The Necromaster's Feat
A 20% additional stat boost, but only for undead I craft myself.
Every last one of my undead is handmade.
It didn't even feel like a restriction.
【How marvelous. To grow stronger in an instant like that.】
【This maiden's total mana capacity has increased as well.】
Apparently even the undead I'd already finished fell within the enhancement range.
I'd been thinking I'd have to go back and tweak them one by one.
Glad that hassle got taken off my plate.
As achievements accumulate, additional effects are granted.
Similar types of achievements provide combo effects.
【Splitting the same words in two, I see.】
“It's a little different.”
Stack enough achievements and the “grade” of the soul rises, they say. When that grade climbs, abilities that demand true enlightenment—like Aura manifestation or silent casting—become far easier to grasp.
“Similar kinds give a sort of synergy effect.”
For example:
—[Taming Master]
Simultaneously tame one hundred monsters of different species.
—[Beast Subjugation]
Tame a monster two ranks higher than yourself.
Acquire achievements that share the common thread of “taming,” and you get something like this:
Achievements of similar origin confirmed.
Taming success rate increased by 20%.
That was the synergy effect of achievements.
Exactly why hunters would kill for even a single one.
【Did they not say that hunters who obtain even one achievement number less than 0.1%?】
“The conditions are all ridiculously picky.”
Take the Undead Master achievement I'd just earned. Create an undead that doesn't exist in the world's records? You don't just fiddle with corpses and have a brand-new undead pop out.
【Undead shaped by necromancy are imitations of the Spirit Realm, after all.】
“Spirit Realm?”
【One of the domains within the Demon Realm.】
Didn't know that.
【Crafting a dead that does not even exist in the Spirit Realm is something only a Necromaster can accomplish.】
“Necromaster?”
【One who has reached the pinnacle of necromancy.】
Ingrid made no effort to hide her excitement.
【To achieve such a magnificent feat… As expected of this maiden's master!】
【At first I thought it was merely a peculiar undead.】
【I assumed another undead had simply been born in the Spirit Realm after I died.】
Listening to the two of them, one question surfaced.
“Sir Isra, you said you achieved an achievement yourself, right?”
【Indeed I did.】
“You seem not to know about synergy effects.”
【In our world there was no concept of a system.】
Ah. Right.
I'd heard roughly the same from Ingrid.
“Without system messages, how do you even know something's been recorded in the world?”
【It is a feeling.】
【That's correct.】
Ingrid agreed.
Hmm. A feeling, huh.
A world where the strong possessed this much power and ability even without a system. I wondered what kind of place it had been.
Anyway.
It was a shame I hadn't been able to perfectly construct the core with the Serasenient root. What extra materials should I add?
【Mana leakage. It might be solvable.】
My ears pricked up at Ingrid's words.
“There's another way?”
【We can hold the mana so it does not leak.】
A Mana Concentration Array. That was the solution she proposed.
【If we take the root as the base point, we may be able to stop the leakage.】
【Magic-user. Speak clearly—will it work, or will it not?】
【I don't know either. It's not a spell meant for undead creation.】
Its original purpose was an auxiliary formula to supply insufficient mana.
“I don't have a magic-circle skill.”
【You learned swordsmanship from that iron-headed one, did you not?】
“I did.”
【If you draw the formula accurately, it should activate even without a skill.】
That… actually made sense!
“Let's try it.”
Not much to lose by trying. Just one Armed Zombie Warrior I'd only just finished. A few hours of labor and roughly thirty million won in materials. Plus a split soul stone from the Challenging Realm.
Wow. Practically free. Free.
Tremble-tremble—
Why were my hands shaking? Too much hammering lately?
“Tsk.”
Don't get attached. The cost of making an Armed Zombie Warrior? I could earn that back clearing a single gate. Compare it to the days when I was thrilled to pocket a few hundred thousand from Hunter Academy part-time work. The difference in scale hit hard.
So now was the time to invest.
【There is risk, so please judge carefully.】
【You do not know our Lord well, magic-user.】
Sir Isra raised her voice.
【Our Lord is a great man who does not cling to mere coin!】
Ah. No I'm not.
【Forgive me, Lord. This maiden's faith was lacking.】
That's not what I meant.
【I must concede Sir Isra is right this time.】
【Of course. Our Lord is a fearless real man.】
“Ha, hahahaha. Riiight.”
They'd turned me into a real man, had they? Fine. Then I'd act like one and go toe-to-toe with a monster in a sword fight.
Scratch—scratch—
“Is that the alchemy array?”
【Yes. Draw it exactly like this, then pour mana into it.】
【There is no way activating an alchemy array is that simple.】
【Master has inherited my talent. You'll get the feel for it once you try.】
Well. I'd better work hard to live up to that faith.
I placed my hand on the alchemy array Ingrid had drawn and poured mana into it.
Blue light immediately seeped from the lines.
Huh?
“I understand it.”
【The Mana Concentration Array is a basic-level alchemy array.】
Even so, it wasn't something you were supposed to grasp after a single projection of mana.
【As expected of Master!】
Probably thanks to the ability I got from you. This was the power of talent.
I poured in more mana.
Mana Concentration Array
The blue light grew vivid and began drawing in the surrounding mana.
At this level… it might actually work.
“Tsk. Taking it apart right after finishing it.”
Luckily the second Armed Zombie Warrior had been built with easy-to-separate armor joints.
I engraved the array Ingrid had shown onto the root. It wasn't easy. Drawing on a flat desk was one thing; carving into a bumpy heart and roots that twisted every which way was another.
But it worked.
Five years of handling corpses. All the handcraft stats I'd built up. They proved invaluable for etching circuits into curved, wrinkled surfaces.
“How does it look to you?”
【Flawless, Master!】
“Then I'll pour the mana.”
【Using a mana stone would be better.】
A little of my own mana would make the array's effect fade quickly. Anchored to a mana stone, it would last about an hour.
“Once it's activated and stabilizes—”
【Even after the mana stone runs dry, it should continue under its own power.】
“Good. Let's do it.”
I set the spare D-rank mana stone into the Serasenient root and activated the Mana Concentration Array.
I could see it. The mana that had been leaking all over the body now flowed cleanly, without waste.
No system message chimed.
But I felt it keenly—the mana circulation rate had risen.
【Congratulations, Master!】
“Thanks to you I learned a new possibility.”
Alchemy arrays. Even without a special skill, as long as you understood the structure you could use them freely.
“Do you know any other alchemy arrays?”
【I'm sorry. That field is the specialty of alchemists.】
【Haha. Even the Witch of the Solar Eclipse is not omnipotent.】
【Hey! Iron-head!】
“It's fine. Not urgent.”
Just knowing the possibility was enough. I already had more than enough on my plate. Sword training. Undead crafting. Magic to learn on top of that. How nice it would be if I had a few extra bodies.
【I have one matter to ask of you, Sir.】
“What is it?”
【When do you plan to enhance me?】
“Soon, I expect.”
While refining the Armed Zombie Warrior method I'd gained more experience and knowledge. A few ideas had already come to mind. I intended to enhance Sir Isra before long.
【I cannot hold my head high if I fall behind the knight-order members.】
“Don't worry. You're my first knight. I'll put my heart and soul into it.”
【I shall repay that trust!】
Sir Isra thumped her clenched right fist against her chest.
Hanil Blacksmith.
The workshop founded by Korea's greatest craftsman, Han Yohan. Orders poured in not only from within the country but from all over the world; reservations required waiting measured in years.
Gooong—
The heavy iron doors were shoved open to either side. Tremendous heat spilled out through the widening gap.
Chief apprentice Nam Jinwoo stood rigidly at attention, waiting.
Thud. Thud.
The owner of those footsteps flung the doors wide and stepped out.
“Anything happen while I was gone?”
“No, Master.”
“Good enough.”
“How did the work go?”
“So-so.”
Once he entered his private forge he would shut out food and drink for days on end, pouring everything into the work. The doors only opened when he had something to show for it.
“Hunter Brown's greatsword, right?”
“Yeah.”
Using the mana mineral mithril. Strip away every option. Maximize only cutting and thrusting power. A peculiar request.
Hunter-exclusive gear gained additional options from mana as the grade rose. Even the same craftsman making the same weapon could produce different options from the tiniest variations. That was why even numbered products carried an element of luck—and price differences.
But to exclude every other option and push only the weapon's pure nature to the extreme? With Nam Jinwoo's skill it was a high-difficulty commission that might succeed once in ten attempts.
“To actually pull that off… As expected of Master.”
“Naturally. Bring the makgeolli.”
“Here it is.”
After finishing a piece, a bowl of ice-cold makgeolli was the craftsman's fixed routine.
“Kheu. That's the stuff.”
“Master. There's someone I'd like to recommend as an apprentice.”
“You?”
“Yes.”
Nam Jinwoo carefully recounted what he had witnessed a few days earlier.
“Old man Se is after him too?”
“Yes.”
“Tell him we should share a bowl of makgeolli sometime.”
Han Yohan spoke with casual indifference. He left all workshop affairs to his chief apprentice. If the kid was this fired up, the talent must have been obvious.
He was about to let it slide without much thought—then, a beat late, realized he had missed something.
“He worked with bone?”
“Yes, Master.”
“I need to meet him. Immediately.”
Mountainous pressure crushed down on Nam Jinwoo's shoulders. Han Yohan had put far too much force into the grip; the apprentice's body rocked.
“Ugh—urgh—”
“When can I meet the fellow?”
“Urgh—Master, please let go of my shoulder first—”
“Ah. Sorry.”
Han Yohan released him belatedly. His excitement was understandable.
The Drake bone he had recently acquired. Dragonkin bone carried mineral properties as well, making it a premium material. Yet even after paying a fortune for it, inspiration refused to come. What to make. How best to draw out its nature. Standing before the bone with hammer in hand, he simply had no feel for it.
“Tonight is fine. No—how about right now?”
He had loosened his grip, but his eyes still spun wildly.
“Well, Master…”
Name. Age. Contact information. Beyond that—he knew nothing at all.
Nam Jinwoo wanted to cry.
What was he supposed to do now…?