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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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Chapter 7: The Ancient Trial Grounds (1)
The next day.
Yoojin and the Little Runts team continued hunting in the [Ancient Garden].
"The goblins might have become more violent with the shaman gone."
"Even better."
"Huh?"
"Then they won't run away even if they see the zombies."
Chasing after goblins was such a hassle.
Kang Minho gave an awkward laugh after hearing Yoojin's words.
The forest was quiet, as if a storm had swept through it.
He had hunted every goblin he saw, to the point where they were completely wiped out.
The Little Runts trio were drenched in sweat.
"Huff, huff."
"I'm going to pass out at this rate."
They had to keep up with the tireless zombies.
They had to extract mana stones from the goblin corpses.
In a gate, which was essentially enemy territory, it was important to conserve stamina, but they were exhausted from keeping up with Yoojin's murderous hunting speed.
"Can you keep going?"
"Yoojin-nim, I think this is our limit."
"It's a bit troublesome to back out now."
"Our bags are full."
Kang Minho gave a troubled smile.
Their portable bags were filled with mana stones. Even if they hunted more, they wouldn't be able to carry them.
"Excuses. You guys go back first."
"Are you going to hunt more monsters?"
"These guys are still full of energy. They'll be fine even if we stay up all night."
Grrr.
The Little Runts team shuddered at the rattling sound.
Kang Minho, managing his expression with effort, handed Yoojin a note.
"This is my number."
"I'm not interested in men's contact information."
"You have to give us your account number to receive the payment."
......
Right.
He was such an unnecessarily honest guy.
He had such a good personality that he was worthy of being selected as Slave No. 1.
"I'll contact you as soon as I get out."
"Then we'll go dispose of these."
Yoojin's eyes coldly narrowed as he watched the Little Runts team walk away.
〔You sent them away on purpose.〕
'Was it that obvious?'
〔Well, your intentions were quite transparent.〕
What he had to do now wasn't something to be shown to others.
The knowledge from his past life.
In other words, he was going to use information about the future that would be revealed years later.
It wasn't because of some complicated concept like the butterfly effect.
He simply didn't want to share this opportunity with anyone else.
This was the reason why he continued to make the Little Runts team work even after defeating the Goblin Shaman, the boss monster of the forest.
'The heart of a Frogman and the blood of the Goblin Shaman.'
Yoojin recalled memories from the past.
A few years later...
The unpopular gate, [Ancient Garden], gained popularity due to its hidden elements.
By placing catalysts in designated locations, one could move to a secret space called the [Ancient Trial Grounds].
If you passed the trial, you would be engraved with a 'rune' that granted permanent buffs.
A rare reward, hard to find even after searching through countless gates across the world.
In his past life, hunters known as promising talents flocked to the Ancient Garden.
'Shall we go?'
He moved towards the lakeside with the zombies leading the way.
The northern region of the [Ancient Garden].
Around the lake, Frogmen, amphibious monsters with blue skin, were stationed.
More precisely, they were lurking beneath the lake, waiting for prey.
"Grool."
A zombie, following Yoojin's command, approached the lake.
At that moment...
"Arrgh!"
A bizarre cry, like a bellowing roar, echoed from all directions.
The calm lake surface rippled, and several Frogmen leaped out.
Crack!
A trident pierced the zombie's neck.
"Arrgh!"
"Grool, grooool."
Zombies wouldn't die unless their heads were destroyed. The zombies Yoojin had meticulously crafted had increased defense, so they didn't get destroyed in one hit.
Unfazed even with a trident lodged in its neck, the zombie approached the Frogman.
And bit into it.
"Arrgh!"
The Frogman foamed at the mouth. As its first hunt ended in failure, its fellow Frogmen, who had responded earlier, jumped out one after another.
‘If only I had learned Corpse Explosion, I could have wiped them out in one go.’
Yoojin clicked his tongue and deployed the remaining zombies.
The battle instantly turned into a chaotic melee.
Frogmen, emerging from various spots in the lake, destroyed the zombies one by one.
"Arrgh. Smelly things. Weak."
Of course they would think so.
Frogmen had more than three times the physical abilities of goblins.
Even with Yoojin's skills strengthening the zombies, the difference in specs was insurmountable.
"Did you think I wouldn't know that?"
The Staff of Resentment soared into the air.
The whitish energy was several times denser than before, vivid as if it were tangible.
He had further strengthened it by imbuing it with the essence of death.
Whoosh!
The sharp end of the reversed bone staff shot towards the mocking Frogman.
[Oil Shower]
Slippery oil coated its skin.
It was the Frogman's innate skill that mitigated the power of piercing attacks.
"Arrgh, that won't work... Gah!"
Just before it reached its chest, the Staff of Resentment slowed slightly but began to rotate rapidly.
The tip of the staff, acting as the axis of rotation, slipped through the Frogman's oil, tearing its skin apart.
It easily penetrated the flesh and muscle, reaching the interior.
Straight towards the heart.
'If it's too damaged, the altar won't accept it, so I have to be careful.'
Swish!
As the Staff of Resentment was pulled out, the impaled Frogman's heart was ripped out with it.
Green blood gushed out from the wound like a waterfall.
One Frogman lay sprawled on the ground.
[Raise Undead activated.]
The lifeless eyes fluttered.
The Frogman zombie, granted a second life by the essence of death, let out a low groan.
Its body was almost twice as large as a goblin's.
Since the original was stronger, its specs also increased significantly.
"Grrrr!"
"Arrgh!"
A trident tried to stop the Frogman zombie, but it lunged forward without caring whether its bones broke or not.
If it were small and weak like a goblin, it might have been different.
But thanks to Yoojin strengthening its bones and flesh with the essence of death, it was difficult to stop the Frogman, now stronger than the original.
"Argh, s-strength..."
The trident wavered. As the Frogman holding the zombie let out a strained groan...
Whoosh!
The bone staff cut through the air once more.
"What? Did you think I was just watching?"
Yoojin's snickering voice echoed in the Frogmen's ears.
A second heart was ripped out, and another zombie joined the ranks.
'If it weren't for the Staff of Resentment, this would have been difficult.'
The Frogman's innate skill, Oil Shower.
Apart from the drawback of becoming vulnerable to fire attacks, it was an incredibly tricky skill.
Not only did it not hinder movement, it actually increased agility.
And it greatly increased resistance to bladed weapons like swords and spears.
With an ordinary bone, it would have been difficult to tear through the Frogman's skin, made slippery by Oil Shower.
He was lucky.
'Even though the Spirit Power consumption is intense, I can endure it.'
Raising the Frogman zombie...
And overloading the staff with the essence of death drained his Spirit Power rapidly.
[A large amount of Spirit Power has been consumed in a short period.]
[Concentration decreased.]
Ugh.
His vision blurred. His hands and feet trembled from the aftereffects of Spirit Power depletion.
'This much is nothing.'
He could withstand the penalty of overusing Spirit Power.
And...
He had already prepared a way to recover his depleted Spirit Power.
The energy settled in his dantian. He converted the goblin's life force, accumulated through Life Drain, into Spirit Power.
"Haa... This is the life."
The more his vision blurred and his stomach churned...
An unknown sense of exhilaration welled up, calming Yoojin's mind.
〔What am I supposed to do if you collapse from overexertion?!〕
'I won't collapse. You worry too much.'
〔Your life belongs to me, Contractor. Don't push yourself recklessly.〕
'Since when did we make such a contract?'
〔You are the only one who can communicate with me. It would be troublesome if you died meaninglessly!〕
‘Don't worry. This isn't even considered overexertion for me.’
"Arrgh!"
"Argh!"
The once tranquil lakeside was now filled with the screams of Frogmen, and green blood stained the ground.
[Level up!]
[Current level: 6]
'At this rate, I'll reach my previous realm in no time.'
To punch that bastard, the Mage King, in the face, he had to become stronger as soon as possible.
He couldn't ignore the potential threat of the Seven Great Clans either.
Yoojin suppressed his boiling emotions and continued hunting.
"Arrgh..."
The last Frogman near the lake collapsed with a groan.
The Goblin Zombies vanished.
20 newly created Frogman Zombies, with vacant eyes, stared at Yoojin, awaiting his next command.
〔Are you going to move right away?〕
'I need to rest a bit. I'm human too.'
Yoojin plopped down on the ground and caught his breath.
His head throbbed. The aftereffects of exceeding his Spirit Power limit by a large margin hit him like a storm.
[Life Drain activated.]
He used Midnight Sun to convert Spirit Power and Divine power.
He extracted life force from the relatively intact Frogman corpses and used it for healing.
'If I accumulate spare life force, I can also act as a healer.'
Divine power was the exclusive domain of priests.
When he didn't want to reveal his necromancer abilities, he could use Life Drain to disguise his identity.
Considering only its healing ability, it was far more efficient than basic healing spells.
'I've also collected plenty of hearts.'
It was tedious to extract Frogman hearts and create undead during battle.
It was a delicate task that required a wide field of vision and a perfect understanding of the flow of battle.
If it weren't for Yoojin, it would have been difficult to even attempt.
He got up from his spot only after he had somewhat shaken off the aftereffects of overusing Spirit Power.
'The preparations are complete.'
The constellation's blessing, which he so desperately wanted but couldn't obtain in his past life...
This time, it would be different.
Yoojin's steps were filled with determination.
On the way back to the garden...
Hunters who had entered as a team looked at Yoojin with strange eyes.
"Grrrr."
To be precise, their attention was drawn to the zombies letting out airless groans.
Summoners themselves were rare, which made these zombies and the one controlling them a truly unusual sight.
It was only natural for them to be surprised, as hunters who controlled the undead did not exist in this era.
'I'll have to endure it even if it's a bit bothersome.'
Yoojin glared back at the pouring gazes.
A diamond in the rough.
A being with power always stands out.
It was the same in his past life.
And in this second life, he would become stronger even faster, making it an unavoidable outcome.
The hunters averted their gazes when Yoojin glared at them.
'It's not like it'll be hidden if I try to hide it.'
‘Haha.’
A short laugh escaped him.
Leading the zombies, awkwardly moving their stiff bodies, he arrived at the center of the garden.
The gazes gradually dispersed.
Curiosity about a hunter who controlled undead as summons wouldn't put food on the table, so they left to pursue their original goals.
'It's about time I get ready.'
Yoojin took out one of the Frogman hearts he had wrapped in a bundle.
He dropped a single drop of the Goblin Shaman's blood onto the blue flesh that had long since stopped beating.
Thump-thump-thump!
The Frogman's heart, which had stopped, pulsated and throbbed violently.
〔What are you planning to do this time?〕
'An opportunity that will be revealed in the future.'
〔Indeed. You intend to take advantage of your regression.〕
'Be quiet, I need to concentrate.'
The shaman's blood only temporarily revived the heart.
He had to finish the setup within two minutes.
After reviving the remaining hearts with blood, he placed them in the hands of the zombies.
"Don't drop them, and stand over there."
Yoojin put strength into his voice.
Low-ranking undead, zombies.
Primitive undead with only appetite as their thoughts.
If he loosened his control even for a moment, they would devour the pulsating hearts, driven by their insatiable hunger for life force.
After confirming that nine zombies had reached their designated positions, he dropped a drop of blood onto the last heart.
[You have unlocked the hidden secret of the Ancient Garden.]
[Moving to the Ancient Trial Grounds.]
Flash!
An intense flash of light descended upon the center of the garden.
For a brief moment, less than 0.1 seconds, the light shone brightly.
And with a dazzling flash, Yoojin and the zombies vanished from the Ancient Garden.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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