[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
Chapter 128: Work, My Minions! (2)
[Death Cavalier (Choi Hyungtae)]
Race: Undead
Rank: ★★★★★★
◎ Stats
Strength: 2,740 (-1,375)
Agility: 2,123 (-1,061)
Constitution: 2,384 (-1,197)
Durability: 2,851 (-1,425)
Spirit Power: 1,938 (-969)
◎ Traits
▷ Dragon Bloodline [A] / Undying Existence [B+] / Monstrous Strength and Divine Power [B+] / Dark Aura [B] / Ironclad [B]
◎ Skills
▷ Death Charge [A] / Swiftness [B+] / Herculean Strength [B+]
* Stats are reduced due to the forcibly elevated rank and the mismatch of soul and body.
* Large species stat bonuses are not applied.
⋯⋯⋯
Choi Hyungtae and the Basilisk corpse had fused.
He had succeeded in creating a higher-level undead by combining the concept of the [Death Cavalier] - a wraith where rider and mount are treated as one - with the power of a dragon species.
Whoosh—
Intensely burning blue hellfire.
Deeper than Fafnir's glowing eyes, it was like an abyss that could not be peered into.
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"How do you feel?"
【Good.】
【Good.】
Choi Hyungtae, fused to the neck bone, and the Basilisk's lingering will overlapped, echoing loudly.
The intense energy emanating from the will.
It radiated a domineering aura that made Fafnir momentarily assume a battle stance.
【Whoa. What the hell did you create?】
“A Death Cavalier.”
【Cavalier? Like a knight riding a dragon?】
“Exactly. I retained the basilisk’s draconic traits and the essence of its concept.”
【It looks incredibly strong.】
"Near 7 Star. If I use buffs, I can probably manage the early stages of 7 Star."
【Can it use an Aura Blade too?】
“No, not exactly. It’s too big for that.”
Aura Blades were only effective against opponents who lacked proficiency in wielding them.
Since its attack range was naturally limited, overwhelming brute force would be its primary means of combat.
Naturally.
It's not a method that works against a one-eyed monster at the peak of 7 Star.
【Master. I feel like I ask this every time, but are you really 4 Star?】
"It's thanks to artifacts."
As Yoojin waved his right hand, wearing the Ring of Darkness, Fafnir grunted briefly.
Yoojin's necromancy skills were far beyond common sense.
He soon stopped thinking about it and revealed his competitive spirit towards the newly appeared powerhouse.
【Can I have a go at it?】
"No. It still needs fine-tuning."
The Death Cavalier was still incomplete.
The forced combination of Choi Hyungtae's soul and the Basilisk's corpse.
Even Fafnir had struggled with linking his soul to the Draconian corpse.
If he hadn't possessed the broken unique trait of [Eyes of the Martial God] in life.
If the wavelengths hadn't matched well with the dragon species' corpse.
He wouldn't have been able to create even an incomplete Eldritch Dragon.
[Stored in the Ring of Darkness.]
The gigantic undead, over 10 meters tall, turned into a wisp of air and entered the ring.
【You said it needs adjusting?】
"First, I need to give the soul time to adapt to the body.It would take two weeks at the shortest. Three weeks at the longest.”
Kronos, aware of the fortuitous encounter, or rather, the tragedy, shown by [Memento], muttered briefly.
〔Will you be able to deploy your newly created subordinate within the time limit?〕
'This is something I can't control.'
He couldn't make Fafnir or Song Myeongseok a Death Cavalier.
Once a soul is fused with a Basilisk corpse, it's difficult to separate it again.
Those powerhouses who reached 9 Star and 8 Star before regression.
If they were made into dragon riders, their limits would be set, which would be a loss.
Excluding those two, the strongest one was Choi Hyungtae, so there was no choice.
'I should be able to complete it just before the 'Bloody Valentine' incident.'
〔It's a close call.〕
'What else can I use?'
He thought.
Even if Choi Hyungtae's soul adapted to the Basilisk's body, it wouldn't be ready for immediate deployment.
Further adjustments would be necessary.
He certainly wouldn't be finishing those with demons breathing down his neck.
Yoojin lightly scratched his cheek, a thoughtful frown creasing his brow.
＊ ＊ ＊
Besides creating the Death Cavalier, there was still plenty to do.
"Exterminate the monsters in the vicinity."
【They're like weeds, constantly popping up. Killing them is a pointless endeavor.】
"Song Myeongseok, why are you being so verbose? Are you perhaps afraid?"
【Me? Afraid? Of course not!】
"You seem reluctant to fight, so I thought I might have misunderstood."
【Just you wait and see. I'll be the one who slaughters the most monsters!】
‘Yeah, right. Good luck with that.’
*1st Platoon – Fafnir, 1 Brutal, 5 Dark Minions, 100 Lesser Undead.
*2nd Platoon – Song Myeongseok, 3 Brutals, 5 Dark Minions, 200 Lesser Undead.
The two divided platoons split up, heading east and west to sweep through the monster strongholds.
The corpses of the defeated monsters were all transported to the Necropolis.
They piled up in various places within the territory.
"Separate out the strong ones."
[Uses Undead Rise]
[Created 27 Tyrants]
[Created 25 Skeleton Knights]
[Death Cavalier…….]
They needed to have been somewhat strong in life to be resurrected as mid-grade undead.
Undead that have crossed the 'wall' to the next level.
If they could be easily created, it would be game-breaking.
【That's a pretty broken ability already, though?】
"It's because I'm skilled. Undead combat power is inherently lower than that of the living."
Undead have one level of combat power lower than the living of the same rank.
They have the advantage of not losing combat power even when injured.
And they aren't greatly affected by mental interference or poison, but they move instinctively and their actions are simple.
On top of that, their average stats are also lower.
A necromancer like Yoojin, who can use spirit power to boost a corpse's abilities for a short time, was rare even before regression.
【But aren't there too many corpses being discarded?】
"You don't have the eye to judge the quality of a corpse, so there's nothing I can do about it."
【We're wraiths, so we don't care if it smells or if there's a plague, but what about the Master and his little friends?】
Fafnir's point was sharp.
From ancient times to the Middle Ages, corpses were essentially repositories for various diseases.
While Yoojin, as a necromancer, might not care, it wouldn't be good for the health of his team, who frequently travel to the border regions.
Especially if hundreds of corpses were piled up.
"Now that I've acquired corpses, I don't intend to just let them rot."
【The Master always has a plan.】
Strengthening short-term combat power was important, but.
Long-term plans also needed to be made.
The corpses of the monsters piled up in the Necropolis already had designated uses.
Yoojin placed his hand on the Black Obelisk and checked the territory's information.
⋯⋯⋯
[Territory Size - 2]
[Necromancy Amplification Range - 3km]
[Number of Undead that can be Enslaved - 492/500]
[Spirit Power Density – 3]
[Structures]
- Black Obelisk (Link - 5)
- Unholy Graveyard (1)
- Hall of the Dead (1)
- Necromancy Research Lab (1)
- Giant's Tomb (1)
- Dead Man's Bone Tower (4)
⋯⋯⋯
'It's rather meager.'
Focusing on building structures for corpse storage and securing combat power had resulted in a lack of internal development.
The fortunate thing was that he had steadily accumulated the massive power flowing through the ley lines.
If he built structures in quick succession, the spirit power stored in the Black Obelisk would drastically decrease.
Since he had a considerable amount of spirit power stockpiled, he could proceed with continuous construction.
"Jo Seungcheol. Select ten individuals with excellent necromancy skills and send them to the research lab."
【Understood.】
[Eleven mages with necromancer qualifications have been assigned to the Necromancy Research Lab.]
[Research efficiency has increased.]
Research progresses faster with more participants.
Until now, he hadn't been able to deploy a large number because there were few subordinates who had learned necromancy.
But the Dark Minions who had raised their proficiency in the basic necromancy spell [Raise Undead] to a certain level were now qualified to be assigned to the research lab.
Moreover…
The reason Yoojin abruptly deployed the Dark Minions was not just for efficiency.
⋯⋯⋯
[The upgrade conditions for the Necromancy Research Lab have been met.]
▷ Upgrade Conditions
- Necromancy Research Lab Lv1
- 10 or more necromancers assigned.
- 400 Kg of bone.
- 666 Kg of spirit power-accumulated soil.
⋯⋯⋯
〔What effect does upgrading a structure have?〕
'It increases the scope and depth of research, and the number of personnel that can be assigned.'
〔An investment for the future, I see.〕
'Certain buildings can only be built after being researched at the Necromancy Research Lab.'
Like the [Dead Man's Bone Tower], which played a significant role in the war with the Rakshasa.
The Necromancy Research Lab is a building that needs to be steadily invested in for the long-term development of the territory.
'Until now, it was a low priority, but that will change.'
He checked the spirit power accumulated in the Black Obelisk.
There was still quite a bit of room.
Thanks to linking five of them, the amount stockpiled was substantial.
'Upgrading also consumes less spirit power.'
He could build one, or even two more.
Several structures necessary for the development of the Necropolis came to mind.
Among them, he selected what was most urgently needed.
Through the Soul Connection, he instructed the construction of the next structure to the Black Obelisk.
＊ ＊ ＊
[Constructed a Spirit-Wreathed Vein.]
[Constructed a Necromancy Amplifier.]
▷ Spirit-Wreathed Vein Lv1
Interferes with the ley line, reducing spirit power extraction speed and increasing storage capacity.
▷ Necromancy Amplifier Lv1
Within the Black Obelisk's range, necromancy efficiency increases by 10% and undead creation speed decreases by 10%.
The [Spirit-Wreathed Vein] increases spirit power accumulation efficiency within the Necropolis.
The [Necromancy Amplifier], in conjunction with the Black Obelisk, buffs the necromancer's abilities.
⋯⋯⋯
〔Even with amplification, haven't you already surpassed the limits of necromancy?〕
'You're right. Even if it's a Necromancy Amplifier, it won't apply if it exceeds 100% efficiency.'
〔Is there a reason you prioritized structures that don't directly benefit you?〕
'It's not just about me.'
Yoojin thought.
He considered the Dark Minions, the backbone of his territory management. While not as efficient as skilled necromancers, they were still a valuable asset.
'This will do for now.'
He mused.
A wry smile appeared on his face.
He almost felt like sending a thank-you note to the Rakshasa Guild, or rather, the Arhan Guild, for orchestrating this invasion.
"Vice President Baek Seonghyeon, such a generous soul. Thank you… Thank you so much."
He muttered sarcastically.
〔I doubt that small human would appreciate the sentiment.〕
'What are you talking about? Sincerity will be understood.'
By now, he'd probably be writhing with joy.
The suspicion of a secret relationship with the Rakshasa Guild.
It's said that to refute one lie, you need a hundred truths.
And even though the mad dog's remarks are also true.
He won't collapse that easily, but he will struggle to solve the problem.
'There's also the matter of Nikolai's visit.'
〔Ah. You're talking about that impudent little human who tried to pry into you.〕
'He's secretly being sponsored by the Romanov clan, but he met with me publicly.'
Nikolai's actions were full of political messages.
He'll have quite a headache.
【All those corpses have disappeared.】
"I've used up almost all of the stockpiled spirit power."
Constructing the [Spirit-Wreathed Vein] required a lot of corpses and spirit power.
The investment effect was immediately apparent.
The power drawn from the ley line had increased, and the storable amount had also clearly increased.
"Work a bit harder."
【I'll do it if you order me to. What power do I have?】
While staying in the Necropolis for several days, he created additional mid-grade undead.
After filling the undead control count, he subjugated the additionally produced subordinates to the Black Obelisk.
Also, he built new structures as spirit power and corpses accumulated.
⋯⋯⋯
▷ Bone Modification Chamber Lv1
Can disassemble, reassemble, or sculpt the bones of corpses into desired shapes. Additional catalysts may be needed to change the form or infuse energy.
▷ Spirit Monitoring Tower Lv1 x 3
Shares vision with the spirits around the Necropolis to acquire information.
▷ Soul Prison Lv1
A prison that restrains souls from leaving. The souls trapped in the prison periodically supply spirit power.
▷ Bone Blacksmith Lv1 x 5
A blacksmith that creates weapons exclusively for undead.
⋯⋯⋯
Securing vision and strengthening forces.
And a prison to hold useful souls.
In just a few days, the Necropolis had acquired considerable infrastructure.
【Why is necromancy research never-ending?】
【I feel like my bones are going to wear out at this rate.】
【Huu, I'm not tired, but I still want to rest.】
The undead who supplied monster corpses and the Dark Minions who stayed in the territory to train or research grumbled.
"No. You can rest even after death."
【Master. I'm already dead. Geugel.】
"You can take a good rest after dying a second time. Right?"
Perfect workers who don't need food, sleep, or rest, and who obey their master!
Under their master's warm gaze, the undead worked until their bones crumbled.
[Translator - Hestia
[Proofreader - Kaya]