Chapter 32: Apprentice (2)
In the chaos of melee.
A wraith knight blocked the path ahead.
―…Human?
The knight stared at him and Cedric standing beside him, looking puzzled.
That was when it happened.
―Chiiik!
Two orc chieftains charged in like they were throwing their bodies forward.
Second chieftain Urkan and third chieftain Dekum.
They were the finest warriors among the orcs.
The two chieftains' axes clashed against the knight's sword.
Boom!
Even with the overwhelming level gap, the chieftains weren't pushed back easily.
‘This is gear power.’
The knight's movements grew frantic.
Gaps appeared all over.
For Cedric and Kim Minwoo.
Stabbing those gaps was easy enough to make them yawn.
Stab!
―Gurk!
Between the armor plates.
He thrust a silver-plated sword toward the seam near the heart, and the wraith knight practically loved it.
Cedric's spear also poked at the knight's body with cunning precision.
Under the combined assault of the four, the creature couldn't hold out even a minute before its body melted away.
That was when it happened.
Elrum's eyes glowed blue.
The moment he thrust his staff forward.
Splash!
Hundreds of undead rose from the ground.
Over two hundred ghouls.
Plus nearly ten Dullahans.
“Cough, break through!”
His complexion deathly pale after exhausting all his mana in one spell, Elrum shouted.
The horde of ghouls and Dullahans broke through without regard for the shower of arrows.
Chimeras and wraith knights lent their aid as well. A fierce determination emanated from them to punch through in just one direction, no matter the attacks from all sides.
‘Yeah, knew it would be like this.’
Even without the elves, victory had been in hand.
Nearly two thousand orcs. Close to half were armed.
Elrum's side would have struggled in a straight fight, let alone after an ambush. The scales had already tipped their way.
Surrounded and dying like this, how many options were there? At best, a single-point breakthrough.
‘And that's exactly when the soldiers start melting away.’
It was happening now.
Stubbornly forcing through one direction?
It meant they were wide open to rear attacks. Every time the orcs swung their axes with roars, Elrum's minions dropped dead without resistance.
‘Time to wrap this up.’
Unlike Elrum, his own mana reserves were full.
Plus, he'd canceled the summons of the skeletons in the forge the moment he got the message that they were on the move.
Meaning he could resummon anytime.
Now was the time to deploy the skulls he'd been saving.
Pale white hands suddenly grabbed at the feet of those desperately forcing their way through.
Elrum's forces staggered.
And from the front, a horde of skeletons was summoned and charging in.
“Y-You, a necromancer?”
Elrum's eyes trembled in shock at the unexpected sight.
The skull army rushed toward his own forces like suicide bombers.
They were poorly armed and low-leveled, but the problem was the time they were buying.
“Damn it all! Why do they keep coming back to life!”
The ones he'd thought dead started moving again, clinging like ticks.
He couldn't ignore them even if he tried. They were grabbing hold and dragging everywhere.
The orcs latched onto his slowed minions.
Elrum's forces dwindled rapidly.
“Cough, break through! Break through…!”
By the time they barely cleared the skeleton horde.
“Su-Survived…”
A despairing sight unfolded.
Another thousand skulls were blocking their path ahead.
“Ah, aaah…”
Despair settled into Elrum's eyes as he looked around. Dullahans, ghouls, corpse collectors, wraith knights.
Not even twenty left in total.
Lost while breaking through.
Lost to arrows.
Lost to the dragged-out time.
All dead.
From behind, orcs approached, drooling.
‘Kinda feel bad.’
Top-grade mana potions were the real deal. One bottle could fill his mana in low-level zones. Unfortunately for Elrum, Kim Minwoo was loaded with potions.
―Chiiik! Kill everyone but that human!
The orcs faithfully carried out his orders.
Before long, the snow-covered ground held only Elrum amid a swarming mass of orcs.
He approached the elf.
“Huff. Huff.”
Perhaps the arrow wound in his chest hurt. Elrum panted as he glared at Kim Minwoo with bloodshot eyes.
“You, it was you… who united the orcs…!”
“Yeah.”
“Cough! Spare me. If you kill me… it'll really be irreversible!”
“If I don't kill you, it is reversible?”
“Y-Yes! The Apostle doesn't know about this yet. If I explain well, he'll surely forgive you.”
“Doesn't know yet?”
Nod!
Elrum nodded vigorously.
“That's right. Your undead are special. Reviving like that! They'll surely shine in the fortress too. All sorts of rewards…”
He severed the elf's neck.
[You have killed Necromancer ‘Elrum’!]
[Level has increased by 2!]
‘Oh.’
Just the finisher, and the experience was massive. As expected of a high-level named.
But the rewards didn't end there.
A single book glowing beside the corpse.
Kim Minwoo's eyes turned deadly serious at the sight.
‘A bound skillbook!’
Monsters sometimes dropped skillbooks.
Those were random-job ones with mediocre effects.
‘Just the basic skills.’
For necromancers: skeleton summons or mage summons.
For swordsmen or mages: elemental mastery or sword mastery, things like that.
These were commonly called ‘basic skills.’
They dropped constantly from monsters, so trading was brisk, and even if you couldn't get one, synthesizing would net them quick.
‘Exactly what they sound like: skills that let you do the basics.’
In other words, skills that only did the basics.
To perform like two or three people, you needed more than that—special skills.
The prime example was awakening achievements. Rack up high ones, and you'd get skills even top-tier awakeners couldn't dream of at level 1.
‘That's why everyone's obsessed with achievements.’
Kim Minwoo was no different.
That's how he'd snagged the demonic Death Lord skill at level 1.
Another method was acquiring bound skillbooks.
Bound.
Simply put, items that couldn't be traded after acquisition.
In exchange, they boasted powerful effects. They auto-matched to your job class and level requirements.
No risk of getting a bound skillbook that didn't fit your job or level.
‘And…’
Bound skillbooks dropped far better skills than basics.
‘Rankings hinge on how many of these you snag.’
Good effects meant abysmal drop rates. Normal monsters? Forget it.
‘Named mob through and through.’
Worth the finisher.
He picked up the bound skillbook with satisfaction.
[You have acquired a Bound Skillbook.]
[You have acquired Necromancer Skillbook, Bone Exchange (B)!]
‘…Huh?’
Bone Exchange?
He checked the details.
[Bone Exchange (B)]
[Level Restriction: Level 75 or higher]
[Replace a summon's bones by body part. However, replacements cannot exceed capacity. Capacity is proportional to the summon's average level.]
[Applicable Summons]
[Skeleton (Capacity 0/25)]
[Skeleton Mage (Capacity 0/17)]
[Cedric (Capacity 0/75)]
‘Oh.’
He had a rough idea of the effect. Replace bones with others for some benefit, probably.
‘This fits me perfectly, doesn't it?’
Bones? Just buy 'em with money.
[Would you like to learn this skillbook?]
“Of course.”
It screamed utility at first glance.
No reason not to.
[You have learned Bone Exchange (B)!]
That was when it happened.
Urkan approached.
―Chiiik! Big bro! Those pointy-ears said they missed big bro! So I didn't kill 'em yet!
Sure enough, off in the distance.
Robed figures huddled together.
“Good job. Don't swing axes recklessly. Exclude any witch or ice dragon factions.”
―Chiiik! Urkan smart! Remembers everything big bro says!
“I'll go over. Wait here.”
―Chiiik! Got it!
He approached the elves.
One of them stepped forward as representative.
“Pleased to meet you. My name is Elise, forest keeper of the Mother Tree.”
“I'm Kim Minwoo. Thank you for the help. The fight ended easily thanks to you.”
Since they'd helped, he bowed politely first.
Elise nodded and spoke.
“We've heard the rumors about you. Forming a resistance army against the witch, they say.”
“That's right.”
“Could our elves join that resistance army?”
He tilted his head.
Elves were infamous for their aloofness and insularity.
Yet here they were, showing up uninvited to help—and now asking to join the party?
No way they'd act like that without a fire under their feet.
“Elise. Before that, one question. Are the elves under attack from the witch too?”
“…Yes.”
“Situation doesn't look good, I take it.”
“…That's correct.”
“Sorry. We did receive your help, but it's hard to approve joining based on that alone.”
“…A refusal?”
“No. Not a refusal—just that we need more discussion.”
“Please, go ahead.”
“The dwarves supply gear to the orcs in exchange for safety guarantees. I assume the elves want something similar?”
“Correct.”
“Then, what can the elves offer our resistance in exchange for that safety?”
“We can provide troops and maps of the surrounding terrain.”
“Troop numbers?”
“About as many as us here…”
“Insufficient. Far too few.”
He shook his head.
The elves had helped, sure—but all they'd done was send about thirty to loose a few arrows.
In exchange for helping the elves?
Given how dire it looked, hundreds of orcs would die.
Trading that for one map and thirty elves?
Both useful, sure.
‘But it doesn't add up financially.’
Worst deal imaginable.
The help they'd gotten was worth handing over some dwarf gear and calling it a warm farewell—not spilling orc blood far and wide.
“…We could also supply fruits and herbs…”
“Elise. Does our resistance's blood price look that cheap to you? Enough to ask hundreds of orcs to die for this level of help?”
Her words caught in her throat.
“We'll repay the help we received. Take some dwarf-made gear and head back.”
Looking for a free lunch somewhere.
He turned without hesitation.
That was when it happened.
“…Wait!”
Elise rushed over and grabbed his shoulder.
“Tell us what you want.”
“The Mother Tree's divine fruits. And a mass supply of potions. That's the minimum.”
Divine fruits were the rare, potent fruits that occasionally fruited on the Mother Tree.
Elves were a race renowned for alchemy. They mass-produced potions like pros.
Both were prime examples of what you could squeeze from elves.
‘Not even a rip-off.’
Honestly, this was the bare minimum to justify risking lives for them.
Otherwise, the dwarves would feel seriously hard done by.
“…!”
Her ears twitched.
The elves behind her were just as agitated.
“Divine fruits! No way, Elise!”
“We're short on potions for ourselves! A mass supply?!”
The elves opposed in horrified voices.
He looked at Elise.
“If you don't like it, refuse.”
“…Divine fruits are precious treasures.”
“Our lives are just as precious.”
“…Aren't you supposed to be fighting the witch?”
He smirked.
This elf was under some delusion.
“So what? We're a group fighting the witch, sure. But we're not the elves' nannies.”
“But if we fall, the resistance…!”
Fall.
The fact they'd say something like that meant the elves' situation was desperate.
And yet they'd made that offer?
Racial traits die hard.
Proud race through and through.
“Yeah? We'll make good use of the time till you fall, then.”
The elves murmured.
Was he seriously not going to help?
The mood suggested as much.
Then what about us?
Their thoughts were plain as day.
When the teeth are gone, the gums ache.
They were clinging on about that vibe.
‘Not like they're hostages or anything.’
Elves?
Sure, nice to have.
But he wouldn't die without them.
Especially now, with the orcs assembled and their value skyrocketing.
Realizing the gravity, Elise spoke with a stiff expression.
“…Give us a moment. A moment to think. We need time to decide.”
“I'll give you five minutes. After that, any proposal is refused. Take the gear and leave then.”
Elise nodded, and the elves conferred at a distance.
Raised voices echoed—clearly a heated debate.
Exactly four minutes and fifty-five seconds later.
Elise approached.
“…We'll accept. However… a mass potion supply is realistically difficult. We lack alchemists to produce them.”
“Then produce them.”
“…Pardon?”
“Alchemists. We have tons of promising sprouts on our side.”
Over a thousand, in fact.