Incomplete Resurrection

Her magic power had risen by about ten percent, and her close-combat stats had climbed a modest amount as well. In exchange, her body had grown heavier, so her agility had dipped a little.

“How is it? Feeling all right?”

Ingrid stood there in a daze, clearly still adjusting to her new body.

【The overall specs have improved, I see.】

“It’s a bit underwhelming compared to all the work that went into it.”

The rise in her melee stats didn’t mean much. How often would Ingrid ever need to fight up close? With her agility down, her reaction speed would have slowed a touch too—so in pure combat terms it was a net loss. The bump to her magic power still made her stronger overall, though.

Well, that was fine. Strengthening Ingrid hadn’t been the real goal anyway.

Ninety-nine percent!

Just as I’d hoped, the number had shot up. All the effort of recreating the Ingrid I’d seen in my dream as faithfully as possible had paid off. The stat boost was a full twenty-five percent higher than Sir Isra’s, more than enough to make up for any disappointment in the listed numbers.

At this level, even her raw stats already surpassed a C-rank monster. Factor in her unique art, Solar Eclipse, and Ingrid’s own knowledge, and her actual combat power had to be approaching that of a B-rank hunter.

Huh? Come again?

True resurrection? What on earth was that supposed to mean?

The newly activated skill. A faint flush of color rose across Ingrid’s once-pallid skin. She looked almost alive.

Before Incomplete Resurrection took effect she had seemed like a mannequin. The moment the skill appeared, a living vitality began to radiate from her.

“My. What is this sensation…?”

A clear, ringing voice. Similar to her thoughts, yet it reached my ears instead of simply lodging in my mind.

Whoa.

She was identical to the figure I had seen in the dream. Beautiful enough that you might mistake her for a celebrity. And…

“W-wait a second.”

I’d picked it up on the side while buying materials at the Hunter Market. Nothing spectacular about the options. I’d simply chosen it because it resembled the outfit Ingrid had worn in the dream.

‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠

“Put this on for a bit.”

The way Ingrid looked now—shifting from lifeless mannequin to a living person—was… a little too lethal. In more ways than one. Good thing I’d bought it just in case.

“The thing you purchased earlier was for me?”

“It won’t be exactly the same as what you wore in life. Just be happy with this much.”

“This much? I’m so moved I could cry!!”

Ingrid slipped into the clothes and came rushing at me with a brightened face.

【Halt!】

Sir Isra stepped between us and stopped Ingrid with one hand.

“What is it, iron-head?”

【Do not behave so frivolously toward my lord.】

“I was only trying to express my gratitude.”

【Put the clothes on properly. Have you no shame!】

“Heeh. I don’t see what’s so shameful.”

The two servants growled at each other. Whew. Sir Isra—excellent intervention.

Wow. It wasn’t even a gift set, yet things just kept pouring out.

Boss—no, the status window—has gone completely insane.

Take Ingrid as an example.

—Resurrected effect: +75%

—Achievement: Undead Maker effect: +20%

—Achievement: Break the Rule effect: +30%

Total all-stat increase: ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠125%!

Are you kidding me? My jaw dropped at the utterly unreal weighting.

“Heh… heheh.”

If I were an ordinary necromancer, I wouldn’t be cheering this hard. These buffs only applied to special entities, and for low-grade undead the ceiling was clear—so the achievement would have an expiration date. But not for me.

Resurrected could be strengthened without limit through modification. As my own rank grew, as my understanding of corpse processing, corpse crafting, and bone metallurgy rose, the Resurrected would grow stronger right alongside me.

A permanent thirty-percent increase to every stat. For a Necrosmith, it was the ultimate reward.

“Ingrid. How does the body feel?”

“It feels as though I’m truly alive.”

Ingrid spun in place. There was no corpse-stench to be found; instead a pleasant fragrance, like perfume, tickled my nose.

“Breathing. The sensation of touch on my skin. Even the feeling of seeing with my own eyes…”

After a few turns, vitality radiated from her.

【I am truly envious.】

Sir Isra’s thoughts dripped with raw, unconcealed emotion.

“Your turn will come too, Sir.”

Next time you appear in a dream, take the helmet off first.

“Ah. It feels like only yesterday I was trapped inside that staff, and now I have a body… sob.”

【Witch. Serve our lord with true loyalty for the great grace he has shown.】

“What are you talking about? I was going to do that even without you saying so.”

Ingrid stopped, lightly gathered the hem of the apprentice witch’s attire, and bowed with the grace of a medieval noblewoman—dignified and refined.

“I offer this body and this heart entirely to Master.”

The same oath I had heard when I first freed her from the staff. Now that she possessed a living body, the emotion in it felt even more earnest.

“Now that you’ve become a person again, what do you want to do?”

Ingrid thought for a moment, then beamed.

“I want to eat. Rice.”

Fortunately there was a twenty-four-hour gukbap place nearby.

“I’ll treat you.”

“Anything Master bestows is welcome.”

【Halt! Do not scheme, witch!】

“My. Even the dead can talk.”

【Grrrrrr!!】

She’s going to grind her teeth to dust. Ugh. I really needed to finish Sir Isra’s body soon. Please, next time appear in a dream wearing something that lets me guess the full form.

“Let’s go, Master!”

Ingrid waved her right arm vigorously at the workshop entrance.

“I’m coming, I’m coming.”

Pretending I couldn’t refuse, I tidied up and stepped outside.

[Good morning~♬ Ba-ba-ba-ba-bam—!]

The phone alarm dragged me awake. I rubbed my eyes. After the long crafting session plus a late-night meal, sleep had been short and getting up was a struggle. Thank goodness for the Heavenly Martial Body; without its rapid recovery I would have been wrecked all morning. Before meeting Sir Isra, a schedule this brutal would have left me flat on my back until noon.

“You’re awake?”

The voice came from beside the bed. Ingrid was there.

“Yeah.”

How it had happened: after the gukbap we made it back to my place just fine, but Ingrid refused to stay in the death space like before. She had a new body now and didn’t want to be in a dark place. No choice. I gave her the bed and slept on the floor.

“I’m sorry. My selfishness made things hard for Master.”

“It’s fine. I’ll figure something out next time.”

Hmm. Somehow I’d managed to sleep. Even if she was my servant, she was still a mysterious young woman. The thought of sharing a room had left me pretty tense.

【My lord. Do not worry.】

“Hm?”

【I kept careful watch so that wicked witch would not attempt anything suspicious.】

Sir Isra spoke with pride. Well… thanks for the hard work.

【Never forget that your First Sword is always watching.】

“What are you on about, iron-head.”

Aside from a minor morning commotion, the day was the same as usual. I surfed HunterNet for information, washed up lightly, and got ready to go out.

【Today is the day.】

“Yeah.”

【Compared to a month ago, how do you feel?】

How did I feel? Peak condition. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠Missing a little sleep didn’t matter. The Heavenly Martial Body had wiped the fatigue clean. My cursed motor skills had long since been fixed. My hands felt sharp and sensitive. Maybe it was all the long hours modifying Resurrected, but right now I was confident I could handle whatever the examination topic threw at me—perfectly.

“Master can do it.”

【I believe in you as well.】

Their encouragement made my confidence surge even higher.

Bzzzt—!

A call from President Baek.

—Are you ready?

“Yes.”

—We’ll depart as soon as you come down.

I was already finished preparing. I headed for the coffee van waiting near my place.

“You’ve arrived—wait. Who is this?”

President Baek’s gaze shifted past me.

“Hohoho. We’ve met several times, yet you don’t remember?”

“My apologies. I usually remember faces well, but I simply cannot place you.”

He looked at me in open confusion.

“Ingrid. The joke’s gone too far.”

“Hehe. Sorry.”

“This is my servant, Ingrid.”

President Baek stared blankly for a moment, then cleared his throat and collected himself.

“Ahem. I never imagined you possessed summoning abilities in addition to undead crafting.”

This is part of the crafting ability too, you know. Explaining it properly would be complicated, so I left the rest unsaid.

“I shall escort you to the Tower of the Sky.”

Vroom— vroom—.

The coffee van’s engine turned over and pulled out of the alley.