<Chapter 14. New Pace >
Guillotine Steelworker had said that the seal he'd made was only possible for golems to create. Lee Shin Woo didn't think that was a lie. But even so, it didn't seem like it'd be impossible to recreate it.
'It's possible to copy a golem's mana pattern, so there's no way it'd be impossible to copy the seal.'
But it wasn't something he'd be able to do in the foreseeable future. Because of that, Lee Shin Woo thoroughly examined each golem as best as he could, indulged in the core's knowledge, and broke apart the low ranked golems to try to familiarize himself with the golems themselves.
"What are you going to do by copying that?"
"I'm going to try controlling the golems."
"You're trying to control Arema Steelworker?"
"Nope. That guy's probably impossible for me to control."
From the start, Lee Shin Woo hadn't even caught a glimpse of the highest authority over the golems. If he more deeply examined the golems, as well as absorbed more cores, he thought he'd be able to figure it out someday, but he knew that now wasn't the time.
For starters, his goal would be to obtain Guillotine Steelworker's administrator seal. So, he would gather all of the abandoned golems in the Empire and create his own corps of golems; that was his goal. If Arema Steelworker had heard him say that, he'd be speechless and fall flat on his face.
"I'm not going to just destroy golems, so don't worry. If that's all I was going to do, then why would I have taken the train and come out here? We have to take care of the undead nearby, too."
"Yay, I'm so happy..."
They activated the elevator through the general administrative seal and went outside. While the west side consisted of stiff highlands, the landscape here was way too different. They wanted to check where they'd surfaced, but that was impossible.
"I wonder where our seniors are."
"They should be in the center of the Empire."
Lee Shin Woo and Jin had grown drastically, but their seniors were mostly level 6, or perhaps even higher. They still had a lot of catching up to do.
Of course, even if they did reach their level, they absolutely wouldn't be able to stand before them and reveal themselves to them. Would they be able to make them cease their deep-seated hatred towards the undead by just saying that they were heroes... Honestly, he was really doubtful of that right now.
[Detecting trespasser.]
[Repelling them as a top priority.]
"So like I was saying, just take them down for now."
"You!"
"I can't raise my abilities by fighting against them anymore."
A golem's greatest strength was that they had a sturdy base, but that could be a weakness as well. They were too unaccustomed to irregularities. From the very beginning, they were much too easy to take down for Lee Shin Woo, whose specialty was his irregular fighting style that lacked a concrete form.
Hearing that, Jin thought that he was shamefully boasting, but like always, he couldn't deny it.
"I want to observe the golems more thoroughly. So, charge!"
"Sseup, I guess it can't be helped..."
Jin gallantly galloped forth, with his body enveloped in steel-like mana. Lee Shin Woo saw the golems switch their battle formations to intercept him, and leisurely observed their mana patterns. Of course, because he was maintaining his general administrative seal, all of the golems aggroed on Jin.
"I've been fighting too much lately, so I've been tired."
No one would say anything if he took a really quick break in between analyzing the mana. Probably. He nodded his head and continued observing. However, he started to get bored from just observing and studying, so he decided to open the chatting channel.
[Mr. Lee Shin Woo has entered.]
[Ye Jin Jin: It's been a long time!]
[Lee Shin Woo: Yeah, it has. You're still alive?]
[Lloyd H.K.: Jeez, I have no idea who's the senior and who's the newbie here.]
[Prince Altania: Lee Shin Woo, how much more have you got before you're level 5?]
[Lee Shin Woo: I should reach it soon. I only have about 10 more stats to go.]
It was a lie, of course, but they thought of 10 stats differently than him, so he had no choice.
[Prince Altania: Holy shit. You're really close. Even if his starting specs were high, this guy... He's probably not more talented than me though, right?]
[Yasunori Akira: Your talent is common amongst heroes. Doesn't it seem strange that you're comparing yourself to Lee Shin Woo, who everyone has high expectations for?]
[Prince Altania: What? You want to go? Are you looking for a fight?]
[Yasunori Akira: Pfft.]
As always, his seniors responded to him affectionately. Lee Shin Woo suddenly thought, after being greeted by each and every one of them. Ye Jin Jin knew about his true nature, but how would his seniors react when they saw him? Would they accept him? Would they reject him? Would they pity him?
The more he learned about the Underground Empire, as well as the heroes, the more he thought about his true identity. Perhaps it wouldn't be as simple as he thought; at some point, that thought had begun to grow more and more.
'It's a relief that I met Ye Jin Jin when she was still naive and gave her a good impression of me.'
He thought it might've been the right decision to hide his identity and spoke calmly.
[Lee Shin Woo: Not much happened while I was away, right?]
[Lloyd H.K.: Ah, now that I think about it, you may not know. A newbie came in.]
[Lee Shin Woo: A newbie...?]
Of course, he was already well aware that it was quite common for heroes to trickle in, but it felt a bit strange that he already had a junior. Then, Prince Altania spoiled the mood.
[Prince Altania: What a mannerless brat. They came in just a little while ago and then left right after.]
[Erian Rendu: Mannerless? They could just be extremely individualistic. Sir Altania.]
[Lloyd H.K.: Individualistic, huh... That's the most dangerous tendency to have. If you're not as strong as Akira, that is.]
[Yasunori Akira: Don't call me by my name. ...Well, they'll prove it soon. Whether it was arrogance or skill.]
[Ye Jin Jin: Mr. Shin Woo, how have you been? I finally reached level 4!]
[Shino Rendu: You've been dawdling all this time, yet once you found a man, you've become unstoppable, huh.]
[Ye Jin Jin: W-What are you talking about!?]
Lee Shin Woo adequately told his seniors, who quarreled amongst each other and amicably went back and forth in their conversations, about himself as well as keeping some parts of himself secret, while also hearing about the situation in the Empire. He even tried to ask them about the 12 generals, but to no avail.
[Prince Altania: Ha, the 12 generals? I'll be straight with you. We haven't even reached the capital, let alone the major city. It's kind of discouraging, but it's impossible to fight a general before you're level 7.]
[Lloyd H.K.: Would it even be possible just by reaching level 7? You'd need to be packed with level 4 artifacts, as well as heroes using their full strength; even then, they'd barely be able to take one down. Our senior told us that before, remember?]
[Prince Altania: Heng. As long as you and I are there, we can do it.]
[Erian Rendu: I'm level 6 now, too! Lloyd, when the time comes, you can count on me!]
Just taking a peek into the chatting channel, one could tell that they had the energy of top class celebrities! Lloyd, who'd even been recognized by that harsh Prince, was dazzling. To the point that he felt jealous.
If he had still been human, could he have been like him? However, he snorted at such fruitless thoughts and left the chatting channel. Jin was still vigorously rampaging about and breaking apart the golems.
"What the hell man! You weren't even watching and were doing something else, weren't you!? Umhp!"
[Ceasing function.]
[Ceasing function.]
"Of course not."
Lee Shin Woo saw a group of golems falling with a single kick of Jin's hind legs, and laughed calmly as he replied.
Jin had adapted much faster than he'd expected, so he decided that when Jin had become somewhat proficient in combat, he would study basic strategy for fighting on horseback with him.
"Hey, you help too!"
"Are these all of the Reinforced Cores... tch. Ok, let's quickly take care of the rest."
As soon as Jin had finished taking care of all the level 4 Bronze Golems in the center, Lee Shin Woo participated in the battle. Since it'd be difficult to accumulate any combat experience fighting against level 3 golems, it didn't matter who destroyed them.
However, he realized something new here. It was possible to summon copies of the same equipment stored through Bone Armory!
"Go, Triple Axe!"
"Woah..."
They kept fighting, and Jin, who'd gotten slightly confident in his abilities, saw Lee Shin Woo destroying the Defense Type Golems left and right with three Melting Bone Double Axes flying across the battlefield, and felt down in the dumps again.
But Lee Shin Woo, who had excitedly realized the latent potential of his ability, didn't have time to be considerate of Jin's feelings. The three giant axes flew naturally like boomerangs and the sight of his axes wildly plowing through the golems was in and of itself a disaster. What's worse, he even blew up one of his axes in an area where several golems had gathered!
"Explode!"
A poison mist burst here and there across the battlefield, turning them into rock dust. The level 3 golems were now nothing more than targets that stood still to him. The power of levels and items was this absolute!
[Ceasing fun...]
[Function.]
"Heup!"
[Ceasing function.]
It was really satisfying that he was able to take out his anger on these low golems, the anger of bowing down to high level golems.
Whenever a golem's function would cease, the golems would exchange signals amongst themselves and would run away from him; Lee Shin Woo clearly saw them running away and mercilessly destroyed them all. It was a really wholesome time.
As a result.
[Bone Original Core]
[Reinforced Autonomous Defense Type Bone Core - Original Core Synchronization Rate: 58%]
"So I have about 1 and a 1/2... Tch."
"You look really scary."
In the first area, he had been able to create two Bone Original Cores, but probability was indifferent to that. He just clicked his tongue, stored the half completed Bone Core, and took out the completed one. Jin was already afraid and stepped back.
"You don't need to be so afraid. Since I need to be the one absorbing them for the time being if I'm to match your growth rate."
"Thanks!"
He activated Bone Reinforcement and used the Bone Original Core. Despite it being his second time absorbing it and its effectiveness being much worse, it still increased his strength by 7, agility by 11, health by 9, and magic by 6!
At the same time, an unfamiliar memory flowed into his mind. He was lucky; he was able to acquire a memory of their process of creating a code to control the golems.
[The golems' master can only be the Emperor. Aside from him, no one else can command us.]
[We've only just completed your seal, Sir Arema. The seal holds the highest authority, second only to the Emperor.]
[...Ha, to think that the circuit can only be created through a golem's mana. Isn't that interesting?]
"..."
Lee Shin Woo momentarily shook his head and clearly remembered the appearance of the seal. At the same time, he realized why Guillotine had said it was impossible for others to recreate it.
All beings are born with mana that possesses innate characteristics and artificial life forms were not exempt. Within their inorganic bodies, golems stored and handled mana, and a high ranked seal was created by the mana tinged with the innate characteristics of that inorganic body.
Arema Steelworker's seal could only be manifested by using the mana that made up his core, which would signify that the seal was only for his use. It was truly a secure security system.
'The issue isn't the complexity of handling your mana. It's like using orange juice to make clear ice. ...It'll take a while.'
Lee Shin Woo clicked his tongue. He knew it wouldn't be easy, but he didn't know where to start. Though the logic behind it was somewhat similar to changing his mana into acid or flames, he wasn't even able to handle those that proficiently yet...
"Shin Woo, what's wrong? Does your head hurt?"
"No, not at all."
Lee Shin Woo bluffed and raised his head. Though Jin had realized that he was bluffing, he didn't really point it out. Jin had realized that if Lee Shin Woo showed a bit of honesty, he was still alright.
'It won't help if I just hang around here. Like I had originally thought, I have no choice but to go at it while I deal with other business.'
At the end of his pondering, he cleanly recognized that his skills were lacking, and made up his mind. He wasn't giving up. Lee Shin Woo just decided that he wouldn't rush, and would slowly work at it whilst taking care of other business at the same time!
"With that in mind, let's go down. How can a person live off killing golems?"
"You have a multiple personality disorder, right? Right?"
Even while he complained, Jin and Lee Shin Woo went down the highlands and surveyed their surroundings. However, they didn't really get anything out of that. It seemed as though one of their senior heroes had gone through this place already, as there weren't any undead here, and it was completely clean. This became more apparent soon after they felt a refreshing feeling when they entered a city on the outskirts without any undead in sight.
"SSeup."
"Let's go someplace else. There might be another city, as well as a dungeon nearby."
In no time at all, Jin had resigned himself and spoke aloofly, figuring out what Lee Shin Woo wanted. However, Lee Shin Woo firmly shook his head.
"There's a place we need to examine before we leave here."
"? Can't you see that the city's clean?"
"No. There's a place where it's highly likely that it hasn't been cleared yet."
"And where's that...?"
Jin tilted his head, but Lee Shin Woo just grinned and lead Jin. All Jin felt was a sense of gloomy foreboding, but he followed behind Lee Shin Woo regardless.
[You have discovered the Polluted Sewer Facility. All stats increase by 5 within.]
And less than three hours later, they entered into a desolate, hidden underground facility. There were elite skeletons that stood in front of them in an orderly fashion whilst continuously spewing out jet-black mana.
[My name is Paul 13... I have to punish the erroneous Emperor!]
[To think that there are still this many men who still follow General Seagald!]
[We have all been given a new name and purpose!]
[Paul Zero!]
[Paul Zero! Paul Zero!]
"Yes, yes. I know my name is Paul Zero, so you don't have to keep shouting it."
"Shin Woo, you, what was your original goal again...?"
"Well, since we're already here. Might as well."
On that day, eight new elite skeletons were born: Paul 13 through Paul 20.
No one yet knew that a new force was being formed within the Empire.
"Friendly fire...?"
"That's right. I'm a hero!"
"A hero!?"
The Magician muttered blankly. Hearing an undead assert that they were a hero must've considerably shaken them; they had already stopped attacking. Lee Shin Woo felt relieved in that regard, but then Jin yelled startlingly.
"The ground. The ground!"
"Tch..."
The problem was the spell that they'd cast before was still around. The wall, composed of sharp thorns of ice were surging upwards several dozens of meters! Now wasn't the time be relieved!
"Heup!"
Without thinking, Lee Shin Woo brought out a Melting Double Bone Axe and threw it hard. The axe shattered the wall's sharp edges, and exploded the moment it lodged into the wall's interior; even though they had responded a bit late, Lee Shin Woo and Jin somehow managed to come out relatively unscathed, amidst the shards of ice.
"I thought we'd become skewers."
"Don't worry, we don't have any meat to grill, so... Wait, no. It's my fault. I'm sorry. Stop shaking."
"You're really terrible. You know that? Absolutely terrible."
"It was all my fault. I'm really sorry. Stop shaking."
"It certainly doesn't seem like you've been affected by the curse..."
While Lee Shin Woo and Jin were struggling to find a way to survive, the Magician watched them and spoke to herself. But for now, they had completely ignored to Magician in favor of reaching safe ground. They barely felt at ease.
"Are you really heroes? Even though you're undead...?"
At last, she went back to questioning them. The slim woman stretched her hand outwards from her magician robes, holding an orb that looked like a crystal; it seemed as though she had her magic at the ready depending on how they responded.
"We're undead, but we're definitely heroes. If..."
The situation wasn't favorable for them, and he assumed that they'd ultimately have to fight the magician; he analyzed his opponent's magic, and while doing so, picked one of the lines that only a hero would know to say and just said it.
"If you can't believe me, then would you like to access the chatting channel together and check?"
"The chatting channel... right, there was that."
It hit the mark. The Magician's hostility towards them was noticeably diminishing. He also considered that she might be a hero that attacked, saying 'Death to all the undead!', even after acknowledging his claim, but fortunately, it looked like she had abandoned all thoughts of attacking them.
"It was impossible to ascertain your identity, so I thought maybe... I couldn't bring myself to discard the possibility that were you some unknown undead. Sorry for attacking you."
"Ah... now that I think about it."
She'd even given them an earnest apology! Even after hearing that, Lee Shin Woo inspected her, but he couldn't figure anything out about her. A hero's fundamental ability of checking their opponent's level and identity didn't work on her. Now that he thought about it, it didn't work on Jin or Ye Jin Jin either.
If that's the case, then it should've been plenty enough to discern that they were heroes, but... Lee Shin Woo decided he'd double check that in the chatting channel later and replied.
"I'm Lee Shin Woo. This guy's Jin. For the record, this guy's a hero too."
"Kratia Melloi [1]."
The magician threw her robe's hood back, revealing her face and name. She was a young lady whose beauty matched her beautiful voice; she was short, so he had roughly assumed that she was a woman before, but she looked younger than he'd expected, so Lee Shin Woo was shocked.
Her eyes were a sky blue, like the frozen sea, with large pupils; her lavender hair, which stretched in every which way as if she didn't bother to comb it, was especially memorable. To be completely honest, her appearance matched well with the magic she wields.
'In any case, I've never seen someone called Kratia Melloi enter the chatting channel before... Wait a sec.'
Assuming that she wasn't lying, as she gave her name and showed her appearance, there was someone who matched her description.
"How long has it been since you've arrived here?"
"3 weeks."
"As I thought..."
She was definitely the 'newbie' that he'd heard about in the chatting channel a short while ago. Kratia must've been the one who had entered the chatting channel once and left immediately, as she felt uncomfortable with all of the seniors' attention on her. His seniors did say that she didn't enter again following that incident.
But what was surprising was that it had only been 3 weeks since she'd been dropped underground, yet the level of her magic was considerable. Lee Shin Woo couldn't even assess the level of her magic, so that meant she was at least higher than level 5. But if that were true, that meant that she started out with that much power. Otherwise, she had to have received that power from God.
"Do I become like you guys by any chance if a lot of time goes by?"
The Magician, Kratia Melloi asked, her eyes filled with a bit of fear. Lee Shin Woo and Jin simultaneously shook their heads and denied her. This confirmed that she was indeed a newbie hero.
"We became like this because of our wishes. On the flip side, there were some things we got in exchange, but I can't really recommend it."
"You became undead because of your wishes? ...As I thought, that woman's got a mental disorder or something."
She nonchalantly insulted God and shook her head. And even though he didn't ask, she extended her hand gripping the orb and said.
"I don't like other people touching me. So when I asked for ice that could grow, she gave me this."
"So she could fulfill that wish because you were already strong, huh..."
Though she was originally a powerful magician, there should've been a limit to what God could give her with her powers; she'd successfully managed to receive an artifact that developed all on its own, so she may have made the best choice.
If his senior heroes were to have heard, they would've said something like 'you should've asked for a skill that improves the effectiveness of ice type abilities!' and would've been frustrated in her stead.
"Shin Woo, what are you going to do?"
Right when he was finished thinking, Jin whispered to Lee Shin Woo. Jin, who was easily frightened, seemed to still be afraid of Kratia, as he was secretly hiding behind his back.
Is this really the guy who courageously yelled out that when they died, they would die together... Lee Shin Woo softly stroked his back to tell him it was alright and said his farewells to Kratia.
"I don't think there are a lot of cases like us, but be careful from now on. Then, we'll get going. It was nice meeting you, Kratia Melloi."
"Wait a sec."
He got atop Jin's back and tried turning around, but Kratia's sudden urgent voice stopped them. Lee Shin Woo felt Jin inwardly yell, as he'd wanted to leave smoothly.
"I know I've been somewhat foolish. Teach me about how this world works."
"If you just enter the chatting channel, our seniors will scramble to teach to you. Especially, Lloyd and Prince."
"Those guys make me feel uneasy. I also haven't seen their faces even once..."
Kratia asserted quite firmly. Their seniors had a tendency to be way too excited when a newbie comes in, so it was understandable that she felt unnerved by them. Moreover, though he hadn't known her for very long, this woman didn't seem to like socializing very much.
Even so, didn't it seem weird that she trusted an undead whose face she'd seen, rather than a human whose face she hadn't seen? At least, that's what Lee Shin Woo thought.
"But you're ok. And... I'm curious."
She probably isn't the type to like undead more than humans; Lee Shin Woo tilted his head, wondering what he had to say, and replied in a way that went beyond his imagination.
"The way you use your magic. I want to learn it too."
"Oh, you were curious about that?"
"I'm not asking to learn for free. I have a good grasp on magic as well. There's probably stuff that I can help with for you two as well."
The situation was taking a turn beyond his wildest imagination. Lee Shin Woo had originally thought that it would be a waste of time and that he should just refuse, but he stopped for two separate reasons.
First off, no matter how he looked at it, she was a professionally trained magician, and would naturally know more about magic across the board. There's a chance he'd profit from this exchange of knowledge, but honestly, there was also a chance that he would gain absolutely nothing.
And secondly, he hadn't yet found a way to create a high rank administrative authority. If he were to get a hint from her regarding changes in the characteristics of mana, wouldn't this be considered progress as well...? He thought it wouldn't be bad to bet on this, rather than continuously hunting golems at a snail's pace.
"Shin Woo, you're not going to, are you?"
"Well, it actually doesn't sound too bad..."
Lee Shin Woo commented in favor, and Jin weighed in with a slightly displeased tone.
"Is it because she's pretty?"
"I'd like to act immature and senseless like that sometime too."
Lee Shin Woo scolded, and turned his head towards Kratia. He'd made up his mind, and already finished talking with his partner, so now it was time to earnestly negotiate terms.
"We can't stay with you forever."
"2 weeks."
"Promise that you'll sincerely cooperate, even if you don't gain what you want."
"You have my word. I promise upon the everlasting mana."
"Promise that whatever goes on between us, you leak nothing to the outside."
"Likewise."
"Alright. Then we'll be in your care for 2 weeks. So..."
"Kratia. Nice meeting you, Shin Woo."
Lee Shin Woo thoughtlessly extended his right hand, a habit from his time as a human, and Kratia unhesitatingly grabbed his bare bone hand. She really didn't care that he was undead, and proved that she was only interested in his knowledge and ability.
Though their purity was directed at different things, Lee Shin Woo suddenly thought that in terms of innocence, she and Ye Jin Jin were quite similar. From right beside him, Jin then asked.
"Then what do I do...?"
"What are you talking about? You're the one who needs systematic instruction on magic. We're one plus one, remember?"
"I knew this would happen..."
Even whilst complaining, Jin strangely felt moved that Lee Shin Woo was looking out for him. Seeing Jin, who'd come into possession of such a twisted feeling, Kratia seemed to be concerned about something and her eyes brightened; she soon tilted her head and turned her attention to Lee Shin Woo.
"Then let's get going immediately. I want to know how your power works."
"Hey, wait. Didn't you want to learn about all that common knowledge you were missing?"
"I can just hear that stuff with the time we have left over."
She wasn't reversing their priority. From the very beginning, her primary objective was magic. Lee Shin Woo thought he somewhat understood her personality, shrugged his shoulders, and with no alternatives, just began talking.
Lee Shin Woo and Jin explained that they had a special contract, and using the resulting connection that came from using the Horseback Riding skill, could share their skills and resistances with each other; after hearing of this, it didn't take long before Kratia became disappointed.
"But it's fine. Since the way you use your mana is plenty interesting. There's a lot I can learn from your freewheeling style. The mana you've accumulated is amazing, seeing as how you went from not knowing anything to this."
"I'm more jealous of the mana you've accumulated, though..."
Contrary to Lee Shin Woo, who controlled the mana itself, Kratia had studied for countless years and ultimately, developed a special method of causing the mana to change.
If he changed mana purely through his will and the skill's ability, Kratia calculated the countless ways in which the mana could change beforehand, and brought about the desired change at the right time. Lee Shin Woo's method of handling magic was clumsy in comparison.
"It's not the way of a magician. But it's not the way a knight uses mana either. To be specific, Shin Woo... you seem like a monster gifted with supernatural powers."
"...Isn't it because I'm an undead?"
Lee Shin Woo flinched the moment she pointed that out, but he replied calmly for now. However, Kratia firmly shook her head.
"An undead being can't control this many mana patterns. You may even understand the essence of mana more than I do. If I can imitate even just a part of what you do, my magic could undergo a groundbreaking change..."
"Shin Woo, I don't understand this at all."
"You just memorize everything for now. It'll come up in the test."
He was able to make some strides. Kratia taught Lee Shin Woo the theory established by scholars and magicians on mana, and he was able to figure out how to more effectively handle his mana, which he'd been manipulating instinctually up until now; on the other hand, Kratia got a hint on how to improve her magic by learning about Lee Shin Woo's skills and peculiar method of using magic, which went against common sense.
"Ah, so this is how you do it. Just by introducing a few basic patterns, I can apply my magic much faster than before."
"H-How did you learn that already?"
Ultimately, Lee Shin Woo was successfully able to make large strides in magic one week into his contract with Kratia. She thought if she taught him, it would be helpful to him someday, but he had advanced at a speed which went beyond her imagination.
[The Low Rank Mana Bone skill has become Lv10, and evolves to the Intermediate level. Your understanding of magic deepens, and you can more effectively store more mana into your bones. The power of your mana increases as well. Magic has increased by 30.]
[You have fulfilled a portion of the conditions necessary to achieve the Joker's innate skill. You have only one step left remaining before you become a true Joker.]
And at that very moment... Lee Shin Woo got a message that he hadn't expected at all.
[A quest has occurred!]
[Joker's mana]
[You are extremely free-spirited, and are capable of imitating anything. That's right. You can even imitate another person's mana. It's fine if you have a special mission, and if you don't, that's fine as well. Please acquire a high ranked administrative authority by copying a golem's mana.]
[Quest reward - 3 permits to God's secret shop, Joker's innate skill]
[1] T/N: Probably a loose Fate/Stay Night reference to the El-Melloi line of magicians.
<Chapter 14. New Pace >
Guillotine Steelworker had said that the seal he'd made was only possible for golems to create. Lee Shin Woo didn't think that was a lie. But even so, it didn't seem like it'd be impossible to recreate it.
'It's possible to copy a golem's mana pattern, so there's no way it'd be impossible to copy the seal.'
But it wasn't something he'd be able to do in the foreseeable future. Because of that, Lee Shin Woo thoroughly examined each golem as best as he could, indulged in the core's knowledge, and broke apart the low ranked golems to try to familiarize himself with the golems themselves.
"What are you going to do by copying that?"
"I'm going to try controlling the golems."
"You're trying to control Arema Steelworker?"
"Nope. That guy's probably impossible for me to control."
From the start, Lee Shin Woo hadn't even caught a glimpse of the highest authority over the golems. If he more deeply examined the golems, as well as absorbed more cores, he thought he'd be able to figure it out someday, but he knew that now wasn't the time.
For starters, his goal would be to obtain Guillotine Steelworker's administrator seal. So, he would gather all of the abandoned golems in the Empire and create his own corps of golems; that was his goal. If Arema Steelworker had heard him say that, he'd be speechless and fall flat on his face.
"I'm not going to just destroy golems, so don't worry. If that's all I was going to do, then why would I have taken the train and come out here? We have to take care of the undead nearby, too."
"Yay, I'm so happy..."
They activated the elevator through the general administrative seal and went outside. While the west side consisted of stiff highlands, the landscape here was way too different. They wanted to check where they'd surfaced, but that was impossible.
"I wonder where our seniors are."
"They should be in the center of the Empire."
Lee Shin Woo and Jin had grown drastically, but their seniors were mostly level 6, or perhaps even higher. They still had a lot of catching up to do.
Of course, even if they did reach their level, they absolutely wouldn't be able to stand before them and reveal themselves to them. Would they be able to make them cease their deep-seated hatred towards the undead by just saying that they were heroes... Honestly, he was really doubtful of that right now.
[Detecting trespasser.]
[Repelling them as a top priority.]
"So like I was saying, just take them down for now."
"You!"
"I can't raise my abilities by fighting against them anymore."
A golem's greatest strength was that they had a sturdy base, but that could be a weakness as well. They were too unaccustomed to irregularities. From the very beginning, they were much too easy to take down for Lee Shin Woo, whose specialty was his irregular fighting style that lacked a concrete form.
Hearing that, Jin thought that he was shamefully boasting, but like always, he couldn't deny it.
"I want to observe the golems more thoroughly. So, charge!"
"Sseup, I guess it can't be helped..."
Jin gallantly galloped forth, with his body enveloped in steel-like mana. Lee Shin Woo saw the golems switch their battle formations to intercept him, and leisurely observed their mana patterns. Of course, because he was maintaining his general administrative seal, all of the golems aggroed on Jin.
"I've been fighting too much lately, so I've been tired."
No one would say anything if he took a really quick break in between analyzing the mana. Probably. He nodded his head and continued observing. However, he started to get bored from just observing and studying, so he decided to open the chatting channel.
[Mr. Lee Shin Woo has entered.]
[Ye Jin Jin: It's been a long time!]
[Lee Shin Woo: Yeah, it has. You're still alive?]
[Lloyd H.K.: Jeez, I have no idea who's the senior and who's the newbie here.]
[Prince Altania: Lee Shin Woo, how much more have you got before you're level 5?]
[Lee Shin Woo: I should reach it soon. I only have about 10 more stats to go.]
It was a lie, of course, but they thought of 10 stats differently than him, so he had no choice.
[Prince Altania: Holy shit. You're really close. Even if his starting specs were high, this guy... He's probably not more talented than me though, right?]
[Yasunori Akira: Your talent is common amongst heroes. Doesn't it seem strange that you're comparing yourself to Lee Shin Woo, who everyone has high expectations for?]
[Prince Altania: What? You want to go? Are you looking for a fight?]
[Yasunori Akira: Pfft.]
As always, his seniors responded to him affectionately. Lee Shin Woo suddenly thought, after being greeted by each and every one of them. Ye Jin Jin knew about his true nature, but how would his seniors react when they saw him? Would they accept him? Would they reject him? Would they pity him?
The more he learned about the Underground Empire, as well as the heroes, the more he thought about his true identity. Perhaps it wouldn't be as simple as he thought; at some point, that thought had begun to grow more and more.
'It's a relief that I met Ye Jin Jin when she was still naive and gave her a good impression of me.'
He thought it might've been the right decision to hide his identity and spoke calmly.
[Lee Shin Woo: Not much happened while I was away, right?]
[Lloyd H.K.: Ah, now that I think about it, you may not know. A newbie came in.]
[Lee Shin Woo: A newbie...?]
Of course, he was already well aware that it was quite common for heroes to trickle in, but it felt a bit strange that he already had a junior. Then, Prince Altania spoiled the mood.
[Prince Altania: What a mannerless brat. They came in just a little while ago and then left right after.]
[Erian Rendu: Mannerless? They could just be extremely individualistic. Sir Altania.]
[Lloyd H.K.: Individualistic, huh... That's the most dangerous tendency to have. If you're not as strong as Akira, that is.]
[Yasunori Akira: Don't call me by my name. ...Well, they'll prove it soon. Whether it was arrogance or skill.]
[Ye Jin Jin: Mr. Shin Woo, how have you been? I finally reached level 4!]
[Shino Rendu: You've been dawdling all this time, yet once you found a man, you've become unstoppable, huh.]
[Ye Jin Jin: W-What are you talking about!?]
Lee Shin Woo adequately told his seniors, who quarreled amongst each other and amicably went back and forth in their conversations, about himself as well as keeping some parts of himself secret, while also hearing about the situation in the Empire. He even tried to ask them about the 12 generals, but to no avail.
[Prince Altania: Ha, the 12 generals? I'll be straight with you. We haven't even reached the capital, let alone the major city. It's kind of discouraging, but it's impossible to fight a general before you're level 7.]
[Lloyd H.K.: Would it even be possible just by reaching level 7? You'd need to be packed with level 4 artifacts, as well as heroes using their full strength; even then, they'd barely be able to take one down. Our senior told us that before, remember?]
[Prince Altania: Heng. As long as you and I are there, we can do it.]
[Erian Rendu: I'm level 6 now, too! Lloyd, when the time comes, you can count on me!]
Just taking a peek into the chatting channel, one could tell that they had the energy of top class celebrities! Lloyd, who'd even been recognized by that harsh Prince, was dazzling. To the point that he felt jealous.
If he had still been human, could he have been like him? However, he snorted at such fruitless thoughts and left the chatting channel. Jin was still vigorously rampaging about and breaking apart the golems.
"What the hell man! You weren't even watching and were doing something else, weren't you!? Umhp!"
[Ceasing function.]
[Ceasing function.]
"Of course not."
Lee Shin Woo saw a group of golems falling with a single kick of Jin's hind legs, and laughed calmly as he replied.
Jin had adapted much faster than he'd expected, so he decided that when Jin had become somewhat proficient in combat, he would study basic strategy for fighting on horseback with him.
"Hey, you help too!"
"Are these all of the Reinforced Cores... tch. Ok, let's quickly take care of the rest."
As soon as Jin had finished taking care of all the level 4 Bronze Golems in the center, Lee Shin Woo participated in the battle. Since it'd be difficult to accumulate any combat experience fighting against level 3 golems, it didn't matter who destroyed them.
However, he realized something new here. It was possible to summon copies of the same equipment stored through Bone Armory!
"Go, Triple Axe!"
"Woah..."
They kept fighting, and Jin, who'd gotten slightly confident in his abilities, saw Lee Shin Woo destroying the Defense Type Golems left and right with three Melting Bone Double Axes flying across the battlefield, and felt down in the dumps again.
But Lee Shin Woo, who had excitedly realized the latent potential of his ability, didn't have time to be considerate of Jin's feelings. The three giant axes flew naturally like boomerangs and the sight of his axes wildly plowing through the golems was in and of itself a disaster. What's worse, he even blew up one of his axes in an area where several golems had gathered!
"Explode!"
A poison mist burst here and there across the battlefield, turning them into rock dust. The level 3 golems were now nothing more than targets that stood still to him. The power of levels and items was this absolute!
[Ceasing fun...]
[Function.]
"Heup!"
[Ceasing function.]
It was really satisfying that he was able to take out his anger on these low golems, the anger of bowing down to high level golems.
Whenever a golem's function would cease, the golems would exchange signals amongst themselves and would run away from him; Lee Shin Woo clearly saw them running away and mercilessly destroyed them all. It was a really wholesome time.
As a result.
[Bone Original Core]
[Reinforced Autonomous Defense Type Bone Core - Original Core Synchronization Rate: 58%]
"So I have about 1 and a 1/2... Tch."
"You look really scary."
In the first area, he had been able to create two Bone Original Cores, but probability was indifferent to that. He just clicked his tongue, stored the half completed Bone Core, and took out the completed one. Jin was already afraid and stepped back.
"You don't need to be so afraid. Since I need to be the one absorbing them for the time being if I'm to match your growth rate."
"Thanks!"
He activated Bone Reinforcement and used the Bone Original Core. Despite it being his second time absorbing it and its effectiveness being much worse, it still increased his strength by 7, agility by 11, health by 9, and magic by 6!
At the same time, an unfamiliar memory flowed into his mind. He was lucky; he was able to acquire a memory of their process of creating a code to control the golems.
[The golems' master can only be the Emperor. Aside from him, no one else can command us.]
[We've only just completed your seal, Sir Arema. The seal holds the highest authority, second only to the Emperor.]
[...Ha, to think that the circuit can only be created through a golem's mana. Isn't that interesting?]
"..."
Lee Shin Woo momentarily shook his head and clearly remembered the appearance of the seal. At the same time, he realized why Guillotine had said it was impossible for others to recreate it.
All beings are born with mana that possesses innate characteristics and artificial life forms were not exempt. Within their inorganic bodies, golems stored and handled mana, and a high ranked seal was created by the mana tinged with the innate characteristics of that inorganic body.
Arema Steelworker's seal could only be manifested by using the mana that made up his core, which would signify that the seal was only for his use. It was truly a secure security system.
'The issue isn't the complexity of handling your mana. It's like using orange juice to make clear ice. ...It'll take a while.'
Lee Shin Woo clicked his tongue. He knew it wouldn't be easy, but he didn't know where to start. Though the logic behind it was somewhat similar to changing his mana into acid or flames, he wasn't even able to handle those that proficiently yet...
"Shin Woo, what's wrong? Does your head hurt?"
"No, not at all."
Lee Shin Woo bluffed and raised his head. Though Jin had realized that he was bluffing, he didn't really point it out. Jin had realized that if Lee Shin Woo showed a bit of honesty, he was still alright.
'It won't help if I just hang around here. Like I had originally thought, I have no choice but to go at it while I deal with other business.'
At the end of his pondering, he cleanly recognized that his skills were lacking, and made up his mind. He wasn't giving up. Lee Shin Woo just decided that he wouldn't rush, and would slowly work at it whilst taking care of other business at the same time!
"With that in mind, let's go down. How can a person live off killing golems?"
"You have a multiple personality disorder, right? Right?"
Even while he complained, Jin and Lee Shin Woo went down the highlands and surveyed their surroundings. However, they didn't really get anything out of that. It seemed as though one of their senior heroes had gone through this place already, as there weren't any undead here, and it was completely clean. This became more apparent soon after they felt a refreshing feeling when they entered a city on the outskirts without any undead in sight.
"SSeup."
"Let's go someplace else. There might be another city, as well as a dungeon nearby."
In no time at all, Jin had resigned himself and spoke aloofly, figuring out what Lee Shin Woo wanted. However, Lee Shin Woo firmly shook his head.
"There's a place we need to examine before we leave here."
"? Can't you see that the city's clean?"
"No. There's a place where it's highly likely that it hasn't been cleared yet."
"And where's that...?"
Jin tilted his head, but Lee Shin Woo just grinned and lead Jin. All Jin felt was a sense of gloomy foreboding, but he followed behind Lee Shin Woo regardless.
[You have discovered the Polluted Sewer Facility. All stats increase by 5 within.]
And less than three hours later, they entered into a desolate, hidden underground facility. There were elite skeletons that stood in front of them in an orderly fashion whilst continuously spewing out jet-black mana.
[My name is Paul 13... I have to punish the erroneous Emperor!]
[To think that there are still this many men who still follow General Seagald!]
[We have all been given a new name and purpose!]
[Paul Zero!]
[Paul Zero! Paul Zero!]
"Yes, yes. I know my name is Paul Zero, so you don't have to keep shouting it."
"Shin Woo, you, what was your original goal again...?"
"Well, since we're already here. Might as well."
On that day, eight new elite skeletons were born: Paul 13 through Paul 20.
No one yet knew that a new force was being formed within the Empire.
"Friendly fire...?"
"That's right. I'm a hero!"
"A hero!?"
The Magician muttered blankly. Hearing an undead assert that they were a hero must've considerably shaken them; they had already stopped attacking. Lee Shin Woo felt relieved in that regard, but then Jin yelled startlingly.
"The ground. The ground!"
"Tch..."
The problem was the spell that they'd cast before was still around. The wall, composed of sharp thorns of ice were surging upwards several dozens of meters! Now wasn't the time be relieved!
"Heup!"
Without thinking, Lee Shin Woo brought out a Melting Double Bone Axe and threw it hard. The axe shattered the wall's sharp edges, and exploded the moment it lodged into the wall's interior; even though they had responded a bit late, Lee Shin Woo and Jin somehow managed to come out relatively unscathed, amidst the shards of ice.
"I thought we'd become skewers."
"Don't worry, we don't have any meat to grill, so... Wait, no. It's my fault. I'm sorry. Stop shaking."
"You're really terrible. You know that? Absolutely terrible."
"It was all my fault. I'm really sorry. Stop shaking."
"It certainly doesn't seem like you've been affected by the curse..."
While Lee Shin Woo and Jin were struggling to find a way to survive, the Magician watched them and spoke to herself. But for now, they had completely ignored to Magician in favor of reaching safe ground. They barely felt at ease.
"Are you really heroes? Even though you're undead...?"
At last, she went back to questioning them. The slim woman stretched her hand outwards from her magician robes, holding an orb that looked like a crystal; it seemed as though she had her magic at the ready depending on how they responded.
"We're undead, but we're definitely heroes. If..."
The situation wasn't favorable for them, and he assumed that they'd ultimately have to fight the magician; he analyzed his opponent's magic, and while doing so, picked one of the lines that only a hero would know to say and just said it.
"If you can't believe me, then would you like to access the chatting channel together and check?"
"The chatting channel... right, there was that."
It hit the mark. The Magician's hostility towards them was noticeably diminishing. He also considered that she might be a hero that attacked, saying 'Death to all the undead!', even after acknowledging his claim, but fortunately, it looked like she had abandoned all thoughts of attacking them.
"It was impossible to ascertain your identity, so I thought maybe... I couldn't bring myself to discard the possibility that were you some unknown undead. Sorry for attacking you."
"Ah... now that I think about it."
She'd even given them an earnest apology! Even after hearing that, Lee Shin Woo inspected her, but he couldn't figure anything out about her. A hero's fundamental ability of checking their opponent's level and identity didn't work on her. Now that he thought about it, it didn't work on Jin or Ye Jin Jin either.
If that's the case, then it should've been plenty enough to discern that they were heroes, but... Lee Shin Woo decided he'd double check that in the chatting channel later and replied.
"I'm Lee Shin Woo. This guy's Jin. For the record, this guy's a hero too."
"Kratia Melloi [1]."
The magician threw her robe's hood back, revealing her face and name. She was a young lady whose beauty matched her beautiful voice; she was short, so he had roughly assumed that she was a woman before, but she looked younger than he'd expected, so Lee Shin Woo was shocked.
Her eyes were a sky blue, like the frozen sea, with large pupils; her lavender hair, which stretched in every which way as if she didn't bother to comb it, was especially memorable. To be completely honest, her appearance matched well with the magic she wields.
'In any case, I've never seen someone called Kratia Melloi enter the chatting channel before... Wait a sec.'
Assuming that she wasn't lying, as she gave her name and showed her appearance, there was someone who matched her description.
"How long has it been since you've arrived here?"
"3 weeks."
"As I thought..."
She was definitely the 'newbie' that he'd heard about in the chatting channel a short while ago. Kratia must've been the one who had entered the chatting channel once and left immediately, as she felt uncomfortable with all of the seniors' attention on her. His seniors did say that she didn't enter again following that incident.
But what was surprising was that it had only been 3 weeks since she'd been dropped underground, yet the level of her magic was considerable. Lee Shin Woo couldn't even assess the level of her magic, so that meant she was at least higher than level 5. But if that were true, that meant that she started out with that much power. Otherwise, she had to have received that power from God.
"Do I become like you guys by any chance if a lot of time goes by?"
The Magician, Kratia Melloi asked, her eyes filled with a bit of fear. Lee Shin Woo and Jin simultaneously shook their heads and denied her. This confirmed that she was indeed a newbie hero.
"We became like this because of our wishes. On the flip side, there were some things we got in exchange, but I can't really recommend it."
"You became undead because of your wishes? ...As I thought, that woman's got a mental disorder or something."
She nonchalantly insulted God and shook her head. And even though he didn't ask, she extended her hand gripping the orb and said.
"I don't like other people touching me. So when I asked for ice that could grow, she gave me this."
"So she could fulfill that wish because you were already strong, huh..."
Though she was originally a powerful magician, there should've been a limit to what God could give her with her powers; she'd successfully managed to receive an artifact that developed all on its own, so she may have made the best choice.
If his senior heroes were to have heard, they would've said something like 'you should've asked for a skill that improves the effectiveness of ice type abilities!' and would've been frustrated in her stead.
"Shin Woo, what are you going to do?"
Right when he was finished thinking, Jin whispered to Lee Shin Woo. Jin, who was easily frightened, seemed to still be afraid of Kratia, as he was secretly hiding behind his back.
Is this really the guy who courageously yelled out that when they died, they would die together... Lee Shin Woo softly stroked his back to tell him it was alright and said his farewells to Kratia.
"I don't think there are a lot of cases like us, but be careful from now on. Then, we'll get going. It was nice meeting you, Kratia Melloi."
"Wait a sec."
He got atop Jin's back and tried turning around, but Kratia's sudden urgent voice stopped them. Lee Shin Woo felt Jin inwardly yell, as he'd wanted to leave smoothly.
"I know I've been somewhat foolish. Teach me about how this world works."
"If you just enter the chatting channel, our seniors will scramble to teach to you. Especially, Lloyd and Prince."
"Those guys make me feel uneasy. I also haven't seen their faces even once..."
Kratia asserted quite firmly. Their seniors had a tendency to be way too excited when a newbie comes in, so it was understandable that she felt unnerved by them. Moreover, though he hadn't known her for very long, this woman didn't seem to like socializing very much.
Even so, didn't it seem weird that she trusted an undead whose face she'd seen, rather than a human whose face she hadn't seen? At least, that's what Lee Shin Woo thought.
"But you're ok. And... I'm curious."
She probably isn't the type to like undead more than humans; Lee Shin Woo tilted his head, wondering what he had to say, and replied in a way that went beyond his imagination.
"The way you use your magic. I want to learn it too."
"Oh, you were curious about that?"
"I'm not asking to learn for free. I have a good grasp on magic as well. There's probably stuff that I can help with for you two as well."
The situation was taking a turn beyond his wildest imagination. Lee Shin Woo had originally thought that it would be a waste of time and that he should just refuse, but he stopped for two separate reasons.
First off, no matter how he looked at it, she was a professionally trained magician, and would naturally know more about magic across the board. There's a chance he'd profit from this exchange of knowledge, but honestly, there was also a chance that he would gain absolutely nothing.
And secondly, he hadn't yet found a way to create a high rank administrative authority. If he were to get a hint from her regarding changes in the characteristics of mana, wouldn't this be considered progress as well...? He thought it wouldn't be bad to bet on this, rather than continuously hunting golems at a snail's pace.
"Shin Woo, you're not going to, are you?"
"Well, it actually doesn't sound too bad..."
Lee Shin Woo commented in favor, and Jin weighed in with a slightly displeased tone.
"Is it because she's pretty?"
"I'd like to act immature and senseless like that sometime too."
Lee Shin Woo scolded, and turned his head towards Kratia. He'd made up his mind, and already finished talking with his partner, so now it was time to earnestly negotiate terms.
"We can't stay with you forever."
"2 weeks."
"Promise that you'll sincerely cooperate, even if you don't gain what you want."
"You have my word. I promise upon the everlasting mana."
"Promise that whatever goes on between us, you leak nothing to the outside."
"Likewise."
"Alright. Then we'll be in your care for 2 weeks. So..."
"Kratia. Nice meeting you, Shin Woo."
Lee Shin Woo thoughtlessly extended his right hand, a habit from his time as a human, and Kratia unhesitatingly grabbed his bare bone hand. She really didn't care that he was undead, and proved that she was only interested in his knowledge and ability.
Though their purity was directed at different things, Lee Shin Woo suddenly thought that in terms of innocence, she and Ye Jin Jin were quite similar. From right beside him, Jin then asked.
"Then what do I do...?"
"What are you talking about? You're the one who needs systematic instruction on magic. We're one plus one, remember?"
"I knew this would happen..."
Even whilst complaining, Jin strangely felt moved that Lee Shin Woo was looking out for him. Seeing Jin, who'd come into possession of such a twisted feeling, Kratia seemed to be concerned about something and her eyes brightened; she soon tilted her head and turned her attention to Lee Shin Woo.
"Then let's get going immediately. I want to know how your power works."
"Hey, wait. Didn't you want to learn about all that common knowledge you were missing?"
"I can just hear that stuff with the time we have left over."
She wasn't reversing their priority. From the very beginning, her primary objective was magic. Lee Shin Woo thought he somewhat understood her personality, shrugged his shoulders, and with no alternatives, just began talking.
Lee Shin Woo and Jin explained that they had a special contract, and using the resulting connection that came from using the Horseback Riding skill, could share their skills and resistances with each other; after hearing of this, it didn't take long before Kratia became disappointed.
"But it's fine. Since the way you use your mana is plenty interesting. There's a lot I can learn from your freewheeling style. The mana you've accumulated is amazing, seeing as how you went from not knowing anything to this."
"I'm more jealous of the mana you've accumulated, though..."
Contrary to Lee Shin Woo, who controlled the mana itself, Kratia had studied for countless years and ultimately, developed a special method of causing the mana to change.
If he changed mana purely through his will and the skill's ability, Kratia calculated the countless ways in which the mana could change beforehand, and brought about the desired change at the right time. Lee Shin Woo's method of handling magic was clumsy in comparison.
"It's not the way of a magician. But it's not the way a knight uses mana either. To be specific, Shin Woo... you seem like a monster gifted with supernatural powers."
"...Isn't it because I'm an undead?"
Lee Shin Woo flinched the moment she pointed that out, but he replied calmly for now. However, Kratia firmly shook her head.
"An undead being can't control this many mana patterns. You may even understand the essence of mana more than I do. If I can imitate even just a part of what you do, my magic could undergo a groundbreaking change..."
"Shin Woo, I don't understand this at all."
"You just memorize everything for now. It'll come up in the test."
He was able to make some strides. Kratia taught Lee Shin Woo the theory established by scholars and magicians on mana, and he was able to figure out how to more effectively handle his mana, which he'd been manipulating instinctually up until now; on the other hand, Kratia got a hint on how to improve her magic by learning about Lee Shin Woo's skills and peculiar method of using magic, which went against common sense.
"Ah, so this is how you do it. Just by introducing a few basic patterns, I can apply my magic much faster than before."
"H-How did you learn that already?"
Ultimately, Lee Shin Woo was successfully able to make large strides in magic one week into his contract with Kratia. She thought if she taught him, it would be helpful to him someday, but he had advanced at a speed which went beyond her imagination.
[The Low Rank Mana Bone skill has become Lv10, and evolves to the Intermediate level. Your understanding of magic deepens, and you can more effectively store more mana into your bones. The power of your mana increases as well. Magic has increased by 30.]
[You have fulfilled a portion of the conditions necessary to achieve the Joker's innate skill. You have only one step left remaining before you become a true Joker.]
And at that very moment... Lee Shin Woo got a message that he hadn't expected at all.
[A quest has occurred!]
[Joker's mana]
[You are extremely free-spirited, and are capable of imitating anything. That's right. You can even imitate another person's mana. It's fine if you have a special mission, and if you don't, that's fine as well. Please acquire a high ranked administrative authority by copying a golem's mana.]
[Quest reward - 3 permits to God's secret shop, Joker's innate skill]
[1] T/N: Probably a loose Fate/Stay Night reference to the El-Melloi line of magicians.
