The Bone Master's Iron Hammer
The workshop was bathed in warm light.
For a gate raid.
After a trip to the Hunter Market, the late afternoon had arrived.
If things had gone on as usual, it would have been time to train sword techniques.
Today was a little different.
「Lord. You must succeed. Do not be nervous! 」
Why were my hands shaking.
I seemed to be more anxious than I was.
「Do you plan to create that strange undead? 」
«Armed Zombie Warrior. 」
「Hiee. It's a guy even the Solar Eclipse doesn't know. I'm surprised. 」
It made sense.
It was an achievement that the world itself had acknowledged through a «Feat. 」
She had said it was a brand-new shape of undead that didn't exist in any dimension.
Kung—
Just like last time, I based it on the corpse of an Orc Grunt.
Carcasses of similar size would probably all be fine.
«I don't need to add unnecessary variables. 」
This time I dug holes here and there in the corpse.
I jammed five D-grade Mana Stones into them.
As the energy accumulated in the Mana Stones flowed out, the corpse began to age.
「Oh. You can apply mana in this way too. 」
«Doesn't the Solar Eclipse Witch know everything? 」
「The Necromancy side isn't very familiar with it. 」
«It doesn't seem that surprising. 」
「I roughly understand the concept. But I've never seen this method before. 」
It was a method I figured out after I cried like a fool at the end of a makeshift undead show in the field.
Thanks to that, I had automatically learned how to strengthen undead as well.
Ah.
Was this the flavor of tears-wet bread?
Aging would take care of itself.
From now on, let's begin the work.
Fwoosh!
I lit the fire in the hearth.
I dumped the Aul Beast bones I had stored in the Spatial Pocket into the furnace.
I waited until the heat rose sufficiently.
«Now. 」
I shoved the pile of bones inside and sealed it shut.
「I've never seen it. The ability to process bones. 」
«You'll see it often in the future. 」
Klang!
Klang!
Since it was the first time, it went much more smoothly.
「Oh. Every time the hammer strikes the bones, mana reacts? 」
「It seems like the unique ability of the Necrosmith. 」
「Master's ability. I want to analyze it. 」
「How dare you try to analyze your Lord! 」
「I'm just trying to help. You iron-headed blockhead. 」
Whether the two undead were chatting or not.
I listened with one ear and kept hammering away, ears half-closed.
If there was even the slightest misalignment, the bones would take permanent damage.
For two hours I swung the hammer with full concentration.
Because I was boosting my strength and stamina.
The work time was shortened quite a bit.
«The completeness also seems to have gone up a little. 」
With stamina rising, concentration was easier to maintain.
I felt the reward of having distributed the bonus stats after thinking about it.
「This process up to now is the same as before. 」
«The real core starts now. 」
The Orc Grunt I had wanted to bring back to life through corpse creation.
Why had it wanted to explode?
«It couldn't handle the mana. 」
A rapid-aging process using D-grade Mana Stones.
It was overkill.
Using multiple Mana Stones to shorten time.
It ended up overloading the corpse beyond what it could hold.
「That wouldn't have been a problem in other gates. 」
«Yeah, that's right. 」
When I entered the Dark Cave.
I had aged the stinking corpse on the spot and brought it back as a zombie.
Back then it had moved perfectly without mana overload.
«Because I hadn't added extra Energy Circuits yet. 」
「What a difference, huh? 」
「If I had made a normal undead, the mana that should have scattered naturally would have flowed into the body through the circuits! 」
The answer came from somewhere completely unexpected.
She hadn't even seen the Armed Zombie Warrior creation.
But Ingrid had hit the nail on the head.
«I think you're right. 」
The two solutions I thought of were:
First was adding extra Energy Circuits.
This could be done without extra cost.
My labor was free.
Hmph.
The second point was the real core of the modification.
«I'll make a Mana Core. 」
「Core? 」
«I got the idea from a mutated Stinking One's heart. 」
The byproduct I had been saving for making Isra's body.
The mutated Stinking One's heart was also a mana circulation organ.
«It was like providing the function for the cracked Soul Stone. 」
At first I hadn't noticed.
I had only been relieved that the mana hadn't exploded.
Only after projecting inside the corpse several times with 「Corpse Processing. 」
Could I understand how the cracked Soul Stone had stabilized the corpse.
「Amazing! This is revolutionary! 」
«Pfft. Not quite revolutionary. 」
「If the Falbargis Witch Society had known this fact, they would have been shocked speechless. 」
Attaching a Mana Core to low-grade undead to boost output after overloading mana.
That idea no one had ever thought of.
Maybe because Ingrid was too excited.
I shook my head with a lukewarm heart.
«Anyone could come up with that thought. 」
「No. It's possible because it's you, Lord. 」
That was the forbidden spell to raise the dead.
Necromancy had developed in a direction that let the undead show their full fighting power without maximum loss.
The high-grade undead Death Knight was a good example.
「Undead rarely surpass their living selves. 」
「Hmm. The Enras Continent was the same. 」
Thanks to the Necromancer Slayer's certification, I felt even more confident.
「Master is modifying to let the undead exhibit abilities above their living selves, right? 」
«Yeah. That's right. 」
The Necrosmith.
A job that required processing aged corpses into undead.
That was why.
Even making one undead, I had been trying every means to strengthen it.
Wearing armor on the Zombie Warrior was one of those efforts.
「That idea and effort opened a new horizon for Necromancy! 」
«From the Solar Eclipse Witch's point of view, is it that great? 」
「Of course. I can swear on the name Solar Eclipse. 」
A self-proclaimed strongest witch recognized innovative method.
It was amazing, but since I didn't have to ask twice, I accepted it.
Thanks to being carried in the plane, I suddenly felt nervous.
If it failed, how would I explain to people? She was sending me up so far.
Hah.
It's okay.
Let's try as I thought.
I sliced a long cut across the Orc Grunt's chest with the reinforcement scalpel.
I took out the byproduct I had bought from the Hunter Market.
—Ceraceniant Root.
It was a writhing plant.
The kick of the Armed Zombie Warrior creation method I had imagined appeared.
***
When I created Isra's body.
The empty Spirit's Wand had played the role of veins and Energy Circuits.
It had deviated from the Skeleton's identity.
But it had settled into part of the flesh without repulsion.
Thanks to the half-elf's identity.
「I think the same way as you, Master. 」
「Then the premise is wrong, huh? 」
Oh.
Isra, you're quite sharp.
«Yeah. Orcs and Ceraceniant roots have nothing to do with each other. 」
I grabbed the Ceraceniant root.
Krrreeeek! Along with an unpleasant sound, the roots twisted around the entire body(?).
「It's not dead, is it? 」
«As long as there is mana, the roots will grow right away. 」
[Ceraceniant Root]
Grade: E
Root of the carnivorous plant Ceraceniant.
Useful as a catalyst for recovery-related effects.
*Auto Healing Lv 1 granted during undead creation.
An E-grade monster with the vitality of a weed.
The options are minor.
Auto Healing Lv 1 grants human-level recovery power.
It takes three days to heal even small wounds.
I couldn't call it a great option.
「You know it in detail. 」
«I tried various things to save money. 」
I had expected it to give regeneration power.
But when I actually used it, the flesh grew so slowly that I was fuming.
But.
Experiencing the Ceraceniant root had not been expected to become the masterpiece of the Armed Zombie Warrior method.
I sprinkled the remaining D-grade Mana Stone powder from processing the Aul Beast bones.
As soon as I sprinkled it gently, leaves quickly sprouted.
As long as it wasn't burned.
The Ceraceniant root that grew anywhere with just mana.
It was neither dead nor alive.
That was why.
It had been included as an object for 「Corpse Processing. 」
I suppressed the reaction of the Ceraceniant root.
【Energy Circuit Creation】
I engraved an Energy Circuit on the leaves that had grown after feeding on mana.
「Ah! What a great idea. As expected of Master. 」
「Witch. Don't keep it to yourself, tell me! 」
「You iron-headed blockhead. Ceraceniant root reacts to mana, doesn't it? 」
「So? 」
「If it grows inside the corpse, it can serve as both core and circuit. 」
Just as I had read my thoughts, she pointed out the point well.
The leaves would serve as circuits.
The roots would become the core to concentrate mana.
As planned, I inserted the Ceraceniant root into the Orc Grunt's heart.
Connected the veins and leaves.
Then I sealed it with 「Corpse Processing. 」
The rest was the same.
I connected the extra Energy Circuits I had opened.
I attached the bone armor to the corpse.
«Open your eyes. 」
The corpse trembled.
From unfocused pupils, faint light flickered.
Then it slowly began to raise its body.
「New production method that does not exist in the records. 」
「Energy Circuit output is increasing. 」
Due to the rapid-aging effect, the remaining mana seeped into the circuits.
It was visible.
Just like getting an X-ray thanks to 「Spirit Eye. 」
The inside was brightly lit.
Overflowing mana was absorbed into the circuits engraved on the leaves.
Then it circulated through the body and reached the destination—the roots.
「Energy Circuits have stabilized. 」
「Armed Zombie Warrior has been created. 」
«Hah. 」
Maybe because the tension was gone.
A long sigh slipped out of my lips.
「What happened?! 」
「It's Master. Of course it succeeded. 」
Guys.
Just take a breath and I'll tell you.
Hooow, I took a long breath and let it out.
«I succeeded. 」
「As expected of you, Lord! 」
「I believed in you. 」
Mana explosion didn't happen.
Honestly speaking.
It wasn't 100% complete.
Perhaps because I didn't have enough with just the Ceraceniant root.
Loss was occurring in the mana circulation process.
About 20% from 「Spirit Eye. 」
The exact number would have to be checked with 「Corpse Processing. 」
But the difference wouldn't be huge.
Adding extra elements would strengthen the specs.
For now, I was satisfied that the Energy Circuits had stabilized.
「Undead similar to the soul information recorded in the cracked Soul Stone. 」
«Oh. 」
The cracked Soul Stone that stabilized the mana explosion.
I had kept it as insurance.
Since the mana didn't explode.
The stat increase effect was granted.
A smile formed on my face at the unexpected bonus option.
「The production method is finished, but it seems we need to collect more cracked Soul Stones. 」
「Don't you plan to modify the magic-type undead any further? 」
These guys— I mean the undead.
Already thinking of expanding their own side.
The hardship is on me.
「Undead not recorded in the Akashic Records have been created. 」
「The name 'Armed Zombie Warrior' has been registered in the world's records. 」
「User's achievement has been engraved in the Akashic Records. 」
Hoo.
Thank goodness.
There was a slight drop in output.
But it seemed to have barely entered the system's allowed range.
«Whoa. 」
Amazing.
This option. Is it for real?