Chapter 87
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Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 87
Chapter Title: Completed Summons (2)
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Kataku.
He was the gate boss of the "C-Grade Gate Rank Change Incident," where a C-grade gate had suddenly shifted to B-grade, nearly causing countless casualties.
The troll who commanded those mighty trolls and bore the title of "King."
Kang Sa-hu lit up with joy at the news that this Kataku had finally transformed into a Death Knight, and his eyes blazed fiercely.
Myeongwang had been about to chide him like a doting grandmother—why push himself to clear a B-grade gate and make her worry so much?—but she let out a deep sigh at the sight of those eyes.
"Want to go see it right now? Anywhere hurting?"
"No, I'm perfectly fine."
Myeongwang stared hard at Kang Sa-hu, trying to discern if he was truly unharmed or just saying so.
His spirit remained utterly calm, without the slightest tremor—clear proof he wasn't lying.
'He really entered a B-grade gate... and came out without a scratch?'
Recalling the horrors of the B-grade gates he'd faced himself, Myeongwang marveled inwardly.
Kang Sa-hu and Myeongwang.
Followed by Verdact, the three made their way to Myeongwang's chamber.
Thump-thump.
The closer they got to Myeongwang's room—where Death Knight Kataku awaited—the louder Kang Sa-hu felt his heartbeat grow.
The rhythm stayed steady as ever, but each pulse thrummed so powerfully it tingled around his heart. He savored the feeling.
As Myeongwang's room came into view, the Gates of Hell sensed her presence and began to grind open on their own.
Rumble—
The massive, thick doors parted. Stepping inside, Kang Sa-hu froze in shock.
Myeongwang chuckled at his reaction.
"Surprised? So was I. Never imagined an unawakened Death Knight would radiate this much power."
Just as she said, Death Knight Kataku—eyes closed, hovering midair—emanated intense qi, or mana, as naturally as breathing.
This wasn't mana flared deliberately to intimidate foes or fuel spells.
It was mere residue, leaking out as the mana within him circulated smoothly through his body.
Yet even that faint trace screamed of power beyond the ordinary—anyone could sense it.
Kang Sa-hu gazed at Kataku a moment longer, then turned to Myeongwang.
"So... all that's left is for me to awaken him?"
"Yeah. From here, it's just like the ancient tome described—the method you already know."
Kang Sa-hu nodded at her straightforward reply and fixed his gaze on Kataku.
Stirring the mana pooled within him, he set his eyes ablaze like sprouting horns.
Next came the keyword for his identity as a Necromancer—the one he'd devised himself.
He'd murmured it like a vow countless times, casting spells or proclaiming his domain. But now, its weight felt profoundly different.
"I postpone your rest."
The moment Kang Sa-hu spoke the words, a beat passed.
Then Kataku—who'd shown no sign of stirring—opened his eyes.
From what would be the whites in a human to the pupil itself, all pitch black—like staring into a void punched through reality.
Kataku's feet touched down as he descended from the air.
He glanced at his hands, his feet, his surroundings... and locked eyes with Kang Sa-hu.
Boom!
Whoosh!
The floor splintered as he launched skyward—yet in the blink of an eye, Kataku stood before Kang Sa-hu.
Close enough for a single punch to land.
But within that razor-short distance, Verdact had already unsheathed his sword. Black energy extended the blade over twice its length, poised at Kataku's throat.
Myeongwang had sensed the motion before it even began. Her eyes gleamed as she drew energy from the magic circle below, spells primed and ready.
A powder keg on the verge of explosion.
Yet Kang Sa-hu alone remained unfazed by Kataku's abrupt lunge, his horn-like gaze burning steadily into the knight.
"Greetings, my Death Knight."
[Greetings. My master.]
A voice like gravel rising from an endless cavern's depths echoed through Myeongwang's chamber.
After Kataku formally acknowledged Kang Sa-hu as master with full ritual obeisance...
Kang Sa-hu wasted no time, peppering him with questions about gates, monsters, and Hell's nobility—seemingly ranked in five tiers.
But Kataku's replies came back mostly as "I don't know."
[The last I remember is preparing for battle against certain beings in my homeland. No matter how I search, I find no memories of what you ask.]
"I see."
Verdact suspected Kataku might be concealing gate secrets with lies.
But Kang Sa-hu and Myeongwang knew better. Even with will and soul intact, a Death Knight bound to its master couldn't deceive.
Besides, Kang Sa-hu—who'd just weathered a hidden boss in a B-grade gate—could relate to Kataku's plight.
'Patametos regained his full might and grew gigantic, yet remembered nothing before that. Kataku showing the same—or similar—makes perfect sense.'
Regrettable as it was to draw a blank on the intel he craved, the thrill of claiming a Death Knight eclipsed it. A satisfied smile clung to Kang Sa-hu's face.
Sensing the colossal power wafting naturally from Kataku, he pondered.
'Kataku's my ace in the hole. Incredibly strong summon... but I still don't know the mana cost for summoning and unsummoning.'
Had he forged a flawless Death Knight from nothing, mana—or spirit power—would drain ceaselessly, not just on summon but every step, every swing in battle.
But his Soul Core Creation skill changed everything: mana spent only on summoning and reverting.
And since Kataku's transformation preserved his body and spirit intact, no further cost post-summon.
Of course, Kang Sa-hu had zero plans to lounge afar, letting this powerhouse carry the load. He mulled how best to wield him.
'In that B-grade gate, I forced my way into the sealed mansion for hidden boss Patametos. But eventually, I'll face monsters on his level.'
The gate was labeled B-grade; hunting just the Giant Gargoyle boss might've wrapped it at standard B-rank effort.
But Patametos—the one he'd hunted down amid the chaos—outran any B-grade by miles.
Obvious from a simple fact.
One punch from Patametos had detonated every monster inside the gate.
From confirmed B-grade gargoyles to the boss gargoyle—definitely B-plus or higher—all obliterated in a single blow.
What rank do you slap on a being that wields such devastation?
'...Minimum S-grade.'
Answering his own query, Kang Sa-hu reached for Kataku.
His intent triggered the familiar skill. Kataku dissolved into soul core form—and a massive mana chunk vanished from Kang Sa-hu's reserves.
"Ngh."
Over a tenth of his total mana, burned just to revert him. Dizziness washed over Kang Sa-hu.
'What a monstrous drain...'
The sheer volume made "lavish" sound quaint for an unsummon. He felt faintly queasy.
"Sa-hu? You alright?"
"Yeah, fine."
Myeongwang clocked his off-note instantly, like a spirit herself. He brushed it off casually and studied Kataku's soul core cradled in his palm.
Kang Sa-hu's eyes widened briefly in shock at the soul core's readout, but the flicker passed quickly.
He calmly tucked it into his soul core pouch and turned to Myeongwang.
"Myeongwang, sorry to drop this right after the gate—but I need to head home now."
"Wha—right away?!"
She stared, eyes mixing surprise and disappointment.
But Kang Sa-hu was resolute, unmoved.
"Yes. Death Knight's done, so the Draugr back home should be finishing up too. It won't awaken without me... but I'm worried it'll spook my parents."
"Ah, got it."
Myeongwang grasped it instantly.
Even she—residing in the magic circle channeling energy across the entire Necromancer Society as Myeongwang—had reeled at the Death Knight's absurd might.
What if the completed Draugr leaked even a fraction of a fraction of that aura in a house with Kang Seung-hwan and Ella?
Surprise would be the best outcome. Mishandle it, and the sheer pressure could injure them.
"Go—hurry, Sa-hu!"
She urged him on instead.
Kang Sa-hu bowed politely to Myeongwang and Verdact, then departed Necro Castle.
-Woof! Woof!
Fresh out, he summoned his Hell Hound and stroked its joyfully wagging jaw.
"Gonna need a ride."
-Grr?
The Hell Hound's eyes went wide. Flames erupted fiercely along its back from brow to tail.
"......"
-Woof!
Evolution granting jokes now? The Hell Hound rolled belly-up at Kang Sa-hu's baffled look, then doused the blaze.
"Ha."
Charmed by its smarts and mischief, Kang Sa-hu laughed softly, mounted, and brushed dirt from its back.
Savoring the affectionate strokes, the Hell Hound stilled as he settled—then bolted forward.
Swoooosh.
Perfectly balanced, stable, blindingly fast.
No wind-whipping roar like the Giant Hound days—yet smoother, swifter. Kang Sa-hu smiled faintly at the ride.
One evolution, this transformed.
'If...'
Evolution sparked a glint in his eyes.
'What if Kataku evolves?'
Freshly minted Death Knight, bound as summon—ages away, maybe.
Still, the thought set his heart racing.
Then, distant: the house housing his parents.
"......"
Centered on it, his parents and fellow necromancers poised in full battle stance, each on high alert. Kang Sa-hu quietly spurred the Hell Hound onward.