ocean-life Chapter 49: The Victor's Right
Chapter 49: The Victor's Right
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
Chapter 49: The Victor's Right
The battlefield, swallowed by the thick fog, was utterly devastated.
The ground was riddled with craters.
Some of the trees were still burning.
Fragments of monsters, undead, and what were once humans were scattered everywhere.
"It's a shame. There's less to salvage than I thought."
【Master, aren't you being a bit too heartless?】
"They were the ones who bared their fangs at me. They should be prepared to die."
How many times had he used Corpse Explosion remotely?
The bodies of the Red Spider Hunters, caught in the explosions and turned to mush, couldn't even be resurrected as undead.
Most of the relatively intact ones had been turned into plague zombies.
"Well, I'll be satisfied with two 5 Star corpses."
Their souls could be collected as wraiths and even merged.
It was just that at his current level, he couldn't learn spells that could draw out the full potential of a 5 Star.
'I'll have to keep them for now until I reach 3 Star soon.'
He had built the Unholy Graveyard in anticipation of this kind of situation.
Originally, it was a structure with low priority, but it was worth building it in advance.
"Still, there are quite a few items that are intact."
【It seems like it will take quite a while to collect them one by one.】
"I can just increase the number of hands."
[Using Raise Undead.]
Although few in number, there were corpses scattered around that he could raise.
Yoojin used the hastily made zombies to gather the items from the Red Spider Hunters.
- Unique rank: 2
- Rare rank: 32
- Magic rank: 17
【Huh. There are more rares than magics.】
"It's no wonder, considering how much money they raked in from their red camouflage."
【It makes me feel the passage of time.】
In the early days of the Cataclysm, they had no choice but to take and use the items that monsters used.
It was much later that item-specialized companies like Magus and Graybase were launched.
"It hasn't even been that many years since magic engineering research began in earnest."
【In any case, it's a welcome change that we can easily obtain good items these days.】
"It's still expensive though, so I can't say it's easy."
【In my time, even rare items cost at least a billion won.】
Yes, yes.
That's how it was back then.
"I've collected a lot, but there's nothing useful."
Most of the items that had miraculously survived the explosions were weapons.
Why weren't there many intact pieces of armor, which should have been more durable?
"They must have been shattered protecting their owners."
【I see. That's a reasonable answer.】
"Fafnir, are there any weapons you like?"
【Isn't this body the ultimate weapon? Why do you ask?】
"I'm going to sell it if it's useless."
【You can arm other undead with it besides me.】
At Fafnir's remark, Yoojin shrugged.
"It's like casting pearls before swine."
Even if he gave a Rare weapon to an Armored Skeleton, it wouldn't be able to handle it properly.
To properly utilize the power of a Rare rank weapon, it needed to be at least an intermediate-level undead.
"It's important to help you grow, too."
【Is a Rare item related to me?】
"I need to buy mana stones for you to consume."
It wasn't necessary to feed Fafnir only mana stones obtained through hunting to grow his heart.
Unless it was an essential item, catalyst, or corpse, it was better to invest in Fafnir.
【Ah, I didn't think of that.】
"Sigh."
Yoojin sighed.
What was he going to do with this mana stone-eating hippopotamus?
Most of the Rare rank items weren't suitable for Yoojin, but there were some usable items among them.
[Mana Ring]
Rank: Rare
Category: Ring
Durability: 30/30
A ring that replenishes the wearer's mana.
* Mana + 15
* Total Mana + 5%
Two rings.
He didn't have to worry about the additional mana option as it would automatically be converted to spirit power.
Similar options to the Mana Earrings he had obtained before.
'The stats are low, but it's not bad since it increases the total mana.'
Necromancer-exclusive magic was cost-effective, but it still consumed a lot of mana in consecutive battles.
Before his return, when his holy power was low, he had struggled with managing his spirit power.
'This kind of equipment is always beneficial.'
He had Life Drain, but he also had to consider situations where he used up all his potions.
The moment he wore the simple-looking earrings on both ears, his mind felt clearer.
This was a phenomenon caused by the increase in spirit power.
Heh heh.
These were useful.
【Why did you leave out the staff?】
"Ah, this is for Jo Seungchul."
[GB (Graybase) - R5 Type]
Rank: Rare
Milky Way Pub.
Red Spiders.
The balance maintained for nearly a decade crumbled in a mere month.
- The closure of the bloodstone supply, their main source of income.
- The annihilation in the border region, where half of their Hunter forces were wiped out.
While the Red Spiders' authority was being questioned due to these consecutive incidents, Madam, who had been waiting for an opportunity, immediately drew her blade.
[Lunar Sorcery]
[Phantom Night Demonic Mirror]
A dark stain spread across the night sky, enveloping the Red Spiders' headquarters.
This was Madam Oh Hyunjeong's unique trait, Lunar Sorcery.
"Now, kill each other."
The Red Spider members gathered around the building suddenly turned on each other.
"You son of a bitch! When did you side with Madam?!"
"Bullshit, that's you!"
Crack—Thud—Bang!
They swung their weapons at each other.
"This is Madam's power."
"They say she's unmatched at night..."
Gulp—
The Hunters hired by Madam gulped.
* Red Spider Extermination
* Client: Milky Way Pub Madam
* Request Type: Assassination
* Difficulty: B
* Special Notes:
A separate Hunter will be assigned to handle Red Spider boss Kim Jaewoo.
Half a day after the Red Spider Hunters were annihilated in the border region, Madam hired outlaws from Ground Zero who had dealings with the Milky Way Pub and Hunters who frequented the border region.
200 Hunters gathered in a few hours.
This demonstrated her ability to mobilize forces.
"We weren't needed, were we?"
"Well, it's a profit if we get paid without working."
The mercenaries rejoiced.
The Red Spider members were in disarray due to Madam's sorcery.
What could be more enjoyable than earning money without lifting a finger?
However...
"Are you alright, Miss?"
"Hmm, I don't have a good feeling about this."
Madam twirled her hair as she answered Old Man Jeon's question.
"There are a lot of ordinary people."
"80% are non-Awakened. The level of Hunters isn't high either."
Although Lunar Sorcery was powerful, it didn't have the power to transcend holy power levels.
Essentially, mental strength increased with higher holy power.
Those below Madam's 4 Star level would find it difficult to resist the sorcery, but even those of the same level wouldn't instantly lose their minds.
"They've withdrawn the Red Spiders' main force."
"They're giving up faster than I thought."
"Excuse me? Do you mean..."
"Kim Jaewoo has decided to abandon the Red Spiders."
"We've been outmaneuvered."
Madam muttered under her breath.
Old Man Jeon tilted his head, seemingly unable to comprehend.
"I can't believe it. How could that greedy man make such a choice?"
"It's probably thanks to Mr. Yoojin carrying out the request so diligently."
"Was the damage he witnessed in the border region that significant?"
"Two of the executives died, and countless Hunters were killed."
Madam saw through Kim Jaewoo's true nature.
He acted boldly as the boss of the Red Spiders, but he was actually a coward who prioritized his own safety above all else.
He had gathered the elite members of the organization and fled before she could make her move.
"His judgment itself was correct. If he had stayed, he would have been reduced to picking up scraps."
Old Man Jeon and Kim Jaewoo had the same holy power level.
However, considering their proficiency, mana control, and other factors, Old Man Jeon had a higher chance of winning.
"I even recruited people to take care of the executives."
Madam murmured with a hint of regret.
"Then we should chase after him."
"No. He would have escaped to the West Sea by now."
"The West Sea... Ah!"
A sigh escaped Old Man Jeon's lips.
He belatedly remembered that the Red Spiders had made contact with the Nine Dragons' Hall.
"Did Kim Jaewoo anticipate this situation?"
"Ho ho. He was just lucky."
The Nine Dragons' Hall aimed to establish a criminal network encompassing East Asia.
If the Red Spiders collapsed, Kim Jaewoo would lose his value.
That's why he must have taken only the elite Hunters and escaped from Ground Zero.
"What a cunning man."
"And sly, too."
"Miss, it would be best to eliminate any future trouble."
"That's impossible. We need to eradicate the remaining Red Spider members first."
It was a shame that Kim Jaewoo had escaped, but since he had joined the Nine Dragons' Hall, it was difficult to pursue him.
Instead, it would be better to completely remove the Red Spiders and eliminate any place for him to return to, thus preventing future trouble.
"Understood."
Madam nonchalantly watched the Red Spider members collapsing in pools of blood.
This victory was possible thanks to Yoojin.
'I hope you can handle the void left by the Spiders.'
Madam smiled as she recalled the reward Yoojin had requested for the commission.
[Translator - Hestia
[Proofreader - Kaya]