Chapter 20
Chapter 20
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 20
Chapter Title: Thrilling Carriage Ride
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Thrilling carriage ride.
Of course, nothing like that exists.
"Ugh."
My butt feels like it's going to explode.
My body aches all over.
The locals are trying to kill me.
Leyzon groaned and twisted his body.
Even Leyzon couldn't find anything positive about the carriage ride.
He desperately missed cars, planes, and trains.
This was a certain inn in the capital.
Right after the carriage journey.
Leyzon had rented a room at the inn and collapsed into sleep.
But without properly treating his wounds, and after the rough carriage ride,
his body was a complete mess everywhere. It felt like death.
At least the bones seem to have knit back together somehow.
Maybe because it was hasty treatment.
Looking at it today, there were still bruises on his abdomen.
Leyzon carefully spread the potion and applied it thoroughly to his stomach.
It should get better in another day or so.
Even so, it really drove home how dangerous close-quarters combat was for a necromancer.
He decided to use this experience as a lesson and avoid melee fights from now on.
This time was a gamble.
Leyzon stretched, loosening his body this way and that.
Then Hanok emerged from under the blankets on the other bed, wriggling out.
Half-asleep, Hanok mimicked Leyzon's stretches.
Like a puppy following its owner.
Once Leyzon finished stretching, Hanok shook his tail.
Shiver shiver—.
Hanok's eyes sparkled brightly.
Hanok had suffered alongside Leyzon.
Yet here he was, perfectly fine.
Was this the difference between a mage and a warrior?
Leyzon envied that physical prowess.
He'd have to work on building his stamina gradually.
"Yaaawn~!"
Moments later, a stretching sound came from the bed.
Leyzon turned his head to see a girl there.
A white-haired girl.
It was Syria.
A night after the carriage ride.
Syria had fully recovered.
While she had been asleep due to the aftermath of Undead Fusion,
Syria learned that Leyzon had fought the enemy alone and blamed herself greatly.
Leyzon had struggled for a while consoling her self-recrimination.
But thanks to his persistent reassurances, she was much better now.
The cooldown on Undead Fusion is roughly a day.
He couldn't spam it recklessly yet.
Losing a key asset like Syria would be a bigger loss.
"Both of you, let's eat breakfast today and head to the Pioneer Association first."
"Yes!"
"Got it."
Syria and Hanok immediately replied to Leyzon's words.
After a simple breakfast at the inn,
Leyzon headed to the Pioneer Association with Hanok.
Syria was disguised again this time.
Now as a little half dark elf about Hanok's height.
She seemed to have taken a liking to half dark elves since last time.
Entering the Pioneer Association, boisterous voices echoed from all around.
Pioneers were already holding drinking parties in the middle of the day.
"Ah, Leyzon."
Then the capital staff member who had spoken with Leyzon before recognized him.
In the capital, Leyzon was known as the Earthhold Layer Spider Den local.
Having roamed only the Earthhold Layer for nearly a hundred years.
She was familiar with his face too.
"I'd like to renew my Pioneer ID."
"Renewal, right? Yes, one moment."
The staff member moved briskly as before.
She was always a reliable employee.
"All done."
"Thank you."
Moments later, the staff member announced the renewal.
Leyzon took Syria and Hanok to a quiet corner.
Then he hurriedly checked his Pioneer ID.
Leyzon froze.
"Leyzon?"
Syria called out to him curiously.
Leyzon snapped out of it, rubbed his eyes, and checked the Pioneer ID again.
A question mark attached to the EX, as if there was an error.
And the skill name had changed from the original.
Not growth-type, but evolution-type?
Leyzon rubbed his chin while looking at the Pioneer ID.
Maybe since there's no rank after EX, it got a question mark.
This would be a clear bug in a game.
But it definitely seemed like the rank had gone up a step.
I thought it'd just mention something like Undead Fusion.
He hadn't imagined it would evolve into this.
What exactly makes it evolution-type?
Leyzon kept rubbing his chin as he examined the Pioneer ID.
Leyzon blinked at this.
This is real evolution.
At the same time, he looked for the evolution target, Syria.
Syria's description had also been updated.
"...Infant?"
Leyzon slowly turned to Syria.
Syria, meeting his gaze, tilted her head with a gentle smile.
"What is it, Leyzon?"
Her innocent smile made her look like a naive child at first glance.
But the reality was...
Fallen Level 19.
Vampire Queen.
And this was her infant form.
Syria was just a baby...
He had to protect her.
Who’s protecting whom?
What would happen if she evolved further?
I never thought Undead Fusion was just a bonus.
Evolution required blood, apparently.
Does it matter what kind of blood?
Leyzon mulled it over for a moment.
Then I should test it.
Leyzon stood up.
"Both of you, head back to the inn room for a bit. I have something to take care of."
Syria looked startled.
"Wouldn't it be better if I came along?"
"I'll be right back, so it's fine."
Syria and Hanok wore puzzled expressions.
Ignoring their confusion, Leyzon left.
A quiet gleam shone in Leyzon's eyes.
Syria Nosferatu.
She watched as vials were placed one by one before her.
This was the inn room Leyzon had rented.
And what filled the room were vials of blood.
"These are from mammals like pigs, cows, chickens, sheep. Over here, I got a few types of phantasmal beast blood that's commercially available."
Syria blinked at the vials covering the floor.
"L-Leyzon, why blood all of a sudden?"
Come to think of it, he hadn't explained.
"I checked the skill."
Leyzon finally explained.
About how the skill had transformed.
"So this form is my infant stage?"
"Something like that."
Syria blinked and examined her own body again.
A vampire queen as an infant.
It was absurd.
"Your evolution condition is blood."
"Ah."
Now Syria understood why Leyzon had gathered blood.
"The problem is, it just says 'blood' vaguely.
I don't know if it's the total amount you drink, or if different types matter."
To figure that out, Leyzon had procured various kinds of blood.
Understanding his intent, Syria nodded.
"Got it. So I just need to drink blood."
"Exactly."
Hearing Leyzon's reply, Syria picked up a vial.
It was labeled "pig."
She opened the lid and gulped down the blood straight from the vial.
The pig blood sloshed down her throat.
She drank it so boldly.
Anyone would think it was tomato juice.
After draining it all, Syria licked the blood from her lips.
She blinked, clenching and unclenching her hand.
"Hmm."
"How is it? Any changes?"
"I feel some blood flow in my body, but..."
Syria tilted her head with a vague expression.
"It's no different from usual."
Regular animal blood was a bust, then.
"Shall I try another animal blood?"
"No, let's test the other one first."
Leyzon stopped Syria from taking the chicken blood vial and pointed to the phantasmal beast one.
It was blood from a jerryfin, a phantasmal beast circulated for magic reagents.
Common in lower dungeons, it was the most widely available phantasmal beast blood.
Following Leyzon's instruction, Syria gulped down the jerryfin blood.
Maybe because it was her second vial,
she drank slower than before.
"Phew."
Moments later, Syria set down the empty jerryfin vial.
Her face lit up instantly.
"Leyzon, I feel mana flowing through my body. It's similar to the feeling of corruption?"
We found it.
He'd vaguely expected as much.
Syria's evolution condition was phantasmal beast blood.
If I had to guess,
higher-rank phantasmal beast blood would be needed for smooth evolution.
He had the gist of it now.
"Is drinking blood okay?"
"It's been a while since phantasmal beast blood. Tastier than I thought!"
As expected from a vampire, no aversion.
"How does it feel? How much more do you think you need to evolve?"
At Leyzon's question, Syria closed her eyes, as if peering inward.
Then, moments later, she spread her hands.
"I can't gauge it precisely, but based on jerryfin, it'd take about 1,000 vials."
"1,000 vials."
Money was no object anyway.
Gathering that much wouldn't be too hard,
but there was a problem.
Collecting 1,000 vials of jerryfin blood would draw attention.
This was an empire that persecuted necromancers.
With Syria in this state, drawing eyes recklessly was unwise.
Even if I gather various types,
it'd end up the same.
So Leyzon decided on one final test.
"...Syria."
"Yes?"
Syria, who had been eyeing the next phantasmal beast vial, looked over.
Leyzon undid his collar a bit and rolled up his sleeve.
Then he extended his arm toward the dazed Syria.
Seeing this, Syria blinked.
"One last check. Human blood."
"Huh?"
Syria's eyes went wide as saucers.