Chapter 29
Chapter 29
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: Vine
Chapter: 29
Chapter Title: Dark Shadow Unit (1)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Skeleton.
The so-called skullhead.
More precisely, a term for the undead with nothing left but bones all over its body.
That meant no eyeballs to handle vision, no cochlea for hearing.
And that wasn't all?
No vocal cords to produce sound, either.
“My lord...”
But the bones.
No, Taeyang-i was definitely speaking.
“M-my lord...!”
Taeyang-i's face lit up with emotion.
'In the world.'
A skeleton making expressions.
“And... I can really see! I can really see ahead!”
It could even see ahead.
'Well.'
Come to think of it.
Wasn't it absurd for a bunch of bones without nerves or muscles to walk around and fight?
In truth, this damn 'Hunter' profession was a ridiculous fantasy to begin with.
“Hmm.”
I looked proudly at Taeyang-i, who was gazing around in wonder.
A child who had lost its sight from the moment it was born.
A child who had been abandoned by humanity and wiped out an entire world's humans in response.
“Feels good?”
I asked.
“Yes... It feels good. Ecstatic. Ah, so this is what dirt looks like. So this is what weeds growing between rocks look like...”
Taeyang-i swept the ground with trembling bony fingers.
It caressed the soil slowly, savoring the sensation.
A scene that, in a way, looked noble.
'What would that feel like?'
One thing was certain.
It was an emotion I couldn't even imagine.
'Anyway.'
The fact that my summon could speak was tremendous news.
It meant more precise communication in future battles.
“It's really amazing.”
Gi So-yul was watching the scene from the side.
“A skeleton speaking... Other necromancers would be floored by such a rare sight.”
“Not a skeleton.”
I gave her a sharp look.
“Hm?”
Gi So-yul tilted her head.
“Call it Taeyang. My child.”
“I-I see.”
She looked at me like [What’s with this weirdo?]
But she seemed to respect it somewhat.
She nodded without saying much.
My feelings were sincere, though.
I didn't see them as disposable tools, but as family.
I'd grown attached over those three years.
“By the way, Dark Lord.”
“Yeah?”
“You're okay sticking around here like this?”
Honestly, it was surprising.
Coming back after just six hours.
To resume bodyguard duty.
I'd asked her to, but it would be a lie to say it wasn't burdensome.
I'd expected the Dark Shadow Unit to pick a fight right away.
Was Gi So-yul that scary?
Not even a shadow of them in sight, like rats.
'She says she's fine because she's observing my training.'
It didn't seem all that meaningful.
Any technique, when mastered to the extreme, converges into one, or so they say?
Gi So-yul watched the bones' movements closely with each training session.
As if trying to sense the old man's aura in them.
“Don't worry.”
Gi So-yul shrugged.
“I'll leave on my own when the time comes.”
“Aw, that's kinda disappointing.”
I must've gotten comfortable with her.
Daring to say that to a ranker.
“Hmm, wasn't the condition you offered me to protect you until you grow?”
“Yeah, it was.”
Come to think of it.
We hadn't specified a concrete growth level.
“To add one thing, it's exactly up to A-rank.”
“Huh?”
“At A-rank, you should be able to protect yourself. Joining major guilds would be easy too. At your current growth rate, it won't be long.”
“Huuuh?”
No way.
[Hunter: Joo Dong-hoon]
[Title: None]
[Unique Ability: Cursed Necromancer]
[Grade: D]
I was still D-grade.
Not even a title yet.
A-rank soon?
“Honestly, I still can't believe it. When I first met you as a porter, you were barely mid-D-grade... And now, just looking at Taeyang—”
Gi So-yul, about to say 'skeleton,' quickly corrected herself.
“Er, Taeyang alone is almost B-grade. And you're improving daily too.”
“I see.”
I acknowledged it.
Honestly, even I thought my growth was cheat-level.
But.
There was something she didn't know.
“Taeyang.”
Taeyangchang.
This guy was once the absolute ruler of an entire world.
The apex predator with no equals in the ancient desert empire.
The moment it regained its true power.
She'd be shocked.
“Taeyang?”
“Yes, my lord. Did you call for me?”
Taeyang-i, who had been lost in touching the dirt, sprang to its feet at my call.
It knelt with a steadfast expression.
“You are the one who granted me new life. I shall repay you with loyalty.”
“Yeah, yeah. More importantly.”
My lips curled up at its pure declaration.
“You don't need separate training guidance, right?”
[Name: Taeyangchang]
[Vitality: 100/100]
[Unique Ability: Awakened Skeleton]
[Class: Spearman]
[Grade: D]
[Strength: 35] [Agility: 35] [Stamina: 32] [Mana: 26] [Technique: 33]
[Possessed Skills]
-‘Lower Thrust’(Lv.9)
-‘Sun Chain Strike’(Lv.1)
-‘Raging Desert’(Lv.1)
-‘Soulflare’(Lv.1)
Its grade was still D too.
True awakening just meant overlaying Taeyangchang's soul onto the skeleton's body.
It didn't seem to mean a grade increase.
In other words, more training was needed for upgrades.
“Yes, my lord. I can hone my spear arts on my own.”
Of course.
The old man himself had acknowledged its spear skills.
“Though this frail body is still unaccustomed, I shall strive to regain my original power soon and aid you.”
“Good. Train on your own then.”
“I shall obey.”
It went to a corner and swung its bone spear.
We'd already finished the old man's training that morning.
'By the way, when does my grade go up?'
I definitely had a way to go from D to C.
How did I know?
'The root told me.'
The catalyst I'd obtained, 'Root of Racial Conflict,' stated in 'Effect 3'.
[Effect 3: This item activates at Hunter grade C or higher.]
Achieve C-grade and come back.
A catalyst was an item bound to me that enabled clearing up to 'S-grade' quests.
The fact that my bound item had such a condition.
Proved my limit wasn't D-grade.
'Alright, next goal is C-grade.'
Determination burned in my chest.
* * *
Creak!
I came home after light training.
The room was fairly tidy.
Why?
Because starting yesterday.
I'd let Gi So-yul inside.
No matter how conscienceless I was, I didn't want to make my bodyguard—who was protecting me—sleep on the rooftop under the excuse of a 'promise.'
'Well, Koreans have a sense of hospitality.'
Just in case she misunderstood.
Childish as it was, I'd put up a partition.
“You know I won't cross this line, so don't worry.”
At first, Gi So-yul insisted it wasn't necessary and refused vehemently.
But when I insisted, she had no choice but to come in.
“Like yesterday, just spread your sleeping bag there and sleep.”
I pointed to the narrow space opposite the mattress, where the desk was.
Obviously, the one mattress was mine.
I wouldn't yield on comfortable sleep.
“You didn't have to go this far.”
Gi So-yul sighed faintly, looking at me like I was odd.
“Go this far? We need to be clear.”
Sorry, but in this Hunter society, I was still a weakling.
If word got out that I'd made you rough it outside.
And it reached your brother Ki Pa-rang?
I could get buried in this industry before becoming a ranker.
Not figuratively—literally buried alive.
“No, I mean this partition.”
Gi So-yul pointed to the line made of styrofoam boxes.
“Hm?”
“If I wanted, I could take your head off in an instant, partition or not. That's what I meant by pointless.”
“...?”
No, this woman.
What was wrong with her brain?
How did her mind work like that?
She seemed like someone always pondering how to kill people.
No, she was exactly that.
An assassin.
“Here, have some cup ramen. Not sure if it'll suit your taste.”
I poured hot water into cheap cup ramen and handed it over.
She accepted it wordlessly.
About two minutes passed like that?
Bang! Bang! Bang!
“Um, excuse me!”
Someone pounded on the door urgently in a shrill voice.
A young woman's voice.
What?
No one should be coming for me.
I instinctively turned to look at Gi So-yul's face.
“...”
She shook her head.
Meaning she didn't know either.
No reaction from her meant it wasn't Dark Shadow Unit scum.
A high-grade Hunter would've been detected by her already.
“Whew.”
The ramen would get soggy.
With a sigh, I opened the door.
Clunk!
“Who are you?”
A mysterious woman stood at the door.
A youthful face, wearing what looked like a school uniform.
'A resident?'
Someone I'd never seen.
'Oh, before that.'
I quickly glanced back.
Gi So-yul was a ranker.
A 'celebrity' beyond that—blessed with striking beauty and swarmed by media attention.
'Damn, getting caught with her would be nothing but trouble.'
If rumors spread, it was over.
[Breaking! Dark Lord Gi So-yul in secret one-room scandal! With a man late at night?]
[World watches Gi So-yul dating rumors! Who is he?]
Just imagining headlines gave me chills.
I'd die by Ki Pa-rang's hand before Gi So-yul killed me?
“...”
Fortunately.
Gi So-yul had already vanished.
Erasing her presence in this tiny studio in an instant.
As expected of the queen of assassination.
“Excuse me! Sorry, but are you Joo Dong-hoon oppa? Is that right?”
“Huh? You know me?”
I asked, flustered.
How did she know me?
“Joo Dong-hoon oppa! It is you, right? Really? Big trouble!”
“Big trouble?”
“Please save my oppa. Please. Sob sob.”
The high school girl, urgent from start to finish, began sobbing.
Like pent-up tears bursting out.
“...?”
I stepped back for a moment.
I felt a faint, subtle killing intent from Gi So-yul, who was hiding her presence behind me.
This was heading toward a ridiculous misunderstanding.
What did this girl take me for?
“Save my oppa?”
I first calmed the crying high schooler.
“Kiddo. Explain the situation first so I can understand? Then I can decide whether to save your oppa or not.”
“Ah.”
Only then.
The high schooler, coming to her senses, handed me a note.
“Sob, this was at home.”
“What's this?”
I snatched it up.
And examined it closely.
“This is...?”
My eyes widened.
A familiar face.
Kim Jun-seo, request team leader of the mercenary guild 'Fixers,' bound head to toe and bleeding.
On top of it.
Scrawled handwriting read:
[Hey there?]
[Wanna save your brother Kim Jun-seo?]
[Then send Joo Dong-hoon to 'Seonyudo over the Han River' by 8 PM tonight.]
[Report to the Association and your brother dies.]
[Anyone but Joo Dong-hoon comes and your brother dies.]
[Joo Dong-hoon address: ■■■-gu ■■■-dong 421.]
“...”
These bastards.
I knew instinctively.
'Dark Shadow Unit.'
They'd finally started moving in earnest.