Report
------------------
HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
------------------
Chapter 11: To the Border Region (1)
Though he had completed the magic weapon, there was still work to be done.
"Adjust the ratio of the Melting solution."
"Are you going to keep pouring it on that corpse?"
"It needs to be aged for another day."
"You seem to be putting a lot of effort into it. It must not be an ordinary creature."
"To use the Magic Melting solution as fuel for activating the spells, it needs to be fully absorbed."
The key to creating an Eldritch Dragon was to capture the dragon's essence without any loss.
The reason he stored it in the Ring of Darkness as soon as he defeated it was to prevent its power from leaking out.
'With my current abilities, it's difficult to even construct the spells.'
Originally, to become an Eldritch Dragon, a living dragon would separate its soul from its body and seal its essence within a seal.
The method Yoojin was attempting was an unconventional one: processing the dragon's essence and body and then having another soul inhabit it.
The success rate was extremely low, and the infrastructure was very poor.
〔Can you complete it with the Contractor's current level?〕
'So far, it's going according to plan.'
Thanks to the assistance of the skilled alchemist Shin Joonseok, the Draconian's corpse was being maintained in optimal condition.
The rest was up to Yoojin, the spellcaster.
After aging it for another day, he placed his hand on the Draconian's corpse.
He glanced at Shin Joonseok, who was restlessly pacing behind him.
"If you're going to watch, watch quietly. You're more distracting that way."
"Is that alright?"
"It's not like it'll wear out from being seen."
"Aren't secret techniques supposed to be hidden from others?"
"An alchemist like you couldn't imitate it anyway."
Only necromancers could handle spirit power.
Even if that weren't the case,
'I can provide this much service to someone who will soon be my business partner.'
Suppressing a smile, Yoojin observed the Draconian's corpse.
The bones, muscles, every single cell.
The Magic Melting solution had permeated it, emitting an energy akin to that of a living being.
'The condition is perfect.'
Sssst—!
Energy emanating from the Ring of Darkness tinted Yoojin's eyes.
Eyes that allowed him to see the world beyond the material realm.
The Spirit Eyes.
The ability of a necromancer to perceive and interfere with the essence of death and souls.
'It's not a formal skill, but a temporary measure.'
His eyes felt strained.
They stung, and his vision blurred.
It was because he was channeling power his body couldn't currently handle.
'I can't use it for long.'
Even if it weren't for his eyes, even if he exhausted all his meager mana, he could only maintain it for 60 seconds at most.
Yoojin's gaze focused on the Draconian's chest.
The still heart.
He used his Spirit Eyes to control the dragon's essence dwelling within.
[Curse Spell - Soul Gain]
A spell that binds the essence of a soul to a deceased body.
Its original purpose was a curse that allowed a soul to inhabit a specific object or location.
A curse spell carved with the essence of a dragon.
'Even without skills, I can still carve the circuit.'
Having reached the pinnacle of necromancy, he could draw most curse spells with his eyes closed.
The spell was completed in an instant.
The Magic Melting solution that the Draconian's corpse had absorbed over the past three days reacted to the spell and began to supply power.
The mana that had permeated the entire body flowed towards the chest, and—
Thump— Thump—
The heart that should have been still started beating again.
"Eek!"
Shin Joonseok shrieked and stumbled backward.
"It's just an ordinary corpse. Why are you so scared?"
"How can it be a corpse when I can hear its heartbeat?"
"It's a bit special, that's all."
A simplified Eldritch Dragon.
Compared to a true immortal dragon, it was less than insignificant, but...
With a powerful soul to control this body, and Yoojin's necromancy, which had reached the ultimate level, it would become strong enough to deserve the title of immortal dragon.
"Whew, that was incredibly difficult."
Yoojin collapsed to the floor, gasping for breath.
Spirit Power depletion and the aftereffects of the Spirit Eyes.
Several blood vessels had burst in his overexerted eyes, causing red blood to trickle down his face.
Well, well.
He didn't know he could cry tears of blood.
〔Contractor. Are your eyes alright?〕
'No. Not at all.'
〔Judging by the way you're talking, you seem fine.〕
'I can at least tell whether I'm alive or dead.'
If he had known it would be like this, should he have absorbed some life force in advance to recover mana with Life Drain?
Regret was always late.
As he clicked his tongue at the belated idea, Shin Joonseok handed him a towel.
"Wipe yourself."
"Doesn't it bother you that blood is coming out of someone's eyes?"
"People don't die from bleeding a little. I had so much to think about."
Shin Joonseok sat down next to Yoojin.
"I accept the offer you made on the first day."
Now?
While he was shedding tears of blood, he was talking about that?
"I know it might seem sudden, but please understand. Seeing your skills convinced me."
Right.
An eccentric genius who had no interest in anything but alchemy.
It was just like Shin Joonseok to do that.
Yoojin immediately brought up the ratio issue again.
"Is 6 to 4 alright with you?"
"It's a large amount, but it's manageable."
"Oh. You're generous."
"The owners of large corporations used to say, 'Time can be bought with money.'"
Shin Joonseok, holding the Intermediate Potion they had completed three days prior, continued in a confident tone.
"If I work with you, I can buy time. Isn't that worth it?"
"You won't regret that choice."
Now that he had an em— no, a dedicated alchemist...
All that remained was to find the soul that would serve as the core of the painstakingly created Eldritch Dragon.
〔That person is not ordinary either.〕
'He's eccentric, but his skills are undeniable.'
〔I'm not sure who's calling who eccentric.〕
Yoojin ignored Kronos's grumbling.
As soon as he regained some strength, he picked up his phone.
[Little Runt Kang Minho]
Tu— Tu—
As soon as the ringing tone started, Yoojin spoke without preamble.
"Are you interested in doing another job?"
＊ ＊ ＊
Shin Joonseok frowned.
"Who are these people?"
Visitors had arrived at the Paju workshop following Yoojin.
"My friends. They'll be staying here for a while."
"Hehe. Nice to meet you."
Shin Joonseok looked over the Little Runts team, and then, his face turning bright red, he yelled,
"This is a workshop, not a lodging house!!!"
His voice was so loud that the veins in his neck were visible.
Honestly.
This young man was so easily agitated.
"There are some spare rooms, aren't there?"
"Well, yes, but..."
"They won't interfere with your work. They'll just be sleeping here."
"Then wh- no, why have your... acquaintances come to Paju? Are you going sightseeing in the border region?"
"Oh. Correct. Are all alchemists this perceptive?"
Shin Joonseok let out a deep sigh.
The border region.
It was a term referring to the DMZ, the area that once divided the Korean peninsula.
"Partner. Do you know how dangerous that place is?"
"Don't worry. We won't do anything dangerous."
"I guess you don't see how pale your friends' faces are."
"They're a bit weak, that's all."
"Don't die a tragic death. If you die, I'm taking all the potion profits."
Shin Joonseok retorted gruffly and returned to the workshop.
Honestly, this man couldn't be straightforward.
"Unpack and then we leave immediately. We'll be staying for about three days."
"Boss, but why are we going to the border region...?"
"To pay our respects."
"Huh?"
Kang Minho asked reflexively, bewildered.
"You'll see when we get there."
Yoojin didn't explain further.
About 5 kilometers north of the workshop, they came across a gate blocking the road.
Barbed wire fences were densely installed on both sides.
To enter the border region, they had to pass through this gate on the road.
"There are a lot of Hunters here too."
"That's the case everywhere there are monsters."
"Well, that's true, but..."
"The border region is a place where people come and go. There's no need to worry too much."
Yoojin chuckled at the tense Little Runts team members and led the way to the gate.
"Are you Hunters?"
"Yes. We're the Little Runts team, and one..."
"We're the same team."
Yoojin quickly corrected Kang Minho's words.
The soldier on guard duty searched for the Little Runts team on his electronic device, then said—
"Confirmed. You have one more person with you?"
"Ah, he's a Hunter we recently recruited."
The Little Runts team members standing behind Kang Minho smiled awkwardly.
Clank—!
The metal gate slid open to both sides, creating a gap wide enough for a vehicle to pass through.
"Good luck."
Yoojin stepped through the gap without hesitation.
Towards the abandoned land that had fallen into the hands of monsters.
Towards the border region.
＊ ＊ ＊
Through the overgrown thicket, they slowly made their way along the narrow path carved between otherworldly plants.
The Little Runts team cautiously surveyed their surroundings, their nerves on edge.
"Just think of it as a slightly larger Gate."
"Even so, I can't relax."
"The place I used to work was like this, so I'm even more uneasy."
"I meant be moderately alert, not completely let your guard down."
Yoojin chuckled, watching Lee Seongmin sigh briefly.
The entry area was relatively safe, as Hunters affiliated with the military and government agents periodically cleared out the monsters.
'It was around here, wasn't it?'
As Yoojin walked along the path, retracing his memories, he suddenly veered off the trail and stepped into the thicket.
Rustle— Rustle—
Less than a minute after leaving the path, they heard footsteps other than their own.
[Using Bone Control.]
Shhhk!
One of the [Cursed Fangs] strapped to his waist soared into the air, slicing through the undergrowth.
Its speed was several times faster than an ordinary bone.
With the added throwing bonus, it was far more agile.
"Kruk!"
A muscular green monster emerged from the thicket with its distinctive snorting sound.
Kang Minyeong screamed.
"Eek! An orc!"
"A 2 Star monster! This is dangerous!"
"Boss! Even if the three of us attack an orc together, we'd be lucky to get a draw!"
These guys...
They lacked faith.
If they were scared of a mere orc, they wouldn't have entered the border region in the first place.
Yoojin scoffed as if amused and manipulated the Cursed Fang.
"Kruk, kruk!"
The orc's arm muscles bulged.
Its biceps, thicker than Kang Minho's thighs, tensed with a crack.
A monstrous strength capable of splitting a boulder with a single blow.
Without taking its eyes off the rapidly approaching [Cursed Fang], it pulled back the glaive in its hand.
"Are you trying to play baseball?"
"Kruk!"
The glaive accurately aimed at the trajectory of the incoming Cursed Fang.
Just as the rusty blade was about to strike the black point of the projectile—
'Not a chance.'
Shhk!
The magic weapon shifted slightly from the glaive's swing path.
Even after being launched, it was still under the control of Bone Control, so altering its trajectory was not difficult.
It just required a small amount of mana and concentration.
By subtly adjusting its forward direction, he robbed the orc of the chance to react.
Thud!
The Cursed Fang pierced the orc's flesh, tearing through even its tough muscles.
Green blood dripped onto the ground.
"He inflicted a fatal wound on the orc with a single blow!"
"Amazing!"
Yoojin shook his head.
"I aimed for the heart, but not bad."
The orc had twisted its body at the last moment, narrowly avoiding the attack.
The orc Innate trait [Battle Continuation] activated, allowing it to ignore the pain and stiffness and charge forward.
"Kruk!"
The orc, its fighting spirit ignited, kicked off the ground powerfully and lunged towards Yoojin.
"Boss! I'll buy some time, please follow up with another attack!"
Kang Minho held his shield close to his shoulder.
He stood in front of Yoojin, his legs firmly planted.
'He was bold even when his achievements were low.'
It couldn't be a coincidence that he was reminded of Kang Minho from his past life.
Sssst!
Four more Cursed Fangs floated up.
The orc, enduring the pain and charging with all its might, paled.
"What's wrong? Something not working out for you?"
The green-skinned monster was riddled with black spikes.
Innate traits only mattered if you were still breathing.
Only the undead could move after taking such overwhelming damage.
Yes.
Undead, beings that defied death.
"Answer my call."
[Using Raise Undead.]
The orc, its body riddled with holes, rose as an undead.
The bleeding stopped quickly.
The wounds remained, but the loss of combat power wasn't significant.
[The zombie's completion level is very high.]
[All stats increased by 100%.]
"Uh, uhh..."
The orc zombie, its head half-twisted backward, staggered closer.
Ah.
He had forgotten to drain its life force with Life Drain.
"Well, there are plenty of orcs."
Yoojin muttered unconsciously, and Kang Minho was startled.
"Boss, didn't you say we came to pay our respects?"
"Yeah, but the deceased we're here to honor resides in an orc colony."
"Haha..."
A bewildered laugh escaped Kang Minho's lips.
Yoojin grinned at him.
"I knew you guys would like it."
It's good to make a lot of money, right?
Right?
------------------
HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia
[Proofreader - Kaya]
Join our Discord for release updates!
https://discord.com/invite/dbdMDhzWa2
------------------
