway... Weve been really anxioustely, but all of a sudden, Silene Viesa came into the channel.] [Lee Shin Woo: He did, did he?] Lee Shin Woo checked, confirming that Silene was still essing the chatting channel. However, he wasnt talking, likely because he was in a situation where he couldnt. That meant he wasnt dead yet... He was really surprised since he expected Silene to be dead already, but he pretended like he wasnt. Wait a sec. This is... What is this? Ha, thats hrious. More importantly... He didnt want to believe it, but he felt like something was off with the chatting channel. It wasnt the normal chatting channel! Contrary to Lee Shin Woo, who was feeling a bit anxious, Erian calmly continued with her exnation. [Erian Ruparte: But I think he encountered one of the 12 Generals. I dont know which one he met, but... I believe hes been captured. Hes been imprisoned.] [Lee Shin Woo: One of the 12 Generals, huh...] ...Lee Shin Woo thought about which of the 12 Generals it could be. [Lloyd H.K.: Those damn undead. To think theyd take Silene hostage...!] [Lee Shin Woo: I see. So hes been captured alive. I wonder why theyve taken such a merciful approach? How shocking...] It was so obvious what was going on; Lee Shin Woos Acting ability couldnt handle their stupidity and he let his insincerity slip. Erian noticed, seemingly more anxious than before, and yelled desperately. [Erian Ruparte: We know how shocking it mustve been to lose Seira. However... Lee Shin Woo, we would appreciate it if you helped us. We cant just leave him out to die! Hes your junior, someone who greatly respected you!] Who lost who exactly? He was shocked because of who? Their delusions had run this rampant during the time that Lee Shin Woo and Seira were out of touch...? Lee Shin Woo was astounded and remained silent, but then Lloyd continued where Erian had left off with a loud voice. [Lloyd H.K.: If we work together, we can take down one of the 12 Generals. We have to hurry. Itll get even harder if he calls for reinforcements. Shin Woo... Help us.] [Erian Ruparte: Lee Shin Woo.] Both seniors asked seriously. Lee Shin Woo closed his eyes in thought. He already knew what to say to these incorrigible idiots, but he wanted to organize his thoughts before doing so. [Lloyd H.K.: Shin Woo, if we work together, then we should be able to save ourrade from certain danger...] [Lee Shin Woo: Im sorry, but...] They were about to try persuading him once more, but then Lee Shin Woo firmly said... [Lee Shin Woo: I cant go right now. Im sorry, but it looks like youll have to give up on Silene. Please dont go anywhere. ...Im sure you already know about the undergrounds sun, yes?] [Lloyd H.K.: Lee Shin Woo!] Lee Shin Woo didnt even reply and just left the chatting channel. He then checked his Mana Radar and sighed deeply. Hed hoped that he was wrong. Then, Seira and the rest of his party trickled in. He only called Seira, so why were all of them here? He tilted his head and asked. "Seira, I want to ask you something." "What is it?" "Can a person use the chatting channel to affect anothers mana? In other words, is it possible to use darkness mana to find the other heroes location or info?" In response, Seira sported a strange expression. It was as if she was saying I never even thought of that. She looked straight at him and said. "Whats with you all of a sudden? You know that the chatting channel is a part of Gods domain." "Yeah. I thought so too, but I sensed darkness mana within the chatting channel. Isnt that strange?" Thats right. That was the main source of Lee Shin Woos uneasiness. Whats worse, he felt an attempt at a forced connection in order to figure out his location. Hed led that mana to an entirely different location, but it wouldnt have been possible had it not been for his maxed out Darkness Element and Dark Shadow. "The chatting channel is a domainprised of Gods mana, so how could another persons mana interfere with it? Thats extremely hard to believe... But if you sensed it, then youre probably right. It seems like you were able to control your mana as you please within the chatting channel too." Seira was well-versed in Lee Shin Woos abilities. Shed felt it was strange and thought about it, furrowing her eyebrows, and then said. "This has never happened before. If it did, I wasnt aware of it." "I couldve asked Ethan Cruz if he were still alive." "That really makes me feel sorry for myself." He ignored Seiras sarcastic remark and heard Kratias cautious voice. "...Shin Woo, the fact that theyve intruded upon Gods power means that..." "Yeah. If we make a mistake, then no new heroes will be summoned... So, we have to end it. I dont think I have to worry about you two, but just in case, Jin, Kratia, dont go into the chatting channel." While he was at it, he sent Prince a private message telling her not to enter the chatting channel. Fortunately, he wasnt toote and she obeyed his warning. [Prince Altania: Silene Viesa? Hes already dead to me.] "As expected of a veteran hero." Prince was busy exploring dungeons on the surface, so she didnt have the time toe down and save Silene. It was quite fortunate actually. Silene Viesa was likewise already dead to Lee Shin Woo as well. If Silene Viesa had brought the darkness mana within him by entering the chatting channel, then he was ying in the palm of their enemies hands. It was already toote to even consider saving him. Did Erian and Lloyd not realize this? They probably didnt. They were unsure if they could even take down the weakest of the 12 Generals, yet they wanted to save him? It was all just hot air. [Prince Altania: Lloydll probably trust in his abilities and try saving him himself... Hes probably cursing at us too.] "Id be happy if thats all that happens." [Prince Altania: We werent originally good friends, so its not surprising. Still... Junior... Lloyds in danger, isnt he?] "...Yes." Lee Shin Woo replied honestly. The battle had already begun. Their foes had seeded in hacking into Silenes hero abilities and were attempting to track down the other heroes, so... it didnt matter whether the two heroes went to save him or not, they were in danger. "Theyre in incredible danger, as they have no way of stopping the enemy from tracking them down. Of course, they wont be caught immediately, as theyre still quite far away." [Prince Altania: But if the Archmage himself goes, then...] "...I threw them off their trail too, but it shouldnt slow down someone skilled enough to hack into the chatting channel for very long." [Prince Altania: ...] Prince was dead quiet. Lee Shin Woo could easily tell how she was feeling and smiled bitterly. "Whyre you being so honorable now? Its not like you." [Prince Altania: Youre one to talk! Even I have a sense of shame, ok? I know how much youve helped me and I know that Im leaving all the tough stuff to you (the fight between the surface and underground).] Hes d she knew. Lee Shin Woo nodded his head and said. "So what are you getting at?" [Prince Altania: ...Well...Junior, cant you save Lloyd for me? Is it too much? Is it impossible?] "I cant believe youre actually asking me that." [Prince Altania: You told me to ask! You told me!] "Im shocked. Theres a limit to how brazen you can be." [Prince Altania: Hey!] It really was fun ying around with her... Err, it was fun talking to her. He felt the stress from those idiots, Lloyd and Erian, wash away and took a deep breath. And then he said... "Ill try. Dont hate me if it doesnt work. Since Ill bring you Lloyds bone." [Prince Altania: Whats the point of bringing me his bone!? I dont like bones you know!?] "Im being really generous here. I guess you dont know me that well." [Prince Altania: ...Junior.] Despite his small talk, Princes voice died down. Since she knew just what she was asking of him. [Prince Altania: Thanks. Aside from the bone issue... Thanks for everything.] "So just rx and clear the dungeons, Senior." [Prince Altania: Dont die. Youre not allowed to die.] "I dont die even when Im killed, so dont worry about me." After he was finished, he stood up. Everything was looking at him, but they already knew what he was going to say. If he was going now, then that meant... "Total war? I really wanted tobine the Annihtion me Bone Core and the Titan before then." "We havent practiced enough... Sseup, I guess it cant be helped." "Would you like me to bring the others from the surface? Theyre all waiting for your order, Hero." "Im ready to cry whenever you need me. Crying for you is... I guess Ill tell you at the end." They all seemed much livelier than before, especially Seira, whose change was surprising. It was as though Seagalds death had released her from a heart demon [1], as she acted her age now. But unfortunately... "Sorry to rain on your parade, but its not yet time. I only called Seira, remember? Go back to work. Especially you, Kratia. Im leaving the Titan to you." "Huh?" "Think about it. Why is the capital only now trying to find where the heroes are? Theres no way theyd focus on the heroes. Think about it. Theyve basically taken no damage from the heroes. They took the most damage from either Anti-Skull or the Heaven Defying General. Of course, the Heaven Defying General is actually a hero, but they dont know that." "Then why...?" "Theyre trying to clean up. In other words, theyre trying to reduce the number of variables. Thus, the Archmage, not the Emperor hase forward." Thats right. Lee Shin Woo had already figured out that the Archmage had messed with the chatting channel. How did he do it? It was simple. He had used darkness mana within the chatting channel, so Lee Shin Woo was not only able to hide his location but could also trace the Archmages mana back to its source (and found Silene Viesas location as well), as well as locate Lloyd and Erian on the side! "So I checked with the Mana Radar and ta-da! The Archmage was there." "I see. Our enemies are trying to kill the heroes to reduce the number of unknowns." "So, as a result, you not only figured out that the Archmage is outside of the capital, but what his motives and location are as well...?" "Exactly." Since he knew the Archmages n and location, he was now in the drivers seat. All he needed to do was wait for the right opportunity! "Youre not going to save Lloyd. Youre using him to lure the Archmage out of the pce so that you can kill him... Am I right?" "Yep." "..." "Youre... the same as ever. You dont need to be so thorough. You dont have to be so cautious..." Lee Shin Woo just shrugged his shoulders. To be honest, he had already sent his Erem brigade to the coordinates and nned to use Fire Shadow to get there when it was time. But he didnt really need to tell them that. "Then, Ill get going." "Didnt you say you would wait for the right time?" "Ah, thats not it." Lee Shin Woo used one of the permits to Gods secret shop and smiled bitterly. "I was just wondering if the secret shop was affected like the chatting channel. Ill be quick." "...The secret shop." Thisll probably be myst trip to the secret shop, he thought and was about to activate the permit, but then... someone grabbed onto his hand. It was none other than Seira. She sported aplicated expression, but she was definitely holding onto his hand. She briefly hesitated but soon mustered up her courage. "...May Ie with you?" [1] E/N: A thought that was weighing her down mentally. Though you should know that as you are reading this on Wuxiaworld. ? Chapter 52 part3 He could tell, looking at them from side to side. They were definitely sisters. The two of them looked incredibly alike and were beautiful enough to be considered the most beautiful in the Empire. So the mood between them was quite unfortunate. "..." "..." "G-Guten Morgen...?" The mood wasnt all that great within the secret shop. In the midst of the two sisters staring contest, Lee Shin Woo spoke carefully. Since Pleine wasnt giving him her ssic greeting, he had to do it. "...Hello, Mr. Shin Woo." Pleine twisted her head around and bowed towards Lee Shin Woo. Seiras eyebrows twitched at Mr. Shin Woo, but Lee Shin Woo ignored her and replied. "If you have some things to say to each other, then I can leave." "...No, Im fine. I dont really have anything to say to her. Moreover, we cant really be called sisters anymore." "Agreed. Now, Mr. Shin Woo, what did youe here for today?" Lee Shin Woo looked at the two testy women and thought, they sure like ying around. Who was it that begged him to save her sister again? And who was it that asked him to bring her to the secret shop again? They definitely had a lot to say to each other, yet they were holding back for some reason. Lee Shin Woo had no way of figuring out why, but... if they persisted, then hed just go about with his business. "I had some questions and wanted to tell you some things too. First... I killed Seagald. Sorry, I dont have any keepsakes to give you since they were all burned." "I see. I already knew since I heard from Her, but thank you for telling me in person. ...In the end, you had to deal with all of our familys problems. Im sorry." "...Whats with you all of a sudden? Isnt that your specialty?" "...!" Ah, crap. Seira finally began talking. She just pressed something. Something more fearsome than the button for a nuclear bomb! Lee Shin Woo briefly paused but soon decided to calm them down. Unfortunately, Seira was faster. "Thats the way you deal with things. You run away, as if youre avoiding reality, and leave all the work to other people." "Hoh, thats riching from a half-wit like you. You didnt realize how weak you were, yet you tried to get revenge anyway. And then you lost all yourrades. In the end, you didnt do anything right." "I dont want to hear that from you. Youre not willing to get your hands dirty, yet youre willing to stand on the sidelines, selling weapons in exchange for such precious karma." Im not sure if shes never gotten her hands dirty before, but at this rate, she probably will, Lee Shin Woo thought and urgently tried to interfere, but... "Hey, shouldnt we stop this? Youll just say things thatll hurt each other..." "Seira, do you have any idea how I felt bing Gods apostle? I did it so you wouldnt have to do it! If our roles were reversed, then I wouldve killed older brother in one hit. One hit! I wouldve killed the Emperor and the likes of Seldin, and brought peace to the Empire a long time ago!" "Talk is cheap! There were rumors that you talked your way into your Saintess position. They were probably right!" "Eeeek!" Ah, crap. Its all over. The two had forgotten all about Lee Shin Woo and were duking it out! The counter between them was shaking immensely! "I was managing themunication between the heroes and God, as well as helping the heroes grow, while you went wild, unaware of the undead curses effects on you. To you, who became an undead, my job must not seem very important. Im asking just in case, but this isnt a specialty store that sells tea leaves. Do you understand?" "Im so d that you, who doesnt even know what a real battle is, didnt be an undead. Shall I tell you what our older brothersst moments were like?" "Did you evennd a hit on him? I believe you didnt even cry once during the battle, even after Mr. Shin Woo turned you into a level 8 Elder Banshee." "I did! Mentally! I just thought my intervention wasnt necessary. You wouldnt know how important reserve forces are since all youre good at is yapping and picking tea leaves! Lee Shin Woo even thanked me for making things go so smoothly..." "Mentally? Pfft!" "Pfft? Pfft!? You want to spit out blood instead?" Why is it that when these two sisters met, they showed a side that hed never seen before? And why hadnt he noticed that ck personality of theirs before...? Lee Shin Woo watched their intensifying sibling spat, took out some popcorn hed prepared in advance for moments like this, and sat down in a corner. Hed made it since Prince wanted to eat it so badly, yet he was the first one to take a bite. Ah, this was the first time hed made it, but it was delicious. Lee Shin Woo wanted to drink some c with it. Then... they started to drag him into it as well. "And whats with Mr. Shin Woo? Mr. Shin Woo? What, are you trying to seduce a hero now too? Youre so old, so how can you be so indecent? Youre trying to be so charming to a man who was once a level 1 skeleton? Or what, is it that youre so old now that youll be a skeleton yourself soon?" "Look whos talking! It doesnt really matter, does it? Youve be undead now, so you transcend things like age! Moreover, whats wrong with how I call him? You, who even at that age didnt know how to talk to a man without hitting them with your hammer, must think that a man and woman speaking amicably means that theyre in a rtionship. Sorry to say, but its not true!" "Thats because once I became older, all that was left were undead and monsters! Or what, did you want me to date someone like Ethan Cruz!? And in the first ce, youre the one who told me I didnt have a chance with the other male heroes whenever I came here!" "Its because youre clueless when ites to rtionships! You wouldve been ruined if you dated trash like Ethan Cruz! If youd even bothered to learn love through books, then you wouldve known that my and Mr. Shin Woos rtionship isnt like that... Huh? Wait, do you..." Why did Ethan Cruz have to be cursed out for something he didnt even do? While Lee Shin Woo shook his head, Pleine alternated between him and Seira, as if shed figured something out. Seira noticed this and spoke in disgust. "Theres nothing between us. It looks like youre the one with your head in the clouds! It must be because youve only learned about romance from books. I know that, as a Saintess, men would just respect you; they didnt ever approach you!" "They did! They just werent good enough for me! Moreover, all the heroes tried flirting with me too! Didnt know that did you? All of them! Everyone aside from Mr. Skeleton over there!" "Im not a skeleton anymore, you know." If you want to fight, then keep it to yourselves.. Hed rather they not drag him into this, but it seemed impossible. Lee Shin Woo sighed and began boiling some water. Hed gotten quite thirsty from eating popcorn, so he decided to brew some tea that hed bought on the surface. "...Are you brewing tea here?" He thought itd help the extremely agitated Seira rx. It worked, as expected. He didnt think it would work, but to think it would be this easy. He smiled slightly and poured the boiling water into the teapot. "You must be thirsty, so please drink a cup before you go on fighting or what not." "Fighting? Were not fighting. Besides, I like alcohol more than tea. Something that can wash away all this frustration of mine..." He knew shed want alcohol instead of tea. Lee Shin Woo took out something hed been hiding for this moment. It was a new Kerr Century Label wine bottle. "Mr. Shin Woo, is that perhaps...?" "Its our factorys newest brandy. Its harder to make, so weve only just started making it." "Brandy! Kerr Century Label!" Brandy was a generic term for any distilled fruit wine, but this brandy distilled Kerr Centurys red wine and fermented them in oak barrels. The price of brandy depended on the grapes and the manufacturing process used and was a luxurious drink. On Earth, Cognac, an area in France, was renowned for their brandy. So, it was only natural that Pleines eyes would sparkle once he said brandy. Whereas Seira looked speechless. "...You were making that too? What exactly are you doing underground, Lee Shin Woo?" "Preparing for the future. Well be unemployed once were done with our mission as heroes. I have to prepare for myter years, dont I?" "Preparing for yourter years, huh... I anguished over whether I could defeat the Emperor or not, but you were trying to find a job...?" At first, she didnt expect much, but her eyes widened, as Lee Shin Woos answer exceed any expectations she mightve had. Whereas Pleine just gazed at him, wondering when shed be able to taste the brandy. Pleine knew him well enough to not be surprised about him preparing for hister years. "On our world, we mixed brandy and tea together. Is it the same here?" "Im not good with alcohol..." "I just like drinking alcohol by itself, so... Ah." "Then why dont you try it?" Lee Shin Woo cruelly and boldly added the brandy to the tea, as if he had no intention of listening to them in the first ce. Of course, Lee Shin Woo added only a small amount of brandy to Seiras cup, so that she could smell it but not taste it. On the other hand, he dumped so much brandy into Pleines cup that it was more akin to brandy with the smell of tea. "Youre not being considerate of the drinkers. How aggressive." "But isnt it strange that men like that are popr?" "I suppose thats how it is in my older sister and Danas romance novels. But in real life, its the worst." Lee Shin Woo ignored her grumbling and drank his own tea. He could smell a soft scent of brandy mixed into his tea, which really fit his taste. While they were good enough on their own, they tasted better by mixing them together. Brandy tea was a good example of this. Lee Shin Woo was satisfied. Pleine, who sipped on her own tea, smiled and said. "...Its quite good. Is it because of the quality of the brandy?" "I still like tea as is. But its not bad. If I had to pick a side, Id say I like it, butpared to regr tea its..." She couldve just said she liked it. Pleine just looked at Seira and sighed. As her older sister, she couldnt stop worrying about her. "Ha. Hes too good for you." "Hmph. I dont want him." "Hey, Im right here. Dont go giving me to other people all of a sudden." Lee Shin Woo stopped their delusions and cleared his throat. "Anyway... Can I ask you something now? Its regarding the chatting channel." "The chatting channel?" [You should talk to me about that.] Hed asked Pleine, but he heard someone else respond from elsewhere. Lee Shin Woo tilted his head and then, the environment changed. He saw a beautiful flower garden in full bloom as if itde straight out of a fairytale, along with a white table. Hed seen these things a few times before. It was Gods garden. [Come over here and sit. Ah, brew me some tea too. With a lot of brandy.] "You could just make it yourself..." Lee Shin Woo was astounded, yet he pulled out a chair and sat down anyway. Across from him sat that damn God, appearing before him as both an old woman and a high school girl at the same time. Chapter 52 part4 God carefully took a sip of the tea with her thin, pale pink lips and sighed in satisfaction, as if enjoying the teas scent. She then said... [Ill get straight to the point. This is all your fault.] "That sounds like a load of bullshit, but lets hear what you have to say." Lee Shin Woo gently opened his eyes and red at her. She pushed her red hair to one side and shrugged her shoulders. [Its true. At first, I could only influence the world [1], or as you understand it, the surface and the underground together, so much. And Ive been dividing that limited influence to summon the heroes, give them power, and develop them. Do you understand me thus far?] "So why is your influence on the world limited in the first ce? Gods are absolute beings, arent they?" Hed asked something simr before, and he was ignored back then. But he believed that now God would acknowledge him. God seemingly thought to herself regarding that, and then nodded her head and spoke. [Yeah, I guess its time for you to know... If someone possessing a high level, presence, or magic moves, then thats enough to shake the world. One persons karma changing affects other peoples karma as well.] "Of course. Thats how this world works after all." This was especially true for this world, such that he could see it with his own two eyes. Moreover, Lee Shin Woo had experienced it with his own body, hadnt he? By switching between his form with limited immortality and his human form, hed learned that when obtaining a terribly great karma, there was an equally heavy cost associated with it. At the time, hed thought that God was just toying with him, but that wasnt the case. While it was a great risk, her bestowing immortality upon him was meant to reduce the side effects of bearing this kind of karma to its minimum. ...Of course, her not telling him in advance was just to mess with him. However, he understood her true intentions and nodded his head. God looked a bit moved. [Youre beginning to transcend humanity too. You see, most humans would be confused around now.] "But thats the essence of karma, isnt it?" [Understanding it shows the difference between a transcendent and a mortal. By forming connections with others, your karma became distorted and developed in apletely different direction, so that may be why you were able to pick up on the essence of karma so quickly.] God then lowered her empty cup. She tapped on the cup and it refilled with tea. She had restored Lee Shin Woos special mixture of tea and brandy. She gulped it down in one go and sighed. She then asked Lee Shin Woo. [Do you understand what I just did?] "Time?" [Right. Its time. To be exact, its creation using Time Magic. Recreating something that is gone. Its quite simple for me, but if used in the world, then it would be too much for it to bear and a city may vanish right then and there. Thats what karma is. And thats the main reason why I havent been able to intervene so much.] "Mmm." Lee Shin Woo tilted his head. While Lee Shin Woo had understood the result, he couldnt understand the process. But the result did tell him something. For example, if Lee Shin Woo were to use the very same Time Magic for creation, then he was confident that he wouldnt cause the same adverse effects. Why, you ask...? "Cant you just trick it? It seems pretty simple to me." [Ah, the world. Youve already been doing that. Ive seen you twist order around, such that its unclear who the true owner of your karma is. I was really shocked. But thats impossible for me to do. Since I cant use that innate element.] If God were both omnipotent and omniscient, then shed be able to do everything Lee Shin Woo could do. However, she thought innate elements were special and imed that even she could not fool the world. But if thats the case, then why... "...Are innate elements powers of the gods?" Yeah, he naturally came to that conclusion. Had he be a god at some point? But he soon rejected that notion, as he felt he was stillcking in several areas to be called a god. "Moreover, there are way too many people in the world who wield innate elements. Aside from me, theres the Dark me Ghosts, the Garuda, Seagald, the Magic Emperor... the Undead Emperor, Jissehanu, should be able to too. And based on the energy tampering with the chatting channel, the Archmage must be able to too." [Mm. They dont be gods per se, but you could say that theyve met the conditions to transcend karma itself. Thats actually why Im concerned. Like you said, there have been way too many individuals with innate elements. Youre an exceptional irregr, but the events hundreds of years ago had too much of an effect... I shouldve stopped it myself, but why didnt I? There was definitely a way to minimize the chaos and stop it. But by allowing the humans to take matters into their own hands, I ended up having to intervene more than before. I was so foolish...] "...Lets get back on topic now, shall we?" As one ages, they gain a specialty. It was talking about one thing, and then suddenly going on a tangent. Before it was toote, Lee Shin Woo pped his cheek and spoke. Then, God went oh my and nodded her head. [Anyway, thats why my influence is limited. If you were in my ce, then you wouldnt even have to worry about this and could just kill Jissehanu or Jirold yourself. Dark Shadow. That things really overpowered. Remember. You may think that Annihtion me or what not is overpowered, but its not. Its Dark Shadow. Got it?] God was being jealous! While sweating buckets, Lee Shin Woo tried to steer the conversation back on track. "So the surfaces Emperor is called Jirold, huh? It really suits him." [I dont know what his public name is, but his name is definitely Jirold. But what were we talking about again? ...Ah, thats right. First, give me another cup of tea.] "You could just restore it likest time." [But it feels different. Thats karma for you.] Perhaps there was something he still didnt know about karma. He poured her another cup of tea while pouting. She took it satisfyingly and returned to their original conversation. [I should tell you how I bestow power upon the heroes. First, the summon. I summon those fated to die in another world and send out someone dying from this world. This is the basics of summoning. Its done to reduce the summonings adverse effects on the world as much as possible. And the power I bestow. I told you this at the beginning, so I dont need to go over it again, do I? This is my influence. It was all going ording to n up to here, but... the problem started afterwards.] "The secret shop?" [The secret shop maintains bnce by epting Perium for its goods. Of course, there were some issues with it as well, but there are some issues that can be dealt with because most of you heroes are otherworlders and not from this world. It seems like bestowing power upon otherworlders, rather than the original inhabitants of this world, has a much less adverse effect on the world. Well, what do you think? Its quite a delicate bnce, isnt it? You get how much I love this world, right?] "Then whats the problem?" Was Ms. Goddess over here always such a chatterbox? If not, then was it because of Lee Shin Woos actions thus far? Either way, he wouldnt be happy, so he just urged her to continue. God continued her exnation whilst grumbling. [The quest rewards.] "Ah, I see... Especially the 12 General quests, right?" [Yep, exactly.] God scratched her head as if she felt like this was a pain in the ass. [The reason the 12 General quests were set up that way was because I thought beating them was just that difficult and that they wouldnt be defeated so frequently. At the time, I didnt think a hero would show up that would kill seven of the 12 Generals by himself.] "Ah, as I thought. I kind of get it. It all happened because I was too good, right?" [Yeah, you bugged yer.] If Lee Shin Woo were to liken the situation to a game, then it would be something like when all the goods are pushed onto one side, then the games bnce breaks. With the emergence of an irregr like Lee Shin Woo, Gods delicately bnced influence broke. [Its quite ironic, but the situations less severe than it couldve been; all because of your Joker karma. If you didnt have it, then the hero system wouldve failed a long time ago. You dont seem to be aware of it, but youve already halfway transcended the world. Meaning youre not recognized as one of the inhabitants of this world. Of course, that probably doesnt matter to you.] "Since I just need to trick it." Lee Shin Woo replied inly. To be honest, he already knew that. As his Joker karma grew stronger, he felt more and more isted from this worlds rules. Even God acknowledged that as well. But who cared? If he stayed on this world, then it would be his home. Lee Shin Woo was already prepared to kick back and live peacefully on this world. [Anyway, most of my power went to you, which made the problem even worse. Not only am I less and less able to interfere with what happens in this world, but the power Ive already used is also starting to weaken as well. And he just happened to take advantage of this opportunity...] "The Archmage." [Thats right. It wouldve been impossible with normal mana, but that bastard has learned an innate element.] At first, Lee Shin Woo wasnt 100% sure it was the Archmage that had invaded the chatting channel. Since the mana pattern hed remembered differed from the one within the chatting channel. So then why wasnt Lee Shin Woo able to confirm that it was the Archmage, even though he was familiar with his mana? It was simple. As Lee Shin Woo had suspected, the Archmage was using some sort of mana he wasnt familiar with... In other words, he was using an innate element! He didnt even want to think about it, but... there was a high chance that hed awakened an innate element from his battle with Lee Shin Woo and Seagald. Youre just an undead, yet youre growing!?, thought Lee Shin Woo; though he wasnt one to talk! [In any case! You cant use the chatting channel anymore. Thats not all. The other heroes probably wont be able to go to the secret shop anymore. He seems aware of how dangerous it would be to invade the secret shop though, as he hasnt dared to enter, so I dont have to worry about Pleine.] "Wow." [Do you get it? I cant summon new heroes or provide you with supplies anymore. ...Everythings on you now. You have to do it. If you fail, then it really is the end. ...If that happens, then Ill have to intervene and start everything anew.] Of course, hed roughly expected this, but he felt somewhat odd hearing it from her. Lee Shin Woo contemted on what shed said and then asked. "Does that mean the world will end?" [...If youre ying a game with your character, Hero AAAA, but you find you cant beat it, then what do you do? You erase that character and try again with Hero DDDD.] "Be more creative with your names." [...So I ask of you, Hero AAAA. Its really tiring to make a new game from scratch... and its really sad too.] She genuinely bowed before him. He couldnt even imagine her doing this, considering how their first meeting went. Hero AAAA... Err, Lee Shin Woo shrugged his shoulders and stood up. If he failed, he would die too. There was no need to answer her. "Ah, one more question." [What is it? Oh, Pleines a virgin. Isnt that hrious?] "Thanks, I really wanted to know that. No, not that." [Seiras a virgin too.] "I knew that already. So what exactly is Invisible Heart?" Gods eyes widened slightly. But she didnt seem surprised. Perhaps she was waiting for him to ask her that. She soon narrowed her eyes and smiled. [Even if I were to tell you, you wouldnt understand. But if its you, you may be able to figure it out by yourself soon enough.] "Youre really no help at all, you old bag." [Then, take care, Lee Shin Woo. Its been such a long time since Ive yed around with someone who could understand my level. Come back and y with me again.] The next moment, Lee Shin Woo had returned to the secret shop. Pleine and Seira were watching him with eyes wide open, as hed disappeared and suddenly reappeared. He remembered what God had said and in embarrassment, turned his head around. "Whats the matter, Mr. Shin Woo?" "Never mind. Its nothing. Nothing at all." Lee Shin Woo couldnt handle the awkwardness any longer, so he was thankful that the Erems had suddenly sent him the report that hed been waiting for. [1] T/N: The word she uses can mean either the world or above ground/surface in Korean. Thats why she rifies it. Chapter 52 part5 The human and elvish heroes, Lloyd and Erian, were heading towards the location of Silene Viesas distress signal (a level 4 danger zone and a city nearby Bayran) as fast as they could. Whilst doing so, Lloyds face remained tense and displeased. "I cant believe it. I thought he valued hisrades more than anyone else." "Mm, but you cant really me him, Lloyd." Erian, who was running beside him, just smiled bitterly. She, like Lloyd, had attempted to persuade Lee Shin Woo within the chatting channel, but she was doubtful that their rescue attempt would even work. "Lee Shin Woo has the right to prioritize his life over anothers. Moreover... Do you remember, Lloyd? When he was still a rookie, Shino asked for our aid, yet we abandoned him. We also did the same with Jin Jin as well..." Jin Jin, she muttered and felt a dull pain in her heart. Though she doubted his n, she still ran beside him nheless; perhaps it was her atonement for not mustering up the courage to save Ye Jin Jin before. "He learned how to be a hero from us, so... Its the correct choice to make as a hero." "Ugh. Still, back then... There was nothing we could do." "I know. I couldnt do anything either. ...And Lee Shin Woo is likely in the same position right now. He told us, didnt he? That he cant move right now. I dont think hes lying. I know because Im an Elf." "...Are you saying hes right?" "Its not a matter of right or wrong. You already know, right?" Lloyds unfriendly expression remained. Erian sighed softly so that he wouldnt hear her. Following their extermination of two of the 12 Generals, Lloyd had been affected by Lee Shin Woo in a variety of ways, two of which being his desire to improve and an unerasable shame. Lloyd was always hot-blooded and somewhat exhausting to deal with, but... he became even worse following that event. In any case, after the events of that day, Lloyd has continued to train without taking care of himself. Because of that, I was somehow able to reach level 7 too. ...Lloyd must think that hes stronger than Lee Shin Woo at this point. In her honest opinion, he had absolutely no chance. Even if 2 Lloyds were to attack him simultaneously, Lee Shin Woo would still win with ease, she thought, but she was afraid that saying that would hurt Lloyd, so she couldnt be honest with him. But then, Silene Viesas distress signal came at such an auspicious time. That probably made Lloyd... remember how Lee Shin Woo had saved Jin Jin. Its unfortunate, but Retadane died too. ...Lloyd must be thinking that Lee Shin Woo failed to save hisrade this time, so if he were to seed with Silene, then hed be a greater hero than Lee Shin Woo. She couldnt help but sigh. This pointlesspetition, which wouldnt allow him to be outdone by Lee Shin Woo, had caused him to make such a foolish decision. Erian thought she may actually die this time. She hadnt taken Lee Shin Woos warning lightly. But what could she do? She loved the idiot. So, shed decided to go with him, regardless of the danger... or so she thought, but then she felt her temper re. Following him to their deaths without voicing her opposition would be nothing more than a dogs death. And so, she stopped running. "...Lloyd." "I dont think Lee Shin Woo was wrong either. But please understand, Erian. With how powerful weve be, I dont think we can turn a blind eye to ourrades who are in danger..." "Lloyd." "Ugh..." He kept piling on the excuses, yet Erians calm voice stifled him. Her unyielding voice had caused him to shut up. "Im not going to talk about that anymore, Lloyd. I was against it because I thought it was too dangerous, but I came along since you were willing to stake your life on it. Since it would be better for us to die together than to let you die alone." "Erian...?" "Do you still not get it, Lloyd?" She really didnt know what to do with him. Erian smiled bitterly and said. "I love you enough to risk my life for you." "Huh? Huh...? Erian, you love me? Wait a sec. Huh...? You mean like, as a friend?" "You really think I cant differentiate between the two? Im not you. The love that all our parents shared; Im talking about that love. You understand, right? Right?" "Hey, I know Im dull and all, but that kind of hurts..." Lloyds face reddened instantly. He hesitated and was unable to reply; truly a trait befitting a hero. But Erian sighed in relief, as she had avoided the worst situation; after all, Lloyd hadnt said something like, I dont think this is the time for jokes and rejected her. "Im afraid of dying without telling you my feelings, so Im telling them to you now. You dont need to answer me right away, so lets get going. Lets go. We have to go save Silene." "...I-I got it. Yeah, we have to rescue him. No matter what." And so, Lloyd began running once more, albeit awkwardly. Erian stuck closer to him and just smiled. It was so easy, so why hadnt she done it all this time? She almost felt as stupid as Lloyd. Then again, thats why we get along so well, she thought and smiled softly once more. Unfortunately, her smile didntst long. They went through the city and entered the facility where Silene was trapped, but suddenly, their body and minds tensed up. [Tch. So only you two showed up, huh?] "Y-Youre... the Lich!" [Gu...Gahahk...!] They had anticipated some traps, but they didnt know what types of traps there would be, as well as who would be waiting for them. And the person waiting for them far exceeded their expectations. [Lv8 Archmage Feotane Von Seldin] To think... the level 8 Lich was awaiting them. [Gu...oooh...] [Kihii...] "What... What the hell is this?" "S-Senior. Why are you here...?" They hadnt expected him to be waiting for them, with dozens of high rank undead at that... no, undead heroes. "Senior... Even our great seniors who weve only heard stories about. Why? Why are you all here...?" There was no way they couldve expected this. The Lich had known about the heroes long ago and collected the heroes that had died within the Empire...! [Now that I think about it, one of you was quite sharp... But he must not have known that I was tracking you as well. With my new power that connects space through darkness, Dark Space!] "D-Dark Space...? What are you talking about!?" [As I thought, you dont know. It just means that that lucky fellow will soon be like you.] The Lich was delighted, as hed finally obtained an innate element, something hed never achieved in the past. However, Lloyd and Erian couldnt understand him, as they didnt even know what an innate element was. The Lich just clicked his tongue at their reaction and extended both hands. [Now,e over here. Dont worry, Ill try and keep you intact. Since youll soon be a part of our Imperial Army!] [Kihik, undead... Undead...!] "Keuk, Silene...!" Silene Viesa, whod baited them here, had be an undead as well. The undead curse had affected him in the worst way possible; although he had be an undead, he still hated the undead, so he was trying to strangle himself. However, an undead wouldnt go down from just strangling them. So he, who had lost his life to the Archmage and was imprisoned here, just rolled on the floor, continuously trying to end his life despite being unable to. It wasnt enough to call the sight horrid. It was much, much worse. "Why... Why did you kill Silene...!? What did he do wrong...!?" [Thats just junk. To think he couldnt even ept his new life and tried to end it. How could he be so foolish? He was quite skilled, so I recruited him into the Imperial Army, but if he keeps making such a fuss, then I have no choice but to leave him behind. Now then, I have high hopes for the two of you.] The Lich, unable to conceal his excitement, continued. [To think your first reaction upon seeing this many undead was senior. Im astounded. You consider them heroes, not undead, I see. Its proof that youve ovee the curse like us. I dont doubt that youll be able to ept reality, even after bing undead like us!] "Mm...!?" Hearing that, Lloyd understood. Even if they were previously his seniors, the first emotion that shouldvee to mind was hatred. This was the effect of the undead curse, something that even the heroes couldnt avoid. Then why...? Perhaps... Perhaps its because I met Shino that one time... What did he think back then? When he saw Shino Rendu rush into the fray to save hisrades, despite bing an undead, was the first thing he thought of killing him? No, it wasnt. Hed said that he was happy to see him, that it was unfortunate that this had happened to him, and that despite everything, he was thankful... Thats what hed thought back then. Yeah, now that he thought about it, thats when everything changed. But did he reject those feelings...? Nope, not at all! On the contrary, those feelings were natural! It was only natural for a human to feel that way. It didnt matter whether they were an undead or not! "It doesnt matter to me if theyre undead or not." The hero, Lloyd H.K., gritted his teeth and gripped his sword. The approaching senior... the level 6 undead hero that hed met just once several years ago, was cut down and he then dered. "They were all heroes with such noble souls. Im not cutting them down because theyre undead; Im putting them to peace so that their wills arent defiled any longer. And you, Lich. Im not..." [Not going to what?] The Lich, seemingly interested, brandished his staff and intensified the darkness surrounding the undead heroes. Though he faced a power akin to a Necromancers, Lloyd didnt back down. Seeing that, Erian followed suit, gritting her teeth and raising her bow. "Going to forgive you. I swear Ill kill you. In ce of all the heroes youve killed!" [Hahahaha. Truly a response befitting one of Gods heroes! I think Ive heard that same line... about ten times now.] The Lichughed in excitement and Lloyd merely gritted his teeth. Though hed said all that, he was getting pushed back bit by bit by the wave of undead heroes. It was unavoidable; the more confident you sounded, the weaker you appeared! "Seniors...! Im sorry. I promise Ill avenge you...!" [Cant you say something original? Every word you say is so cliche that I cant take it. Are all heroes as frustrating as you? Is that it?] "Entry number 2, Lee Shin Woo. Ill trying up with something original." Then... the Lich, who was floating in the air, heard a voiceing from behind him. "Hi, the names Lee Shin Woo. Im right behind you." None of the undead had sensed him. Even Erian, with her astute senses, couldnt sense him, nor could Lloyd. And even the Archmage... [W-What...] "I dont have a heart, so... lets trying breaking yours." This man, whod managed to fool the super mode Lich, was obviously Lee Shin Woo, whode after finishing his preparations. "How about it? Original enough for you?" In one hand, he gripped a crystal shrouded in deep darkness, and in the other, he gripped the Death Gods Shining Bone Sword and winked... And the Archmage screamed. [Aieeeeeeh! My heart! How do you have that!?] Hes the one who wanted them toe up with something, so he couldnt help but be disappointed by the Archmages reaction. Lee Shin Woo snorted and raised the dark red crystal. It was quite the appetizing crystal, which contained the Archmage, Feotane Von Seldins soul. Chapter 52 part6 Once Lee Shin Woo had realized that the Lich had invaded the chatting channel, he had first split the Erems into two squads and mobilized them. [Weve found him, Master.] "As I expected. Hurray for the Mana Radar." First was the area where Silene and the Archmage were located. It was a small city situated near the level 4 danger zone, Bayran. He sent the Erems, satisfying the condition for Fire Shadow, and then waited for the right moment. He could, of course, defeat the Archmage without all this preparation. An innate element? Lee Shin Woo knew, as someone who often used innate elements, that someone whod just awakened an innate element couldnt contend with someone who possessed five. If the Archmage had simultaneously reached level 9 as well, then it would be a different story. However, he wasnt there yet. Not at all. [But security is strict.] "Ok, Ill go personally." Then why had he sent the Erems ahead of him? This could be exined by the second preceding battle. Lee Shin Woo and Seagald were ahead in terms of pure power, and the Archmages space element had been sealed, leading to his head being split apart. However, he was a Lich, a being that could revive itself several times. As long as his life vessel remains intact, he could regain his physical body and revive himself any number of times. This was really a case of the pot calling the kettle ck, as he possessed a revival ability of his own (Invisible Heart), but it was so cowardly! If Lee Shin Woo just went and killed him, then itd be such a waste of a good opportunity; the Lich was outside of the capital, but if he killed him, then hed just revive himself! [Please be careful, Master. They are powerful.] "They wont be able to notice me. Dont worry." Lee Shin Woo had split the Erems into two, sending the other squad to a different location. Where, you ask...? [Securitys tight. Its perfect.] [The Lord Archmagemanded us to be wary of Seagald Von Retadanes mana response.] [With this artifact, the Anti-Skull Mana Detector, which was personally created by the Archmage himself, we should be able to find him, even if hepletely erases his presence and reappears!] He had sent them to a secret facility within the capital which housed the container for the Archmages soul, or life vessel. I thought he was an idiot, like any undead, for leaving the capital, but it looks like hes not. But to think theyve created an artifact specifically for Seagald. It seems like they really were worried about him. ...Though Im not sure if that thing can actually detect the Annihtion me or not. The Mana Radars top priority was to locate the Archmage and the Emperors life vessel. And once hed created the Mana Radar, he checked the locations of their life vessels, but its not like he could be like... lets go destroy their souls now!. The Archmages life vessel was stored in an extremely vital building within the capital, and Seldin would stay around it when he had nothing better to do. On the other hand, the Emperors life vessel was located in the deepest part of the pce. In other words, it was near impossible for anyone to steal their life vessels undetected! If I didnt have Annihtion me, that is... At first, he thought he had no other option but to fight head-on and destroy the Archmages life vessel before he had a chance to recover. In terms of destroying the life vessel, charging headfirst or fighting them head-on wasnt much different. But with Seagalds Annihtion me, he had another option. It was unlikely to work with the Emperors life vessel, but he was confident that he could steal the Archmages life vessel in his absence! Why didnt the Archmage hide his life vessel in the pce too? He thought of several reasons. One, the Archmage wasnt entirely loyal to the Emperor, or two, it could be dangerous to store two life vessels in the same location... If it was neither of the two, then perhaps two life vessels couldnt be ced near each other. From what Im seeing, that seems like the most likely option here. This ck crystal, which was protected by countless undead, shook its surroundings and emitted an uncanny energy. Seeing that, Lee Shin Woo nodded his head. Hed always been curious as to how a life vessel was made, but he could make a guess after looking at it. It mostly consisted of the space and darkness elements, as well asyers uponyers of unknown magic. The life vessel required careful storage and another life vessel couldnt be ced in its direct vicinity. And it looks like that crystal took a piece of the source of darkness too... Thats whates from just taking a little bit of it? If thats the case, then what exactly is the darkness thaty beneath the pce... Hey, wait a sec. Lee Shin Woo thought, but then tilted his head. The source of darkness was beneath the pce. And the Emperors life vessel was beneath the pce as well. If thats the case, then... did that damn Emperor use the source of darkness itself as his life vessel!? When he actually saw the Archmages life vessel, what had once seemed a delusion had turned out to be a reality! Hey, that means that killing the Emperor and purifying the Empire are one in the same. It didnt matter anyway; in the end, he needed to do both. Lee Shin Woo thought about the steep obstacle hed have to face within the pce and sighed deeply. He soon refocused on his current situation. If he wasted anymore time here then Lloyd and Erian would die. Honestly, he really didnt care what happened to them, but he didnt really want to see Prince cry. First, lets make a backup. The Archmages life vessel was stored very carefully; just because hed found the life vessel didnt mean that it was smooth sailing from now on. Not only were several level 7 elite undead standing guard (though many of them had been annihted by Lee Shin Woos light st), but there were also dozens of space-type traps that activated upon the entrance of an intruder. And by touching the life vessel, several more traps would activate. Lastly, once the life vessel disappeared, another trap would be activated. And even with all that, the Archmage usually remained close to his life vessel, so he really was careful. [The Intermediate Annihtion me Element has be Lv2 and Magic has increased by 20.] Im good, except for thatst trap. But Lee Shin Woos power, or more specifically, Annihtion me, allowed him to ignore most of the traps. By erasing his presence, the traps didnt have anyone to target. There was an error in the activation process, so the traps didnt even activate. It was simple. ...Good. I switched it out! As for the final trap, which activated upon the life vessels disappearance, Lee Shin Woo switched the real life vessel with a fake created with his Disguise skill, preventing the trap from triggering. In the short period of time in which he switched the two, Lee Shin Woo had also used his Shining me on the magic circle (which made up the trap), and erased cause-and-effect. And by adding in his Acting skill, he was able to do it with ease! Though he was forced to use a significant amount of mana for this brief distortion, Lee Shin Woos level wasnt just for show! He was able to rece the real life vessel with a fake one before his mana bottomed out. The fake wontst for very long. But it didnt need tost that long. He had the Archmages life vessel in his grasp and nned to go straight to the Archmage with it in tow. [Artifact, all clear.] [Treasure, all clear.] [I want to fight.] [I want to eat meat.] He took a peek at the undead, who stood guard without even knowing what hed done, grinned, and left the facility. Annihtion mes totally overpowered. It seems better than Dark Shadow. He sent a message to the other Erem and then activated Fire Shadow, allowing him to instantaneously travel to a far off location... where the Archmage was oppressing the heroes. With a single nce, he saw his seniors, the undead heroes he hadnt killed yet, with his juniors, as well as the Archmage, who looked down at them in satisfaction from midair. Lee Shin Woo felt hed hit his limit with Annihtion me, so he chose to reveal himself then and there. His intro had enough impact to cause the Archmage to freezepletely! "And time begins to move once more..." [H-How? How do you have my heart!?] "Thats not whats important. The fact is that I have your heart in my hands." Lee Shin Woo smiled at the Archmage and squeezed the crystal. But surprisingly, the once frantic Archmage had regained hisposure. [But you didnt break it. You came all this way and brought it to me without breaking it.] "Hoh." At that moment, Lee Shin Woo was truly surprised. Lee Shin Woo could tell that the Lich was trying to use his mana on the life vessel. It was the space element. He was using the fusion element of darkness and space, the Dark Space element, on the crystal. The power of space flowed through the darkness; an element that allowed him unlimited control over anything consisting of darkness... It was truly a formidable ability. Especially when he considered that it was difficult to use the space element effectively against another level 9. While this could be replicated with a maxed out darkness element, Dark Space set itself apart; the darkness encroached space, and the ability to control said space was maximized. Perhaps Dark Space was the element mostpatible with the darkness element. [Your biggest mistake was your arrogance. You shouldve known that Id have awakened a new power upon seeing yours!] "Oooooh!" The life vessel was already in the Lichs hand! Lee Shin Woo was astonished and apuded him. The next moment, a ck me ignited over the Archmages palm. Now, the life vessel had returned to Lee Shin Woos hand. It was quite obvious, but he had used his maxed out darkness element, Dark Shadow, and Dark me together. Of course, the Archmage didnt really understand what had happened. Regardless of how great his innate element was, there was no way that he could ovee Lee Shin Woo, who possessed five of them...! [...?] "It was nice. Ill give you an 8." Darkness zed upon his palm and devoured the life vessel. The reason he hadnt destroyed the life vessel ande straight here was because of the off chance that the Lich would explode, taking Lloyd and Erian with him. [Fully destroying and absorbing the Lv8 Archmage Feotane Von Seldins Life Vessel through Bone Reinforcement. You havepletely absorbed the magic source, and Magic has increased by 230.] [The soul is returning to its owner.] Once all traces of the life vessel disappeared, Lee Shin Woo felt a full amount of mana welling with him. It wasnt like Lee Shin Woos mana, which hed acquired through Bone Reinforcement or through adapting to his circumstances, but purely the Archmages own mana, one whod followed the path of a magician his entire life. He couldnt even begin to describe the satisfaction and the joy he felt! "Ah, I guess I cant take in an entire soul, even with my abilities." [G-Gugaaaaaahk!] With the life vessels destruction, the Archmages soul was forcefully ejected and returned to him. However, the Archmage wasnt able to withstand the pain. He screamed and started rolling around in the air. Hed lost control of his mana and spread it out everywhere, but it was all stained by Lee Shin Woos darkness and eliminated. Destroying his life vessel, the return of his soul, as well as the Lichs anguish from its return were... all great experiences in killing Liches. It would help when he killed the Emperor! "You made one mistake, Lich." [Guaaaaaah!] Lee Shin Woo quickly stabbed the Lich with the Death Gods Shining Bone Sword and then said with a somber expression. "You met me." While the Archmages magic was high, his actual defensive capabilities were quite low, so the Shining Bone Sword cut him to pieces. Fortunately, his bone showed up properly this time. Chapter 52 part7 [You have hunted a member of the 12 Generals, the Lv8 Archmage, Feotane Von Seldin! All contributing heroes receive 50,000,000 Perium, and all stats increased by 100. You have acquired 15 permits to Gods secret shop. Proficiency in allbat-rted skills has increased significantly!] [You have received Gods grace. The Invisible Heart skills maximum level has increased by 15.] [The Beginner Shining me Element has be Lv8 and Magic has increased by 10.] [The High Rank Assimtion skill has be Lv9, and Agility and Magic have increased by 30.] [You have given a Lich, one who defies natural order and lives with an imperfect soul, eternal rest. You have acquired the title, Immortal Hunter. All stats have increased by 40. The Rebellion skill has be Lv9 and all stats have increased by 20. Whenever the conditions for the Rebellion skill are met, all stats temporarily increase by 27%.] Now, even if he killed one of the 12 Generals, hisbat skills wouldnt level very quickly. Thats because most of his skills were high level already. With his High Rank Assimtion skill reaching level 9, most of his skills were level 9 now. It felt like itd evolve once it reached level 10, but getting there was the problem. At the very least, he realized that he couldnt reach level 10 with Gods rewards anymore. He was disappointed, but he was also happy about his stat growth. Killing one of the 12 Generals increases all my stats by 100, and with the new title and the Rebellion skill, all my stats increase by an additional 60 a piece... So, my total stats are 24,553. The titles amazing, but Rebellions quite surprising as well. To be honest, Lee Shin Woo hadnt put much interest in the Rebellion skill, as it required him fulfilling two of its conditions before he overcame a level difference of one. However, this skill would grow whenever he performed some great feat, and before he knew it, it was already level 9. Whenever he met one of the skills conditions, his stats would increase by 27%. If he met two of them, then his stats would increase by 54% instead. Just using the Titan would meet one of Rebellions conditions, and fighting a huge army would meet another, so just those two conditions would increase his stats by a whopping 54%... If he took into ount his stats, which were at the cusp of level 9, as well as the Titan, he felt like he could really take a level 9 opponent head-on. Not a weakened opponent like the Garuda, but someone like the Magic or Undead Emperors! ...But the problem was that the Lichs loot was nothing to write home about. [You have acquired 541,609,990 Perium.] [You have acquired the Lv8 Archmage Feotane Von Seldins Parietal Bone.] Tch, I guess Ive been too luckytely. Its right before the final battle, yet he only drops one bone. If he dropped two, then I mightve hit level 9, but... Meh, Ill absorb the ber. I have something more important to do. He had something more important to do? Obviously, it was reforming his undead seniors. "L-Lee Shin Woo...?" "How did you... No, more importantly, how did you manage to kill the Archmage?" "Ill tell youter. We have to deal with our seniors. Ah, my juniors there too, huh." Lee Shin Woo ignored both Lloyd and Erian, who stared at him dumbfoundedly, and turned his attention to his undead seniors. They, like Lloyd, stood vacantly, but unlike him, they stood still because their master had died. [Gu...ooh...!] [The Lich... The Lich...] "Looks like some of them are dead already. Thats too bad. Hope we meet in our next life... Anyway, everyone. Do you guys remember? Who killed you and who you need to kill?" [Keuk. Kuhaahk...!] In the past, hed tried desperately to persuade his undead seniors with dramatic ir, but that was unnecessary. Lee Shin Woo spoke naturally as if he were speaking to a friend, yet his neither-soft-yet-loud voice resounded throughout the area, such that the undead could all hear him. "You all remember, right? Its too much of a waste to die here. Hating yourselves for bing undead is proof of your ambition and your intelligence." [A-Ambition...] [Intelligence... My intellect... Yeah, Im a hero...] "Thats right. Youre a hero, hand-picked by God herself. Youre not going to stay here and rot whilst attacking your juniors, are you? Right?" [I am...!] No matter what rubbish came out of his mouth, the undead heard whatever they wanted to hear. Lee Shin Woo didnt adjust his speech for them; on the contrary, they adjusted his speech themselves. This was neither the power of Acting nor Instigate; it was on the level of magic at this point. "What are you doing, Lee Shin Woo?" "What the...? The undead are..." Lloyd, who was unaware of his darkness element, or the Acting and Instigate skills, realized that there was an extraordinary amount of power within his words. But still, wasnt conversing with the undead a bit too much? His seniors had already be undead, beings which shouldnt exist, yet instead of giving them a pain free death or a peaceful rest, Lee Shin Woo was tormenting them even further. "Open your eyes. Your enemy isnt here. Do you want to die unavenged, or do you want to continue struggling? Thats up to you." "Hey, Lee Shin Woo..." "Lloyd, stop." Ever since Lee Shin Woo had arrived, so many strange things had happened; not only had the Archmage died, but the undead had stopped. But he still needed to stop him...! or so he thought, but when he tried to step forward, Erian stopped him. "Erian?" "Just sit still, Lloyd. Doesnt it look like theyre paying attention to him?" "Yeah, it looks that way, but whats your point?" "It seems like hes trying to persuade them." "Persuade the undead?" "No, our seniors who met an unfortunate demise. Didnt you say so before? That theyre not undead, but our seniors! I think so too!" "..." In the past, he would never have been able to see them that way. The undead were the undead, end of story. And they were also beings that must be defeated. He wasnt entirely sure if Shino Rendu was the catalyst, but the undead heroes were capable of reverting to their original forms, and Lloyd had be able to acknowledge them because of it. If thats the case, then... he would have to acknowledge their newfound potential. "Theyll... fight on our (the heroes) side again? Can he really do it?" "Yes, like Shino Rendu." "Shino Rendus not on our side. He fights for the Heaven Defying General." "He himself told us that the Heaven Defying Generals on our side. Perhaps he was once a hero?" "T-Theres absolutely no way..." Theyre notpletely off the mark. Though I wasnt once a hero, but am still one now, Lee Shin Woo whispered in a corner, and only inwardly replied to his seniors, who were undergoing an identity crisis. In the past, he wasnt able to persuade all of his seniors. But since then, his Acting and Instigate skills had grown by leaps and bounds, as well as him acquiring several innate elements rted to cause-and-effect. Plus, he had the Wild Card skill now too, whichbined the power of all those skills together and allowed him to manipte a situation to his liking, so now he could...! "Ill bring you to your true enemy! Open your eyes. Fight them! We have to put an end to the undead curse. Thats your final duty as one of the heroes!" [Ahhh...!] "Silene, you dont need to suffer anymore. You dont need to hate every undead anymore. Dont let the curse consume you. Nows the time for you to control the curse." [Senior Lee Shin Woo...!] "Nows the time. Youve all been waiting for so long. Now! Well bring peace to the Underground ourselves!" [Keuk. Kuooooooh!] At that moment, the darkness that had been welling inside him spread throughout the clearing. The darkness, which felt incredibly warm,pletely covered the undead heroes. Silene Viesa, who had continued strangling himself, had, at some point, sported a rxed expression and was letting the darkness do as it willed. "The final battle is near. Heroes, return as heroes once more!" A considerable amount of darkness filled the clearing, which was then sucked into the undead heroes. Lloyd and Erian shook while watching, and one of the undead raised their heads with an iparably clean appearance. [Youre right. Though I retained my intellect, I had forgotten my purpose for so many years. I canpletely remember being vited by that Lich day by day!] The undead heros once rotting flesh had be indistinguishable from human skin and appeared to him as a middle-aged man. His tattered leather armor was dyed in ck and shined brighter than new clothes. [I have a goal: to be acknowledged as a hero, strike down evil, and return goodness to thisnd! Even I, who had been killed by the Empires undead, have a goal!] Soon, another stood opposite from him. She, who was once a Ghoul, had regained her beautiful appearance. Her once tattered white robes were pressed by the crisp darkness, turning them into ck robes which covered her entire body. [Ah. I no longer hate myself or the living. I finally realize that I was trapped in a delusion, ever since I became an undead. Ive beenpletely freed from the curse! I thank you junior, you, who possesses such an astounding power. You, who possesses the ability to set the darkness right!] Another undead hero, who just a short while ago had rampaged about whilst carrying a scythe as tall as he was and whose appearance was indistinguishable, had been restored by Lee Shin Woos darkness. He had returned to being a lively, elvish young man. [Kuheuk, Senior... Senior...! I-I am... Senior!] Because he remembered everything that had urred, tears flowed from his eyes. The young man no longer hated himself. "Silene. Hows it feel bing an undead? Its not much different, is it?" [Senior...] Lee Shin Woo jokingly winked at him and raised a hand. His hand, which had clearly been human, had instantaneously turned to bone and cked. "Your appearance doesnt matter. You can always change it. What does matter is whats inside. Silene, whats inside you?" [I...] Silene Viesa, whod returned to life, looked down at his hands. As he was once a boxer, his hands were once covered with blisters and cuts. But now, he had been reformed and his hands werepletely clean. They were only slightly, very slightly pale. But the power within them... He was much more powerful than before. [I have... hatred inside me.] Silene tightened his fists and replied. Within those lively, human-looking eyes of his zed a blue goblin fire, which proved what he was. [Hatred towards those who made me like this. Hatred towards my once foolish self. Hatred towards reality itself! Hatred towards the Undead Empire!] "Good. Hatred is one of our most important emotions, one that proves that were alive. Its fine to have, so long as you direct it in the proper ce." Lee Shin Woo confirmed that hed reformed all 27 undead heroes (six level 7s, fourteen level 6s, and seven level 5s) and smiled in satisfaction. He then looked at the level 6 Avenger, who gazed upon him with zing goblin fire, and dered. "Lets go, Silene. Ive prepared the perfect stage for you to unleash your anger." Chapter 52 part8 "Now then, the vanguards up front. Come up if you want to. You and you stay in the back, you go up front..." "Lee Shin Woo, youre..." Lee Shin Woo gathered the 27 new undead heroes and began forming a squad out of them. Seeing that, Erian realized one thing: the skeleton hand hed shown earlier, perhaps that was... "Are you actually the Heaven Defying General?" "Erian, thats ridiculous. Theres no way hes..." "Bingo." "What!?" He figured that bying to rescue them, his identity would be exposed. After all, it was far toote in the game to be worried about that. However... beforeing here, hed thought, their reactions will be a pain, but looking at them now, that didnt seem all that true. "Y-Youre the Heaven Defying General...?" "Yes." Lee Shin Woo quickly affirmed, and Lloyd gaped. Lee Shin Woo grinned and briefly switched his face to that of an undead, and then switched back. Lloyds mouth had widened so much that it seemed like his jaw and the roof of his mouth would separate. "As I thought... If thats the case, then everything makes sense. If I hadnt seen your undead transformation just now, then I wouldnt have been sure. Did you always have the ability to transform into an undead? If not, then..." "Its the opposite. Im an undead, but I can transform into a human. Well, my human form is perfect, so theres not much difference either way." "How? No, why...? Why did you...?" While Erian seemed to get the gist of things, Lloyd was still confused. Lloyds expression reminded him of Prince, causing him to grin. He then turned around and said. "Now then, theres a lot I have to tell you. Please follow me." Without an ounce of hesitation, Lee Shin Woo led the 27 undead heroes, as well as Lloyd, who couldnt ept reality and was tottering around, and Erian to his base. And thus, Lee Shin Woo had unified the remaining heroes underground, undead or otherwise. Objectively speaking, their forces surpassed the Imperial Armys. ...Perhaps the disparity between their forces was wider than he thought. "Ha, so we were the only ones out of the loop. I feel stupid for suffering." "I didnt keep it secret on purpose. Rather, I only told those who were in the same area as me. ...There was the case with Seira too." "I know what youre trying to say. Could you not look at me like that? How long are you going to use that (past events) against me?" It inevitably took longer to convince them than Prince. But upon meeting Kratia, as well as Seira, the Banshee, they had no choice but to nod their heads. Humans were quite simple; even if an individual didnt agree with something, if the majority agreed, then the individual tended to ept the majoritys viewpoint. "Even Prince... If she acknowledged you, then I should too." "So whats your rtionship with Prince anyway, Senior Lloyd?" "All I know is that the two of them think of their rtionship differently." "What!?" Lloyd, whod even gone so far as to send a private message to Prince, was forced to ept the cold, hard truth. Regardless of whether Lee Shin Woo was a good guy or an evil bastard, it was because of him that they had survived. Plus, he now realized that he didnt need to strike him down just because he was an undead. "So we cant use the chatting channel anymore? But didnt you already kill the Archmage?" All that was left was exining the current situation to them. First, he exined that, as a result of killing Seagald, the undergrounds sun was no more (they just assumed that the night had gotten longer and that the sun wasnt rising). He then exined what hed done thus far, which of the 12 Generals hed killed, and exined the details of the final battle concisely. "Weve been shown theres a chance. A chance that an outsider can enter a domain protected by God herself. Of course, all of the heroes are on our side now and the Lich is dead, but... Someone else might try a different approach to tamper with the chatting channel." So, he requested that they not use the chatting channel, at least until the Emperor was dead and the Underground Empire waspletely purified. Whats worse, they could no longer use their permits to ess the secret shop, so they were speechless. "Man, this sucks. The curse is directly connected to the source of darkness. Itll be difficult for us until we can figure something out." "...We cant buy the medicine anymore, and whats worse, we cant buy supplies from the secret shop either." "Thats how it is. Well, it doesnt really matter. Since the final battle is near." To be honest, Lee Shin Woo could always break through the Archmages curse and enter the secret shop, but he decided not to tell them that. If he wanted to bring them to the secret shop, he would have to form a contract with them. Not only was that a pain in the ass, but the final battle was right before them, so bringing them to the secret shop at this point wouldnt do much, if anything. To put it bluntly, he didnt n on giving them any important assignments. "Ive saved up a lot of supplies, so you wont have to worry about that." "Its really surprising that you can travel to the surface... How about we go to the surface and group up with Prince?" "Its a good idea, but its a bit iffy to bring so many strong people to the surface all at once." He was lying. Lee Shin Woo was 100% sure that if he sent this anachronic human and Elf to the surface then something bad would happen. Thus, he had to do whatever was necessary to stop them from going. Fortunately, Lloyd was persuaded immediately. "Is that so? Id like to purify the undead curse together, but... I guess we could all just go up there after the battles over." "Of course. Were really close. ...Really." "Ooh, the surface... Id really like to see its natural environment. There might be a lot of spirits up there." "Ah, now that you mention it..." The Elf, Erian, was more attuned to the spirits and nature than Lee Shin Woo was. Lee Shin Woo hesitated briefly, but ultimately suggested. "Senior, would you like to be my partner?" "Partner? What are you talking about all of a sudden?" "Once youve purified the Empire, youll have to settle on the surface. Youre not nning to live dangerously fighting monsters forever, are you? Thats where Ie in! I can offer you a lifelong job. So, for now... well, youll see what I mean if you follow me." "What exactly are you talking about..." She followed him, arriving at the grape vineyard directly connected to their wine factory. He could get there in a sh with the Heaven Doors Key. The atmosphere waspletely different, but... Erian quickly noticed. There was no way she wouldnt. "No, wait. This is... This is the vineyard I entrusted to you!" [Wee, Paul Zero... Oh, its the Elf!] [Its been a long time since Ist saw a living, breathing Elf! Nice to meet you!] Having noticed him, the Dryads flew towards him, but once they noticed Erian as well, they began to chatter. Whereas, Erian was dumbfounded at the sight of the Dryads. "How is this possible? To think there were still spirits within the Empire..." "Do you remember the Forest of Death? There were some Dryads resisting the curse there. I brought them here and cured them of the curse. Because of them, the grapes you raised grew even livelier than before." "The Forest of Death..." "At the time, I remember us talking about it in the chatting channel. If thats the case, then that means you were already strong enough to get through the Forest of Death back then..." "Well... yes." Lloyd smiled hollowly. He couldnt even feel his inferiorityplex re. Lee Shin Woo was in apletely different league. When he realized how outssed he was, something with him snapped. But he actually felt relieved. Hed had an urge to be stronger, and the undead curse had only intensified that urge, making him impatient. However, that impulse had disappeared right then and there. I was a fool. Theres no need for me to be more hero-like than someone else... Him not feeling frustrated or powerless was just an example of Lloyds incredible mental fortitude. Once hed stoppedparing himself to Lee Shin Woo and looked at himself objectively, he became able to do things at his own pace again. If Lee Shin Woo had known what Lloyd was thinking, then hed say something like hes like a hero straight out of a fairy tale. "Wait, the energy from when I raised the grapes is still here!? No, its not just here, but its evolved!" [Hey, Elf. Come over here! Theres a ce where the grapes arent growing that well!] [Spread your elvish energy! Its best if elves look after fruit!] "I... I understand. Lets go together!" Erian followed the Dryads and disappeared amidst the field of grape trees. With the Dryads help, Lee Shin Woo had grown the grapes quite well, but he couldnt match up to an Elf; Elves were masters of the forest and fields, so if they were to intervene, then the quality of the grapes would skyrocket! As a result, the value of the Kerr Century Elemental Brandy would rise as well. To think that the sole elf on the continent was looking over the grape trees; she was invaluable! "So please do your best, Senior. They say that a half-elf is born with an elfs authority." "W-Whats with you all of a sudden!? ...I-Is it that obvious?" "It is that obvious." Even the most dim-witted of men possessed the ability to spot couples! Compared to when hed met themst, he felt something qualitatively different between the two of them. Theyd taken at least another step forward. At any rate, if this happens, then... "By the way, what do you think of one man marrying several women, Senior Lloyd?" "You have to love one person to the very end. I believe that thats the best I can do as a person and as a man. ...Ahem, I suppose thats Erian right now." "Why are you not like a hero in this aspect... Err, never mind." It sounded like Lloyd was criticizing him, or at least, it came off that way. Lee Shin Woo decided to change the subject. "What do you think of Senior Prince?" "Prince? Shes a good friend. I told you before, didnt I? It wouldve been hard for me to endure without her." "I see." Lee Shin Woo hesitated briefly, but then he nced at Erian, who was going around the grape trees, and carefully whispered into Lloyds ear. "To be honest, Prince begged me to save you; she was even willing to do anything to ensure your safety." "Prince really cherishes me that much...?" "Yes. And Prince is a girl. A girl whos been with you for a very long time." "She already told me, so I know that... Huh?" Even the slow-witted Lloyd couldnt misunderstand when Lee Shin Woo was spelling it out for him. Cold sweat flowed down his forehead. "No, wait. Theres no way... Dont joke around, Shin Woo." "So you get it. Please think about it by yourself. Youll find an answer." "Hey, wait. Why are you telling me this now!?" Why now? I cant be the only one with girl troubles, Lee Shin Woo thought. However, Lee Shin Woo didnt say anything aloud and merely gave him a thumbs up. Behind him, Lloyd was suffering from the truth thatd beenid bare. Serves him right. Chapter 53 part1 Lee Shin Woo had forgotten something: absorbing the Archmages bone. Once hed brought Erian and Lloyd to his base, he immediately absorbed the bone. [Absorbing the Lv8 Archmage, Feotane Von Seldins Parietal Bone. Magic has increased by 120.] [You have learned the innate element, Beginner Dark Space Lv5. Magic has increased by 50.] His expectations mustve been too high; though hed absorbed an Archmages bone, his magic had only increased by 120. Moreover, Lee Shin Woo hoped that by absorbing the bone, he would master the Lv9 High Rank Mana Bone or Mana eleration skills. The skills had certainly grown, but he wasnt able to master them. More useless memories. Though just learning his spatial magic is huge for me. ...Ugh. His magic seemed soplex and developed, yet its still in the realm of enlightenment and elements. But wait a second. Why is this...? Lee Shin Woo tested the Dark Space element and tilted his head at the mysterious feeling. It was almost like this feeling was familiar. An absolute ability that linked two spaces through the power of the darkness element. Yeah, this ability was simr to one of Lee Shin Woos abilities...! However, that ability was in the form of an artifact. Lee Shin Woo couldnt understand the inner workings of the ability on his own, but by learning the Dark Space element, he would just gain the Heaven Door Keys power through his intuition! [Dark Space and the Heaven Doors Key are resonating. You can now absorb the Heaven Doors Key through Bone Reinforcement.] Lee Shin Woo widened his eyes. Thats right. The Heaven Doors Key! When hed first gotten it, he couldnt absorb it, so hed given up on it. But he had found a way to absorb it now of all times! "What if absorbing it causes it to change in some weird way?" "The Heaven Doors Key has a simr activation mechanism to Dark Space. At the very least, Ill be able to create a gate just like before, so dont worry." Lee Shin Woo wasnt worried about Bone Reinforcements st area anymore. The artifact, the Heaven Doors Key reacted to Lee Shin Woos Dark Space and kept buzzing... Lee Shin Woo grabbed the Heaven Doors Key and briefly closed his eyes. Hed activated Bone Reinforcement. [Absorbing the Heaven Doors Key through Bone Reinforcement. Magic has increased by 500.] [You havepletely understood the fusion element, Dark Space, and the element is epted by your karma. The unnecessary facets are removed, and the very essence of the element is strengthened. Dark Space has evolved into the new innate element, Heaven Space! The Beginner Heaven Space Element has be Lv10 and has evolved to the intermediate level. Magic has increased by 100.] The Dark Space element, strengthened by the Heaven Doors Keys power, evolved, gaining the ability to merge all elements together, not just darkness. He could not only use this element to transport himself, but others as well. Not only that, his spatial abilities had far exceeded the Lichs now! This wasnt just a transportation ability. The Heaven Space element could merge his other innate elements as well; in other words, he would be able to use all his elements simultaneously, which would increase his attack power significantly. "Hoo. Game over, huh..." "Shin Woo! Youre being really arrogant. Its your arrogance passive!" "Ah, right. Thanks, Jin. Maybe I already have it as an active skill!?" Jins desperate dissuasion kept him from going off the deep end. Now that he thought about it, the Lich had quite the overpowered ability, but he had killed him anyway! Yeah. Though hed finally gained spatial magic, there were several people who could resist its effects. An innate element can only be stopped with another innate element. And all the people hed fight from now on should have innate elements. Theres really no point in arguing over whose ability is better. I have to use this innate elements specialty to grasp my opponents weaknesses... Thats whats important. Another point in his favor was that the Heaven Space element was reallypatible with his Wild Card skill. The space element was, like Annihtion me, the best skill for him to go: Im here or maybe Im not. Im not here, or maybe I am?. Combining Heaven Space with either Annihtion me or Dark Shadow... the possibilities were endless. He already had a few ideas... He should get a chance to try them out in the field soon. If he used them in tandem with Wild Card, then an equally leveled opponent, or even a higher leveled opponent, wouldnt be able to easily notice him. "Yeah. I guess you could say that Ive only just assembled all the pieces..." "All the pieces?" "Yeah. Our goal is to attain victory with the least amount of casualties possible. But we had one problem before: that we didnt have anyone as strong as the Magic and Undead Emperors..." "And thats also why you were so hell-bent on upgrading the Titan." "Yep. But the Titan can only be used for a short period of time. If something happened (an emergency), there would be nothing I could do. But now... I think I can take them on with this." Lee Shin Woo was a coward. So if he looked really confident, then it could only be for two reasons. First, when there was a clear-cut retreat path, and second, when there wasnt a clear-cut retreat path. Whether he was safe, or whether he was sure to die, there was no reason to worry about both of them. And right now, he was closer to the former. Moreover, having gained Heaven Space had caused his stats to be... 25,323, huh... Level 9 required ones stats to be a total of 25,600. He could reach level 9 with just 277 more stats. If everything went well, he might be able to level up mid-fight. And if he reached level 9, then hed be on equal footing with those damn Emperors! Even Im a bit shocked. To think that he, who had only been here for 2 years, would be on equal footing with the two level 9 Emperors that had ruled for hundreds of years. Even he couldnt have imagined this when he had asked God for a growth-type ability. It was only possible by taking everything that theyd built, but it also wouldnt have been possible without his Joker karma. The Joker. There was nothing better to describe him. It didnt just urately represent his ability, but his position in the world as well. "Shin Woo!" Right then, the door swung open and Kratia rushed into the room. She held a small bead within her tiny hands... a small bead that was encased in bone, which resembled a shell of some sort. "The Titan Cores ready. The energys fully charged too. Not only can you transform whenever you want, but...I think the active duration time has increased by a lot too." It was only natural that the cores capacity would increase when they had fused it with the artificial sun. Lee Shin Woo quietly took it and gripped it. The fire trapped within periodically thumped like a heart. "And Im also finished with the other instation." "You did it." "You pretty much did everything." "Kratia, it wouldve been impossible if not for your ability." Lee Shin Woo and Kratia exchanged meaningful smiles. Jin, in a fit of meaningless jealousy, raked the ground. Lee Shin Woo ignored the tantrum, got on top of Jin and dered. "Alright. Its great that we finished in time. Call everyone and tell them to gather. ...Its time for the final battle." "Finally..." "Are we assaulting the capital?" "Nope." Lee Shin Woo cold-heartedly shook his head. Jin and Kratia just looked at him strangely. In response, he sported his own doubtful expression. "Did you really think Idunch a direct attack on the capital with this many forces?" "You werent going to?" "Obviously not. Theres no telling how many of ours will die if we attack head-on now that the sun is gone and the Emperors power has increased." It made a lot of sense. The Undead Emperor, Jissehanu, was monstrous enough to use the source of darkness itself as his life vessel. Unlike the Archmage, the Emperor didnt possess such superb transportation abilities, but if you got in range of him, then youd start the battle in a whole lot of pain. Even though he had the golem train and the thorn wall was destroyed, they still had to get to the Emperor undetected! "Then...?" "Our forces will act as a diversion. Theyll lure all of the Empires undead away." "The undead...?" "To the surface." Hearing that, Jin wondered whether Lee Shin Woo had gone crazy from all of the stress, or if the undead curse had finally gotten to him from the consecutive Bone Reinforcements. However, Lee Shin Woos expression remained serious. Had he seriously gone insane? Jin furtively raised a leg. If its broke, then kicking it will fix it! Shed never tried it on a person before, but kicking him at light-speed should have some sort of effect! "Im not going to invade the surface. Youve been by my side for a while now. You can guess what Im thinking, right?" Lee Shin Woo looked at Jin as if she were ridiculous for even considering it, and retorted. Indeed, Jin was always by his side. Shed also heard his thoughts the most out of anyone, albeit indirectly. Thus far... so... "You were prepared to fight both sides. You were increasing your forces on the surface, as well as your forces underground..." "Yep, thats right. I was prepping forces on both sides." "Yeah! So, I thought you would use both your forces to... Huh? Wait a sec." "...Ive already mostly figured it out." Unlike Jin, who was tilting her head, Kratia looked at Lee Shin Woo with shining eyes when he was in Heaven Defying General mode. "Shin Woo wants to destroy both the surface and undergrounds Imperial Armies." "Yeah. Thus far, we thought Shin Woos forces on the surface would take out the surfaces Imperial Army and his forces underground would do the same for the undergrounds Imperial Army. But he expects fierce opposition from both sides. At this rate, our casualties will be huge. At the very least, weaklings like Lloyd, Erian, and Prince will die." "Thats right." Even though most of the Magic Empires 12 Generals had died underground, the Underground Empires 12 Generals were nearing extinction, and all of the level 5 or lower undead were all gone, both sides still retained a significant amount of forces. Both sides retained their elites, the elites that had been there for hundreds of years. He couldnt look down on either the quality or the quantity of those troops. "...Shin Woo mustve never nned on fighting them straight up." "Keep going." "The forces that youve developed... Maybe they werent meant for fighting." "Huh?" A diversion. Lee Shin Woo had definitely said that. If thats the case, then Lee Shin Woos goal all along was... "The surface and undergrounds Imperial Armies. Shin Woo ns on using the Heaven Defying Generals troops to lure both armies towards each other, causing them to sh." "...Is that even possible?" Jin, who was quietly listening beside them, said stupidly. So the heroes, who risked their lives to fight and grow, as well as the religious orders forces... They were all clowns on a stage? "It is." Lee Shin Woo grinned and said. Jin, who was connected to him, instinctively took a step forward. "Youll see soon enough." Chapter 53 part2 "Your Majesty, please listen to the people." "Mm." The Light General, Sorura Von Line said so coldly that it felt like hed fall onto the frozen floor. There was even a curtain within this gloomy, dark room, and the secluded Emperor began to murmur to himself. Shed always been cold, but after returning to the surface, she became much more passionate; her voice felt akin to a hot, sharp edge. He knew why. It must be because his loyal subordinate, Arema Steelworker, had died. To think these two had been in a rtionship. Moreover, he didnt think Arema would go so far as to sacrifice himself to save her. To be honest, him dying was only beneficial to him, as Aremas body had gone missing, but he wasnt going to tell her that. I was suspicious that Seagald had stolen Aremas body, forcing him to follow him, but... If that were true, then this woman wouldnt havee back alive. He either died, or he was taken by them. The Emperor pondered, but Sorura cut him off like a sharp de. "This is the limit. We cant hold it off anymore. We have to do something. Your Majesty, you are personally needed... Or you need to send all of the remaining 12 Generals and the remainder of the elite troops." "Mmmm..." The Emperor groaned quietly. To be honest, the current situation... wasnt good for him. Originally, the Emperor was going to wait for the undead curse to spread to the surface; when his people discovered the existence of the curse and became antsy, he would only then intervene. He never had any intention of dealing with the source of the curse. Once hed taken care of the curse, hed then create a barrier. It was inevitable that the undead and their energy would seep out of the barrier once more, so the people woulde to rely on him once more. "The situations... not good." "No, its not. Im sure youre already aware. Since your eyes see everything on the surface." "Line, are you mocking me?" "Your Majesty, please leave everything to them." A new voice said. It was a tuxedo-wearing man, with both hands together and on standby near the curtain. It was the Spirit Sword General, Kuroin Von Begner. He was the most loyal subject of the Empire and was part of the Four Heavenly Commanders, the Empires strongest. He cut his opponents down with his sword, which was hidden in shadow. Thus, he was called the Spirit Sword General and had only be stronger by turning into a Vampire. "Im referring to the alliance of religious orders, led by the woman who ims to be Kays disciple. Force those unsightly fools into your service, and let them and the ignorant people fight against the undergrounds undead. Its a good chance to shut them all up." "...Hoo, Kuroin. Thats impossible." Unfortunately, Kuroin wasnt very intelligent. Did his overzealous loyalty damage his brain? Though he didnt particrly like Sorura, he agreed with her nheless. "The people are far too discontent. Moreover, they have someone they can rely on. It might work if they and the undead destroyed each other, but if they were to win, then..." The people would wholeheartedly support the religious orders. No, they were already close to doing so. The limit that Sorura had mentioned was referring to this. If the Emperor waited any longer, and he left saving the Empire to Izuna and the religious orders, then... it was entirely possible for them to take his people and form an entirely new nation. "This is all because of him (Retadane). If he hadnt caused such amotion on the surface, then...!" This mustve been his goal! Putting the Emperor into a situation where he was forced to intervene or mobilize all of his forces! Thats just how much Seagald had wanted revenge. He felt goosebumps, even though Seagald was a lower level than him. It felt as though there was always a sword beneath his neck. Even now, the Emperor felt uneasy, as he didnt know when Seagald woulde for him. "If I go, then... It would be the perfect spot to assassinate me." "Even so, we have no other option. Your Majesty, you just told us yourself that you had to intervene." "Keuuuum." The Emperor toiled over his choices. Honestly, hed rather stay here and hide. With double or even triple the soldiers stationed to protect him! However, that was an unattainable dream. If, By some chance. Those two hypotheticals were just wishful thinking. "Seagald Von Retadane. Hes probably still alive." "I, too, would like to kill him right away. He cant hide forever. But we cant catch him from in here. We have to go out to do so. And we have to go out to kill him as well." "..." Sorura remarked, as if ignoring the Emperors opinions, yet the Emperor couldnt bring himself to say anything. Not only was it the truth, but she was also thest remaining light magician in the Empire. She was crucial to stopping Seagald. She, too, knew this fact all too well. "Your Majesty, you dont have to worry about a weakling like him." "..." Jirold Von Enard anguished once more. He knew his hand had been forced. The Emperor thought about how he could get what he wanted without being coerced. Ultimately, he came to a simple conclusion. "You go, Kuroin. Kuroin Von Begner." It was best to not move exactly as your enemy wished. That policy had always kept the Emperor alive time and time again. "Your Majesty?" "Youll be my stand-in. I cant just leave here. So Ill leave everything to you. Take the rest of the 12 Generals with you, besides the Light General, and all the elite troops as well. You must perform better than Izuna and her forces." For a second, the Emperors loyal nsman, Kuroin Von Begner couldnt believe what he was hearing. But he wasnt hearing things. The Emperor had opened the curtain and stared at him seriously. He was confused, but he quickly got on one knee and bowed to him in spite of this. "I-I understand. I will break Seagald Von Retadane and Jissehanu, and bring them to you no matter what." "You wont be able to beat Jissehanu. However, he wont likely be on the front lines. Kill Seagald Von Retadane. Hes the one keeping the underground afloat, so if you kill him, then Jissehanu will retreat back underground." "...Understood!" Jirold ced his hand atop Kuroin Von Begners shoulder. The Emperors Lightning Bind flowed from his hand into Kuroins body, further strengthening him. This act served two purposes: helping him, as well as forcing his loyalty and preventing insubordination. "Sorura Von Line." "Yes, Your Majesty?" The Light General looked at the Emperor with unconcealed contempt, yet the Emperor shamelessly gave her an order regardless. "You will rece Kuroin as my protector. If, and I mean if, Seagaldes for me during the chaos of the battle, then the only one who can detect him early enough and respond is a light user." "...Are you forcing me to stay behind?" "I am essential to the survival of the Empire. If any harm befalls me, then you wont be safe either." Sorura gritted her teeth and shook. The Emperor acknowledged her anger but wasnt going to try to understand it. "Moreover, theres a high chance that Seagaldes for me. Light General, if you truly want revenge on him, then its best that you stay by my side." "Do you really think he can sneak in when you have so many magic traps set up...?" "He went around the Empire eluding even my sight. Do you really think he cant do something more?" The sound of her teeth grinding could be heard once more. However, the Emperor trusted that she, as one of his nsmen, as well as one affected by Lightning Bind, wouldnt be able to refuse hismand! "...I understand. I will do as you say. You disgust me though, so Ill stay this far away from you." "Light General, its an honor that the Emperor requires your services, yet you dare to..." "Get lost already." "...Ugh!" In response to her rage, her body radiated light mana; Kuroin wouldnt dare approach her and just shrunk back. Though hed been strengthened by the Emperor, it didnt matter. It might be different for the Emperor himself, but Kuroin had no way of oveing the Light Generals light. Sorura snorted and said. "Youre my stand-in too. Kill all the undead. Make sure they can never tread upon our soil ever again." "...Hmph, I like the sound of that. Then, Your Majesty, Ille back after fulfilling your orders." "My loyal friend... if you seed, then I promise to give you a suitable reward." "Its an honor!" The Spirit Sword General deeply bowed his head, paid his respects to the Emperor once more, and quietly left. The Emperor merely stared at the recently emptied space, but soon closed his eyes and turned his attention to the shaking Sorura. "Ill give you a chance to get your revenge. I promise you." "I wouldve liked it better if that chance... came quicker." Sorura said hatefully and seething with rage, and then turned around. The Emperors gaze was automatically fixed onto her back. Her elegantly curved body, having no signs of age, her captivating, flowing hair, and her scent, all of which remained unchanged even after bing a Vampire, aroused him. However, he wasnt stupid enough to go after a woman whod just lost her lover and was filled with malice. Yes, a rose had thorns, but these thorns were filled with poison. "Where are you going?" "I was given an unexpected mission, so I have to go and prepare. ...Surely you can stay here by yourself for a short while?" "Of course I can. Return after youve prepared yourself. 2 hours should be enough, right?" "Hmph." She snorted, as if she could see right through him, and left. He wanted to force her onto her knees with his Lightning Bind oh so badly, but for some reason, it didnt work on her. Perhaps it was due to her element. There were so many facets of her that were displeasing to him. I should dispose of her once Retadanes been dealt with. I can just nurture another light user. Sorura, whod left the Emperors dark room, dusted her body off as if something dirty had gotten onto her. She then rushed over to her residence. Within her bedroom, which only she could enter, a single small bird awaited her. [How did it go?] No, it was a golem in the shape of a bird. Moreover, a young womans voice came from the golem! Sorura, as if shed done this a few times already, walked over to the bird, or Rem, and... smiled tedly and said. "The Emperors doing exactly as you said he would. Im ready... to open the gate whenever." [Thats perfect. Well take care of the rest.] "Ill leave the rest to you. ...Hero Izuna." [Of course.] Her voice,ing from the golem, was a bit delicate, but it was unmistakably the vigorous voice of a young woman. [Since Im fighting for the one I love as well.] Chapter 53 part3 The hero Izuna, or Ye Jin Jin, spoke with the Light General and sighed lengthily. They were in the very same mansion that Lee Shin Woo had visited before. "Her drives really scary. I talked to her across a long distance, yet it feels like the temperatures gone down 10 or so degrees." "What I want to know is why shes so willing to betray the Empire, the same Empire shes protected for so long? So much so that shes even willing to risk her life." "She must have some weird circumstances, Senior." Ye Jin Jin turned around and sighed deeply; Prince had been watching the conversation from behind her. Prince, who had summoned a small Fire Demons hand and had been juggling a fireball, stopped and tilted her head. "What kind of circumstances?" "She was always more concerned about the Empires people than her loyalty to the Emperor, and it wasplicated enough with a rtionship involved, but... Mm, to sum it up, shes taken Mr. Shin Woos bait and be one of our allies. Mr. Shin Woo said hed used a magic form that reced her love with anger." "It almost sounds like that magic actually exists..." However, Prince acknowledged it. She didnt know how Lee Shin Woo had caught the Light General, but she had indeed taken the bait. There was no reason to doubt this. "Then itll... soon begin." "You have a huge responsibility, dont you? Can you do it properly? If you cant, then I, your dependable senior, can help you out." "N-No, Im fine." Ye Jin Jin smiled confidently, but once she saw Prince, who was shaking like a newborn fawn, she shook her head with a stiff expression. Rather than entrust Prince with any sort of responsibility, it would be better to use a golem instead. "Since Mr. Shin Woo entrusted this to me. Ill prove to him that Im not ipetent and Im good enough to walk beside him." "But it seems like youve been caught by Junior as well." "Thats why Im so happy! The fact that Ive been caught and that Im not letting go!" "...Oh, is that so? What beautiful love." She hadnt expected that! Prince had no choice but to nod and take a step back from Ye Jin Jins energetic voice. Ye Jin Jins emotions were too profound for Prince to understand, as she was still emotionally immature. Ye Jin Jin snorted and smacked her chest a couple of times, calming herself down. Now, all that was left in her mind were Lee Shin Woos instructions. You have to take control of the army. The Imperial Army will, of course, resist this. Thats when it gets real. You dont need to control thempletely; you just need to lure them in a certain direction. Ye Jin Jin truly thought that Lee Shin Woo was a genius. Had he been nning this ever since hed firste to the Underground Empire? It didnt matter if he did or didnt; she was astonished nheless. She was even more shocked by how that n had developed. "Were splitting up the undergrounds undead forces into two groups... The good undead and the bad undead..." "What the hell are good undead? Are they my juniors undead?" "They either wont attack us at all or will pretend to attack us. Of course, we have to y along. The problems the bad undead." "The Underground Empires Imperial Army. So we have to..." "Exactly." Ye Jin Jin nodded her head. "We have to lure them to the surfaces Imperial Army. It shouldnt be too difficult since Mr. Shin Woo can use Fire Shadow tomunicate with both sides." "It still sounds really tough... But it doesnt sound impossible. How many of those innate elements does my junior have anyway? Its so unfair!" Getting both the surface and the undergrounds forces in one ce was more than half the battle. All that was left was killing the rest. This was the most important task. They had to seed no matter what. "Then, dont we have to draw out the Emperor somehow? Juniors only making him more afraid, which will make him more likely to hide." "Were the ones in trouble if hees outside. Not only is he level 9, but he also possesses an innate element. Theres a chance that he could mess with Mr. Shin Woos carefully constructed scenario. We can include or exclude him in the n; it all depends." "And right now..." "We pick thetter." "Then what about the Emperor!?" "The Emperor..." Ye Jin Jin paused. She hesitated, as if she was thinking about what to say, but soon continued quietly. Her head was slightly bowed and her face was red with embarrassment. "Mr. Shin Woo said hed take care of the rest. He said hed use the Light General to set up a gate and that hed use said gate to drag the Emperor underground..." "Hes going to drag the level 9 Emperor underground!? Can you even do that when your enemy is a higher level than you!?" "Thats why he left the Light General beside the Emperor. I dont know the details, but I heard that by using both the Fire Shadow and Heaven Space innate elements together, you can substitute a persons body for a gate." "Junior is... already fighting somewhere beyond my imagination, huh..." Prince sported a far-off expression. She had only just learned of the entire n. Lee Shin Woo would do all the important stuff alone while the underground and surface gathered in one ce and performed for him! "It makes absolutely no sense, but I cantin." "Mr. Shin Woo is actually more delicate than people give him credit for. Hed rather put himself in danger than let his allies endanger themselves. Hes so cool!" "Sounds like Junior just picked the most rational choice, but as a result, we werent given anything important to do, since were nowhere near his level... No, sorry. Never mind." Prince had acknowledged the difference in their abilities, but the timing wasnt great. SinceYe Jin Jins enthusiastic eyes continuously lost their fervor. "Get a grip Ye Jin Jin! If we fail, everythings over! Your jobs most important in cementing our positions as heroes and protecting the Empire! It has nothing to do with strength!" "Thats true...! That must be why Mr. Shin Woo gave me this job...!" "Yeah, exactly!" Good. She somehow managed to cheer her up! Prince sighed in relief and Ye Jin Jin forcefully stood up. Her battle dress, the Phoenixs Feather, swayed, discharging a weak heat. "It seems like everyones gathered already. Its finally time. Senior, lets go together." "...Alright." Though they were technically excluded from the important mission, it didnt mean that they werepletely immune to danger. After all, luring the undead and fighting against them wouldnt be an easy task. She might even die this time. In spite of her Fire Demon training, she may be hit by a stray arrow or spear and fall. However... "...Lets go!" "Ok." The two left the residence side-by-side and went to the assembly area within the capital. And there... Elite priests and pdins from the Sun God religion awaited them, as well as the elites from the various religious orders that theyd allied with. And the one representing the Imperial Army was... "Hmph. Youre quite good looking." One of the Empires Four Heavenly Commanders, Kuroin Von Begner. Befitting one of the Empires strongest, he was powerful indeed. However, Ye Jin Jin, who shouldered the peoples will, and had grown immensely in such a short period of time, was around mid level 7 in terms of strength. And with Lee Shin Woos artifact, she could handle Kuroin, so she remained undeterred. "Youre pretty enough to seduce two men at once... I wonder how strong you are. Can you even swing that spear properly with those thin arms of yours?" "Unfortunately, youre not good looking yourself. Are you called the Spirit Sword because of your dark face?" "What!?" Right now, Ye Jin Jin was neither the childish junior hero nor Lee Shin Woos girlfriend. She was the hero Izuna, who had taken her masters ce due to his untimely death (The rumors regarding her, Lawrence, and Kays three-way rtionship were really convincing. And thus, the story that Izuna arose, angry at her lovers death, had originated from here). "You impudent wench! Youre just a peasant, yet you think youre able to go around the capital due to your affiliation with the religious orders. This is only because the Emperor allows it!" "Id rather you prove your skill with your sword, rather than your mouth. If possible, towards our enemy. Or is the Emperor content with waiting until the undead run rampant on the surface? Isnt that why were fighting?" "Kuheum..." And a hero must always be confident. Even if their opponent is a Heavenly Commander, whos representing the Emperor! Her level 9 battle dress, as well as the great spirit that resided within her, the level 8 Zenon, supplemented whatever shecked. Though Kuroin had just recently been strengthened by the Emperor, he wouldnt be able to take her down! Damn it. Why do I, His Majestys representative, have to worry about a mere wench!? And why do I have to act more cautiously around these peasants! But he had already been warned by the Emperor, as well as the Light General (who had warned him several times). If he were to fight Izuna here, then whether it was justified or not, it would result in theplete copse of the royal familys power! The citizens had already sided with Izuna and the religious orders! Seagald Von Retadane, you bastard... How did you manage to unite so many humans in such a short period of time!? It was truly frustrating to admit, but Izuna was right. He would need to prove his abilities with his sword, not his mouth, against the invading undead. Only then would he be able to ensure the stability of the Emperors rule. "Alright. Ill do just that. Ill put you in your ce! I represent the sovereign of this great Empire, the father of the nation, His Majesty! My words and actions are equivalent to His Majestys!" "I hope you do. It doesnt matter to me, so long as the undead are all destroyed." It had been revealed early on that Izuna only pointed her mes at those who threatened the safety of the Empire. How great it was to sacrifice such dirty power to aplish such a lofty goal! Her words had a profound effect on all those present! "Uoooooooh! Lady Izuna!" "Lady Izuna will protect the capital, no, the entire Empire!" "Lady Izuna, Lawrence, and Sir Kay must be blessed by God!" "Ill believe in you, Lady Izuna!" "Hurray for the Sun God religion!" "Hurray for the Sun God religion!" Their reactions were tremendous! Izuna inwardly smiled at the cries of the capitals citizens. This was the effect of Lee Shin Woos lecture! Whats worse, she had memorized Lee Shin Woos screeny and had just been following it, yet at this moment, her Command skill was growing! Then, the Pope of the Sun God religion approached her and whispered. "You talk just like your master, Kay. ...Ill ask onest time You werent in some sort of strange rtionship with him, right? You might not want to hear it now, but keep this in mind. If we want to oust the Emperor and take control of the Empire, then we cant have a scandal like that. If you break up with Lawrence at thest minute, then things will be reallyplicated. You get it, right?" "Of course. I love Lawrence." "Then... thats enough. Ill believe in you. Your rtionship with Lawrence has tost a long time!" "Please dont worry, Pope." Lee Shin Woo was both Lawrence and Kay, so she wasnt lying! She grinned at the Pope, who was already looking past the battle and raised her head. "Lady Izuna." "Izuna..." "Please protect the Empire." "Will she be able to do the same things Sir Kay could...?" She locked gazes with countless people. There were those who trusted her, those who hated her, and even those who used her to project someone that wasnt here. But honestly, she didnt care about any of it. Ever since shede to the surface, shed fought for only one man and one man only. And she would continue to do so until the very end. "...Lets move out." The fake hero raised her voice and said. "Today we restore peace within the Empire!" Chapter 53 part4 She was the Spirit Princess, the Spirit General, and the Spirits Springs contractor. The Immortal (a never before seen species), Dana, suddenly raised her head. Shed gotten the signal. Ever since shede here, shed been waiting for that signal. "The Hero is calling us. Its time." [Zenons gone to the front.] [Yeah, I feel like Paul Zeros calling us.] The Spirits Spring spirits had prepared for battle as well. No, perhaps they had waited for this moment over any other. Their hatred and anger towards those whod abandoned and imprisoned them! They had nurtured their anger and hatred until it was ready to explode! "Are you all ready? You remember what he said, yes?" [We know.] [Id like to kill all the humans, but... I know that we cant.] As the spirits were abandoned by humans, their anger was indiscriminately directed at all of mankind. But if they werent careful, then they would bring ruin to humanity. Lee Shin Woo had used their anger to goad them on and had turned their anger towards someone else. He limited their targets and had reset their goals. As a result... [In order for our descendants to live on the surface, we must...] [Side with the humans.] [Well act like were on their side.] [Well give the humans who embrace us another chance.] [If they ept us, that is.] [But we cant forgive the Emperor and his associates.] The spirits, all pumped up, each had something to say. Yeah, that was plenty. Dana smiled and turned around. Sinea flew beside her. [Whens our turn? When can we meet Paul Zero again?] "We have to wait a little longer. When the humans begin to despair and start praying for their salvation... thats where wee in. To disavow the Emperor and all thats under his control." [As expected of Paul Zero. Hes trying to change everything with one single battle.] "But still, the Empires vast. Though this battle will determine the fate of the Empire, if the battle takes ce in an isted location, it will be difficult to overturn themon perception that has developed over many years with just one battle." [Yeah.] Sinea agreed and gazed at the spirits that filled the Spirits Spring to the brim. Right now, they were divided into two groups. One group would participate in the battle between the humans and the undead in order to restore the spirits status and the other... "The rest of the Imperial Armys elites will be in this battle. Miss Jin Jin made it that way. Therefore, the forces protecting the cities (the soldiers and the knightsmanding them) are minimal." [Thats probably true, but... those soldiers wont attack us, right? Not only are the soldiers citizens of the Empire, but attacking them will cause the people to hate us more, no?] "Youre right. Thats why the golems are going to attack the Imperial Army." [...?] Seeing Sineas head tilt, Dana smiled faintly and continued. "The Hero, through Rem, has already taken control of all the golems within the Empire. With the addition of his innate elements, even the Emperor cannot retake control over the golems. Those golems, which are spread all across the Empire, will attack the Imperial Army all at once... How do you think the people will react?" [Theyll lose all faith in the Emperor! ...But so many people will die!] "Its ultimately all just an act. Our true goal isnt the soldiers, whore just following orders, but the vested rights of the ruling ss. The golems were ordered to execute the corrupt nobles and knights only. And after killing them, the golems will act like theyre turning against the people as well, but then..." [Thats where wee in?] "Exactly. Well destroy the golems and save the people. If we maximize the Spirits Springs mobility and the golems match our movements, then its certainly possible. Itll be quite the show." [Youre actually calling it a show...] It was just a poor show. However, it would still fool the people. When the golems drew near, the appearance of the spirits, who would appear like lightning and rush to their aid... Contrary to the Emperor or the nobles, who were afraid of the spirits power and ostracized them, the people were taught that the spirits were wrongful existences. The nobles that had abandoned them and the spirits that had saved them; it was clear which side theyd choose. Even more so once the Emperor and the nobles that had abandoned the spirits were out of the picture. [But Dana, you must know that even if things go ording to n, that...] "...Theres nothing we can do about the resulting casualties; they truly are unavoidable casualties. If we took into ount the lives of each and every soldier, then we wouldnt be here right now. The Hero is also aware of this fact." [Wow, Paul Zero will really go to Hell when he dies.] "Hoo, hoo. Dont worry. Ill follow him down to Hell and assist him.] [Dana, you still dont know Paul Zero well enough yet. One day, Paul Zero will control Hell too.] "Oh my, itd be well worth assisting him then." [Haha.] The two women smiled meaningfully and turned towards the spirits. Their power then simultaneously took control of the spirits. "Everyone, get ready! The stage that the Hero has prepared for us... It requires our very best acting!" [Chin up, everyone! This is the first step towards our future!] Whereas, Shino Rendu was speaking to his own troops, though its purpose was different. Countless Pauls were following him! ...And there were countless more undead following behind them, trying to kill them! [Is that the fastest you can go!? If youre that slow, then those undead bastards will catch us!] [No, sir! We can run even faster!] Obviously, the Pauls were undead, so their stamina was limitless. To be more specific, of the two domains that governed ones body... defense and stamina, stamina was essentially limitless. This was why it was so difficult to face an undead inbat. If the undead werent able to catch them now, then they would never be able to catch the Pauls in their game of tag. Honestly, this short y of theirs had gone on for two hours already. Thousands of Pauls were being chased by tens of thousands of undead... Whats worse, their pursuers numbers were continuously increasing! [Well kill all of the undergrounds undead. Well erase all proof of the curses existence! Us! Thats our job. Thats what Paul Zero ordered us to do!] [For Paul Zero!] [His great goal of purifying the entire Empire... All of our efforts have been for this!] [Lord Paul Zero, were right here!] They uttered such nonsense that it was difficult to distinguish whether they were his troops or a part of his fan club; regardless, the Pauls continued to run diligently! They looked quite funny, but the result was by no means a joke. Looking back, Shino Rendu was shocked. To think that I would be able to do something like this... No, this is also Lord Paul Zeros will. He really is amazing. No one couldve ever imagined it. To think hed both be the one who caused the war that would decide the continents fate, as well as the one who would end it...! Through this battle, Lee Shin Woo was attempting to eliminate all of his enemies on the surface and underground, and simultaneously eliminate all sources of the curse. That was also the reason that hed ordered the Pauls to lure so many of the undead over. [Not yet. We havent gone east yet. Draw out all of the undead hiding about. Bring out all of the undead that are snooping around the city walls!] [Uoooooooh! You cowards! The Heaven Defying General is calling you! He told us that hed take you to the surface!] [Follow us. You poor souls whove lost your egos! We will bring you true salvation!] [G-Guooooh...!] [Kuaaaaaah!] Obviously, this was happening all across the Underground Empire. Shino Rendu was but one of the brigades luring the undead; there were also a small handful of elites with exceptional aggro abilities that lured thousands of undead towards them. Lee Shin Woo had meticulously divided the Underground Empire into parts and had sent his Pauls off into different locations. Hed ordered his Pauls to lure the undead to the surface. Several of the Heaven Defying Generals corps were currently fulfilling this order of his! Though their locations and their destinations differed, the result would be the same. They would lead the undead to the surface! Before proceeding with this mission, Lee Shin Woo had dug several passageways to the surface. He had set up these regional passageways so that they would gather in one single location! The golems had been helping him with this for months now! Leading all the undergrounds undead to the surface. And bringing them peace once they get there... All would dance upon his stage. What was the difference between them and Shino Rendu? At the very least, Shino Rendu knew what his role in all this was, and he had been prepared for his role beforehand. Its ironic. They had dreamt of returning to the surface, but theyll be killed after getting a taste of it. The rtionship between Seira Von Retadane and Shino Rendu was also ironic. When they were still alive, nothing he said got through to her, yet after dying, they became truerades. Though she rejected me outright, and our goals are a lot different from when we were still heroes... Ha, thinking about this now is pointless... He was getting emotional; it was unlike him. His personal feelings werent anythingpared to Paul Zeros orders. Only by following his orders could he obtain that sweet revenge hed been waiting for! Shino Rendu smiled bitterly, urged his skeleton horse to run faster, and yelled to his troops in a booming voice. [This is where it all starts! Once we get to the surface, we have to act like were on the same side as them. Remember what Lord Paul Zero told us! Were going to push them. To peaceful salvation...!] [Lord Paul Zeros salvation...!] [And thus, peace will be restored to the Empire...!] Mm, it really was a religion. A true pseudo religion. One where the believers had to sacrifice themselves...! Shino Rendu, who wasnt aware that he was one of them, just smiled bitterly. But then... before they had even moved out, the hero Lloyd was screaming. "Lee Shin Woo went to the imperial pce by himself!? ...What are you even talking about!? Didnt you say we were going to fight against the Imperial Army now!?" "Oh, so you didnt know yet. My bad." Whereas, Kratia, who was responsible for exining the battle to them, expressionlessly struck her forehead, and began exining whilst retaining her expressionless face. "Were going to follow him slowly. While Shin Woo keeps the Emperor busy, we need to drag out all the forces within the capital and lure them underground." "Will that even work!?" "It will." Kratia, with the Mana Radar that Lee Shin Woo had entrusted to her (as he said he didnt need it anymore), discerned that a huge amount of undead were moving and smiled slightly. "Youll see soon enough." Chapter 53 part5 Lee Shin Woo created a hand mirror using the Metal Element and checked his appearance. It was perfect. He looked exactly like the Archmage, Feotane Von Seldin. [But will it really be alright, Father? If the Emperor is aware of the Archmages death, then...] Chi Paul asked worryingly. By reaching level 8, Chi Paul had not only grown substantially in terms of power but had also gained Disguise abilities second only to Lee Shin Woo himself. Thus, he was the best choice to apany him to the capital. Ironically, Chi Paul was currently disguised as a normal undead. Of course, he wasnt any normal undead. It was more precise to call him an undead hero. Lee Shin Woo knew, from the Archmages memories, that the Archmage enjoyed using the undead heroes as guards. Thus, Chi Paul was disguised as an undead hero. All the other 12 Generals were dead and the Emperor likely knew this as well, so even if he wanted to impersonate one of the others, he couldnt. [Although the Archmage pledged his loyalty to the Emperor, he doesnt trust him. The Emperor knew this and respected him anyway. Because of this, their rtionship was able tost.] [Youre saying that...] [The Emperor doesnt know about the Lichs death. He has no way of knowing. Of course, hed be suspicious of the Archmages absence, but how long has it been since I killed the Lich? Its only been four hours. Moreover, before then, the Lich left, stating hed take care of the heroes. He wouldnt suspect anything in that short period of time.] Of course, Lee Shin Woo, who had got going right away, had killed the Lich and had brought the majority of the undead heroes to his side... However, if he were to go to the capital right now it would be him returning to the capital, not infiltrating it. [Ugh, I can finally act like a human, yet I have to take this form.] [Ill turn you into a perfect human someday, so just wait a little longer.] Because the Archmage didnt ride a horse, Jin was currently disguised as an undead hero as well. She looked very much like her human form, but because she was undeadified, she didnt seem to like it very much. Only a very, very small portion of her body had bone or muscle exposed, yet she hated it anyway. Whether it be one cheek or one shoulder exposed. At the very least, he had left her legs intact so that she could move properly. Moreover, she had covered her body from head-to-toe with silver steel, so she didnt look like an undead at all. [Im not pretty.] [Its fine. Youre plenty pretty to me. Im not kidding. You really are.] [Then can we kiss?] [Nope, no thanks.] [You want to die?] Jin gritted her teeth at Lee Shin Woos firm refusal and practiced walking. Shed been a horse for so long that when she took on her current form, she began cing her hands on the floor. However, she was quickly able to adapt, perhaps due to her authority, and was soon able to move quickly on her two feet as well. Lee Shin Woo confirmed that she was able to move on her own, nodded his head, and said. [You guys just need to stand a short distance behind me. You dont need to say anything. Since were now entering the heart of enemy territory...] Hoo... Lee Shin Woo exhaled (even though nothing came out), and rxed himself. Of course, he was no longer afraid of the Emperor. This was nothing more than the nervousness of an actor before he got on the big stage. While he was at it, he might as do it perfectly. There were so many unknowns on this stage, so if he were unable to do his job properly, then it would be a pain in the asster. If he died, he would revive due to Invisible Heart, but he couldnt revive others. He knew he would revive if he died, but hed rather live than die. He obviously had so many ways he could survive. If he didnt want to live, then he could always dieter. But he couldnt do that right now. [...Alright, lets trick them to the very end ande out alive.] [Pfft, thats so like you. Sounds good.] [You sure have weird taste.] [T-Then... Father, excuse me.] Jin grinned and came closer to Lee Shin Woo. Chi Paul, looking apologetic, came closer to him as well. Lee Shin Woo nodded his head and softly swung his hand. Then, just like with the Archmage, the flow of mana connecting the two spaces formed and sucked them in. They were immediately transported to the capital, inside the pce (the most dangerous area within the capital) at that! Once they were transported, time began to flow once more. This was proof that Lee Shin Woo both understood and could use the time element better than the Archmage. Hurray for Bone Reinforcement and innate elements! [...Archmage?] Once they arrived, they faced their very first obstacle. It was thest of the undergrounds Four Heavenly Commanders, the general whod killed the Sun Spear General (who had been one of the surfaces Heavenly Commanders), the Heaven Sundering General, Leofield Von Tariman! By absorbing the Sun Spear Generals bone, Lee Shin Woo had already seen Leofields spearmanship, as well as his other skills. But it was different seeing him in person. [Isnt it obvious, Duke Tariman? Everything you say reeks of sweat.] The huge undead came over, and although Lee Shin Woo was nervous from his appearance (a Death Knight), he replied exactly as the Archmages memories indicated. He was huge; now it made sense that people wondered whether he inherited a Giants blood or not. His body was covered in muscles, and these muscles, despite him bing undead, pulsed and wriggled with cold blood and magic, as well as the air element. The pressure he emitted was so great that it felt like it could stab him to death. Hes on the same level as Seagald? No way! Though Seagalds swordsmanship may surpass Leofields, if hepared the degree of perfection of their bodies, as well as their training, then Leofield was superior! He couldpletely understand why all the spearman hede across had yelled Leofields name! [Hmm, did your job go well...? Huh?] [Id appreciate it if you stopped looking at me like that. Are your ears starting to fail now too?] Although the Archmage and the Heaven Sundering General, as two of the Four Heavenly Commanders that pledged their allegiance to the Emperor, respected each other, they possessed a slightly troublesome rtionship where that respect wouldnt show outright. As they had reached the pinnacle of their respective arts (magic vs. martial arts), they were prideful in their arts and frequently shed with each other. However... the Heaven Sundering Generals reaction was a bit strange, considering how he was following the Archmages memories to the letter. [Are you really... the Archmage? Hmm, somethings strange.] [Whats strange is your brain, Duke Tariman. It was always strange; has it finallypletely rotted away?] [No, Im not the one whos strange. The smell... The smell is strange. Hmm... strange. Its strange.] Lee Shin Woo shuddered. Once his Acting skill had passed the level 20 mark, no one had ever seen through his Acting or Disguise skills. However, the rumored musclehead was suspicious of him! What the hell happened? No, he had no time to be thinking! If Leofield was suspicious of him, then hed bring it up to the Emperor as well. He had to stop him! [Youre already stupid enough, but if you keep saying the same thing over and over again, youll be even stupider. Tell me, whats so strange? The actions of the heroes? The Anti-Skull led by the damn Seagald? If not, then the Heavenly Commanders that came from the surface?] [Im talking about you, Archmage. Youre strange. My intuition... is telling me that.] [Your intuition? You really like that, huh. I was always fed up with that intuition of yours. I hate how you do things without any logic or evidence.] [Youre right. Ive always trusted my intuition.] Even if he were to bring up their shared memories, it wouldnt work. The Heaven Sundering General took out his spear and gripped it. And once he gripped his long, gray spear, the atmosphere inside changedpletely. When one reaches level 8, they gain an authority: the ability to treat the ambient mana as their own and absorb it. However, the way they go about doing so differed depending on the individual. The Heaven Sundering General seemed to be able to absorb the surrounding mana with his spirit alone. [If Im wrong, Im truly sorry. But I feel like something will go wrong if I dont do this. I have to do this no matter what. If His Majesty questions me, then Ill ept it without question, but I dont have any choice right now!] Heaven sh. It was sometimes used to describe lightning cascading through the air. If so, then why was it used as the name for Leofields attack when he used the air element? The answer was exceedingly simple. [Hate me if you must!] The moment hed thrust his spear, it had already reached its target. All you would see was a lightning bolt shooting towards you. The shock was akin to getting struck by a lightning bolt. The Heaven sh would kill anyone equally. And thats where his title of Heaven Sundering hade from. [Critical Hit!] Even the Archmage couldnt dodge this. It was impossible for Lee Shin Woo too. Even if he tried to teleport away the moment Leofield went to grip his spear, preemptively attacked him, used the Annihtion me to erase his presence and confuse Leofield, or used all of his innate elementsbined, the best he could do was turn the spears trajectory. He wasnt 100% confident that he could dodge Leofields strike even with all that. That was the Heaven sh. And that was the Heaven Sundering General, a level 8 that had surpassed the limits of a level 8. Thus... [...You really are the Archmage.] [Are you satisfied now, you blockhead?] Lee Shin Woo didnt move at all and let himself get hit by the Heaven Sundering Generals attack. Leofields strike had pierced through his armor and bone. Even Lee Shin Woo found it a bitughable that there was a spear dangling in his forehead. [Im really sorry. This is the first time my intuitions been wrong.] The Heaven Sundering General calmly removed the spear and apologized. To be honest, Leofield hadnt attacked with the intention to kill. He had just wanted to see if the Archmage was the real deal or not. Why? Because the Archmage didnt need to dodge his attack, as his soul was stored somece else. Even so, it would take a considerable amount of time and mana to restore his (the Lichs) body, so Leofield had held back so that he didnt destroy the Lichs entire body. This was only possible because he was the Heaven Sundering General. [The first time? Duke Tariman, this is your second time.] [The second time... Ah, thats right. That was the first time.] Lee Shin Woo had wisely brought up one of their shared memories. This was an borate ploy to ensure his opponents trust! Despite the situation, the Heaven Sundering General smiled lightly and said. [The first time I saw you, I was sure that you could cause harm to the Emperor... So I attacked you back then.] [Back then, I wasnt a Lich. I really wouldve died.] [I can say this now, but youre the only person in this world that could counter my attack that way. Its hrious that Im saying this now, but Ive always been amazed by that magic of yours.] [Hmph. Ill find a way for you to repay meter, so just get back to what you were doing. The battle where we wipe out those dirty invaders is nigh. We have to mobilize all of the capitals troops.] [Of course... For the Emperor!] [For the Emperor.] The two exchanged hot nces and passed by each other. Leofield hurried, as he needed to gather the troops in time, but Lee Shin Woo needed some time to treat his wound. He naturally slowed his pace. [The High Rank Regeneration skill has be Lv7, and Health and Magic have increased by 20.] [That asshole. Hes so strong that my Regeneration skill went up by two in one go. A skill that refused to level up at that.] [Youre cursing him out even though your skill leveled up.] [Your acting was perfect, Father.] [...Anyway, that guys really scary. The Heaven Sundering General.] Lee Shin Woo recollected the Heaven Sunder Generals attack, as well as his intuition that was close to busting him, and trembled. But he couldnt help butugh. It was only natural. [The Emperor woulde to harm due to the Lich, huh... Ha, that guys prediction is right on the mark.] [I cant tell whether youre making an evil expression or not since youre a skeleton. Remember that.] [Ah, I can change my expressions as a skeleton now, you know? Want to see? This looks really evil.] [Hey, stop. I said stop.] The party joked around and then refocused themselves. They went towards the final battle. The Undead Emperor, Jissehanu, was waiting for them. Chapter 53 part6 For hundreds of years, the giant hall was kept clean through the Emperors magic, and it was in this hall that Lee Shin Woo met the Emperor. There were guards standing beside him, but they were pretty insignificant to both the Emperor and Lee Shin Woo. But there was something striking: the throne that the Emperor sat on. There was also a small magic circle set up behind it. Lee Shin Woo knew about it, as it had been set up by the Archmage himself. It was a door. A door that led to the cave where the source of darkness was hidden. It was paramount that he took control of it...! In a sense, doing so was more important than dealing with the Emperor! [Your Majesty.] [Feo...] The Emperors voice was dismal, yet emitted powerful energy. Lee Shin Woo sensed the unconceble magic from within his voice. It was exactly as the Archmage remembered, but experiencing it first hand was... As expected, this was a true level 9. [Lv9 Lich Emperor - Jissehanu Von Enard] Compared to the Magic Emperor, who used his Lightning Bind to meet me indirectly, and the Garuda, which had been eaten away by the curse for so many years, severely weakening it... The Undead Emperors power ispletely different. Lee Shin Woo smirked. This is how powerful he was when there was only a slight difference in their stats? No, that was impossible! After meeting the level 9 Emperor, Lee Shin Woo recollected something. Levels wouldnt increase by just umting stats. One could only grow by reaching a certain level and proving themselves worthy! Thus far, Lee Shin Woo hadnt acutely felt this phenomenon because all of his feats had been more than enough to level up. He had never hit a wall before. Thats how its gone so far, but will it be so easy this time... Well, Ill never know until I actually reach 25,600 stats. Until then, I have to just try my best. Like right now... No, even more so. Unlike the pressure he was emanating, the Emperor gazed at him with drooping eyes. When they locked gazes, he desperately began to think. The moment he seemed surprised by the Emperors power would mark the end of the line for him! Contrary to the Heaven Sundering General, the Undead Emperor was, in a different sense, a natural enemy to Lee Shin Woos Acting skill! [I took care of a majority of the heroes. But there were a few rats that slipped through my. But I found out that they had an unexpected connection.] [What we feared hase to pass. How are they connected...?] [Its Seagald. He used the Metal General, who has ties to the surface, to form an alliance with the surface.] [Oooh...] Lee Shin Woo said, as if sure of its validity and the Undead Emperor interjected for thest time. [Im afraid of him. I feel as though hes trying to change something from within me. His loyalty to me hasnt changed, yet hespletely different from you. What is it? My wise friend and teacher. Do you know what that is?] [...You already know the answer, Your Majesty. My clever Emperor. He dared doubt you and wanted you to be exactly how he envisioned. Thats nothing more than perverse loyalty. No, its stubbornness!] [Feo... Im scared.] The Emperor said weakly. If the other heroes, who assumed that this guy was the final boss, were here, then what would they think? They would just be speechless and click their tongues. [Im afraid of the surface. Im afraid of everything thats left me behind and changed.] [Your Majesty, you rule over all that changes and all that doesnt.] [Do you really think so? My friend, do you really think thats true?] [If you wish for it, then time itself will stop and bow before your feet, Your Majesty. So what is it that you are so worried about?] [My friend, I... Im afraid of changing.] Lee Shin Woo was silent. He thought, This guys like a hikikomori..., but there was nothing he could do about it since it was the main trait of the undead. It was actually kind of sad; even a level 9 undead, with such great magic and status, was the same as any other undead. He suddenly felt as though Seagald was amazing, as he had broken free of those shackles. It was such a relief that hed already killed him! [Your Majesty, youre already a perfect existence. No one can dare match up to you.] [Im not so sure. Perhaps... Perhaps Ive already changed. My friend, why was it that I so ardently longed for the surface? Why was it that I wanted to get my revenge on Jirold so badly?] [Hes the reason were down here. Its because he stole the light away from us.] [But now, I feel sofortable with this darkness. I dont want to leave. Every day, I imagine myself ripping Jirold to shreds, but even though I can go through the barrier, I can never bring myself to do so. My friend... where did I go wrong? Aah, what did I do!?] [Your Majesty...] The Emperor had only just realized that the undead curse hed developed had a fatal w. But unfortunately, he couldnt turn back time. Thats because undead, as a species, could not move forward by themselves. They not only couldnt move forward, but they also couldnt look back at the past either. The dead. They had lost not only their lives but also a path to follow. Thus, they couldnt go forward, nor could they go back. ...But Lee Shin Woo was here. If there wasnt a path, then he just needed to make one! [Thats too much, Your Majesty.] Lee Shin Woo did his duty as the Archmage and calmed the Emperor down. Though he had reached level 9 and be transcendent, the Emperor wasnt capable of escaping his fate as one of the dead. Thus, his statement was mixed with a small bit of pity towards the Emperor, Jissehanu. [You can do anything you wish, Your Majesty. Taking a brief respite within here is your decision, so all of creation must abide by your wish. When you decide to leave here, then everyone will follow and support you!] [Feo...!] [Please dont doubt yourself. You are an existence which has obtained great karma, yet you also transcend existence. Since you havent forgotten about your revenge against Jirold at all! If Jirold were to appear before you, then wouldnt you raise one hand and crush him, Your Majesty!?] [That... Of course!] The Lichs encouraging words caused the Emperor to stand straight up and agree. Normally, the Emperor wouldnt move an inch, so the sudden movement caused the Emperors guards to flinch. They shouldve noticed by now that Lee Shin Woo wasnt the Archmage! [My desire for revenge hasnt left me. Not at all. My friend, you spoke well. Although I feltfort in the darkness, that doesnt mean my desire for revenge has disappeared! On the contrary, no matter how many days or years go by, my desire for revenge still remains strong!] [Thats right, Your Majesty! That hasnt changed at all!] Well, it shouldnt. He was an undead after all. This emotion (rejecting change) was an undeads most powerful emotion, and this emotion was controlling the Emperor as well, so there was no way hed be able to escape its binds for even one second! The Emperor, who cradled this cursed feeling like it was a blessing, was so pathetic that it was hard for him to continue looking at him. Is this what a fight was supposed to be like? He had a bitter taste in his mouth. Ah, he chewed on some bone powder. [Then, what will you do if I, your humble servant (skeleton), have a solution to your plight?] [...A solution?] The Emperor tilted his head. Contrary to Leofield, the Emperor hadnt doubted Lee Shin Woo from the beginning. It couldnt be helped. After all, that was what Lee Shin Woo was all about. [If I can bring Jirold before you, then what will you do, Your Majesty?] [Bring Jirold... before me...?] The Emperor slowly reiterated his question. He couldnt even imagine it. The Archmage had never said something like this before, but... [You would bring Jirold, whos hiding on the surface, before me?] [Yes, Your Majesty. It took me quite a long time, but Ive be able to do that now. I prepared (and developed) my space element for this very moment.] [I know how extraordinary your space element is... So with that power, you can finally get through the barrier and...] [It was only possible through your grace and the source of darkness. So, this is also your karma, Your Majesty.] [Is that so? ...I see! So youre saying that its because of me that you were able to go through the barrier!] The Emperor epted his magic tinged words as the obvious truth. That was the power of Instigate. [The Instigate skill has be Lv10 and has been maxed out! Others perceive your lies as truth. No, it bes the new truth. Magic has increased by 50. By mastering one of the Jokers innate skills, your other skills growth rate increases. One of your karmas conditions has been fulfilled.] He had mastered one of the Jokers innate skills! At that moment, Lee Shin Woos (nonexistent) heart thumped and pleasure spread throughout his entire body. The 50 Magic increase wasnt important. There was a more fundamental and extreme change that was affecting his very existence...! Im not far. Not far from what? He couldnt tell. However, Lee Shin Woo thought that instinctively. With the stat increases from Regeneration, his total stats were now 25,412. All that was left were 187 stat points. However, there was something more important than stats right in front of him. It was waiting for him to figure out what it was! "Oh..." "Your Majesty, are you dreaming of snails?" [1] Whereas, on the surface, the Light General was watching the Magic Emperor, looking at him as if he were hopeless. She spoke impolitely, but the Emperor wore all sorts of defensive equipment (that had been in the pces treasury). And if that wasnt enough, he had wrapped scrolls engraved with all sorts of magic forms onto his body. Thus, the Emperors authority was still powerful. "Everything will end soon. Since our forces should be shing with theirs now!" "Yes, I heard that too." "The Imperial Army will take care of everything. Theyll take care of everything before the religious orders even have a chance. I trained my soldiers so diligently for this very moment!" "Sure, sure." And that was exactly what the hero, Izuna, had been hoping for. The Magic Emperor seemed so pathetic that the Light General felt like shed click her tongue. He should already know that the undead were not to be underestimated; after all, none of the Vampires hed sent previously hade back alive! Despite that, the Emperor was sure that his soldiers and knights, as well as the 12 Generals, would be able to take out the undead without any difficulty. But where exactly did this confidencee from!? He was definitely relying on the negative effects of bing an undead. ...Then again, Im not much different. A long time ago, I was willing to sacrifice my own body to get my revenge... Then, at that moment... She shuddered. The rm magic forms that shed set up prior had just gone off. A thick smile appeared on her face. She spoke tiredly at the Magic Emperor, who seemed to be more and more like a snail, which had found arge house to wander around in. "Hoo. Rather than acting so foolishly, why dont I apany you?" "...Really?" "I know youre suspicious of me. So shouldnt I be trying to gain your trust in a time like this? Its regrettable, but we both seem to be acting in the best interests of the Empire." "Ive never once questioned your loyalty. ...Ah, of course." The Magic Emperor had always desired her, but she had always narrowly escaped his grasp. He couldnt go after her when Arema Steelworker was still on the surface, as he couldnt hurt his loyal retainer. But when he abandoned Sorura and went down underground, Sorura had immediately married another man. And she eventually became a widow. Despite that, the Emperor couldnt give up on her. He convinced her to be a Vampire so that she could eventually be with Arema, and ultimately transformed her into a Vampire. At the time, he thought he was almost there. The Vampire that created another Vampire... In other words, the children would always think highly of their father. Moreover, he was able to forge a deep connection with her through Lightning Bind, so it was easy for him to force a rtionship with her! ...However, she was barely affected by him, even after bing a Vampire, perhaps due to her light element. Thus, the Emperor was forced to give up on her. But to think that she, who had rejected him for so long, had epted him so easily!? "...I can pretty much tell what youre thinking, but I cant let you do everything." "O-Of course. I cant do something shameless to a virtuous woman like you." Everyone said that in the beginning. In the beginning, at least. The Emperor decided to magnanimously ept her fussing. But he never knew when Seagald would strike, so he didnt strip off all of his equipment. He only de-equipped a few pieces of excess equipment and briefly took off the scrolls that would impede his movement. This all doesnt matter much anyway. Sorura, who was watching him, noted that he looked more and more hideous. Even so, she didnt let it worry her and she approached him. After all, saying a few things he wanted to hear would allow her to get close to him without him being suspicious of her. "Then... Shall we go to bed?" "Yes, Your Majesty." The Emperors hand touched Soruras shoulder. And a ck me shifted to the Emperor and zed. "...Huh?" "This is called Fire Shadow. You can either transfer your power to your contractee, or you can use magic through their body. Since Heaven Space or a space-type element is mixed into it, it proves that the underground heroes have grown beyond our wildest imaginations." Sorura said. Her face had already be ck me. Soon, even that me shifted to the Emperor. Even if he tried to deal with it with the darkness element or Lightning Bind, it was difficult, as Sorura was facing him. Sorura, who had always rejected him, was using that link between them to her advantage! The deep darkness that linked the two of them was getting in Lightning Binds way! "What is this... Keuk!?" "Then... I hope you have a good night, Your Majesty." The Emperor could say no more. The Fires Shadow that came from Sorura engulfed the Magic Emperor and had erased him from his current location. Sorura, now alone, was quite pale, but she hadnt died. "I thought itd burn me too. Was it a lie...? Well, whatever. There are still some things I need to do." Of course, she trusted the heroes, but the Magic Emperor may return, so she decided to destroy the ce that he could return to. Light erupted from her hand. After she, with a joyous expression, had vaporized the Emperors bedroom, she began to destroy the rest of the pce. [1] E/N: TLDR: its someone who aims to live a slow, steady and peaceful life. An anime rmendation that fulfills this very thoroughly is [Tanaka-kun is Always Listless]. ? Chapter 53 part7 The target of his so ardently desired vengeance was right before him. The Archmage had been so confident in his endeavor that Jissehanu was momentarily stunned. However, he soon realized what must be done and began to act. [Jirolddddddddddd!] [Keuk, Jissehanu!? How!? What the hell happened!?] Whereas, Jirold, who had been waiting to hear the good news, had fallen into Hell. Compared to Jissehanu, he hadnt grasped the situation right away. That allowed Jissehanu to make the first move. [Kuhahk!?] [Jirold, I wanted to see you! I really wanted to see you!] [This... Jissehanuuuuuuu!] Even if its rotten, its still a herring, huh. Once Jirold was struck by Jissehanus darkness, he got a hold of himself and began to counterattack. Dark lightning crackled, gathered around his hands, and shined. Just because he possessed Lightning Bind didnt mean hisbat abilities were low. He was a Vampire, a species that specialized in magic and regeneration, and had also nearly mastered his lightning element! [I dont know how you brought me here, but Jissehanu... Bringing me before you was a huge mistake. Have you forgotten? Long ago, you werent able to beat me. By bing an undead, have you forgotten about my strength along with everything else!?] [I remember, Jirold. I remember it as if it were just yesterday; how ruthless you were to me and my friends. But time has passed. So much so that it feels like we were ying house back then! ...And it seems like youve be an undead too. How hrious!] Thats right. It didnt matter what they were thinking before, or who/what intervened. Now that theyd met, they would have no choice but to fight until one of them died! The Magic Emperors lightning shed with the Undead Emperors darkness midair. Contrary to Jirold, Jissehanu was a magician that had maxed out his darkness element and used it as his standalone element. Thus, his darkness was far greater than Jirolds lightning. [Hmph, youve been immersed in this darkness and have be quite close with it it seems. Now Ill show you that lightning can even tear through that darkness you hold so dear!] [...Keuk!?] Jirold soon realized that if he kept using the lightning element, hed lose, so he began using his Lightning Bind. Lee Shin Woo wasnt aware of this yet, but Lightning Bind was a perfect battle ability. With Lightning Bind, Jirold transferred all damage dealt to him to those connected with him, and could steal their Magic, Health, Strength, and Agility to bolster his own stats. That was the true power of Lightning Bind! The Magic Emperor hadnt fought on the frontlines thus far, so hed never had a need to use it that way. However, Lightning Bind reinforced the darkness elements link ability close to its limit! ...If he could use Lightning Bind properly, that is. [Keuk, why...] [I can tell what youre trying to do, Jirold. However... This is my pce.] Jissehanu mocked him. [You probably erected a barrier around your pce too. Did you think I wouldnt do the same?] [How did you...!?] [I was always one step behind you, but it was my barrier that allowed for the creation of this Empire. And for the past several years, Ive strengthened that ability again and again! Though there was an unfortunate incident a short while ago that destroyed a part of the barrier...] When the light st had struck the capital, the Undead Emperor had been extremely confused. He was nervous, thinking that perhaps Seagald truly intended to uproot the entire Empire. However, there was one good thing that came out of it. As the Undead Emperor no longer needed to maintain the barrier, he was now able to conserve some of his mana. He didnt obsess over remaking the damaged barrier, and instead focused on reinforcing the pces barrier. It had turned out to be a wise decision. Even if Jirold used his Lightning Bind, its effects couldnt prate the pces barrier, thus stopping him from affecting or being affected by others! [Keuk, Jissehanu, you dare... you...!] [Jirold, shall we y? We have plenty of time anyway. No one will be able to interfere.] The aftermath of the two Emperors magic had already erased the pces guards from the face of the earth. The pce waspletely empty. Of course, there was no way that the Archmage, Feotane Von Seldin would be affected... Feotane may be skilled, but he cannot intervene in my battle with Jirold. Moreover, linking the space between the two pces mustve taken a heavy toll on him. ...Im so thankful to him. I hope he got away safely. Then, he heard amotion from afar, outside of the pce. The Archmage probably knew he would be of no help and had decided tomand the troops in his Emperors stead. Since Jirold wasnt the only enemy they had to face right now. No, this was where things would truly begin. The battle between the undead and the dirty humans on the surface would begin in earnest. The Archmage should be able to lead their troops to victory on behalf of the Underground Empire! [While our troops fight, let us also fight to our hearts content, Brother! It reminds me of so long ago!] [You disgusting... Fine, Ill take you on. Lets see whos superior!] The two Emperors shed once more. As they were both level 9s, the ambient mana vibrated mercilessly. But due to Jissehanus barrier (within the hall), the ruckus didnt escape the pces walls. They were dueling for supremacy! ...Because of that, Lee Shin Woo was able to move a bit more freely. "I cant believe youre so calm, even after seeing that." "I have to be calm. Theyre both freakishly strong; whenever they attack each other, their bones creak, and they hurt each other. How can I not be calm? At the very least, neither one of them will win one-sidedly, so I wont have to take over." Man, the Magic Emperor, Jirold, fights a lot better than I expected, Lee Shin Woo muttered under his breath and Jin just stood there, dumbstruck. "I was worried that both Jirold and Jissehanu were both hikikomoris, but it seems like theyre a good match. Maybe its because theyre both hikikomoris. Wow, look at that mana splitting in the air. If I grow just a little more, then I could create stuff with just a speck of mana." "I dont even get what Im looking at... Just looking at it makes me shake." The extremelypressed magic shed repeatedly within the air, but it actually wasnt very shy. Whenever their magic shed, they would cancel each other out, and the barrier prevented any impact. Its just... Despite that, Lee Shin Woo couldnt make light of their battle. Anyone who could wield mana should be able to feel it. How powerful Jissehanus sphere of darkness, as well as Jirolds ck Lightning Bind were. "Wow, this is really informative. As expected, they didnt waste their time over the years. Then again, there was a lot to learn about the Archmages magic too... Damn, Im on the cusp of mastering Mana eleration and Mana Bone." "So youre just going to sit here and keep watching that lecture on mana?" "If I could, I would, but... Tch, I guess I cant." Lee Shin Woo wanted to watch the view while eating some popcorn, but unfortunately, he didnt have that much free time right now. For the time being, Lee Shin Woo had used the Annihtion me to erase their presences, so no one noticed them. Normally, maintaining Annihtion me wasnt very difficult for him. Because his Annihtion me had reached intermediate level 2, he was able to pull off this imitation. "I know where it is and I pretty much know how to open it now, so lets go. Man, its really tough to move around with both Wild Card and Annihtion me on." "Im more surprised that we can move around right under their noses..." Lee Shin Woo had summoned Jirold to fight against Jissehanu and buy him time. Hed already done that, so what else was left? Obviously, he needed to destroy the source of darkness; also known as Jissehanus life vessel! If Jirold managed to kill Jissehanu, then Jissehanu would resurrect at his life vessel. Not only did he have to finish things before then, but if Jissehanu managed to kill Jirold, then hed noticed an abnormality with his life vessel ande to stop him. Either way, he needed to destroy the life vessel ASAP. In other words, timing was paramount. It really befit a herosst mission. "Damn it, if I didnt have this overpowered ability and had an overpowered stealth ability instead, Id be able to take care of this easily...!" "How overpowered would it have to be for you to be able to resolve this situation so easily?" "Not sure. About the level of being right in front of God, but her not noticing me...?" "Isnt that the level of a god...?" He imed they didnt have any spare time, yet they moved towards the location of the magic circle while hypocritically joking around with each other. It seemed as though Jissehanu felt that his own life was important, as he fought centered around his throne. However, Jirold was no pushover, so he was continuously forced away from the throne area. With Lee Shin Woos Wild Card (which allowed him topletely understand the situation), and Jins Agility, which allowed his movements to border on foresight, they avoided everything and arrived in front of the magic circle. "Oh, wait. Where did Chi Paul go? Didnt you bring him along to use as a meat shield if things got dangerous?" "Are you crazy? Id rather die once than use something that precious as a meat shield." "Then why did you bring him...?" "I gave Chi Paul a really important job. Yep, its really important." "...? Are you using Fire Shadow right now? Why are you using it now?" A portion of Lee Shin Woos hand was tinged in darkness and burned quietly. Seeing that, Jin tilted her head. Lee Shin Woo just smiled bitterly and said. "Im doing that." "You mean that thing where you transfer your powers to someone else? ...Does it really matter if you transfer yourbat abilities to him?" "It matters, because Im not transferring mybat abilities." "Huh...?" Jin tilted her head, but then... A man, who looked exactly like the Emperor, yelled in a booming voice from outside the pce. [The time hase. My loyal subjects. Stand up... Its time for us to take revenge on those who imprisoned us within darkness!] [Uooooooooh!] [Obey His Majesty! His Majesty is leading us personally!] [Its a holy war! To war!] The elite soldiers and knights seemingly became intoxicated from each and every one of his words. No one doubted the Emperors appearance or words. A ck me briefly erupted from his shadow, but no one had seen it. All of the Imperial Armys elite troops marched from the capital. Lloyd and the hero squad encountered them, and they all rushed towards the exit set up within the level 5 danger zone (this was the hardest one to dig up. It was like building a tower and breaking through the ceiling). Chapter 53 part8 Seagald hadnt had a deep understanding of Fire Shadow, so hed only used it as a convenient transportation ability. However, Lee Shin Woo was different. He was not only well-versed in both fire and darkness, but alsomanded scores of subordinates and couldmune with them. Therefore, Lee Shin Woo could use Fire Shadow to turn his subordinates into little Lee Shin Woos. If he slightly adjusted his abilities and applied them to his subordinates, then what would happen? ...Thats right. It would be hell on earth. [Your enemies arent here! Our (the undead) enemies are the humans! Do you not see those contemptible humans gathered on that vast in!? Do you truly not see those humans, who brazenly live and breathe on the surface!?] Of Lee Shin Woos many loyal retainers, one of them, Shino Rendu, yelled out in a booming voice. Just a little while ago, Shino Rendu and the Pauls had been roaming across the Underground Empire, spewing all sorts of insults towards the undead. They had finally passed the long underground passageway (to be honest, they were afraid of the existence of the barrier, not the barrier itself. Once they passed through it, they felt like it wasnt really a big deal) and had gotten to the surface, all while maintaining their hostile attitude towards the undead. So, the fact that Shino Rendu was going around talking like this sounded ridiculous. However... [H-Humans...!] [Hes right. Its the humans...] [Attack the humans! We cant attack our brothers (fellow undead)!] [D-Dont shoot, theyre allies!] [Kill the humans. Their healthy skin, their flowing blood, and their pulsing hearts! Lets kill all the humans and turn them into beings like us!] The underground undead, which had followed them and seemed willing to give up their skulls to kill the Pauls, had surprisingly been persuaded by Shino Rendus speech and turned their sights to the humans! Shino Rendus attitude had changed so suddenly that even the Pauls, which had been luring the undead, were stunned. [To think ourmander had that kind of ability...] [Maybe he gained a power that resembles Lord Paul Zeros by following him.] [It makes sense. Lord Paul Zero truly is great!] Not many had noticed the ck me shadow beneath Shino Rendus feet. Even if they did, it didnt matter. Since there was only one person in this entire world that could figure out the principle and the result behind this ability! [You guys listen up too! From now on, well arbitrate the battle. Dont die! Save everything that should be saved and kill everything that should be killed! This is the order of the Heaven Defying General, Lord Paul Zero, the sole man to crush and overturn the heavens!] [Uoooooooh!] [Paul Zero! Paul Zero! Paul Zero!] [Lord Paul Zero has given themand. Its time to bring order back to thisnd! Weve finally foundnd where we can live in peace!] [Keep following him, he who led us all the way to the surface! Show him that we can be victorious in any battle!] The Pauls cheers wouldnt abate and just got louder and louder. Though they may have started at different areas, the other Pauls began to join them. Even the underground undead were affected by Shino Rendus magnificent Instigate and acted like they were possessed; they were fooled by him and didnt know up from down, and soon stood at the forefront of the battle. If the Emperor, the Archmage, or Seagald had seen this, then they wouldve gone crazy! Shino Rendu had taken control of so many of the Underground Empires undead so easily! However, this wouldve been impossible if not for Lee Shin Woos ability. It hadnt been easy. "All forces, listen up!" Whereas, on the opposite side, the hero Izuna, was raising her voice as well. "Wevee here to protect the surface, and to prevent any more pointless deaths! We must protect ourselves from the undead that seek to do us harm, and protect our wills as well! All who live within the Empire are its master, so we must work together to protect the Empire!" "Uoooooooooh!" "Hero Izuna! Youre already a hero!" "Indeed. We, who live in the Empire, must protect it ourselves!" "Praise be the sun!" "Hurray for the Sun God!" "Hurray for the Sun God religion! Hurray for the hero, Izuna!" While Ye Jin Jin was orating with such a booming voice, there was, of course, a ck fire zing beneath her feet. Her magical speech, which seemed to bedazzle even her allies, had even gotten the Pope of the Sun God religion to lose his mind momentarily. "What exactly is happening... Did Kay remain as a vengeful spirit since he wasnt able to do everything he set out to do and possess Izuna?" "Weve arrived at the Setoni ins, Pope. We really have to focus now! Since the undead have already begun advancing!" The Setoni ins was the location that Lee Shin Woo had chosen for the final battle. It was closest to the undergrounds exits, while also being incredibly vast and suitable for battle. Also, there werent any innocent civilians nearby, so there wasnt any risk of the undead curse affecting them. Therefore, for all these reasons, Lee Shin Woo had tasked his forces to lead the undergrounds undead here and fight. Ultimately, everything had gone smoothly. The board was all set ording to Lee Shin Woos specifications, and Shino Rendu had alreadypleted about half of his n already. Obviously, Shino Rendu, who was inmand of the Pauls, as well as the hero squad, were retreating after leading the undead here. Thats why it had been possible for them to gather all these undead in one area without them getting away. There were some people who found this strange, but their doubts were wiped clean due to Izuna. They needed to kill them all, so it wasnt bad at all that the undead had conveniently gathered in one ce for them! "U-Undead! Yeah, we have to take care of the undead... Heok, there really are a lot of them!" "But its ok. We wont be in much danger." "Huh? Ah, now that you mention it, it does seem that way." Ye Jin Jin grinned and said, and the Pope briefly tilted his head. He soon nodded his head in understanding. Of course, the Pope didnt know of Lee Shin Woos true identity (an undead) or what his forces wereprised of for that matter. However, he somewhat knew what tactics the hero, Izuna, was using, and had even given her advice on certain facets of her n. It was just that the undead force was muchrger than hed anticipated, so he had forgotten all about it for a moment. "I cant bear to see those religious orders do whatever they wish, especially that ridiculous Sun God religion! We, the Emperors loyal nsmen, are the ones who will protect the Empire! The people only live on because of His Majestys grace! The Empire belongs to His Majesty alone! Now is our time to prove that!" "Of course!" "For our great Emperor!" "For the Empire!" Then, as if refuting Izunas grand speech, a part of their forces broke away from the battle line. The Imperial Army had broken away from the main force and had rushed towards the undead! From the very beginning, the Imperial Army had only acted like they obeyed Izuna, but had one goal and one goal only: being the only ones that would distinguish themselves in battle. They had lost their temper and ran in recklessly, as if Izunas speech had gone against the very foundation of the Empire, as well as damaging the Emperors dignity! ...And that was exactly as Izuna, no, Lee Shin Woo had nned. "But what will you do if they arent able to do a significant amount of damage to the undead? Its good for us if the Emperors forces are cut down, but theres no point if we sustain more damage as a result, no?" "Please dont worry, Pope. Where do you think my strengthes from?" "Doesnt your powere from your ability and your artifact? ...Heok, is Kay actually still alive!? To think that the Supplementary Story Volume 7 - The Resurrected me and Izunas Unconceble Ambition was based on a true story...!" "Please tell me in detail where that book is soldter on." She had already collected all of the books featuring Lawrence and Kay as the main characters, but she hadnt known about the supplementary stories! Ye Jin Jin asked him with such a serious expression that the Pope was momentarily overwhelmed. He meekly nodded his head, and Ye Jin Jin cleared her throat and continued. "Obviously, I dont get my power purely from the Sun God. I also cant wield mes by myself. No matter how great the artifact is, do you really think that I would be able to wield such mes because of it?" "If thats the case, then... is that it? Youve surpassed the realm of humans and youre using the spirits power..." "...Yes." As expected, the Pope was no fool. He hadnt gotten a single read on Kay, but after watching Ye Jin Jins abilities for a while, hed formted several ideas. It was just that he knew that Ye Jin Jin wasnt a bad person, and above all, he had kept his mouth shut as she was beneficial to the Sun God religion. He truly was a utilitarian person. "Im borrowing the power of the spirits." "As I thought... I even thought you might be a spirit yourself, but that wasnt the case. Youre borrowing the power of a spirit, huh." "About that... What do you think?" ...While he was always concerned about profits, he wasnt by any means a miser. After all, as Pope, he worked for the believers of the Sun God. "To think that a spirit would once again help a human. Im very thankful." "Eut..." Ye Jin Jins sudden question shouldve caught him off guard, yet the Pope answered seriously. Of course, as an individual with a high post, he was somewhat able to piece together what had happened long ago. "The humans, no, the leaders of the Empire (magicians) were only concerned about maintaining their power, so they ostracized the spirits. I cant even begin toprehend what the spirits thought at the time, as they only regarded humans as their friends. Despite that, not only did they not seek vengeance against mankind, they decided to help us by bringing someone like you to our side... This must be the Sun Gods will." Ye Jin Jins Phoenixs Feather zed fiercely at the Popes words. It was proof that Zenon had an intense reaction to the Popes words, regardless of whether it was positive or negative. However, Ye Jin Jin guessed that they werent negative feelings. "...As expected of you, Pope. Youre no normal person." "Of course Im not. I was the one who discovered Kay after all. Did you forget?" The Pope wrinkled his eyes at Ye Jin Jins admiration and replied slyly. Of course, it was more correct to say that the Pope had arrived at just the right time for Lee Shin Woo to use him, rather than him discovering him, but... Ye Jin Jin didnt mention that and just grinned. "Are they... No, are you all trying to use this battle to reestablish ties between humans and spirits?" "Yes. Id like for that to happen." "Its a bitte to be so frank with me, but... Well, I guess its not toote. Make sure your results show." The Pope spoke, remaining ever so calm, and raised his weapon. An intense me could be seen at the tip of it. "If you dont fulfill your mission, then Ill take care of the rest. A world of humans and spirits... It sounds quite nice." "Yes, I believe it sounds quite nice too." Ye Jin Jin replied, smiling, and raised her javelin. She infused fire into it and threw it. Thergest battle between the undead and the humans... the curtains for the greatest y had finally risen. Chapter 53 part9 While the two Emperors staked their lives on their brotherly spat, Lee Shin Woo released the magic circle, allowing him ess to the passageway that led to the cave where the source of darkness was stored! Whats surprising was that neither Jissehanu nor Jirold had noticed him doing so! His Annihtion me was plenty overpowered! "Its quite narrow." "It really is. Its way too narrow." "...Hey, you sound excited." "Nope, not at all. I have no idea what youre talking about." The two entered the cave. The cave was incredibly dark and was narrow enough that a person would find it difficult to pass through; therefore, Lee Shin Woo and Jin were forced to stick right next to each other. Lately, Jin became noticeably excited whenever they engaged in skinship. Because she was currently in a form that closely resembled her human self, he couldnt help but feel anxious. But he supposed that that wasnt really important right now. "This is all Evil Eye (ore)." "So thats why youre picking all of the ore and feeding it to your Titan Core. Thats all well and good, but werent you the one who said we should hurry?" Not only were the cave walls lined with ore that was suffused with thick darkness magic, but they were all connected to the center of the cave... In other words, they were connected to the source of darkness. And if one were to enter this cave without permission, then the one in charge of this cave... The Emperor, would know they were here. But because Lee Shin Woo had maxed out his darkness element, he couldpletely ignore it and feed all the Evil Eye to his Titan Core. It was all too easy for him to hide his activities from the Emperor. "The Titans all I can rely on if we find ourselves in a pinch. So long as I have this, we wont lose." "Yeah, yeah, I got it. I wasntining. Lets just get going." Lee Shin Woo had already exined the new Titan to Jin already. When shed first heard about it, she was worried that it might not even move properly, but Lee Shin Woo had been so excited that she decided to ept it, albeit bitterly. Moreover, he said he needs me to operate the Titan, so... Mm, will it really work? Im a little happy that he brought me all the way here. ...Err, I guess this really isnt the time. I really have gone crazy. Jin knew how severe her condition was. This was all Lee Shin Woos fault; hes the one whod told her that she could be human again! So, it wasnt her fault at all! Jin thought to herself, whilst changing her expression again and again. Seeing that, Lee Shin Woo became speechless. However, he didnt point it out. He was busy enough picking the Evil Eye ore from the surroundings and feeding it to the core. But good things couldntst forever. Everything has an end, and the cave had an end to it as well. There was a small clearing at the end of the cave,rge enough for them to take a breather, as well as a small bead at the center, which was small enough to fit in Lee Shin Woos hand. [Lv10 Source of Darkness - Lich Emperors Life Vessel] "Holy shit..." "Is it because theres a ton of mana in there, even for you? Can you really handle this?" "To think Id get in so easily... It doesnt make any sense. I thought there would be a level 10 Steve here or something!" "You didnte here to screw around, did you!? Did you!?" At this point, she couldnt tell whether Lee Shin Woo was happy or sad about this! After retorting, she sensed something approaching, so she raised her arm and protected him. Her arm was instantaneously covered in dozens ofyers of armor! Right after, she caught something, causing theyers of armor to shatter into thousands of pieces. It was a thick spear. [As I thought.] Followed by a weighty and serious voice resounding throughout the cave. It was a voice hed heard just a little while ago. [My intuition was right all along. To think youd try to destroy the Empire. It seems like... youre not the real Archmage. I guess Ill never be able to look him in the eye.] "...Bro, why are youing out from there?" He was so astonished that he couldnt help but retort. He briefly wondered whether he was seeing things or not. [Lv8 Heaven Sundering General, Leofield Von Tariman - Elite Death Knight] Thats right. The Heaven Sundering General, Leofield Von Tariman, blocked their path as if he were protecting the source of darkness. [My intuitions always been good. Its as if the wind spirits are whispering in my ears whenever theres danger... Whenever I sensed danger, all I needed to do was follow those whispers.] Obviously, there were no such spirits around Leofield. [It was the same this time too. Even though there was no mistaking that it was the Emperor speaking andmanding the troops, I felt a sense of dj vu. Something felt strange; I was sure of it. However, I could not test His Majesty as one of his loyal retainers. I didnt know what to do, but then... the wind led me here. Just now!] He then thrust his spear towards them once more. But this time, Lee Shin Woo blocked it himself. Leofields spear and his Death Gods Shining Bone Sword shed, causing his sword to creak. Yet, he was able to push him back with his de. Truly a formidable spirit and strength. "The wind led you here...? As I thought, you have an innate element of your own." To think there was a guy whod gone with the flow of the second act at the veryst minute (everyone having innate elements). Lee Shin Woo was absolutely speechless. He had been so relieved that the Undead Emperor hadnt had an innate element, yet here he was, facing off against Leofield who had one! Following Seagalds Annihtion me and the Archmages Dark Space, it was a space-type innate element! Maybe an innate element is a foothold. God herself wields the time element, so maybebining time and space is a realm above the gods?. Lee Shin Woos mind briefly focused on that very question. However, the Heaven Sundering General, whod reached the peak of martial arts, noticed this and thrust his spear to finish him during hispse of attention. Leofields spear was surrounded by a wind that could cut through space itself! This thrust was backed by his trained, transcendent body, and his magic! "Anyway... I think youre misunderstanding something." [Keuk!?] Lee Shin Woo easily repelled Leofields thrust. He used his Assimtion skill with Jin, who was standing right beside him, to add her Agility to his own. ...Actually, it wasnt all because of his Assimtion skill. [The Manatization skill has be Lv9, and Health and Magic have increased by 40.] And thus, his stats had reached 25,493. He only needed 107 more stat points to reach level 9. [What...!? Just a little while ago, you didnt have such strength...!?] "I made it. Or should I say, I switched it with my overwhelming magic stat." Lee Shin Woo extended his hand, grabbed onto the spear (which was facing his sword), and forcefully pulled. With Manatization, he had converted his 10,000 or so Magic into Strength, which resulted in... such power that he felt like he could squash an entire mountain, allowing him to easily steal Leofields spear away from him. [Kuhahk!?] "There." Leofields eyes widened, but Lee Shin Woo just gripped the spear, unconcerned. The artifact, which was created by using the most precious metal in the Empire, infused with the Archmages magic, and had achieved so many feats with the Heaven Sundering General, as well as transcending its limitations and growing... was futilely crumpled up within Lee Shin Woos hand. [This cant be...] "The reason I let you live was because youre needed on the surface to make the battle look realistic. What am I supposed to do with you now, you blockhead?" [You, youre not...] "Yep. Im not afraid of you one bit. Sorry, but you cant beat me. I guess you could call it a dogs death." In the past, Dana and Seira had warned him again and again about the dangers of the Heaven Sundering General, Leofield Von Tariman. Of course, at the time, Lee Shin Woo had justughed it off. And just a short while ago, he could somewhat understand what they were talking about. He was sure that if he were exposed, then it would all be because of this guy. So, he was definitely one scary bastard. However, he wasnt worried about his power; only his intuition. Lee Shin Woo wanted everything to go perfectly, so hed been wary of him! At the very least, he needed to not be exposed until he had tricked the Emperor! [Ill die a dogs death, you say...!?] "Yep." His y was already a sess. So even if Leofield were to block his path, if Lee Shin Woo were to use his full power, then... He actually found it quite hrious that Leofield would be so willing to attack him when he couldnt even gauge the difference in their strength. He wasnt even level 9, yet he wanted to defeat him? He had mastered three elements, wielded six innate elements, and even had Manatization as well. What a joke. "I dont even need to use the Titan to beat you. If you wanted to even give me a bit of a hard time, then you shouldvee for me before I killed Seagald. If you came then, you mightve had a chance. Yeah, you mightve even taken two of my lives." [That cannot be. My spear was tempered so that it can be used to protect His Majesty at all times...] "Sorry, but I dont have time. Youve really wasted a lot of my time already." Lee Shin Woo wasnt going to listen anymore. At any rate, the target was huge and the space wasrge. Heunched a Shining Bone Sword; piercing through Leofields body. Obviously, one of the Heavenly Commanders wouldnt fall from just one attack. Because of that, heunched twenty more of them, which hed prepared earlier. It was simple, so long as he used the darkness elements link ability. Then, the Heaven Sundering General obviously disappeared without a trace. [You have hunted a member of the 12 Generals, the Lv8 Heaven Sundering General, Leofield Von Tariman! All contributing heroes gain 50,000,000 Perium and all stats are increased by 100! You have acquired 15 permits to Gods secret shop. Proficiency in allbat-rted skills has increased significantly!] [Through Gods grace, the Invisible Heart skills maximum level has increased by 6. The Invisible Heart skills level cannot be raised any higher.] [You have not yet met the conditions for a level up. You must prove that you are worthy of the karma that you have chosen.] Ah, as he thought. Hed definitely reached the 25,600 stat benchmark, yet he hadnt leveled up! This was the first time hed ever experienced this, so he was a bit perplexed, but he could understand why it happened. Hed been gaining stats so quickly! On the contrary, he was more surprised that he hadnt gone through any obstacles when leveling up in the past. But it was ok. He could still win with ease. "You... just now..." "Ah, you mean killing him? It was easy since I stole his weapon and attacked while he was confused." "Is it really that simple?" "Thats the truth, so how else can I exin? I already told you how to take advantage of your opponents openings, right?" "You..." If he were acting whilst fighting, then no one would be able to distinguish between his truth or lies. Then again, it was because he had the proper abilities to support his acting that made it so wless. Because he was far stronger than the Heaven Sundering General, his bluffs were more effective than usual. The Heaven Sundering General could do nothing buty down and die. Truthfully, his dramatic actions had confused the Heaven Sundering General and prevented him from moving; and he was soon able to strike him down. Even so, Jin wasnt able toprehend what hed done, even though she had been watching from right beside him. She was shocked by the sequence of events spanning a few seconds, as well as how naturally and quickly hed killed the Heaven Sundering General. "Shin Woo, youre really..." "You can talk all you wantter. Lets focus on whats in front of us." Lee Shin Woo focused on the burst of mana that he felt from outside. As expected, the Heaven Sundering General dying inside here had let Jissehanu know that there was an intruder. Thus, he tried to get over here immediately, but Jirold had seized that opportunity and counterattacked, turning the tides. This wasnt good. If Jirold managed to kill Jissehanu, then hed appear right in front of them! "Hey, cant you just use the Titan to kill both Jirold and Jissehanu...?" "You never know! What if, after killing them, a level 10 Steve shows up!" "You really like Steve, dont you!?" Jin threw a fit, yet she readied herself to protect him anyway. In the midst of this, Lee Shin Woo finally ced his hand on the life vessel. Then, a huge, a truly huge amount of mana flooded his body. "Ugh..." Lee Shin Woo could feel it. That this wasnt something he could just absorb. That he was totally screwed. Chapter 53 part10 [Aaaaaaaaah! Guaaaaaaah!] A wail resounded throughout the battlefield. Who exactly was screaming, and for what reason? Those fighting couldnt discern the source of the scream. But whenever that beautiful, frightening, unforgettable, and horrific scream resounded throughout the battlefield, someone died. Someone would copse, and someone else wouldnt be able to move. [Aaaaaah. Uaaaaaaaah....!] Seira had gotten over her past as a hero, and continued to wail as a Banshee. She continued to wail. Lee Shin Woo was also increasing her strength! A shadow of ck me covered her entire body. With the help of Lee Shin Woos Wild Card skill, not only did her Banshees Cry buff allies, but the effects were further increased as well! "This way! This way... Keok!" [I killed one of them! Lets go!] Their allies were weaker and their enemies were stronger. The knights, who had suddenly led the enemy forces, died due to their trivial mistakes. And that allowed the allied forces to regain the lead. "If we just hold out a little while longer, then reinforcements will... R-Reinforcements will...!" [Lord Paul Zero hasmanded us. Dont discriminate and kill them all. Give them the death that we all wish for!] The allied forces were stronger due to their extreme change. If they got even the slightest of leads, they wouldnt allow their enemies time to breathe. The allied forces des would always, without fail, cut off their heads or pierce a vital area, while the enemies des would flounder in the air. Some of them even managed to embed their swords into their own bodies! "How can this be? Its too one-sided..." "Is that the power of a Banshee? How is a single Banshee doing this to our entire army!?" The Vampires were dumbstruck by the spectacle. Ignoring her tears or her wails was easy enough, but they noticed that wherever her voice reached, there was an increasing frequency of deaths! Her voice brought death to the enemy, but it also continuously strengthened the Heaven Defying Generals troops. Moreover, the range of her screams was by no means ordinary! To be honest, the reason that Lee Shin Woo could be absent from this battle was because he could rely on Seiras authority. Mm. With Fire Shadows effects, you can just cry and influence the progress of the battle however you wish. I told you. Out of everyone, my ability has the highest affinity with you. ...Unfortunately, its something I never wished for! Its toote for you to go all tsundere on me at this point... In any case, Ill leave this to you. If Ye Jin Jins my representative for the human side, then youre my representative for the undead side, not Shino Rendu. Hoo, of course. So, I was just wondering. Are you and Shino Rendu... Though youve be my master, you cannot manipte my emotions as you please. Y-You may be able to do what you want with my body, but... You dirty and underhanded bastard! Hey, I never said Id do anything of the sort! I respect your independence you know! Lee Shin Woo recalled his conversation with Seira prior to the battle and smiled. To think hed beughing at a conversation with such an infuriating person; he felt that he himself was strange, but he couldnt help it. He justughed automatically. [Guhiiiiiii! Huoooooooooh!] [Hiik!] [The Banshees crying! Shes looking at me!] [Were going to die! Right now!] She continued to scream, but she now wore a smile on her face. Seira became even stronger than before, and there were even some soldiers that fainted at the sight of her. Despite the fact that several of them were undead! "Seira, what exactly are you..." Whereas, Lloyd and the heroes, who had aplished the most difficult mission of leading the undead here (Why exactly was it the hardest job? Not only was the average level of the Underground Empires Imperial Army incredibly high, but the passageway from the capital to the surface was the most perilous), had disguised themselves as a volunteer army that attacked the main forces rear. In the midst of that, Lloyds eyes widened at Seiras power. "Do people change that much when they be an undead?" "Perhaps. Love also mightve changed her. Ah, I see Prince over there. Shes be quite proficient in handling the Fire Demon... No, shes gotten a lot stronger." "Ye Jin Jin is here too. ...Is that really Ye Jin Jin?" They saw Ye Jin Jin throw all manner of throwing projectiles, as well as her me, to burn countless enemies to a crisp. They knew that she, under Lee Shin Woos request, had be stronger, but this was a bit too much, wasnt it!? "Everyone whos involved with Lee Shin Woo goes through an extreme change." "Keuk..." "That goes for you too, Lloyd. You grew substantially. Mentally and physically." "...Erian." "Hey. You can talk about sexter. Focus on the battle for now." "S-Sex!?" Lloyd and Erian had a good thing going there, but Kratia, who was quietly casting, coldly interjected. Their job was to protect Kratia until she was finished casting her spell! "Everyones changed a lot. Really..." "You havent seen anything yet. Youll see, once weve mostly cleared out the Imperial Army." "What happens then?" "...Ye Jin Jin will show us soon." Kratia was telling the truth. Ultimately, countless undead had sacrificed themselves to kill Kuroin Von Begner (it was the Underground Empires Imperial Army, of course), and once the squads led by the remaining 12 Generals were destroyed, the undead forces pushed even harder, as if aware of their impending victory! "Damn it. These undead never tire, do they!?" "Well be pushed back at this rate. Im d that that despicable Begner was killed, but at this rate, everyone will..." "...Please dont worry, everyone." What dramatic timing. ...No, that was a lie. Lee Shin Woo had picked that timing to make it look dramatic. The hero, Izuna, raised her spear and stepped forward. "We have allies that will help us!" "Allies... Are you referring to that volunteer army?" "Theyre helpful, yes, but thats not enough to turn the tide..." "Oh, spirits!" At this point in time, a long speech would be pointless. There was something far greater: feats and results! Once Ye Jin Jin yelled, a giant gate appeared in the center of the battlefield. It was the gate that connected the surface to the Spirits Spring. The Spirit Princess and now the Immortal Princess, Dana, stepped out of the gate! Her beauty caused the forces to lose all focus and look at her in awe. However, she hadnte here for people to marvel at her appearance. "Oh, spirits!" The beautiful and powerful Immortal Princess, Dana, recited her script as politely as possible. "The humans require our aid! These heinous ghosts are dirtying the surface! Thisnd, which is both our base and our ce to live!" [Aah, it smells like the curse! This disgusting smell, which seeks to bring everything to death!] [Spirits, its our turn now! Its time for us, as residents of this world, to drive out the curse!] [Uoooooooh!] Though the spirits were somewhat awkward, they nheless stuck to their lines. Of course, if one looked at them closely, their awkwardness would show, but because they had appeared when the surface needed them most... it was almost as if God had sent them to aid them. "Ooooooooh!" "The spirits... the spirits havee to aid us!" "The hero, Izuna, brought the spirits here to save us!" "Lady Izuna!" "The Spirit Queen!" They fell for it. A few well ced individuals yelled out, establishing the mood. It was super effective! Not only were there more and more individuals that yelled Izunas name, but they were starting to call Dana the Spirit Queen. "Zenon." [Am I finally able to show myself?] It was perfect timing. No, it was even better. Zenon, who quietly resided within Ye Jin Jins dress, materialized himself. At that moment, her magic increased even further. Her magic was strong enough by just wearing the dress, but by materializing, Zenon increased Ye Jin Jins power even further! "Indeed. The spirits have forgiven our past transgressions and have decided to help us! We can definitely ovee this hurdle! Together with the spirits! That must be what Sir Kay wished for as well!" "Uooooooooooh!" "Us humans wont lose to the likes of you!" "The spirits came back for us... Aah, God is smiling down at us!" "Praise be the sun!" Their confidence soared as if they had be religious zealots! The madness of the battleground mustve permeated into their brains. If it hadnt, then the surface dwellers, who had been taught to hate the spirits, wouldnt so easily ept the spirits! However, that was exactly what Lee Shin Woo had been aiming for. [We...We wont lose!] [We will... retake the surface.] [The Emperors not at fault. He has always struggled to keep his people alive; the spirits are no exception!] [Then why... did you try killing us for so long?] The mood had shifted entirely in the humans favor. The undead couldnt win anymore. This part was critical. They needed to kill the undead, sure, but they couldnt afford to kill the Heaven Defying Generals troops as well. Now they had to gradually y dead and retreat. It would prove to be incrediblyplicated, but Lee Shin Woo had already prepared everything in advance. Dana, whod appeared with such excellent timing, had been assigned a task that was just as important. Allowing the Heros forces to escape. ...Using the Spirits Spring. The Hero is definitely a genius, Dana inwardly muttered. The spirits would appear at a critical moment, drawing everyones attention. And then, the Heaven Defying Generals troops would quietly retreat. No matter how she thought about it, it wasnt an idea that could be put together by a human. As expected, he was indeed the chosen hero! ...However, when everything was falling into ce... [...Dont...] "...Huh?" Dana tilted her head at the voice that resounded throughout the battlefield. She wasnt the only one. Everyone on the battlefield heard that magical voice, forcing them to give up on the battle and focus entirely on the voice. [...Shoot.] The voice gradually became clearer, and loudly resounded throughout the battlefield. [Dont shoot...] And soon, everyone could hear it. Dana marveled its contents and the voice itself. What exactly was happening? Why was he personally intervening now? However, it was definitely him. Lee Shin Woo, who had overturned all logic and had created this stage, was yelling. [Stop, friendly fire! All of you... stop fighting!] The battlefield froze. The sky and the ground were both shining. She didnt know what was happening, but she was sure of one thing... he was overturning all cause-and-effect. "What is this..." Dana muttered vacantly and raised her hand. And she soon realized. Everyone else was undergoing the same evolution that she had. The humans, the undead, and the spirits... they all obeyed his will. Seeing that, Dana justughed despondently. She really had no choice. [If youre all ready, then look and realize.] Everyone watched and experienced the worlds changes, and bowed before the god in front of them in worship. A god was performing a miracle. epilogue (end) Lets turn back time a little bit to when Lee Shin Woo hade across the source of darkness. [Lv10 Source of Darkness - Lich Emperors Life Vessel] Once hed ced his hands upon the source of darkness, Lee Shin Woo came to a realization. That no one individual could bear this by themselves. The level 9 Undead Emperor hadnt stored this here and used it as his life vessel for no reason. Hed done this because no one could handle it. He had given up on controlling it and had used it as his life vessel instead! I prepared myself for this, but... Shit, this is way too much! Whats worse, there was an even bigger problem. Once Lee Shin Woo had approached it, the source of darkness recognized him and began unleashing a torrent of mana towards him. It mustve been affected by his maxed out darkness element. However, that wasnt good for him right now. The source of darkness was so much stronger than Lee Shin Woo. If it kept unleashing its mana, then Lee Shin Woos body would disintegrate. It wasnt on the level of Manatization. He would just be mana itself. "Shin Woo, Shin Woo!?" "Dont assimte with me! Youll die!" "Eut!" Lee Shin Woo screamed in anguish, and Jin froze solid. But she wouldnt condone his death. "What am I supposed to do if you die!? Then I really will die... You have to keep your promise and turn me human again!" "I wont die right away. I can handle it with Invisible Heart. But you cant! Your revival relies on darkness!" "Ugh...!" He was absolutely right. Jin had gonepletely stiff. In the midst of that, Lee Shin Woo tried to absorb the source of darkness whole without getting sick. He tried using his Manatization, Mana eleration, and Mana Bone skills to control the flow of mana, as well as all of his innate elements to twist cause-and-effect. But it didnt work at all. It was only natural! Ultimately, what it came down to was that all elements were controlled by mana! The pure darkness mana demolished all logic and cause-and-effect, and flooded Lee Shin Woos body. Uaaaaaah! It hurts and it stings! But its also rxing and feels good... Damn it, I really will die at this rate! Its like Im right about to lose consciousness atop a mountain! The term source was truly a fitting title for it. It was indeed the source of all darkness in this world. It felt as though half of this world was within it. Absorbing it by himself? What a joke. It was like taking in half of the worlds poption; it was impossible from the very start. Lee Shin Woo had miscalcted. It was a crucial miscalction at that. Then what am I supposed to do? If I dont do something about this, then I cant kill Jissehanu! Jissehanu had already begun using this as his life vessel. Topletely eliminate the undead curse, Lee Shin Woo had to kill him, and to do that, he needed to destroy his life vessel as well. He hadnt had any other choice from the very start. Then why!? Hed dealt with any absurdity his own way thus far, but he wasnt able to deal with this one! No, if something like this actually existed, then God shouldve given him some warning beforehand! What if I turn into a Titan? I may be able to contain all of this overwhelming mana... No, thats not enough. If he were to use the Titan, then hed only be switching his small soy sauce bowl for a soup bowl. He needed to absorb half the world itself, so it wouldnt make much difference. On the contrary, by increasing the size of the medium, he might actually find it harder to control the mana. Theres a solution somewhere. There has to be. If I were to fuse the innate elements together, then... Heaven Space? Dark Shadow? Use Annihtion me to sever the link? What if I were to eliminate the mana with Shining me as soon as I acquire it... No, it wouldnt work. That would only work when Lee Shin Woo was in control of the darkness mana in question; it wouldnt work since he couldnt control this mana. The situation was reversed. Lee Shin Woo wasnt the master of this mana. Rather, the source of darkness was. The source of darkness was eating Lee Shin Woo, not the other way around. Using the Titan? If he had, then it wouldve been a huge issue. Right now, the Titan Core wasposed of the Demon Heart that originated from the Evil Eye ore; the Demon Heart hade from the source of darkness itself. If hed used the Titan, then he wouldve been devoured in the blink of an eye. He was really out of options. The Undead Emperors security hadnt beenx; there had been no need for security in the first ce. No, the fact that Jissehanu had managed to process such a great artifact and use it as his life vessel proved that he was a genius. A man extraordinary enough to aim for the surface! What do I do? How do I go about this? What do I have to do to absorb all this mana? Its not possible unless I were to be a god! Its just way too much for me to absorb...! Despair would always arise without a moments notice. And there usually wasnt any way to deal with that despair. Lee Shin Woo recollected his long past death on Earth. Yeah. This is what despair felt like when one was at the cusp of death. It had been such a shocking affair that Lee Shin Woo had asked God for immortality. Hed forgotten all about his original personality, beliefs, and skills, and pursued such a childish dream instead. As a result, he was able to progress this far, which was shocking to him, but... ultimately, he was faced with despair. This is unfair. Everythings unfair. Everyone hed met mustve thought that Lee Shin Woo was unfair. This is absurd. Everythings absurd. Whenever hed been faced with an absurd situation, hed dealt with it with an equally absurd solution, so he really had no leg to stand on. Whats worse, I cant trick this thing. Tricking someone required that they have the minimum emotions, will, or what-not. However, the source of darkness didnt have any of those. The reason this thing was emitting mana was purely because darkness was there. He could understand how mountain climbers felt. There was a mountain there, so they climbed it. Though he wasnt going to actually climb a mountain or anything. ...I guess there really isnt anything I can do. Lee Shin Woo acknowledged his inability. It felt as though he wasnt able to get to level 9 because hed given up. But it couldnt be helped. Others had often called him stubborn or overpowered, but Lee Shin Woo was fundamentally still a human who followed his set criteria and logic. Every situation, which changed due to his silver tongue or skills, was nothing more than an event where he calcted the rate of sess and/or failure. And so, the fact that hed determined that he was out of options meant that this was truly the end. There was nothing he could do. After dying 210 times, he really would die. However... When hed given up on everything, he thought of something. Who said I couldnt absorb this thing? Whod said that? Who said I wasnt a god? Whod said that? I dont think it was me. Lee Shin Woo thought about it. Since when was he a mortal? Since when had he be an imbecile that couldnt absorb this small bead of darkness? He didnt think it was him. There was no reason he couldnt absorb this thing. No... I am a god. When he thought about it, he was one. Hed eliminated the limitations of space, could nullify all barriers, had created a new race, had found the elusive Spirits Spring and had gone so far as to form a contract with it, and had even met another god, who was shocked by his existence. If he wasnt a god, then who was? Everything always went his way, so what else could this be but omnipotence? I... can absorb it. Lee Shin Woo said naively. He forgot about everything else. He only briefly thought of logic, but soon couldnt, as he sank through the surface of the ocean of thoughts. Thats what he was doing within his subconscious. These ideas, that he wasnt a god, that he wasnt omnipotent, that he couldnt absorb the source of darkness... all this logic that emerged within his mind was cast aside and ultimately eliminated. And when none were able to evenprehend what this stupid and hopeless man was attempting... Theres no way I cant absorb it. Its only half the world. Its nothingpared to what Ive done thus far. Its a piece of cake. Lee Shin Woo truly believed that he was a god. He truly believed that he could absorb the source of darkness. At that moment, everything changed. [The Acting skill has been maxed out!] [The Wild Card skill has been maxed out! All of the Jokers innate skills increase its power! For anyone connected to you, cause-and-effect flows however you wish! The Combat Sense skill has been absorbed by Wild Card.] First off, the Acting and Wild Card skills were mastered. Better yet, the Combat Sense skill was also absorbed by his Wild Card skill! When he had first acquired the Wild Card skill, he had realized that by absorbing his other skills, it allowed him to wield them more naturally and with greater power than before. However, Lee Shin Woo didnt feel inspired by it at all. Not only was it not important right now, but why was it leveling up right now? He soon underwent a full-blown change. [The Manatization skill has be Lv10 and has been maxed out! Health and Magic have increased by 200! You can now convert your entire body into mana. However, with your talent, you can define yourself however you wish! The skill has been absorbed by Wild Card!] [With a body of a mortal, you have dared to define yourself as a God. This is, above all else, an act of rebellion against the gods! The Rebellion skill has be Lv10 and has been maxed out! All stats have increased by 200! You now have the right to destroy all rules! The Rebellion and Soul Strike skills have been absorbed by Wild Card!] [The Disguise skill has be Lv10 and has been maxed out. A disguise must be so perfect that it fools even oneself! You have realized this truth, and have ultimately be a true Joker. You now have the right to be level 9! All the Jokers innate skills have been absorbed by Wild Card!] In order to master the Disguise skill, as well as be a true Joker, one must first fool themselves. While he was able to fool others rather easily, hed feigned ignorance, knowingly tying himself down to reason and logic. Only bepletely fooling himself could he be a true Joker! [The Mana eleration and High Rank Mana Bone skills have be Lv10, and have been maxed out. Magic has increased by 500. The two skills have been absorbed by Wild Card!] [The High Rank Assimtion skill has be Lv10 and has been maxed out. Agility and Magic have increased by 150. The skill is absorbed by Wild Card!] In an instant, half of his skills had been absorbed by Wild Card, but Lee Shin Woo didnt feel empty at all. Because it meant that Lee Shin Woo had mastered all of his skills to such an extent that he could use them through Wild Card now. However, the true change would now begin. [Assimting with the source of darkness. It has now lost its ability to function as the Lich Emperors life vessel.] [You have acquired the level 9 Jokers karma.] As if his efforts to resist the source of darkness were in vain, Lee Shin Woos body briefly dispersed and assimted with the source of darkness. Jin screamed, but there was nothing for her to be worried about. He was just in the process of leveling up. There was such a nice tank of mana right before him, so he decided to use that for his level up first. [Absorbing the source of darknesss magic by assimting with it. Magic has increased by 2,000.] [You have gained a deep understanding of all abilities that handle bones, and you can now use your abilities even if the medium is not bone. The Bone Reinforcement, Rule of Bone, and Bone Armory skills have been absorbed by Wild Card. You can now absorb, reinforce, and store all of creation as you wish. All stats have increased by 500.] [Absorbing the source of darknesss magic by assimting with it. Magic has increased by 1,968.] [The High Rank Command skill has be Lv10 and has been maxed out. All stats have increased by 50. You have surpassed the limitations of species and mediums, and are now able tomand all creation. The skill has been absorbed by Wild Card.] [Absorbing the source of darknesss magic by assimting with it. Magic has increased by 278.] [Absorbing the source of darknesss magic by assimting with it. Magic has increased by 1,109.] While his existence was being upgraded, he continuously absorbed the source of darknesss magic. His form hadnt coalesced yet, so he could just define it as he saw fit. That was, of course, after hed fully absorbed the source of darkness. [Absorbing the source of darknesss magic by assimting with it. Magic has increased by 1,879. It is no longer possible to absorb any more magic; your soul has reached the maximum capacity.] [You have be a Joker. You can choose whatever form you wish, and are the worlds clown, one who can define all of creation as you see fit.] [You have fooled your own soul and havepletely absorbed the source of darkness. Your magic is temporarily increased by 29,873. However, if this magic is not dealt with soon, then you, as well as the world, will be in danger.] [With the sudden surge of magic, you have, for an extremely short period of time, be a god. However, not only is this unstable and temporary but if you do not resolve this quickly, then you and all you are connected to will receive negative karma.] Lee Shin Woo panted. At that moment, Lee Shin Woos body reappeared. He looked simr to how he did before hed disappeared, but there was one thing that was different. His existence had be so great that it made breathing difficult for Jin. "Shin Woo, are you ok!?" "Im not ok. I feel sick to my stomach." Lee Shin Woo spoke with a haggard expression and dry heaved. By reaching level 9, leveling up all his skills, and absorbing the source of darkness normally, his Magic stat had increased by a whopping 37,327. Compared to before, it was shocking. Since hed gotten to level 9 with 12,000 stats to spare! [1] [Lee Shin Woo] [Joker] [Immortal Hunter; 25 others] Lv - 9 (Status Effectiveness 400%)] [Strength - 5,265, Agility - 5,695, Health - 5,578, Magic - 20,789] [Passive skills - Wild Card: MAX, Invisible Heart Lv4/Lv210, Lucky Strike Lv7, Soul Seeing Eye Lv6] [Active skills - High Rank Regeneration Lv7, Sacrifice Lv1] [Elements - Darkness: MAX, Light: MAX, Fire: MAX, Intermediate Dark Shadow Lv3, Intermediate Annihtion me Lv2, Intermediate Heaven Space Lv1, Beginner Shining me Lv8, Intermediate Dark me Lv7, Beginner Fire Shadow Lv8, High Rank Water Lv4, High Rank Wind Lv3, High Rank Earth Lv3, High Rank Metal Lv4, High Rank Ice Lv1, High Rank Acid Lv4, High Rank Lightning Lv6, Absorption Lv12] [Resistances - Holy: MAX, Darkness: MAX, Light: MAX, Fire: MAX, Beginner Shining me Lv1, Intermediate Dark me Lv1, High Rank Water Lv3, High Rank Wind Lv3, High Rank Earth Lv4, High Rank Acid Lv3, High Rank Ice Lv1, High Rank Lightning Lv5] But the problem was that in spite of his efforts, he still couldnt fully absorb the source of darkness. Hed managed to fool himself and absorb the source of darkness, putting it under his control, but that was only temporary. In other words, Lee Shin Woo had acquired an excess of 29,873 magic, and as a result, his stats had surpassed 51,200... He had temporarily be level 10 and had be a god. "A god!?" "I really cant eat this thing. Well, I can... but I cant. You get me?" "I get it. I get it, alright, so dont exin it to me!" He knew he wasnt in good shape. Lee Shin Woos current situation was akin to him eating something until he was full and stubbornly saying that No, I can keep eating!. He had kept eating until hed gone past his limits and as a result, hed managed to eat all of it. But if he were to move, he felt like hed vomit the source of darkness up, look indescribable, and fall over. "I told you not to exin!" I have to deal with it. I have to take care of it right away! Lee Shin Woo thought and soon came up with a good idea. By that point, he was already within the pces hall. Yeah, in the very same hall where the two level 9 Emperors were fighting. Lee Shin Woo could now teleport wherever he wished with but a thought. Unfortunately, this was something that any level 9 could do, so he couldnt waste his magic experimenting with it. [What!?] [T-The source of darkness... My life vessel, did you...!?] "Hey boys. Sorry, but I dont have the time to talk with you right now. Rest in peace!" Lee Shin Woo swept his hands at the equally shocked Jirold and Jissehanu. That was the end for them. The Vampire and the Lich without his life vessel died. He didnt concern himself with their history, their regrets, or their situations; he just mercilessly killed them. What futile deaths. The process was even worse; it was close to a miracle. Lee Shin Woo had so much spare magic to spend that he could perform miracles! With a gods power, he could easily deceive and patch up this worlds unstable karma. [By senselessly using a gods power, Magic has permanently decreased by 32.] "Its not enough!" In the midst of that, Lee Shin Woo collected the bones and Perium that Jirold and Jissehanu had left behind, and widened his eyes. When he thought about it, it truly was outrageous. Originally, Lee Shin Woo had learned not only magic but also innate elements and martial arts. He had reached level 9 and was already at a level where he could easily kill the two Emperors; even though hed used such an outrageous technique, the penalties werent very high! "This is nothing! What exactly do I have to do... Ah, thats right!" A greater miracle. The more people affected by it, the greater the penalty. God herself had exined it, hadnt she? The more she influences others karma, the greater the penalty! Then, lets think, Lee Shin Woo thought. What ce could he enact a miracle where the most people would be affected? It was obvious! It was none other than the Setoin ins, where the undead and the humans were fighting their veryst battle! "Shin Woo!" "Jin, Im going ahead!" Before he left for the surface, Jin had rushed out of the cave with speed befitting a Child of Light. She was justpletely shocked. To think hed killed the two Emperors so quickly! When did he even do that!? "Hey, what exactly did you..." "I dont have much time, so Im going ahead. Ah, Jin! Congrattions on bing human again!" "...Huh? Huuuuh?" Once hed informed her of this, Jin changed. It was such a dramatic, yet natural transformation that Jin had no choice but to ept it. She, a skeleton horse, was in the process of changing into a human... She closed her eyes at her truly miraculous transformation and at the end of it, had turned into a true human. She opened her eyes, saw Lee Shin Woo, and was able to move. Of course, Lee Shin Woo had already disappeared from the underground. "Damn it. You asshole! Youre always so confusing... Ugh, I like it though! Still, I dont like it! Wait, no, I like it, but... Ugh, who am I even talking to." The sprinter who represented the U.K, the blond-and-blue-eyed beauty, Jin Taylor. Contrary to when Lee Shin Woo had used Disguise on her before, she was naked; she pointlessly looked over her beautiful, nude form and eventually used Steel Heart to cover herself in metal armor. She had instantaneously be a battle angel, like the ones who came from North European myth, a Valkyrie. Jin meticulously looked over the joints of her armor, and then folded the steel wings on her back... "Wait for me, you dumbass partner of mine!" She ran like lightning across the Underground Empire. Jin made it to the surface in just 1 minute. ...Though by then, everything was over. [Stop, friendly fire!] Lee Shin Woo, whovee to the surface, yelled out. Everyones attention was drawn to the powerful mana he was releasing. [Fighting against each other is pointless!] Though, I was the one who instigated this fight, he thought. [Theres no need to divide yourself into human and undead. You just briefly went astray due to unfortunate events!] Though calling hating each other for hundreds of years going astray was a bit much. [Ill set you straight. Ill give you another chance so that you can all work together and start anew!] Of course, no matter how many chances humans were given, they would eventually fight amongst each other. Therefore, his actions would have nosting effect, but he couldnt say that this is all for my sake! or this is just for show!. [Those who want to live will live, and those who want to die will die. The righteous will receive, and the unrighteous will lose!] Whenever he spoke, Lee Shin Woo could feel the bloated mana quickly begin to dissipate. He was quite satisfied. As expected, what he was doing could truly be called a miracle! "How... How did the deceased Sir Kay return?" "A dead person hase back." "The undead... are bing human." "How exactly did he...? Sir Kay? Sir Kay has be a god and returned to us! To save us!" [Theres no need to doubt. Just graciously ept what youve been given. Stop fighting. Youre all in the same position, so hate has no purpose here!] He was repeatedly saying such contemptible words that hed never say in a thousand years. However, his actions had stopped the fighting, so in a way, hed seeded. "Aah, Sir Kay...!" "I was definitely an undead! Did he make me human again!?" They werent the only ones whod experienced changes; his subordinates had as well. Dana, who was in the boundary between life and death, hadnt experienced much change, but Shino and Seira, who werepletely undead, were absolutely speechless. "Lee Shin Woo, what exactly..." "Did you finally be a god...?" Even Seira kneeled before his miracle. Like the others, she was ovee by the emotions welling up from within her and bowed her head. It didnt really matter that hed turned his well-nned scenario on its head! After all, a y was the most fun when something unexpected happened! Ah, I dont think thatll be enough. Whereas, Lee Shin Woo, who was performing a miracle, saw his Magic rapidly declining to its original values and felt slightly impatient. But if need be, he had a solution ready. He felt like if he were to use the reserve stock of Invisible Heart and Sacrifice, then itd work out somehow! Moreover... Perium! Yeah, itll work out if I just use all this as well! Though it was only temporary, Lee Shin Woo was level 10. Lee Shin Woos instinctual understanding of the worlds karma had increased greatly. Thus, he could understand. That Perium was the energy that acted as the very foundation of all karma and was the smallest unit of karma. And that Invisible Heart was the crystallization of Gods power! By using those two to support his miracle, he came to a natural realization. And thus, he took another unnned step forward. [By performing a miracle, which is only possible for gods, you have demanded admiration from all. You have acquired the title, Gods representative. You have fulfilled a portion of the conditions of bing a god. You have acquired the right to wield divinity.] [You have learned the fusion element of light and darkness, the Chaos Element Lv1. The Chaos Element is categorized as divinity and is the most powerful element. It will eventually lead you to creation. Born as a clown, you have be able to overturn thews of destruction and creation, and you are now prepared to aplish everything and anything with only the chaos element. All stats have increased by 100.] [You were able to absorb a portion of the source of darknesss indigestible magic! Magic has increased by 1,597!] By acquiring a title and the chaos element, Lee Shin Woos soul had advanced a step further! If he took into ount everything hed used up, then... He was good now! Lee Shin Woo had used up all the magic and sessfully digested it! He finally got a hold of himself and raised his head. All of creation were subordinating themselves to him. "God." "God..." Lee Shin Woo was level 10 no longer. He was definitely no god. However, the peoples gazes remained fixed on him in the sky and they prayed. The people and the once undead did as well. It was just an impromptu performance to rid himself of the excess magic, yet the result was, well... They were giving him so much support that it felt like he was a performer on Broadway! The hell? In the end, nothing went my way... Its chaos. If I knew itd turn out like this, then I wouldnt have gone through all the effort to make the y! Lee Shin Woo looked around with an insufferable expression. Towards Seira, who was bowing halfway towards him, Shino Rendu, who was outright prostrating himself, Chi Paul, who was looking up with such respect, the stiffened Lloyd and Erian, who couldnt figure out what was going on, Prince, whod already fainted, Kratia, who was looking at him with sparkling eyes, Ye Jin Jin, who looked at him with love-struck eyes, Dana, who was long past affection and looked upon him with reverence, Sinea, etc... "Shin Wooooooooo! Why werent you there when I wanted to share my joy with you!? You have to at least let me thank you!" Now he looked at Jin, who was hacking and looking up at him... Lee Shin Woo finally let his shoulders slump. It felt like he had been brought back to reality. It was as if he was astonished himself and spoke with a weak voice. "Mm... I somehow managed to change everyone. Jin, it worked out well for you, right?" "Can you really... say that now!?" The angered Jin rushed towards Lee Shin Woo. Obviously, those watching Lee Shin Woo rushed towards Jin. At this rate, Jin would get hurt! Lee Shin Woo hurriedly hugged Jin and yelled. His voice was loud enough that it covered the entire world. "Stop, friendly fire! Dont fire! Shes an ally!" And thus, the curtains were drawn for the Jokers performance. What started as a battle between the humans and the undead had ended in a miraculous unity. The events of the day were the talk of the town and became known as the most important day on the continent. "So, Shin Woo. What about the Titan? How was it? Was it strong? Since it was made by me and you. It was really strong, right? You killed the Emperor in one hit with it, right?" "Ah... About that, Kratia. You know what a MacGuffin is, right? If you dont, then Ill exin it to you. You see, the term MacGuffin originated in the northern mountains of Scond and was used when capturing lions, but its actually..." [1] T/N: He doesnt include the 29,873. afterword Hello, this is Toy Car, the one who alwayses running in a sh. Im truly, truly thankful that youve loved and supported Stop, Friendly Fire for so long. Ah... I feel truly moved for being able to write another afterword like this. Ive made many mistakes, had many thoughts, and failed many times. It was truly a long 1 year. No, perhaps I was trapped in an illusion after Everyone is a Returnee. One always has to honor their original intention, but it doesnt always work out that way. Ive made several wrong choices and sometimes, Ive hated my own work. As an author, thats the worst, and it also disqualifies me as a pro. Nheless, I find it fun to write. I have nothing else but writing. This work, Stop, Friendly Fire made me realize that. Whenever Shin Woo did something ridiculous, I would snicker. I thought about what heroine Id like to make this time around, and when I made the decision to make Jin, a skeleton horse, the heroine, all the other authors aside from me went crazy. Thats right. To be honest, Jin became the heroine as soon as I added her in. You all didnt believe me, but I really went with it. As a result... No, lets not talk about it. Before this one, I went through two different novels, which were really different for me in a lot of ways, but... To be honest, it was just as difficult while writing them. I felt weak as I was writing them, and I had my doubts, like Is this right?, so I wasnt able to write for a month (You must be asking, Then why didnt you stop writing it? To be honest, it was all stuff Id had stocked up already!) But because there were readers who loved and supported me and had theirughs when they read about Shin Woo, I was able to put my love into Shin Woo and the rest of the cast. I was determined to write even better. Because of that, I was able toplete this story. Im not sure how you feel about this, but I dont think I couldve written a different ending. Its an honor if you like the ending. Thank you very much for all the readers who stuck with me to the very end. I was able to keep going because of you. I was given the courage to try something new. My next work will be a bit more bold than before. Ive never written something like it before. The pace is a bit slower and the systems gone too. Its the type of story that I want to write. The type of story where theughse naturally while I write it. When I let various things go, I found that my hands move themselves. I want to write it, so Im writing it. But the characteristic of the work... Mm, Im not sure if its going to be published on Munpia. In any case, Ill see you again in mid-January, so please wait for me. Once again, I sincerely thank you. Then Ill get going now. Finally, Ill be leaving you with an illustration that Mr. Gyudon drew for me. The guys this good looking. The Novel will be updated first on this website. Come back and continue reading tomorrow, everyone!