The Necromancer's Legacy
Boss monsters possessed stats far superior to ordinary monsters, and their destructive power was something no individual could withstand alone.
Except for Kang Yoonsoo, the other four stood frozen, unable to close their mouths at the sight of the Giant Hopgoblin's imposing figure.
Shock had rendered their legs useless.
In that moment, the Giant Hopgoblin swung its machete downward.
Thud—!
Hong Garam's body split cleanly in two.
"W-what the hell!"
"Kyaaaaah—!"
"R-run away!"
The three survivors scrambled toward the exit.
But the Giant Hopgoblin moved faster.
Its massive frame blocked the exit as it unleashed a terrifying roar at the companions who had slaughtered its kin.
"Krororororok—!"
"Damn it. We have no choice but to fight! Hey, Kang Yoonsoo! Get over here!"
Choi Changseok shouted desperately.
Kang Yoonsoo, however, rose slowly and walked deeper into the cave instead.
"That useless bastard!"
Kim Minsu spat a curse and drew his sword.
He charged, swinging low in an attempt to slip past the Giant Hopgoblin's ankles and escape.
The moment the boss drove its machete down, his body was pierced straight through.
"Kyaaaaah—!"
Lee Yuri screamed at the gruesome sight.
In that instant, she felt an impact from behind.
Choi Changseok had kicked her in the back without hesitation.
She was sent flying into the Giant Hopgoblin's ankle and crushed beneath the handle of its weapon.
While the monster's attention was fixed on Lee Yuri, Choi Changseok sprinted away.
Just as he reached the exit, the machete grazed his back.
Grinding his teeth, he spun around and swung his sword with everything he had.
A full-powered strike.
Clang—!
Sparks flew as machete met longsword.
The difference in strength twisted Choi Changseok's wrist. He tried to hold his ground but his ankle gave out.
He was hurled out of the cave, tumbling violently across the dirt.
The edge of his blade snapped, and agony shot through the hand gripping the hilt.
"U-ugh……"
Choi Changseok clawed at the ground with both hands and forced himself upright.
Fortunately, the Giant Hopgoblin did not pursue him outside.
He stood alone on the barren wasteland.
Everyone else was dead.
Now he had to survive on this continent by himself.
His eyes burned with hatred.
The image of the man who had abandoned them to save himself was seared into his mind.
"Kang Yoonsoo…… that son of a bitch. Just you wait."
After spitting the curse, Choi Changseok staggered away, vengeance boiling in his chest.
* * *
Kang Yoonsoo reached the far end of the cave.
An altar made of oxidized bones stood against the wall.
A rusted box rested atop it.
The "incredible treasure" Lee Yuri had detected with her Search skill originated from whatever lay inside that box.
Kang Yoonsoo ran his hand over the lid.
The box had no keyhole and was sealed so tightly it seemed impossible to open.
Yet the moment a human hand touched it, the iron box trembled.
Soon, pitch-black darkness rose from within.
Flash—!
The cave floor quivered faintly, and stalactites rained down like spears.
The darkness coalesced into a humanoid shape.
It towered so high its head nearly brushed the ceiling.
A voice steeped in malice echoed loudly.
［Weak…… and arrogant…… fool!］
The fallen soul roared ferociously.
［I am the soul of Nakron, the Last Necromancer! Do you truly believe a lowly creature like you can claim the secret arts I left behind without paying any price?!］
In the distant past, five individuals had stood at the pinnacle of their respective classes.
Led by Sirian, the King of All Things, they had repelled the invasion of Pandemonium and were revered as ancient heroes.
Among them, the most sinister and wicked was Nakron, the Last Necromancer—who had ultimately fought for the world.
Kang Yoonsoo had awakened Nakron's fallen soul.
［If you wish to open that box, you must crush the hatchling of the Flame Dragon in the desert where the sun never sets, shatter the Ice King in the snowfields of eternal winter, and overcome my trials……］
"The one who killed you was the King of All Things."
［……What…… did you say?］
Nakron's ancient heroic soul asked in a bewildered voice.
Kang Yoonsoo remained indifferent.
He casually revealed a truth even the ancient heroes had never known.
"On the day the gates of Pandemonium were about to open, you died in battle against demons. But there was more to it. Sirian, the King of All Things, had been secretly feeding you a potent poison so you would never notice. The toxin accumulated gradually, stripping away your strength. Since you sought immortality as a lich, you would have become a troublesome obstacle later. That is why Sirian betrayed and eliminated you."
［……Nonsense! That cannot be true! Sirian was my close friend and comrade-in-arms. The King of All Things was the only one who ever believed in me!］
"It is true. As proof, your bloodline was severed, and the Leorcan Empire enjoyed an era of peace. Now you remain the most reviled among the ancient heroes, while Sirian is remembered as the founding emperor and a great man. If you doubt me, go to the underworld and seek Sirian's soul. He has not died yet."
［Impossible……! It cannot be!］
Nakron's expression twisted in shock, his fists trembling violently.
His soul condensed sharply before suddenly expanding.
［Sirian……! You bastard!］
With a roar loud enough to tear eardrums, Nakron's soul vanished.
The box clicked open.
Inside lay a leather-bound tome and a plain black ring.
◈ A tome written by Nakron, the Last Necromancer. It details the secrets of necromancy. Anyone may inherit these secrets regardless of class. Unemployed individuals may change class to Last Necromancer.
◈ Mana Increase: 725
◈ Mana Recovery Speed +55
◈ Skills: Spirit Creation, Soul Harvest
◈ A black ring forged by Nakron to trample the Spirit Kings. It contains the grudges of the spirits who once beautified the world. Allows the creation of spirits using rare and powerful materials. Can also harvest and seal the souls of living beings. Souls sealed within will suffer greatly. However, the soul of its creator, Nakron, cannot be sealed.
Spirit Creation — Lv1 (00.00%)
Creatable Spirits: Salamander (requires Dragon's Breath), Icicle (requires Eternal Ice Crystal), Bright (requires Lightning Golem Core), Sharpness (requires Spirit Sword).
Creates spirits using rare materials.
Soul Harvest — Lv1 (00.00%)
Limit: 4 uses
Can harvest the souls of the recently deceased or wraiths. Harvested souls can enhance the owner's abilities or serve as materials for undead weapons. Rarely, they may be used as reinforcements or infused into dolls.
Item grades were divided into Normal, Rare, Unique, and Legendary.
Normal-grade items were the most common. Rare-grade items sometimes fetched high prices. Unique-grade items were extremely valuable on their own. Legendary-grade items could shift the balance of power across the continent.
The Ring of Life Oppression was absurdly powerful.
A single ring that increased mana by 725 and dramatically accelerated mana recovery. On top of that, it granted two unique skills. It was the kind of item only an archmage would possess.
Of course, obtaining it was never meant to be this simple.
One had to overcome Nakron's perilous trials to unseal the box—slaying an Ignus Dragon hatchling in the Extinction Desert or stealing the heart of the Ice King in the Icicle Mountains, for example.
But Kang Yoonsoo was a transcendent being living his thousandth life.
He possessed the knowledge to claim both the secret arts and the item without enduring those grueling trials.
He slipped the Ring of Life Oppression onto his finger.
His Power Gauntlet only covered the back of his hand, leaving his fingers free to wear the ring.
He opened the leather tome.
Bright light flowed from its pages.
Would you like to change class to the hidden class Last Necromancer?
The Last Necromancer was an excellent class.
Each time corpses were raised, stats increased. It was even possible to revive as an undead upon death.
At high levels, one could easily command high-ranking undead, and mana would multiply several times over.
There were drawbacks, however.
Every time the powers of a necromancer were used, flesh would rot and the body would gradually transform into an undead.
Yet if one abandoned humanity and became a lich, they could wield grotesque magic at the cost of becoming an enemy of mankind.
Kang Yoonsoo had once become a lich and raised an army of the dead across the battlefield.
Even so, he had been defeated by the Demon Lord.
The Terminal's voice system accepted his words.
Class change declined. Would you like to inherit the necromancer's secrets without changing class?
"I will inherit them."
The tome vanished cleanly, and the light that flowed from it seeped into Kang Yoonsoo.
You have inherited the necromancer's secrets.
A new stat, 《Regeneration》, has been unlocked.
Multiple Corpse Resurrection — Lv1 (00.00%)
Mana Cost: All remaining mana
Resurrects all nearby corpses as the lowest-grade undead. Undead that finish combat can be stored in the summoning system and summoned again later.
Corpse Explosion — Lv1 (00.00%)
Mana Cost: 40
Causes a designated corpse to explode violently.
Life Drain — Lv1 (00.00%)
Mana Cost: 3 per second
Forcibly absorbs an enemy's health and lifespan.
Kang Yoonsoo walked outside.
The Giant Hopgoblin, which had been sitting at the cave entrance, rose to its feet.
"Kurrrrk……!"
The boss monster growled as it looked down at him.
Kang Yoonsoo surveyed the Hopgoblin corpses scattered around him.
Then he slowly raised his right arm.
"Multiple Corpse Resurrection."
The blood-soaked corpses rose as skeletons.