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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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Chapter 127: Work, My Minions! (1)
The land was thick with an off-white fog.
Setting foot in Necropolis brought a sense of peace to his heart.
【Master, you've made a lot of new friends while you were away, haven't you?】
"I reached 4 Star."
- 104 Tyrants.
- 89 Skeleton Knights.
- 5 Dullahans.
These were the undead he'd created by stirring up the border area on his way down from Cheorwon.
‘It took a whole week, but it was worth it.’
【Just how much stronger do you plan to get? It's terrifying.】
"Don't worry, I won't be replacing you as the vanguard."
【Please don't make promises you can't keep, Master.】
Song Myeongseok, at the forefront of the undead army, swaggered.
He had gained enlightenment from swinging his sword countless times over the past week.
The dark aura reflected in the blade had become purer, and its manifestation speed had been nearly halved.
Such dazzling talent.
'It was fortunate that the opportunity to kill this guy came early.'
The trap set to defeat Jang Miseon.
Once the double dungeon was deployed, only the one holding the [Wedge Stone] could control it.
Since Song Myeongseok had taken it with him.
He practically delivered the evidence to Yoojin himself.
He thought he had been quite lucky after his regression, but eliminating Song Myeongseok early on and reviving him as an undead was the greatest stroke of luck.
〔It must be the worst misfortune for that little human.〕
'What can you do? It's his fate. I'll use him until his bones wear down to dust.’
Song Myeongseok suddenly shuddered.
【I have a strange feeling.】
【Maybe his bones are getting cold?】
【What kind of senses would a skeleton have left to feel that?】
"Fafnir, was there anything unusual?"
【Nothing in particular.】
Several months had passed since Necropolis had settled in the border area.
At first, monsters attacked periodically, but lately, they've been retreating at the mere sight of the fog.
"Kuurk, that's the land of the dead over there."
"Shh. No one who enters the fog ever returns."
Necropolis' notoriety gradually spread among the monsters.
The monsters generated within the territory died at the hands of the undead or the [Bone Tower]'s bombardment before they could even hear of its infamy.
Monsters that formed communities beyond the off-white fog were reluctant to approach Necropolis.
"Has One-Eyed been snooping around Necropolis?"
【You say such terrifying things so casually.】
Fafnir shuddered.
The experience of running away from One-Eye wasn't exactly pleasant.
It was quite a struggle to pique his interest while avoiding getting caught.
【It was the first time I was treated like a toy. It was a very enjoyable experience.】
"Thanks to that, I survived."
【Heh heh. I'm trying my best not to let it happen twice anyway.】
"I'll repay the debt soon, so work hard."
He patted Fafnir's shoulder, and the corners of his mouth twitched with anticipation.
‘Just looking at his expression, one would believe he was alive.’
【So, you don't need the low-grade undead anymore?】
"Not exactly."
The spirit power consumed when controlling a mid-grade undead is much higher.
The maintenance cost of one Skeleton Knight is equivalent to about 50 skeletons.
"It's even worse if they use Dark Aura."
【Ah, like when I borrowed your energy before, Master?】
"That's right. If those guys all activated Dark Aura, my spirit power would be depleted in less than 5 minutes."
The limit on the number of undead he can control is important, but from mid-grade undead onwards, the amount of spirit power consumed when controlling them is enormous, so he has to pay more attention to spirit power management.
"Jo Seungchul."
【Master, you called?】
"Report the results of what I asked you to do."
【I did my best.】
"So, tell me the results of your best effort."
【S-Seventeen...】
"Did seventeen of them achieve the goal?"
【They did not reach 30% proficiency in Raise Undead, Master.】
‘Ah.So, the opposite.’
Yoojin thought.
"Incompetent fools."
【......】
"You had a good teacher, yet you couldn't achieve results."
【......】
The Dark Minions, including Jo Seungchul, fixed their jawbones in place.
They had learned that saying anything wrong would only lead to more nagging.
"Only those who have exceeded 30% proficiency in Raise Undead, step forward."
【Your command is our will.】
"The rest of you, focus on training and nothing else."
【What will you use those guys for?】
At Fafnir's question, Yoojin grinned.
"Manual labor."
＊ ＊ ＊
The time left until the Bloody Valentine was two weeks.
There was no time for leisurely rest.
【Master. Where are you going?】
"The Unholy Graveyard."
The hill where the first Black Obelisk stood tall.
A little further down, a graveyard covered in an eerie aura appeared.
The Unholy Graveyard.
This was a structure that Yoojin erected after the Black Obelisk.
"Retrieve the Basilisk's corpse."
- Gurrr.
The Revenant and Armored Skeleton guards who were on patrol dug up the grave.
Dirt splattered everywhere.
After digging down a few meters, the Basilisk's corpse, reduced to bones, was visible.
The large species' corpse was dragged onto the ground.
Even with all the flesh removed, its massive size exuded a sense of intimidation.
"Jo Seungchul, try using Raise Undead once."
【Answer my call.】
Jo Seungchul's spirit power coiled around the bone joints.
It seemed to twitch slightly, but then the rearranged spirit structure weakly dissipated and seeped into the bones.
【Geugel? The corpse resists the spell.】
"Has your spirit power been recovered?"
【It was absorbed by the bones.】
"I see."
【I'm sorry, Master.】
"No. That's what I wanted."
Khehehe.
A smile of satisfaction spread across his face.
〔Why are you so pleased with failure?〕
'A powerful monster like a Basilisk leaves behind lingering traces of its will even in death.'
Low-level necromancy can't dispel the residual thoughts of a creature that possessed such immense power in life.
The same applies to the Basilisk.
Spells like Raise Undead simply won't work to control it.
〔Does that include you as well?〕
'I'm different. Don't underestimate a skill at 100% proficiency.'
〔Why not just order your minions instead of getting involved personally?〕
'I had them do it precisely because it couldn't succeed.'
What kind of undead could he create from the Basilisk's corpse that would truly be considered a masterpiece?
This question had been weighing on his mind ever since his safe return to the Necropolis.
〔Now that you've overcome this obstacle, why not use a more powerful spell?〕
'Even intermediate necromancy won't work.'
〔That snake is quite tricky.〕
'It's a dragon species, after all.'
A monster with a much higher level than Rerik.
There's also the option of feeding Fafnir the essence of a dragon species.
Considering three weeks from now, it's better to resurrect the Basilisk's corpse as undead in some way.
'That's why I need them. Those guys who have learned necromancy in a haphazard way.'
Jo Seungchul, seemingly embarrassed by Yoojin's reaction, clicked his jaw bone repeatedly.
"Hey. What's your Raise Undead proficiency level at right now?"
【47, Master.】
"Good. Now, have the one barely above 30 step forward."
Two Dark Minions lifted their skeletal arms.
He pointed to the one closest to him and had it use [Raise Undead] again.
【Kuh, ugh.】
"Did the spirit power you infused flow back to you?"
【Yes, sir.】
The Dark Minion trembled all over from the backlash of the cancelled spell.
‘This is a normal reaction.’
After experimenting a few more times, he was able to determine the ratio of spirit power used in the spell that was absorbed by the bones without being reflected.
'Between 34 and above 47. Well, the only one above 47 is Fafnir, so it doesn't matter.'
〔I don't understand what you're trying to confirm.〕
'The range in which the spell can be cancelled without a backlash.'
〔Whether there's a rebound or not, the result is the same.〕
'It's the difference between absorption and reflection.'
Two weeks had passed since the Basilisk's corpse was placed in the Unholy Graveyard.
Spirit power flowing from the ley lines accumulated.
Around this time, the spirit power distribution of the corpse buried in the Unholy Graveyard reaches its maximum.
'This is what you call properly aged.'
〔Aged, huh? Meaning it's in a suitable state for necromancy.〕
'Oh. You're quite perceptive.'
〔The corpse of a monster aged in a graveyard. If you also absorb the scattered spirit power due to the aftereffects of not being able to completely resist the spell...〕
He hadn't even said a few words, and already he had grasped the core of the trick he was preparing.
He was honestly surprised.
'You deduced that part already without me even explaining it?'
〔I was once a Constellation enthroned upon the seat of a God-King. An existence that governed and watched over all creation.〕
'I praised you once, and you're already getting carried away.'
〔Even so, there is still one unsolved problem.〕
'What is it?'
〔Even if you prepare the corpse and suppress its lingering will, wouldn't creating a higher-level undead still be impossible?〕
That was the correct assessment.
To fully realize the Basilisk corpse's potential, it needed to become at least an advanced undead. But modifying a creature that wasn't even [Unified] wouldn't achieve that.
Yoojin smiled at Kronos's point.
'Keep watching and see how I do it.'
Dark Minions with Raise Undead proficiency between 34 and 47 surrounded the Basilisk's corpse.
"From now on, use Raise Undead until your spirit power runs out."
【Understood.】
The Basilisk corpse, which had accumulated plenty of spirit power in the Unholy Graveyard.
It became oversaturated while additionally absorbing the power contained in the spells released by the Dark Minions.
The crunching of bones echoed.
Cracks appeared all over the Basilisk's skeleton.
Yoojin wasn't alarmed.
The Basilisk's bones were incredibly tough.
If they were going to break from this, they would have already collapsed from a slipped disc when Brutal mounted it.
"Fafnir. Do you have any large species corpses stockpiled?"
【Two ogres hunted yesterday. I buried them next to the Basilisk.】
"Two might be a bit tight."
【Shall I retrieve them?】
"Yes. Retrieve them without damage."
The corpses were barely decayed, having been dead for only a day.
It was fortunate that he didn't have to search for large species' flesh since he needed it.
"Choi Hyungtae, climb onto the Basilisk's neck."
【Yes, Master.】
Like a cavalryman settling onto his horse.
Choi Hyungtae straddled the large neck bone, wrapping his legs around it.
[Uses Flesh Control.]
After pouring in a large amount of spirit power, he stripped the flesh and muscles from the two ogres.
Then, he densely covered the Basilisk's bones, which had hairline cracks in places.
Choi Hyungtae's lower body, which was sitting on the neck, was also buried in the flesh.
'This is making it look like their bodies are connected.'
Though it's a deviation.
All the conditions were met.
Huff—
After taking a long, deep breath, he slowly spoke.
"Answer my call."
[Uses Undead Rise]
[Creates 1 Death Cavalier]
A death cavalier specializing in charging and mobile warfare.
It's an undead where the skeletal horse and the rider become one, treating them as one entity.
The reason Choi Hyungtae's legs were covered in flesh was also for this reason.
Woo—Woong—
The bones, which had cracked from containing spirit power beyond their limit, absorbed the attached flesh.
The cracks were filled.
In the process, the ogres' flesh and muscles were recognized as the Basilisk corpse's original body.
Choi Hyungtae was also accepted as one with it.
'It would be disappointing if it ended here.'
The Basilisk's lingering will and the dragon species' power dwelling in the thick bones.
The overcharged bones generously released that concept.
With a cracking sound, he intervened in the process of reviving as an undead.
【Uh. This looks a bit dangerous, Master.】
"Don't worry. It's as expected."
He effortlessly suppressed the rampaging spirit power and guided it in the desired direction.
To allow the dragon species' level and lingering will to restructure the body.
The Basilisk corpse, which had been constantly twitching, stilled.
The mass of flesh covering the bones became blackened and hardened like reptile scales.
Choi Hyungtae's mouth, which had maintained a human form, stretched out and transformed into a form similar to a lizard.
[Created undead in a new way not recorded in the Library of Knowledge.]
[Undead Creation - Death Cavalier (Incomplete)]
[A great feat surpassing the user's rank! This knowledge will be recorded in the Library of Knowledge.]
【I have returned.】
Choi Hyungtae's burning eyes blazed fiercely.
Thump— Thump—
The legs of the Basilisk corpse, thickened with added flesh, rolled across the ground.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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