Seong chuckled at the thought running through his head, a cheesy line about how explosions were an art. While it had started as a joke, his current situation made it feel oddly appropriate.
Looking at the Skill Upgrade Orb, he mulled over his options.
『Skill Upgrade Orb』
Seong considered upgrading his Rare-tier Corpse Explosion and Poison Fang to Unique, as well as his Epic-tier Exploding Poison. However, there was also the tempting prospect of upgrading two existing Unique-tier skills to Legendary.
After a brief moment of indecision, Seong shook his head.
Upgrading to Legendary is appealing, but maximizing the number of Unique-tier skills will have a bigger impact.
The math was simple. It took three uses to upgrade one Unique-tier skill to Legendary. In contrast, upgrading a Rare-tier skill to Unique required only two uses—one to reach Epic and one to reach Unique.
It’s obvious the developers designed this item with balance in mind. They must have anticipated players would aim for Legendary upgrades.
Smiling to himself, Seong thought about the developers, particularly Deputy Manager Lee Won-sang. If the man had overheard Seong’s musings, he would likely have been moved to tears—albeit out of frustration.
There was no reason to hesitate further. Seong quickly got to work:
“What a sight to behold,” he murmured.
The upgrades reduced his Rare-tier skills from six to four and left him with zero Epic-tier skills. However, his Unique-tier skills had increased from three to seven.
Now, it was time to examine the new effects.
Updated from freewёbnoνel.com.
『Burst of the Dead』
“This is huge!”
『Venom of the Dead』
The skill had evolved from poison to deadly venom and could now be used on summoned undead. The sheer utility had increased dramatically.
『Venomous Burst』
The skill now combined poison damage with explosive damage and allowed for a second detonation. The possibilities for chaining effects were staggering.
『Shadow in Darkness』
This was a massive upgrade from its original one-time use. The potential for avoiding damage and counterattacking was unparalleled.
Seong clenched his fists in excitement.
“These are way better than upgrading two Legendary-tier skills.”
Itching to test his new abilities, Seong got up from the inn bed, ready to head outside. Just as he reached for the door—
Knock, knock.
“Seong, are you awake?”
It was a familiar voice—Hindel.
Opening the door, Seong greeted him with a smile.
“Yes, I’m up.”
“Shall we head out, then?”
Seong didn’t need to ask where they were going. The destination was obvious: The Dark Castle, where the past of Helena, the Demon King, lay waiting.
“Perfect,” Seong replied with a grin.
This was the ideal opportunity to test his newly enhanced skills.
1.
The towering Dark Castle loomed ahead, visible even from Sermas. While the journey to the castle wasn’t particularly long, the oppressive atmosphere and dense dark energy surrounding it made progress difficult. The deeper they ventured, the heavier the weight on the group’s shoulders—everyone except Seong, that is.
[You are exposed to pure dark energy.]
[The energy is attuned to 『Overlord』 affinity.]
[All stats temporarily increased by 5%.]
Seong felt his body grow lighter, the dark energy invigorating him rather than hindering him. He felt a twinge of guilt seeing his companions struggle, but there was little he could do to help.
Hin del apologized repeatedly as they moved.
“I must also extend my apologies again for yesterday’s events.”
“No need,” Seong replied with a small smile. “It’s only natural in a duel.”
“Even so, the advice you gave me afterward was invaluable. I’ve learned so much,” Hindel said earnestly.
Seong blinked in confusion. Advice? What advice? He couldn’t recall giving Hindel any profound words, but since it seemed to have helped, he simply nodded.
Hin del, however, was undeterred. “To provide such enlightenment and then dismiss it as nothing... truly, I don’t know how to thank you.”
“It’s really nothing,” Seong replied, embarrassed.
Hin del’s admiring gaze persisted, making Seong increasingly uncomfortable. What an exhausting man, he thought.
Suddenly, Hindel’s expression shifted, his senses flaring.
“Something is coming!” he shouted.
Seong and the others—Plang, Adeline, and Lyaden—immediately readied themselves for battle.
Emerging from the shadows were undead creatures cloaked in black darkness and faint greenish-blue energy. Their forms were familiar to Seong.
Constructs. These are Add More’s creations, he thought.
The undead showed no signs of intelligence, their vacant eyes betraying a lack of awareness as they charged mindlessly forward.
While the rest of the party prepared their defenses, Seong focused on the surrounding area, searching for usable corpses or remnants he could leverage with his necromantic skills.
He didn’t have to look far. The region surrounding the Dark Castle was littered with death.
Plenty to work with.
Seong activated Venom of the Dead and Army of the Dead simultaneously. From the ground rose an army of undead, shrouded in dark purple venomous energy.
Though vastly outnumbered, the risen army charged toward the enemy. Hindel, sensing danger, yelled, “Defend with everything you have!”
The party sprang into action. Hindel created a powerful Galaxy Shield, its radiance enveloping the group. Adeline reinforced it with her own barriers, while Plang hurled potions to strengthen the shield further. Lyaden summoned earthen walls, creating additional fortifications.
Seong, standing at the rear, snapped his fingers.
Two skills activated simultaneously: Burst of the Dead and Venomous Burst.
The resulting explosion was apocalyptic. A massive skull, formed from countless wailing spirits, materialized above the battlefield, grinning ominously.
BOOM!
KABOOM!
RUMBLE!
FWOOSH!
The sheer force of the blasts obliterated Lyaden’s earthen walls. The shockwaves tore through the ground, reducing it to molten slag. Even Plang’s reinforced barriers couldn’t withstand the onslaught, collapsing under the pressure.
Adeline’s shield melted under the heat, leaving only Hindel’s Galaxy Shield, which barely managed to hold.
When the chaos finally subsided, the land around them was unrecognizable—scorched earth, pools of molten rock, and an unbearable heat that lingered in the air.
“This... this is...”
“Insane...”
“I have no words...”
The party was stunned into silence, their gazes fixed on the devastation. The once-solid ground shimmered with heat, portions of it bubbling like lava.
Standing amidst the destruction, Seong observed the results of his experiment with satisfaction.
“Interesting,” he murmured, as if testing a hypothesis.
The group shuddered. They had felt it during the sparring session with Hindel, but now it was undeniable—if Seong had used this level of power back then, Hindel wouldn’t have survived.
Hindel swallowed hard, his throat dry. If this is what he’s capable of...
The group’s earlier decision to recruit Seong for their journey to the Dark Castle suddenly felt like divine foresight.
Seong, meanwhile, was absorbed in his thoughts.
The range and sheer destructive power are on a completely different level. This is definitely better than having two Legendary-tier skills.
His attention shifted to his remaining skills, wondering how to incorporate them into his arsenal.
Just then, Hindel’s gaze snapped toward the castle, his expression grim.
“Something... something enormous is coming,” he said, his voice trembling.
Seong felt it too—a surge of concentrated dark energy far greater than anything they’d encountered.
[You are exposed to even purer dark energy.]
[The energy is attuned to 『Overlord』 affinity.]
[All stats temporarily increased by 10%.]
The energy was thicker and more oppressive than when Seong had faced Fiora.
From the direction of the castle emerged a figure, shrouded in a veil of darkness so thick it obscured their identity. Male or female, old or young—it was impossible to tell.
Seong’s eyes widened in recognition. It was the one who had sent him to this past world.
“You dare come here... I will not forgive this,” the figure declared, their voice reverberating with raw power.
The crushing pressure of their dark energy brought Hindel and the others to their knees. Even Hindel was forced to one knee, beads of sweat dripping down his face.
“Damn it... this is... too much...”
Despite the overwhelming aura, Seong stood firm. His resistance to dark energy gave him a slim advantage, but even he could feel the strain.
This is insane. How am I supposed to win against this?
Just as the figure raised their power further, an unexpected voice rang out.
“Hello?”
A woman with crimson hair and a serene smile appeared as if she had always been there. Her presence was so sudden, so natural, that it felt surreal.
Seong’s breath caught.
“Helena...”
The Demon King had arrived.