Chapter 13
Chapter 13
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 13
Chapter Title: Necromancer of the Sword Clan
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The Goblin General reached Shin Yu-hyun in the blink of an eye, swinging its greatsword wreathed in blood-red aura that glowed even more fiercely than before.
Clang!
Shin Yu-hyun deflected the attack with Ignis.
And right after.
Kagagagang!
The Goblin General's ferocious assault continued.
But Shin Yu-hyun didn't retreat a single step.
He parried the relentless barrage of blood-red aura-infused greatsword strikes with Ignis.
In the darkness, blood-red sword flashes intertwined with black flames, sparks flying everywhere.
The Goblin General pushed Shin Yu-hyun with overwhelming power and speed, but it couldn't land a single solid hit.
Shin Yu-hyun twisted his upper body like a swing to dodge or deflect the greatsword.
It was thanks to the practical experience and skills he'd honed in his previous life against countless magic beasts and Getia worshippers.
And that wasn't all.
Whoosh!
Black flames were steadily burning the Goblin General's body.
Because of that, the Goblin General was constantly taking ongoing damage from the black flames.
If this kept up, victory would be Shin Yu-hyun's.
However...
'It's taking too long.'
With the black flames' proficiency still low, and boss magic beasts having immense stamina by nature, it was a drawback that took a long time to bring them down.
'Time to finish it.'
Shin Yu-hyun drew out as much mana as possible from his chakra.
And he activated one of his unique skills.
Boom!
In an instant, black aura exploded outward with Shin Yu-hyun at the center.
A skill born from the bond he'd forged with Maria in his previous life.
Limit Mana Overdrive.
It compressed all his mana to push his physical abilities to the limit.
The drawback was its short duration.
'Ten seconds is plenty.'
Thud!
Shin Yu-hyun planted his foot and kicked off the ground, leaving a small crater as he shot toward the Goblin General at tremendous speed, almost flying.
Moments later, the Goblin General's roar echoed through the forest.
Once he activated his unique skill Limit Mana Overdrive, it was Shin Yu-hyun's solo show.
Even at only 20% output, it was more than enough to handle the berserk Goblin General.
The Goblin General was bisected by the magic sword Ignis before the ten seconds were even up.
"......"
Lee Jung-hoon and his gang, who had watched from start to finish, wore expressions of utter disbelief.
As the battle ended and they stared at the Goblin General burning in black flames, Lee Jung-hoon spoke in a dazed tone.
"Hey. What the hell did we just witness?"
"No idea. What was that? Scary as hell."
Lee Jung-hoon and his crew looked at Shin Yu-hyun in astonishment.
They'd dismissed and belittled him as mana-less until now.
Who could've guessed he was hiding such insane skill!
Having seen Shin Yu-hyun take down the Goblin General alone, Lee Jung-hoon finally realized what he needed to do.
"Guys."
"Yeah?"
"What?"
Kim Do-jin and Jeong Min-seok turned to him at the call.
"Let's not mess with him anymore."
"Yeah."
"Agreed."
Kim Do-jin and Jeong Min-seok nodded at Lee Jung-hoon's words.
A 2-star boss Goblin General was a monster that gave even the three of them trouble when they ganged up on it. And Shin Yu-hyun had soloed it.
There was no more picking fights with him.
They'd just seen exactly what could happen if they did.
'To think he'd really solo a 2-star boss...'
Choi Hyun-seong watched Shin Yu-hyun resting after felling the Goblin General, his eyes complex.
'Talent is a scary thing.'
Choi Hyun-seong let out an involuntary chuckle.
A figure despised and neglected in the Heaven-Splitting Sword Clan for lacking mana talent.
Yet he'd been hiding tremendous talent and skill, and now he was revealing it.
It was intriguing.
'I wonder what happens next.'
Shin Yu-hyun was sure to bring a massive upheaval to the Heaven-Splitting Sword Clan.
It was time to decide which direct lineage to side with, but Choi Hyun-seong decided to watch for now.
He was curious how the clan would react to this changed Shin Yu-hyun.
'As expected.'
Shin Yu-hyun smiled in satisfaction at the messages floating before his eyes.
He already knew that first clears of dungeons came with special rewards.
And the first clear reward went to the superhuman who contributed the most to clearing it—namely, the one who'd dealt the most damage to the boss among the party.
'Who knew the first clear reward for the Goblin Forest Dungeon was a Chakra boost.'
For a typical superhuman, it would've boosted stamina.
Since stamina was far more important than other stats, it was an excellent reward.
In his previous life, he hadn't known what the first clear reward was.
Shin Cheol-ho had taken it.
With Choi Hyun-seong's help, Shin Cheol-ho had dealt heavy damage to the 2-star boss Goblin Champion and delivered the finishing blow.
He must've gotten the stamina boost then.
'To think Shin Cheol-ho got something this good.'
Shin Cheol-ho, the clan's beloved youngest with generational talent, monopolized all the perks.
This nomination request was the same.
Clearing dungeons built real combat experience, and first clear rewards accelerated growth.
But...
'Now I'll take it all.'
Shin Yu-hyun knew of several dungeons that would appear in the areas managed by the Heaven-Splitting Sword Clan.
He planned to monopolize them all.
That way, he could grow even faster.
'First, I need to train in the Goblin Dungeon.'
Most dungeons vanished after the boss was defeated.
But some persisted even after.
Those were always-open dungeons.
In always-open dungeons, magic beasts respawned after a set time.
In other words...
'This place is a goldmine for Soul Points.'
The Goblin Dungeon was perfect for Shin Yu-hyun. It had more magic beasts than others.
Thus, it was ideal for training.
'And I need to test the undead skill too.'
The Immortal King's undead skill was a summoning type, highly conspicuous. He planned to use it in isolated spots.
After handling the Goblin General and sorting out the aftermath, Shin Yu-hyun returned to Choi Hyun-seong and Lee Jung-hoon's group.
He smiled at them and spoke.
"Instructor, let's head back now."
With that, Shin Yu-hyun wrapped things up and left the red-moon-lit dungeon behind with Choi Hyun-seong and Lee Jung-hoon's gang.
After clearing the Goblin Dungeon, the sun was already high in the sky.
All that remained was for the clan's recovery team to collect the magic cores and such left by the magic beasts.
As they prepared to leave...
"Shin Yu-hyun, Father summons you."
Waiting outside the dungeon was someone unexpected.
A figure with no connection to him at this point in time, just like his uncle Shin Sung-hyun.
Snowflower Dragon Maiden Shin Yu-ra.
'Why is big sis here?'
Shin Yu-ra, leader of the Azure Dragon Sword Division among the Heaven-Splitting Sword Clan's guardian sword units, fixed her cold gaze on Shin Yu-hyun.
Not just Shin Yu-hyun—even Choi Hyun-seong and Lee Jung-hoon's group looked shocked at her sudden appearance.
Shin Yu-hyun's eldest sister, Shin Yu-ra, was a household name in Korea.
A cool-headed beauty with celebrity-level looks.
A 5-star peak swordmaster leading the Heaven-Splitting Sword Clan's Azure Dragon Sword Division at a young age.
Her presence was like a white snowflower blooming on a cliffside.
Why was she waiting for him?
"Long time no see, sis."
Shin Yu-hyun gave a slight bow in greeting.
Shin Yu-ra was a sleek beauty with long hair down to her waist and sharp eyes.
The blue barrier suit she wore amplified her icy aura.
When he was young, she'd doted on him a lot. He'd learned swordsmanship quickly back then, even earning prodigy praise.
But as time passed and his lack of mana talent prevented stamina awakening, they'd naturally drifted apart.
Because of the clan's watchful eyes.
And probably disappointment in his lack of talent.
"Seems you've been up to some interesting things while I was away."
"Nothing compared to what you do, sis."
Shin Yu-hyun smiled and parried her question.
Shin Yu-ra had left the clan for external hunter duties these past few days, returning only yesterday.
She mainly tackled ultra-dangerous high-grade dungeons or dealt with villains.
Compared to that, what Shin Yu-hyun had done post-regression was cute. Just betting against Shin Cheol-jin and beating up Shin Cheol-ho.
"Is that so? It looked plenty fun to me. Especially since Father's summoning you."
Yet the ice queen known to the world smiled as she spoke?
"......"
But Shin Yu-hyun couldn't smile back.
'She already knows?'
This was unthinkable in his previous life. Shin Yu-ra had never once called for him, not even on the day he was exiled from the clan.
And the reason for summoning him was obvious.
It had to be about Shin Cheol-ho.
"You'll have to tell Father what happened this morning. He's curious, and so am I. And..."
Shin Yu-ra gazed steadily at Shin Yu-hyun.
She could sense it. Mana aura she'd never felt from him before.
"You've awakened your stamina?"
"Yes, five days ago."
Shin Yu-hyun saw no point in hiding it.
Shin Yu-ra was a 5-star peak swordmaster.
Fooling her senses completely was impossible.
"I see. So that's why..."
Shin Yu-ra nodded in understanding at his answer.
"Then we'll discuss the details with Father."
"Sure."
With that, Shin Yu-hyun returned to the clan with Shin Yu-ra and her Azure Dragon Sword Division.
The Clan Leader's Hall of the Heaven-Splitting Sword Clan.
Gathered here were Clan Leader Shin Sung-il and the Shin family kin.
The interior resembled a major corporation's boardroom. In the center stood a massive U-shaped table with chairs.
To the right of the U-shaped table sat Shin Yu-hyun's direct siblings; to the left, the extended family.
Behind them were more tables and chairs for the clan's executives.
The hall was a den of monsters. The clan's real powerhouses were assembled.
From 4-star at minimum to 6-star.
Their combined presence made the atmosphere heavy.
And standing alone at the empty center of the U-shaped table was Shin Yu-hyun.
"Shin Yu-hyun, do you know why you've been called here?"
A deep, resonant voice echoed from before Shin Yu-hyun.