The Saint Who Levels Up Through Necromancy

Chapter 123

[Translator - Hestia]

[Proofreader - Kaya]

Chapter 123: The Fourth Star (1)

After the connection with Fafnir was severed.

When Yoojin looked back, he didn't feel any signs of a vicious pursuit.

'Whew. I thought I was going to die.'

His back was drenched in sweat.

He couldn't even remember the last time he was this tense after the regression.

Sharing vision with the wraiths to double-check, there was no sign of them being chased.

〔You have lost your great warrior in vain.〕

'There won't be many more times like this.'

〔Shouldn't you brace yourself so that there won't be any at all?〕

'In life, there is no such thing as 100%. You shouldn't make promises you're not sure of.'

Even if he encountered a similar situation next time, he would not hesitate to leave the rear to Fafnir.

He was his most trusted subordinate.

And since he could be restored even if completely destroyed, the actual loss was not significant.

'Still, I don't want to experience this kind of situation often.'

Crack—

It had been a while.

A situation where he had to show his back to the enemy helplessly.

The humiliation and anger that gnawed at his heart made him let out a chilling laugh.

〔Hahaha. It's the first time I've seen you in such a predicament.〕

'I've seen it often before the regression.'

He opened a new path by circumventing the conditions of the [Ring of Darkness], not the official route.

Although he was able to learn skills easily thanks to the [Library of Knowledge].

Since he had to walk alone, he had to familiarize himself with necromancy through direct experience.

'Just survive. Then there will be a next time.'

〔An unyielding heart. This too is a virtue that a hero should possess.〕

'Ah. That talk about heroes. I was wondering why you weren't saying it.'

Yoojin safely returned to Necropolis with Brutal's breakthrough.

He immediately gathered the undead.

"Stop what you're doing and prepare for defense."

【Yes, Master.】

‘I can't let my guard down.’

If the One-Eyed changes his mind and chases after Yoojin, he won't have a proper way to respond.

The best way is to show that Necropolis is not easy to deal with and make him retreat on his own.

〔If he doesn't retreat, what will you do?〕

'I'll have to give up a tower.'

He didn't intend to give it up just like that.

He would give him a taste of hell so that he wouldn't even want to look at the place for a while.

Just in case, he waited for several hours, but the One-Eyed didn't rush into Necropolis.

Only after the sun disappeared beyond the horizon did he finally relax and dismiss the undead.

【The monster that defeated Fafnir. I'm disappointed that I couldn't cut him down with my own hands.】

"If you want, I can send you there."

【No! Revenge is most meaningful when taken with one's own hands. I will defer to Fafnir.】

He thought that was a long way of saying he lacked confidence.

"Enough. Go catch some monsters."

【Regardless of their condition?】

"No. They must be alive."

【Understood.】

Catching monsters didn't take long.

The necropolis was situated in a monster-infested zone.

Subduing newly spawned monsters was a daily occurrence.

Without needing to venture far from the domain, simply wandering through the pale mist was enough to secure living creatures.

"Good. Keep them restrained."

He took out the [Darkness Orb] from deep within his infinite Pouch and placed it against the skin of the subdued monster.

"Kuuruk?!"

Startled by the strange sensation, the orc flared its nostrils violently.

Like water leaking through cracks when poured into a cracked glass, the life force that should have resided within the monster's body flowed into the Darkness Orb.

Green light flickered within the pitch-black orb.

It was the life force of the monster he had just taken.

"I'll need about 150 of them. It requires far more life force for recovery than a lich."

【Master, I will capture more monsters.】

"Ah. You haven't left yet?"

【...I'm going.】

After that, the Darkness Orb, which had been absorbing life force for a long time, trembled.

Yoojin infused the designated incantation into the Darkness Orb.

Whoosh—!

The life force accumulated in the orb turned into a viscous liquid and poured out, then began to take shape as if a child were molding clay.

After wriggling for a while, the liquid, which had piled up to a height of 3 meters, eventually solidified, transforming into a familiar form.

【Wow. I thought I was going to die!】

Fafnir, having completed his reconstitution, released a large pulse of thought.

Yoojin shook his head from side to side.

"You've already died twice."

【Must you always put it that way?】

"You lasted longer than I expected."

【Ah. That One-Eyed chased me without using his aura blade.】

Even so.

Even without deploying an aura blade, the difference in basic stats was significant.

"Then I'll be back."

【Don't worry about the Necropolis.】

"Alright."

Yoojin headed northeast, accompanied by Brutal and a Skeleton Knight.

To the coldest land in the country.

To Cheorwon, a region where the biting cold of winter lingers.

* * *

A large eroded zone crosses the Korean Peninsula.

Two areas are the most active for monster hunting in the so-called border region:

-The Gaeseong-Munsan axis

-The Cheorwon axis

Before the Great Cataclysm, these two areas were routes that North Korea might have used for a southward invasion.

Now, they are also passages through which monsters and hunters can travel.

In other words, these are areas where monsters gather.

【I understand that, but why are you heading north along the mountain path instead of taking an easier route?】

"I need to hunt monsters along the way."

Coincidentally, Yoojin's route overlapped considerably with the path used by the Rakshasa Guild in the past during their southward advance.

It was better to take the small road paved by the search party members than to hack through the thick weeds that had absorbed all the earth's energy.

"Hwarek! Hrek!"

【I'll take care of it.】

[Spectral Sword]

[Fifth Form – Bloodlight Sword]

The dark mana concentrated on the soles of his feet was released at once.

By the time the monster's two eyes followed Song Myeongseok's movements, the red-tinged sword had already cut the monster's body in half.

【You're slow. Even in perceiving death.】

As he swung the sword again, the blood droplets clinging to the blade scattered in all directions.

Song Myeongseok's eyes gleamed with a triumphant look.

【How is it?】

"How is it? Why are you so incapable of learning?"

【Excuse me?】

"If you cut it in half and kill it, you can't revive it as an undead, you idiot!"

What came back was Yoojin's scolding mixed with admonition.

Song Myeongseok's fiercely burning eyes dimmed in an instant.

"Tsk. You're useless."

【.....】

"I should have brought Fafnir instead."

【.....】

"Look at your junior over there. Working hard, unlike some people."

Crack!

A mid-level undead, modified from a Revenant.

Choi Hyungtae, now a Tyrant, silently ripped the limbs off the approaching monsters.

【But isn't that just as damaging to the corpse?!】

"Arms and legs are fine. I can fix those with mana. It'd be cleaner if you killed them properly, but...”

Yoojin paused.

‘Well, he's a Tyrant. You can't expect finesse.’

Yoojin thought.

"The problem is you."

【Kuh...!!】

Following Fafnir, Song Myeongseok was burning with competitive spirit toward Choi Hyungtae.

‘This guy needs the right kind of stimulation.’

Yoojin thought.

"Answer my call."

[Using Dead Rise.]

[Using Raise Dead.]

An undead army composed of Revenants and Skeleton Mages.

Large species like trolls were assigned to the two who had merged.

Monsters living in colonies were dealt with by the undead that had been gathered during the northward journey.

"Corpse Explosion."

Kuaaaang—!!

Monsters fell like straw as flesh, blood droplets, and bones scattered.

The army also suffered considerable losses during the battle, but.

"Answer my call."

The army could be immediately replenished on the spot.

The only problem was that the consent of the individuals involved wasn't obtained.

"Now, let's clear out the vicinity."

【It's still 10 kilometers to Cheorwon.】

"It's not essential to go all the way there."

The reason Cheorwon was chosen as the destination was to hunt more monsters.

The place where Yoojin currently stopped was the midpoint between Paju and Cheorwon.

"According to the wraiths, there are quite a lot of monsters living in colonies."

If we wipe out only the monsters living in groups, we might be able to level up to 50.

Yoojin, who added a final remark, lightly warmed up his body.

⋯⋯⋯

Two weeks later.

[Your level has increased.]

[Your current level is 50.]

[You have transcended your limits and entered a new realm.]

[Translator - Hestia

[Proofreader - Kaya]