ocean-life Chapter 25: Rewards are Always Sweet
Chapter 25: Rewards are Always Sweet
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
Chapter 25: Rewards are Always Sweet
A jet-black mask, stained with tears of blood.
The conduit of the curse that had covered the Masked Beast's face.
And a skill book, too.
"I was so preoccupied with the beast's enormous size and its dragon scales that I neglected to check the body properly after its death."
'Well, the skill book is one thing, but the mask could also be useful.'
Necromancers have an inseparable relationship with curses.
Although they share the theme of [Curses] with Warlocks, the mechanism for activating skills differs.
To control souls, one must be proficient in curses.
The soul fusion technique he developed in his previous life was also an application of curses.
'Couldn't I use it as a talisman?'
The moment Yoojin reached out to the black mask...
[Shadow Mask]
Rank: Unique
Category: Helmet
Restriction: None
Durability: 215/444
A mask engraved with various curses. By imbuing it with mana, curses can be cast on targets within 100 meters.
When a curse backfires, the mask's durability is consumed to protect the user.
*Stored Curses - 5/5
- Ectoplasm
- Contaminated Skin
- Dark Vision
- Chaotic Frenzy
- Dark Wave
The item information appeared before his eyes.
"A mask is an item?"
【Why are you so surprised?】
"Wait a minute."
Yoojin slowly scanned the [Shadow Mask] information.
'Its performance is insane!'
He had simply thought of it as a talismanic mask, but it had the unique effect of activating the curses imbued within it.
In other words...
If he engraved the curse techniques he knew onto the mask, he could activate them through it!
'I don't need to inherit knowledge in the field of curses immediately when I reach 2 Stars.'
To acquire knowledge in a new field from the Ring of Darkness, his rank needed to increase.
He had reached the 9 Star in his previous life, the realm of the Absolute.
He had sufficient enlightenment, but...
The problem was his level.
'Usually, even when one reaches the limit level, they are held back due to a lack of enlightenment...'
Yoojin was the opposite.
His level was more of a problem than his enlightenment.
'With the Shadow Mask as a medium, I don't need to unlock the curse category right away.'
There were many other fields to acquire from the Library of Knowledge, such as alchemy and golem creation.
The maximum number of curses that could be engraved on the mask was five, but since the existing ones could be replaced, it wasn't a significant restriction except in urgent combat situations.
Swoosh—
Yoojin slowly brought the [Shadow Mask] to his face.
Since it was sized to fit the Masked Beast's face, he wondered if it was actually a shield, but...
As it got closer to Yoojin, it shrunk to perfectly cover his face.
The unfamiliar feeling, similar to applying a face mask, was only momentary. The mask clung to his face without any discomfort.
【To wear a mask dripping with tears of blood... You have quite the eccentric aesthetic sense.】
"I'm using it for its function."
A mask with tears of blood flowing... He hadn't looked in a mirror, but it probably wasn't an appealing sight.
[Thrill of the Hunt]
Rank: Rare
Category: Skill Book
Restriction: Possessing [Darkness] or [Curse] attribute.
Durability: 10/10
Designates the target of the curse as prey. Allows tracking up to 10 kilometers. Additionally, the target's resistance and defense decrease the longer the tracking duration. The effect of the curse disappears when the duration expires.
"Oh?"
It was quite a decent skill book.
A curse specialized for tracking, its mechanism was similar to that of a curse, so those specializing in Dark Magic could also learn it.
The only problem was the scarcity of Hunters specializing in Darkness.
'If it doesn't sell, I might as well learn it myself.'
Yoojin made sure to keep the skill book as well.
"Let's go now."
Having obtained everything he could from the Gate, Yoojin stepped through the blue wormhole with renewed vigor.
* * *
Yoojin returned to Byeokgolje.
The area around the Gate was bustling like a marketplace in the middle of a festival.
“The Forgotten Temple has been conquered? What do you mean?”
“How would I know? They’re suddenly saying the boss monster has been defeated.”
“Did the Phoenix Guild do it?”
“Considering how quiet they are, I don’t think so.”
“Or maybe it was Dawn?”
The Forgotten Temple, conquered abruptly without any warning.
The Hunters who were hunting monsters inside the Gate hurriedly came out after hearing the alarm that it would soon be closing.
Those waiting outside were equally bewildered.
Various speculations were exchanged, but there was no clear way to know who had conquered the Gate.
【How disappointing. No one knows that Master was the one who conquered it.】
“Should I put up an advertisement or something?”
【If you’re my Master, shouldn’t you have some fame?】
"Results are what matter. It might have been a bit bothersome, but the work got done quickly, didn't it?"
"Ugh..."
Shin Joonseok couldn't find anything to retort with and just ground his teeth.
"So, what's the progress?"
"The patent application for the intermediate potions is complete, and it looks like we'll be starting mass production soon."
That was faster than expected.
"Oh, and the item you ordered arrived just yesterday."
Darkness Orb.
It was a Dark Magic type equipment that amplified mana.
"Orbs are rare and difficult to obtain. Thank you for your effort."
"It's fortunate that Warlocks are an unpopular class."
Shin Joonseok chuckled softly.
Warlocks were a specialized magic-user class that focused on the Darkness attribute and debuffs.
Their destructive power was inferior to that of pure magic-user Hunters.
And since their debuffs overlapped with those of the Priest class, they weren't very popular.
When Yoojin held the Darkness Orb he received from Shin Joonseok against Fafnir's chest...
【What other shameless act are you trying to commit now?】
Fafnir frowned.
"You say things that could be easily misunderstood."
Grumbling, Yoojin channeled mana into the Ring of Darkness.
Sizzle!
With the ring as a medium, the converted Spirit Power connected Fafnir and the Darkness Orb.
Soul Synchronization.
The most important thing when creating a Lich was connecting the [vessel] and the body.
If the synchronization wasn't done properly, the soul wouldn't be able to return to the vessel when the body was destroyed.
【Ugh... This feels strange.】
"Don't resist."
An off-white energy flowed from the Draconian's corpse.
The essence of the Dragon race, united with Park Haneul's soul.
'I'll guide this into the Darkness Orb.'
The soul moved between the Draconian's corpse and the black orb.
After it crossed over a few times, he removed the Darkness Orb from Fafnir's chest.
[The completion level of the Eldritch Dragon has slightly increased.]
[The Incomplete Eternal Life skill has been activated.]
The same skill as a Lich.
Now, even if the body was destroyed, as long as the Life Force Vessel was safe, it could be regenerated indefinitely.
【Then why is it called 'Incomplete'?】
"Because if the Life Force Vessel is destroyed, you die."
Whoosh!
When Yoojin tossed the Darkness Orb into the air, Fafnir was startled and jumped up, carefully catching it.
"Nice catch."
【What are you doing?!】
"Just making sure you were paying attention to the warning."
He put the Darkness Orb—no, now it was Fafnir's Life Force Vessel—in his pocket.
He'd have to get a subspace pocket or something soon.
As it was directly connected to Fafnir's life, he needed to keep it safe.
"Ah, I have a job for you guys too."
Thud!
The Masked Beast's corpse, which had been stored in the Ring of Darkness, suddenly appeared in the front yard of the workshop.
"Should we extract the mana stones?"
"If possible, preserve the original form."
"I guess you're going to turn this corpse into an undead as well."
They knew him well.
While the Little Runts Team was working, Yoojin placed his hand on the Masked Beast's forearm and channeled Spirit Power into it.
A broad skeletal frame.
Bones as strong as an ogre's.
The perfect material for creating a powerful undead.
【What kind of undead are you planning to make with the Masked Beast?】
"I'm thinking of creating a golem rather than an undead."
【A golem from a corpse? That's a new one.】
"Well, I've never seen a Masked Beast golem before, have you?"
【True enough. But why a golem and not another powerful undead? You have quite the knack for those.】
"Because my skills are lacking."
There was a limit to creating undead through unorthodox means.
He was currently unable to create undead beyond Armored Zombies or Skeletons specialized in attack/defense.
'Thanks to the Draconian's corpse, Fafnir was able to achieve results that surpassed his rank.'
To maximize the characteristics of the Masked Beast's corpse, he would have to create a Giant Zombie or a Skeleton King, but...
Creating high-ranking undead required him to be at least a 4 Star Necromancer.
'Golems are different.'
He would inherit golem-related knowledge when he reached 2 Stars.
He could use the Masked Beast's corpse as a base to create a golem.
【Can you make a golem with just that corpse?】
"I need an alchemist and materials."
He had an excellent alchemist slave right next to him.
The materials needed to create a golem could be obtained with money.
"My business partner, can you get me some Arachne's thread and a magic engine?"
[TL/N: Story Time kids! In Greek mythology, Arachne was a talented weaver who dared to challenge the goddess Athena to a weaving contest. As punishment for her hubris, Athena transformed Arachne into a spider. So, Spider → Thread... u get it right?! Aight Peace.]
"It's impossible to get those right away. Arachne's thread is supplied from beyond the border region, and corporations are fiercely competing to acquire magic engines."
"What about Ground Zero?"
Ground Zero was a lawless zone in Paju.
It was a place where you could get anything as long as you had the money.
"Uh... I don't think going there is a good idea."
Shin Joonseok clicked his tongue with a disgusted look.
[Translator - Hestia
[Proofreader - Kaya]