A Loving Beating

He returned in an instant.

Minwoo looked down at his body. Only moments ago, he had been at death's door. Now he was as good as new, without even any symptoms of potion addiction.

Virtual bodies were the best.

'I spent a fair bit, but this was still a bargain.'

He had gained quite a lot.

First: combat experience for his skeletons.

They had experienced a massive war firsthand, the kind money couldn't buy entry to. That experience would be a tremendous help as they grew.

Second: titles.

He had earned a whole slew of them. Since this had been an entirely new stage, even Minwoo didn't know the details of many of them.

'Might as well check them now.'

[New Title List]

[1. Just How Far Will You Go?]

[You personally participated in a special battlefield.]

[Effect: Magic Power +3]

[2. Orc Slaughterer]

[You hunted five hundred orcs of a much higher level than yourself.]

[Effect: Attack power against orcs increased by 10%.]

[3. Living Only for Today]

[You drank potions like water and became addicted.]

[Effect: Slightly increases the chance of resisting potion addiction.]

[4. Hunter of the Strong]

[You defeated a monster overwhelmingly stronger than yourself.]

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

[5. Baby Commander]

[You commanded more than five hundred subordinates.]

[Effect: The morale of the forces you lead increases by 3%.]

'Everything up to here is pretty average.'

The titles had reasonably good effects.

But from here on...

'These are the real high-tier titles.'

He had earned them through feats that would have cost him more than ten lives.

[6. Indomitable Soul]

[A soul that will not yield. It is a fragment of radiant possibility.]

[Effect 1. Your soul endures the death of your body.]

[Effect 2. All stats increased by 10% (also applies to bonus stats)]

[Effect 3. Locked]

[Effect 4. Locked]

First up, Indomitable Soul.

'These effects are insane.'

Only two effects were unlocked, but both were absolutely ridiculous.

Enduring the death of his body.

'I'd have died without this.'

It had saved his life. That said it all.

And the second effect: a 10% increase to all stats.

'That's nuts.'

A percentage-based bonus, no less.

Titles with effects like this were incredibly rare. Even after spending fifteen years devoted to this game, he had only seen them about three times.

'And those were only around 5%. For individual stats, too, not all of them.'

But this was 10% to all stats!

And it even applied to the bonus stats from titles and equipment!

"Heh heh."

His mouth stretched into a broad grin.

That's right. After everything he'd endured at level 1, he deserved at least this much for risking his life.

And there were still three major titles left to inspect.

[7. Master of the Dragon Knight]

[You have become the master of Dragon Knight Cedric.]

[Effect 1. Greatly increases the learning ability of all skeleton-type summons.]

[Effect 2. Skeletons can now become Dragon Tooth Warriors.]

[Effect 3. Exerts intense intimidation upon dragon-related monsters.]

[Effect 4. Locked]

[Effect 5. Locked.]

'Wow.'

This one was just as amazing. It "greatly" increased the learning ability of his skeleton summons.

Stats were certainly important. But just as important...

'Is knowing how to fight.'

The orc royal guard was proof. Minwoo had defeated an enemy whose stats overwhelmingly surpassed his own because he knew how to fight.

This would stack with Death Lord's learning effect, giving his skeletons a chance to do the same.

'I'm not asking them to be as good as me.'

Kim Minwoo did have a conscience. Expecting ordinary skeletons to move as well as the world's number-one gamer would be greedy.

'But what if they could be half as good?'

No, even a quarter would do.

That alone would let them put most awakeners to shame. If they could move that well, his fighting strength would be transformed.

The second effect was equally impressive.

'Dragon Tooth Warriors, huh.'

Kim Minwoo had hunted dragons a few times. Dragon Tooth Warriors were among the undead soldiers that high-ranking dragons used as minions, primarily to guard their lairs.

They weren't summons that necromancers could use, though.

'I've never seen a skill book for them.'

As far as he knew, a Dragon Tooth Warrior skill book had never dropped in Gate Hunter. He had assumed the drop rate was just absurdly low.

'Did you have to recruit Cedric to use them?'

Dragon Tooth Warriors were practically the pinnacle of skeleton-type summons. Just unlocking the path to them was a tremendous boon.

Someday, he would be able to summon an entire host of them.

The third effect was good, too. There were plenty of dragon-related monsters, and their rewards tended to be better than those of other monsters at the same level.

'I'll have plenty of uses for that.'

[7. Acknowledged by Mutakta.]

[The orc hero Mutakta has acknowledged you as a warrior.]

[Effect 1. Strength, Agility +30]

[Effect 2. Orcs feel a strong affinity toward you. Encountering orcs now has a chance of unlocking a special route.]

"Wow, Mutakta, you bastard..."

Just how powerful a monster had he been?

'Sixty stat points just for getting his approval?'

The raw stat increase alone was worth fifteen levels. He'd had an inkling when Mutakta defeated Cedric, but apparently the orc really had been a monster.

[8. The One Who Stopped Eternity.]

[You overcame the impossible and ended the repeating Battle of Hreulunif in the Eternal Battlefield.]

[Effect 1. Magic Power +20]

[Effect 2. You smell delicious. A divine beast is watching you.]

"...?"

Twenty Magic Power, fine.

'But what do you mean, I smell delicious? And what's this divine beast?'

At the mention of something watching him, Minwoo looked around. Nothing felt out of the ordinary.

"... It'll be fine, right?"

The chairman's family residence was one of the most heavily guarded places in Korea. Detection systems comparable to those at the Blue House were installed throughout the grounds.

Even the Sword Immortal would have trouble sneaking in.

He didn't know what this divine beast was, but if even those detection systems couldn't find it...

'Preparing for it would be pointless anyway.'

How was he supposed to find something that couldn't be detected even here?

The solution was simple, then: look on the bright side.

They didn't say "If you can't avoid it, enjoy it" for nothing.

'It'll work out somehow.'

In any case, he had gained tremendous rewards from this call.

'Status window.'

[Name: Kim Minwoo (23)]

[Class: Necromancer]

[Level: 1]

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

[Mana: 820/820]

[Titles: 12]

[Stats]

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

'Whoa...'

Mutakta's kick had smashed his equipment to pieces. The stats on display now were purely his body's own.

And these were level-one stats. The sight filled him with awe.

'Eighty-three extra stat points in total.'

He had gained more than twenty levels' worth of stats, secured a 10% increase to all stats...

'And got Cedric, too.'

What had he lost?

Minwoo looked down at himself.

The Rare items Mutakta's kick had smashed beyond repair. The fifty billion won's worth of Black Heart sets he'd equipped his skeletons with. Nearly ten billion in potions and other consumables. Close to twenty billion in spare equipment.

And finally, a fifty-billion-won spatial ring—intermediate-grade, destroyed.

Altogether, roughly 130 billion won.

All these benefits for a mere 130 billion won.

"What a fucking steal."

He had truly gotten his money's worth.

* * *

Ilseong was the country's number-one conglomerate. Befitting that status, the family estate was vast and equipped with every imaginable facility.

The training grounds were no exception.

Upon arriving at the spacious yard, divided into dozens of sections, Minwoo checked his skill.

[Summon Cedric (SSS)]

[Type: Active]

[Mana Cost: 100]

[Summons Dragon Knight Cedric. Cedric's level follows his master's. His abilities are unlocked as his level increases.]

The description was remarkably straightforward.

'His level follows mine...'

That meant he would summon a level-one Cedric.

He stretched out a hand.

[Cedric is being summoned!]

[50 Mana consumed!]

Death Lord had halved the mana cost.

CLATTER!

Cedric emerged a moment later.

In the Eternal Battlefield, he had ridden a bone dragon with his magnificent golden body gleaming. Now, things were different.

He looked a little more impressive than an ordinary skeleton, but there was no dramatic difference. His bones were white, and he was only half a handspan taller than a normal skeleton.

The only unusual feature was the ink-black spear he carried.

Minwoo examined Cedric's stats.

[Cedric]

[Class: Dragon Knight]

[Level: 1]

[Skills: Spear Master (S)]

[Loyalty: 50]

[Special Notes: Most skills and stats are currently sealed.]

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

'Oh. Still SSS-grade, huh?'

Even without Death Lord's stat bonuses, Cedric was clearly an impressive summon.

He was level 1, yet his abilities looked sufficient to crush several F-rank awakeners. Considering that a newly summoned skeleton normally had average stats of barely ten and not a single skill, the difference was overwhelming.

'But...'

He frowned at the loyalty value.

He'd risked his life taking a blade for Cedric, fought that orc, and even rescued him from a hell that had repeated for ages...

'And it's only fifty?'

Right in the middle.

Roughly interpreted, it meant: I'll acknowledge you as my master, but I'll need to keep an eye on you.

'That's about what this loyalty score says.'

Honestly, he felt a little hurt. No, very hurt.

Shouldn't it have been a hundred?

'Then again...'

Would a stingy bastard like that devote himself heart and soul just because Minwoo had saved him once?

He looked at Cedric and spoke.

"Cedric."

CLATTER! CLICK!

After working his jaw for a while, Cedric spoke.

"... Master. Surely you weren't level one?"

"Yep."

"... That explains it. Most of my power has been sealed. Never in my life have I had such an inferior body that even speaking is difficult."

"So it's your master's fault? The one who feeds, houses, and clothes you?"

"... I said nothing of the sort. And you haven't housed me, either."

"I did save you."

"That... I acknowledge."

Cedric nodded.

"I'll get to the point. I've got a long way to go and no time to waste. You're going to be very busy, too."

"I see. I always welcome battle."

Cedric nodded again.

"But there's one problem."

"A problem?"

"Yeah. Your loyalty."

Low-tier undead, with their near-total lack of intelligence, offered their masters boundless loyalty. Told to jump into a pit of fire, they would do so without hesitation.

Why? Because they didn't think.

But undead above a certain level were different. They possessed intelligence, could think, and could make judgments. The loyalty system encapsulated all of that.

Loyalty was a value that absolutely had to be managed. If it fell too low, the undead would leave their master—or, in extreme cases, even kill them.

That was why handling high-tier undead required caution.

'Well, necromancers aren't the only ones taking that risk.'

The same went for every other summoning class. Failure to manage loyalty was a shortcut to ruin.

And under those circumstances, a loyalty score of fifty? Not a good number for bringing him into battle.

Usually, one of two methods was used in this situation.

First: coddling.

Shower the undead with care and attention, treating them like precious treasures while collecting the pitiful little trickle of loyalty gained.

'And the second is...'

Obtaining an oath of loyalty.

Once a summon swore an oath to its master, its loyalty became fixed at a hundred. There was no possibility of betrayal. It was the safest, cleanest method.

The problem, however...

'Is that nine times out of ten, they refuse.'

Just then, Cedric spoke.

"Master. Do you think I would betray you? I am a knight. I would never do anything so vile."

"Right. A knight. But death knights are knights too, and they still cut their masters' heads off when their loyalty isn't secure."

"... You compare me to such paltry knights?"

"Words can lie, but numbers always tell the truth. So, would you swear an oath of loyalty to me?"

"I am sorry, but I cannot. I do not yet know you well enough, Master."

As expected. A flat refusal.

'Getting an oath isn't easy.'

Summons weren't fools. It was essentially a slave contract that put them on a leash. Why would they happily sign it?

Normally, loyalty had to reach at least ninety-five before they would even consider an oath.

Coddle him all the way from fifty to ninety-five, doing things the proper way? That would take forever.

He had no choice but to take a shortcut.

Kim Minwoo picked up a wooden sword from the training grounds.

"Cedric. Then I'll give you two choices. Swear loyalty now, nice and easy, or swear loyalty after I beat the hell out of you."

"... You intend to fight me?"

"Yeah, if you won't swear. I'm a really good master, you know? So why not just do it now?"

"... Master, do you take knights for a joke? Stop this."

"I don't want to hit my own summon, either. So, what's your answer?"

Cedric gripped his spear, blue flames flaring in his eye sockets.

That was as good as an answer.

Kim Minwoo smirked.

He had a fair idea why Cedric was being so arrogant. Minwoo was a necromancer, not a combat-class awakener. Seeing him try to fight with a wooden sword must have been quite insulting.

'Too bad for you.'

They were both level 1. Cedric's spearmanship was even restricted to S-grade.

Minwoo would have been confident of winning even with inferior stats—and his were far higher.

"We have a saying in Korea. 'The Eastern Land of Courtesy.' Your big brother here is going to drill some manners into you today."

"I have warned you, Master. And if we are speaking of age, I am your elder by far."

Sure. The stronger one was the big brother.

It was time to personally teach his uppity summon some manners.