<Chapter 7. Three way >
By the time Lee Shin Woo got a hold of himself, he was in a bright interior, rather than the sewers. It was as if he were in a dream, as the surrounding landscape looked blurry, and he couldn't move his body as he wished. Though he was able to indirectly experience the feeling of a human's body, he wasn't very happy.
Yes, he was looking through a certain human's memories. It was a moment where he once again felt the endless abilities of Bone Reinforcement.
"I’m here, Teacher."
Those words came out of his own mouth. That person, whose body was permeated with Lee Shin Woo's consciousness, spoke those words, and raised his head. For the first time, he saw someone else in the room. He was really old, frail, and even the mana within him wasn't anything special.
'Teacher? But this guy seems like he's way stronger.'
Since he was within this person's body, he knew for sure. Lee Shin Woo had just become level 3 and possessed an ample amount of magic, yet this guy had much more mana than himself. He was obviously a higher level than him, and had probably focused on his growth in magic.
Whereas the strength of the old man before him wasn't even at the level of a Skeleton Warrior. If they were to quibble over mana, the old man had about half of Lee Shin Woo's mana. Normally, Lee Shin Woo didn't have the ability to precisely measure someone else's mana, but it was possible for the person who he was inhabiting.
"Gerrit... why have you come?"
"I have something I must tell you."
Of course, since they had a teacher-student relationship, strength probably wasn't that important. They don't say that the 'student surpasses the master' for nothing. For starters, Lee Shin Woo decided he'd listen to their conversation.
"I have nothing to hear from you."
"Teacher, I heard you've become responsible for a group that's researching under His Majesty's supervision."
"...Where did you hear about that?"
"That's not important. What's important is that what you're doing is wrong."
Ah, as expected. When he thought about it, the last time he reinforced his skull, he remembered hearing about 'research' of some kind. He had roughly guessed what it was, but this memory made it clear what the research was. It was the research that would fill this Empire with the undead.
"Teacher, you must stop that research at once. It's research that's twisted at its very core. Bringing immortality within everyone's reach will bring nothing more than ruin!"
"But that's what His Majesty wants."
"Isn't it you, who had told me that this research was wrong?"
"..."
"Teacher, please tell me honestly. Who's the one who really wants immortality? Is it His Majesty? Or..."
Around now, Lee Shin Woo started to feel like he was watching a movie. The Empire had fallen anyway, so there was no need to be on the edge of his seat! He watched their conversation extremely comfortably. Meanwhile, it seemed as though their argument was reaching its climax.
"Ha. Yes, one born with genius such as you wouldn't understand what it feels like to lack in natural ability and be unable to proceed to the next stage; you don't know how wretched it feels..."
"I just practiced as you taught me, Teacher."
"Then why couldn't I reach that level!?"
Suddenly, the old man's temper flared. It felt as though it had built up, more and more, and had finally exploded.
"I lack in talent, in magic, and in everything! I can't... I can't get to level 3 before I die. Karma... I don't have enough karma...! At least, if I don't buy more time!"
"And yet, why are you voluntarily trying to shoulder the burden of the horrific karma that you vehemently rejected in the past!? At the time, you were the one I respected the most!"
"You don't know! You, who has everything, wouldn't know what it feels like!"
The old man suddenly screamed. But Lee Shin Woo thought he had heard that voice somewhere before, and then, a truly shocking development occurred. The teacher had been delivering his impassioned speech, and suddenly, one of his eyes popped out and rolled onto the floor.
"What the...!?"
"Ugh!"
That wasn't all. The teacher suddenly vomited rotten blood and bowed his head. His student, Gerrit, had a hunch that something had gone terribly wrong, but the moment he was about to retreat, his teacher raised his head and suddenly attacked him. The teacher's eyes had turned yellow, and had a dull glow! It was like the standard development for a zombie.
"Kyaaaaahk!"
"What the hell!?"
Gerrit realized that his teacher, who had sought immortality, had instantly become an existence furthest from life... he had changed into an undead. He quickly diagnosed whether he could turn his teacher back to normal or not, but soon, shook his head, and extended his hand.
'Ooooh...!'
In a brief instance, the world's mana responded to his call, and he instantly created a net comprised of mana, trapping his teacher. It was the stage that his teacher had so fervently desired to reach.
Lee Shin Woo felt it across his entire body and was deeply touched. So this was how you handled mana! He could energetically feel it all: how Gerrit had manifested his will in that brief moment, how he drew out the mana within his body, and how he caused change in the mana.
"Kyahak, Kyahaaahk...!"
"Damn it, Teacher..."
His teacher, who had transformed into a zombie, also raised his mana and struggled; but when Gerrit grit his teeth and flicked his finger, the mana net changed into flames and began to magnificently burn his teacher. When he released the flames, all that remained was a small blue bone.
"Damn it, what the hell did those bastards do to him...!"
The sole survivor, Gerrit, persistently grit his teeth, muttered, and picked up the bone fragment. The mana that arose from his body almost acted as proof of his rage.
"I can't let this insanity go on any longer. I have to protect the Empire at all costs. To do that, damn it..."
Gerrit chewed on his lips. Whereas Lee Shin Woo was concentrating so desperately in order to further engrave Gerrit's high level mana control into his mind that he couldn't feel sympathy for him.
"...In the end, I have no choice but to meet with General Seagald."
'It's Seagald again!?'
He couldn't help but retort when he heard about General Seagald! However, Lee Shin Woo hoped that he would explain what Seagald did, though unfortunately his hope was dashed, as that was the last thing he heard before his consciousness became faint.
It was as if someone decided that these were all the experiences and memories that he could receive, and cut it short. His sight turned dark, and his own senses gradually returned to him. Back to the senses of his cold, hard bone body.
"Tch."
[Low Rank Magic Affinity has become Lv7. Magic has increased by 10.]
[You have learned the passive skill, Low Rank Magic Accumulation. Magic has increased by 5. You can draw your mana naturally, and by amassing it within your body, your total amount of magic increases; and by doing so, your body will harmonize with your mana better than before.]
The moment Lee Shin Woo completely awakened within the sewers, he received concise, and amazing messages one after another; he rubbed his (nonexistent) eyes. His Magic Affinity had leveled up and he had acquired a new skill, a really important one at that!
'Mmm.'
He had learned a skill that was essential in handling magic, and the Magic Affinity skill had sharply increased, so he could say that he had no regrets, but... the name, Seagald, weighed on his mind, so he couldn't feel happy about his growth.
'Since I keep hearing his name, he must've really been an influential figure in the Empire...'
He briefly pondered over it, but soon opened the chatting channel. It should be alright to ask his seniors about Seagald just once. He was famous enough for the skeletons to say his name in their death throes, so there should be someone amongst them that knew who he was.
[Lee Shin Woo: Seniors, may I ask a question?]
[Yasunori Akira: The newbie, huh. It's good that you're not dead.]
[Lee Shin Woo: Haha...]
It was something that he took as a greeting whenever he entered the chatting channel. It meant it was that hard to survive in this Empire. He smiled bitterly and started to speak.
[Lee Shin Woo: Have you perhaps heard of the name Seagald?]
[Yasunori Akira: Ah... it does seem like I might've heard that somewhere.]
[Lloyd H.K.: I've heard of him. He's one of the generals, right? From what I've heard, it seems like there were 12 generals in this Empire.]
[Shino Rendu: Have you cleared the dungeon? That's a relief.]
[Lloyd H.K.: Because you worried about me, I was able to safely clear the dungeon.]
[Prince Altania: Whoever he was, that Seagald guy must've been really popular. The lower ranked the skeleton, the more fervently they talk about him.]
[Seira Von Retadane: Seagald... He's probably an undead right now as well. He's our enemy.]
[Prince Altania: That's obvious.]
As expected, it seems like his seniors had heard about Seagald before. Though he did feel disappointed that he couldn't get any additional information on him from them... Lee Shin Woo clicked his tongue and Seira asked him a question.
[Seira Von Retadane: However, Mr. Lee Shin Woo. Do you perhaps have a reason for asking about Seagald...?]
[Lee Shin Woo: Ah, like my other seniors, I've heard a lot about this Seagald guy from the skeletons. I was just curious as to who he was...]
[Seira Von Retadane: I see. However, Mr. Lee Shin Woo, regarding that person...]
When Seira was about to say something more, something happened.
[Ms. Ye Jin Jin has entered.]
[Ye Jin Jin: Please save me! Somebody please save me!]
"..."
Lee Shin Woo stiffened at the sudden call for help, but his seniors clicked their tongues, as if they were used to it.
[Lloyd H.K.: Damn it... I'd thought it'd been too long for everyone to come out unscathed.]
[Prince Altania: Rest in peace, Ye Jin Jin. ...If I see you later, I'll make sure to burn you to a crisp.]
[Ye Jin Jin: You're too much...! I-I'm going to die! I... ggyahk! A zombie, it's a huge zombie!]
[Erian Ruparte: Jin Jin, where are you!? Where are you right now!? I need to know where you are if you want me to help!]
[Seira Von Retadane: ...It's no use, Ruparte. God really values us, and if we're close enough to help, a quest will occur, even without her call for help...]
[Erian Ruparte: N-No... then are you saying we just have to sit here and watch her die?]
[Shino Rendu: We've already seen several dozens of heroes dying from here. We have a lot of regrets and remorse. You should just shut up if you're going to talk about responsibility or having a conscience so lightly.]
[Erian Ruparte: That's...]
In an instant, the mood in the chatting channel calmed down exceedingly. The seniors who got along well with her were distressed, and even those speaking curtly couldn’t hide their pity for her… Lee Shin Woo understood all of them, and he even understood those who remained silent.
[Lloyd H.K.: Sorry I couldn't save you, Ye Jin Jin...]
[Ye Jin Jin: Please save me... Please...!]
However, their mood didn't match Lee Shin Woo at all. Even though a human being was on the verge of death, they're not even uneasy? Was it because he also felt contempt for himself, since he was also like them? Since he was suddenly starting to be unsure of his own identity?
They were all right, but they were also all wrong.
[A quest has occurred!]
[Hero Rescue]
[A hero close by you is in a life threatening crisis. If you succeed in perfectly rescuing her, you will acquire a suitable reward. Of course, if you fail or ignore her call, there won't be anyone who blames you, but there may be those who mock you and say that you are foolish.]
[Quest reward - 3 permits to God's secret shop, 1 random skill book, acquisition of a suitable amount of stats and Perium, and Lv3 equipment reinforcement permits based on your contributions.]
That's right.
It seems like this girl was nearby.
Lee Shin Woo accepted the quest, left the clearing and approached the sewer's ceiling.
He had gone through the entire sewers over and over again for several days, so he knew the structure of the sewers well. There were other ways besides the official entrance to get into the dungeon, so the opposite was also true.
'Good, as I expected, there's a crack.'
He used his Bone of Thunder Lasting to shatter a drain pipe. No matter how tough the drain pipe was, it wouldn't be able to endure a hardened, Lv3 weapon's Power Slash.
- Kwaaaa
A heap of dirt spilled out and fell, but Lee Shin Woo didn't let it bother him. It had been a long time since these sewers had lost their original purpose. He wasn't going to complain just because of some dirt.
'It shouldn't be blocked to the point that I won't be able to come back, right?'
Of course, it didn't matter, even if it were blocked. He would just break through it and go on his merry way. Like right now! He returned his weapon, and like a mole, violently dug through the dirt, and procured a route to the surface.
He couldn't have even dreamed of doing this when he was still human, but since he was an undead that didn't need to breath now, it was quite simple. Since the sewers weren't that deep, he was able to escape rather quickly.
"Hoo."
Lee Shin Woo, who had gotten outside, sensed a huge presence straight in front of him. Would it take around 2 minutes by running? It was a distance close enough that could be seen with the naked eye. A black haired Asian girl was in the middle of running hectically; behind her, a huge three meter giant undead was quickly chasing her...
[Lv4 Acid Ghoul - Edward L. Baker]
[You have found the target of your revenge. When you initiate battle, all abilities increase by 20%. Flames of Revenge receive an additional 20% increase.]
"Ha, really."
The one he had encountered, and succeeded in barely running away from was none other than that Giant Zombie! Moreover, it had grown to become a level 4 Ghoul!
[Human...! It's been a long time since I've seen... a human possessing such appetizing flesh...!]
"Ggyaaaaaaaahk! Save meeeeeeee!"
Though its body was smaller than the last time, considering how the Acid Poison it spread was getting stronger and stronger, as well as how its movement speed seemed faster than a normal monster's, it was certain that it had leveled up.
He had thought that it wasn't a normal monster, but why did it have to be the one to rise to level 4, and why did it have to be the one attacking another hero...
'Should I run away?'
Lee Shin Woo naturally thought. However, he soon shook his head.
It wasn't because he pitied the girl, who was weeping and ran while dragging her injured leg. It wasn't sympathy, contempt, goodwill, or regret either.
Rather, he didn't feel anything for the girl, to the point that he felt like he'd start feeling contempt for himself. He would've readily helped her if it wasn't very difficult, but it was also a situation where he didn't really want to actively help her. It made him realize that he was a completely different person from before.
Despite that, there was only one reason why he couldn't easily back down. He coveted this quest reward so much that he was ready to sacrifice a life or two to get it.
'Moreover, I have the Avenger skill right now, as well as the Flames of Revenge...'
All of his abilities increased by 20%, so even though the zombie had amplified its stats by reaching level 4, he thought it was definitely worth a shot. He hadn't been aware that the Avenger skill would additionally buff his Flames of Revenge skill, which was a happy miscalculation. He had procured a surefire way of inflicting damage to it.
Moreover, the fact that it was a monster that used Acid Poison was another reason that made Lee Shin Woo so bold. He had already cleared the slimes' den and come out, and in the process, his Acid Poison Resistance had gotten to the low rank level! He was sure he wouldn't be helpless against its Acid Poison this time.
Now that his mind was made up, there was only one problem left.
'Can I take care of this issue without exposing my identity to that girl?'
Ideally, he would act as an aloof Skeleton Knight, who wandered around following the collapse of the Empire; he would take care of the Acid Ghoul, receive the quest reward, and leave worry free... He wasn't sure if that would actually work, but for starters, Lee Shin Woo decided to run with that concept for now.
Of course, even if he is exposed, it wouldn't be too much of a problem. He was an undead, but it was undeniable that he was also a hero. He had all the evidence in the world to prove that he was one.
"Alright, then..."
Lee Shin Woo finished all of his calculations and raised his index finger. A black flame wrapped around his finger and softly burned.
He carefully raised his finger and aimed at the Acid Ghoul, whose heavy feet stomped onto the floor, and ran quickly. Perhaps it was by chance, or perhaps it was necessity, but the girl was running towards him, and because of that, it became much easier to aim at the Ghoul.
"Ready... Aim... FIRE!"
His index finger was launched, accompanied by a simple, short, and powerful pain.
The black flame engulfed the index finger and it went afar, faster than any bullet; it cut through the air, advanced, and burrowed into the Ghoul's shoulder!
'Tch.'
Lee Shin Woo briefly clicked his tongue. It was obvious, but he had originally aimed for its head. Of course, even if he had hit its head, he probably wouldn't have taken it down in one hit, but he was disappointed it didn't work out.
[Guwoooooooh!]
"A-An undead...!? But that attack just now...?"
While Lee Shin Woo was busy complaining, the Ghoul, as well as the girl, inspected him. The Ghoul shrieked, filled with pain and anger, and the girl was incredibly flustered at the unprecedented sight of an undead attacking another undead.
"Oh, ggyaahk!"
Because of that, she sprained her ankle and fell to the floor. That dumbass!
[Human! Eating!]
Rather than punish the skeleton that attacked it, it seemed like the Ghoul decided to eat the human in front of it first. Lee Shin Woo inwardly wanted to get rid of her of right now, and exploded the index finger burrowed in its shoulder!
[Ggaaaaaaaaaaahk!]
"Euguk, Euuk, heuggeuk..."
The effect was amazing! The Ghoul was about to grab the girl's head with its rough arm, but its shoulder joint burst; it wasn't able to endure the horrific pain and stood in place, roaring in pain.
Whereas it seemed like the girl had realized that she had just escaped death, and even while crying, desperately moved her body and escaped the Ghoul. She had already been afflicted by its Acid Poison, so about half of her clothes had been melted, and she truly wasn't dressed decently. However, Lee Shin Woo wasn't agitated by that at all. It should've been alright if he'd been a little uneasy, though...
[Kuwaaaaaaaah! Annoying, a mere skeleton!]
"Jeez, you burn well. It's hot enough to cook a sweet potato!"
The satisfying result of his attack soothed his regret of losing something important. It was because above the Ghoul's tattered shoulder joint, the clear black flames still blazed on, and gnawed at the Ghoul.
He knew it was an amazing combination, but he didn't think it'd be this effective. If he could repeatedly use this technique from afar, whether it be an Acid Ghoul or anything else, they would die all the same.
[Annoying guy, die!]
"Tch."
However, that was still only the ideal situation. There was no way that his opponent would take that kind of horrific pain and idiotically stay put. The Acid Ghoul seemed to be really pissed, as it even let the appetizing human go, and sprinted at full speed towards him!
Lee Shin Woo ascertained its speed, as well as the direction it was going, and raised his other hand's index finger, which he had already ignited with the Flames of Revenge, aimed, and fired.
"Firing again!"
[Kyahak!]
But surprisingly, the Ghoul swiftly swung its arm and parried the shot, as if he were waiting for it!
Of course, the Flames of Revenge excellently shifted to its arm, attached to it, and began burning it, but he hadn't gotten an opportunity to explode his shot; it just miserably bounced off, and rolled onto the floor. Lee Shin Woo saw that, and though he had roughly expected it, he clicked his tongue.
'Tch, well it is a level 4.'
It had a much faster reaction speed than a normal zombie, and the durability of its body was different as well. In a scenario where the Ghoul noticed him, and he wanted to fight it using Catapult, he felt like he'd need to be at least level 5. The fact that he'd gotten the first hit in was a tremendous success.
"Now I have to fight it off myself."
In preparation for the coming Ghoul, he regenerated both of his fingers, and tightly gripped the Bone of Thunder Lasting. He activated Harden, applying it to both his sword and his armor, and even ignited the Flames of Revenge on his sword. Even so, he still had mana to spare.
'If it was before, it wouldn't have been strange for close to half of my mana to have been drained by now, but right now, my mana's overflowing.'
Since he'd strengthened himself with Gerrit's sphenoid bone, Lee Shin Woo's magic was at 173. Moreover, his Low Rank Magic Affinity had risen to level 7, and he obtained the Low Rank level 1 Magic Accumulation. Even at this very moment, the two skills were drawing the surrounding mana towards him and replenishing his mana. So at least in terms of mana, there was a world of difference between him today and him yesterday.
[You are exposed to the Acid Ghoul's strengthened Acid Poison. Low Rank Acid Resistance is mitigating the damage.]
[I'll crush you, Skeleton!]
"Ugh...!"
While he was busy preparing for the battle, the Ghoul had gotten really close. Its Acid Poison had become even more fearsome than before, and Lee Shin Woo, feeling as though his entire body would be melted away, had attacked first. Though it was actually bearable due to his Acid Resistance. He prayed that his armor would last until the end of the battle, and activated his skill.
"Power Slash!"
[Dieeeeeeeee!]
The Ghoul's sharp nails and the Bone of Thunder Lasting clashed. Immediately after the horrific shriek, Lee Shin Woo's body was mercilessly pushed back. In the ground, there were traces of two deep lines.
"Ggeuuuuhk."
[You're weak! Skeleton!]
Despite using Power Slash, the strength behind Lee Shin Woo's strike couldn't match up to the Ghoul's. It was obvious. Even though his strength was counterbalanced by the amplification effect of his Avenger skill, he still couldn't contest a level 4 as a level 3 with purely stats.
'Moreover, this asshole seems to have especially high strength...!'
Lee Shin Woo gripped his sword with both hands, whereas the Ghoul extended one hand, so he was even more shocked. He grit his teeth and attempted to parry its arm, but its forearm was as hard as steel.
The flame blazing on his sword shifted to its arm, attached to it, and began to burn it, but he couldn't defeat the Ghoul with just that degree of pain. The flames on its shoulder were gradually expanding, so now it looked like some sort of flame giant.
"Eeek, Power Sla..."
[Not a chance!]
Lee Shin Woo pushed its arm away, and tried to use his Power Slash again, but the Ghoul used its other arm to smash him, like a straw cutter.
Lee Shin Woo, who used his Combat Sprint to seize that split second opportunity, swiftly retreated both his body and sword, and rolled onto the floor. Instead, the Ghoul's arm burst open the innocent ground and sank into it. It was truly a horrific destructive power.
[To think you'd get away! Die. I'm telling you... to die!]
'Damn it, since it became level 4, our levels are worlds apart. It seems like it's at least 300 stats higher than me... How the hell am I supposed to win?'
Lee Shin Woo evaded its next attack and had to consecutively back away. By simply swinging its arms, the ground was hollowed out, forming small craters; when he saw that, before fear, he just felt astonished. ...It was a relief that it wasn't very hard to dodge them.
[Kuwaaaaahk! You rat...! A mere skeleton without a bit of flesh...!]
"Then are you that slow due to you having all that flesh? Oh, boy."
[Kugiaaaaaht!]
The Ghoul truly had tremendous strength and health, but it wasn't very fast. The fact that Lee Shin Woo was able to dodge its attacks was proof of that. However, he couldn't just move around dodging this guy forever...
[You are being exposed to the Acid Ghoul's strengthened Acid Poison.]
[Low Rank Acid Resistance has become Lv2.]
'My armor's steadily melting away. I won't last long like this...'
He had applied both his Harden skill, as well as his Acid Resistance to his armor, yet the condition of his armor wasn't good. It was due to already having fought the Great Slime. If it kept going like this, his armor wouldn't even last a few more minutes and would disappear without a trace!
'Damn it.'
At the end of his brief pondering, he put his armor into his inventory. Even if he were to die once, he couldn't afford to lose his armor in a place like this.
[Kyahak, Kyahahak!]
The Ghoul saw Lee Shin Woo de-equip his armor, and even as its hands consecutively floundered in the air, it laughed. Though he didn't know what it was so happy about, the Ghoul's body was being gradually burned by the Flames of Revenge. He didn't know if the Ghoul realized that it was in the exact same position as he was.
'Now it's become us both having time bombs set up and we're just waiting for whoever's time bomb goes off first.'
Lee Shin Woo, even while furrowing his (nonexistent) brow, decided to make his next move. It was none other than himself who made up his mind to finish this quest, even if he had to risk his life to do so.
This was the time to stake his life. Even though he knew its body was damn tough, or that it was extremely strong, he needed to get one hit in with his sword...
-Kwang!
[Ggueeehk!]
Something forcefully hit the Acid Ghoul, causing it to miserably roll onto the floor. Lee Shin Woo, who had charged at it, stiffened in place.
"I'll help you!"
The one who had struck the Acid Ghoul, and appeared in its place was... a Skeleton Horse, and it spoke with eyes ablaze with blue goblin fire. Its voice was neither low, nor high, but simply just a charming, beautiful voice.
The Skeleton Horse spoke in that beautiful voice, so he thought there was a considerable disparity between them, but when he thought about it, he wasn't in much of a different situation.
"To think there'd be another undead hero like me...! It's really nice to meet you!"
"..."
Lee Shin Woo was speechless when he heard the Skeleton Horse continue, and kept his mouth shut. He had, at some point, heard about a Skeleton Horse in the chatting channel, a horse that just kept running within the confines of the underground empire; and the stories regarding the Skeleton Horse had coursed through his head.
Yeah, his seniors were right. There was no way that an undead wouldn't attack humans and would just keep running.
... If they weren't a hero, that is.
A skeleton and a skeleton horse; both of them were heroes at that. They definitely had much to say to the other. 'What the hell did you ask God for', or 'Were you perhaps a horse to start', etc...
However, it wasn't the best situation for them to introduce themselves. Lee Shin Woo suppressed the urge to grab hold of and interrogate it, and he spoke simply to the Skeleton Horse, which (probably) looked at him as if it wanted something.
"Thanks for helping. Shall we talk about the rest after taking that bastard down?"
"A-Alright!"
The Skeleton Horse’s reply seemed slightly anxious, but he didn't have time to be concerned about that. Right now, the only thing Lee Shin Woo was sure about was that the Skeleton Horse had equal strength to the Ghoul, such that it could ram into it and send it flying. There wasn't a more dependable ally than a level 4!
[Kugaaaaaah! Again, you're nothing but bones...!]
Meanwhile, the Ghoul, which had rolled onto the ground from the Skeleton Horse's kick, realized the identity of its attacker, and seemed to become extremely angry.
However, the moment its temper flared, and it tried to upright its body, Lee Shin Woo used his Catapult; his index finger flew and burrowed deep into the Ghoul's forearm. Right as the Ghoul opened its eyes wide, the finger exploded!
"Go now, attack!"
[Kahak...!]
Lee Shin Woo aimed for the moment the Ghoul rolled onto the floor again, and activated his Combat Sprint, quickly advancing towards it. Through his Self-Destruct, about half of its forearm was severed, and he followed up by striking its other half with his Bone of Thunder Lasting.
It was a Power Slash backed by Bursting Thunder! It looked akin to a blue streak of lightning.
[Critical Hit!]
[Kuaaaaaaahk!]
No matter how far apart their levels, the Ghoul wouldn't come out unscathed after receiving a Catapult, Self-Destruct, and the following Power Slash. As soon as its tough and sturdy forearm rolled onto the floor, it screamed awfully.
"Eeek, Die!"
The Skeleton Horse rushed over, and kicked it once again. It didn't seem like it had used a skill, but since it had rushed over frighteningly quickly, despite the short distance, its attack power was considerable. Just...
'Why is it so clumsy?'
Lee Shin Woo had consumed countless skeleton and monster bones, leveled up, and gained their combat abilities, so from his point of view, the Skeleton Horse moved crudely, even when considering the difference in species. Moreover, after its preemptive attack, it looked distressed as the Acid Ghoul's blood splattered, which was mixed with Acid Poison; he definitely looked like a newbie.
'Wait, high leveled heroes could be newbies. Moreover, since there's no way that it used to be a horse, it may be natural that it hasn't gotten used to its body yet.'
He decided he would calmly talk this over after the battle's conclusion. In any case, toppling the Acid Ghoul was his top priority. Lee Shin Woo yelled at the Skeleton Horse, which was going for another attack even while suffering from the Ghoul's Acid Poison.
"Stay back for now, unless you have a skill or equipment that repels Acid Poison!"
"But..."
"I'm not telling you to run away. When I ask you, attack him then!"
"...Got it!"
Fortunately, the Skeleton Horse meekly obeyed Lee Shin Woo and retreated. He wouldn't have an answer if someone unskilled decided to be stubborn, but it seemed like he had avoided the worst case scenario.
[You ridiculous bastards, I'll crush you into powder!]
Right then, the Ghoul stood up. It gripped its severed arm with its other hand and dangerously swung it. Whenever it swung it, a thicker Acid Poison spread out. It was mixed with the blazing flames on its entire body, so it gave off a smoky smell.
[You have been intensively exposed to the Acid Ghoul's strengthened Acid Poison. Though Low Rank Acid Resistance is lessening the damage, it seems like it is not very effective!]
"Ugh... Yeah, I'll cut off your other arm for you soon."
[A mere feeble skeleton...!]
Even while saying that, the Ghoul seemed to regard Lee Shin Woo as a much more dangerous opponent than his exterior appearance might suggest, and moved warily.
To the point that he felt as though its combat experience when it was alive was immense, especially because it swung its arm as a weapon, and stayed a reasonable distance away.
[Heh...]
"!?"
However, thinking like that was a miscalculation. It aimed for that split second where Lee Shin Woo couldn't move hastily, and shoved the arm in its hand into its gigantic mouth.
[Kuaaaaaah!]
"You crazy..."
Lee Shin Woo, who realized at that moment that the Ghoul's mana had increased explosively, regretted that he hadn't already severed its other arm. Then again, he obviously couldn't afford to, nor did he have the time to do so before.
"You dirty bastard!"
[I'm a Ghoul, you stupid skeleton!]
Just because it ate its arm didn't mean that another arm would grow in its place.
However, the moment it swallowed its own arm, the skin which had been blazing with the Flames of Revenge, immediately returned to its normal state, and not only that, his other remaining arm swelled fatly. It naturally felt as though the Ghoul's strength had increased a level.
"You asshole, you're not even a boss, yet you're starting the second phase...!"
[Die!]
After it finished consuming its arm, the Ghoul charged at Lee Shin Woo. It was astonishingly fast, so much so that it was incomparable to before!
Lee Shin Woo didn't act with reckless bravado, and immediately activated his Combat Sprint. However, when he thought he'd gotten far enough away, the Ghoul's arm strangely lengthened and smashed him!
"Urgh!"
[Kyahahak!]
This is where it seized the momentum. It pursued Lee Shin Woo, who was rolling on the floor, and attacked him again.
[Die! Break!]
"Tch, keuhut...!"
Lee Shin Woo trusted his intuition and rolled onto the floor, avoiding the Ghoul's arm, which it swung like a whip; though whenever its arm crashed into the ground, the wildly spurting Acid Poison was indirectly melting his body.
[Low Rank Acid Resistance has become Lv3.]
The fact that his Low Rank Acid Resistance, which had risen to low rank just a little while ago, was leveling up, proved just how extreme his environment was.
However, the situation wasn't great, so he couldn't be happy about the skill leveling up. Lee Shin Woo regenerated his body while out of breath, and grit his teeth. Maintaining his Flames of Revenge was continuously taxing his mana, and now, he didn't really have much mana to spare.
'Should I call the Skeleton Horse now? No, he'll just get even more hurt. ...Then.'
It was time to use the method he had been saving to turn the situation around. Lee Shin Woo mentally braced himself again and kicked off the floor, using his Combat Sprint. He leaped up into the air as the Acid Ghoul's arm came flying towards him! He activated Harden, applying it to both of his arms, and held tightly onto the arm.
[Heut!]
The Acid Ghoul seemed to think that Lee Shin Woo had given up his life, as it sported a wicked smile, and pulled him towards it.
Despite him activating his Harden skill, his arms started to gradually melt, but he didn't have any intention of using Regeneration. He calmly waited for the moment he got close. The moment the Ghoul was sure of its victory was the best time for a comeback! Good, in exchange for a life, he'll grab hold of victory...
"Ei... Eit!"
'This timing again!?'
However, when Lee Shin Woo had resolved himself, someone else interfered. To be exact, a javelin quickly cut through the air, and pierced the Acid Ghoul's arm.
[Kuaaaaaahk!]
The effect was amazing! The spear burrowed deep into the Ghoul's arm, and when the Acid Ghoul contracted its arm, it was tormented by a horrific pain, due to the deep tear wound.
It was really impressive, especially when the sharp mana at the tip of the spear impacted the ghoul, and spread everywhere.
"Huhp!"
[Kuhwak!]
While Lee Shin Woo stood in awe, another javelin holding mana flew and burrowed into the Ghoul's arm. It was a speed and accuracy that gave him goosebumps! When he figured out who had thrown the javelins, he laughed forcefully.
'Ye Jin Jin?'
It was none other than Ye Jin Jin. He thought she had run off on her own since he hadn't seen her, but she hadn't.
"Hoo, hoo..."
She was still wearing rags instead of clothes, and she looked as though she would immediately collapse and start crying at any time, but she pursed her lips and endured; after that, she prepared to throw another javelin, and it actually didn't seem like she was going to run away.
He honestly looked again. 'Even when rotten, it's still a herring.' At least at this very moment, her gaze befitted that of a hero.
[Prey!]
"Where do you think you're going?"
Now that it's become like this, the situation's changed. There was the Skeleton Horse, while sloppy, which possessed a level 4's strength, as well as the coward that was only level 3, but was a hero with a talent in throwing... He had a chance of winning now without giving up one of his precious lives.
"Hubp!"
[Kuhak!?]
[Beginner Power Slash has become Lv8. The activation speed of the skill has become faster.]
Before he was flung to the ground, Lee Shin Woo exerted all his strength to twist its arm, and then rolled onto the ground. He wondered whether he could utilize Power Slash with his body as well, so he had tried it, and it seemed like he had half succeeded.
[You insect, how dare you!]
"Heut, hey you!"
"Y-Yes!"
Lee Shin Woo avoided the infuriated Acid Ghoul's Acid Poison particles and retreated, calling out to the hero, Ye Jin Jin. He couldn't pretend like he couldn't talk at this point, and he didn't have a reason not to either. It seemed as though Ye Jin Jin didn't think she was in a position to discriminate about this or that, as she obediently responded.
"How many more times can you shoot that!?"
"Two more times!"
"If I give a location, shoot it right away!"
"Yes...!"
[I won't let you!]
"Ha!"
Perhaps the spears were quite painful, as it immediately aggroed onto Ye Jin Jin. It even ignored Lee Shin Woo and ran towards Ye Jin Jin, but Lee Shin Woo directly blocked its path. On his left raised hand, a black flame blazed.
"Why don't you try blocking this one?"
[Not a... chance!]
Lee Shin Woo's finger trembled, and the instant he made the motion for his Catapult, the Ghoul appeared to perfectly read its trajectory and swung its arm! However, it didn't feel anything ever touch its hand.
[Kuha...?]
"It was a fake, you dumbass!"
The moment that the Ghoul felt quizzical, Lee Shin Woo was already drifting in the air, aiming his index finger at the Ghoul. He had taken the opportunity when its vision was obscured from swinging its arm and jumped.
[Kuahk!?]
The Ghoul noticed him, but it was much too late to withdraw its arm. When it opened its mouth wide to shriek, Lee Shin Woo launched his index finger bone without delay!
[The Beginner Catapult skill has advanced to Low Rank. Agility has increased by 5. Continuous Catapults have become possible.]
[Kuaaaaaahk! I'll kill you!]
Lee Shin Woo exploded his index finger the moment it lodged into the Ghoul's head. Despite the Ghoul losing 20% of its head, its stance didn't falter and swung its arm at Lee Shin Woo.
It staggered a bit from the various injuries it had sustained, but the brutal force within its arm was still the same as ever, and soared through the air with an unpleasant piercing power.
'Damn it...'
If he could, he would've shot bullets continuously like the Ratman, but he lacked the mana to do so. He could use it twice more, and if he wanted the scale to be even bigger, he could only use it once more. Lee Shin Woo couldn't afford to waste that chance now, and as he fell down powerlessly, he grit his teeth and yelled out.
"Help me!"
"I was waiting!"
Its spirit was like Superman's. He didn't even know where he came from; the Skeleton Horse appeared with a speed that made it seem like it could even dodge lightning, and like it had done before, forcefully rammed into the Ghoul!
[Kugaahk!]
"Hoo."
The Ghoul, which had aggroed onto Lee Shin Woo, foolishly suffered from the same type of attack as before, and rolled onto the floor. Lee Shin Woo used that opportunity to land safety.
'Still, we can't kill him like this.'
Lee Shin Woo put his sword into his inventory, took a deep breath, and scrutinized the Acid Ghoul. Despite the Ghoul experiencing the bone shot wreathed with Flames of Revenge, the javelin throw, and even the Skeleton Horse's weighty, full strength charge attack one after another, it still stood up in the end.
"Go ahead and rest now. I'll finish this and come back."
"I came over to help... Sorry."
"No, you did enough."
It had probably been affected by the Acid Poison when it collided with the Ghoul, so its once dignified appearance had definitely lessened quite a bit compared to before. Still, it was worth it. It had not only saved Lee Shin Woo's life, but it had created a deadly opening for him.
"You, over there!"
"My name is Ye Jin Jin!"
He only hardened his left arm, and as he looked sharply at the Ghoul that stumbled as it stood up, called for Ye Jin Jin. She had already taken out another javelin and looked really nervous, but she was already ready to throw the next one.
"Ready?"
"Yes!"
"Good, then... let's go!"
Lee Shin Woo immediately used his Combat Sprint, kicked off the floor, and charged at the Ghoul. At that moment, the Ghoul seemed to be making a last-ditch effort and forcefully spewed its Acid Poison in all directions. Even while it was under the effects of the Flames of Revenge, it moved as if unhindered and Lee Shin Woo likewise ignored the Acid Poison, and charged.
His ribs and legs melted, but his hardened left arm was still intact. At the very least, he wouldn't fall before he reached it.
[Guwaaaaaaaaaaaah!]
The Ghoul looked as though it had lost all reason and sensitively responded to Lee Shin Woo's charge. Its arm dreadfully wriggled and sucked in all the Acid Poison in the vicinity, and it shot that gathered Acid Poison directly at Lee Shin Woo! It looked as if he had shot a laser beam.
"Arm!"
"Hubp!"
Even to the very end, the Ghoul possessed an attack that he hadn't anticipated; were all level 4 and up elite monsters like this? But it didn't matter. Ye Jin Jin's preparations were all for a situation like this.
[Kuhak!]
As soon as he gave the command, Ye Jin Jin threw her javelin, piercing its arm, and the trajectory of the Acid Poison twisted significantly.
The Acid Poison spread through the entire area and the sight of the ground melting away was truly horrific, but the sprinting Lee Shin Woo remained fixed on the Ghoul. Lee Shin Woo approached within firing range and briefly yelled.
"Head!"
"Haht!"
Ye Jin Jin's spear throwing technique was almost like a work of art. The instant he had yelled out, her javelin flew sharply like an awl, and burrowed into the Ghoul's wide open mouth which was facing Lee Shin Woo! It was probably trying to spew out its Acid Poison through its mouth, but the timely spear throw from Ye Jin Jin stopped it.
[Guahk! Ahgaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!]
"I'll let you eat those bones you hate so much!"
Lee Shin Woo shoved his left arm into its fixed mouth with all his strength! His hardened arm cut through rotten flesh and muscle. The instant his arm burrowed deep within its head, the Ghoul opened its eyes wide and bit down. It had instinctually acted like that, as all it had left were malice and wickedness.
[Guaaaaaaaaah!]
"Self-Destruct!"
And that right there was the moment that Lee Shin Woo had been waiting for.
- Kwaaaaang!
This was the greatest impact he'd experienced since being dropped into the Empire. The sound of the explosion, the shock, and above all, the pressure that struck his entire body; he wasn't able to resist and Lee Shin Woo rolled raggedly onto the ground.
It just hurt, and hurt some more. The moment his arm had been severed, as well as the moment a huge explosion occurred, he felt pain that transcended the limits of his perception. Despite only aiming for the Ghoul and activating the skill, it felt as though there were several dozens of holes perforating his body.
[The Low Rank Self-Destruct skill has become Lv2. Magic has increased by 1. The force of the explosion increases.]
However, he was sure of its effectiveness. The fact that everything above the Ghoul's neck had cleanly disappeared from the Ghoul's body was proof of that.
[Gu... aaah...]
No, to be exact, it wasn't a corpse yet. Despite it losing its head, it was still alive. It was filled with wounds, and flailed its arm about; seeing it fumbling around the floor to find Lee Shin Woo, the culprit that made it this way, made him feel goosebumps. From its throat, of which around half was remaining, a truly grotesque voice trickled out.
"Hoo..."
"Heup!"
However, Lee Shin Woo resolved himself, and when he was about to grip his weapon, the Skeleton Horse appeared like lightning and struck the Ghoul, dropping its front legs onto it. It was so powerful that he thought that this was what Thor's lightning hammer might be like!
[Gu...]
The Ghoul wasn't even able to spread its Acid Poison and was stuck in that area, wriggling around a couple of times. In the end, it stopped moving, and the battle was over.
[You have commanded different individual species and successfully hunted a monster a higher level than you. All stats have increased by 2. Beginner Command has become Lv7.]
[This is a term that only those who have been saved, not the one who saves, can speak. You have acquired the Savior's karma token with great success. Strength and magic have increased by 4. You have acquired the active skill, Sacrifice Lv1.]
[You have superbly succeeded in executing your revenge. The Beginner Avenger skill has become Lv4. When you meet the one who defeated you again, all abilities increase by 30%.]
Was it because the Ghoul persistently hung on until the very end? Despite the message that the party had successfully hunted the Ghoul, Lee Shin Woo couldn't believe it and just blankly stood there.
However, he did so only briefly. When the Ghoul turned into mana and disappeared, leaving behind the dropped items in its place, reality hit him. None of them had died, and had amazingly defeated the monster.
"...We won."
"It's all because of you."
"It was all because you appeared at the right moment that we were able to win so easily."
The Undead Hero and the Skeleton Horse Hero exchanged compliments. Truthfully, they both didn't even have the energy to stand, but while fighting against the Ghoul, the ground had become completely covered by the Acid Poison, so they barely endured, and stood.
"T-Thank you very much!"
"Oh..."
And the last remaining hero cut in. It was none other than Ye Jin Jin, who was dressed in tattered clothing. Of course, Lee Shin Woo had indeed saved her, but he hadn't expected her to bow her head in front of an undead and even thank him... It was honestly something he hadn't expected. It was only really possible if one was extremely pure.
"This was the first time I've realized that there are also good Undead in the Empire! I-I was really about to die... Thank you very much for helping me!"
"Hm?"
However, at that time, the Skeleton Horse tilted its head, and then, turned its head towards Lee Shin Woo, and asked.
"You weren't the one who was in danger? The quest or whatever definitely said that there was a hero who was in trouble, and when I got here, you were fighting with that Ghoul..."
"No, I also received the quest and came to save her."
"Huh? You came to save... me? Wait, just a second. A hero...?"
The misunderstandings that the party had were all meshed together in the same place. Lee Shin Woo had roughly grasped the situation, but the Skeleton Horse, and Ye Jin Jin looked as though they couldn't understand what was going on at all.
Would they be able to understand each other just by talking? Lee Shin Woo sighed and spoke briefly.
"Let's talk in a calm and orderly way. Ah, before that, wear some clothes."
"Clothes...? Ggyaahk!"
[Quest complete!]
[You have acquired 50,000 Perium.]
[Strength has increased by 5, Agility by 10, Health by 3, and Magic by 7.]
[You have acquired 3 permits to God's secret shop, the Intermediate Ice Resistance skill book, and 5 Lv3 equipment reinforcement permits.]
Now this was definitely a quest reward. He had acquired 50,000 Perium, and secondly, he had gained a total of 25 stats! He had inwardly been looking forward to the skill book, and was disappointed that it was an Ice Resistance skill book, but even when he considered that, it was truly a shocking reward.
"To think that both of you were heroes... God just granted your wish, yet you became an undead."
Lee Shin Woo checked his rewards and when he sported a satisfied expression, Ye Jin Jin (she had safely changed) looked on disbelievingly, alternating between the two. The Skeleton Horse noticed her disbelief and spoke somewhat bitterly.
"You probably won't understand what I say, but I don't know what she did to me. I don't know what happened to my brain..."
Rather than something like supernatural powers or a miracle, he spoke as if he had experienced a taste of something far worse, and Lee Shin Woo nodded his head in agreement.
Of course, he realized that he was too greedy, but still, he hadn't thought that she would just abruptly turn him into a skeleton. It if weren't for the sense of composure that was forced upon him by becoming a skeleton, it would've also been difficult for him to bear.
"It might be difficult to believe me, but... just trust me when I say that I, as well as this guy, are your allies."
"I trust you. If you think about it, it would've been difficult for you to save me at that precise timing had you not been heroes. It's just..."
Ye Jin Jin wavered, and then, quietly added.
"It seems like it was really difficult for you."
"..."
There was no doubt about that, but the meaning differs depending on how it's said. Lee Shin Woo was momentarily speechless when he heard Ye Jin Jin's simple, honest, and careful words.
He felt slightly, extremely slightly guilty that he had acted in order to receive the reward, rather than save this girl. Rather, he felt happy about those emotions.
"You're a good kid."
"Not really. ...But what good does it do me? Strength is everything in the Empire."
"You're the same level as me."
"I just feel more shameless hearing that."
They had already finished their introductions. Lee Shin Woo's lie that he was level 4 had been exposed, but since it'd been revealed that he was an undead already, it didn't really matter anymore. Honestly, it didn't really matter if they figured it out, but if they weren't in a special situation like Ye Jin Jin, his seniors wouldn't easily accept that he was an undead hero, so he had been pushing it back.
"I'm level 4, but I'm weaker than you. So it's alright."
"Jin, that's..."
"You said you were level 4 ever since you became a Skeleton Horse, right?"
"Yeah."
'Jin' was none other than the Skeleton Horse. He was obviously a human before, not a horse.
In his original world, Jin was a sprinter, and had answered like this when God asked him what he desired.
'I just want to keep running, faster than anyone else.'
No matter how he thought about it, God was definitely crazy. To grant that request, she turned him into an undead, and a horse at that!
Lee Shin Woo could accept that she turned him into a skeleton and could even understand why, but turning Jin into a Skeleton Horse made him want to ask God, 'Do you really want the heroes to fight off the Empire?'
"So you're saying you just continuously ran, huh. Without even clearing a single quest?"
"Yeah. I don't know how long it's been since I've been dropped onto this world, but I don't get exhausted, hungry, thirsty, or even tired, and I didn't know what to do, nor did I want to fight monsters... I just ran. I didn't even know about the chatting channel, and until I received this quest, I didn't even know that there were other heroes."
If one were to make a wish and the next morning become a Skeleton Horse, they would obviously be stunned. He just felt that it was frightening that Jin relieved all that stress just by running.
He didn't know about anything else, but Jin had probably grown considerably in sprint related skills. He could completely understand his acceleration speed in such a short distance, as well as the force of the tackle that followed.
On the other hand, since he hadn't fought a monster face-to-face even once before, the fact that he responded so sloppily in a combat scenario was natural... Lee Shin Woo, who had some sort of pride in being the one amongst the heroes that had the most unusual history, meekly passed over the crown to Jin.
"That's why I think you're really amazing. You said you've only been here for 3 weeks? I don't know how you became such an experienced warrior in just 3 weeks..."
"He's right. That sword strike, or that shot were really..."
It was undeniable that Lee Shin Woo had played a crucial role in hunting the Acid Ghoul, but... he turned away as the two looked at him as if his face were golden. Just in time, he saw the loot that was rolling on the ground.
Ye Jin Jin, who checked which way his head had turned, smiled ambiguously and took a step back.
"Ah, the loot... I'll sit this out. Since you guys saved me..."
"Please take some, based on how much you contributed with your javelins. You have to be the one that handles the karma that you've sown."
"...It's really only been 3 weeks since you've first been here, right?"
She couldn't believe what she was hearing; it seemed as though Lee Shin Woo knew much more about the truth of this world than she did, and had to ask back. Of course, it turned out exactly as Lee Shin Woo had said. There was only one monster and there were individual drops for each of them, but how their splits would be shared was already determined.
[23,510 Perium]
[Acid Ghoul's Thumbnail]
[Lv4 Acid Skull Helm]
70% of the total Perium was deducted from his share, but he got two items.
Though he was able to acquire new information that this world did indeed recognize nails as bones due to the Acid Ghoul's Thumbnail (a skeleton doesn't have nails, but they honestly don't need them), but there was something more important than that.
[Acid Skull Helm]
[Lv4]
[Durability: 1,500/1,500]
[Defense: 250 - 310]
[Options: Magic + 10, Effectiveness of Acid Type Skills + 10%]
"A helmet made of its skull; this is really valuable..."
"It's a level 4 helmet... I'm really jealous."
"Wow, it's really tough."
Lee Shin Woo as well as the other two began touching the pale green and sleek helmet, and couldn't stop from being moved.
It was beautiful, to the point that he couldn't believe that it was made of bone. It started from the neck, and completely protected the head; there wasn't a separate visor attached, but there was a small crack that he could see through.
'An undead's head is central to their life. There isn't much to think about; it's more important than body armor.'
He equipped the helmet at that very spot. Compared to the Dire Wolf Bone Armor, which increased his health by 20, it seemed like the additional 10 magic didn't compare, but it had other options besides that.
The effectiveness of acid types skills would increase by 10%. It wasn't just a valuable option because it would increase the effectiveness of his Acid Resistance...
'It'll probably help with the skill that I gain from the Acid Ghoul's Thumbnail, too... Yeah. I have to absorb that quickly as well.'
He turned around and spoke to the black haired girl, and Jin, who were conversing quietly.
"The battle's over and you're safe now, so I'll get going."
"Ah."
It seemed as though Ye Jin Jin hadn't expected him to say that, as her complexion became ashen, but soon, she nodded her head stiffly. He also had things to think about after this incident. At the very least, he hoped that he wouldn't be negligent during battle or have to roll onto the floor again in the future.
"Thank you very much for saving my life. I'll probably greet you again in the chatting channel, but let's definitely meet again in the future."
"Alright, as long as you don't die, we should be able to see each other again."
"Let's meet again."
The Skeleton Horse, Jin, also said his farewells to Ye Jin Jin. Honestly, Lee Shin Woo had somewhat been expecting that.
He smiled slightly and turned around. Jin also turned his body in a similar direction. Ye Jin Jin then shouted at them as loud as she could.
"I'll help you next time!"
"Say that after you get stronger."
Lee Shin Woo walked quietly until he couldn't see Ye Jin Jin anymore. He was trying to get back to the underground tunnel he had dug up to return to the dungeon.
"So."
However, before he found the underground tunnel, Lee Shin Woo suddenly paused, and opened his (nonexistent) mouth.
"Shall we start talking?"
"Sounds good."
Jin, who had been quietly following behind, replied in a beautiful voice that didn't at all match with his exterior appearance.
"I was waiting."
<Chapter 7. Three way >
By the time Lee Shin Woo got a hold of himself, he was in a bright interior, rather than the sewers. It was as if he were in a dream, as the surrounding landscape looked blurry, and he couldn't move his body as he wished. Though he was able to indirectly experience the feeling of a human's body, he wasn't very happy.
Yes, he was looking through a certain human's memories. It was a moment where he once again felt the endless abilities of Bone Reinforcement.
"I’m here, Teacher."
Those words came out of his own mouth. That person, whose body was permeated with Lee Shin Woo's consciousness, spoke those words, and raised his head. For the first time, he saw someone else in the room. He was really old, frail, and even the mana within him wasn't anything special.
'Teacher? But this guy seems like he's way stronger.'
Since he was within this person's body, he knew for sure. Lee Shin Woo had just become level 3 and possessed an ample amount of magic, yet this guy had much more mana than himself. He was obviously a higher level than him, and had probably focused on his growth in magic.
Whereas the strength of the old man before him wasn't even at the level of a Skeleton Warrior. If they were to quibble over mana, the old man had about half of Lee Shin Woo's mana. Normally, Lee Shin Woo didn't have the ability to precisely measure someone else's mana, but it was possible for the person who he was inhabiting.
"Gerrit... why have you come?"
"I have something I must tell you."
Of course, since they had a teacher-student relationship, strength probably wasn't that important. They don't say that the 'student surpasses the master' for nothing. For starters, Lee Shin Woo decided he'd listen to their conversation.
"I have nothing to hear from you."
"Teacher, I heard you've become responsible for a group that's researching under His Majesty's supervision."
"...Where did you hear about that?"
"That's not important. What's important is that what you're doing is wrong."
Ah, as expected. When he thought about it, the last time he reinforced his skull, he remembered hearing about 'research' of some kind. He had roughly guessed what it was, but this memory made it clear what the research was. It was the research that would fill this Empire with the undead.
"Teacher, you must stop that research at once. It's research that's twisted at its very core. Bringing immortality within everyone's reach will bring nothing more than ruin!"
"But that's what His Majesty wants."
"Isn't it you, who had told me that this research was wrong?"
"..."
"Teacher, please tell me honestly. Who's the one who really wants immortality? Is it His Majesty? Or..."
Around now, Lee Shin Woo started to feel like he was watching a movie. The Empire had fallen anyway, so there was no need to be on the edge of his seat! He watched their conversation extremely comfortably. Meanwhile, it seemed as though their argument was reaching its climax.
"Ha. Yes, one born with genius such as you wouldn't understand what it feels like to lack in natural ability and be unable to proceed to the next stage; you don't know how wretched it feels..."
"I just practiced as you taught me, Teacher."
"Then why couldn't I reach that level!?"
Suddenly, the old man's temper flared. It felt as though it had built up, more and more, and had finally exploded.
"I lack in talent, in magic, and in everything! I can't... I can't get to level 3 before I die. Karma... I don't have enough karma...! At least, if I don't buy more time!"
"And yet, why are you voluntarily trying to shoulder the burden of the horrific karma that you vehemently rejected in the past!? At the time, you were the one I respected the most!"
"You don't know! You, who has everything, wouldn't know what it feels like!"
The old man suddenly screamed. But Lee Shin Woo thought he had heard that voice somewhere before, and then, a truly shocking development occurred. The teacher had been delivering his impassioned speech, and suddenly, one of his eyes popped out and rolled onto the floor.
"What the...!?"
"Ugh!"
That wasn't all. The teacher suddenly vomited rotten blood and bowed his head. His student, Gerrit, had a hunch that something had gone terribly wrong, but the moment he was about to retreat, his teacher raised his head and suddenly attacked him. The teacher's eyes had turned yellow, and had a dull glow! It was like the standard development for a zombie.
"Kyaaaaahk!"
"What the hell!?"
Gerrit realized that his teacher, who had sought immortality, had instantly become an existence furthest from life... he had changed into an undead. He quickly diagnosed whether he could turn his teacher back to normal or not, but soon, shook his head, and extended his hand.
'Ooooh...!'
In a brief instance, the world's mana responded to his call, and he instantly created a net comprised of mana, trapping his teacher. It was the stage that his teacher had so fervently desired to reach.
Lee Shin Woo felt it across his entire body and was deeply touched. So this was how you handled mana! He could energetically feel it all: how Gerrit had manifested his will in that brief moment, how he drew out the mana within his body, and how he caused change in the mana.
"Kyahak, Kyahaaahk...!"
"Damn it, Teacher..."
His teacher, who had transformed into a zombie, also raised his mana and struggled; but when Gerrit grit his teeth and flicked his finger, the mana net changed into flames and began to magnificently burn his teacher. When he released the flames, all that remained was a small blue bone.
"Damn it, what the hell did those bastards do to him...!"
The sole survivor, Gerrit, persistently grit his teeth, muttered, and picked up the bone fragment. The mana that arose from his body almost acted as proof of his rage.
"I can't let this insanity go on any longer. I have to protect the Empire at all costs. To do that, damn it..."
Gerrit chewed on his lips. Whereas Lee Shin Woo was concentrating so desperately in order to further engrave Gerrit's high level mana control into his mind that he couldn't feel sympathy for him.
"...In the end, I have no choice but to meet with General Seagald."
'It's Seagald again!?'
He couldn't help but retort when he heard about General Seagald! However, Lee Shin Woo hoped that he would explain what Seagald did, though unfortunately his hope was dashed, as that was the last thing he heard before his consciousness became faint.
It was as if someone decided that these were all the experiences and memories that he could receive, and cut it short. His sight turned dark, and his own senses gradually returned to him. Back to the senses of his cold, hard bone body.
"Tch."
[Low Rank Magic Affinity has become Lv7. Magic has increased by 10.]
[You have learned the passive skill, Low Rank Magic Accumulation. Magic has increased by 5. You can draw your mana naturally, and by amassing it within your body, your total amount of magic increases; and by doing so, your body will harmonize with your mana better than before.]
The moment Lee Shin Woo completely awakened within the sewers, he received concise, and amazing messages one after another; he rubbed his (nonexistent) eyes. His Magic Affinity had leveled up and he had acquired a new skill, a really important one at that!
'Mmm.'
He had learned a skill that was essential in handling magic, and the Magic Affinity skill had sharply increased, so he could say that he had no regrets, but... the name, Seagald, weighed on his mind, so he couldn't feel happy about his growth.
'Since I keep hearing his name, he must've really been an influential figure in the Empire...'
He briefly pondered over it, but soon opened the chatting channel. It should be alright to ask his seniors about Seagald just once. He was famous enough for the skeletons to say his name in their death throes, so there should be someone amongst them that knew who he was.
[Lee Shin Woo: Seniors, may I ask a question?]
[Yasunori Akira: The newbie, huh. It's good that you're not dead.]
[Lee Shin Woo: Haha...]
It was something that he took as a greeting whenever he entered the chatting channel. It meant it was that hard to survive in this Empire. He smiled bitterly and started to speak.
[Lee Shin Woo: Have you perhaps heard of the name Seagald?]
[Yasunori Akira: Ah... it does seem like I might've heard that somewhere.]
[Lloyd H.K.: I've heard of him. He's one of the generals, right? From what I've heard, it seems like there were 12 generals in this Empire.]
[Shino Rendu: Have you cleared the dungeon? That's a relief.]
[Lloyd H.K.: Because you worried about me, I was able to safely clear the dungeon.]
[Prince Altania: Whoever he was, that Seagald guy must've been really popular. The lower ranked the skeleton, the more fervently they talk about him.]
[Seira Von Retadane: Seagald... He's probably an undead right now as well. He's our enemy.]
[Prince Altania: That's obvious.]
As expected, it seems like his seniors had heard about Seagald before. Though he did feel disappointed that he couldn't get any additional information on him from them... Lee Shin Woo clicked his tongue and Seira asked him a question.
[Seira Von Retadane: However, Mr. Lee Shin Woo. Do you perhaps have a reason for asking about Seagald...?]
[Lee Shin Woo: Ah, like my other seniors, I've heard a lot about this Seagald guy from the skeletons. I was just curious as to who he was...]
[Seira Von Retadane: I see. However, Mr. Lee Shin Woo, regarding that person...]
When Seira was about to say something more, something happened.
[Ms. Ye Jin Jin has entered.]
[Ye Jin Jin: Please save me! Somebody please save me!]
"..."
Lee Shin Woo stiffened at the sudden call for help, but his seniors clicked their tongues, as if they were used to it.
[Lloyd H.K.: Damn it... I'd thought it'd been too long for everyone to come out unscathed.]
[Prince Altania: Rest in peace, Ye Jin Jin. ...If I see you later, I'll make sure to burn you to a crisp.]
[Ye Jin Jin: You're too much...! I-I'm going to die! I... ggyahk! A zombie, it's a huge zombie!]
[Erian Ruparte: Jin Jin, where are you!? Where are you right now!? I need to know where you are if you want me to help!]
[Seira Von Retadane: ...It's no use, Ruparte. God really values us, and if we're close enough to help, a quest will occur, even without her call for help...]
[Erian Ruparte: N-No... then are you saying we just have to sit here and watch her die?]
[Shino Rendu: We've already seen several dozens of heroes dying from here. We have a lot of regrets and remorse. You should just shut up if you're going to talk about responsibility or having a conscience so lightly.]
[Erian Ruparte: That's...]
In an instant, the mood in the chatting channel calmed down exceedingly. The seniors who got along well with her were distressed, and even those speaking curtly couldn’t hide their pity for her… Lee Shin Woo understood all of them, and he even understood those who remained silent.
[Lloyd H.K.: Sorry I couldn't save you, Ye Jin Jin...]
[Ye Jin Jin: Please save me... Please...!]
However, their mood didn't match Lee Shin Woo at all. Even though a human being was on the verge of death, they're not even uneasy? Was it because he also felt contempt for himself, since he was also like them? Since he was suddenly starting to be unsure of his own identity?
They were all right, but they were also all wrong.
[A quest has occurred!]
[Hero Rescue]
[A hero close by you is in a life threatening crisis. If you succeed in perfectly rescuing her, you will acquire a suitable reward. Of course, if you fail or ignore her call, there won't be anyone who blames you, but there may be those who mock you and say that you are foolish.]
[Quest reward - 3 permits to God's secret shop, 1 random skill book, acquisition of a suitable amount of stats and Perium, and Lv3 equipment reinforcement permits based on your contributions.]
That's right.
It seems like this girl was nearby.
Lee Shin Woo accepted the quest, left the clearing and approached the sewer's ceiling.
He had gone through the entire sewers over and over again for several days, so he knew the structure of the sewers well. There were other ways besides the official entrance to get into the dungeon, so the opposite was also true.
'Good, as I expected, there's a crack.'
He used his Bone of Thunder Lasting to shatter a drain pipe. No matter how tough the drain pipe was, it wouldn't be able to endure a hardened, Lv3 weapon's Power Slash.
- Kwaaaa
A heap of dirt spilled out and fell, but Lee Shin Woo didn't let it bother him. It had been a long time since these sewers had lost their original purpose. He wasn't going to complain just because of some dirt.
'It shouldn't be blocked to the point that I won't be able to come back, right?'
Of course, it didn't matter, even if it were blocked. He would just break through it and go on his merry way. Like right now! He returned his weapon, and like a mole, violently dug through the dirt, and procured a route to the surface.
He couldn't have even dreamed of doing this when he was still human, but since he was an undead that didn't need to breath now, it was quite simple. Since the sewers weren't that deep, he was able to escape rather quickly.
"Hoo."
Lee Shin Woo, who had gotten outside, sensed a huge presence straight in front of him. Would it take around 2 minutes by running? It was a distance close enough that could be seen with the naked eye. A black haired Asian girl was in the middle of running hectically; behind her, a huge three meter giant undead was quickly chasing her...
[Lv4 Acid Ghoul - Edward L. Baker]
[You have found the target of your revenge. When you initiate battle, all abilities increase by 20%. Flames of Revenge receive an additional 20% increase.]
"Ha, really."
The one he had encountered, and succeeded in barely running away from was none other than that Giant Zombie! Moreover, it had grown to become a level 4 Ghoul!
[Human...! It's been a long time since I've seen... a human possessing such appetizing flesh...!]
"Ggyaaaaaaaahk! Save meeeeeeee!"
Though its body was smaller than the last time, considering how the Acid Poison it spread was getting stronger and stronger, as well as how its movement speed seemed faster than a normal monster's, it was certain that it had leveled up.
He had thought that it wasn't a normal monster, but why did it have to be the one to rise to level 4, and why did it have to be the one attacking another hero...
'Should I run away?'
Lee Shin Woo naturally thought. However, he soon shook his head.
It wasn't because he pitied the girl, who was weeping and ran while dragging her injured leg. It wasn't sympathy, contempt, goodwill, or regret either.
Rather, he didn't feel anything for the girl, to the point that he felt like he'd start feeling contempt for himself. He would've readily helped her if it wasn't very difficult, but it was also a situation where he didn't really want to actively help her. It made him realize that he was a completely different person from before.
Despite that, there was only one reason why he couldn't easily back down. He coveted this quest reward so much that he was ready to sacrifice a life or two to get it.
'Moreover, I have the Avenger skill right now, as well as the Flames of Revenge...'
All of his abilities increased by 20%, so even though the zombie had amplified its stats by reaching level 4, he thought it was definitely worth a shot. He hadn't been aware that the Avenger skill would additionally buff his Flames of Revenge skill, which was a happy miscalculation. He had procured a surefire way of inflicting damage to it.
Moreover, the fact that it was a monster that used Acid Poison was another reason that made Lee Shin Woo so bold. He had already cleared the slimes' den and come out, and in the process, his Acid Poison Resistance had gotten to the low rank level! He was sure he wouldn't be helpless against its Acid Poison this time.
Now that his mind was made up, there was only one problem left.
'Can I take care of this issue without exposing my identity to that girl?'
Ideally, he would act as an aloof Skeleton Knight, who wandered around following the collapse of the Empire; he would take care of the Acid Ghoul, receive the quest reward, and leave worry free... He wasn't sure if that would actually work, but for starters, Lee Shin Woo decided to run with that concept for now.
Of course, even if he is exposed, it wouldn't be too much of a problem. He was an undead, but it was undeniable that he was also a hero. He had all the evidence in the world to prove that he was one.
"Alright, then..."
Lee Shin Woo finished all of his calculations and raised his index finger. A black flame wrapped around his finger and softly burned.
He carefully raised his finger and aimed at the Acid Ghoul, whose heavy feet stomped onto the floor, and ran quickly. Perhaps it was by chance, or perhaps it was necessity, but the girl was running towards him, and because of that, it became much easier to aim at the Ghoul.
"Ready... Aim... FIRE!"
His index finger was launched, accompanied by a simple, short, and powerful pain.
The black flame engulfed the index finger and it went afar, faster than any bullet; it cut through the air, advanced, and burrowed into the Ghoul's shoulder!
'Tch.'
Lee Shin Woo briefly clicked his tongue. It was obvious, but he had originally aimed for its head. Of course, even if he had hit its head, he probably wouldn't have taken it down in one hit, but he was disappointed it didn't work out.
[Guwoooooooh!]
"A-An undead...!? But that attack just now...?"
While Lee Shin Woo was busy complaining, the Ghoul, as well as the girl, inspected him. The Ghoul shrieked, filled with pain and anger, and the girl was incredibly flustered at the unprecedented sight of an undead attacking another undead.
"Oh, ggyaahk!"
Because of that, she sprained her ankle and fell to the floor. That dumbass!
[Human! Eating!]
Rather than punish the skeleton that attacked it, it seemed like the Ghoul decided to eat the human in front of it first. Lee Shin Woo inwardly wanted to get rid of her of right now, and exploded the index finger burrowed in its shoulder!
[Ggaaaaaaaaaaahk!]
"Euguk, Euuk, heuggeuk..."
The effect was amazing! The Ghoul was about to grab the girl's head with its rough arm, but its shoulder joint burst; it wasn't able to endure the horrific pain and stood in place, roaring in pain.
Whereas it seemed like the girl had realized that she had just escaped death, and even while crying, desperately moved her body and escaped the Ghoul. She had already been afflicted by its Acid Poison, so about half of her clothes had been melted, and she truly wasn't dressed decently. However, Lee Shin Woo wasn't agitated by that at all. It should've been alright if he'd been a little uneasy, though...
[Kuwaaaaaaaah! Annoying, a mere skeleton!]
"Jeez, you burn well. It's hot enough to cook a sweet potato!"
The satisfying result of his attack soothed his regret of losing something important. It was because above the Ghoul's tattered shoulder joint, the clear black flames still blazed on, and gnawed at the Ghoul.
He knew it was an amazing combination, but he didn't think it'd be this effective. If he could repeatedly use this technique from afar, whether it be an Acid Ghoul or anything else, they would die all the same.
[Annoying guy, die!]
"Tch."
However, that was still only the ideal situation. There was no way that his opponent would take that kind of horrific pain and idiotically stay put. The Acid Ghoul seemed to be really pissed, as it even let the appetizing human go, and sprinted at full speed towards him!
Lee Shin Woo ascertained its speed, as well as the direction it was going, and raised his other hand's index finger, which he had already ignited with the Flames of Revenge, aimed, and fired.
"Firing again!"
[Kyahak!]
But surprisingly, the Ghoul swiftly swung its arm and parried the shot, as if he were waiting for it!
Of course, the Flames of Revenge excellently shifted to its arm, attached to it, and began burning it, but he hadn't gotten an opportunity to explode his shot; it just miserably bounced off, and rolled onto the floor. Lee Shin Woo saw that, and though he had roughly expected it, he clicked his tongue.
'Tch, well it is a level 4.'
It had a much faster reaction speed than a normal zombie, and the durability of its body was different as well. In a scenario where the Ghoul noticed him, and he wanted to fight it using Catapult, he felt like he'd need to be at least level 5. The fact that he'd gotten the first hit in was a tremendous success.
"Now I have to fight it off myself."
In preparation for the coming Ghoul, he regenerated both of his fingers, and tightly gripped the Bone of Thunder Lasting. He activated Harden, applying it to both his sword and his armor, and even ignited the Flames of Revenge on his sword. Even so, he still had mana to spare.
'If it was before, it wouldn't have been strange for close to half of my mana to have been drained by now, but right now, my mana's overflowing.'
Since he'd strengthened himself with Gerrit's sphenoid bone, Lee Shin Woo's magic was at 173. Moreover, his Low Rank Magic Affinity had risen to level 7, and he obtained the Low Rank level 1 Magic Accumulation. Even at this very moment, the two skills were drawing the surrounding mana towards him and replenishing his mana. So at least in terms of mana, there was a world of difference between him today and him yesterday.
[You are exposed to the Acid Ghoul's strengthened Acid Poison. Low Rank Acid Resistance is mitigating the damage.]
[I'll crush you, Skeleton!]
"Ugh...!"
While he was busy preparing for the battle, the Ghoul had gotten really close. Its Acid Poison had become even more fearsome than before, and Lee Shin Woo, feeling as though his entire body would be melted away, had attacked first. Though it was actually bearable due to his Acid Resistance. He prayed that his armor would last until the end of the battle, and activated his skill.
"Power Slash!"
[Dieeeeeeeee!]
The Ghoul's sharp nails and the Bone of Thunder Lasting clashed. Immediately after the horrific shriek, Lee Shin Woo's body was mercilessly pushed back. In the ground, there were traces of two deep lines.
"Ggeuuuuhk."
[You're weak! Skeleton!]
Despite using Power Slash, the strength behind Lee Shin Woo's strike couldn't match up to the Ghoul's. It was obvious. Even though his strength was counterbalanced by the amplification effect of his Avenger skill, he still couldn't contest a level 4 as a level 3 with purely stats.
'Moreover, this asshole seems to have especially high strength...!'
Lee Shin Woo gripped his sword with both hands, whereas the Ghoul extended one hand, so he was even more shocked. He grit his teeth and attempted to parry its arm, but its forearm was as hard as steel.
The flame blazing on his sword shifted to its arm, attached to it, and began to burn it, but he couldn't defeat the Ghoul with just that degree of pain. The flames on its shoulder were gradually expanding, so now it looked like some sort of flame giant.
"Eeek, Power Sla..."
[Not a chance!]
Lee Shin Woo pushed its arm away, and tried to use his Power Slash again, but the Ghoul used its other arm to smash him, like a straw cutter.
Lee Shin Woo, who used his Combat Sprint to seize that split second opportunity, swiftly retreated both his body and sword, and rolled onto the floor. Instead, the Ghoul's arm burst open the innocent ground and sank into it. It was truly a horrific destructive power.
[To think you'd get away! Die. I'm telling you... to die!]
'Damn it, since it became level 4, our levels are worlds apart. It seems like it's at least 300 stats higher than me... How the hell am I supposed to win?'
Lee Shin Woo evaded its next attack and had to consecutively back away. By simply swinging its arms, the ground was hollowed out, forming small craters; when he saw that, before fear, he just felt astonished. ...It was a relief that it wasn't very hard to dodge them.
[Kuwaaaaahk! You rat...! A mere skeleton without a bit of flesh...!]
"Then are you that slow due to you having all that flesh? Oh, boy."
[Kugiaaaaaht!]
The Ghoul truly had tremendous strength and health, but it wasn't very fast. The fact that Lee Shin Woo was able to dodge its attacks was proof of that. However, he couldn't just move around dodging this guy forever...
[You are being exposed to the Acid Ghoul's strengthened Acid Poison.]
[Low Rank Acid Resistance has become Lv2.]
'My armor's steadily melting away. I won't last long like this...'
He had applied both his Harden skill, as well as his Acid Resistance to his armor, yet the condition of his armor wasn't good. It was due to already having fought the Great Slime. If it kept going like this, his armor wouldn't even last a few more minutes and would disappear without a trace!
'Damn it.'
At the end of his brief pondering, he put his armor into his inventory. Even if he were to die once, he couldn't afford to lose his armor in a place like this.
[Kyahak, Kyahahak!]
The Ghoul saw Lee Shin Woo de-equip his armor, and even as its hands consecutively floundered in the air, it laughed. Though he didn't know what it was so happy about, the Ghoul's body was being gradually burned by the Flames of Revenge. He didn't know if the Ghoul realized that it was in the exact same position as he was.
'Now it's become us both having time bombs set up and we're just waiting for whoever's time bomb goes off first.'
Lee Shin Woo, even while furrowing his (nonexistent) brow, decided to make his next move. It was none other than himself who made up his mind to finish this quest, even if he had to risk his life to do so.
This was the time to stake his life. Even though he knew its body was damn tough, or that it was extremely strong, he needed to get one hit in with his sword...
-Kwang!
[Ggueeehk!]
Something forcefully hit the Acid Ghoul, causing it to miserably roll onto the floor. Lee Shin Woo, who had charged at it, stiffened in place.
"I'll help you!"
The one who had struck the Acid Ghoul, and appeared in its place was... a Skeleton Horse, and it spoke with eyes ablaze with blue goblin fire. Its voice was neither low, nor high, but simply just a charming, beautiful voice.
The Skeleton Horse spoke in that beautiful voice, so he thought there was a considerable disparity between them, but when he thought about it, he wasn't in much of a different situation.
"To think there'd be another undead hero like me...! It's really nice to meet you!"
"..."
Lee Shin Woo was speechless when he heard the Skeleton Horse continue, and kept his mouth shut. He had, at some point, heard about a Skeleton Horse in the chatting channel, a horse that just kept running within the confines of the underground empire; and the stories regarding the Skeleton Horse had coursed through his head.
Yeah, his seniors were right. There was no way that an undead wouldn't attack humans and would just keep running.
... If they weren't a hero, that is.
A skeleton and a skeleton horse; both of them were heroes at that. They definitely had much to say to the other. 'What the hell did you ask God for', or 'Were you perhaps a horse to start', etc...
However, it wasn't the best situation for them to introduce themselves. Lee Shin Woo suppressed the urge to grab hold of and interrogate it, and he spoke simply to the Skeleton Horse, which (probably) looked at him as if it wanted something.
"Thanks for helping. Shall we talk about the rest after taking that bastard down?"
"A-Alright!"
The Skeleton Horse’s reply seemed slightly anxious, but he didn't have time to be concerned about that. Right now, the only thing Lee Shin Woo was sure about was that the Skeleton Horse had equal strength to the Ghoul, such that it could ram into it and send it flying. There wasn't a more dependable ally than a level 4!
[Kugaaaaaah! Again, you're nothing but bones...!]
Meanwhile, the Ghoul, which had rolled onto the ground from the Skeleton Horse's kick, realized the identity of its attacker, and seemed to become extremely angry.
However, the moment its temper flared, and it tried to upright its body, Lee Shin Woo used his Catapult; his index finger flew and burrowed deep into the Ghoul's forearm. Right as the Ghoul opened its eyes wide, the finger exploded!
"Go now, attack!"
[Kahak...!]
Lee Shin Woo aimed for the moment the Ghoul rolled onto the floor again, and activated his Combat Sprint, quickly advancing towards it. Through his Self-Destruct, about half of its forearm was severed, and he followed up by striking its other half with his Bone of Thunder Lasting.
It was a Power Slash backed by Bursting Thunder! It looked akin to a blue streak of lightning.
[Critical Hit!]
[Kuaaaaaaahk!]
No matter how far apart their levels, the Ghoul wouldn't come out unscathed after receiving a Catapult, Self-Destruct, and the following Power Slash. As soon as its tough and sturdy forearm rolled onto the floor, it screamed awfully.
"Eeek, Die!"
The Skeleton Horse rushed over, and kicked it once again. It didn't seem like it had used a skill, but since it had rushed over frighteningly quickly, despite the short distance, its attack power was considerable. Just...
'Why is it so clumsy?'
Lee Shin Woo had consumed countless skeleton and monster bones, leveled up, and gained their combat abilities, so from his point of view, the Skeleton Horse moved crudely, even when considering the difference in species. Moreover, after its preemptive attack, it looked distressed as the Acid Ghoul's blood splattered, which was mixed with Acid Poison; he definitely looked like a newbie.
'Wait, high leveled heroes could be newbies. Moreover, since there's no way that it used to be a horse, it may be natural that it hasn't gotten used to its body yet.'
He decided he would calmly talk this over after the battle's conclusion. In any case, toppling the Acid Ghoul was his top priority. Lee Shin Woo yelled at the Skeleton Horse, which was going for another attack even while suffering from the Ghoul's Acid Poison.
"Stay back for now, unless you have a skill or equipment that repels Acid Poison!"
"But..."
"I'm not telling you to run away. When I ask you, attack him then!"
"...Got it!"
Fortunately, the Skeleton Horse meekly obeyed Lee Shin Woo and retreated. He wouldn't have an answer if someone unskilled decided to be stubborn, but it seemed like he had avoided the worst case scenario.
[You ridiculous bastards, I'll crush you into powder!]
Right then, the Ghoul stood up. It gripped its severed arm with its other hand and dangerously swung it. Whenever it swung it, a thicker Acid Poison spread out. It was mixed with the blazing flames on its entire body, so it gave off a smoky smell.
[You have been intensively exposed to the Acid Ghoul's strengthened Acid Poison. Though Low Rank Acid Resistance is lessening the damage, it seems like it is not very effective!]
"Ugh... Yeah, I'll cut off your other arm for you soon."
[A mere feeble skeleton...!]
Even while saying that, the Ghoul seemed to regard Lee Shin Woo as a much more dangerous opponent than his exterior appearance might suggest, and moved warily.
To the point that he felt as though its combat experience when it was alive was immense, especially because it swung its arm as a weapon, and stayed a reasonable distance away.
[Heh...]
"!?"
However, thinking like that was a miscalculation. It aimed for that split second where Lee Shin Woo couldn't move hastily, and shoved the arm in its hand into its gigantic mouth.
[Kuaaaaaah!]
"You crazy..."
Lee Shin Woo, who realized at that moment that the Ghoul's mana had increased explosively, regretted that he hadn't already severed its other arm. Then again, he obviously couldn't afford to, nor did he have the time to do so before.
"You dirty bastard!"
[I'm a Ghoul, you stupid skeleton!]
Just because it ate its arm didn't mean that another arm would grow in its place.
However, the moment it swallowed its own arm, the skin which had been blazing with the Flames of Revenge, immediately returned to its normal state, and not only that, his other remaining arm swelled fatly. It naturally felt as though the Ghoul's strength had increased a level.
"You asshole, you're not even a boss, yet you're starting the second phase...!"
[Die!]
After it finished consuming its arm, the Ghoul charged at Lee Shin Woo. It was astonishingly fast, so much so that it was incomparable to before!
Lee Shin Woo didn't act with reckless bravado, and immediately activated his Combat Sprint. However, when he thought he'd gotten far enough away, the Ghoul's arm strangely lengthened and smashed him!
"Urgh!"
[Kyahahak!]
This is where it seized the momentum. It pursued Lee Shin Woo, who was rolling on the floor, and attacked him again.
[Die! Break!]
"Tch, keuhut...!"
Lee Shin Woo trusted his intuition and rolled onto the floor, avoiding the Ghoul's arm, which it swung like a whip; though whenever its arm crashed into the ground, the wildly spurting Acid Poison was indirectly melting his body.
[Low Rank Acid Resistance has become Lv3.]
The fact that his Low Rank Acid Resistance, which had risen to low rank just a little while ago, was leveling up, proved just how extreme his environment was.
However, the situation wasn't great, so he couldn't be happy about the skill leveling up. Lee Shin Woo regenerated his body while out of breath, and grit his teeth. Maintaining his Flames of Revenge was continuously taxing his mana, and now, he didn't really have much mana to spare.
'Should I call the Skeleton Horse now? No, he'll just get even more hurt. ...Then.'
It was time to use the method he had been saving to turn the situation around. Lee Shin Woo mentally braced himself again and kicked off the floor, using his Combat Sprint. He leaped up into the air as the Acid Ghoul's arm came flying towards him! He activated Harden, applying it to both of his arms, and held tightly onto the arm.
[Heut!]
The Acid Ghoul seemed to think that Lee Shin Woo had given up his life, as it sported a wicked smile, and pulled him towards it.
Despite him activating his Harden skill, his arms started to gradually melt, but he didn't have any intention of using Regeneration. He calmly waited for the moment he got close. The moment the Ghoul was sure of its victory was the best time for a comeback! Good, in exchange for a life, he'll grab hold of victory...
"Ei... Eit!"
'This timing again!?'
However, when Lee Shin Woo had resolved himself, someone else interfered. To be exact, a javelin quickly cut through the air, and pierced the Acid Ghoul's arm.
[Kuaaaaaahk!]
The effect was amazing! The spear burrowed deep into the Ghoul's arm, and when the Acid Ghoul contracted its arm, it was tormented by a horrific pain, due to the deep tear wound.
It was really impressive, especially when the sharp mana at the tip of the spear impacted the ghoul, and spread everywhere.
"Huhp!"
[Kuhwak!]
While Lee Shin Woo stood in awe, another javelin holding mana flew and burrowed into the Ghoul's arm. It was a speed and accuracy that gave him goosebumps! When he figured out who had thrown the javelins, he laughed forcefully.
'Ye Jin Jin?'
It was none other than Ye Jin Jin. He thought she had run off on her own since he hadn't seen her, but she hadn't.
"Hoo, hoo..."
She was still wearing rags instead of clothes, and she looked as though she would immediately collapse and start crying at any time, but she pursed her lips and endured; after that, she prepared to throw another javelin, and it actually didn't seem like she was going to run away.
He honestly looked again. 'Even when rotten, it's still a herring.' At least at this very moment, her gaze befitted that of a hero.
[Prey!]
"Where do you think you're going?"
Now that it's become like this, the situation's changed. There was the Skeleton Horse, while sloppy, which possessed a level 4's strength, as well as the coward that was only level 3, but was a hero with a talent in throwing... He had a chance of winning now without giving up one of his precious lives.
"Hubp!"
[Kuhak!?]
[Beginner Power Slash has become Lv8. The activation speed of the skill has become faster.]
Before he was flung to the ground, Lee Shin Woo exerted all his strength to twist its arm, and then rolled onto the ground. He wondered whether he could utilize Power Slash with his body as well, so he had tried it, and it seemed like he had half succeeded.
[You insect, how dare you!]
"Heut, hey you!"
"Y-Yes!"
Lee Shin Woo avoided the infuriated Acid Ghoul's Acid Poison particles and retreated, calling out to the hero, Ye Jin Jin. He couldn't pretend like he couldn't talk at this point, and he didn't have a reason not to either. It seemed as though Ye Jin Jin didn't think she was in a position to discriminate about this or that, as she obediently responded.
"How many more times can you shoot that!?"
"Two more times!"
"If I give a location, shoot it right away!"
"Yes...!"
[I won't let you!]
"Ha!"
Perhaps the spears were quite painful, as it immediately aggroed onto Ye Jin Jin. It even ignored Lee Shin Woo and ran towards Ye Jin Jin, but Lee Shin Woo directly blocked its path. On his left raised hand, a black flame blazed.
"Why don't you try blocking this one?"
[Not a... chance!]
Lee Shin Woo's finger trembled, and the instant he made the motion for his Catapult, the Ghoul appeared to perfectly read its trajectory and swung its arm! However, it didn't feel anything ever touch its hand.
[Kuha...?]
"It was a fake, you dumbass!"
The moment that the Ghoul felt quizzical, Lee Shin Woo was already drifting in the air, aiming his index finger at the Ghoul. He had taken the opportunity when its vision was obscured from swinging its arm and jumped.
[Kuahk!?]
The Ghoul noticed him, but it was much too late to withdraw its arm. When it opened its mouth wide to shriek, Lee Shin Woo launched his index finger bone without delay!
[The Beginner Catapult skill has advanced to Low Rank. Agility has increased by 5. Continuous Catapults have become possible.]
[Kuaaaaaahk! I'll kill you!]
Lee Shin Woo exploded his index finger the moment it lodged into the Ghoul's head. Despite the Ghoul losing 20% of its head, its stance didn't falter and swung its arm at Lee Shin Woo.
It staggered a bit from the various injuries it had sustained, but the brutal force within its arm was still the same as ever, and soared through the air with an unpleasant piercing power.
'Damn it...'
If he could, he would've shot bullets continuously like the Ratman, but he lacked the mana to do so. He could use it twice more, and if he wanted the scale to be even bigger, he could only use it once more. Lee Shin Woo couldn't afford to waste that chance now, and as he fell down powerlessly, he grit his teeth and yelled out.
"Help me!"
"I was waiting!"
Its spirit was like Superman's. He didn't even know where he came from; the Skeleton Horse appeared with a speed that made it seem like it could even dodge lightning, and like it had done before, forcefully rammed into the Ghoul!
[Kugaahk!]
"Hoo."
The Ghoul, which had aggroed onto Lee Shin Woo, foolishly suffered from the same type of attack as before, and rolled onto the floor. Lee Shin Woo used that opportunity to land safety.
'Still, we can't kill him like this.'
Lee Shin Woo put his sword into his inventory, took a deep breath, and scrutinized the Acid Ghoul. Despite the Ghoul experiencing the bone shot wreathed with Flames of Revenge, the javelin throw, and even the Skeleton Horse's weighty, full strength charge attack one after another, it still stood up in the end.
"Go ahead and rest now. I'll finish this and come back."
"I came over to help... Sorry."
"No, you did enough."
It had probably been affected by the Acid Poison when it collided with the Ghoul, so its once dignified appearance had definitely lessened quite a bit compared to before. Still, it was worth it. It had not only saved Lee Shin Woo's life, but it had created a deadly opening for him.
"You, over there!"
"My name is Ye Jin Jin!"
He only hardened his left arm, and as he looked sharply at the Ghoul that stumbled as it stood up, called for Ye Jin Jin. She had already taken out another javelin and looked really nervous, but she was already ready to throw the next one.
"Ready?"
"Yes!"
"Good, then... let's go!"
Lee Shin Woo immediately used his Combat Sprint, kicked off the floor, and charged at the Ghoul. At that moment, the Ghoul seemed to be making a last-ditch effort and forcefully spewed its Acid Poison in all directions. Even while it was under the effects of the Flames of Revenge, it moved as if unhindered and Lee Shin Woo likewise ignored the Acid Poison, and charged.
His ribs and legs melted, but his hardened left arm was still intact. At the very least, he wouldn't fall before he reached it.
[Guwaaaaaaaaaaaah!]
The Ghoul looked as though it had lost all reason and sensitively responded to Lee Shin Woo's charge. Its arm dreadfully wriggled and sucked in all the Acid Poison in the vicinity, and it shot that gathered Acid Poison directly at Lee Shin Woo! It looked as if he had shot a laser beam.
"Arm!"
"Hubp!"
Even to the very end, the Ghoul possessed an attack that he hadn't anticipated; were all level 4 and up elite monsters like this? But it didn't matter. Ye Jin Jin's preparations were all for a situation like this.
[Kuhak!]
As soon as he gave the command, Ye Jin Jin threw her javelin, piercing its arm, and the trajectory of the Acid Poison twisted significantly.
The Acid Poison spread through the entire area and the sight of the ground melting away was truly horrific, but the sprinting Lee Shin Woo remained fixed on the Ghoul. Lee Shin Woo approached within firing range and briefly yelled.
"Head!"
"Haht!"
Ye Jin Jin's spear throwing technique was almost like a work of art. The instant he had yelled out, her javelin flew sharply like an awl, and burrowed into the Ghoul's wide open mouth which was facing Lee Shin Woo! It was probably trying to spew out its Acid Poison through its mouth, but the timely spear throw from Ye Jin Jin stopped it.
[Guahk! Ahgaaaaaaaaaaaaaa!]
"I'll let you eat those bones you hate so much!"
Lee Shin Woo shoved his left arm into its fixed mouth with all his strength! His hardened arm cut through rotten flesh and muscle. The instant his arm burrowed deep within its head, the Ghoul opened its eyes wide and bit down. It had instinctually acted like that, as all it had left were malice and wickedness.
[Guaaaaaaaaah!]
"Self-Destruct!"
And that right there was the moment that Lee Shin Woo had been waiting for.
- Kwaaaaang!
This was the greatest impact he'd experienced since being dropped into the Empire. The sound of the explosion, the shock, and above all, the pressure that struck his entire body; he wasn't able to resist and Lee Shin Woo rolled raggedly onto the ground.
It just hurt, and hurt some more. The moment his arm had been severed, as well as the moment a huge explosion occurred, he felt pain that transcended the limits of his perception. Despite only aiming for the Ghoul and activating the skill, it felt as though there were several dozens of holes perforating his body.
[The Low Rank Self-Destruct skill has become Lv2. Magic has increased by 1. The force of the explosion increases.]
However, he was sure of its effectiveness. The fact that everything above the Ghoul's neck had cleanly disappeared from the Ghoul's body was proof of that.
[Gu... aaah...]
No, to be exact, it wasn't a corpse yet. Despite it losing its head, it was still alive. It was filled with wounds, and flailed its arm about; seeing it fumbling around the floor to find Lee Shin Woo, the culprit that made it this way, made him feel goosebumps. From its throat, of which around half was remaining, a truly grotesque voice trickled out.
"Hoo..."
"Heup!"
However, Lee Shin Woo resolved himself, and when he was about to grip his weapon, the Skeleton Horse appeared like lightning and struck the Ghoul, dropping its front legs onto it. It was so powerful that he thought that this was what Thor's lightning hammer might be like!
[Gu...]
The Ghoul wasn't even able to spread its Acid Poison and was stuck in that area, wriggling around a couple of times. In the end, it stopped moving, and the battle was over.
[You have commanded different individual species and successfully hunted a monster a higher level than you. All stats have increased by 2. Beginner Command has become Lv7.]
[This is a term that only those who have been saved, not the one who saves, can speak. You have acquired the Savior's karma token with great success. Strength and magic have increased by 4. You have acquired the active skill, Sacrifice Lv1.]
[You have superbly succeeded in executing your revenge. The Beginner Avenger skill has become Lv4. When you meet the one who defeated you again, all abilities increase by 30%.]
Was it because the Ghoul persistently hung on until the very end? Despite the message that the party had successfully hunted the Ghoul, Lee Shin Woo couldn't believe it and just blankly stood there.
However, he did so only briefly. When the Ghoul turned into mana and disappeared, leaving behind the dropped items in its place, reality hit him. None of them had died, and had amazingly defeated the monster.
"...We won."
"It's all because of you."
"It was all because you appeared at the right moment that we were able to win so easily."
The Undead Hero and the Skeleton Horse Hero exchanged compliments. Truthfully, they both didn't even have the energy to stand, but while fighting against the Ghoul, the ground had become completely covered by the Acid Poison, so they barely endured, and stood.
"T-Thank you very much!"
"Oh..."
And the last remaining hero cut in. It was none other than Ye Jin Jin, who was dressed in tattered clothing. Of course, Lee Shin Woo had indeed saved her, but he hadn't expected her to bow her head in front of an undead and even thank him... It was honestly something he hadn't expected. It was only really possible if one was extremely pure.
"This was the first time I've realized that there are also good Undead in the Empire! I-I was really about to die... Thank you very much for helping me!"
"Hm?"
However, at that time, the Skeleton Horse tilted its head, and then, turned its head towards Lee Shin Woo, and asked.
"You weren't the one who was in danger? The quest or whatever definitely said that there was a hero who was in trouble, and when I got here, you were fighting with that Ghoul..."
"No, I also received the quest and came to save her."
"Huh? You came to save... me? Wait, just a second. A hero...?"
The misunderstandings that the party had were all meshed together in the same place. Lee Shin Woo had roughly grasped the situation, but the Skeleton Horse, and Ye Jin Jin looked as though they couldn't understand what was going on at all.
Would they be able to understand each other just by talking? Lee Shin Woo sighed and spoke briefly.
"Let's talk in a calm and orderly way. Ah, before that, wear some clothes."
"Clothes...? Ggyaahk!"
[Quest complete!]
[You have acquired 50,000 Perium.]
[Strength has increased by 5, Agility by 10, Health by 3, and Magic by 7.]
[You have acquired 3 permits to God's secret shop, the Intermediate Ice Resistance skill book, and 5 Lv3 equipment reinforcement permits.]
Now this was definitely a quest reward. He had acquired 50,000 Perium, and secondly, he had gained a total of 25 stats! He had inwardly been looking forward to the skill book, and was disappointed that it was an Ice Resistance skill book, but even when he considered that, it was truly a shocking reward.
"To think that both of you were heroes... God just granted your wish, yet you became an undead."
Lee Shin Woo checked his rewards and when he sported a satisfied expression, Ye Jin Jin (she had safely changed) looked on disbelievingly, alternating between the two. The Skeleton Horse noticed her disbelief and spoke somewhat bitterly.
"You probably won't understand what I say, but I don't know what she did to me. I don't know what happened to my brain..."
Rather than something like supernatural powers or a miracle, he spoke as if he had experienced a taste of something far worse, and Lee Shin Woo nodded his head in agreement.
Of course, he realized that he was too greedy, but still, he hadn't thought that she would just abruptly turn him into a skeleton. It if weren't for the sense of composure that was forced upon him by becoming a skeleton, it would've also been difficult for him to bear.
"It might be difficult to believe me, but... just trust me when I say that I, as well as this guy, are your allies."
"I trust you. If you think about it, it would've been difficult for you to save me at that precise timing had you not been heroes. It's just..."
Ye Jin Jin wavered, and then, quietly added.
"It seems like it was really difficult for you."
"..."
There was no doubt about that, but the meaning differs depending on how it's said. Lee Shin Woo was momentarily speechless when he heard Ye Jin Jin's simple, honest, and careful words.
He felt slightly, extremely slightly guilty that he had acted in order to receive the reward, rather than save this girl. Rather, he felt happy about those emotions.
"You're a good kid."
"Not really. ...But what good does it do me? Strength is everything in the Empire."
"You're the same level as me."
"I just feel more shameless hearing that."
They had already finished their introductions. Lee Shin Woo's lie that he was level 4 had been exposed, but since it'd been revealed that he was an undead already, it didn't really matter anymore. Honestly, it didn't really matter if they figured it out, but if they weren't in a special situation like Ye Jin Jin, his seniors wouldn't easily accept that he was an undead hero, so he had been pushing it back.
"I'm level 4, but I'm weaker than you. So it's alright."
"Jin, that's..."
"You said you were level 4 ever since you became a Skeleton Horse, right?"
"Yeah."
'Jin' was none other than the Skeleton Horse. He was obviously a human before, not a horse.
In his original world, Jin was a sprinter, and had answered like this when God asked him what he desired.
'I just want to keep running, faster than anyone else.'
No matter how he thought about it, God was definitely crazy. To grant that request, she turned him into an undead, and a horse at that!
Lee Shin Woo could accept that she turned him into a skeleton and could even understand why, but turning Jin into a Skeleton Horse made him want to ask God, 'Do you really want the heroes to fight off the Empire?'
"So you're saying you just continuously ran, huh. Without even clearing a single quest?"
"Yeah. I don't know how long it's been since I've been dropped onto this world, but I don't get exhausted, hungry, thirsty, or even tired, and I didn't know what to do, nor did I want to fight monsters... I just ran. I didn't even know about the chatting channel, and until I received this quest, I didn't even know that there were other heroes."
If one were to make a wish and the next morning become a Skeleton Horse, they would obviously be stunned. He just felt that it was frightening that Jin relieved all that stress just by running.
He didn't know about anything else, but Jin had probably grown considerably in sprint related skills. He could completely understand his acceleration speed in such a short distance, as well as the force of the tackle that followed.
On the other hand, since he hadn't fought a monster face-to-face even once before, the fact that he responded so sloppily in a combat scenario was natural... Lee Shin Woo, who had some sort of pride in being the one amongst the heroes that had the most unusual history, meekly passed over the crown to Jin.
"That's why I think you're really amazing. You said you've only been here for 3 weeks? I don't know how you became such an experienced warrior in just 3 weeks..."
"He's right. That sword strike, or that shot were really..."
It was undeniable that Lee Shin Woo had played a crucial role in hunting the Acid Ghoul, but... he turned away as the two looked at him as if his face were golden. Just in time, he saw the loot that was rolling on the ground.
Ye Jin Jin, who checked which way his head had turned, smiled ambiguously and took a step back.
"Ah, the loot... I'll sit this out. Since you guys saved me..."
"Please take some, based on how much you contributed with your javelins. You have to be the one that handles the karma that you've sown."
"...It's really only been 3 weeks since you've first been here, right?"
She couldn't believe what she was hearing; it seemed as though Lee Shin Woo knew much more about the truth of this world than she did, and had to ask back. Of course, it turned out exactly as Lee Shin Woo had said. There was only one monster and there were individual drops for each of them, but how their splits would be shared was already determined.
[23,510 Perium]
[Acid Ghoul's Thumbnail]
[Lv4 Acid Skull Helm]
70% of the total Perium was deducted from his share, but he got two items.
Though he was able to acquire new information that this world did indeed recognize nails as bones due to the Acid Ghoul's Thumbnail (a skeleton doesn't have nails, but they honestly don't need them), but there was something more important than that.
[Acid Skull Helm]
[Lv4]
[Durability: 1,500/1,500]
[Defense: 250 - 310]
[Options: Magic + 10, Effectiveness of Acid Type Skills + 10%]
"A helmet made of its skull; this is really valuable..."
"It's a level 4 helmet... I'm really jealous."
"Wow, it's really tough."
Lee Shin Woo as well as the other two began touching the pale green and sleek helmet, and couldn't stop from being moved.
It was beautiful, to the point that he couldn't believe that it was made of bone. It started from the neck, and completely protected the head; there wasn't a separate visor attached, but there was a small crack that he could see through.
'An undead's head is central to their life. There isn't much to think about; it's more important than body armor.'
He equipped the helmet at that very spot. Compared to the Dire Wolf Bone Armor, which increased his health by 20, it seemed like the additional 10 magic didn't compare, but it had other options besides that.
The effectiveness of acid types skills would increase by 10%. It wasn't just a valuable option because it would increase the effectiveness of his Acid Resistance...
'It'll probably help with the skill that I gain from the Acid Ghoul's Thumbnail, too... Yeah. I have to absorb that quickly as well.'
He turned around and spoke to the black haired girl, and Jin, who were conversing quietly.
"The battle's over and you're safe now, so I'll get going."
"Ah."
It seemed as though Ye Jin Jin hadn't expected him to say that, as her complexion became ashen, but soon, she nodded her head stiffly. He also had things to think about after this incident. At the very least, he hoped that he wouldn't be negligent during battle or have to roll onto the floor again in the future.
"Thank you very much for saving my life. I'll probably greet you again in the chatting channel, but let's definitely meet again in the future."
"Alright, as long as you don't die, we should be able to see each other again."
"Let's meet again."
The Skeleton Horse, Jin, also said his farewells to Ye Jin Jin. Honestly, Lee Shin Woo had somewhat been expecting that.
He smiled slightly and turned around. Jin also turned his body in a similar direction. Ye Jin Jin then shouted at them as loud as she could.
"I'll help you next time!"
"Say that after you get stronger."
Lee Shin Woo walked quietly until he couldn't see Ye Jin Jin anymore. He was trying to get back to the underground tunnel he had dug up to return to the dungeon.
"So."
However, before he found the underground tunnel, Lee Shin Woo suddenly paused, and opened his (nonexistent) mouth.
"Shall we start talking?"
"Sounds good."
Jin, who had been quietly following behind, replied in a beautiful voice that didn't at all match with his exterior appearance.
"I was waiting."
