Report
------------------
HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
------------------
Chapter 41: Strengthening Forces (3)
"Fafnir."
【I'll take the one in the middle.】
"Then you take the left."
「Command confirmed.」
[Unholy Blessing activated.]
[Punishing Spike activated.]
[Giant's Strength activated.]
Divine spells imbued Fafnir with power.
The inanimate Blood Golem, not being a living target, couldn't be buffed.
'It works on undead but not on golems, huh?'
Even that was a luxury he didn't have in his past life.
‘I should be grateful.’
〔You are allowed to praise me.〕
'Don't spout nonsense when I'm busy, you incompetent constellation.'
I pushed Kronos's thoughts away and observed the battlefield.
Fafnir was fine with the buffs.
The Blood Golem also had the upper hand in terms of elemental advantage, and it had already proven its combat prowess in the previous fight.
All that remained was to restrain the other one.
"Can you handle it? I won't deploy the rest of the undead."
The troll's hide was so thick that it was difficult to land an effective blow.
And unlike the Blood Golem, its regeneration couldn't be blocked, so it would recover quickly.
"Leave it to me."
[Moveable Fortress]
[Force Strike]
A blue flash enveloped the shield, then struck the empty air.
A technique that unifies the direction of mana and physical force, releasing it explosively.
Kang Minho, realizing he shouldn't clash head-on, unleashed his mana explosively just before the troll's arm reached him.
"Groo?"
The troll, just about to extend its arm, lost its balance due to the sudden burst of force in the air.
[Synchronization]
[Telekinesis]
Swoosh!
The arrow flew with a sharp sound, cutting through the wind.
As the staggering troll raised its hand to protect its head...
The trajectory of the arrow, initially shot in a straight line, twisted.
It passed between the troll's fingers and pierced its left eye, which it hadn't been able to protect in time.
"Groooo!!!"
A scream of pain echoed loudly across the riverside.
"Hehe. It's not just the crossbow that I can synchronize with."
Synchronization was also applied to the arrow loaded in the crossbow.
Not missing even the slightest movement, he altered the arrow's trajectory just before impact.
Although the force behind the arrow wasn't enough to completely penetrate...
"Groo! Grooo!"
The troll was greatly shocked.
Bang! Bang!
Enraged by the burning pain in its eye, the troll swung its left arm wildly.
Pebbles scattered across the riverbank.
[Space]
A shield, emerging from a jet-black subspace, protected the party.
A seamless series of actions unfolded.
If their skill coordination had faltered even for a moment, it would have resulted in significant damage.
'He's doing well against the troll without even flinching.'
At this rate, it's hard to be satisfied with just stalling for time.
The valiant efforts of the Little Runts team ignited my excitement.
"Jo Seungchul. Your turn."
- (Gurggle) Destroy! Destroy! Destroy!
Jo Seungchul, the skeleton mage, raised his bony arms and chattered his jaw.
Mana was manipulated.
In front of his withered bony hand, the rearranged fire attribute mana condensed into a spherical shape.
"Th-that's a Fireball, isn't it?!!"
"Indeed."
"But Skeleton Mages are only 2 Star! How can it use a spell beyond its rank?!"
Yoojin smiled with satisfaction at Lee Seongmin's astonished reaction.
This was possible due to the Unification, which allowed Jo Seungchul to inherit some of the magic he learned in his lifetime.
Compared to ordinary Skeleton Mages, his firepower was far superior.
In magic, a single rank difference was an absolute gap.
[Fireball]
A scorching heat wave swept through the air.
The troll, at the epicenter of the explosion, was charred black.
"Did we get it?"
"It won't die from just that."
Among 3 Star spells, Fireball was considered top-tier in terms of destructive power.
However, it didn't have the firepower to incinerate the troll in a single blow.
If it hadn't been injured in the eye, it would have ignored the explosion and charged.
[Quick Reload]
[Fireball]
That's why he had two prepared.
Jo Seungchul's unique trait: Although it consumed a lot of mana, he could use destructive magic consecutively.
'Now do you understand how amazing Unification is?'
〔Hmm. I acknowledge it.〕
Boooom!
The troll faltered from the successive explosions.
Kang Minyeong's crossbow, floating in mid-air, didn't miss the small opening and fired a second shot.
The target of the second arrow was the remaining eye.
With its body dulled by consecutive Fireballs, the troll couldn't react to the sniper shot.
"Sister, you're ruthless."
"Even though she's my sister, that's a bit..."
Her ruthlessness was such that even her teammates looked away.
Having lost both of its eyes, the troll collapsed and thrashed around with a roar.
"Good. You targeted its weakness even though I didn't tell you."
"Did you hear that? Oppa praised me!"
Leaving aside the triumphant Kang Minyeong, he gave instructions to the rest of the undead.
The scary thing about trolls was their breakthrough power.
Since most wounds regenerated quickly, they sometimes charged while taking damage, but that possibility was now gone.
How could a blind troll target the party?
"Focus all your firepower."
[Icicle Arrow]
[Lightning Bolt]
[Acid Bomb]
...
The Skeleton Mages in the rear simultaneously fired their magic.
The troll's hide, already reddened from being hit by two Fireballs, was now repeatedly torn and healed by the barrage of magic, but its regeneration gradually slowed.
'Still not enough.'
In terms of regeneration alone, it surpassed even a 5 Star monster like an Ogre.
Although they succeeded in incapacitating it, the firepower of the Little Runts team and the Skeleton Mages wasn't enough.
"Fafnir."
Fafnir, who was confronting one of the trolls at the forefront, swiftly turned around, channeled dark mana into his feet, and leaped a great distance.
Crack!
His fist, enveloped in dark mana, plunged into the crown of the crouching troll.
Whitish brain matter and flesh fragments splattered everywhere.
"Groooo!!! Brother!!"
【This makes us look like villains.】
"Isn't a Necromancer's warrior villainous enough?"
【Damn it. I should have just stayed as an earthbound spirit.】
The two remaining trolls belatedly recognized Yoojin as a threat.
They recklessly charged forward to break through, but...
「Target. You shall not pass.」
【I am your opponent, ugly troll.】
The Blood Golem, having absorbed the troll's blood and ascended to 4 Star, stood in their way.
Although its physical abilities were at the 3 Star level, it couldn't surpass Fafnir, who possessed buffs and superior martial prowess.
"Grooo..."
The troll's mournful cry echoed across the riverbank.
＊ ＊ ＊
[Level Up!]
[Current level is 4.]
Defeating a powerful enemy two ranks above him, combined with the experience points earned in the border region, his level increased rapidly.
'At this rate, I'll reach 3 Star soon.'
In his previous life, it took him 4 years to reach that rank.
This time, experience points were soaring like a car speeding down an open highway.
"Collecting mana stones from trolls is no easy task."
Kang Minho was sweating profusely.
"Bro, I can't do it."
"Sorry. I'm no help either."
Even if you crushed their heads, their regenerative ability didn't disappear immediately.
The troll's hide was already tough, and even if you managed to cut it, it would regenerate quickly.
"It can't be helped. Fafnir."
【Don't expect delicacy from me.】
Rip!
Fafnir tore apart the troll's chest with his rough hands.
From within, he pulled out the mana stone integrated with the stopping heart and offered it to Yoojin.
"Why are you giving it to me?"
【It's a B-rank mana stone. Isn't it expensive?】
"I told you to consume all the mana stones from now on."
The Little Runts team had also agreed to this.
- If it weren't for you, bro, this would be money we couldn't even touch.
He had prepared many words to persuade them, but they readily accepted after he said just one sentence, which made him smile awkwardly.
Fafnir looked at the party and sighed briefly.
【Then I won't hold back.】
Crunch—
[Eldritch Dragon (Fafnir) absorbs mana.]
[Mana accumulates in the Dragon Heart. Total mana and physical abilities increase.]
Whoa.
Damn, I'm speechless.
'Is he going to get an upset stomach from this?'
〔(Chuckle) Did you eat something bad?〕
'He's eating too much raw food.'
Why was Life Drain such a fraudulent spell?
Because it generally provided 'stats' that were nearly impossible to increase other than through potions.
It was the same with Fafnir consuming mana stones.
〔Strange. It seems the same as a Hunter absorbing experience points.〕
'He's undead.'
You know how rare growing undead are.
Even high-ranking undead like Death Knights and Liches had difficulty breaking their mold and advancing to a higher rank.
Even Park Haneul in his past life had to strengthen himself by replacing his bones one by one.
'Not only is his growth method easy, but the potential is also high.'
An undead created based on the corpse of a Draconian.
Since the ultimate goal of a Draconian was to become a Dragon, Fafnir would also be able to reach true dragonhood by consuming mana stones.
'Wow. This is sweet. So sweet.'
〔Tsk tsk. You don't even heed my words of wisdom.〕
'Ah, I don't want to struggle.'
I shouldn't listen to that incompetent constellation.
Does it think reaching 9 Star as a Necromancer is easy?
Yoojin thought.
Unlike other classes, there's not much information available.
And Hunters with backing openly antagonized Necromancers.
'I've already struggled enough.'
Spear techniques and divine powers as a priest were exceptions.
These were skills he had no connection with in his previous life, so he intended to learn them even if it meant struggling.
However...
He'd seize every advantage he could get.
"Consume all the rest as well."
【That will cause significant blood loss. Are you sure?】
"Troll blood is valuable, but... I wonder if there's anything left."
The blood of two trolls was absorbed by the Blood Golem.
The one that suffered the group beating had already spilled most of its blood on the riverbank.
He just had to worry about the remaining one.
"Ah, come to think of it, I should use Life Drain."
The tattered ones were already beyond saving, so he approached the troll that Fafnir had finished off last and absorbed its life force.
[The troll's life force permeates your body.]
[Strength permanently increases by 1.5.]
[Health permanently increases by 2.1.]
[Endurance permanently increases by 1.8.]
Gulp.
【Then I'll take the rest.】
Fafnir consumed all the remaining trolls' mana stones.
The moment he swallowed the fourth mana stone, an intense surge of energy erupted.
[The mana contained within the heart of the Eldritch Dragon (Fafnir) has reached its limit.]
[The Dragon Heart grows to the next stage.]
Grooo—!
Spirit Power surged over Fafnir's shoulders.
The same phenomenon as Park Haneul's materialization of mana in his previous life, the manifestation of Aura, appeared throughout Fafnir's body.
【Now it's properly manifesting.】
The [Dark Aura] trait passed down from his pre-death experience.
However...
Fafnir's energy, having ascended to 4 Star, became much clearer and even exuded a sense of intimidation.
"Since there's no need to rest, let's depart."
"Brother, are you not going to make those corpses into undead?"
"Trolls are 4 Star. I can't draw out the corpses' abilities with just Raise Undead."
With low-level necromancy, he could only create Zombies or Skeletons.
To utilize the abilities of large monsters, he needed higher-level necromancy and various preparations.
If he turned these guys into undead?
At best, they would reach around 3 Star, but they would be slow and lack regenerative abilities.
Essentially, it was a waste of troll corpses.
Kang Minho clicked his tongue after hearing the explanation.
"What a waste."
"Isn't that what ‘I’ should be saying?"
"I thought troll corpses would make powerful assets."
"I'm not planning on leaving them behind."
Yoojin had already given orders to the undead through the black spire acting as a relay.
- Take the troll corpses and bury them in the Unholy Cemetery.
The spire's main function was as a necromancy amplifier.
He could remotely issue simple commands.
"We can leave the rest to the undead stationed in the territory."
"I see. As expected of you, brother."
"Flattery won't get you anywhere, you know?"
The party's strength had been further enhanced.
They could now easily repel monsters up to 4 Star.
And they had grown enough to escape safely if they encountered a 5 Star monster.
〔I do hope a monster over 6 Star appears and gives my contractor a trial.〕
'If I die, will you really become a incompetent constellation?'
〔Ahem, I was just joking.〕
'In this area, we only need to watch out for One-Eyed.'
The rank of One-Eyed, the mutant Ogre reigning as a tyrant in the Paju area, was 7 Star.
As long as they were careful of that monster, their lives wouldn't be in danger.
〔I pray that the creature called One-Eyed will ignore you.〕
'You're not thinking the opposite, are you?'
Kronos remained silent.
Yoojin gave a wry smile and began heading south along the riverbank.
------------------
HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia
[Proofreader - Kaya]
Join our Discord for release updates!
https://discord.com/invite/dbdMDhzWa2
------------------
