Chapter 93

Chapter 93

Spendthrift Necromancer (93)

Antlion Pit (5)

Arms, legs, and then the neck.

Yu Longgang's entire body was dismembered.[Level increases by 3!]

His level shot up with every kill. He'd already reached Level 196 after killing Numbers Five and Seven and the trainees earlier. Another three levels brought him to 199. Considering he'd entered at Level 180, the speed was truly absurd.

A considerable level gap.

Add the experience bonus from killing Awakened, and that was probably the result.‘Easy.’Without Merhen, it would've taken far longer. Yu Longgang would've struggled desperately with all kinds of magic.

But things were different now.

A Mage who couldn't use magic?

Then he had to die.[You have hunted the first prey!][The demons are delighted!][You acquire 20 Demon Points!]

He looked toward Shadow's group.

The second bastard selected was…….

“You bastard!”

A Japanese man.

Minwoo didn't know his name.

But he knew his skill.

He'd checked it earlier while throwing his summons at them. Just another hollow S-rank Swordsman with nothing particularly special about him. Minwoo could roughly guess why he'd received the votes.

Han Baekgil and Numbers One through Four.

All of them were Korean.

Yu Longgang and that Japanese man, on the other hand, were foreigners.

If they had to throw someone out as a sacrifice anyway, naturally they'd start with the outsiders.

The Japanese Swordsman, who had been struggling desperately, was eventually dragged into the center.[The second prey enters!][Battle begins in 5 seconds! Prepare yourself!]

Dolsoe and Cedric.

Then Merhen and the rest of the summons. Satoru, the Japanese Swordsman, trembled at the staggering number before him.

It had been a while since his last overseas assignment.

The pay wasn't bad either, so he'd joined casually, almost as though going sightseeing.‘I'm fucked.’He'd seen Kim Minwoo's skill earlier.

Satoru was a Swordsman himself.

He could tell the difference in skill at a glance.

Even if every summon disappeared and they fought one-on-one, he wouldn't win.

That was how vast the gap was.

To think this place would become his grave.

Clumsy Korean left his mouth.

“F-Fuck…….”[Battle begins!]

Kim Minwoo and Cedric charged.

It took less than ten seconds for Satoru's head to come off.

Slash!

Shouldn't have come.

That was the final thought that crossed his mind as the world spun around him.[You have hunted the second prey!][Clean slaughter!][You acquire 25 Demon Points!][Level increases by 2!]

After gaining another two levels.

Messages appeared.[Cedric reaches Level 201!][First seal is released!][Stats are adjusted!][Merhen reaches Level 201!][First seal is released!][Stats are adjusted!]‘Huh?’Cedric and Merhen.

Their appearances began changing.

Cedric first.

His frame grew larger, almost as if he'd suddenly shot up in height.

His bones thickened, and the light in his eyes grew darker.

Merhen's appearance changed as well. Unlike Cedric, however, her body didn't seem to bulk up.

The parasol in her hand.

Strange magic-circle-like patterns began engraving themselves across it. At a glance, it resembled some sinister ritual implement.

Then.[Cedric's stat correction is being adjusted!][Previous: All stats +1 per Level -〉 All stats +2 per Level][Merhen's stat correction is being adjusted!][Previous: Magic multiplier x3 per Level -〉 Magic multiplier x4 per Level]‘……?’What was this now?

He checked Cedric's Status.[Cedric][Class: Dragon Knight][Level: 201][Loyalty: 100][Skills Possessed: Spear Master(SS), Shadow Spear(SS), Dragon Strike(S)][Special Note: The first seal has been released, greatly increasing physical abilities.][Strength: 634(+317)] [Agility: 590(+295)] [Stamina 620(+310)] [Magic: 636(+318)][* Great Success Special Effects][* Movement Speed +10%][* Mini Breath available][* Reaction Speed +10%.][* Arm Strength +20%]

Kim Minwoo's eyes widened.‘His stats shot up like crazy?’Cedric.

He was a summon capable of using Bone Replacement. Even after Minwoo had implanted an Ancient Dragon's skull into him, he had continued adding bones whenever Capacity allowed.

The 20% increase to arm strength came from implanting Ogre arm bones, while the increase to reaction speed came from implanting a Raptor's spine.

The Great Success stat correction and the equipment stats added through Bind Equipment.

Even after adding the increase from Death Lord, Cedric's average stats had hovered around 600.

Now things were different.‘They've been inflated to 900?’His per-level stat increase had gone up, and Death Lord applied to that increased amount as well.‘Insane.’Honestly, Cedric had been a little disappointing before. Higher-ranking summons normally received greater stat corrections per Level.

Dolsoe alone showed that.‘Strength and Stamina were x2. Agility x1, Magic x0.5.’His Magic was somewhat lacking, but in exchange, his specialties of Strength and Stamina received increased corrections.

That meant he gained roughly 5.5 total stat points per Level.

Considering an ordinary Skeleton gained 4 total stat points per Level, Dolsoe was far superior.

Death Knights and Liches were the same. Those kinds of undead gained more than 4 total stat points per Level.

And Cedric was a Legion Commander.

Naturally, he should've received even greater stat corrections.

But until now, he hadn't.

Like the lowest-tier summons, each stat had risen by only 1, for a total of merely 4.

Of course, Minwoo hadn't expected that to continue forever.

He was sealed.

Then eventually the seal would break.

That was what Minwoo had thought.‘Didn't expect it to happen now……’All stats at x2.

And this was only the first seal.

He might become even more ridiculous later.‘Actually, this is only natural.’He was SSS-rank.

The strange part had been the old x1 multiplier.

Even these increased values.‘Death Lord applies to every last one of them.’Accounting for that made it effectively x3. No wonder stats this insane had appeared.

“Now you're finally looking like a Legion Commander.”

Kim Minwoo nodded in satisfaction. Merhen's Magic had exploded upward just as dramatically.[Merhen][Class: Archmage][Level: 201][Skills Possessed: Archmage(SS), Scream of Terror(S)][Loyalty: 100][Strength: 201(+100)] [Agility: 201(+100)] [Stamina: 201(+100)] [Magic: 1020(+510)][Special Note: The first seal has been released, greatly increasing Magic.]

Level 201.A x4 Magic multiplier gave her around 800 base.

Her equipment from Bind Equipment added roughly another 200 Magic.

Once Death Lord was included, her Magic approached 1,500.‘Damn.’A Mana pool that had grown beyond absurdity.

Her Strength, Agility, and Stamina were quite low, but she was a Mage to begin with. A Class that was practically a corpse without Magic. The other stats only needed to meet the bare minimum.

Kim Minwoo wasn't the only one shocked.

The Shadow Awakened waiting on the road opposite him were just as horrified.

Cedric and Merhen.

They were summons Shadow had been watching closely. Yet now their appearances had suddenly changed, and they began radiating an even heavier pressure, as though they'd become much stronger.

“……

Damn it!”

Number Four stomped the ground. That was how furious he was.

Even more despairing.

Despite throwing away two people to buy time, they still hadn't found any clear way to escape this place.

Han Baekgil stared at Number Four.

“……

You'll have to go.”

“Fuck…….”

There were no foreigners left now.

Only native Koreans remained.

Apparently Han Baekgil intended to send them out from weakest to strongest.

Naturally the Boss and Numbers One, Two, and Three would be safe.

But not him.

Growing desperate, Number Four looked at everyone and spoke.

“Hey, are you seriously going to do this? At this rate the Boss goes last.”

“……

You want us to throw the Boss out first?”

“Doesn't this piss you off? We all agreed to come here! Then the vote should be fair too. Why should someone just decide who gets pushed out to die?”

“……

Stop talking nonsense, Number Four. We discussed sacrifices long ago. If we find a way out in the meantime, naturally we'll need the strongest people alive to escape.”

“Bullshit! We haven't found anything yet, so why would we suddenly find it now? Hey, Number Three! Number Two! You're seriously going along with this? You're next!”

“……

Sorry.”

Number Four.

Number Three.

Number Two.

All three went out, and all three had their heads cut off before they could last even a minute.

Number One and Han Baekgil.

Only those two remained.

“……

Fuck. Boss, is there seriously no way out? Try that damned prayer or something!”

“……

Prayer isn't something we can perform whenever we please.”

“Damn it, damn it!”

But what happened now?

The system selected sacrifices through voting.

Yet each person had one vote.

As the two tilted their heads.[Winner Takes All!][Fight!][The victorious prey receives one vote!]

“……

This Gate is seriously X-ed up.”

“Agreed.”

Han Baekgil and Number One charged toward each other.

Just to live one minute longer.

After defeating Number One, Han Baekgil sighed and spoke.

“Sorry.”

“Fuck…….”

Number One, dead.

Now the only one left, Han Baekgil looked around.

Gates were masses of variables.

That was why he had kept searching desperately for some way to survive.

The problem was that none of it had worked.

Then.[You are the only prey remaining!][The demon is growing bored with this one-sided match!][* One demon makes an offer!][Trade Condition: Offer your soul][Price: Demonic Power][Do you accept the trade?]

Han Baekgil sucked in a breath.‘Yes!’As though the Gate had decided not to simply let him die, an astonishing offer appeared.

Offer his soul and receive power.‘I'll die like this anyway.’His soul?

Who gave a damn about that?

Surviving right now mattered more.

Han Baekgil nodded without hesitation.

At that moment.[Your soul has been mortgaged!][Demonic Power is granted in return!][Your race is converted to Demon!]

Han Baekgil's body began swelling.* * *‘Sold his soul.’Kim Minwoo watched calmly. He already knew this would happen. After all, the exact same thing had occurred when he'd discovered this hidden piece before.

Kill them one by one, and the last survivor turned into a demon.

It made them somewhat stronger, but Minwoo had killed them anyway. This was no different.‘Will that bastard count toward the Necromantic Sword?’The trainees and S-rank Awakened.

Unfortunately, the sword hadn't considered them worthy prey and hadn't absorbed their blood.

But Han Baekgil…….‘Maybe it will.’And he'd probably give plenty of Achievement Points too.

Minwoo was already getting excited.[The final prey enters!][Battle begins in 5 seconds! Prepare yourself!]

He stared at Han Baekgil.

Then.

The man's body began trembling violently.[‘One Who Took Valkan's Eye’ effect activates!][The ‘Demon’ before you feels powerful intimidation!]

Demon Han Baekgil began pouring sweat.‘Title works nicely.’This was why Minwoo had wanted to come here.

It was the perfect Gate for this title to shine.―I-Impossible…… why am I…….

Han Baekgil panicked.

He'd sold his soul.

Yet the situation had somehow gotten worse.

Terrifying pressure.

His heart pounded, and chills raced down his spine. Even before the battle began, Han Baekgil was already tasting despair.

What good was becoming a demon and gaining stronger stats!

He couldn't even fight properly![Battle begins!]

Three minutes after the battle started.

That was how long it took to sever the limbs of Han Baekgil's newly strengthened demonic body and finally take his head.[Level increases by 5.]● You are humanity's ‘One Who Opened the Horizon’!● You recognize a change in the world!● You have hunted ‘Han Baekgil,’ one of the main-class villains!● 300 Achievement Points are awarded!● You possess the Achievement Vending Machine! Double points are awarded!

Along with the Achievement Point messages.[Necromantic Sword absorbs the prey's blood! (1/10)]

A blood-absorption message.

And on top of that.[You acquire 50 Demon Points!][Total Points Acquired: 200][An astonishing score!][Selecting the demon who will grant your reward…….]

He gained Demon Points.

Several items had dropped beside Han Baekgil's fallen corpse.

Among them was a strange pitch-black orb.

Minwoo recalled what Han Baekgil had said.

He'd said they'd obtained an orb containing great power through prayer, then used it to duplicate experience.‘Could that be the orb?’He needed to check.