The Enras Continent.
It was a place name I had never heard before.
Perhaps that was why.
I became certain.
This was the Otherworldly Soul I had spent five years searching for.
[You have encountered an Otherworldly Soul.]
[You may settle this soul within an Undead created by the user.]
The system messages reinforced my certainty.
“Isra.”
【Sir Isra.】
“Pardon?”
【Sir Isra.】
Ah. I see.
This soul seemed to possess an exceptionally strong sense of self-importance.
It had said something about being the strongest knight on the continent, but I did not take it at face value.
The mausoleum was too small to suit such a grand title.
It was not merely shabby because the Kobolds had dug it up.
Even when I imagined what it must have looked like in its intact state from the remaining traces, it did not seem particularly impressive.
【It seems this is not the first time you have conversed with a soul.】
“Well, I have a talent for that sort of thing.”
Souls existed on Earth as well.
People.
Animals, too, possessed souls.
Humans were simply the only ones with enough spiritual power to be called soul entities.
We had introduced ourselves.
There was no need to beat around the bush, so I went straight to the point.
“Sir Isra. Become my companion.”
【A companion?】
“Incidentally, you do not have the right to refuse.”
This was the first Otherworldly Soul I had seen in five years!
I refused to accept rejection.
If.
My ability to control Undead increased by granting a soul to one of them.
I might finally achieve the D-rank advancement I had dreamed of.
【Can we truly be called companions when I cannot refuse?】
“Companion sounds better than servant or subordinate.”
A blue orb flickered above the coffin.
I seized the soul, which resembled a will-o’-the-wisp.
【Mmph! Mmmph!】
Complaining would not help.
As I said before, I had not asked for its consent.
I stuffed the captured soul into the Orc Zombie.
[An Otherworldly Soul has been infused into the created Undead (Orc Zombie ‘Mk. 42’).]
[It has a 72% resemblance to the soul’s form in life.]
[Orc Zombie ‘Mk. 42’ → Name changed to ‘Isra’.]
[Skill: Imperial Swordsmanship (Revised)_Isra Form has been added.]
An unending flood of messages appeared.
I had never seen anything like it in five years.
Good heavens.
Clutching my racing chest, I checked the Orc Zombie’s status.
[Sir Isra]
*Race: Undead
*Classification: Revived One
*Rank: D
Strength: 172
Agility: 35
Vitality: 124
Toughness: 203
Mana: 35
*Skills
—Imperial Swordsmanship (Revised)_Isra Form [SSS]
—Undying [D]
—Corpse Poison [E]
“I am not dreaming right now, am I?”
The thoughts that should have remained in my mind slipped easily from my lips.
The shock I had just received was that great.
Why was an SSS-rank skill appearing here?
There were not even ten Hunters in the entire world who possessed a skill of that rank.
It was an ability far beyond what a zombie deserved.
Truly.
“This is too…”
【What a worthless body.】
“Right. It is worthless— No! How can you speak like that?”
The lingering thought had interrupted me so suddenly that I stumbled over my words.
The culprit was obvious.
Sir Isra, the Otherworldly Soul dwelling within the zombie.
【Surely you do not believe I am merely finding fault with it.】
“Eh?”
There had not been a mind-reading skill in the status window.
【A true knight speaks only the truth. He does not invent flaws where none exist.】
“The system recognized this zombie’s completion as perfect, you know?”
There was a reason the Orc Zombie was named Mk. 42.
At the byproduct vendor, I had combined countless materials below D-rank.
The Orc Zombie before me was the strongest combination I could create within the limits of my ability.
Although I supposed I should call it Sir Isra from now on.
【Hmm. I see.】
“You do not sound convinced.”
【If the standard is a zombie, I understand. For lesser Undead, charging forward and biting everything in sight is likely the best they can do.】
Sir Isra slowly shook its head.
【However, it lacks dignity.】
You did not sound very persuasive while saying that with a half-rotted, partially crushed face.
I was starting to wonder whether I was conversing with an Undead I had created.
Or serving a master.
【A sword. I require a sword.】
“I did not prepare one.”
What need would a zombie have for a sword?
When I said I would find one after leaving the Gate, Sir Isra twisted its face.
【That is troublesome. I do not believe I can protect you with my bare hands.】
Huh?
Why would it protect me?
“S-Save us!”
“A whole pack of Kobolds came out!”
The academy students threw away their equipment and fled.
Behind them, a swarm of Kobolds rushed forward.
There were more than thirty of them.
The academy students were apparently all Warrior-types, because they ran past me at astonishing speed.
Wonderful.
At least they had been properly taught how to flee.
If I stayed still, I would be torn into seventeen pieces in less than ten seconds.
【I will protect you.】
“There are thirty Kobolds!”
【Trust me.】
Those weighty words calmed my heart.
“Sir. Did you say that even a stick would be enough?”
【That is correct.】
“Then take this.”
It was a femur I had brought for zombie repairs.
WHOOOSH!
Sir Isra swung the bone twice, murmured, 【This will do.】 and then—
“Grrak! Squeal!”
It smashed a Kobold’s head in with a single blow.
***
The bone buried itself in the side of a Kobold rushing forward with a rusted sword.
CRACK!
The sound alone confirmed that its bones had broken.
The Kobold coughed up blood and collapsed.
“What am I looking at?”
I had not expected much.
Orc Zombie Mk. 42 was my masterpiece.
Even so, its abilities were only at the lower end of D-rank.
The most Kobolds it could fight at once was five.
At least, that had been the case.
STAB! STAB!
Short spears and swords pierced Sir Isra’s body.
【This is convenient, at least.】
SMACK!
One enemy fell with each blow.
The Kobolds were small to begin with.
They had closed the distance to land effective hits, only to fail to avoid the dancing bone and be sent flying.
【This body allows me to disregard injuries.】
In an instant, ten Kobolds lay scattered across the ground, either dead or unable to fight.
“Bark! Bark!”
Arrows flew in from several dozen meters away.
Most targeted Sir Isra.
However, some fell toward me, the person behind its primary target.
My body froze in panic.
Even at a moment like this, my cursed coordination did not react.
The instant the word death surfaced in my mind.
TANG!
Sir Isra deflected several arrows with the bone it wielded.
It did not care whether arrows lodged in its own body.
It only parried the attacks aimed at me.
【Protecting an inadequate lord is quite troublesome.】
Step. Step.
Sir Isra advanced at a slow pace.
“Bark! Bark!”
The Kobolds spread out in a wide formation.
This was dangerous.
The zombie’s abilities surpassed those of the Kobolds, but not overwhelmingly so.
If they surrounded and crushed it, it would be over.
“Sir Isra!”
【Do not mistake me for blind.】
BOOM!
Sir Isra kicked off the ground and leaped high.
Like a frog making a great jump.
The posture was unsightly, but it flew several meters and landed among the scattering Kobolds.
CRUNCH!
It even crushed one Kobold’s head with the bone while falling.
【Come at me. I am the greatest sword on the continent!!】
The heroic lingering thought drove itself into both the Kobolds’ minds and my own.
“H-How can one zombie do that?”
“Amazing. Is this what a Necromancer is like?”
“But why is someone that amazing doing this kind of part-time job?”
The academy students who had been fleeing sensed something unusual and turned around.
Those bastards.
If their goal was to get under my skin, they had succeeded.
“What are you doing?”
“Pardon?”
Do not answer a question with another question.
“Does Gunjung Academy teach you to turn your backs whenever you see monsters?”
“Ah!”
“This is your opportunity while my zombie is drawing their attention.”
What use was spoon-feeding them if they still could not act?
“Do not stand there blankly. Charge!”
Only after I shouted did they run back the way they had come, as though their backsides were on fire.
“Uwaaaah!”
“Come at us, you Kobold bastards!”
The Kobolds, flanked from behind by the academy students, were visibly flustered.
【Good.】
The one who was excited was Sir Isra.
It did not miss the moment when the Kobolds’ attention wavered, knocking down two more.
Even while being mobbed, it avoided attacks to its major joints.
So fighting could look this cool.
CRACK!
Its leg broke from the accumulated impacts.
One arm fell off.
Yet Sir Isra stubbornly continued swinging the bone.
If it had been Orc Zombie Mk. 42, its limbs would have been torn apart long ago.
With the same abilities.
It minimized the parts of its body exposed to attacks and slaughtered its enemies.
“Amazing.”
Just as I let out an admiring exclamation.
The academy instructor came running over with hurried footsteps.
“T-The students were ambushed!”
“As you can see.”
“...A zombie?”
The academy instructor’s voice contained unconcealed astonishment.
“Um, Mr. Park Minho.”
“Yes.”
“Are you truly an E-rank Hunter?”
“That is correct.”
“Why does your zombie fight so well?”
“My zombie is custom-made.”
Strictly speaking, this fellow was a Revived One.
By the time the academy instructor arrived, most of the battlefield had already been cleared.
Sir Isra had defeated twenty-three Kobolds.
The academy students took down the remaining seven.
[You have successfully cleared this Gate.]
[Rank — E]
[You have received one E-rank Mana Crystal as a reward.]
A small magic stone dropped from thin air.
Since the clear time had been long, it was difficult to expect a substantial reward.
I had been hired for this job in the first place, so I had never expected a high-rank clear.
【Hmm. I am ashamed.】
“Why are you talking about shame?”
【I damaged the body you bestowed upon me.】
Its left arm and right leg were bent in the opposite direction.
Its skin had become rags.
There were forty-four places where its bones were clearly exposed.
With the Kobolds’ weapons decorating it on top of that.
It looked like Zhang Fei at Changban Bridge.
“It is fine. This much is nothing.”
As long as it was not completely destroyed, it was fine.
Repairing Undead was my specialty.
For five years, I had repeated the process of crafting, repairing, and destroying them.
In fact, I considered myself fortunate.
If the Undead had been destroyed during the battle.
The Otherworldly Soul dwelling within it would have vanished.
The instant Isra’s soul settled into the body, I had instinctively understood that fact.
Right.
Before that.
There was one thing I needed to address.
“Excuse me, Instructor.”
“Y-Yes.”
“I nearly died a moment ago.”
“Oh, do not worry. Of course, we will compensate you for the danger pay.”
This man.
Earlier, he had been speaking casually. Why had he suddenly become so polite?
Considering that he had even asked my rank, he seemed to have mistaken me for a high-ranking Necromancer.
Well, it did not matter.
“I am talking about the corpse-looting rights.”
“Of course they belong to Hunter Park. Naturally.”
“I will use two Kobolds separately.”
I took out the work scalpel and hammer I always carried.
Kobolds were the corpses I had handled most often while creating zombies.
I swiftly separated suitable bones and muscles.
Then I attached them to various parts of Sir Isra’s collapsed body.
[Corpse Crafting]
Once I infused them with mana, they knit together as though they had always been one body, restoring the damaged areas.
【Oh? Ooooooh!】
“Does it feel all right?”
【It is seamless. I cannot believe these are the skills of a low-ranking Necromancer like you.】
Yes. Yes.
Forgive me for being a low-ranking Necromancer.