NOVEL NEXT [Translator – Pr?ks]
[Proofreader – Pr?ks]
Chapter 194: Defense (2)
The monthly attack lasted 24 hours.
The guilds’ objective was simple.
Just endure.
The number 100,000 was too large to annihilate the enemy. Moreover, there was no reason to risk their lives fighting when the hybrids would retreat on their own after a day. Therefore, they mainly engaged in urban warfare within the city.
Although the city would be somewhat damaged, it was far better than guild members dying. Additionally, urban warfare had the advantage of allowing them to actively utilize the city’s residents for defense.
With nowhere to retreat, the residents were forced to fight.
That’s how they had defended until now.
But this time…
‘He’s insane.’
The people on the wall looked at Kim Minwoo. The gaze that had been filled with disbelief when he jumped down had now completely changed.
‘He’s facing tens of thousands of hybrids alone.’
‘How is this possible?’
Most of them were witnessing the legendary undead army with their own eyes for the first time.
Even the equipment of the lowliest skeletons was far superior to their own.
And it wasn’t just their equipment.
“How, how are they fighting so well?”
They effortlessly deflected the hybrids’ attacks with their shields. They parried blows with their weapons and swiftly decapitated their enemies.
These weren’t the mindless skeletons they were familiar with. Each one was like a seasoned veteran.
If even the mere skeletons were like this, the higher-level summons were even more impressive. Mages casting all sorts of death magic from magic circles, Specters dealing with airborne monsters, Dullahans riding giant horses and traversing the battlefield…
And to top it off, even the enemies were resurrected as undead upon death.
It was clear.
The one dominating this battlefield was Kim Minwoo.
It seemed that now they could truly grasp how formidable the Necromancer class was in warfare.
Of course, he couldn’t stop all 100,000 hybrids. About a third of them were bypassing him and approaching the wall.
But the guild members standing on the wall were already at peak morale.
“Attack! Kill them all!” “Show them what you’re made of!”
Thousands of arrows flew through the sky.
Thud! Thud! Thud!
The hybrids fell as sharp arrowheads pierced them.
Boom!
Flames and lightning struck, leaving no trace of some hybrids.
The hybrids didn’t remain idle either.
Winged ones swarmed the wall.
The number of hybrids banging their heads against the wall and striking with their weapons gradually increased.
“Aaack! Help me!”
A mercenary was carried away in the jaws of a wyvern-like hybrid.
A mage, peeking over the wall, was pierced by a cactus-like hybrid’s spines and fell to the ground below.
A hybrid with long, monkey-like arms climbed the wall and crushed an Awakened’s neck.
“Kill them!”
A fierce battle erupted on the wall.
Kim Minwoo, who had just slain a bull-like hybrid, looked towards the wall.
‘Some got through.’
Well…
It was impossible to stop all 100,000 hybrids with just a few thousand summons. Still, the other guild masters should be able to handle that much.
He looked around.
He saw a horde of hybrids surrounding the skeleton army like a vortex.
While the skeletons held the front line, the hybrids had already gathered in large numbers around them. In other words, it was the perfect situation for a mage to shine.
“Merhen.”
―Yes, I’m ready.
[Rampage activated!]
[For 10 minutes, the power of all magic is increased by 30%!]
[Magic can be stacked up to five times!]
Crackle!
Magic gathered in Merhen’s hands. In her left hand, blinding lightning.
In her right hand, dark water coalesced.
[Merhen stacking Lightning Strike (SS)….]
[Merhen stacking Tidal Wave (SS)….]
As if sensing an intense threat, the hybrids charged forward.
However, it was impossible to instantly break through the undead army commanded by Cedric. When five spells were stacked in each hand, it was time.
Two spells, condensed to their limits, were unleashed in the middle of the battlefield.
Whoosh…!
A massive tidal wave surged across the vast plain. The hybrids stared blankly at the tidal wave, nearly 7 meters high.
Soon, the tidal wave engulfed the horde of hybrids, leaving only the undead army surrounded in the center, like a donut.
Tens of thousands of hybrids were swept away by the tidal wave. Air bubbles popped up from the water.
―Goodbye.
Hundreds of lightning bolts rained down on them like skewers.
Rumble!
Rumble!
Those directly hit were charred black, and those electrocuted in the water trembled. Being electrocuted while already struggling in the water was a fatal blow.
When the tidal wave subsided, nearly 20,000 hybrids lay motionless.
[Level up….]
[Level up….]
The level-up messages rang endlessly. Then, a message he had never seen before appeared before his eyes.
[Land of Death (S) has reached its maximum capacity! (10,000/10,000)]
He looked around.
Nearly 10,000 undead resurrected by the Land of Death were visible.
‘It seems it can’t resurrect any more.’
It was an S-rank skill.
It couldn’t resurrect infinitely.
In fact, resurrecting 10,000 was quite impressive for an S-rank skill.
‘Well, 10,000 is enough.’
Out of the 100,000 hybrids, about 70,000 had attacked them. Yet, only about 20,000 remained. The survivors were also in a weakened state due to electrocution.
“Cedric!”
―All forces, charge!
Cedric, spreading his wings, charged towards the horde of hybrids.
It was a massacre, another massacre.
* * *
The reinforced wall had served its purpose well. It was damaged here and there, but it was still reusable with repairs.
“We, we won!”
“Woohoo!”
Cheers erupted from all directions.
As he had said, all 100,000 hybrids that had attacked were annihilated.
They failed to breach the wall, and the remaining hybrids were swept away by the undead army that attacked from the rear, ending the battle.
[For the first time in District 9, the attack has been completely repelled!]
[All 100,000 hybrids have been slain!]
[An incredible achievement!]
[Calculating rewards….]
A message indicating that rewards were being calculated appeared.
‘It’ll be a good haul, right?’
It was the first time.
In other words, it was an achievement that even the Seven Lords of the past couldn’t accomplish.
‘That makes sense.’
Being in District 9 meant they were low-level. Even if they were promising from the start, they wouldn’t have had the power to defeat all 100,000 hybrids.
Therefore, he was quite excited about the rewards.
When the gate opened and Kim Minwoo entered, loud cheers erupted.
“Long live Kim Minwoo!”
“Long live!”
The cheers were fervent.
‘Well…’
Even with the high wall, there were 100,000 hybrids.
If they had fought conventionally, there would have been significant casualties.
But this time was different.
[Translator – Pr?ks]
[Proofreader – Pr?ks]
Out of the 10,000 gathered here, only about 200 had died. Even those who were seriously injured had survived thanks to the supply of potions.
The guild masters of the small and medium-sized guilds rushed over and shouted,
“You’re amazing!”
“We’ll follow you from now on, Guild Master!”
“We pledge our loyalty!”
They were shouting enthusiastically, like modern-day fans at an idol concert.
‘They can’t be truly devoted, can they?’
Of course, some might be genuinely impressed by his power, but most were likely bowing to the prevailing trend.
But that didn’t matter.
It had only been a short time since they met, so he couldn’t expect true loyalty. He could gradually win their hearts over time.
“Amteron.”
“Yes.”
“How much do we have in reserve funds?”
“About 500,000 Marks.”
“Let’s throw a festival. We won a great victory, didn’t we?”
“That’s a great idea!”
Amteron replied with a bright expression.
He was probably thinking of hosting the festival and exerting influence as the hero of the victory. In fact, that was his intention in suggesting it.
‘I need to establish some discipline before I leave.’
If he threw a grand festival, many people would likely be swayed. The more they were swayed, the more the guild masters of the small and medium-sized guilds would bow their heads to him.
At that moment…
[You have repelled the attack on ‘Deadly’ difficulty without significant casualties.]
[‘Deadly’ modifier applied!]
[Rewards greatly increased!]
[Calculating rewards!]
[Reward List]
[1. You have acquired 100,000 Merit Points!]
[2. Your influence in District 9 has surpassed a certain level! One of the Nine Divine Relics has been added to your inventory!]
[3. You have acquired a Skill Enhancement Ticket!]
‘Wow.’
The first reward was sweet.
100,000 Merit Points!
Considering that he hadn’t even earned 100,000 Merit Points after a month of distributing goods and developing the city’s infrastructure, this was like winning the lottery.
‘And, the Nine Divine Relics…’
From District 1 to District 9.
There were nine districts in total.
Was there a Divine Relic in each district?
He rummaged through his inventory and took out the Divine Relic. It was a small statue.
It was the size of a palm and had a dark color. It resembled a vagrant in appearance.
[Vagrant Statue of District 9]
[Rank: Special]
[Eligible User: Kim Minwoo]
[A statue imbued with the wisdom of those who survived the slums. It bestows blessings upon up to 1,000 companions. It can be enhanced by discovering special conditions.]
[Blessing Stage 1 Applied]
[Effects]
[1. Slightly increased resistance to poison.]
[2. Slightly increased evasion when health falls below 20%.]
[3. ??]
.
.
“…Huh?”
Kim Minwoo tilted his head as he looked at the Divine Relic. It was the first time he had encountered an item of this kind.
‘It bestows blessings upon all companions?’
Then what exactly is the scope of “companions”?
At that moment, Amteron and the other guild members became noisy. After a brief discussion, Amteron stepped forward as their representative and asked,
“Excuse me, Guild Master.”
“Yes?”
“A message popped up saying that we received blessings thanks to your Divine Relic… Did you obtain something like a Divine Relic?”
“I did get something like this.”
When he showed them the statue, Amteron’s eyes lit up.
“Ah, this is why all of our guild members received that message! This is amazing, amazing!”
Amteron exclaimed, his eyes sparkling.
The effects weren’t particularly overwhelming.
But they weren’t negligible either.
Poison resistance was useful during hunts, as was increased evasion.
Even better, this buff applied not only to Kim Minwoo but to the entire Money Talks Guild.
‘If it’s like this at Stage 1…’
What if the effects were further enhanced?
What if hidden abilities were revealed?
The guild’s power and unity would increase dramatically.
‘This is an amazing item.’
Kim Minwoo possessed such an item, and Amteron was fortunate enough to be the second-in-command of such a guild.
‘And we completely repelled the attack this time…’
The more he looked, the brighter Kim Minwoo’s future seemed. He would not only make a significant impact in District 9 but also in the higher districts.
Perhaps, in the future, his name would be listed not as one of the Seven Lords, but as the Eighth Lord.
At first, he had been forced to pledge loyalty due to intimidation, but now it was different.
He had seen a clear vision.
That’s why Amteron’s gaze towards Kim Minwoo had changed slightly.
Many more people would gather under him in the future.
‘I need to show my loyalty clearly from now on.’
That way, he could maintain his position, or at least not be pushed aside.
“I will continue to serve you loyally.”
Kim Minwoo chuckled at the lizardman’s serious declaration.
He seemed to understand what Amteron was thinking.
‘Well, it’s not bad for me.’
If he was willing to be loyal, why would he complain?
“Alright, let’s do well together. I plan to rely on you heavily.”
“Yes!”
After examining the second reward, he moved on to the last one, which was almost like the highlight.
[Skill Enhancement Ticket]
[Rank: Special]
[A one-time ticket that can raise the rank of a skill. It seems to be a rare item.]
[Effect 1: Upon use, randomly upgrades one of your owned skills to SSS rank. (Soulbound skills only)]
“Holy crap, awesome!”
Kim Minwoo’s eyes sparkled.
Not just SS rank, but SSS rank?
There was no such item on Earth.
It was an item that could only be obtained in Heavenly City.
‘Soulbound skills only…’
It must refer to skills obtained through Soulbound Skill Books.
There were quite a few on the list.
—Bone Exchange (B), Equip Armaments (B), Summon Bone Golem (A), Land of Death (S), Curse of Weakness(S), Heart of the Legion (SS).
[TL/N: I genuinely forgot he had a skill named Equip Armaments(I forgot what the name of the skill originally was, so if someone reminds me of it or tells me which chap was it in, it would be great.]
All of them were skills obtained through Soulbound Skill Books, and all of them were candidates for enhancement.
‘They’re all top-notch skills.’
Bone Exchange strengthened skeletons and other bone summons.
Equip Armaments was useful as it eliminated the need to manually equip and unequip items.
Summon Bone Golem was also excellent in terms of strengthening Dolsoe.
Cedric and Merhen’s summons were SSS rank. So, if it became SSS rank, Dolsoe could be enhanced to Legion Commander level.
‘Land of Death would be good too.’
It was a skill that shone in warfare, to say the least.
Curse of Weakness, considering its synergy with the Plague Lord’s Gauntlets, wouldn’t be bad to enhance either. Heart of the Legion was also a very satisfying skill, as it turned summons into mini Kim Minwoos.
‘Since it’s a random enhancement, it means one of these will become SSS rank.’
Upgrading a B-rank skill to SSS rank would be the most beneficial in terms of rank, but it didn’t matter even if it wasn’t that.
He had saved the item rank-up tickets for upgrading to Mythical rank.
Since this was for upgrading an owned skill to SSS rank, there was no reason to save it.
‘Then I should use it right away.’
What would be upgraded to SSS rank?
Flash!
The Skill Enhancement Ticket in his hand turned into light.
[Translator – Pr?ks]
[Proofreader – Pr?ks]