Chapter 11

Chapter 11

Spendthrift Necromancer (11)

The Rod of LoveReturning happened in an instant.

Minwoo looked down at his body.

Just moments ago, he'd been hovering on the brink of death.

Now he was perfectly fine, as though brand-new.

No potion addiction symptoms either.

Virtual Bodies were the best.‘I spent a little money, but that was pretty cheap for what I got.’He hadn't gained just a little.

First.

The Skeletons' combat experience.

They had personally experienced a massive war they couldn't have participated in even with money. That experience would be an enormous help as they grew in the future.

Second.

Titles.

He had obtained a huge number of them.

Since this had been an entirely new stage, many were titles even Minwoo didn't know the details of.‘Might as well check them now.’[New Title List][1. Just How Far Are You Going?][Personally participated in a special battlefield.][Effect: Magic +3][2. Orc Slayer][Hunted five hundred Orcs far above your level.][Effect: Attack power against Orcs increases by 10%.][3. Live for Today][Became addicted after drinking potions like water.][Effect: Slightly increases resistance to potion addiction.][4. Strong One Hunter][Defeated a monster with an overwhelming gap in strength.][Effect: Attack power increases by 10% against monsters at least 200 levels higher than you.][5. Baby Commander][Commanded more than five hundred subordinates.][Effect: Morale of forces under your command increases by 3%.]‘These are about average.’They were titles with reasonably useful effects.

And from here onward…….‘These are the real high-end titles.’Titles he'd earned by pulling off stunts that would've required ten lives.[6. Indomitable Soul][An unyielding soul. It is a fragment of brilliant possibility.][Effect 1. The soul endures the death of the body.][Effect 2. All stats increase by 10% (also applies to bonus stats)][Effect 3. Locked][Effect 4. Locked]

First, Indomitable Soul.‘These effects are insane.’Only two effects were unlocked, but both were absurd.

The soul endured the death of the body.‘I'd have died without this.’It had literally saved his life.

That alone said everything.

And the second effect.

All stats increased by 10%.‘That's ridiculous.’A percentage increase.

Titles with effects like this were extraordinarily rare.

Even after fifteen years devoted solely to this game, he'd only seen about three.‘And those were around 5%. Plus, they only boosted individual stats, not all of them.’But this gave 10% to every stat!

And it even applied to bonus stats gained from titles and equipment!

“Hehe.”

A wide grin spread across his face.

Yeah.

After suffering that much at Level 1, he deserved at least this much as compensation for risking his life.

And he still had three main titles left to inspect.[7. Master of the Dragon Knight][Became the master of Dragon Knight Cedric.][Effect 1. Learning ability of all Skeleton-type summons greatly increases.][Effect 2. Skeletons may now evolve into Dragon Tooth Soldiers.][Effect 3. Exerts intense intimidation against dragon-related monsters.][Effect 4. Locked][Effect 5. Locked.]‘Wow.’This one was just as incredible. The learning ability of Skeleton summons increased ‘greatly.’

Stats were obviously important.

And just as important.‘Knowing how to fight.’The Orc Guard.

He had defeated an enemy whose stats overwhelmingly surpassed his own.

Because he fought well.

This would stack with Death Lord's learning effect, so there was now a possibility his Skeletons could do the same.‘I'm not asking them to reach my level.’Kim Minwoo did have a conscience.

Expecting ordinary Skeletons to move as well as him, the former world's number-one gamer, would be greedy.‘But what about half?’Hell, even a quarter would be enough.

At that level, they could slap around most ordinary Awakened.

If they could move even that well, their combat power would change completely.

Effect 2 was just as impressive.‘Dragon Tooth Soldiers.’Kim Minwoo had hunted dragons several times before.

Dragon Tooth Soldiers were undead warriors used as servants by high-ranking dragons. They mainly guarded a dragon's lair.

But they weren't summons Necromancers could normally use.‘Because I've never seen a Skill Book for them.’As far as he knew, no Dragon Tooth Soldier-related Skill Book had ever dropped in Gate Hunter.

He'd assumed the drop rate was simply absurdly low.‘So you had to recruit Cedric to unlock them?’Dragon Tooth Soldiers were practically endgame among Skeleton-type summons.

Just having that evolution route opened was an enormous benefit.

Someday, he'd probably be able to summon an entire force of Dragon Tooth Soldiers.

Effect 3 was good too.

There were plenty of dragon-related monsters.

And compared to monsters of the same level, their rewards tended to be better.‘I'll get plenty of use out of this.’[7. One Acknowledged by Mutakta.][Orc Hero Mutakta has acknowledged you as a warrior.][Effect 1. Strength, Agility +30][Effect 2. Orcs feel intense goodwill toward you. Encountering Orcs may open special routes.]

“Wow, Mutakta, you crazy bastard…….”

Just how strong had that monster been?‘His acknowledgment alone gives sixty stat points?’That was the equivalent of fifteen levels worth of pure stats.

Minwoo had figured Mutakta was a monster when he saw him beat Cedric.

Apparently he'd been right.[8. One Who Stopped Eternity.][Broke through the impossible and ended the repeated Battle of Hrulunif in the Battlefield of Eternity

.][Effect 1. Magic +20][Effect 2. You smell delicious. A Divine Beast

is currently watching you.]

“……?”

Magic +20 was one thing.‘But what does “smell delicious” mean? And what's a Divine Beast?’At the message saying something was watching him, Minwoo looked around.

He sensed nothing unusual.

“……

Probably nothing, right?”

The chairman's main residence.

This was one of the most heavily guarded places in Korea.

Detection systems comparable to those around the presidential residence were installed everywhere.

Even the Sword Immortal would find it difficult to sneak inside unnoticed.

Minwoo didn't know what kind of creature this Divine Beast was, but if even these detection systems couldn't find it.‘Then preparing for it is pointless anyway.’If something couldn't be detected here, what the hell was he supposed to do about it?

Then the solution was simple.

Think positively.

There was a reason people said that if you couldn't avoid something, enjoy it.‘It'll work out somehow.’Either way.

He'd gained enormous rewards from this Call.‘Status.’[Name: Kim Minwoo(23)][Class: Necromancer][Level: 1][Skills Possessed(3/8): Death Lord(EX), Summon Cedric(SSS), Summon Skeleton(F)+9][Mana: 820/820][Titles: 12][Stats][Strength: 81(+8)] [Agility: 81(+8)] [Stamina: 52(+5)] [Magic 75(+7)]‘Damn…….’All his equipment had been utterly destroyed by Mutakta's kick. The stats shown now were his body's pure stats.

These were Level 1 stats.

Just seeing them made his chest swell.‘Eighty-three bonus stats total.’He'd gained more than twenty levels' worth of stat increases.

He'd acquired a 10% increase to all stats.

And.‘I got Cedric too.’What had he lost?

Minwoo looked down at himself.

The Rare items Mutakta's kick had shattered beyond even the possibility of repair.

Then the fifty-billion-won worth of Black Heart Sets he'd equipped on the Skeletons. Nearly ten billion won in potions and other consumables. Close to twenty billion won in spare equipment.

Finally, a fifty-billion-won Spatial Ring(Intermediate, destroyed).

Altogether, roughly 130 billion won.

All these effects for only 130 billion.

“What a steal.”

He'd squeezed every last drop of value out of it.* * *Ilseong, Korea's number-one conglomerate.

Naturally, the main residence was enormous and contained every sort of facility imaginable.

A training ground was no exception.

A vast courtyard divided into dozens of sections. After arriving there, Minwoo checked the skill.[Summon Cedric(SSS)][Type: Active][Mana Cost: 100][Summons Dragon Knight Cedric. Cedric's level follows his master's. More abilities will be released as his level rises.]

The description was extremely straightforward.‘His level follows mine…….’Then Cedric would be summoned at Level 1.‘Perfect.’At Level 1, he'd be easier to straighten out.

“Come forth.”[Cedric is summoned!][50 mana consumed!]

Half the mana cost thanks to Death Lord.

Clatter!

Cedric appeared.

On the Battlefield of Eternity, he'd ridden atop a Bone Dragon with a dazzling golden body.

Now he looked different.

He was somewhat more impressive than an ordinary Skeleton, but not dramatically so.

His bones were white, and he stood only about half a head taller than an ordinary Skeleton.

The only notable feature was the dark spear in his hand.

Minwoo inspected Cedric's stats.[Cedric][Class: Dragon Knight][Level: 1][Skills Possessed: Spear Master(S)][Loyalty: 60][Special Note: Most skills and stats are currently sealed.][Strength: 34(+17)] [Agility: 32(+16)] [Stamina: 34(+17)] [Magic: 36(+18)]‘Oh. I guess SSS is still SSS.’Even without Death Lord's stat bonus, Cedric was clearly an extraordinary summon.

For a Level 1 summon, his abilities looked enough to slaughter several F-rank Awakened.

Considering an ordinary first Skeleton had average stats around 10 and not a single skill, the gap was overwhelming.

But instead of warm encouragement, Minwoo began with harsh criticism.

“What the hell? Why are you so weak? Was this really all you were?”

Clatter! Clack!

Cedric moved his jaw as though unfairly accused.

Then he spoke.―……

Master. Were you truly Level 1?

“Yeah.”―……

That explains it. Most of my power has been sealed. Never in my existence have I inhabited such a low-grade body that even speaking is this difficult.

“So you're saying it's the fault of your heaven-like master?”―That isn't exactly what I meant…….

“You little punk!”

Minwoo flicked him hard on the skull.

Dong!

Cedric clutched his head and stared at Minwoo as though wronged.―Why did you strike me?

“Ever heard of the rod of love?”―……

What is that?

“I'm only hitting you because I love you.”―Master, are you insane?

“A summon dares talk back?”

Minwoo picked up a wooden sword from the training ground.‘Life's easier if you establish discipline from the beginning.’This wasn't merely because the Call had put him through hell.‘I'm not that petty.’Kim Minwoo had a clear purpose.

Low-ranking undead with almost no intelligence offered their masters absolute loyalty. Tell them to jump into a furnace and they'd do so without hesitation.

Why?

Because they didn't think.

But undead above a certain level were different.

They possessed intelligence.

They could think.

They could judge for themselves.

The culmination of that was the Loyalty system.

Loyalty was one of the values that absolutely had to be managed.

If it fell too low, undead would leave their master, and in extreme cases, even kill them.

That was why handling high-ranking undead required caution.‘Well, Necromancers aren't the only ones dealing with that risk.’Every other summoning class was the same.

Failing to manage Loyalty was a shortcut to ruin.

Loyalty 6

0.

Not low, but not quite high enough to feel secure either.

Roughly translated.

He acknowledged Minwoo as his master.

But hadn't completely accepted him.

He would watch and judge him from now on.‘Something like that.’Well.

Did anyone really expect a stuck-up bastard like Cedric to devote body and soul after being saved once?

Normally, there were two approaches in this situation.

First.

The pampering route.

Shower the undead with care and affection, treat them like precious treasures, and painstakingly collect tiny scraps of increased Loyalty.‘And the second.’Use the rod of love to display an overwhelming difference in power and force them to acknowledge you as master all at once.

Kim Minwoo was a gamer.

And gamers loved shortcuts.

“Cedric. You're taking a beating today. Your big brother needs to give you a little loving discipline with this wooden sword.”[Cedric rebels!]―……

Master, do you take a knight for a joke? Stop this.

Blue flames flared fiercely in Cedric's eyes as he gripped his spear.

Snort.

Minwoo laughed.

He roughly understood why Cedric was so arrogant.

His master was a Necromancer, not a combat class. And now that same Necromancer was trying to beat him with a wooden sword, so of course that bruised his pride.

As a proud knight, he probably hated the idea of being beaten too.‘Too bad.’Minwoo was confident he could win even with worse stats.

And his stats were much higher.

“There's a saying in Korea. We're the courteous nation of the East. Your big brother will teach you some manners today.”

―I warned you, Master. And if we judge by age, I am far more deserving of being called your elder brother.

Nope.

The stronger guy was the big brother.

It was time to personally inject some manners into his insolent summon.