Chapter 2
Chapter 2
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Translator: MadScientist
Chapter: 002
Chapter Title: The First Skeleton
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At that moment, I found the cause of the Goblin King's rage.
'What's that?'
Something gray in the man's arms. It was a cub that looked exactly like the Goblin King.
'Ah, I remember now. So today was the day.'
I recalled.
The incident where the Goblin King suddenly went berserk, causing hundreds of casualties.
Originally, I should have fled to the side safe from the explosion with the people I was with just moments ago. Following that overly kind woman's guidance.
By the way.
'That human kidnapped the Goblin King's cub, huh?'
All this mess because of such a despicable hobby.
Back then, there were quite a few people with the hobby of taming monster cubs as if they were domesticating wild beast cubs.
'Selfish bastards.'
They must have known about the Goblin King's fury.
'Scum like you made us collapse even faster.'
People who chased their own gain regardless of others' sacrifices have always existed everywhere.
I kept watching the man who continued fleeing.
His leather armor had melted and stuck to his body, and black-red burn marks were visible on his exposed arms and face.
The situation looked precarious, but he would survive in the end.
If the Goblin King had killed the man and retrieved his cub, there wouldn't have been a massacre of innocent humans.
The man, perhaps out of strength, panted heavily and hid behind a tree trunk. At this rate, confronting the Goblin King was only a matter of time.
'Lucky guy.'
Just then, far away in the 9 o'clock direction from the tree he was hiding behind, a group of people appeared, stirring up the forest noisily.
The Goblin King, having lost sight of the man, charged madly toward the sound.
Once the Goblin King was sufficiently out of sight, I climbed down from the tree.
And instead of heading to the portal city, I went toward the fleeing man.
"Hey."
The man's appearance up close was beyond words. Half his face had melted away, and one arm was charred pitch-black, leaving only bone.
A state where death could come at any moment.
At my call, the man painfully opened his eyes.
"Hoo. I really thought I was gonna die. You look like a newbie... Take me back to Earth, and I'll give you 100 million. Hurry and help me up."
So that's how he survived.
Probably someone else besides me came and saved this guy.
For a newbie mining goblin magic stones, 100 million was a huge sum.
"People are going to die because of what you pulled today."
"What are you talking about all of a sudden..."
Ignoring the man's surprised question, I continued speaking.
"Among those people, there might've even been someone with a Mythic trait."
Slowly, I drew the sword from my waist.
"Why, why are you doing this? Huh? 200 million! No, 300 million!"
The man freaked out at my sudden action and flailed his one good hand. I slowly bent at the waist along with the hand holding the sword.
"Why? First, because I just don't like you. Second, hoping the future might change without you around. Third."
Then, shoving it right up to his face and bypassing the Goblin King's cub without hesitation, I plunged the sword into the man's heart.
Death crept up from the sword tip, sending a faint tremor through my hand.
"It's because I hope even in death, you'll be of some use to the future."
✨ LEVEL UP! ✨ Lv. 1 → Lv. 3 'Pretty high level, huh. Gave a ton of EXP.'
If his condition had been even slightly better, I couldn't have killed him this easily.
'Huh?'
But the messages that should have stopped kept coming.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ The constellation who has studied skeletons his whole life, while surveying Earth, can't contain his admiration for your boldness. He is satisfied, believing that even a weakling like you who fearlessly slew a far stronger foe can procure the finest skeletons yourself. What? Wait. Stop, not now.
This is ridiculous. Even after regressing.
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Achievement 'Gather Your Own Skeleton Materials for the Best Flavor!' acquired. Trait 'Skeleton Expert (Common)' acquired. Unique Skill 'Skeleton Creation' acquired. Getting an unwanted trait in such an absurd way.
And the lowest Common grade at that.
With just one pathetic skill, [Skeleton Creation]?
There had been no reports in my previous life of changing assigned traits or handling two at once. In other words...
My regression was doomed from the start.
With complicated feelings, I stared at the message still floating before me.
⚔ STATUS ⚔ ⚡ Strength: 11 💨 Agility: 12 ✨ Magic Power: 14 💪 Stamina: 10 Trait: Skeleton Expert (Common) Unique Skill: Skeleton Creation Remaining Stats: 8 Level: 3 Name: Lee Han [Skeleton Expert]
A Common grade trait, neither Heroic nor Legendary.
You never know when a constellation might take interest in Earth.
'My mistake.'
I should have just lived the same routine as before and waited to naturally acquire [Undying Lord].
Without doing something I never did before, like now.
'Because I'm level 1? Who knew killing a human with a huge level gap would count as an achievement.'
It was still early days after Utopia's emergence, and level gaps were absolute, unbridgeable chasms.
I should've kept first achievement clears in mind, but haste ruined it.
'Haa...'
I let out a deep sigh, blowing away the regret.
'No helping it.'
Regretting now was a waste of time.
'Can't regress again, can I?'
Even on the wrong path, I had to push toward the goal somehow.
'Skeleton Creation—so a Necromancer-line trait?'
Steeling myself, I opened the status window.
Reaching out, I clicked the trait and unique skill for details.
[Skeleton Expert (Common)] Can 'summon' and 'release' skeletons. Can view skeleton information. Can 'destroy' skeletons to manage owned count. [Skeleton Creation] Usable only on corpses dead less than 1 minute. Retains all abilities except original physical capabilities intact. Can grow. (EXP shared with summoner) Max skeletons increasable with user level. Up to 5 max. [0/1] 'Interesting?'
Different from the standard Necromancers I knew.
'Create within 1 minute, and it gets all abilities minus physical ones? Plus growth?'
Usually, only partial physical stats and some EXP transferred.
Sword wielders became skeleton swordsmen, archers became skeleton archers—that was standard.
Growth was impossible, of course.
I didn't deliberate long.
I shoved the Goblin King's cub aside from the dead man's arms and activated the skill.
"Skeleton Creation."
The creation differed from Necromancers too.
No grotesque flesh buildup or blood spray with a skeleton bursting out.
More like a soul departing the body, as in movies?
'Not white, but black? And no actual bones protruding.'
The corpse stayed intact, while only a black-boned skeleton stood before me.
"Info."
⚔ SKELETON STATUS ⚔ ⚡ Strength: 1 💨 Agility: 1 ✨ Magic Power: 27 💪 Stamina: 1 Trait: Wind Goblin (Rare) Unique Skill: Wind Step Level: 1 Name: ??? Amazing.
The skeleton perfectly retained the trait and unique skill the man possessed.
Not only that—it had a higher-grade Rare trait than mine, plus its own level like me.
Perfectly matching the achievement condition: 'fearlessly slaying a stronger foe despite being utterly weak.'
Just...
'That's why it's rated Common.'
I realized why such an incredible ability was graded only Common.
All stats except Magic Power were 1.
'Magic Power must not factor into the body.'
Stats like that made it no stronger than a 5-year-old kid.
'So the skeleton won't protect me—instead, I'll have to protect it while we fight?'
At least until levels rise.
I checked the skeleton's details.
[Wind Goblin (Rare)] Can perceive wind paths and find even swifter movement routes. [Wind Step] Imbue legs with wind for swift movement. The dead man must have relied on Wind Step to kidnap the Goblin King's cub.
'What's this question mark?'
I tapped it.
Please set a name. I could name the skeleton.
"It's my first skeleton after all—can't just slap any old name on it."
The dead man's deeds were unforgivable, but no need to saddle this one with his sins.
From now on, this skeleton was my subordinate—and a comrade I could trust my back to.
"Kkaebi."
⚙ SYSTEM NOTIFICATION ⚙ Name set to 'Kkaebi'. Skeleton 'Kkaebi' is pleased to receive a name from its master. This wrapped up my grasp on the trait.
'Better than I thought.'
A mere Common trait, yet brimming with Mythic-level potential.
'No, even better.'
The reason? Regression.
'I can just turn Legendary+ trait holders into skeletons.'
I knew decent info on who had good traits.
'Pick from those who deserve death or are doomed anyway. No need to mess with ones who grow strong on their own and pull their weight in the war.'
Skeleton candidates were already set.
Those who hindered the Demon Realm war or died in freak accidents pre-war—humans pointless to save.
The ones who offered zero help in the future I lived through; I'd make them skeletons.
Issue: Must convert to skeleton within 1 minute of death.
'From here on, I intervene in their demises.'
Slay the obstructive myself; watch the accident-prone ones die.
'For accident cases, better save the useful ones.'
Still, I'd judge whether to prevent their 'accidents.'
Max 5 skeletons, after all.
'First, level up. Dungeon later.'
For that, I needed baseline power now.
Enough to handle Legendary+ trait foes and meddle in coming events, twisting history.
"For now, settle that guy first, then move."
Plan roughly set, I eyed the urgent issue: the Goblin King's cub, stock-still on the ground.
Leave it, and the massacre stays unchanged.
'Must be drugged.'
Still sleeping soundly amid all the chaos, breathing evenly.
"How to get this back to the Goblin King."
No talking it out; it'd charge to kill me on sight.
"Too weak to chuck it from afar... Ah?"
Habit had me trying solo again.
Forgetting my new card.
"There you are, Kkaebi."
It succeeded kidnapping once; returning should be doable too.
"Pick up that guy and follo..."
As I started ordering Kkaebi—
"Lee Han-ssi!"
Someone urgently called my name. I turned toward the voice.
'Why's she here?'
The glasses-wearing woman I'd seen right after regressing was rushing over.
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