Hot steam rose in waves.
Green blood gushed from the severed neck of the ownerless Variant Subterranean.
Its bright red head rolled across the floor.
Kang Muho, a Hwarang Guild newcomer, met the eyes of the Variant Subterranean with its tongue hanging out.
“Hrk.”
He sucked in a sharp breath and took a step back.
Even when he first found the Variant Subterranean Chieftain, he had been confident.
Subterraneans were among the stronger E-rank monsters.
But Kang Muho had received harsh training from Hwarang Guild.
He also wore rare-rank items provided by the guild.
Not even a gram of doubt had crossed his mind that he could lose.
That was, until the creature bounced around the cave like a super ball.
And then—
SLASH!
Its claws raked across Kang Muho’s neck.
“Muho, are you all right?”
“...No.”
Instinctively, he touched the place where he had been wounded.
If he had not used a potion immediately, he would have died from blood loss.
Thanks to the potion and the healing spell placed on him, not even a scar remained.
But the pain from that moment had been branded into his mind.
One unexpected attack had completely destroyed Kang Muho’s will to fight.
Despite being in the Tank position, he had been the first to turn his back.
While fleeing, he had even abandoned a Hunter he did not know.
And yet.
【It was an exceptionally boring opponent.】
“You ruined your left arm. You are not in a position to say that.”
【That problem occurred because the body you made for me was weak, did it not?】
“You are shifting the blame onto me.”
That monster.
This Hunter had defeated it so easily.
And still had the leisure to exchange jokes.
‘What in the world is this Hunter?’
He remembered their argument at the Gate entrance.
Come to think of it.
Had he not also said that he did not want to clean up corpses?
Could he perhaps be planning to kill them here because they had picked a fight with him?
Fearfully taking a step back, Kang Muho’s back hit the wall.
CREEEAK.
A metallic scraping sound followed.
“Ah. You are the Hwarang Guild newcomer.”
“Yeees!!”
“I told you to stop using forced honorifics.”
“N-No, I am fine!!”
“You said there was another member in the party you recruited for the last-minute raid.”
“Y-Yes. But we got separated while running away.”
“You did not get separated. You abandoned them.”
Minho let out a brief sigh.
“How many minutes away from here did you part?”
“If that monster was chasing us, they are probably already dead.”
“If that were the case, it could not have chased you immediately.”
Judging by its speed, it had probably torn off only one leg before pursuing them.
So that it could hunt one more person.
Minho’s gaze shifted behind him.
“Sir Isra.”
【Saving the weak is a knight’s duty.】
“I will catch up soon.”
【Will you be all right?】
“Would two zombies not be enough?”
【Understood.】
Sir Isra headed ahead.
Minho’s gaze turned toward Kang Muho.
“You, the Hwarang Guild newcomer.”
“Y-Yes.”
“You survived because of me, right?”
“Yes, sir!”
“You got dragged into this unexpectedly. It would be improper to leave empty-handed.”
What was he trying to lead up to?
Could he be planning to kill them all and take their items?
That man had the strength to do it.
‘That zombie earlier was incredible. And the two remaining ones...’
There were two zombies standing on two legs.
The Variant Subterranean that had toyed with him.
He could still vividly see those zombies hunting it one-sidedly.
‘Could I win?’
His hands trembled.
He was afraid.
Those zombies had shattered the common knowledge that Undead were weaker than monsters of the same rank.
They were skilled in swordsmanship and combat as well, easily slaughtering the Variant Subterranean.
“So.”
“Eek! Please spare our lives!”
“Huh?”
Minho looked blank for a moment, then chuckled.
“I am asking you to pay for your lives.”
“Pardon?”
“I saved you.”
“Y-Yes!”
“You are not planning to walk away as though nothing happened, are you?”
“N-No, sir!”
“How much were you thinking of paying in return for being saved?”
It sounded as though he would kill them again if their offer displeased him.
Did they have to negotiate the price of being saved?
“Ah. Did you not mention something about a mission?”
Minho nudged the Variant Subterranean’s head with the tip of his foot.
“I thought you might need this thing’s head.”
Kang Muho blinked.
“I will sell it to you for a reasonable price.”
“...”
“The price for saving you, plus this thing’s head, is two hundred million won each.”
“I do not have that much money.”
“You are from Hwarang Guild. You can receive a credit loan of three hundred million won.”
Kang Muho barely stopped his expression from crumpling.
How did he even know the limit on their credit loans?
“I-I will pay.”
The answer came out abruptly.
Kang Muho’s colleague immediately whispered.
“If it becomes known that we ran away and left a last-minute raid member behind, it is over for us.”
Two hundred million won?
It was an amount an ordinary person might not even earn after working steadily for ten years.
However.
If it was the price needed to avoid being expelled from Hwarang Guild.
It was not a large sum at all.
They would have to offer even the deed to their house if necessary, not merely take out a credit loan.
“I-I will pay.”
Only then did Kang Muho finish assessing the situation and bow deeply.
***
Around five minutes later, we reunited with Sir Isra.
The injured Hunter beside it looked up at us with a deathly pale face.
One of his legs had been severed.
Seeing the long bone nearby, it seemed that my guess had been correct.
【I stopped the bleeding.】
How had it performed first aid?
If I asked, it would probably talk about knightly virtues again.
I glared at the Hwarang Guild newcomers.
“This is your fault, so make sure you take care of him.”
“Y-Yes!”
An arm or leg could be regenerated within a few days through healing spells and potions.
If they spent more money, it could be resolved within a few hours.
I had already taken two hundred million won from them, so I did not tell them to use rapid healing.
Sir Isra pointed at the zombies.
【Why have you brought those ugly things?】
The two zombies were carrying the Variant Subterranean’s corpse.
Green blood flowing from its neck soaked the zombies.
“To a Necromancer, corpses are the most precious resource.”
【True. Corpses are all they ever were, after all.】
Was that a joke?
【But are you intending to create a Dullahan?】
“I agreed to transfer the head to those people.”
A Variant corpse had many uses.
[Tongue of the Hungry Subterranean Chieftain]
Rank: D
Category: Miscellaneous
[Heart of the Hungry Subterranean Chieftain]
Rank: D
Category: Miscellaneous
[Arm Muscles of the Hungry Subterranean Chieftain]
Rank: D
Category: Miscellaneous
Parts containing Mana.
Thanks to the Heavenly Martial Physique, I could now tell which were “useful parts” without conducting experiments.
The only useless part was the head.
Those people would need proof that they had hunted the boss.
I wanted the body.
Was that not a win-win situation?
I had also obtained one additional source of income.
[Blood Frenzy]
Rank: D
Category: Skillbook
Durability: 1/1
Consumes blood to enhance attributes and grant elasticity to the body.
While the skill is maintained, Vitality consumption increases by 100%.
The secret behind the Hungry Subterranean Chieftain turning into a super ball.
The penalty was considerable.
But the skill effect itself was quite good, so would it not sell for at least ten million won?
After happily checking what I had obtained, I turned around again.
Sir Isra took the lead when we headed back to the exit.
Since we had an injured person with us, it would be best to shorten the return time.
【But we killed the boss. Does that not clear the Gate?】
“Fixed-Type Gates do not have clear rewards.”
Think of them as sources of Magic Stones.
In exchange, their Magic Stone drop rate was supposedly a little higher than that of ordinary Gates.
“Please lead us back.”
【Understood.】
Sir Isra easily slaughtered Subterraneans with its newly sharpened bone sword.
The return journey was longer than expected.
Sporadic battles broke out along the way.
Because our group had grown larger, Sir Isra alone could not cover the entire line.
“Open your eyes.”
I created additional zombies to cover both the vanguard and rear.
It took some time to create the Undead.
But the investment was worthwhile.
Even with an injured person among us, we reached the exit safely without further casualties.
“Thanks to you, we survived.”
“We trusted Hwarang Guild and nearly died.”
The Hunters who had participated in the last-minute raid bowed at ninety degrees once they left the Gate.
Receiving the Hunters’ gratitude.
A thrill ran through part of my heart.
Five years had passed since I Awakened.
But this was the first time I had received thanks like this.
“Then we will be going.”
“Even if you are leaving, you must settle the payment first.”
Sir Isra grabbed a Hwarang Guild newcomer’s shoulder without being told.
Where did they think they were going without even taking the Variant Subterranean’s head?
“Ah, hahaha. I was just in a hurry to use the restroom.”
“I understand that feeling. My stomach hurts whenever I become nervous.”
The technical term for it was irritable bowel syndrome.
“Still, should you not take what you need to take?”
I shook the Variant Subterranean’s head, which was wrapped in cloth.
The Hwarang Guild newcomer accepted it reluctantly.
“Thank you.”
“By the way, I have a body camera, so do not think about taking this and disappearing.”
I tapped my chest.
A body camera was essential equipment for Hunters.
The inside of a Gate was a lawless zone where the law did not apply.
There were no surveillance cameras as there were outside.
They said that Gate crimes had been frequent in the early days of the Great Cataclysm.
That was why body cameras powered by Magic Stones had become essential.
“Y-Yes. Understood.”
“I will not make you sign a contract. Both of you transfer the money by tomorrow.”
Something interesting would happen if they did not send it.
When I chuckled after that unspoken warning, the two newcomers’ faces turned white.
“Make sure the person injured because of you receives proper treatment.”
As I watched the Hwarang Guild newcomers support the Hunter who had lost his leg.
Sir Isra quietly sent a lingering thought.
【How was your first real battle?】
“I was satisfied.”
What was there to say?
It felt as though the zombies moved like my own limbs.
It was like I had spent five years crawling across the ground, then suddenly stood and began to run.
Until now, I had created overpowered zombies from corpses one rank above my own.
Then I used brute force to pin down and crush monsters.
It had been a temporary measure to overcome my insufficient control ability.
“I do not need to do that anymore.”
Zombies created on the spot without extra materials had overwhelmed the original Subterraneans.
It was beyond the common sense of Necromancy!
Preparing the corpses in advance was inconvenient.
However, once an Undead was created, it had the advantage of consuming no additional Mana for maintenance.
The moment I defeated the Variant Subterranean in the Cave of Darkness.
I became certain.
“I can grow stronger.”
【You are still greatly lacking, but with me, you will be able to rise even higher.】
“Is that not normally said the other way around?”
【A knight cannot speak lies.】
Good grief.
It really thought highly of itself.
I had no words to refute it, so I kept my mouth firmly shut.
【What will you do with the monster corpses?】
“I will take them with me.”
【They seem difficult to carry.】
“I can hire someone.”
There were many companies near Fixed-Type Gates that helped process byproducts.
Previously, I would have crammed everything into my carrier and bag.
Today, I made the bold decision to entrust them to a company.
“Let us see. For 120 kilograms to Amsa-dong, I will give you 220,000 won.”
“Sir, I know the standard rates. Are you not overcharging me?”
“Overcharging? Go next door. They all charge this much.”
“100,000.”
“Are you young, or are you holding a knife to my throat?”
“Then I will go next door.”
“150,000.”
“That includes the packaging fee, right?”
“Then we have no profit left.”
“Never mind. I will rent a cargo truck instead.”
“Honestly. Fine. 150,000 including the packaging fee.”
“Deal.”
After agreeing on a reasonable price, I moved the Variant Subterranean’s corpse into the truck.