<Chapter 9. Anti-Skull - 1>
[Keuaaaaaaahk!]
"Tch!"
It precisely aimed for Lee Shin Woo with its sharp sword strike! It truly was a perfect surprise attack, but Lee Shin Woo was faster, and avoided its attack. He bent his head back and kicked upwards, causing the sword in the skeleton's grip to go flying!
[Keuhaaaaaaaahk!]
"This is..."
The skeleton's sword flew directly up and lodged into the ceiling. However, the skeleton seemed unconcerned, fixed its gaze at Lee Shin Woo, and charged. It seemed as though its mana was focused into its palm, and it attacked Lee Shin Woo for a second time with its hands dyed in a dark green!
'It's acid, a poison made from mana. It's at a similar level to the Great Slime's, and if that's the case...!'
It was at that moment. Through his skill in mana analysis, which had noticeably increased due to his Mana Bone, he was able to grasp the structure of his enemy's skill, and at that very moment, the bone he had absorbed before... the Acid Ghoul's Thumbnail awakened its potential!
[You have learned the active skill, Intermediate Acid Poison Spray Lv1. Strength, and Magic have increased by 15. Low Rank Acid Resistance has become Lv7.]
[You have achieved the feat of acquiring a intermediate skill. All stats increase by 5.]
"Huh!?"
Lee Shin Woo was so astonished that he almost lost control of his mana for a moment. Intermediate!? Though the Acid Ghoul's ability was indeed frightening, when he normally learned a skill, he thought that they'd always be at a reduced level, so he couldn't help but be astonished.
Could this also be due to Mana Bone? He was able to completely reproduce the special properties of the mana within the memories and experiences now, so if all the skills that he was going to learn in the future started at a high level... then him learning the Mana Bone skill would have been the best thing that happened to him ever since he was dropped into the Empire!
"Heut."
[Ggeuaaaaahk!]
The deep green mist that rose from his fingertips softly wrapped around the skeleton's palm. At that moment, it yelled in fright and retreated back, colliding with a desk. Lee Shin Woo saw a portion of the documents atop the desk melt away from the poison and freakily yelled out.
"Hey, hey. Calm down!"
[Acid Poison!? Who... are you...!]
Fortunately, the skeleton stopped when Lee Shin Woo spoke. No, perhaps it regained feeling after seeing him use Acid Poison. Honestly, it was good regardless. His top priority was to calm it down if he wanted to preserve these precious documents and prevent further damage.
"I'm one of Gerrit's people."
Lee Shin Woo slowly stepped back and lead him away from the materials, so that they wouldn't be damaged, and answered him calmly.
He had already begun acting by the time he realized that he needed to proceed delicately. And he was able to say the lines most suitable for the situation!
[Gerrit...?]
His hand paused its strike midair. He had hit the mark!
[You're... a subordinate of Doctor Gerrit Aterran? I... don't recall seeing you before. Are you part of the guard...?]
"No, I'm not a guard. If I was, I would've died with you. I came by his request."
[Did Doctor Aterran die... T-That's natural I suppose...]
The skeleton despaired, and dropped its head. Seeing that, Lee Shin Woo was actually surprised. He had thought he needed to calm it down no matter what, but he didn't think that one line would calm it down.
The moment the skeleton got a hold of itself, a message appeared in front of Lee Shin Woo.
[The Acting skill has become Lv5. Those who listen to your words will instinctually have a good impression of you.]
[Your body is black, huh...]
"It's because of the poison."
[Your poison's really strong. ...Yeah, our tests were like that. Now I remember a little bit.]
At around that time, the skeleton had completely lost its fighting spirit. It inspected Lee Shin Woo and when it subsequently turned to look at its own body, which was likewise composed of only bones, it muttered miserably.
[Our test ultimately failed. We couldn't stop ourselves from turning into undead... In the end, that foolish Emperor tried to prevent disaster by calling an even greater disaster!]
Those words felt as though Lee Shin Woo had just been hit by a straight punch. It had clearly recognized that it was an undead, and was also aware of the passage of time!
Was this perhaps an effect caused by them performing tests within the sewers? If that's true, then in the Empire...!? Lee Shin Woo did his best to conceal his astonishment no matter what, and replied to the skeleton.
"However, you're better off than the guys outside. Since the guys outside have lost their reason and are going wild."
[Is it a half success...? Come in, comrade. If I think about it, you, who knows the code for the Anti-Skull, can't be my enemy. It seems as though I had also lost my reason until just a little while ago. Since all I did was despair alone from within here...]
"Thanks."
Anti-Skull, huh. It definitely had a connection with the skull pattern drawn on the door lock. There was a small chance that it was just a code name, but there was a high chance that it stood for the organization of their group as well. Lee Shin Woo decided to remember that word.
[Did you move around by yourself? If not, are you acting based on General Seagald's orders?]
"No, I'm acting based on Gerrit's request. I need to collect all the research materials so that it can't be misused."
[Ah... I see. Those precious materials are spread about in this kind of place. That's certainly an important task.]
It was really easy to handle the skeleton. Was it because it had just regained its reasoning, or was it due to its memories not being completely intact? If it's not that either, then was it due to his Acting skill? If he could handle him as he pleases, then it didn't matter.
Lee Shin Woo collected all the materials that remained intact despite the passage of dozens of years. The skeleton even helped him with his task. In the end, he made this request.
[There may be some of our comrades still out there. Could you help search for them?]
"Alright. Since I need to collect all the materials anyway."
He was patiently sitting in his seat, and though he really wanted to inspect the materials, the current situation wouldn't allow him to. However, the moment Lee Shin Woo nodded at the skeleton's words, the mana in front of him slightly shook.
[A quest has occurred!]
[Those who uphold the spirit of a ruined nation.]
[You have found traces of those who still resist in the Empire, and came in contact with them. No one knows how this attempt will turn out in the future. But what's certain is that it will be an extremely difficult challenge.]
[Quest goal: Find and aid the Poison Skeleton's comrades.]
[Quest reward: 1 permit to God's secret shop, and 1 Lv3 medicine.]
'This... does this mean that God is interested in this place too?'
It would be really unconventional as a hero to listen to their circumstances and act without killing them. However, on the contrary, God wouldn't punish him for it and instead encouraged him do so, which was really interesting.
Of course, regardless of whether God liked it or not, Lee Shin Woo would act as he pleased!
[How are you going to deal with all of those?]
"I probably have to store them. There's something that Gerrit prepared before he died."
[As expected of Doctor Aterran.]
Lee Shin Woo and the Poison Skeleton confirmed that there weren't any more materials inside the room and left the passageway. As he saw the Poison Skeleton, which had withdrawn its sword, crawl out of the door, he smacked his lips.
"Shouldn't you move a bit quieter?"
[You don't need to be that careful. The only things in this sewer are just research material slimes.]
"Yeah, they are just slimes, but... Well, whatever."
Lee Shin Woo gave up on trying to convince it. When he thought about it, since he had invested so much time into familiarizing himself with Mana Bone, the Great Slime should've been far away from him by now. It was probably hectically eating up all the other slimes in the dungeon about now.
[Now that I think about it, I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is... Ugh, I don't remember my name. It isn't just my name. I don't even remember who I was... I wonder why? I remember the tests and the curse, but there's nothing I remember about myself! It's as though the inside of my head is completely empty...!]
If he was a human instead of a skeleton, he would've seemed like a main character, but the world wouldn't remember a mere extra's amnesia! Surprisingly, Lee Shin Woo replied uninterestedly.
"The fact that your head's empty just means that there's a lot you can fill it with from now on."
[That's...!]
He'd only said a suitable line he'd seen from somewhere before, yet it seemed like the skeleton was deeply moved. While he was at it, Lee Shin Woo decided to give him some more service.
"First, let's give you a name. Now your name's Paul."
[Paul... It's an alright name! What's your name?]
"I'm... Paul Zero."
It was a name he'd thought up himself, but it was really an alias without a speck of creativity.
[Then... Paul Zero, this way. I don't remember anything regarding myself, but I definitely remember the way.]
"Great. Let's go, Paul!"
Lee Shin Woo and Paul moved quickly. He definitely moved a lot more efficiently because he had a guide. No matter how excellent his mana senses had gotten from learning Mana Bone, it took a certain amount of manual labor to find the secret passageways...!
He was suddenly in awe of his foresight, as he hadn't killed the skeleton and dealt with the issue by just talking. Lee Shin Woo honestly hadn't thought that this was how it would turn out.
[We've arrived. You see it too, right?]
"Yeah, I'm opening it right away."
Lee Shin Woo released the lock more skillfully than before and opened the door. There were three skeletons within, but they were just like Paul had been, and had lost their reason.
[Kyaaaaaahk!]
[Kiaaaaaaah!]
"Yeah, yeah. I thought you'd be this way."
Lee Shin Woo sighed and softly spewed his Acid Poison at them. It wasn't acid magic, nor was it a curse, and the skeletons that basked in the poison went 'hmm' in surprise, and stopped moving. It was honestly really funny.
[The taste of this poison is... It's the taste of an ally...!]
[Y-You're... Are you a soldier from another test by any chance?]
[To think that I'm a skeleton... A skeleton!]
"Now, I understand your complicated feelings, but I received Gerrit Aterran's request and you guys are undead that have their reason. We're all friends here, so just calm down for now."
Lee Shin Woo perfectly utilized his Acting skill and calmed them down. Paul, who saw Lee Shin Woo instantly clean up inside, just carelessly clapped with his bare bone hands.
[The power in your voice is unusual. As expected, it seems you weren't a normal person after all. What do you think our relationship was in the past? Ugh, I don't remember!]
"You already said that before, so be quiet and stand over here in order. You're Paul 2, you're Paul 3, and you're Paul 4..."
The four Pauls had a touching reunion, even though five minutes hadn't even passed yet. Since they were all composed of bones now, it was difficult to recover their previous form, but they definitely remembered that they followed and trusted the same general, and cooperated with the tests.
Moreover, since they were all level 3, they were highly likely to all have had the same post in their past life.
[To think that you're carrying out Doctor Aterran's will even after becoming an undead... You're amazing.]
To cut to the point, the environment they were in wasn't great for running around and playing hide-and-seek. It was because whenever the King Slime moved, the drain pipes would split, crumble, and spill dirt, causing chaos. The Pauls, who hadn't yet gotten used to their skeleton bodies, flinched whenever that happened.
[Gureureureuaaaaaaaaaaah!]
"If I can properly see it, then there's nothing to worry about!"
Lee Shin Woo moved his body, avoiding the King Slime's charge, and comforted the Pauls. However, the King Slime collided with the sewer drain pipes, causing the whole area to crumble, and by seeing this, the Pauls yelled out.
[If this goes on, the secret facilities will collapse too!]
"What?"
Certainly, the whole sewer could collapse at this rate. Honestly, it didn't really matter if a worthless sewer collapsed, but he couldn't allow all the facilities to collapse before he got a chance to look over the materials.
"I have no choice since it's come to this."
Lee Shin Woo stiffly nodded his head and retreated. The Pauls' attention remained completely fixed on him and followed him.
"I'll bring more reinforcements, so keep it busy!"
[We can't. That's impossible!]
"No, you guys can do it. I'll make it so you can."
Pudding had pierced through the sewer pipes, became covered in dirt, and spread poison while in the process. Lee Shin Woo took a short deep breath, and towards the Pauls, who sported expressions akin to young birds gazing at the mother bird (of course, skeletons are expressionless so one wouldn't be able to tell, but that's roughly the feeling), as well as Pudding... screamed with all his might.
"I'm really sorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry!"
[By using Low Rank Shriek of the Dead, you have caused your enemies to fall into a frenzied and fearful state.]
[You have succeeded in using a skill against an enemy a higher level than you! The Low Rank Shriek of the Dead skill has become Lv2.]
[Kurureureureureureureureu!]
[Ugh... Keuaaaaaaaaaahk!]
[Kihik...! I-It's an enemy!]
The four Poison Skeletons, that had for a time regained their reason, had once again completely lost their reasoning due to Lee Shin Woo's shriek. It was such a heinous act that it wouldn't be strange if the Devil came and asked if he could take him as his older brother.
Of course, he had expected that it would work on the skeletons, but he hadn't expected that the skill would work on the level 4 King Slime! It might be because it hadn't been very long since it had evolved.
"Good. You're going to die anyway, so if you're going to die, you might as well shave off some of the slime's health!"
Lee Shin Woo left a rotten farewell to the Pauls, and rather than say a farewell to the King Slime, which began to struggle in what seemed to be an overlapping frenzied and fearful state, he shot a Fire Bullet at it (catapulting his index finger + Flames of Revenge).
He wanted to see if it would self-destruct like a Great Slime, or if it would have a different response to the fire, but... was it because of the frenzied state? It didn't show any signs of self-destructing despite the fire spreading. Lee Shin Woo was satisfied by that fact and retreated completely.
[You have run away from the target of your revenge twice. An Avenger can gladly bear the shame of running away twice. When you encounter your enemy again, all stats increase by an additional 15%. However, running away a third time is forbidden.]
[Quest failed.]
'I ran away from the target of the quest, so it's natural that I failed the quest, but... I didn't know the Avenger skill had this kind of option.'
The fact that running away a third time was forbidden meant that he couldn't just blindly run away from his enemy just because it was scary or else he may be penalized by the skill.
Well, he had thought that the performance of the skill greatly outweighed the risks, but he hadn't expected this kind of surprise hidden within the skill. He thought that there wouldn't be a case where he'd run away from the same enemy three times in a row, but there also wasn't a guarantee that it wouldn't happen, so it was truly a difficult situation.
'However, should I just meekly run away now?'
If he fought it right now, he was confident that he could win. However, he really wanted to collect all of the hidden materials in the sewers. Especially because he realized now that his Avenger skill overlapped and would increase his abilities even more, so it wouldn't be a loss if he just looked at the result.
'At best, I'm throwing away the navigator I'd gained into the jaws of death, and it's become a situation where I have to explore the sewers when I don't know when it'll collapse...'
However, since he'd gone through the hidden facilities' pattern twice already, he was just as confident in exploring the sewers. The sole problem right now was that he needed to find the hidden facilities before the sewers completely gave way...
'It was a good thing I chose to use Shriek of the Dead. It's become considerably quieter.'
Of course, the duration of his skill wasn't very long, so it should start going wild again soon, so... it was key that he found the facilities before then.
Lee Shin Woo used his Combat Sprint to its utmost and started to dash. The Great Slime had cleaned the sewers of monsters, so it was completely barren, and if he excluded the dirt that occasionally dropped onto his head, there wasn't anything that got in his way.
"Found it."
Within only 2 minutes, he found the third hidden facility, and thoughtlessly opened the door. Surprisingly, there were five skeletons waiting with bated breath!
[H-He opened the door.]
[You idiot...!]
[Who are you? Are you a member of the project? No, it doesn't matter who you are. There's a fearsome monster roaming around outside!]
This was unexpected. It seems like the catastrophe that befell the sewers after dozens of years of silence, the birth of the Great Slime, had caused them to independently regain their reason.
"So, you're planning on waiting until it collapses the entire sewer and then dying together? If you plan on burying the efforts of the General who struggled to stop the curse as well, then stay crouched there."
[Ugh...!?]
[Who do you think you are, to speak of the General here!?]
"Does it matter who I am right now?"
He collected all the materials. Lee Shin Woo gazed at them icily (that kind of feeling), and the skeletons glared sharply at him; and he exited the facility, as if there were no value in saying anything more.
"After I collect all the traces of our resistance, I'm going to fight that monster in order to open up our future. You guys can stay here, cuddle with your curse bound bones and disappear."
[...]
[W-Wait a sec.]
One of the skeletons grabbed onto Lee Shin Woo's arm bone. Lee Shin Woo, who had felt a bit anxious that he hadn't been harsh enough, secretly felt relieved.
[I-If the facility is going to crumble and everyone's going to die, then... I'll fight with you. Damn it, I can't go to hell without achieving anything.]
[It's the same for me too. In the end, I may have been too depressed that we hadn't been able to prevent the curse. If you're a knight of the Empire, you have to be able to fight your enemy without fear...!]
"...Talk is cheap. Prove it to me with your actions starting now."
Lee Shin Woo thought it was time to reproach them more... and as soon as he replied frigidly, the skeletons actually seemed to show some pride, and walked ahead of him with heavy footsteps.
He thought when he saw them. 'Hoo, it may be because skeletons don't have brains, but I'm telling you, it's really easy to trick them!'
"We have to check the remaining hidden facilities first and then act. Before that... Do you each remember your names?"
[That's... I don't remember anything about myself...]
"Alright then, from this side in order, you're Paul, Paul 2, Paul 3..."
Lee Shin Woo treated the skeletons that he had left behind to fight the King Slime as already dead, so he forcibly took their names and passed them on!
It was an extremely wicked and careless naming ceremony, but the Pauls didn't realize it, and were touched as they thought that he 'accepted them as comrades'. They accepted Lee Shin Woo as their temporary leader, so he didn't really need to make up an alias!
'If I came out strong from the start, I could've finished it without lying unnecessarily.'
Lee Shin Woo learned a new way to conduct himself based on the situation. If he used the difference of strength between him and his target, and said something suitable, they wouldn't probe him, and at the same time, he could set up their relationship such that he was superior!
'...Though even I think it's really not something a hero should do.'
Around the time that Lee Shin Woo pondered whether he was going in the right direction or not, he finally arrived at the last area. There were seven Poison Skeletons within, and they also obediently joined up with him. With this, he had gathered 12 level 3 Skeletons, excluding himself.
"I've collected all of the materials. Now let's go and take care of the monster!"
[Let's go!]
As they had increased in numbers, it seemed the skeletons inevitably swelled with confidence. Even though they had regained their reason, they were still fundamentally idiots.
'Anyway...'
While Lee Shin Woo was encouraging the skeletons and advancing forward, he caught a glimpse of the end of the dungeon. The final secret facility, as well as the adjoining passageway; on the side of the wall, there was a trace that it'd been completely torn out. It looked like that was the boss room... it was obvious, but he didn't feel anything in there.
'What happens in this case? Does it recognize killing the King Slime as killing the boss...?'
He had undergone various strange experiences in this dungeon, which was truly odd. The experience he acquired here should be helpful later. He ran while thinking such miscellaneous thoughts, and in no time reached the area where he had first encountered the King Slime.
[You have found the target of your revenge. When you fight it, all abilities increase by 45%. Flames of Revenge receive an additional bonus of 45%. It is your opponent's last chance, as well as yours.]
[Kureureureuaaaaaaaaaaaaah!]
The King Slime, which had discovered Lee Shin Woo, howled forcefully. It didn't have any traces of the Flames of Revenge on its body anymore. He had felt the connection of mana terminate in the middle and had roughly assumed as much.
"You weren't able to shake it off at the right time, so your body has gotten a lot smaller, huh?"
[Kuaaaaaah!]
It acted as though it could understand what Lee Shin Woo was saying and the King Slime's temper flared, though its body had considerably lessened compared to when he had first saw it. It was to the point that he would believe it if someone said it was a slightly big Great Slime.
However, the smaller it got, the more its strength was concentrated in its body; its strength alone wouldn't lose out to the Acid Ghoul's.
[Kuaaaaaaaah...!]
[I-I can't believe it.]
[My bones...]
Whereas the 12 Pauls murmured to themselves when they saw the four big and small bones scattered around the battlefield. Of course, the owner of those bones were all dead... No, actually, they were the skeletons of the original Pauls 1 through 4.
They had fought so desperately, so there was no way they'd come out alive from fighting the King Slime.
"Those guys chose to sacrifice themselves in order to keep the results of our tests safe, as well as hide us from the enemy, which allowed me to rescue you guys."
Lee Shin Woo chattered away so calmly about them, even though they had died so unfairly; if the original Pauls, who had become bones, had heard him, they would've returned as evil spirits to haunt him. It would be really fun if they came back as evil spirits.
"You're not going to let their sacrifice go to waste, are you? For the Empire, and for yourselves... We're stepping over their corpses!"
[Ouooooooooh!]
[I'll survive no matter what! Even though I'm a skeleton, there's hope if I survive!]
[I'll crush that mushy monster!]
The effect was amazing! The morale of the 12 Pauls soared and they each raised their weapons, and charged at the King Slime! The King Slime seemed to find it laughable and spewed its Acid Poison, though because they were Poison Skeletons, they weren't harmed very much.
"Think back to when you were warriors! Dying to a mere slime like that is disgraceful!"
Lee Shin Woo encouraged the skeletons and comfortably took a pose from the rear. The flames would just cause it to self-destruct, so for now, he planned to fire his Grenade (Catapult + Self-Destruct) to weaken the slime.
"Then... fire!"
[Gguaaaaaaang!]
The resulting explosion from the index finger shot inflicted tremendous damage to the King Slime, causing it to rampage about; unfortunately, the 12 Poison Skeletons fought desperately without reservation, so Lee Shin Woo couldn't attack without them making way.
As it had done before, the Great Slime bounced its body, but even if it tried to crush the skeletons, there were heaps of earth everywhere and its huge body didn't allow it to move very easily!
"Hmph, it's all going according to plan...!"
Lee Shin Woo confirmed that the situation was going his way, going exactly as planned, though he hadn't actually set up any such plan; he regenerated his index finger and prepared his second Catapult. There weren't any skeletons that had died yet.
'I hope you guys last until the King Slime dies.'
Lee Shin Woo stood behind his humans shields... no, his skeleton shields and leisurely fired his Fire Bullet while grinning. That's how he raised the curtains to an extremely one-sided and cowardly battle.
Lee Shin Woo, the 12 Pauls, as well as the King Slime that tried swallowing them all, were bravely struggling and continued on for no less than 20 minutes.
If the environment hadn't been a cramped underground space, the battle might've already been over, but because the King Slime couldn't even charge properly, the level 3 Poison Skeletons were somehow able to stand against it.
"Put in some more effort, Paul!"
[I'm Paul 10!]
[Gureureureureuaaah!]
"Nice, you're blocking it well, Paul 10. I'm shooting one more time!"
[The Low Rank Catapult skill has become Lv2. The launching speed increases. Agility has increased by 1.]
While the 12 Pauls were busy holding off the King Slime's offensive, Lee Shin Woo used the Pauls as a moving trench to protect himself; so long as his mana would allow it, he would continuously shoot his Grenade. He had thought this before, but there was nothing more reassuring than having reinforcements blocking off the enemy!
[Gureureuoooooh!]
Whenever a portion of the King Slime's body burst, it would desperately collect the mana from those pieces, and though it would've been better if the flames had stuck, they at least forced a significant amount of mana to be condensed into its main body.
Rather than cleaving its core and killing it, he needed to slowly condense its mana, whether it be by fire, or explosions, as that would help him get the core!
If it didn't look like a core would come out, then he would use his Flames of Revenge, even if it meant sacrificing the Pauls. Thankfully he was really lucky.
[Ugh, it's too strong...!]
[Hold it back, comrades! Our pain will be the foundation that unlocks our future!]
[Paul Twelve...!]
In the midst of the intense battle, it seemed as though the Pauls had formed a deep sense of camaraderie. Lee Shin Woo hated his body, which couldn't eat popcorn, and shot a Grenade at the King Slime.
Lee Shin Woo was excited about how many stats its core would give him, and was counting his chickens before they hatched. But at that moment, the King Slime quickly rolled its body and dodged the launched finger!
"What!?"
[Gureureuk...!]
Lee Shin Woo momentarily did a double take. He then saw that it's flesh had been torn off from the constant Grenades in the past 20 minutes, and the size of its body had lessened to an extent that it could move now, even in this narrow space.
Furthermore, during the battle, a few of the Pauls had died, so there was a gap in their encirclement; at that moment, the King Slime didn't lose the opportunity and had begun its counteroffensive!
[Ggureuk!]
[Keuaaaaahk!]
[P-Paul Three!]
They couldn't cope with its swift movements and Paul 3 was struck by its charge. At that moment, it focused its Acid Poison at one point and spewed it! Paul 3 melted instantaneously and in its place, only a single shabby bone remained.
[Paul Threeeeeeeeeeeeee!]
"Get a hold of yourselves you guys. Don't lose track of its movements!"
Lee Shin Woo gritted his teeth and shot a Grenade. Immediately after his attack, he would've taken advantage of the explosion’s opening and hit it again, but something truly astounding occurred. Before the Grenade burrowed into its body and exploded, the shot melted away without a trace.
He didn't know what kind of conditions it satisfied to become like this, but he was sure that the King Slime's poison had been instantaneously strengthened! It might've even been comparable to the Acid Ghoul's!
"That bastard..."
[Gureureureuk!]
Then, the King Slime emitted a peculiar sound, as if it were mocking them, and vibrated its body. Compared to before, its body was definitely dyed in a deep green.
[Its poison has gotten stronger.]
[Ours bodies melt away just by getting close.]
The sickening deadly poison mist filled the narrow space. At that moment, the Poison Skeletons trembled as they were completely stuck within the poison mist. They had briefly forgotten how terrifying acid poison was after being reborn as Poison Skeletons!
[Gureureureuk!]
"Tch, it's troublesome if you all die already!"
The King Slime thought it had an opportunity, and attempted to sweep away all of the Poison Skeletons at once by spreading its deadly poison, but before it could do so, Lee Shin Woo charged and rammed into its body.
In the process of hunting it down, he could sacrifice the Poison Skeletons one by one, but he couldn't helplessly lose all of his shields all at once!
[Gureuk!?]
Because its body had shrunk, its weight had also lessened; the King Slime couldn't endure Lee Shin Woo's charge and powerlessly bounced while being blown away.
However, there was something more important than that. Despite being in contact with the strong Acid Poison, the poison which melted rocks in one fell swoop, he flawlessly endured and was still standing.
[You have been affected by the King Slime's strengthened Acid Poison. Low Rank Acid Resistance has successfully resisted 90% of the damage.]
[The Low Rank Acid Resistance skill has become Lv8.]
"Good...As long as I don't get stuck inside its body, I can endure it."
Since the index finger bone lodged into its body instantly melted away, he was secretly quite worried, but it seems as though his main body was able to endure its Acid Poison through a combination of his Harden and Acid Resistance skills. Though he did receive some injuries, he could heal this much damage with Regeneration instantly.
[Gureureureureuk!]
It seemed like the King Slime realized that Lee Shin Woo wasn't an opponent it could overcome by just thoughtlessly spewing its poison around as it gradually began to retreat.
Lee Shin Woo hadn't come at it from the front and just trivially attacked it from the rear with flames or bullets, yet the fact that he actually possessed the toughest body here slightly shocked the King Slime. ...And honestly, the King Slime wasn't the only one shocked.
[H-How is he still alive even after taking that poison...!]
[W-We can't win. The test was a failure. In the end, we were cursed; by melting us all, that slime will completely bury us in darkness...!]
"You guys just sit in the back and watch."
The Pauls' bones shook, like leaves in the wind, and Lee Shin Woo saw them retreat; therefore, he decided to completely forgo using them as shields any longer.
Their willpower was already down in the dumps and even if they were to step forward once more, he didn't know how much longer they'd last against the King Slime. And...
'The fact that the second phase has begun means that the King Slime's health and magic are slowly reaching their limit. It's definitely worth a try, as long as I can block its poison.'
Of course, it still possessed a combination of strength and speed befitting a level 4 elite monster, but Lee Shin Woo was also receiving the Avenger skill effect. He decided that he could definitely win.
He forcefully gripped Bone of Thunder Lasting with both hands and activated Combat Sprint, taking the initiative by charging at it first. The King Slime noticed and quickly bounced its body.
[Gureureuk!]
"Heup...!"
It was an absurdly fast reaction speed. If he didn't make full use of his temporarily heightened visual acuity, he would lose track of it. The instant Lee Shin Woo read its trajectory, he vertically cleaved downwards!
"Ha!"
He firmly stiffened his body with magic, and his sword fell with a force that could cleave the earth, clashing with the King Slime flying in from the front. However, rather than being pushed back, he exerted his strength and pushed downwards with his sword!
[Gooooooooooooh!]
The King Slime couldn't contest with his strength and bounced away, colliding with the opposite wall.
The instant it impacted the extremely precarious wall, the drain pipes completely crumbled and the foundation became unstable. Dirt spewed everywhere, but even within that messy situation, Lee Shin Woo's eyes didn't leave the King Slime.
'Does it also have a Harden ability? There aren't any scratches on its body...'
His sword was plenty sharp. The bastard was just excessively tough! Since it's body had lessened in size, its physical strength had atrophied to the point that Lee Shin Woo could push it back, but conversely, its magic had been frightfully condensed; it had gotten that much tougher as a result.
[Gooooooooooh!]
"Heup!"
The slime must've been uplifted after being unharmed by Lee Shin Woo's strike, as it bounced from its position and flew towards him again.
If he got pushed back here, it'll be the end! Lee Shin Woo gritted his teeth and clashed with the King Slime. With the resolve to take it down, he infused Power Slash in every strike!
[A-As I thought, we can't win.]
[If he can't kill it with that tremendous power, then... Ah, ahhhh. The poison, the poison mist is rising!]
Since he was fighting while listening to the Paul's draining 'BGM', it didn't work. No, it was honestly just that his current strength couldn't overcome the King Slime. Looking at the situation of the battle, he figured that if he could buy more time, he would be able to get a decisive strike in, but the problem was...
'...I can't just keep repeatedly attacking and defending until its mana runs out.'
This sewer facility was counting down to its destruction. The pouring dirt would make it difficult to even move soon. It would become the worst environment to fight in.
In order to finish it before then... it would be a bit difficult, but this was the only choice. He resolved himself and activated his skill.
'Flames of Revenge.'
The black flames softly blazed atop his index finger bone. Seeing that hateful fire, the King Slime spewed the deadly poison that had been condensed in its body all at once in all directions, and filled the space with poison.
"Good, you're definitely responding to it."
[Gureuk...!]
The deadly poison mist and his black flames met, emitting a crackling sound; the flames burned the poison and the smoky heat surged. If he just remained like this, both sides would just run out of magic, so Lee Shin Woo raised his index finger about shoulder height, aimed, and postured to shoot.
'I don't know how many times it'll self-destruct from the flames until it leaves behind its core, but... I have no choice.'
However, before he shot, one of the vacantly watching Pauls suddenly muttered.
[...I remember.]
"Hmm?"
He spoke at such great timing that Lee Shin Woo stopped his Catapult. It was truly a relief that the King Slime saw the unwaning flames and felt extremely anxious, making it unable to move its body.
He didn't know whether they knew about the situation or not, but Paul kept muttering.
[I... Before I was appointed as a knight, I applied for this test.]
Hearing that, Lee Shin Woo furrowed his brows. Did they seriously remember their past at this timing? How? However, it wasn't just him. The other Pauls muttered as well, as if they had promised to do so.
[I was just a soldier, but due to my performance, I became a Centurion. The one who brought me there was none other than General Seagald...]
[I... I respected the Emperor. Because of that, I couldn't pardon his mistake, even more than the others.]
[How could I forget? The way I had lived, the way I must live from now on... All of it was within me all along.]
In no time, this space, which had been filled with the thickening, deadly poison the King Slime had spewed, became clean. Even now, the King Slime was responding to the Flames of Revenge and was creating Acid Poison, but the Poison Skeletons were absorbing it all.
[The test... Was it not a failure?]
[It failed. It was truly a horrific failure. However, because it was a failure, there was something we could gain from it.]
[How miserable. However, we need this strength right now.]
There was nowhere to run; they couldn't escape from the Acid Poison, and the skeletons had no other choice but to accept it. And the moment they gave up on everything, they naturally absorbed the Acid Poison as if it were theirs from the beginning... The skeletons were starting to become stronger.
The vestige of their past test's failure had made it possible; it was at this moment that their past karma was connected to the present.
[Why did I forget how to use mana?]
[It feels like someone had locked me in the darkness and stripped away my reason.]
[I can't remember my past name at all, but... it's fine now. We've become able to accept both our past and present!]
[We don't need to think deeply about what's within anymore. We just need to walk the path we've been taught now!]
Their voices sounded much more sure of themselves now, and for some reason, they felt even stronger... The moment he thought that it seemed as though they had leveled up, a deep mana glaringly surged.
However, because Lee Shin Woo didn't have any eyes, he was able to properly behold the Poison Skeletons' change.
[Lv3 Acid Skeleton - Paul]
[Lv3 Acid Skeleton - Paul Two]
[Lv3 Acid Skeleton - Paul Four]
[Lv3 Acid Skeleton - Paul Seven]
[Lv3 Acid Skeleton - Paul Nine]
[Lv3 Acid Skeleton - Paul Ten]
[Lv3 Acid Skeleton - Paul Twelve]
"..."
To think he'd see the moment that the undead were reborn as named monsters. They became named monsters with the names he'd given them at that!
Lee Shin Woo was stunned and looked at them with his mouth wide open as the Pauls walked with heavy footsteps more vigorously than before and joined up with him by his side.
[Sorry we showed you something so unsightly, Captain.]
[We'll fight with you now, too.]
[Give us the command. I want to respond to the chivalry you showed, Captain.]
'When the hell did I become your captain, and what the hell do you mean by chivalry?' is how he eagerly wanted to reply, but... Lee Shin Woo discarded all those thoughts. Though the Empire was incorrigibly cold and arrogant, he acted as though 'their' Empire was the only warm place in this world.
"You've finally gotten a hold of yourselves. Hold it back for a bit. You can do that much, can't you?"
[Yes, sir!]
[Of course!]
The seven level 3 elites attacked the King Slime simultaneously. The King Slime attempted to kill them with its poison and charge attacks, but they were no longer the weak skeletons of the past. Ultimately, while it was restrained by the skeletons, Lee Shin Woo took the opportunity to shoot his Fire Bullets in a volley. As it was being barraged with the Fire Bullets, it didn't even have an opportunity to self-destruct, and died from the flames.
It was truly a brutal victory.
[You have hunted the Lv4 King Slime. You have acquired the title 'Slime Hunter'! All of your abilities increase by 20% against slime related monsters, and you have a higher chance of acquiring better loot from them.]
[You have perfectly cleared the mutated dungeon, the Lv2 'Secret Sewer'. You have found all the secrets that lay in the dungeon, as well as slaying an elite monster that ate the boss and became stronger. You have acquired the dungeon clear reward. Health and magic has increased by 2.]
[You have led several subordinates into battle and defeated an enemy a higher level than you. All stats have increased by 1. The Beginner Command skill has evolved into the Low Rank level. When you make a command that fits the situation, the morale of your men increases.]
[You have succeeded in your revenge. The Beginner Avenger skill has become Lv7. When you meet the target of your revenge again, all abilities increase by 34%.]
They were all messages that appeared from him killing the King Slime. However, Lee Shin Woo felt slightly disappointed that he hadn't received another karma token, but right then, a message appeared that went beyond his expectations.
[You have achieved the karma of giving the undead who had lost everything a name, and awakening their rebirth. This is a karma that has long since been forgotten, and is a karma that no one can remember. You, who endowed these cursed and rotten individuals with unknown potential, will be called this by the world. The 'Joker'.]
[The Trickster karma has been absorbed by the Joker karma and has been strengthened. Your future is unknown, such that no one can predict it, and is filled with countless changes. No one can tell you what to do, and no one can dare block your path. Through a dramatic event, your karma has strengthened.]
[All stats have increased by 10. The Acting skill has become Lv6. The Low Rank Mana Bone skill has become Lv6.]
"This is..."
Lee Shin Woo felt a strength that was greater than any other before permeate his body. Although it might be similar to the Trickster karma, the 'Joker ' karma was a more powerful karma, so perhaps that was why.
As proof, all of his stats increased by 10. Aside from when he leveled up, he had never experienced such a shocking stat increase. Moreover, his skills had grown as well!
[I feel like Captain's become even stronger.]
[He's someone who could give us names. That's natural.]
[Those were truly powerful flames.]
The seven surviving Pauls, who had been reborn into elite Acid Skeletons towards the end of the intense battle, saw Lee Shin Woo becoming even stronger following the battle, and said 'as expected' while nodding their heads.
"Ah, you guys..."
Lee Shin Woo suddenly realized they were there and turned around. When he thought about how they had essentially given him the Joker karma, he had no choice but to change his attitude towards them.
"Have you recovered all of your memories?"
[Not all of them. However, I realized who I am and what I have to do.]
[This is all because of you, Captain.]
All of them, without exception, were dyed in a deep green, but the fact the weapons they possessed also changed color was truly peculiar. Though their levels didn't change, their bones were tougher and thicker, and their spirit was no joke.
[We have to find General Seagald. He definitely hasn't given up yet. He must be struggling to save this curse ridden Empire.]
[Like you, Captain. The General will welcome you with open arms.]
[Let's go together, Captain.]
It was a development that he had roughly expected. Lee Shin Woo picked up the dropped items and acted as if he thought deeply about their request, but truthfully, he already had his answer.
"I can't right now."
[How can that be...]
"Since I have something I need to do, too. I'll go find General Seagald later. It'd be great if I could see you guys then."
General Seagald was someone that was really on his mind too. However, even so, Lee Shin Woo was much too weak to go and find him immediately. His abilities were far too lacking to respond to this situation right now.
Above all, he didn't think that there was any reason to limit his movements this early. Not only did it not fit with his Joker karma, there were plenty of other things on his mind regarding the Empire. Like General Leofield.
[Is that so... Well, you have your own calling, Captain. We can't get in the way of that.]
[We trust that no matter where you are, whatever you're doing is for the Empire.]
All the Pauls agreed and nodded their heads. Seeing that, Lee Shin Woo smiled bitterly.
'These guys have already recovered their reason and their memories. It'd be great if I could continue to bring them with me as my subordinates, but there's a high chance that they'd catch onto the lie in no time.'
In the end, his Acting skill was impromptu. At least, for now that is. He would need to hide his human nature and the truth of his identity from them; even then, taking this many of them with him was definitely impossible.
If that's the case, then he could also cleanly take care of them here and take their bones, but...
'Shall I give it a rest?'
It wasn't a matter of them forming comradeship from fighting together or something like that. He was just purely curious how they, who were created by the 'Joker' karma, would turn out from now on.
He couldn't relax at all when he thought about how these skeletons, who were endowed with a different destiny because of him, would survive from now on in this Empire.
And honestly speaking... even if it were a sandcastle built on the beach, it would be too much for him to break down himself.
"...Wherever you go, don't go dying quickly. After all, it'll feel like what I did was meaningless then."
[Of course. We won't let the names you gave us be in vain.]
[Paul Zero... I'll never forget your name.]
[Let's meet again for sure.]
The skeletons, who realized that they couldn't convince Lee Shin Woo, each said some parting words to him and turned around.
The sewers were already a mess and collapsing, and the space they were currently in wasn't wide enough to even stretch their legs, but they grouped together and spread their Acid Poison everywhere, allowing them to easily make a path. It was as if they used an eraser to erase the dirt.
'Now, let's see.'
He drove away the restlessness he felt after the Acid Skeletons—the Pauls, left, and completely raked in the loot buried in dirt and poison. Lee Shin Woo concentrated on that task, and was able to soon forget about those that had left.
[You have acquired 53,080 Perium.]
[You have acquired a Lv4 King Slime Bone Core.]
[You have acquired a Lv3 Poison Skeleton's rib bone.]
[Would you like to... with the Lv3 Poison Skeleton's rib bone...]
There was an inherent mana within, so he was able to find them quickly. He naturally received the loot from the King Slime, but he also received the bone from one of the Poison Skeletons that had fought before him!
He was naturally pleased when he found a safely remaining bone from their depressing solo act. Lee Shin Woo shoved the acquired Perium into his inventory, then activated Bone Reinforcement, cleanly using up both the bone and the core all at once.
[Through Bone Reinforcement, Strength has increased by 1, Agility by 1, Health by 6, and Magic by 9. Absorbing a portion of the target's memories and experiences.]
[The Low Rank Bursting Thunder skill has become Lv6.]
[The Low Rank Harden skill has become Lv2.]
[The Intermediate Acid Poison Spray has become Lv2.]
"Mmm..."
Despite it being level 4, the King Slime didn't give him as much magic as he had hoped. Was it because he had already hunted several other slimes and Great Slimes before?
Perhaps his magic stat had increased far too much already, so it was difficult for the maximum value of his magic stat to increase any further.
'Still, I'll be level 4 soon. Let's hang in there a little longer.'
He had gained karma and improved his stats through Bone Reinforcement, so now his stats totalled 756. As long as he gathered 44 more stats in the future, he would be reborn as a level 4. He tightened his fists, as if he realized how he was getting stronger more and more quickly.
"...It was good."
Finally, he surveyed his surroundings. He thought there might be something he had missed and there really was. That was none other than the dungeon reward.
"And now that I think about it, there was a message like that."
In a level 1 dungeon, the reward would be an old wooden box, but considering how it was a level 2 elite dungeon he'd cleared, there was a considerably sturdy and completely new looking wooden box that had appeared instead. Though the fact that it was a wooden box ultimately hadn't changed!
[20,000 Perium]
[Low Rank Acid Resistance skill book]
[Lv3 Grizzly Bone Leg (+1)]
[Lv3 Melting War Axe]
Lee Shin Woo's face paled once he checked the rewards. Should he says it's as expected of an elite dungeon? Setting aside the Perium and the Acid Resistance skill book, he was rewarded with 2 level 3 items!
Moreover, the Grizzly Bone Leg was lower body armor that completely covered his thighs, knees, legs, and even his feet; it was even made of bone.
[Grizzly Bone Leg +1]
[Lv3]
[Durability: 740/740]
[Defense: 105 - 115]
[Options: Increases Strength by 5, Agility by 5]
"Now it's perfect."
He had a helmet, upper body armor, and lower body armor that also doubled as combat boots. Though it was somewhat troubling that all of his defensive equipment was made of bone, at least people wouldn't be able to tell that he was undead just from his exterior appearance now.
When he banged on his lower body, which was completely covered up by the Grizzly Bone Leg, he sported a satisfied smile. He collected the Perium, and thought about reading the Low Rank Acid Resistance skill book on the spot... but decided against it.
'Let's give this to Jin.'
When he thought about Jin, whose body couldn't endure the Acid Ghoul's poison and had been melted away, Lee Shin Woo decided it'd be better to give him the skill book, rather than raise his proficiency by a little bit. Then, he put the skill book into his inventory.
The problem was the final remaining item. The axe clearly gleamed in a metallic color, and it was so large that he wondered how it had fit inside the wooden box.
Just by sitting still, the axe emitted a green mist, and because of that, the surrounding earth gradually melted away; seeing just that, he knew that it was an incredibly powerful weapon. That's how he saw it, but...
"But it's not made of bone..."
He had to gamble after finally acquiring a level 3 item and change it into bone. Lee Shin Woo sighed deeply. However, there was nothing he could do about it. He couldn't just leave it here!
"Heup."
[Through Bone Reinforcement, the Melting War Axe is changing.]
In the end, he tightly gripped the axe with trembling hands. At that moment, that axe emitted a hair-raising sound and began to change into bone.
Bubbles surged up above the blade and the fundamental metal portion changed; the sequence of mana was newly formed, and the shape morphed. It was an extremely unpleasant process.
"Ha...?"
But why? During that process, Lee Shin Woo felt as though his mana... or more precisely acid, was sucked into the axe. The weapon was radiating light, and the mana in the entire area resonated in that one spot, creating an even thicker mist.
When the acid mist that the weapon spewed out became even thicker, and thus made it difficult to ascertain its very shape, the once thick mist in the periphery was suddenly sucked into the weapon.
The mist was completely lifted and the light likewise cleanly dissipated; for the first time, he was able to see the double-bladed axe which had transformed into bone.
[You have acquired the Lv4 Melting Bone Double Axe.]
[Melting Bone Double Axe]
[Lv4]
[Durability: 1,550/1,550]
[Attack Power: 480 - 760]
[Attribute: Acid Lv3]
[Options: Strength +25, Agility -5, Effectiveness of Acid Attribute Skills + 20%]
"!?"
Lee Shin Woo momentarily couldn't believe his eyes, but when he thought about it, he didn't even have eyes so there was no way he saw wrong.
The item really had leveled up. He had thought that this would happen sometime or another, but he didn't actually think it would happen like this!
'It didn't level up just because I was lucky.'
He had realized when his magic transformed into Acid Poison and was sucked into the weapon just a little while ago.
Perhaps during the process of transforming the weapon into bone through Bone Reinforcement, some other power that he had was somehow activated? And if that's the case, wasn't this proof that the stronger he got, the stronger the weapon that transformed through Bone Reinforcement would be?
'It's a really... really fearsome skill.'
Lee Shin Woo gritted his teeth at the countless abilities that Bone Reinforcement possessed. Perhaps this skill, depending on the karma, could affect the very rules of this world!
Through the use of countless experiences and memories, he learned a variety of abilities, and changed countless things through those abilities... His compatibility with the Joker karma was also great.
"But... Wait a second."
With this, he now had two level 4 items. And they were both items that would increase his acid attribute skills! If he combined the two items' abilities, the power of his acid skills would increase by as much as 30%!
Lee Shin Woo tightly gripped the double axe and muttered satisfyingly. He could feel it. That even though it had calmed down, he could spew out a horrific concentration of Acid Poison whenever he wanted!
"If I use this well, I could even go with the Hydra concept..."
Lee Shin Woo still couldn't get rid of his habit from the Trickster quest.
<Chapter 9. Anti-Skull - 1>
[Keuaaaaaaahk!]
"Tch!"
It precisely aimed for Lee Shin Woo with its sharp sword strike! It truly was a perfect surprise attack, but Lee Shin Woo was faster, and avoided its attack. He bent his head back and kicked upwards, causing the sword in the skeleton's grip to go flying!
[Keuhaaaaaaaahk!]
"This is..."
The skeleton's sword flew directly up and lodged into the ceiling. However, the skeleton seemed unconcerned, fixed its gaze at Lee Shin Woo, and charged. It seemed as though its mana was focused into its palm, and it attacked Lee Shin Woo for a second time with its hands dyed in a dark green!
'It's acid, a poison made from mana. It's at a similar level to the Great Slime's, and if that's the case...!'
It was at that moment. Through his skill in mana analysis, which had noticeably increased due to his Mana Bone, he was able to grasp the structure of his enemy's skill, and at that very moment, the bone he had absorbed before... the Acid Ghoul's Thumbnail awakened its potential!
[You have learned the active skill, Intermediate Acid Poison Spray Lv1. Strength, and Magic have increased by 15. Low Rank Acid Resistance has become Lv7.]
[You have achieved the feat of acquiring a intermediate skill. All stats increase by 5.]
"Huh!?"
Lee Shin Woo was so astonished that he almost lost control of his mana for a moment. Intermediate!? Though the Acid Ghoul's ability was indeed frightening, when he normally learned a skill, he thought that they'd always be at a reduced level, so he couldn't help but be astonished.
Could this also be due to Mana Bone? He was able to completely reproduce the special properties of the mana within the memories and experiences now, so if all the skills that he was going to learn in the future started at a high level... then him learning the Mana Bone skill would have been the best thing that happened to him ever since he was dropped into the Empire!
"Heut."
[Ggeuaaaaahk!]
The deep green mist that rose from his fingertips softly wrapped around the skeleton's palm. At that moment, it yelled in fright and retreated back, colliding with a desk. Lee Shin Woo saw a portion of the documents atop the desk melt away from the poison and freakily yelled out.
"Hey, hey. Calm down!"
[Acid Poison!? Who... are you...!]
Fortunately, the skeleton stopped when Lee Shin Woo spoke. No, perhaps it regained feeling after seeing him use Acid Poison. Honestly, it was good regardless. His top priority was to calm it down if he wanted to preserve these precious documents and prevent further damage.
"I'm one of Gerrit's people."
Lee Shin Woo slowly stepped back and lead him away from the materials, so that they wouldn't be damaged, and answered him calmly.
He had already begun acting by the time he realized that he needed to proceed delicately. And he was able to say the lines most suitable for the situation!
[Gerrit...?]
His hand paused its strike midair. He had hit the mark!
[You're... a subordinate of Doctor Gerrit Aterran? I... don't recall seeing you before. Are you part of the guard...?]
"No, I'm not a guard. If I was, I would've died with you. I came by his request."
[Did Doctor Aterran die... T-That's natural I suppose...]
The skeleton despaired, and dropped its head. Seeing that, Lee Shin Woo was actually surprised. He had thought he needed to calm it down no matter what, but he didn't think that one line would calm it down.
The moment the skeleton got a hold of itself, a message appeared in front of Lee Shin Woo.
[The Acting skill has become Lv5. Those who listen to your words will instinctually have a good impression of you.]
[Your body is black, huh...]
"It's because of the poison."
[Your poison's really strong. ...Yeah, our tests were like that. Now I remember a little bit.]
At around that time, the skeleton had completely lost its fighting spirit. It inspected Lee Shin Woo and when it subsequently turned to look at its own body, which was likewise composed of only bones, it muttered miserably.
[Our test ultimately failed. We couldn't stop ourselves from turning into undead... In the end, that foolish Emperor tried to prevent disaster by calling an even greater disaster!]
Those words felt as though Lee Shin Woo had just been hit by a straight punch. It had clearly recognized that it was an undead, and was also aware of the passage of time!
Was this perhaps an effect caused by them performing tests within the sewers? If that's true, then in the Empire...!? Lee Shin Woo did his best to conceal his astonishment no matter what, and replied to the skeleton.
"However, you're better off than the guys outside. Since the guys outside have lost their reason and are going wild."
[Is it a half success...? Come in, comrade. If I think about it, you, who knows the code for the Anti-Skull, can't be my enemy. It seems as though I had also lost my reason until just a little while ago. Since all I did was despair alone from within here...]
"Thanks."
Anti-Skull, huh. It definitely had a connection with the skull pattern drawn on the door lock. There was a small chance that it was just a code name, but there was a high chance that it stood for the organization of their group as well. Lee Shin Woo decided to remember that word.
[Did you move around by yourself? If not, are you acting based on General Seagald's orders?]
"No, I'm acting based on Gerrit's request. I need to collect all the research materials so that it can't be misused."
[Ah... I see. Those precious materials are spread about in this kind of place. That's certainly an important task.]
It was really easy to handle the skeleton. Was it because it had just regained its reasoning, or was it due to its memories not being completely intact? If it's not that either, then was it due to his Acting skill? If he could handle him as he pleases, then it didn't matter.
Lee Shin Woo collected all the materials that remained intact despite the passage of dozens of years. The skeleton even helped him with his task. In the end, he made this request.
[There may be some of our comrades still out there. Could you help search for them?]
"Alright. Since I need to collect all the materials anyway."
He was patiently sitting in his seat, and though he really wanted to inspect the materials, the current situation wouldn't allow him to. However, the moment Lee Shin Woo nodded at the skeleton's words, the mana in front of him slightly shook.
[A quest has occurred!]
[Those who uphold the spirit of a ruined nation.]
[You have found traces of those who still resist in the Empire, and came in contact with them. No one knows how this attempt will turn out in the future. But what's certain is that it will be an extremely difficult challenge.]
[Quest goal: Find and aid the Poison Skeleton's comrades.]
[Quest reward: 1 permit to God's secret shop, and 1 Lv3 medicine.]
'This... does this mean that God is interested in this place too?'
It would be really unconventional as a hero to listen to their circumstances and act without killing them. However, on the contrary, God wouldn't punish him for it and instead encouraged him do so, which was really interesting.
Of course, regardless of whether God liked it or not, Lee Shin Woo would act as he pleased!
[How are you going to deal with all of those?]
"I probably have to store them. There's something that Gerrit prepared before he died."
[As expected of Doctor Aterran.]
Lee Shin Woo and the Poison Skeleton confirmed that there weren't any more materials inside the room and left the passageway. As he saw the Poison Skeleton, which had withdrawn its sword, crawl out of the door, he smacked his lips.
"Shouldn't you move a bit quieter?"
[You don't need to be that careful. The only things in this sewer are just research material slimes.]
"Yeah, they are just slimes, but... Well, whatever."
Lee Shin Woo gave up on trying to convince it. When he thought about it, since he had invested so much time into familiarizing himself with Mana Bone, the Great Slime should've been far away from him by now. It was probably hectically eating up all the other slimes in the dungeon about now.
[Now that I think about it, I haven't introduced myself yet. My name is... Ugh, I don't remember my name. It isn't just my name. I don't even remember who I was... I wonder why? I remember the tests and the curse, but there's nothing I remember about myself! It's as though the inside of my head is completely empty...!]
If he was a human instead of a skeleton, he would've seemed like a main character, but the world wouldn't remember a mere extra's amnesia! Surprisingly, Lee Shin Woo replied uninterestedly.
"The fact that your head's empty just means that there's a lot you can fill it with from now on."
[That's...!]
He'd only said a suitable line he'd seen from somewhere before, yet it seemed like the skeleton was deeply moved. While he was at it, Lee Shin Woo decided to give him some more service.
"First, let's give you a name. Now your name's Paul."
[Paul... It's an alright name! What's your name?]
"I'm... Paul Zero."
It was a name he'd thought up himself, but it was really an alias without a speck of creativity.
[Then... Paul Zero, this way. I don't remember anything regarding myself, but I definitely remember the way.]
"Great. Let's go, Paul!"
Lee Shin Woo and Paul moved quickly. He definitely moved a lot more efficiently because he had a guide. No matter how excellent his mana senses had gotten from learning Mana Bone, it took a certain amount of manual labor to find the secret passageways...!
He was suddenly in awe of his foresight, as he hadn't killed the skeleton and dealt with the issue by just talking. Lee Shin Woo honestly hadn't thought that this was how it would turn out.
[We've arrived. You see it too, right?]
"Yeah, I'm opening it right away."
Lee Shin Woo released the lock more skillfully than before and opened the door. There were three skeletons within, but they were just like Paul had been, and had lost their reason.
[Kyaaaaaahk!]
[Kiaaaaaaah!]
"Yeah, yeah. I thought you'd be this way."
Lee Shin Woo sighed and softly spewed his Acid Poison at them. It wasn't acid magic, nor was it a curse, and the skeletons that basked in the poison went 'hmm' in surprise, and stopped moving. It was honestly really funny.
[The taste of this poison is... It's the taste of an ally...!]
[Y-You're... Are you a soldier from another test by any chance?]
[To think that I'm a skeleton... A skeleton!]
"Now, I understand your complicated feelings, but I received Gerrit Aterran's request and you guys are undead that have their reason. We're all friends here, so just calm down for now."
Lee Shin Woo perfectly utilized his Acting skill and calmed them down. Paul, who saw Lee Shin Woo instantly clean up inside, just carelessly clapped with his bare bone hands.
[The power in your voice is unusual. As expected, it seems you weren't a normal person after all. What do you think our relationship was in the past? Ugh, I don't remember!]
"You already said that before, so be quiet and stand over here in order. You're Paul 2, you're Paul 3, and you're Paul 4..."
The four Pauls had a touching reunion, even though five minutes hadn't even passed yet. Since they were all composed of bones now, it was difficult to recover their previous form, but they definitely remembered that they followed and trusted the same general, and cooperated with the tests.
Moreover, since they were all level 3, they were highly likely to all have had the same post in their past life.
[To think that you're carrying out Doctor Aterran's will even after becoming an undead... You're amazing.]
To cut to the point, the environment they were in wasn't great for running around and playing hide-and-seek. It was because whenever the King Slime moved, the drain pipes would split, crumble, and spill dirt, causing chaos. The Pauls, who hadn't yet gotten used to their skeleton bodies, flinched whenever that happened.
[Gureureureuaaaaaaaaaaah!]
"If I can properly see it, then there's nothing to worry about!"
Lee Shin Woo moved his body, avoiding the King Slime's charge, and comforted the Pauls. However, the King Slime collided with the sewer drain pipes, causing the whole area to crumble, and by seeing this, the Pauls yelled out.
[If this goes on, the secret facilities will collapse too!]
"What?"
Certainly, the whole sewer could collapse at this rate. Honestly, it didn't really matter if a worthless sewer collapsed, but he couldn't allow all the facilities to collapse before he got a chance to look over the materials.
"I have no choice since it's come to this."
Lee Shin Woo stiffly nodded his head and retreated. The Pauls' attention remained completely fixed on him and followed him.
"I'll bring more reinforcements, so keep it busy!"
[We can't. That's impossible!]
"No, you guys can do it. I'll make it so you can."
Pudding had pierced through the sewer pipes, became covered in dirt, and spread poison while in the process. Lee Shin Woo took a short deep breath, and towards the Pauls, who sported expressions akin to young birds gazing at the mother bird (of course, skeletons are expressionless so one wouldn't be able to tell, but that's roughly the feeling), as well as Pudding... screamed with all his might.
"I'm really sorrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrry!"
[By using Low Rank Shriek of the Dead, you have caused your enemies to fall into a frenzied and fearful state.]
[You have succeeded in using a skill against an enemy a higher level than you! The Low Rank Shriek of the Dead skill has become Lv2.]
[Kurureureureureureureureu!]
[Ugh... Keuaaaaaaaaaahk!]
[Kihik...! I-It's an enemy!]
The four Poison Skeletons, that had for a time regained their reason, had once again completely lost their reasoning due to Lee Shin Woo's shriek. It was such a heinous act that it wouldn't be strange if the Devil came and asked if he could take him as his older brother.
Of course, he had expected that it would work on the skeletons, but he hadn't expected that the skill would work on the level 4 King Slime! It might be because it hadn't been very long since it had evolved.
"Good. You're going to die anyway, so if you're going to die, you might as well shave off some of the slime's health!"
Lee Shin Woo left a rotten farewell to the Pauls, and rather than say a farewell to the King Slime, which began to struggle in what seemed to be an overlapping frenzied and fearful state, he shot a Fire Bullet at it (catapulting his index finger + Flames of Revenge).
He wanted to see if it would self-destruct like a Great Slime, or if it would have a different response to the fire, but... was it because of the frenzied state? It didn't show any signs of self-destructing despite the fire spreading. Lee Shin Woo was satisfied by that fact and retreated completely.
[You have run away from the target of your revenge twice. An Avenger can gladly bear the shame of running away twice. When you encounter your enemy again, all stats increase by an additional 15%. However, running away a third time is forbidden.]
[Quest failed.]
'I ran away from the target of the quest, so it's natural that I failed the quest, but... I didn't know the Avenger skill had this kind of option.'
The fact that running away a third time was forbidden meant that he couldn't just blindly run away from his enemy just because it was scary or else he may be penalized by the skill.
Well, he had thought that the performance of the skill greatly outweighed the risks, but he hadn't expected this kind of surprise hidden within the skill. He thought that there wouldn't be a case where he'd run away from the same enemy three times in a row, but there also wasn't a guarantee that it wouldn't happen, so it was truly a difficult situation.
'However, should I just meekly run away now?'
If he fought it right now, he was confident that he could win. However, he really wanted to collect all of the hidden materials in the sewers. Especially because he realized now that his Avenger skill overlapped and would increase his abilities even more, so it wouldn't be a loss if he just looked at the result.
'At best, I'm throwing away the navigator I'd gained into the jaws of death, and it's become a situation where I have to explore the sewers when I don't know when it'll collapse...'
However, since he'd gone through the hidden facilities' pattern twice already, he was just as confident in exploring the sewers. The sole problem right now was that he needed to find the hidden facilities before the sewers completely gave way...
'It was a good thing I chose to use Shriek of the Dead. It's become considerably quieter.'
Of course, the duration of his skill wasn't very long, so it should start going wild again soon, so... it was key that he found the facilities before then.
Lee Shin Woo used his Combat Sprint to its utmost and started to dash. The Great Slime had cleaned the sewers of monsters, so it was completely barren, and if he excluded the dirt that occasionally dropped onto his head, there wasn't anything that got in his way.
"Found it."
Within only 2 minutes, he found the third hidden facility, and thoughtlessly opened the door. Surprisingly, there were five skeletons waiting with bated breath!
[H-He opened the door.]
[You idiot...!]
[Who are you? Are you a member of the project? No, it doesn't matter who you are. There's a fearsome monster roaming around outside!]
This was unexpected. It seems like the catastrophe that befell the sewers after dozens of years of silence, the birth of the Great Slime, had caused them to independently regain their reason.
"So, you're planning on waiting until it collapses the entire sewer and then dying together? If you plan on burying the efforts of the General who struggled to stop the curse as well, then stay crouched there."
[Ugh...!?]
[Who do you think you are, to speak of the General here!?]
"Does it matter who I am right now?"
He collected all the materials. Lee Shin Woo gazed at them icily (that kind of feeling), and the skeletons glared sharply at him; and he exited the facility, as if there were no value in saying anything more.
"After I collect all the traces of our resistance, I'm going to fight that monster in order to open up our future. You guys can stay here, cuddle with your curse bound bones and disappear."
[...]
[W-Wait a sec.]
One of the skeletons grabbed onto Lee Shin Woo's arm bone. Lee Shin Woo, who had felt a bit anxious that he hadn't been harsh enough, secretly felt relieved.
[I-If the facility is going to crumble and everyone's going to die, then... I'll fight with you. Damn it, I can't go to hell without achieving anything.]
[It's the same for me too. In the end, I may have been too depressed that we hadn't been able to prevent the curse. If you're a knight of the Empire, you have to be able to fight your enemy without fear...!]
"...Talk is cheap. Prove it to me with your actions starting now."
Lee Shin Woo thought it was time to reproach them more... and as soon as he replied frigidly, the skeletons actually seemed to show some pride, and walked ahead of him with heavy footsteps.
He thought when he saw them. 'Hoo, it may be because skeletons don't have brains, but I'm telling you, it's really easy to trick them!'
"We have to check the remaining hidden facilities first and then act. Before that... Do you each remember your names?"
[That's... I don't remember anything about myself...]
"Alright then, from this side in order, you're Paul, Paul 2, Paul 3..."
Lee Shin Woo treated the skeletons that he had left behind to fight the King Slime as already dead, so he forcibly took their names and passed them on!
It was an extremely wicked and careless naming ceremony, but the Pauls didn't realize it, and were touched as they thought that he 'accepted them as comrades'. They accepted Lee Shin Woo as their temporary leader, so he didn't really need to make up an alias!
'If I came out strong from the start, I could've finished it without lying unnecessarily.'
Lee Shin Woo learned a new way to conduct himself based on the situation. If he used the difference of strength between him and his target, and said something suitable, they wouldn't probe him, and at the same time, he could set up their relationship such that he was superior!
'...Though even I think it's really not something a hero should do.'
Around the time that Lee Shin Woo pondered whether he was going in the right direction or not, he finally arrived at the last area. There were seven Poison Skeletons within, and they also obediently joined up with him. With this, he had gathered 12 level 3 Skeletons, excluding himself.
"I've collected all of the materials. Now let's go and take care of the monster!"
[Let's go!]
As they had increased in numbers, it seemed the skeletons inevitably swelled with confidence. Even though they had regained their reason, they were still fundamentally idiots.
'Anyway...'
While Lee Shin Woo was encouraging the skeletons and advancing forward, he caught a glimpse of the end of the dungeon. The final secret facility, as well as the adjoining passageway; on the side of the wall, there was a trace that it'd been completely torn out. It looked like that was the boss room... it was obvious, but he didn't feel anything in there.
'What happens in this case? Does it recognize killing the King Slime as killing the boss...?'
He had undergone various strange experiences in this dungeon, which was truly odd. The experience he acquired here should be helpful later. He ran while thinking such miscellaneous thoughts, and in no time reached the area where he had first encountered the King Slime.
[You have found the target of your revenge. When you fight it, all abilities increase by 45%. Flames of Revenge receive an additional bonus of 45%. It is your opponent's last chance, as well as yours.]
[Kureureureuaaaaaaaaaaaaah!]
The King Slime, which had discovered Lee Shin Woo, howled forcefully. It didn't have any traces of the Flames of Revenge on its body anymore. He had felt the connection of mana terminate in the middle and had roughly assumed as much.
"You weren't able to shake it off at the right time, so your body has gotten a lot smaller, huh?"
[Kuaaaaaah!]
It acted as though it could understand what Lee Shin Woo was saying and the King Slime's temper flared, though its body had considerably lessened compared to when he had first saw it. It was to the point that he would believe it if someone said it was a slightly big Great Slime.
However, the smaller it got, the more its strength was concentrated in its body; its strength alone wouldn't lose out to the Acid Ghoul's.
[Kuaaaaaaaah...!]
[I-I can't believe it.]
[My bones...]
Whereas the 12 Pauls murmured to themselves when they saw the four big and small bones scattered around the battlefield. Of course, the owner of those bones were all dead... No, actually, they were the skeletons of the original Pauls 1 through 4.
They had fought so desperately, so there was no way they'd come out alive from fighting the King Slime.
"Those guys chose to sacrifice themselves in order to keep the results of our tests safe, as well as hide us from the enemy, which allowed me to rescue you guys."
Lee Shin Woo chattered away so calmly about them, even though they had died so unfairly; if the original Pauls, who had become bones, had heard him, they would've returned as evil spirits to haunt him. It would be really fun if they came back as evil spirits.
"You're not going to let their sacrifice go to waste, are you? For the Empire, and for yourselves... We're stepping over their corpses!"
[Ouooooooooh!]
[I'll survive no matter what! Even though I'm a skeleton, there's hope if I survive!]
[I'll crush that mushy monster!]
The effect was amazing! The morale of the 12 Pauls soared and they each raised their weapons, and charged at the King Slime! The King Slime seemed to find it laughable and spewed its Acid Poison, though because they were Poison Skeletons, they weren't harmed very much.
"Think back to when you were warriors! Dying to a mere slime like that is disgraceful!"
Lee Shin Woo encouraged the skeletons and comfortably took a pose from the rear. The flames would just cause it to self-destruct, so for now, he planned to fire his Grenade (Catapult + Self-Destruct) to weaken the slime.
"Then... fire!"
[Gguaaaaaaang!]
The resulting explosion from the index finger shot inflicted tremendous damage to the King Slime, causing it to rampage about; unfortunately, the 12 Poison Skeletons fought desperately without reservation, so Lee Shin Woo couldn't attack without them making way.
As it had done before, the Great Slime bounced its body, but even if it tried to crush the skeletons, there were heaps of earth everywhere and its huge body didn't allow it to move very easily!
"Hmph, it's all going according to plan...!"
Lee Shin Woo confirmed that the situation was going his way, going exactly as planned, though he hadn't actually set up any such plan; he regenerated his index finger and prepared his second Catapult. There weren't any skeletons that had died yet.
'I hope you guys last until the King Slime dies.'
Lee Shin Woo stood behind his humans shields... no, his skeleton shields and leisurely fired his Fire Bullet while grinning. That's how he raised the curtains to an extremely one-sided and cowardly battle.
Lee Shin Woo, the 12 Pauls, as well as the King Slime that tried swallowing them all, were bravely struggling and continued on for no less than 20 minutes.
If the environment hadn't been a cramped underground space, the battle might've already been over, but because the King Slime couldn't even charge properly, the level 3 Poison Skeletons were somehow able to stand against it.
"Put in some more effort, Paul!"
[I'm Paul 10!]
[Gureureureureuaaah!]
"Nice, you're blocking it well, Paul 10. I'm shooting one more time!"
[The Low Rank Catapult skill has become Lv2. The launching speed increases. Agility has increased by 1.]
While the 12 Pauls were busy holding off the King Slime's offensive, Lee Shin Woo used the Pauls as a moving trench to protect himself; so long as his mana would allow it, he would continuously shoot his Grenade. He had thought this before, but there was nothing more reassuring than having reinforcements blocking off the enemy!
[Gureureuoooooh!]
Whenever a portion of the King Slime's body burst, it would desperately collect the mana from those pieces, and though it would've been better if the flames had stuck, they at least forced a significant amount of mana to be condensed into its main body.
Rather than cleaving its core and killing it, he needed to slowly condense its mana, whether it be by fire, or explosions, as that would help him get the core!
If it didn't look like a core would come out, then he would use his Flames of Revenge, even if it meant sacrificing the Pauls. Thankfully he was really lucky.
[Ugh, it's too strong...!]
[Hold it back, comrades! Our pain will be the foundation that unlocks our future!]
[Paul Twelve...!]
In the midst of the intense battle, it seemed as though the Pauls had formed a deep sense of camaraderie. Lee Shin Woo hated his body, which couldn't eat popcorn, and shot a Grenade at the King Slime.
Lee Shin Woo was excited about how many stats its core would give him, and was counting his chickens before they hatched. But at that moment, the King Slime quickly rolled its body and dodged the launched finger!
"What!?"
[Gureureuk...!]
Lee Shin Woo momentarily did a double take. He then saw that it's flesh had been torn off from the constant Grenades in the past 20 minutes, and the size of its body had lessened to an extent that it could move now, even in this narrow space.
Furthermore, during the battle, a few of the Pauls had died, so there was a gap in their encirclement; at that moment, the King Slime didn't lose the opportunity and had begun its counteroffensive!
[Ggureuk!]
[Keuaaaaahk!]
[P-Paul Three!]
They couldn't cope with its swift movements and Paul 3 was struck by its charge. At that moment, it focused its Acid Poison at one point and spewed it! Paul 3 melted instantaneously and in its place, only a single shabby bone remained.
[Paul Threeeeeeeeeeeeee!]
"Get a hold of yourselves you guys. Don't lose track of its movements!"
Lee Shin Woo gritted his teeth and shot a Grenade. Immediately after his attack, he would've taken advantage of the explosion’s opening and hit it again, but something truly astounding occurred. Before the Grenade burrowed into its body and exploded, the shot melted away without a trace.
He didn't know what kind of conditions it satisfied to become like this, but he was sure that the King Slime's poison had been instantaneously strengthened! It might've even been comparable to the Acid Ghoul's!
"That bastard..."
[Gureureureuk!]
Then, the King Slime emitted a peculiar sound, as if it were mocking them, and vibrated its body. Compared to before, its body was definitely dyed in a deep green.
[Its poison has gotten stronger.]
[Ours bodies melt away just by getting close.]
The sickening deadly poison mist filled the narrow space. At that moment, the Poison Skeletons trembled as they were completely stuck within the poison mist. They had briefly forgotten how terrifying acid poison was after being reborn as Poison Skeletons!
[Gureureureuk!]
"Tch, it's troublesome if you all die already!"
The King Slime thought it had an opportunity, and attempted to sweep away all of the Poison Skeletons at once by spreading its deadly poison, but before it could do so, Lee Shin Woo charged and rammed into its body.
In the process of hunting it down, he could sacrifice the Poison Skeletons one by one, but he couldn't helplessly lose all of his shields all at once!
[Gureuk!?]
Because its body had shrunk, its weight had also lessened; the King Slime couldn't endure Lee Shin Woo's charge and powerlessly bounced while being blown away.
However, there was something more important than that. Despite being in contact with the strong Acid Poison, the poison which melted rocks in one fell swoop, he flawlessly endured and was still standing.
[You have been affected by the King Slime's strengthened Acid Poison. Low Rank Acid Resistance has successfully resisted 90% of the damage.]
[The Low Rank Acid Resistance skill has become Lv8.]
"Good...As long as I don't get stuck inside its body, I can endure it."
Since the index finger bone lodged into its body instantly melted away, he was secretly quite worried, but it seems as though his main body was able to endure its Acid Poison through a combination of his Harden and Acid Resistance skills. Though he did receive some injuries, he could heal this much damage with Regeneration instantly.
[Gureureureureuk!]
It seemed like the King Slime realized that Lee Shin Woo wasn't an opponent it could overcome by just thoughtlessly spewing its poison around as it gradually began to retreat.
Lee Shin Woo hadn't come at it from the front and just trivially attacked it from the rear with flames or bullets, yet the fact that he actually possessed the toughest body here slightly shocked the King Slime. ...And honestly, the King Slime wasn't the only one shocked.
[H-How is he still alive even after taking that poison...!]
[W-We can't win. The test was a failure. In the end, we were cursed; by melting us all, that slime will completely bury us in darkness...!]
"You guys just sit in the back and watch."
The Pauls' bones shook, like leaves in the wind, and Lee Shin Woo saw them retreat; therefore, he decided to completely forgo using them as shields any longer.
Their willpower was already down in the dumps and even if they were to step forward once more, he didn't know how much longer they'd last against the King Slime. And...
'The fact that the second phase has begun means that the King Slime's health and magic are slowly reaching their limit. It's definitely worth a try, as long as I can block its poison.'
Of course, it still possessed a combination of strength and speed befitting a level 4 elite monster, but Lee Shin Woo was also receiving the Avenger skill effect. He decided that he could definitely win.
He forcefully gripped Bone of Thunder Lasting with both hands and activated Combat Sprint, taking the initiative by charging at it first. The King Slime noticed and quickly bounced its body.
[Gureureuk!]
"Heup...!"
It was an absurdly fast reaction speed. If he didn't make full use of his temporarily heightened visual acuity, he would lose track of it. The instant Lee Shin Woo read its trajectory, he vertically cleaved downwards!
"Ha!"
He firmly stiffened his body with magic, and his sword fell with a force that could cleave the earth, clashing with the King Slime flying in from the front. However, rather than being pushed back, he exerted his strength and pushed downwards with his sword!
[Gooooooooooooh!]
The King Slime couldn't contest with his strength and bounced away, colliding with the opposite wall.
The instant it impacted the extremely precarious wall, the drain pipes completely crumbled and the foundation became unstable. Dirt spewed everywhere, but even within that messy situation, Lee Shin Woo's eyes didn't leave the King Slime.
'Does it also have a Harden ability? There aren't any scratches on its body...'
His sword was plenty sharp. The bastard was just excessively tough! Since it's body had lessened in size, its physical strength had atrophied to the point that Lee Shin Woo could push it back, but conversely, its magic had been frightfully condensed; it had gotten that much tougher as a result.
[Gooooooooooh!]
"Heup!"
The slime must've been uplifted after being unharmed by Lee Shin Woo's strike, as it bounced from its position and flew towards him again.
If he got pushed back here, it'll be the end! Lee Shin Woo gritted his teeth and clashed with the King Slime. With the resolve to take it down, he infused Power Slash in every strike!
[A-As I thought, we can't win.]
[If he can't kill it with that tremendous power, then... Ah, ahhhh. The poison, the poison mist is rising!]
Since he was fighting while listening to the Paul's draining 'BGM', it didn't work. No, it was honestly just that his current strength couldn't overcome the King Slime. Looking at the situation of the battle, he figured that if he could buy more time, he would be able to get a decisive strike in, but the problem was...
'...I can't just keep repeatedly attacking and defending until its mana runs out.'
This sewer facility was counting down to its destruction. The pouring dirt would make it difficult to even move soon. It would become the worst environment to fight in.
In order to finish it before then... it would be a bit difficult, but this was the only choice. He resolved himself and activated his skill.
'Flames of Revenge.'
The black flames softly blazed atop his index finger bone. Seeing that hateful fire, the King Slime spewed the deadly poison that had been condensed in its body all at once in all directions, and filled the space with poison.
"Good, you're definitely responding to it."
[Gureuk...!]
The deadly poison mist and his black flames met, emitting a crackling sound; the flames burned the poison and the smoky heat surged. If he just remained like this, both sides would just run out of magic, so Lee Shin Woo raised his index finger about shoulder height, aimed, and postured to shoot.
'I don't know how many times it'll self-destruct from the flames until it leaves behind its core, but... I have no choice.'
However, before he shot, one of the vacantly watching Pauls suddenly muttered.
[...I remember.]
"Hmm?"
He spoke at such great timing that Lee Shin Woo stopped his Catapult. It was truly a relief that the King Slime saw the unwaning flames and felt extremely anxious, making it unable to move its body.
He didn't know whether they knew about the situation or not, but Paul kept muttering.
[I... Before I was appointed as a knight, I applied for this test.]
Hearing that, Lee Shin Woo furrowed his brows. Did they seriously remember their past at this timing? How? However, it wasn't just him. The other Pauls muttered as well, as if they had promised to do so.
[I was just a soldier, but due to my performance, I became a Centurion. The one who brought me there was none other than General Seagald...]
[I... I respected the Emperor. Because of that, I couldn't pardon his mistake, even more than the others.]
[How could I forget? The way I had lived, the way I must live from now on... All of it was within me all along.]
In no time, this space, which had been filled with the thickening, deadly poison the King Slime had spewed, became clean. Even now, the King Slime was responding to the Flames of Revenge and was creating Acid Poison, but the Poison Skeletons were absorbing it all.
[The test... Was it not a failure?]
[It failed. It was truly a horrific failure. However, because it was a failure, there was something we could gain from it.]
[How miserable. However, we need this strength right now.]
There was nowhere to run; they couldn't escape from the Acid Poison, and the skeletons had no other choice but to accept it. And the moment they gave up on everything, they naturally absorbed the Acid Poison as if it were theirs from the beginning... The skeletons were starting to become stronger.
The vestige of their past test's failure had made it possible; it was at this moment that their past karma was connected to the present.
[Why did I forget how to use mana?]
[It feels like someone had locked me in the darkness and stripped away my reason.]
[I can't remember my past name at all, but... it's fine now. We've become able to accept both our past and present!]
[We don't need to think deeply about what's within anymore. We just need to walk the path we've been taught now!]
Their voices sounded much more sure of themselves now, and for some reason, they felt even stronger... The moment he thought that it seemed as though they had leveled up, a deep mana glaringly surged.
However, because Lee Shin Woo didn't have any eyes, he was able to properly behold the Poison Skeletons' change.
[Lv3 Acid Skeleton - Paul]
[Lv3 Acid Skeleton - Paul Two]
[Lv3 Acid Skeleton - Paul Four]
[Lv3 Acid Skeleton - Paul Seven]
[Lv3 Acid Skeleton - Paul Nine]
[Lv3 Acid Skeleton - Paul Ten]
[Lv3 Acid Skeleton - Paul Twelve]
"..."
To think he'd see the moment that the undead were reborn as named monsters. They became named monsters with the names he'd given them at that!
Lee Shin Woo was stunned and looked at them with his mouth wide open as the Pauls walked with heavy footsteps more vigorously than before and joined up with him by his side.
[Sorry we showed you something so unsightly, Captain.]
[We'll fight with you now, too.]
[Give us the command. I want to respond to the chivalry you showed, Captain.]
'When the hell did I become your captain, and what the hell do you mean by chivalry?' is how he eagerly wanted to reply, but... Lee Shin Woo discarded all those thoughts. Though the Empire was incorrigibly cold and arrogant, he acted as though 'their' Empire was the only warm place in this world.
"You've finally gotten a hold of yourselves. Hold it back for a bit. You can do that much, can't you?"
[Yes, sir!]
[Of course!]
The seven level 3 elites attacked the King Slime simultaneously. The King Slime attempted to kill them with its poison and charge attacks, but they were no longer the weak skeletons of the past. Ultimately, while it was restrained by the skeletons, Lee Shin Woo took the opportunity to shoot his Fire Bullets in a volley. As it was being barraged with the Fire Bullets, it didn't even have an opportunity to self-destruct, and died from the flames.
It was truly a brutal victory.
[You have hunted the Lv4 King Slime. You have acquired the title 'Slime Hunter'! All of your abilities increase by 20% against slime related monsters, and you have a higher chance of acquiring better loot from them.]
[You have perfectly cleared the mutated dungeon, the Lv2 'Secret Sewer'. You have found all the secrets that lay in the dungeon, as well as slaying an elite monster that ate the boss and became stronger. You have acquired the dungeon clear reward. Health and magic has increased by 2.]
[You have led several subordinates into battle and defeated an enemy a higher level than you. All stats have increased by 1. The Beginner Command skill has evolved into the Low Rank level. When you make a command that fits the situation, the morale of your men increases.]
[You have succeeded in your revenge. The Beginner Avenger skill has become Lv7. When you meet the target of your revenge again, all abilities increase by 34%.]
They were all messages that appeared from him killing the King Slime. However, Lee Shin Woo felt slightly disappointed that he hadn't received another karma token, but right then, a message appeared that went beyond his expectations.
[You have achieved the karma of giving the undead who had lost everything a name, and awakening their rebirth. This is a karma that has long since been forgotten, and is a karma that no one can remember. You, who endowed these cursed and rotten individuals with unknown potential, will be called this by the world. The 'Joker'.]
[The Trickster karma has been absorbed by the Joker karma and has been strengthened. Your future is unknown, such that no one can predict it, and is filled with countless changes. No one can tell you what to do, and no one can dare block your path. Through a dramatic event, your karma has strengthened.]
[All stats have increased by 10. The Acting skill has become Lv6. The Low Rank Mana Bone skill has become Lv6.]
"This is..."
Lee Shin Woo felt a strength that was greater than any other before permeate his body. Although it might be similar to the Trickster karma, the 'Joker ' karma was a more powerful karma, so perhaps that was why.
As proof, all of his stats increased by 10. Aside from when he leveled up, he had never experienced such a shocking stat increase. Moreover, his skills had grown as well!
[I feel like Captain's become even stronger.]
[He's someone who could give us names. That's natural.]
[Those were truly powerful flames.]
The seven surviving Pauls, who had been reborn into elite Acid Skeletons towards the end of the intense battle, saw Lee Shin Woo becoming even stronger following the battle, and said 'as expected' while nodding their heads.
"Ah, you guys..."
Lee Shin Woo suddenly realized they were there and turned around. When he thought about how they had essentially given him the Joker karma, he had no choice but to change his attitude towards them.
"Have you recovered all of your memories?"
[Not all of them. However, I realized who I am and what I have to do.]
[This is all because of you, Captain.]
All of them, without exception, were dyed in a deep green, but the fact the weapons they possessed also changed color was truly peculiar. Though their levels didn't change, their bones were tougher and thicker, and their spirit was no joke.
[We have to find General Seagald. He definitely hasn't given up yet. He must be struggling to save this curse ridden Empire.]
[Like you, Captain. The General will welcome you with open arms.]
[Let's go together, Captain.]
It was a development that he had roughly expected. Lee Shin Woo picked up the dropped items and acted as if he thought deeply about their request, but truthfully, he already had his answer.
"I can't right now."
[How can that be...]
"Since I have something I need to do, too. I'll go find General Seagald later. It'd be great if I could see you guys then."
General Seagald was someone that was really on his mind too. However, even so, Lee Shin Woo was much too weak to go and find him immediately. His abilities were far too lacking to respond to this situation right now.
Above all, he didn't think that there was any reason to limit his movements this early. Not only did it not fit with his Joker karma, there were plenty of other things on his mind regarding the Empire. Like General Leofield.
[Is that so... Well, you have your own calling, Captain. We can't get in the way of that.]
[We trust that no matter where you are, whatever you're doing is for the Empire.]
All the Pauls agreed and nodded their heads. Seeing that, Lee Shin Woo smiled bitterly.
'These guys have already recovered their reason and their memories. It'd be great if I could continue to bring them with me as my subordinates, but there's a high chance that they'd catch onto the lie in no time.'
In the end, his Acting skill was impromptu. At least, for now that is. He would need to hide his human nature and the truth of his identity from them; even then, taking this many of them with him was definitely impossible.
If that's the case, then he could also cleanly take care of them here and take their bones, but...
'Shall I give it a rest?'
It wasn't a matter of them forming comradeship from fighting together or something like that. He was just purely curious how they, who were created by the 'Joker' karma, would turn out from now on.
He couldn't relax at all when he thought about how these skeletons, who were endowed with a different destiny because of him, would survive from now on in this Empire.
And honestly speaking... even if it were a sandcastle built on the beach, it would be too much for him to break down himself.
"...Wherever you go, don't go dying quickly. After all, it'll feel like what I did was meaningless then."
[Of course. We won't let the names you gave us be in vain.]
[Paul Zero... I'll never forget your name.]
[Let's meet again for sure.]
The skeletons, who realized that they couldn't convince Lee Shin Woo, each said some parting words to him and turned around.
The sewers were already a mess and collapsing, and the space they were currently in wasn't wide enough to even stretch their legs, but they grouped together and spread their Acid Poison everywhere, allowing them to easily make a path. It was as if they used an eraser to erase the dirt.
'Now, let's see.'
He drove away the restlessness he felt after the Acid Skeletons—the Pauls, left, and completely raked in the loot buried in dirt and poison. Lee Shin Woo concentrated on that task, and was able to soon forget about those that had left.
[You have acquired 53,080 Perium.]
[You have acquired a Lv4 King Slime Bone Core.]
[You have acquired a Lv3 Poison Skeleton's rib bone.]
[Would you like to... with the Lv3 Poison Skeleton's rib bone...]
There was an inherent mana within, so he was able to find them quickly. He naturally received the loot from the King Slime, but he also received the bone from one of the Poison Skeletons that had fought before him!
He was naturally pleased when he found a safely remaining bone from their depressing solo act. Lee Shin Woo shoved the acquired Perium into his inventory, then activated Bone Reinforcement, cleanly using up both the bone and the core all at once.
[Through Bone Reinforcement, Strength has increased by 1, Agility by 1, Health by 6, and Magic by 9. Absorbing a portion of the target's memories and experiences.]
[The Low Rank Bursting Thunder skill has become Lv6.]
[The Low Rank Harden skill has become Lv2.]
[The Intermediate Acid Poison Spray has become Lv2.]
"Mmm..."
Despite it being level 4, the King Slime didn't give him as much magic as he had hoped. Was it because he had already hunted several other slimes and Great Slimes before?
Perhaps his magic stat had increased far too much already, so it was difficult for the maximum value of his magic stat to increase any further.
'Still, I'll be level 4 soon. Let's hang in there a little longer.'
He had gained karma and improved his stats through Bone Reinforcement, so now his stats totalled 756. As long as he gathered 44 more stats in the future, he would be reborn as a level 4. He tightened his fists, as if he realized how he was getting stronger more and more quickly.
"...It was good."
Finally, he surveyed his surroundings. He thought there might be something he had missed and there really was. That was none other than the dungeon reward.
"And now that I think about it, there was a message like that."
In a level 1 dungeon, the reward would be an old wooden box, but considering how it was a level 2 elite dungeon he'd cleared, there was a considerably sturdy and completely new looking wooden box that had appeared instead. Though the fact that it was a wooden box ultimately hadn't changed!
[20,000 Perium]
[Low Rank Acid Resistance skill book]
[Lv3 Grizzly Bone Leg (+1)]
[Lv3 Melting War Axe]
Lee Shin Woo's face paled once he checked the rewards. Should he says it's as expected of an elite dungeon? Setting aside the Perium and the Acid Resistance skill book, he was rewarded with 2 level 3 items!
Moreover, the Grizzly Bone Leg was lower body armor that completely covered his thighs, knees, legs, and even his feet; it was even made of bone.
[Grizzly Bone Leg +1]
[Lv3]
[Durability: 740/740]
[Defense: 105 - 115]
[Options: Increases Strength by 5, Agility by 5]
"Now it's perfect."
He had a helmet, upper body armor, and lower body armor that also doubled as combat boots. Though it was somewhat troubling that all of his defensive equipment was made of bone, at least people wouldn't be able to tell that he was undead just from his exterior appearance now.
When he banged on his lower body, which was completely covered up by the Grizzly Bone Leg, he sported a satisfied smile. He collected the Perium, and thought about reading the Low Rank Acid Resistance skill book on the spot... but decided against it.
'Let's give this to Jin.'
When he thought about Jin, whose body couldn't endure the Acid Ghoul's poison and had been melted away, Lee Shin Woo decided it'd be better to give him the skill book, rather than raise his proficiency by a little bit. Then, he put the skill book into his inventory.
The problem was the final remaining item. The axe clearly gleamed in a metallic color, and it was so large that he wondered how it had fit inside the wooden box.
Just by sitting still, the axe emitted a green mist, and because of that, the surrounding earth gradually melted away; seeing just that, he knew that it was an incredibly powerful weapon. That's how he saw it, but...
"But it's not made of bone..."
He had to gamble after finally acquiring a level 3 item and change it into bone. Lee Shin Woo sighed deeply. However, there was nothing he could do about it. He couldn't just leave it here!
"Heup."
[Through Bone Reinforcement, the Melting War Axe is changing.]
In the end, he tightly gripped the axe with trembling hands. At that moment, that axe emitted a hair-raising sound and began to change into bone.
Bubbles surged up above the blade and the fundamental metal portion changed; the sequence of mana was newly formed, and the shape morphed. It was an extremely unpleasant process.
"Ha...?"
But why? During that process, Lee Shin Woo felt as though his mana... or more precisely acid, was sucked into the axe. The weapon was radiating light, and the mana in the entire area resonated in that one spot, creating an even thicker mist.
When the acid mist that the weapon spewed out became even thicker, and thus made it difficult to ascertain its very shape, the once thick mist in the periphery was suddenly sucked into the weapon.
The mist was completely lifted and the light likewise cleanly dissipated; for the first time, he was able to see the double-bladed axe which had transformed into bone.
[You have acquired the Lv4 Melting Bone Double Axe.]
[Melting Bone Double Axe]
[Lv4]
[Durability: 1,550/1,550]
[Attack Power: 480 - 760]
[Attribute: Acid Lv3]
[Options: Strength +25, Agility -5, Effectiveness of Acid Attribute Skills + 20%]
"!?"
Lee Shin Woo momentarily couldn't believe his eyes, but when he thought about it, he didn't even have eyes so there was no way he saw wrong.
The item really had leveled up. He had thought that this would happen sometime or another, but he didn't actually think it would happen like this!
'It didn't level up just because I was lucky.'
He had realized when his magic transformed into Acid Poison and was sucked into the weapon just a little while ago.
Perhaps during the process of transforming the weapon into bone through Bone Reinforcement, some other power that he had was somehow activated? And if that's the case, wasn't this proof that the stronger he got, the stronger the weapon that transformed through Bone Reinforcement would be?
'It's a really... really fearsome skill.'
Lee Shin Woo gritted his teeth at the countless abilities that Bone Reinforcement possessed. Perhaps this skill, depending on the karma, could affect the very rules of this world!
Through the use of countless experiences and memories, he learned a variety of abilities, and changed countless things through those abilities... His compatibility with the Joker karma was also great.
"But... Wait a second."
With this, he now had two level 4 items. And they were both items that would increase his acid attribute skills! If he combined the two items' abilities, the power of his acid skills would increase by as much as 30%!
Lee Shin Woo tightly gripped the double axe and muttered satisfyingly. He could feel it. That even though it had calmed down, he could spew out a horrific concentration of Acid Poison whenever he wanted!
"If I use this well, I could even go with the Hydra concept..."
Lee Shin Woo still couldn't get rid of his habit from the Trickster quest.
