The Bone Beacon of the Tower

A beaded skull adorned with colorless gemstones and accessories.

And...

A corpse clad in black armor lay upon the table.

A lich and a death knight.

Monsters embodying the pinnacle of advanced undead, formidable boss monsters that adorned the fiftieth floor of the Tower of Chaos.

"This doesn't look all that scary."

"I recall the battle going smoothly at the time."

"It was easy because of the tower penalties, after all."

Two undead whose abilities had dropped from S-rank to A-rank.

The holy spells transmitted from Roan granted these A-rank and lower undead the power to suppress their foes' strength.

Without the tower penalties, they would have been far more formidable opponents.

Still...

I didn't think we were doomed to lose with our hands crossed.

Our familiars really needed to step up.

"Huuu."

I took a long, deep breath.

Then I placed my hand upon the lich's remains.

[Corpse Processing]

I poured my mana into it and examined the lich's structure.

Structure projection and analysis.

A routine task, but this one proved difficult.

"It's definitely high-dimensional."

A more intricate mana circuit structure than the skeleton wizard.

The lich was no simple magic-type undead.

The undead born from a mage who had reached a high realm in life, their soul sealed into a bead.

The real body was the bead resting beside it.

An item named [Life Force Vessel].

The creature that had appeared in the Tower of Chaos had kept a Life Force Vessel inside its body.

Thanks to that, I had been able to defeat it.

"Normally, that's not how it's done."

"There is no lich that openly reveals its weaknesses for safekeeping."

It was said that mages generally wrapped them tightly and stored them in their dungeon or fortress.

"Finding the Life Force Vessel is quite a troublesome matter."

The mage had a fearsome alias as a necromancer slaughterer.

All those words were vivid firsthand accounts.

A chill ran down my spine.

"My master is displeased. Calm yourself. You iron-headed fool."

"Me? What are you telling me to calm down for?!"

"Shall I keep telling you about the necromancer I chopped to pieces in front of my Necrosmith master?"

"Ah, ahh! I had no such intentions! My lord!"

Isra the knight had yet to apologize, but I accepted her attitude of ignorance this time.

There were moments when she could be unsettling.

[Analysis of high-level undead completed.]

[Understanding of corpse processing has surged dramatically!]

Next came the turn for the death knight.

I took a deep breath and projected my mana.

How much time had passed?

[Analysis of high-level undead completed.]

[Understanding of corpse processing has surged dramatically!]

"Master, wet your lips."

Ingrid wiped my forehead with a towel and handed me water.

Naturally, our bodies drew closer.

Hmm.

To think I was enjoying the privilege of feasting on the greatest witch with my familiars.

"After analysis, what do you think of it?"

A faint trace of anticipation lingered in Isra's voice.

"Yeah. It's incomprehensible. Wrong."

I lay sprawled on the floor and replied.

Wow.

Couldn't make it. This thing.

After all, the lich had been a mage who willingly transformed into an undead.

What about the death knight?

Its structure was even weirder.

Impossible for me to understand at my current level.

"The mana circuits aren't even linked in multiple layers. Why is the bone mana distribution so high?!!"

There was more.

Even after using corpse processing, there were still parts I couldn't grasp.

I had used the Spirit Eye too, yet analysis had failed.

It was because of my limited knowledge and understanding, and because my cultivation level was still too low.

Aaaaargh!

Give up! I won't do it!

"My lord will definitely find a way."

"That's right. Our master."

Don't say things like that so seriously.

I had sulked, yet you delivered such words with complete faith—I'm a bit troubled.

"As far as I know, my lord will not rest until he finds the answer."

"I believe in my master."

Ugh.

The earnest gaze of my two shining familiars pricked my conscience.

My conscience, spinning like a triangle.

Was it okay to leave it like this?

[Great Lord. Once the death knight analysis is finished, may I make my body as well?]

"Shut it, thief."

"Could you at least hold still for ten minutes?"

[The dead cannot breathe.]

"Then ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠I'll hold my breath in a bowl of water for ten minutes."

Sigh.

This was the first time Zaug's nonsense had ever sounded welcome.

Thanks.

I won't forget your sacrifice(?).

If you appear in my dreams, I'll repay you immediately. Don't worry.

"I won't give up."

But.

I needed a little more time.

To formally obtain the production method by analyzing the remains of the two undead, I would need more specimens.

"I suppose I'll have to buy it at the hunter market."

"It's not there. Such merchandise."

The hunter market I had visited until my feet wore thin for five years after awakening.

Good materials were essential to create high-performance undead.

To raise even the reaction speed a little, I had always examined the stock.

"The hardest material to find is undead remains."

Undead basically had no 'value' to sell.

Where could I even use shrunken or corroded bones and flesh?

"It's strange. There is no hunter besides me who can handle bones, is there?"

"You iron-headed ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠fool. Where did you boil your magic catalyst?"

As Ingrid said.

For example, ogre bones, with their high mana density, were frequently used for magic catalysts and accessories. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠ Beyond that, the byproducts of monsters were often consumed in magic engineering research.

"Excluding undead."

Lich?

Death knight?

Rare and powerful monsters.

But the remains themselves held little value.

They only gained meaning in the items dropped after hunting.

"If you're going to get them, you'll have to hunt them yourself."

"Don't you have an agreement with GGG?"

"You'd have to mobilize their labor force, so..."

I would need to request that they hand over only the remains after hunting lich and death knight.

Of course.

I could make such a request.

But whether it was urgent enough to do immediately was another matter.

"The remains I've acquired can be analyzed slowly."

The lich and death knight weren't something that could be made right away just because I obtained the production method.

Huge materials were a given.

And I would also need to raise the skill grade of corpse processing and production.

"Making even one skeleton wizard takes so much effort."

"Power augmentation will have to wait for another opportunity. It's a shame."

What are you talking about, Ingrid?

"Research must continue."

My ability could shatter the predetermined 'framework.'

Even the armed zombie warrior.

A new undead that didn't exist in the world's records.

It had been created with five years of accumulated experience and brilliant ideas.

The tiger was the same.

"While analyzing the two remains, who knows if we can create a new undead."

There was no need to obsess over a new type of undead.

Applying the elements I had analyzed to the current undead would already bring great benefits.

"Master, don't be disappointed."

"I'm enjoying it right now?"

It was a pity I hadn't been able to eat my fill at the first drink.

Still.

There was no reason to be disappointed.

As I analyzed the remains of the death knight and lich.

My understanding of corpse processing and production would surge.

I would also gain knowledge, inspiration, and insight to advance to a higher realm.

Wasn't it far easier to solve the formula by working backward from the answer than to blindly plow through the soil?

Hehehehehe.

Let's give it a try.

***

I set aside the analysis of the lich and death knight for a moment.

I felt I needed to become even more familiar with tightly weaving mana circuits.

So what should I do?

"Open your eyes."

[Corpse Production]

[Skeleton Wizard x1 produced.]

I had to create a high-difficulty undead.

I additionally produced four more skeleton wizards and placed them in the witch order.

I would store the first two in the death space to roll them.

"Yahoo! Thank you! Master!"

Ingrid smiled brightly.

"My lord, isn't this too much?"

"It's fine. It's doable."

"Every meal must be chewed slowly."

"Instant noodles are there."

[I'll boil it perfectly! Don't worry!]

Zaug grinned, muscles flexing.

The body had been modeled after a ghoul, so it looked quite grotesque.

It was a perfect creature for a horror movie.

"Hmm. Instant noodles are something I could probably do too."

"Leave it to Zaug."

[Am I better than my lord?]

I had noticed during workshop cleaning.

Zaug was exceptionally skilled at organizing items or cooking—household chores.

Even a professional self-lover like me was impressed!

"Frankly, my lord isn't very good at organizing."

"Hmm. That's a magic user's words."

Don't lie!

The subspace, which also served as the death blacksmith, was stocked with plenty of ingredients.

It wasn't because I was short on time to go back and forth.

It was because moving constantly would disrupt my focus and make my mind sluggish.

[It's done!]

Pasta perfectly al dente.

It looked undercooked but still easy to eat—the key point.

As expected of Zaug.

Efficient work.

"Sigh, I admit it about miscellaneous tasks."

"Your appearance of serving my lord is pleasing. Work harder."

[Thief. Useful.]

Roan and Zaug, who hadn't yet recovered their past appearances, simply watched.

It wasn't that we always ate instant food.

The subspace held ingredients like potatoes, zucchini, and minced meat.

Zaug, who had checked the recipe and cooking process, worked his magic.

It felt like he was taking better care of my meal than I did.

It must have been my imagination.

While producing undead and raising my understanding of corpse processing and production.

The familiars staying in the death blacksmith weren't just fiddling with their fingers.

[Mana Research Department — Ingrid Wygdrasil is organizing her experience.]

[Stone Shower registered.]

[Lightning Vortex registered.]

[Undead Reinforcement Research Department — Roan is organizing his experience.]

[Undead Power Lv1 researched.]

[Undead Armor Lv1 researched.]

Undead Power — +3% to final attack power of all undead.

Undead Armor — +3% to final defense of all undead.

Stone Shower was a C-rank earth magic.

Lightning Vortex was B-rank lightning magic.

"Mastering various attributes will be advantageous for creating variables."

I remembered the exchange match with Emilia.

I had used memorize, multi-tasking, and blink perfectly.

I didn't yield distance.

Even though it was a hard fight, after using space movement I reversed and trapped the opponent.

If it hadn't been Isra the knight, would the outcome have been different after using blink, dig, and weight gravity?

[Help. Master.]

Roan's researched items were also useful.

Passive abilities that added 3% to final attack and defense.

Though the numbers were small.

With more than a hundred undead under my command, they could not be ignored.

Besides.

Lv1 meant there were higher levels, right?

The more research accumulated.

My undead army would gradually grow stronger.

"My lord, are you going to rest now?"

"Ah. Has the time already come?"

I had stayed up all night making skeleton wizards.

Isra the knight kept checking the clock on the wall of the death blacksmith and said ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠so.

"Rest is also part of the strengthening process."

"I know. I know."

Was I the one watching over my familiars?

Or was I the one being watched?

Overpowered by Isra's earnest attitude, I returned to my quarters.

[PM — 10:37]

Yaaawn.

Coming into the room, I naturally let out a yawn.

I should shower and sleep.

Wiping my sleepy eyes, I reached for my phone.

A message from President Baek.

What's up.

[President Baek]

—Is tomorrow time okay?