Chapter 44
Chapter 44
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Translator: Ryuma
Chapter: 44
Chapter Title: Underground Training Grounds
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Black Tortoise Hall's underground training ground.
There, Shin Yu-hyun was deep in training.
After the Iron Blood Corps' raid incident was resolved, Shin Yu-hyun had downed the Growth Potion and secluded himself in the Black Tortoise Hall's underground training ground for a full week of intensive training.
A superhuman's body served as a vessel for mana.
By tempering the flesh, it became easier to build up the ki needed to wield mana.
That made training in external martial arts essential.
So, what was the most effective way to hone those external arts?
None other than live combat.
Kraka-ka-kang!
"Ngh!"
Blocking a bone sword crashing down on him with both hands, Shin Yu-hyun swallowed a grunt of pain.
Clack-clack-clack.
Right now, Shin Yu-hyun was training against a single Skeleton Soldier in the underground training ground.
'As expected, it's tough without using mana.'
Superhumans' battles fundamentally relied on Body Strengthening Technique fueled by mana.
That was how they could fight magic beasts stronger than themselves.
In Shin Yu-hyun's case especially, his chakra outstripped his physical stats.
Thanks to that, he could battle far stronger foes, but if his mana ran dry and he couldn't sustain Body Strengthening Technique, things could turn dangerous.
Which was why the Growth Potion was such a boon for him.
It delivered maximum gains from minimal training.
"I'll add one more~."
At that moment, a cute voice rang out beside Shin Yu-hyun.
It belonged to Dia, the black cat tribe girl with jet-black hair and feline ears.
Dia had erected a massive barrier in the underground training ground to suppress the undead aura as much as possible while watching Shin Yu-hyun train.
Kyuu~
And Ka-mang-i was crawling around the training ground floor nearby, amusing itself.
"A-Already?"
"Yep~."
Dia flashed an innocent smile at Shin Yu-hyun's dismayed question.
Moments later, another Skeleton Soldier joined the one already facing him.
Clack-clack-clack.
Skeleton Soldiers armed with simple bone armor and bone swords.
Their strength, agility, and stamina all exceeded 50.
Purely in base physical abilities, the Skeleton Soldiers outclassed Shin Yu-hyun, putting him at a disadvantage in a head-on clash.
His own stats were in the 40s, so he avoided direct confrontations, relying instead on technique.
His swordsmanship skill and combat experience gave him the edge there.
'Stamina's the issue.'
Technique could cover for power and speed, but stamina would wear him down over time.
He needed to overpower the Skeleton Soldiers quickly.
But now they'd added another one.
"This is Sparta."
"Isn't training supposed to be like that? Train like it's real combat! Fight like it's training!"
What is she, some army brat?
Shin Yu-hyun shook his head at Dia's words.
With that, he began battling the two Skeleton Soldiers.
Kwak! Kraka-kang!
He parried or dodged the bone swords alternating attacks from both sides.
The pressure was definitely greater than facing one.
Having to handle two meant wider movements, no helping it.
But his training gains were climbing accordingly.
System messages popped up, announcing the rise in his physical stats thanks to the Growth Potion.
This training benefited the Skeleton Soldiers too.
By clashing with Shin Yu-hyun, the Skeleton Soldiers were gaining real combat experience.
And what one Skeleton Soldier learned could be shared among all.
Teaching swordsmanship to one meant the others could wield it too, and the live experience from this spar would spread across them.
'That's the legion-building power of the Undead Creation skill.'
Legionization didn't just standardize Skeleton Soldiers—it let them share experiences too.
A cheat ability, no doubt.
'But it's still not enough.'
About two weeks from now.
A dungeon stampede would erupt off Incheon's coast.
In his past life, it had taken three sword divisions—six members dispatched from the Heaven-Splitting Sword Clan—plus warriors from other families and hunters to suppress it.
Even then, they couldn't prevent Incheon Airport from becoming a wasteland.
By the time they arrived, the beaches were swarming with magic beasts.
The dungeon rift had opened underwater, delaying detection.
The silver lining? It was late at night, so casualties stayed low.
'The numbers gap is too wide.'
Hundreds of magic beasts had crawled from the sea during the Incheon landing incident.
Shin Yu-hyun could currently field around 40 Skeleton Soldiers.
Both were 3-star grade, so not a huge difference there.
But 40 against hundreds? Skeleton Soldiers alone couldn't handle it.
Still, he had options.
Shin Yu-hyun checked the unique skill SSS-rank Undead Creation recorded in his unique trait Phnacoic Bible (EX).
Undead Creation (SSS)
1. Undead Summoning
- Summon various undead using corpses as mediums.
2. Limit Breakthrough
- Satisfy conditions to enslave undead regardless of rank.
3. Undead Mastery
1) Undead Tuning
- View details
2) Undead Deathwatch
- Fuse undead individuals
- Immortal King exclusive special entity
4. Skeleton Core Mastery
1) Skeleton Legionization 2) Grant unified form and abilities to legionized undead 3) Skeleton ?? (Inactive)
- Activates at 4-star
'Hmm. Time to buff the Skeletons.'
Scanning the Undead Creation menu, Shin Yu-hyun focused on the Undead Tuning details.
Under Undead Tuning lay the Skeleton Enhancement list.
While fending off the Skeleton Soldiers, Shin Yu-hyun activated split thinking to review the enhancements.
Each had a level, and Lv2 required 20 Soul Points.
'Better invest Soul Points in the Skeletons this time.'
Until now, he'd dumped them into his own stats, prioritizing chakra.
Higher chakra meant higher superhuman rank and unlocking inactive skills.
But to counter the Incheon stampede, his Skeleton Soldiers needed a boost.
'Plenty more Soul Points from the stampede.'
Shin Yu-hyun smirked inwardly.
He planned to monopolize the stampeding magic beasts if possible.
But to do that, he or his summons had to kill them—only direct kills fed Dark Soul Eater for Soul Points.
'Current Soul Points: 150.'
Enough to max one category to Lv5 or bring seven to Lv2.
(Lv2: 20, Lv3: 30, Lv4: 40, Lv5: 50 Soul Points.)
'What to prioritize?'
Mulling it over mid-fight with split thinking against two Skeleton Soldiers, he decided.
He started with bones—the foundation of all Skeletons.
'Reinforcing bones boosts everything overall.'
Once applied, the two Skeleton Soldiers' movements sharpened noticeably.
Ska-gaga-gat!
Their strikes came harder, more agile than before.
'Ngh! Lv5 at once was too much?'
Deflecting an overhead bone sword, Shin Yu-hyun winced. The impact jarred his wrist.
He felt their newfound strength through his entire body.
'And that's not all.'
Retreating under their assault, Shin Yu-hyun smiled to himself.
Enhancement choices could reshape their combat style.
Strength focus: power type. Agility: speed type. Stamina: tank type.
Equip longswords, greatswords, or even bows for ranged, and tactical options exploded.
Above all, enhanced Skeleton Soldiers outclassed peers.
Same 3-star, but buffs could push them toward 4-star.
'Need to raid dungeons before the stampede.'
Use the Soul Points from those to further empower his Skeletons.
It would aid the stampede defense too.
And more.
Shin Yu-hyun eyed Undead Deathwatch under Undead Creation.
Activated at 3-star.
'Making an Undead Deathwatch would help.'
Immortal King exclusive: Undead Deathwatch.
Fuse and modify various corpses into one powerful undead.
Key was a boss-grade magic beast corpse for the core.
Depending on the beast, yield animal, humanoid, insect, slime, or amorphous forms.
Limitations: Only corpses matching his superhuman rank, and Soul Point cost.
'Wish I had Izar's corpse.'
The 4-star unique boss Izar had been mighty.
At 4-star himself, fusing it would birth a beast of an Undead Deathwatch.
Regrettably, it had burned to ash without a trace.
'Which corpse for the core?'
Shin Yu-hyun pondered.
One perfect for the Incheon stampede would be ideal.
'That spot it is.'
A faint smile crossed his mind.
He'd recalled a 3-star dungeon with a suitable boss magic beast corpse.
Timing perfect too—appearing three days post-seclusion.
'Alright then...'
Sorting his to-do list, Shin Yu-hyun glared ahead.
All that remained: Focus on closed-door training for the week.
Commanding Skeleton Soldiers would raise his dominance stat and Dominance Enhancement proficiency too.
One week later.
Shin Yu-hyun emerged from the underground training ground to the surface.
Waiting above were familiar faces from Black Tortoise Hall.
Led by Vice Hall Leader Choi Jung-hoon, flanked by Personnel Manager Lee Yeon-hwa and Finance Manager Kim Jae-hyun.
"Great work, Hall Leader."
"Missed seeing your face around lately. Felt lonely."
"Good to see you again."
They each greeted him warmly.
That's when Shin Yu-hyun noticed someone new behind them.
A woman in her mid-20s, clad in a black suit.
Sharp-eyed with glasses, wearing a stern expression.
The moment he saw her face, Shin Yu-hyun flinched before quickly schooling his features.
'Why is she here?'