NSE-Chapter 11

Chapter 11

The return was instantaneous.

Min-woo looked at his body.

Until just a moment ago, he had been wandering through the jaws of death.

Now it was perfectly fine, like new.

No Potion Addiction symptoms either.

Virtual Body, the best.

‘I did spend some money, but it came out relatively cheap.’

What he had gained was not small.

First.

The Skeletons’ combat experience.

They had directly experienced a massive war that couldn’t be joined even with money. This experience would be a great help when the Skeletons grew from now on.

Second.

Titles.

He had gained numerous Titles.

Since it was a new stage, there were many among them whose details even Min-woo didn’t know.

‘Let me take a look while I’m at it.’

[New Title List]

[1. How Far Do You Go, Anyway?]

[Directly participated in a special battlefield.]

[Effect: Magic Power +3]

[2. Orc Slaughterer]

[Hunted five hundred Orcs with far higher Levels than yourself.]

[Effect: Attack power against Orcs increases by 10%.]

[3. One Who Lives Only for Today]

[Chugged Potions like water and became addicted.]

[Effect: The chance of resisting Potion Addiction rises slightly.]

[4. Hunter of the Strong]

[Won against a monster with an overwhelming gap.]

[Effect: Attack power increases by 10% against monsters with a Level difference of 200 or more.]

[5. Baby Commander]

[Commanded more than five hundred subordinates.]

[Effect: The morale of the army you lead rises by 3%.]

‘Up to here is exactly average.’

They were Titles with decent effects in their own way.

And from here on…….

‘The truly top-tier Titles.’

These were Titles gained by pulling off a stunt that even ten lives wouldn’t have been enough for.

[6. Indomitable Soul]

[A soul that does not yield. It is a fragment of brilliant possibility.]

[Effect 1. The soul endures the death of the body.]

[Effect 2. All Stats increase by 10% (also applies to additional Stats)]

[Effect 3. Locked]

[Effect 4. Locked]

First, Indomitable Soul.

‘The effects are insane, aren’t they?’

Only two effects were unlocked, but those two were at a crazy level.

That it endures the death of the body.

‘If it weren’t for this, I’d have died.’

It had saved his life.

That said it all.

And the second effect.

All Stats increase by 10%.

‘This is nuts.’

And it was percentage-based efficiency, no less.

Titles with this kind of effect were truly rare.

Even he, who had dug into only this game for fifteen years, had seen them only about three times.

‘And those were around 5%. On top of that, they were individual Stats, not all Stats.’

And yet, all Stats 10%!

And it even applied to the additional Stats gained from Titles and equipment!

“Heh heh.”

His mouth stretched into a goofy grin.

Yeah.

After getting thrown around like that at Level 1, this much was the least he deserved as the price of his life.

What’s more, there were still three more main Titles left to look at.

[7. Master of the Dragon Knight]

[Became the master of Dragon Knight Cedric.]

[Effect 1. The learning ability of all Skeleton-type Summons increases drastically.]

[Effect 2. Skeletons can reach Dragon Tooth Warrior.]

[Effect 3. Imparts intense intimidation to dragon-related monsters.]

[Effect 4. Locked]

[Effect 5. Locked.]

‘Wow.’

This one was just as amazing. That the learning ability of Skeleton Summons increased ‘drastically.’

Stats were certainly important.

And just as much.

‘Fighting well is important too.’

The Orc Royal Guard.

He had won against an enemy with an overwhelming Stat gap over himself.

It was because he had fought well.

Since it would overlap with Death Lord’s learning effect, there was now a possibility that the Skeletons could do the same.

‘I don’t even expect them to reach my level.’

Kim Min-woo had a conscience too.

Hoping an ordinary Skeleton would move as well as he, the world’s number one gamer, would be greedy.

‘But what if half?’

No, even a quarter would be fine.

Because even that much could give most Awakened a good slap across the face. Even if they only moved like that, the combat strength would change completely.

Effect 2 was just as amazing.

‘Dragon Tooth Warrior, huh.’

Kim Min-woo had hunted dragons a few times too.

The Dragon Tooth Warrior was one of the Undead soldiers that high-ranking dragons handled as minions. They were mainly minions guarding a dragon’s lair.

However, it wasn’t a Summon that Necromancers could use.

‘Because I’ve never seen a Skill Book for it.’

In Gate Hunter, as far as he knew, a Dragon Tooth Warrior-related Skill Book had never dropped even once.

He had thought the drop rate must be damn low, but.

‘So you could only handle them by taking Cedric as a subordinate?’

The Dragon Tooth Warrior, which could be called the final-boss tier among Skeleton-type Summons.

The mere fact that the route had opened was tremendous good news.

Someday he’d be able to summon a horde of Dragon Tooth Warriors.

Effect 3 was good too.

Because there were quite a few dragon-related monsters.

Also, the rewards tended to be big compared to monsters of the same rank.

‘There’ll be plenty of uses.’

[8. One Acknowledged by Mutakta.]

[Orc Hero Mutakta. He acknowledged you as a warrior.]

[Effect 1. Strength, Agility +30]

[Effect 2. Orcs feel intense goodwill toward you. When encountering Orcs, there is a chance a special route will open.]

“Wow, this bastard Mutakta……”

Just how strong a monster was he?

‘How do Stats go up by 60 from one acknowledgment?’

The pure Stat increase alone was worth 15 Levels. He had roughly figured it out back when that guy beat Cedric, but.

He really must have been a monster.

[9. One Who Stopped Eternity.]

[Broke through the impossible and ended the repetition of the Eternal Battlefield – Battle of Hrulunif.]

[Effect 1. Magic Power +20]

[Effect 2. You smell delicious. A Divine Beast is watching you.]

“……?”

Magic Power 20, fine, let’s accept that.

‘But what’s a delicious smell? And what’s a Divine Beast?’

At the words that it was watching him, Min-woo looked around.

He felt nothing unusual.

“……Nothing will happen, right?”

The Chairman’s Main House.

This was one of the most heavily guarded places in Korea.

Detection systems at a level similar to the Blue House were laid out everywhere.

Even the Sword Immortal would find it hard to sneak in here.

He didn’t know what this Divine Beast guy was, but if it was something that couldn’t be found even by a detection system like this.

‘Preparing would be pointless anyway.’

How on earth was he supposed to find a guy they couldn’t find even here?

Then the solution was simple.

Just thinking positively.

There was a reason for the saying that if you can’t avoid it, enjoy it.

‘It’ll work out somehow.’

Either way.

He had gained a tremendous reward through this Call.

‘Status Window.’

[Name: Kim Min-woo(23)]

[Class: Necromancer]

[Level: 1]

[Owned Skills(3/8): Death Lord(EX), Summon Cedric(SSS), Summon Skeleton(F)+9]

[Mana: 820/820]

[Titles: 12]

[Stats]

[Strength: 81(+8)] [Agility: 81(+8)] [Health: 52(+5)] [Magic Power 75(+7)]

‘Wow…….’

With his equipment smashed to bits by Mutakta’s kick, the Stats shown now were pure physical Stats.

And this was a Level 1 Stat.

His chest swelled with grandeur.

‘The additional Stats alone total 83.’

He had gained an increase worth over 20 Levels, and.

He had obtained a 10% increase to all Stats, and.

‘And I got Cedric too.’

What he lost?

Min-woo looked at his body.

Rare items smashed beyond even repair by Mutakta’s kick.

On top of that, the Black Heart Sets worth 50 billion won that he had been fitting onto the Skeletons.

Consumables including Potions worth nearly 10 billion won.

Spare equipment worth nearly 20 billion won.

And lastly, the 50 billion won Spatial Ring(Mid-Tier, destroyed).

All together, roughly 130 billion won.

To get this much effect for a mere 130 billion won.

“Isn’t that a huge win?”

He had gotten every last drop of value.

* * *

Ilseong, the number one conglomerate group.

Accordingly, the Main House was vast, with every kind of facility fully equipped inside.

The Training Ground was no exception.

A vast yard divided into dozens of sections. Min-woo, having arrived there, checked his Skill.

[Summon Cedric(SSS)]

[Type: Active]

[Mana Cost: 100]

[Summons Dragon Knight Cedric. Cedric’s Level follows his master. His abilities are released as the Level rises.]

The description was very plain.

‘It follows my Level, huh…….’

Then that meant a Level 1 Cedric would be summoned.

He stretched his hand forward.

[Cedric is summoned!]

[50 Mana is consumed!]

Half the Mana reduction thanks to Death Lord.

Clatter!

Soon, Cedric came out.

On the Eternal Battlefield, he had been riding a Bone Dragon, gleaming with a truly stunning golden body, but.

Now was different.

He looked a bit cooler than an ordinary Skeleton, but there was no dramatic difference.

The bones were white too, and his frame was only about half a hand-span bigger than a regular Skeleton, and that was it.

The only unusual point was that he held an ink-black spear.

He examined Cedric’s Stats.

[Cedric]

[Class: Dragon Knight]

[Level: 1]

[Owned Skills: Master of the Spear(S)]

[Loyalty: 50]

[Special Notes: Most Skills and Stats are in a sealed state.]

[Strength: 34(+17)] [Agility: 32(+16)] [Health: 34(+17)] [Magic Power: 36(+18)]

‘Oh. So even so, this is SSS in its own way, huh?’

Even excluding Death Lord’s Stat increase, he was definitely an impressive Summon.

A Level 1 Summon, yet judging by ability alone he looked set to chew up several F-grade Awakened. Considering that the first Skeleton one usually summons has an average Stat of just 10 and not a single Skill, it was an overwhelming gap.

‘But…….’

Seeing the Loyalty, he frowned.

After risking his life taking a blade, fighting that Orc, and on top of that even saving him from a hell repeated for so long……

‘Only 50?’

A number sitting right in the middle.

Roughly interpreting it.

I’ll acknowledge you as master.

But I need to watch you a bit.

‘That’s roughly the nuance of this Loyalty.’

Honestly, he was a bit, no, very disappointed.

Shouldn’t it hit 100 to be normal?

‘Well, then again…….’

Would a picky, calculating guy like that devote his body and heart zealously just because he was saved once?

He spoke while looking at Cedric.

“Cedric.”

Clatter! Clack!

The guy, who had been moving his jaw for a good while, said.

―……Master. Don’t tell me you were Level 1?

“Yeah.”

―……No wonder. Most of my power is sealed. I have never been in a body so lowly that it’s hard even to speak.

“So, it’s the fault of your master who feeds you, puts you to bed, and clothes you?”

―……I did not say that in particular. And you have never put me to bed, have you?

“I did save you.”

―That…… I acknowledge.

Cedric nodded.

“I’ll just tell you the conclusion. I’m someone with a very long way to go in a hurry. You’ll be getting very busy from now on too.”

―Is that so. Battle is welcome at any time.

Cedric nodded.

“But there’s one problem.”

―A problem?

“Yeah. Your Loyalty.”

Low-grade Undead, who have virtually no intelligence, devote infinite loyalty to their master. Tell them to jump into a pit of fire and they jump in without hesitation.

Why?

Because they don’t think.

But Undead above a certain level were different.

They have intelligence, know how to think, and know how to make judgments.

The sum of all that is the Loyalty system.

Loyalty was one of the values that had to be managed without fail.

If this was too low, Undead would leave their master, or in extreme cases even kill their master.

That was why handling high-ranking Undead was one of the tasks requiring caution.

‘Well, it’s not just Necromancers who bear that kind of risk.’

Other summoning Classes are all the same.

Failing to manage Loyalty is a shortcut to ruin.

In that situation, Loyalty 50?

That’s not a good number for bringing into battle.

Usually at times like this, one of two methods is used.

First.

The indulgent type.

Diligently doting on the Undead as if they were precious jewels with devotion and care, and gathering the tiny, dribbling bits of Loyalty that rise by a mouse-dropping’s worth.

‘And the second is.’

Receiving an Oath of Loyalty.

When a Summon swears an oath to its master, Loyalty is fixed at 100.

There’s no room for betrayal.

It’s the safest and cleanest method.

The only problem is…….

‘That eight or nine times out of ten, they refuse.’

Just then, Cedric said.

―Master. Do you think I will betray you? I am a knight. I do not commit such despicable acts.

“Right. You’re a knight. But Death Knights are knights too, and when their Loyalty is incomplete, they go and cut their master’s throat, don’t they?”

―……You compare me to such trivial knights?

“A mouth can tell lies, but numbers always tell only the truth. So, can you swear an Oath of Loyalty to me?”

―I’m sorry, but that does not seem possible. I do not yet know my master well.

As expected.

A blunt, cutting refusal came back.

‘Getting an oath isn’t easy.’

Summons aren’t fools.

It’s no different from a slave contract with a leash, so would they happily stamp their seal on it?

Usually, Loyalty had to be raised to 95 or above before they’d even consider an oath.

Loyalty is 50 now, and raising it to 95 through the straightforward method of indulging?

It would take ages.

Then there was no choice but to take the shortcut.

Kim Min-woo, gripping a Wooden Sword lying on the Training Ground, said.

“Cedric. Then I’ll give you two options. Do you want to swear the Oath of Loyalty nicely right now, or swear it after a good, enthusiastic beating?”

―……You intend to fight me?

“Yeah, if you don’t swear, I will. I’m a really good master, you know? So why not just do it now?”

―……Master, do you take knights as a joke? Stop this.

“I don’t want to hit my own Summon either. So, the answer?”

The guy gripped his spear.

Pupils where blue flames blazed up with a whoosh.

That was no different from an answer given in its place.

Heh.

Kim Min-woo laughed.

He roughly understood why the guy was so arrogant.

He was a Necromancer, not a combat Class. And yet he was trying to fight with a Wooden Sword, so it was understandable that the guy’s mood would sour sharply.

‘But, too bad.’

The guy and he were both Level 1.

What’s more, his spearmanship was even restricted to S-grade.

Even if his Stats were lacking, he was confident of winning, let alone when his Stats were far higher?

“In our Korea, there’s a saying. The Land of Courtesy in the East. Big brother will drill some manners into you today.”

―I clearly warned you, Master. And in terms of age, I am by far the elder.

Yeah, whoever’s stronger is the big brother.

It was time to personally drill manners into the cheeky Summon.