The Saint Who Levels Up Through Necromancy

Chapter 39: Strengthening Forces (1)

[Translator - Hestia]

[Proofreader - Kaya]

Chapter 39: Strengthening Forces (1)

"I'll help you with the byproduct disposal regularly."

Madam spoke as soon as they left the house.

"I saved your acquaintance's life, and that's all you're going to say?"

"The chairman paid the proper reward for the request."

"How cold."

Yoojin didn't press the matter further.

"You did well too, partner."

"Heh, thanks to you, I had a fascinating experience."

"Is inspiration overflowing?"

"I haven't even organized the insights I gained during the golem alchemy, and now this. I have so much to do."

Shin Joonseok continued to scribble something in his small notebook.

'What did he write? ...Good heavens, look at this man. His handwriting is atrocious.’

Yoojin clicked his tongue at the strange talent of creating his own cipher.

He read it patiently and found that Shin Joonseok had formulated all sorts of data into equations, such as the relationship between the mana wave generated during golem alchemy and the reaction of the enhanced circuit.

'Now he's writing down the mana emission formula.'

At this rate, he'd claim to have gained inspiration from breathing.

This must be what geniuses are like.

〔Aren't you, who achieved the 9th rank despite being a mere human, also included in the category of genius?〕

'Yeah, I'm pretty great.'

〔Tsk, tsk. When will you learn humility?〕

Ignoring Kronos' rebuke, he laid his head back against the seat.

A short rest wouldn't completely relieve his fatigue.

"Don't bother me until we arrive."

Leaving those words behind, he closed his eyes.

* * *

[KM Bank - 1,437,580,110]

1.4 billion won.

This is the amount earned from disposing of byproducts and Mana Stones.

Before returning, it took years to earn 1 billion won.

"Shall we try to get other elixirs?"

"The Inseolsam is enough."

[TL/N: Ginseng from chapter 38]

Yin energy works well with the dead.

If Fafnir consumes it, it will take a long time to fully digest the power of the elixir.

Rather than acquiring elixirs that are of no immediate use, I should invest.

"Partner. Take this."

"One, ten, hundred, thousand, ten thousand... How much is this?!"

"I'll make more for you in the future, so don't worry about the funds and work hard."

"Thank you! I won't let you down!"

Shin Joonseok was panting as if he were about to lick Yoojin's boots.

It seems he has already erased our spectacular first meeting from his mind.

"Alchemist."

"Yes!"

"Can I invest too?"

"No. Who are you trying to covet?"

Yoojin immediately rejected Madam's investment proposal.

"Hoho, I wasn't talking to you. I'll hear the answer from the new alchemist."

"I'm his partner."

Madam. She has a terrific nose for money, Yoojin thought.

Attracting investment is good, but when the pie gets bigger, you have to share it. And sharing with Madam? Not a good idea.

He'd rather not get involved with someone who likely has a few schemes brewing.

"I'll consider it!"

"Ah."

Yoojin pressed his temples.

When he returned to the Paju workshop, the Little Runts team was waiting for him.

"Hyung-nim. You're back."

"Have you all passed the ancient trials?"

"Yes!"

‘Oh?’

A look of surprise flashed across Yoojin's eyes.

"You all managed to endure it."

"We just did as you told us!"

At Lee Seongmin's answer, Yoojin stroked his chin.

‘I knew those two would pass, but I didn't expect him to withstand the Draconian.’

He had shown Kang Minho and Kang Minyeong how to properly utilize their unique traits.

At the same level, it was difficult to find an opponent for them, except for Hunters who received blessings from constellations.

But Lee Seongmin isn't at that level, is he?

"How did you pass?"

"I used my spatial ability, just like you told me, hyung."

"Space?"

"I put in as many shields as I could."

A crack appeared in front of Lee Seongmin. Inside the subspace created by his unique trait [Space], a gray object came into view.

"You opened the space right before the Draconian's attack landed?"

"Yep! That's right!"

【If I eat mana stones, Master's income will decrease.】

Ah. So that's why Fafnir was beating around the bush about the mana stones. There was another reason.

"Money is ultimately a means to an end."

【A means to an end?】

"One of the ways to become stronger."

They say money buys time, right? If you have a lot of money, you can quickly get what you want. But what's truly necessary can't be obtained with money alone.

"For my shining future, there are many enemies I have to face."

Even in Korea alone, there's the Arhan Guild. And the Romanov family, who were Yoojin's nemesis in his past life.

The entire Seven Great Clans who stood by and watched are also implicit enemies.

"How much can you earn by selling some mana stones? It's far more important for you to become stronger."

【M-Master!】

The touched Fafnir rushed towards Yoojin.

【Thank you for understanding! Master!】

"Hey, hey! If you put that much strength into it, my organs will get crushed!"

【I swear! I will fight for Master until my bones turn to dust!】

"Ugh."

With a scream, Yoojin lowered his head. Only then did Fafnir realize he had used excessive force.

As he gently loosened his grip, Yoojin took a deep breath, supplying oxygen to his brain.

‘*Wow. I almost died twice.*’

〔Khahahaha! What a masterpiece. To almost die from being crushed by your own subordinate!〕

Kronos laughed heartily. This time, even Yoojin couldn't find anything to retort with.

"Oh, right. Is Jo Seungchul doing well?"

【You mean the noisy wraith? He's over there.】

Fafnir pointed to the end of the spire.

A whitish soul was circling the pointed tower tirelessly. It was Jo Seungchul, who had become a wraith.

"Come here."

-Kihihihit!

The wraith flew to Yoojin's side.

〔But why are you keeping that ghoul? It doesn't seem to be of much help.〕

‘*Oh, I know a certain ghoul who's not much help either.*’

〔Are you trying to insult me?!〕

‘I didn't say "constellation," did I? You must think that way normally.’

Kronos fell silent. It was sufficient payback for his boisterous laughter earlier.

Taking the wraith, Yoojin moved to the Profane Cemetery. He ordered the Armored Skeleton to dig up Jo Seungchul's corpse.

‘*Now that I've reached 2 Stars, I need to learn a new spell.*’

Separate from alchemy, he could also engrave additional knowledge from already existing fields into his mind.

Raise Dead.

Category: Magic

Rank: D

Creates a magic-type undead from a soulless corpse.

The quality of the created undead is determined by the abilities of the base corpse and the user's competence.

It was a spell that differed from Raise Undead by two letters. However, the result was quite different.

After stripping all the flesh from the corpse with [Flesh Control], Yoojin concentrated his spirit power in his hand.

"Answer my call."

He shouted powerfully and released the spirit power condensed in his hand.

It infused into Jo Seungchul's skeletal remains, which then abruptly stood up with a rattling sound.

[Raise Dead used.]

[Skeleton Mage creation successful.]

[Completion rate is very high. All stats increased by 110%.]

"As expected, the burial had an effect."

The Profane Cemetery. It was a structure that infused the corpses buried in this land with spirit power, making them suitable for revival as undead.

The first one he buried after building the cemetery was Jo Seungchul.

Perhaps thanks to that, the enhancement level, which hadn't exceeded 100% since his return, had increased by another 10%.

"Even with the enhancement, it's only 2 Star level."

The specs were significantly lower than the Armored series. Even though it specialized in magic attacks, it was hard to consider it on the same level as other 2 Star undead.

〔For all that fuss, it's a rather unimpressive result.〕

‘*We haven't even started yet.*’

〔You mean there's more to show?〕

‘Of course.’

〔You're confident. Then don't disappoint me.〕

Yoojin snatched the restlessly circling wraith.

-Kihihihit?

"Stay still."

He suppressed Jo Seungchul's wraith with the spirit power surrounding his hand.

Holding it firmly in place, he shoved it into the Skeleton Mage's skull.

‘It's about synchronizing the two.’

The original owner of this body was the wraith, Jo Seungchul. Although low-ranking undead didn't have souls... What would happen if he forcibly bound the soul and synchronized it?

This knowledge wasn't even recorded in the Ring of Darkness.

‘I call it Unification.’

Yoojin's spirit power fixed Jo Seungchul's soul and the corpse's wavelengths. The whitish energy seeped into the skull, and then...

[The corpse and soul of the deceased have been unified.]

[New spell - 'Unification' added.]

[Skeleton Mage (Jo Seungchul) created.]

-Ggehl!! Chaos, destruction, deathi—!!

Azure flames flickered violently in the empty eye sockets.

[Translator - Hestia

[Proofreader - Kaya]