The Saint Who Levels Up Through Necromancy-Chapter 88: Giant’s Tomb (2)

[Translator - Hestia]

[Proofreader - Kaya]

Chapter 88: Giant's Tomb (2)

Rumble—

The ceiling of the [Giant's Tomb] slid open.

Inside, it resembled a massive coffin, except for the control room, which was about the size of 66 square meters.

"Move it here."

【Do you think I'm a pack mule?】

Grumbling, Fafnir still followed the instructions and moved the Ogre's corpse into the tomb.

It looked like it was lying in a giant coffin.

"Ah, there should be Troll bones in the Unholy Graveyard."

【Are you talking about the ones we hunted when you were increasing the number of Black Spires?】

"You remember that?"

【The flesh would have rotted away, leaving only bones.】

"Actually, I needed bones that were well-fermented in spirit power."

Hearing that, Fafnir didn't say anything more and brought the Troll bones stored in the graveyard.

With a snap of his fingers, the ceiling that had been slid open moved again, blocking out the light.

【What do we do now?】

"Wait outside."

After sending Jo Seungchul, who was in the control room, out as well, Yoojin was left alone in the Giant's Tomb.

Kronos seemed puzzled.

〔Hmm. Weren't you going to leave the operation of the structure to your subordinates?〕

'It's the first time. I'm going to try it myself, also to test its performance.'

Rolling up his sleeves, Yoojin placed his hand on the skull located in the center of the control room.

A whitish energy flickered in the empty sockets.

Whoosh—

A portion of spirit power flowed into the skull through his palm.

It wasn't a large amount.

This was the process of confirming control over the structure.

[Connected to the Giant's Tomb control room.]

[Confirming user's abilities.]

[User possesses skills suitable for tomb control.]

[Select the undead you wish to create.]

As he linked with the structure through the skull, an emotionless voice pierced his mind.

A translucent panel appeared before his eyes.

Well, even if he had a choice, there was only one option.

Yoojin firmly pressed the [Brutal] option.

[All necessary corpses and catalysts for creating the selected undead have been confirmed.]

[Commencing creation.]

'Now, let's focus.'

Modifying a corpse was much easier with the assistance of the structure.

There was no need to strengthen the bones or rigor mortis-stiffened muscles by individually infusing them with spirit power.

He just needed to infuse the appropriate amount of spirit power in the processed order.

‘Easy, right? Like playing a rhythm game.'

Swish— Swish—

He infused the Necropolis's spirit power with precise timing.

The Ogre's already stiffened muscles repeatedly swelled as if about to explode, then subsided.

Its eyes, as large as a human head, shrunk under the excessive pressure.

〔Nothing special. It's so mundane compared to the antics you've pulled off so far.〕

'It looks easy because I'm the one doing it. Look at Jo Seungchul. He's only at 12% efficiency.'

The immense power gushing from the Necropolis's spiritual veins.

Because it wasn't his own spirit power he was handling, the control difficulty was much higher.

If he poured in more spirit power than programmed, the corpse would be damaged.

If he infused too little, the work progress would slow down.

'If you can't control spirit power properly, both the creation speed and completion level will drop.'

Spirit Power control was directly linked to necromancy proficiency.

The only necromancy spell Jo Seungchul had learned was [Raise Dead].

Even that wasn't at a high proficiency level.

His proficiency would surely increase rapidly while working at the Giant's Tomb.

〔You don't lose your concentration even while conversing with me.〕

'This much is basic.'

The Ogre corpse modification proceeded smoothly.

Some of the Troll bones, aged for a long time, became soft after being exposed to the high-density spirit power.

They transformed into a whitish liquid and seeped into the Ogre's corpse.

'Now!'

Click— Click—

Its nails lengthened and curved like hooks.

Its fingers also grew to twice their length.

The bones of the large monster, which had absorbed spirit power for a long time, permeated the corpse and transformed it from within.

Sharp protrusions, protruding through the muscles that had swollen by about 1.3 times, possessed sharpness comparable to well-sharpened spears and swords.

[Brutal successfully created.]

-GROOOOAR!!!

The Ogre's corpse let out a chilling cry.

The monster, now a new being called [Brutal], glared with ferocious eyes.

＊ ＊ ＊

⋯⋯⋯

[Brutal]

Race: Undead

Rank: ★★★★★

◎ Stats

Strength: 1,531 (+755) / Agility: 725 / Health: 1,648 (+824) / Toughness: 1,624 (+812) / Spirit Power: 300

◎ Traits

▷ Immortal Being [B+] / Large Species [B+] / Frenzy [B] / Imperfect Giant [B]

◎ Skills

▷ Herculean Strength [B] / Raging Charge [C+] / Great Recovery [C+] / Shockwave [C+]

◎ Special Notes

This monster is classified as Large. Receives a 50% bonus to Strength, Health, and Toughness.

⋯⋯⋯

Three stats exceeded 1,000.

Agility was lower than the original Ogre.

Instead, Strength and Toughness were much higher than the original.

〔Even so, doesn't that black skeleton subordinate also have high Spirit Power?〕

'It's around the mid-1,000s.'

Don't misunderstand.

Abnormally high magic stats.

That was only due to the characteristics of magic-based beings; their other stats were poor.

'It's a bit lower than Fafnir.'

Fafnir, who was also a 5 Star.

His stats were inherently high due to the Draconian racial bonus.

And because of the [Martial Artist] trait, which increased his mana regardless of which stat increased, he wasn't a fair comparison from the start.

〔Quite a lot of time has passed.〕

'Half a day is a quick finish.'

If he had left it to Jo Seungchul, it would have taken at least a week.

Not to mention the lower completion level.

〔Then wouldn't it be more efficient for you to continue doing the work from now on?〕

'I need to nurture these guys so they can be of continuous use.'

Working in structures like the [Giant's Tomb] was more efficient than endlessly practicing Raise Dead.

He could always fix those with low completion levels later.

'I need many apprentices to manage the Necropolis.'

Currently, the Necromancer class was still shrouded in mystery, its job change quest location unknown.

If he couldn't employ Necromancers...

He could teach his undead subordinates necromancy and use them as tools.

Even before returning, he had taught necromancy to the undead and put them to good use in managing the Necropolis.

'Workers who don't eat or sleep. Wouldn't they be the best talent any company would want?'

〔Black Company. A name that truly suits your character.〕

'Hey, why is the conversation going in that direction?'

〔Contractor, are you seriously asking that?〕

'No. I know roughly, so stop it.'

The only subordinates who could learn necromancy were Jo Seungchul, Fafnir, and Lee Seungyeon.

Magic-based undead weren't common.

'I'll have to put Lee Seungyeon to work soon too.'

He couldn't be tied down by Necropolis management.

Yoojin's position was that of a commander.

Besides the Necropolis in the border region, there were many other places he needed to focus on.

【Master, what is this hideous monster?】

"A secret weapon against Ogres."

【Oh? You made something interesting. You hunted Ogres to create this, huh.】

"From now on, we'll hunt Ogres periodically and create Brutals."

【May I say something?】

Yoojin chuckled.

‘Song Myeongseok. What you're going to say is obvious…’

"Want to fight it?"

【I am the one who hunted the Ogre, the tyrant of the forest. I want to show you that I am superior to a mere half-dead corpse.】

"Go ahead. I won't give you any buffs."

Song Myeongseok stepped forward confidently.

He had received Yoojin's help during the first hunt, but now that he had gotten the hang of it, he was confident he could hunt an Ogre without buffs.

'I will prove my greatness.'

Song Myeongseok carelessly charged towards the Brutal, underestimating its power.

5 minutes later.

Song Myeongseok was divided into Song / Myeong / Seok, crawling on the ground.

[TL/N: 💀]

【T-This can't be happening!】

"What are you doing? You're staggering... or rather, you don't even have a body to stagger with."

Yoojin looked down at Song / Myeong / Seok with pity.

The Brutal's strength lay in its tough body.

The sharp protrusions all over its body forced damage on any enemy who attempted close combat.

Even the Dual Blades technique that confused the Ogre's eyes was useless.

Unable to shake off the relentlessly charging Brutal, he was separated into Head / Torso / Legs.

【Please give me another chance! If only I had enough time and budget...】

"Budget? He thinks he's some kind of mad scientist with unlimited resources."

Song / Myeong / Seok's complaints weren't entirely unfounded.

In life, he was armed with Unique grade artifacts provided by the Arhan Guild.

Although the [Scrap Metal Filled with Obsession] had good synergy with the undead, and Yoojin's surgical skills were excellent, allowing him to perform above his specs.

If they were to compare the specs of the heavy armor and dual swords, they were inferior to Unique grade and slightly better than Rare grade.

【Grrrr!】

Song Myeongseok's jawbone rattled in frustration.

Yoojin reconnected the Skeleton Knight's trisected body and restored it with spirit power.

【Aren't you going to use divine spells?】

"I'm using Life Drain. It's a waste."

Although Life Drain's recovery speed was faster, it consumed accumulated life force.

On the other hand, spirit power recovered immediately with a bit of rest.

There was no need to use consumables.

Before returning, he had to restore every single broken undead.

"Fafnir, how many can you handle at the same time?"

【Three. Any more than that is impossible.】

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"That's quite a generous assessment."

【Just by attempting close combat, they inflict damage on us. They're troublesome opponents.】

"What if I add triple buffs?"

【Then it might be doable. I also have Dragon Scales.】

Thank you for the quick estimate.

Fafnir had observed the battle of Jo Yeongjin, the third-ranked executive of the Manhunters, from afar.

He understood the meaning behind Yoojin's question.

Based on the combat power the Brutal displayed while dividing Song / Myeong / Seok, he quickly reached a conclusion.

'Repelling them is possible, but annihilation is unlikely.'

Having reached a similar conclusion internally, Yoojin readily accepted his judgment.

He had to be satisfied with the addition of power comparable to the main force of the Manhunters.

"Jo Seungchul, call Lee Seungyeon."

【Yes, Master.】

With that done, Yoojin turned his attention to the task ahead.

‘Time to drill some necromancy into these skulls!!’

He mused.

‘Don't worry. He had reached 9 Stars in my previous life. I'm practically a professor of the dead.’

A few moments later, Jo Seungchul returned with Lee Seungyeon in tow.

【Everyone has gathered, Master.】

"Good. Then let's start the crash course."

【M-Master… Could I perhaps... sit this one out?】

Fafnir stammered.

"You were surprisingly good at it last time, so why don't you join us?"

Fafnir opened his mouth to protest, but Yoojin cut him off.

“Besides, you were so eager to learn before. Surely a little refresher won't hurt?”

Trapped by his own earlier enthusiasm, Fafnir could only manage an awkward chuckle.

＊ ＊ ＊

A week had passed since returning to the border region.

Yoojin, with two Dark Minions in front of him, grumbled incessantly.

"You blockheads."

【.....】

"Where else in the world would you find someone who teaches you this well?"

【.....】

Jo Seungchul and Lee Seungyeon hung their heads.

[Dark Minion (Jo Seungchul) has acquired the Raise Dead skill.]

[Dark Minion (Lee Seungyeon) has acquired the Raise Dead skill.]

Yoojin hadn't left the Necropolis once in the past week.

Whenever he had time, he taught necromancy.

Or he created Brutals one by one.

It had been a while since the three Ogres he initially brought had been reborn as undead.

He read nearby memories with [Memento] and found three more Ogres, increasing the number of Brutals to six.

'Still not enough.'

These were the guys who had dumped Ogres from their cargo ship like trash.

What if they held back their elite monsters and instead captured the monsters spawning throughout the border region and sent them charging?

'We'd be at a disadvantage in a war of attrition.'

Huh.

Yoojin's face contorted.

He couldn't just stand by and let his Necromancer pride be hurt.

"You need to learn at least Dead Rise to get the tomb's operating rate to around 40%. Work harder."

【As Master commands.】

"Yeah. Look at Fafnir over there. He's already learned it all."

The blue flames of the two Dark Minions flickered.

Perhaps the training at Yeonpyeong wasn't in vain, as Fafnir had significantly improved his [Raise Dead] proficiency.

Proficiency = Understanding of undead creation.

Naturally, this gave him an advantage when learning other undead creation skills.

'Still, he's incredibly fast.'

His learning speed was impressive every time he saw it.

【Master, I brought three more.】

Thump—

The corpse of an Ogre, its tongue lolling out, was sprawled on the ground.

Song Myeongseok was riding on top of the Brutal.

He wasn't talented in necromancy, so he was tasked with hunting Ogres based on the information obtained through [Memento].

"Put it inside the tomb."

【As you command.】

"And don't splatter blood everywhere like you did the day before yesterday."

【.....】

Sigh.

Really. There was no one he could trust with tasks.

Even while teaching necromancy to the three undead, he had no time to rest.

⋯⋯⋯

[Necromancy Research Lab construction complete.]

▷ Rank - 1

▷ Size - Medium

▷ Durability - 700/700

Research can be conducted within the domain to enhance the effects of necromancy.

▷ Currently Researchable List

- Automatic Undead Creation

- Undead Enhancement Lv1

- Fog Range Increase Lv1

⋯⋯⋯

Necromancy Research Lab.

It was the highest priority building among the 1st tier structures.

The only reason he hadn't built it yet was that it required someone who had learned [Necromancy] to operate.

Now that Lee Seungyeon had learned the basics of necromancy, it was time to stick him in the lab.

"You incompetent fools. You need to learn quickly so I can use you more."

Yoojin grumbled as he stretched his back.

While he was bolstering the Necropolis' forces, the rest of the group also achieved results one by one.

"Finally, 3 Star!"

"Wow. I thought you were going to be stuck at 1 Star forever."

"It's all thanks to Hyung-nim."

All members of the Little Runts team reached 3 Star.

An incredible hunting speed.

This was the result of minimizing rest and slaughtering monsters in the border region.

Im Jaebaek, who had been hunting with them, also leveled up considerably.

'Ha. This is really tough.'

How many times had he felt the urge to throw away the greatsword in his hand?

The Little Runts team's pace was that phenomenal.

"Yes!!! Finally!!! I did it!!!!"

At the same time.

Shin Joonseok, who was staying at the Black Herb farm, shouted in triumph, holding a black pill.

The initial version of the Gangshim Pill.

This was the first time he had created a 'Product' that was stabilized.

[You have awakened a new possibility in alchemy.]

[Level up!]

His level increased thanks to his improved understanding of alchemy.

Shin Joonseok was overjoyed.

'It's all thanks to my partner!'

An opportunity that any alchemist would want even if it cost them a fortune!

Without Yoojin's support, Shin Joonseok would still be struggling with the debt from excessive investment, living a life of anxiety.

'From now on, only loyalty, loyalty!'

More alchemy recipes.

And more opportunities!

Everything would be fulfilled if he stayed by Yoojin's side.

Shin Joonseok was convinced.

Unbeknownst to anyone, Black Company, stretching its wings in the border region, was preparing to expand its influence.

[Translator - Hestia

[Proofreader - Kaya]