Chapter 82
Chapter 82
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 82
Chapter Title: Taking Root in Sahā
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Leyzon returned safely to Sahā Village with Daseot.
In the meantime, the flames engulfing Sahā Village had been extinguished.
According to Rafila's explanation, it was all thanks to Harban's efforts.
"Harbans weakening the fire's power made all the difference."
His curse could diminish magical effects as well.
Seizing the opening where Harban had sapped the flames' strength, they had hurriedly put out the blaze.
"Good work, Harban."
"Hahaha! I could do it a hundred times over!"
Leyzon's honest praise sent Harban into a dancing frenzy of excitement.
He might be a loose cannon, but when it came to skill, the guy was rock-solid.
"Daseot!"
Meanwhile, Hanok spotted Daseot and came rushing over.
He tripped mid-stride and went sprawling.
"Ugh... oof."
Daseot had no choice but to approach and help him to his feet.
Hanok flashed a faintly innocent smile.
"No injuries?"
"Yeah, I'm good."
Hanok's smile coaxed one from Daseot in return.
Daseot was unflinchingly stoic around everyone else.
But in front of Hanok, he'd often crack a grin like that.
It spoke volumes about the depth of their bond.
Watching them, Leyzon felt glad all over again that he'd brought Daseot back.
"Syria, what about Nermacadia?"
At Leyzon's call, Syria poked her head out from the shadow of a wall.
"After getting swept into the shadows, it bolted straight for the capital! Keep chasing?"
"Nah, let it go."
It was headed to tattle to the old dragon anyway.
Leyzon signaled to call off the pursuit, and Syria's eyes lit up.
She was practically begging for praise.
Catching the look, Leyzon reached out and stroked her hair.
Syria purred like a cat before melting back into the shadows.
She seemed pleased with the praise.
Leyzon surveyed the charred ruins of Sahā Village.
'The kingdom's lackeys just torched the whole place.'
Even if it was to wipe out every trace of Daseot.
Their tactics were downright filthy.
'Sahā Village was prime real estate—always stopping by because of it.'
But trouble seemed to erupt every damn time he showed up.
Leyzon tapped his crossed arms thoughtfully.
Gathering undead was nearing its endgame.
Next up: serious dungeon runs for ascension.
Followed by farming evolution materials for his undead crew.
'Village burned to the ground like this—rebuilding won't come cheap.'
Sahā Village naturally lacked the funds.
It was just a dungeon outpost, nothing more.
Leyzon slowly rubbed his chin.
"...Rafila, how much capital does Steel Wolf Guild have left?"
"Capital, you say?"
Rafila sidled up to Leyzon and whispered the figure.
He had the exact amount memorized.
True to form, Rafila double-checked every ledger personally.
"Daseot."
This time, Leyzon summoned Daseot.
"Helping rebuild Sahā Village and folding it into Steel Wolf's main outpost—how much do you figure that'll run?"
"...I'd need to crunch the numbers, but..."
Daseot offered his rough estimate.
'Tack on my own stash, and it's doable.'
Sahā Village sat smack in the empire's continental heartland.
A vital crossroads for travelers everywhere.
The perks were obvious.
'Nation-building ending.'
The landmass needed for that path.
'Sahā's scale fits perfectly.'
Securing territory wasn't easy.
Especially a spot like Sahā—prime access all around.
'This could work.'
A golden opportunity for the nation-building foothold.
He needed a base camp anyway.
Nothing better out there.
"Rafila, look into acquiring Sahā Village outright."
It was pioneer-heavy to begin with.
Buyout shouldn't be tough.
"And scout moving Steel Wolf headquarters here too."
"Understood."
Rafila obeyed without a peep.
Plenty of work ahead.
Sahā settled as their hub would lock down a key stronghold.
'One hang-up: how deep is Daseot's tie to Steel Wolf?'
Planting Daseot there—had it been a misstep?
Leyzon mulled it over, then shook his head.
Instead, he let a grin creep across his face.
Leyzon wasn't the type to dwell on spilled milk.
Problem cropped up? Brainstorm fixes.
"Grinning even now—as expected of the Abyss!"
"Harban, pipe down."
Rafila hushed the ecstatic Harban.
From their time together, Rafila had clocked it: that smile was Leyzon steadying himself.
Leyzon shot Rafila a glance.
Sharp as a tack—snagging Steel Wolf had been the right call.
"Rafila, can you scrub Daseot's traces?"
"Daseot was already slotted as a Steel Wolf member under a fabricated identity. Tidying that up? Piece of cake."
"Good. Handle it. Daseot, you're rolling with us for now."
Daseot's face registered surprise.
"You sure that's wise?"
Daseot tagging along could blow Leyzon's cover.
But Leyzon had his angle.
"Acted the eastern mad dragon in front of that hatchling—time to sell it for real."
Daseot and Syria.
If those two veered evil-dragon side, the empire would buy it hook, line, and sinker.
"Confusion's your friend—the more, the better."
Leyzon was eastbound for undead business anyway.
No real downside.
"Rafila, Sahā Village is yours, like we talked."
"Leave it to me."
Post-meeting, Rafila's trust in Leyzon had deepened.
Rafila wouldn't drop the ball.
Leyzon repaid the faith in kind.
Before long, Leyzon had become the linchpin, guiding them all.
What ripples his path would send? Unknowable.
But Leyzon was honing his people skills by the day.
He knew it too.
Too deep to pull out now.
'Short on something? Get advice. Screw up? Course-correct.'
Leyzon grew like anyone else.
Gobbled intel and stacked his hand to dodge repeat mistakes.
Those gathering cards would someday usher him to the ending.
"Hanok, Haron."
Leyzon called, and Hanok hustled over.
Haron poked his tiger-cub snout from between the armor plates.
Now fully fused as one with Hanok.
"Hanok, time for new skills."
Leyzon rummaged out gear.
"Haron, you're evolving next."
Haron was due for his next leap.
Leyzon departed Sahā Village that very day.
Before Nermacadia could reach the old dragon.
He aimed to strike east first.
Thus, Leyzon's group boarded Syria's shadow wolf once more.
The ploy: bait the old dragon into tailing the Vampire Queen's trail.
It'd swallow the hatchling's word whole and chase verification.
'And that'll be its undoing.'
Leyzon planned to graciously let the old dragon crash into the evil dragon.
'Turn lies into truth.'
Pit the dragons at each other's throats.
Leyzon chuckled briefly and bowed his head forward.
Before him sat Haron, restored to his true form, perched demurely.
Haron was living armor, through and through.
So what fueled Haron's evolution?
Simple.
"Armor."
Leyzon had unpacked a mountain of armor pieces.
Over his travels, he'd steadily stockpiled them.
Every one crafted from Phantasmal Beast materials.
Steep prices, but Haron was Leyzon's undead.
Haron's growth meant...
'Skill sharing unlocked.'
No investment too dear.
"Haron, chow down on whatever strikes your fancy first."
Haron positioned himself before the armors.
He sniffed around, nosing from one to the next.
Until he zeroed in on the priciest piece.
The purple-sheened armor oozed luxury.
'Figures my undead has expensive taste.'
Judo's armor—a unique-grade item.
The unique tag commanded a king's ransom.
Haron gazed up at Leyzon.
Tail wagging furiously, permission pending.
"Go for it. Stocked it just for you. Dig in."
Leyzon greenlit without hesitation.
Haron bounded with glee, then crunched into Judo's armor with gusto.
Living armor mealtime.
Leyzon watched, fascinated—it was a first for him too.
Haron methodically devoured joints, breastplate, backplate, pauldrons.
Not a scrap overlooked.
Well-raised, that one.
After a hearty feast, Haron polished off the last Judo fragment.
The armorsmith would've wept.
Haron smacked his lips at the rest.
Room for more, clearly.
"Stuff yourself silly. Fuel up."
"Nang!"
Leyzon's go-ahead unleashed Haron on the pile.
While Haron feasted, Leyzon turned to Hanok.
"Hanok, you've powered up lately, but you know it too. You're still short on frontline punch."
Haron's stat-sharing made Hanok far stronger than same-ascension peers.
Held his own at 9th or 10th ascension levels.
But against the roadblocks in Leyzon's path? Not cutting it.
Hero-class foes popping up left and right.
Even Hanok's breakneck growth couldn't match that pace.
"So we're shoring up the basics first, solid."
Leyzon produced a thick stack of skillbooks.
Hanok's puzzled look drew a slow smile from Leyzon.
"Shield Warrior S-rank skillbooks."
Hanok's eyes bulged as realization dawned.
Leyzon the necromancer couldn't snag skillbooks himself.
Shield Warrior tomes, though? Black market overflowed with them.
So he'd tasked Rafila with stocking up.
"The ultimate kit for the shield warrior I have in mind."
"L-Leyzon..."
Hanok gawked at the haul before him.
Anyone could see the massive investment poured into him.
"No more getting out-skilled."
He'd chased SS-ranks too, but sans dungeon dives, they were pipe dreams.
This was peak doable.
Hanok cradled the books reverently.
"I'll master them to the hilt."
Learning a skill was worlds from mastering it.
Leyzon grinned at Hanok's steely resolve.
Hanok would stand as a bulwark ahead.
That wrapped growth prep for Hanok and Haron.
Leyzon's turn remained.
'About that time.'
The Poison Spider's research on the Poison Necromancer manuscript.
Results were ripening.
"Alright then."
Leyzon scooped up the manuscript and settled on the shadow floor.
"Shall we go collect the harvest?"
The season had arrived.