Report
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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Chapter 43: The First Step of Expansion (2)
A concrete graveyard.
As dusk fell, casting a more eerie pall over the ruins, a few buildings still retained their original shape.
A 20-story hotel.
Before the Great Cataclysm, it was famous as a 3 Star hotel, but now it was better known as the Red Spider's hideout.
Lights strung all over the exterior walls scattered dazzling light.
And beneath them, people with spider tattoos were having a wild party.
"Enjoy! Whether we die today or tomorrow!"
"Ehehehe!"
Chaos brewed from a mixture of alcohol, drugs, and the simple beat of machine sounds.
A half-naked man, looking down at the scene from the lounge, pursed his lips.
"Tch. Those simple-minded bastards."
Scars were engraved on his exposed back.
Their shape resembled the eight legs of a spider.
The scars that gave birth to the organization name [Red Spider].
Kim Jaewoo, the boss of the faction that divided Ground Zero into three, glared fiercely.
"Boss. We have 10 days' worth of food left."
"It’s Chairman."
"Ah, yes. Chairman."
"Hyungtae, we're not gangsters. How long are you going to keep calling me 'Boss'?"
Clank, clank—!
The lounge windows rattled violently as if caught in a strong wind.
The killing intent of a 6 Star hunter.
The bald man shuddered at the ferocious aura mixed with mana.
"S-sorry. Chairman."
"We need to boost the morale of our guys. They've been a bit gloomy lately, haven't they?"
Kim Jaewoo flailed his arms exaggeratedly.
They had planned an attack after noticing the absence of Old Man Jeong from the Milky Way Pub, but...
Instead of grabbing Madam Oh Hyunjeong by the neck, they ended up losing a source of income.
"Hah. That damn bitch."
The Red Spider was a large organization with hundreds of members.
They weren't weak enough to collapse just because one [Crimson Lair] disappeared.
The problem was that they failed to take over the Milky Way Pub, and with a major funding route cut off, the Red Spider's prestige was also damaged.
"Who are the stiff-necked bastards these days?"
"The military guys and the Blue Shirts are gathering people."
"Take care of them by tomorrow."
With the attack on the Milky Way Pub ending in failure, the number of those who doubted the Red Spider's dominance increased.
This was the reason why they opened their coffers despite losing one of their main funding routes.
Their finances would become tighter, but they needed to show off in order to maintain the organization.
"Did you say 10 days?"
"Yes."
"I have an appointment with Chairman Im. Prepare some men."
"Are we getting support from the Nine Dragons Hall?"
"We're screwed because we couldn't take over the Milky Way."
The Nine Dragons Hall was a large criminal organization based in Hong Kong.
Recently, they had been in contact with the Red Spider to form an East Asian criminal network using the West Sea as a bridgehead.
"The Nine Dragons Hall is too big of an organization, Chairman."
"I know, damn it! Do you think I like joining hands with them so readily?"
It was a nice way to put it, a business proposal.
But it was practically like becoming a subordinate organization of the Nine Dragons Hall.
For a deal to be equal, both sides needed to have similar power.
Originally, he had planned to drag out the negotiations or even break them off.
"If only that idiot, Jo Seungchul, had guarded the gate properly."
Kim Jaewoo's eyes gleamed with murderous intent.
With the [Crimson Lair] shut down earlier than expected, a huge hole had been blown in their finances.
They needed urgent funds to maintain the organization.
And there weren't many places that would invest in an organization from Ground Zero.
In his previous life, the Red Spider had rejected the Nine Dragons Hall's proposal, but Yoojin's intervention had changed the future.
Creak—
"Boss! Something terrible has hap—"
"It's Chairman! You son of a bitch!!"
The hunter, hit by the glass cup thrown by Kim Jaewoo, choked and screamed as he collapsed to the floor.
Blood flowed from his torn forehead.
He was a 4 Star martial arts hunter, but he couldn't withstand Kim Jaewoo's strength.
"S-sorry. Chairman!"
"Forget it. Just tell me what you came for."
"There are reports of unrest in Gaesung."
"The human hunters?"
The Gaesung human hunters.
Their official name was the "5th Revolutionary Corps," but no one called them that.
An organization that used monsters they raised as their fighting force.
Although they had few members, the number and combat power of the monsters they controlled were significant, making them a force to be reckoned with.
"What are those Gaesung bastards up to now!"
"They're reportedly coming down to the border area."
"Those useless bastards."
"If they're human hunters, won't they feed us to their monsters?"
Even the Red Spider was terrified of the human hunters.
They would throw those who weren't part of the "5th Revolutionary Corps" to their monsters as food or force them into labor.
Kim Jaewoo had once thought of joining hands with the human hunters, but...
"How much did we lose back then?"
"25 men, Chairman."
As soon as they sat down at the negotiation table, the human hunters attacked the Red Spider with their monsters.
Both sides suffered heavy losses, and they realized that the human hunters were impossible to negotiate with.
Things had been quiet since that major clash, but...
"Did they hear the rumors too?"
Kim Jaewoo slammed his fist on the desk.
Crack—
The desk caved in, imprinted with his fist mark.
'What terrifying strength. To destroy a steel desk with a single blow...'
Gulp—
The subordinate whose forehead had just been smashed looked at Kim Jaewoo cautiously.
"You're not lying, are you?"
"No, sir. The source is reliable."
"And you don't know what the human hunters are after?"
"I'm not sure, but they're said to be heading towards the Black Herb farm."
Kim Jaewoo shut his mouth tightly.
Rage filled him to the brim.
He felt the urge to smash everything in sight, but he managed to restrain himself.
"Triple the security."
"Then we'll have no choice but to reduce the number of people watching Madam."
"Do you even think? If we lose the Black Herb here, we won't be able to maintain the organization!"
Wham—
Another glass cup flew through the air, and the subordinate's head snapped back.
"Hyungtae."
"Yes, Chairman."
"I'll have to take care of those military bastards myself."
"Then..."
"I'll leave the farm to you, so handle it well."
The Red Spider's second-in-command.
Choi Hyungtae shuddered briefly under the weight of responsibility on his shoulders.
＊ ＊ ＊
While the Red Spider was being lured by Madame's false information and mobilizing hunters, Yoojin returned to the border region.
"Fortunately, it's not far."
【You mean the farm managed by the Red Spider?】
"Yeah. It's only 2 kilometers from the obelisk."
Considering the range of the spreading fog, it was a little less than 1 kilometer away.
The location of the last black obelisk he erected was exquisite.
【The fog will slightly touch the road to the farm.】
"Perfect for hunting the Red Spider."
【Can I ask you something?】
"Anything."
【About the farm. Is it really necessary to build it in the dangerous border region?】
"Depending on the breed, yes."
Yoojin chuckled.
"Have you ever heard of Black Herb, Hero?"
【No.】
"It's a plant that only grows in land with high-density mana."
Just as wild ginseng only grows in land with abnormally strong energy, Black Herb is also a rare plant that can only be cultivated in land that meets specific conditions.
"If you mix it with some medicinal herbs, you can make a cocktail called Black Moon."
【All that trouble just to make a cocktail?】
"Of course not."
Black Moon is a powerful drug that allows the user to dream the illusions they imagine.
A drug that makes images in one's imagination feel real.
"It's addictive, but it doesn't have major side effects, so it's called a dream drug."
【Huh. To use the word 'dream' so cheaply.】
"Don't be so harsh. Even high-ranking hunters use it occasionally for meditation."
Building one's own mental image.
It's something that hunters who dream of a higher realm must do.
Martial arts practitioners project their mental image onto the external world.
Mages use the rules they've engraved in their minds to toy with the laws of the world and distort them to their will.
"Either way, you have to build a mental image to look beyond 7 stars."
【You speak as if you've reached that level.】
"I've picked up a lot of things."
【Well, you're not wrong. I was also in the middle of building my mental image through actual battles.】
Yoojin gave a wry smile at the unspoken words.
"Anyway, the point is that it's damn expensive."
【No wonder the Red Spider is rushing in head over heels.】
"We should get ready to welcome our guests."
Phew—
With a sigh, Yoojin looked back on the achievements of the past two weeks.
'Level 23.'
While following the flow of the spirit vein, he encountered monsters.
He even had to fight to obtain the flesh and bones, the materials for the black obelisk.
After erecting the structure, he repelled those who came to welcome their new neighbor.
It was only natural for his level to rise significantly.
〔But your level has risen quite a bit, why haven't you inherited any new spells?〕
Kronos, who had been listening silently, asked.
'I told you before, didn't I? I'm deliberately leaving one or two.'
〔Is this an act of leisure?〕
'I'm doing this because I don't know what kind of situation I'll face. Don't talk about leisure.'
The knowledge contained in the Ring of Darkness is vast, but due to system constraints, there are intervals at which he can inherit it.
Two per 10 levels.
He deliberately doesn't inherit some spells so he can immediately acquire the necessary spells in a crisis.
〔You haven't done that until now, have you?〕
'I didn't have any magic to use.'
As a necromancer, he needs to learn the essential spells to level up.
'This time, I'll use...'
Bone Spike
Category: Necromancy
Rank: D
Creates upward-thrusting thorns using bone as a medium. Requires a bone at least 5 cm in size.
〔An attack spell that requires a medium? It seems worse than Bone Spear.〕
'Yeah. Aside from its faster activation speed and the ability to exploit openings, it's not better than Bone Spear.'
Bone Spear also has superior destructive power.
There's a reason why I learned this impractical spell.
It's a prerequisite for the next spell I'll acquire.
Corpse Explosion
Category: Necromancy
Rank: C
Infuses a corpse with spirit power and detonates it. Bones and flesh scatter, inflicting damage to the surroundings.
'Finally, I inherit this spell.'
The pinnacle of necromancer attack magic.
[TL/N: Huh?? That’s it?? Damn…]
Among spells ranked 3 stars or lower, it has the highest destructive power, and its spirit power consumption is not high considering its power.
It even has the advantage of being instantly activated as long as there's a corpse.
〔Isn't this an act of mocking the dead?〕
'I think it's already wrong from the point of raising them without their permission.'
〔The requirement of needing a corpse seems restrictive.〕
'Well. You'll see.'
Ghost Eye
Category: Necromancy
Rank: E
Shares vision with an undead under the user's control.
The third spell is a vision-sharing spell.
When used on a ghost, it can provide an advantage in information gathering.
'The remaining one is from alchemy.'
Ignition Circuit
Category: Alchemy
Rank: E
Engraves a magic circuit that reacts only to a specific wavelength.
'With this, the preliminary preparations are complete.'
Before fully preparing for battle, Yoojin activated his status window to check himself.
Name - Cheon Yoojin
Gender - Male
Level - 23 (2 Stars)
◎ Stats
* Strength: 107.5
* Agility: 100.1
* Health: 85.2
* Toughness: 79.4
* Spirit Power: 493.5
◎ Traits
Clear Mind [Unique] / Midnight Sun [Unique] / Guide of Death [Unique]
◎ Skills
Corpse Explosion [C] / Golem Creation [C] / Bone Spear [D] / Bone Spike [D] / Bone Armor [E] / Flesh Control [E] / Liquefaction [E] / Raise Undead [E] / Raise Dead [E] / Reinforcement Circuit [E] / Verdian Basic Spear Technique [E]
◎ Inscription
Inscription of Endurance
'These are quite the specs for someone who hasn't even been awakened for two months.'
His physical abilities were those of a low 2 Star martial artist.
His spirit power level was also top-notch among magic-type Hunters of the same rank.
'If I add up all the increased stats, it would be equivalent to a 3 Star.'
All thanks to Life Drain, which allowed him to exploit the vitality of monsters.
The number of spells he learned was steadily increasing as well.
'This is doable.'
The Red Spider?
If they fought within Necropolis, he was confident he could handle even a hundred of them.
Even if Kim Jaewoo, a 6 Star martial arts Hunter, came personally, protecting himself wouldn't be a problem.
-Kihihihit!
A ghost in the distance let out a shrill cry.
He immediately used [Ghost Eye].
Sharing vision with the ghost, he could faintly see Hunters walking between the bushes.
"Hey... ...field..."
"Hu... ...man...hunter..."
Judging from the shape of their mouths, they seemed to be saying "human hunter."
He immediately deactivated the vision sharing.
"The first guests have arrived."
【We should give them a grand welcome.】
Indeed.
He should make their welcome so memorable that none of them would even think of going back.
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HELHEIM SCANS
[Translator - Hestia
[Proofreader - Kaya]
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