Apprentices (2)

Amid the melee, a Wraith Knight blocked Minwoo's path.

"... A human?"

The knight looked between him and Cedric at his side in apparent puzzlement.

Just then—

"Chwiiik!"

Two orc chieftains hurled themselves forward: Urkan, the second senior, and Dekum, the third. They were the orcs' finest warriors. Their axes collided with the knight's sword.

BOOM!

Despite the overwhelming level gap, the chieftains held their ground.

'That's the power of gear.'

The knight's movements grew frantic, leaving openings everywhere. For Cedric and Kim Minwoo, exploiting those openings was so easy it was almost boring.

THUNK!

"Gah!"

Minwoo drove his silver-plated sword into a joint in the armor near the heart. The Wraith Knight was simply dying of delight. Cedric's spear, too, struck deftly at its body.

Unable to withstand even a minute of the four-way assault, the knight melted away.

Then Ellum's eyes blazed blue. He thrust his staff forward.

WHOOSH!

Hundreds of undead rose from the ground: over two hundred ghouls and nearly ten dullahans.

"Cough! Clear a path!"

Ellum shouted, his face deathly pale as though that single spell had exhausted all his mana.

The ghouls and dullahans forced a path through, heedless of the rain of arrows. The Chimeras and Wraith Knights joined them. Their determination was palpable: no matter the attacks from every side, they would break through in one direction.

'Well, I figured they'd do that.'

They would have had the upper hand even without the elves. There were nearly two thousand orcs, almost half of them equipped. Ellum's forces would have struggled in a straight fight, let alone an ambush. The odds were already firmly in Minwoo's favor.

How many options did they have, surrounded and facing annihilation? A concentrated breakthrough was about it.

'And that's how you get all your troops wiped out.'

That was happening even now. Stubbornly pushing in only one direction meant leaving themselves utterly vulnerable from behind. Every time an orc bellowed and brought down an axe, another of Ellum's minions died helplessly.

'Shall we wrap this up?'

Unlike Ellum, Minwoo still had plenty of mana. Moreover, when the message announcing the enemy's departure had appeared, he had unsummoned the skeletons working at the smithy. He could summon them whenever he liked.

It was time to put those skeletons he'd held in reserve to work.

As Ellum's troops fought desperately to break through, bone-white hands seized their feet. His forces stumbled. Ahead of them, another group of newly summoned skeletons charged.

"A n-necromancer?"

Ellum's eyes trembled at the utterly unexpected sight.

The skeleton army rushed his troops in what looked like a suicide charge. Their equipment and levels were poor, but the delay itself was the problem.

"Damn it! Why do they keep coming back to life?!"

Skeletons he thought had been killed moved again, clinging like ticks. His troops couldn't simply ignore them. Whenever they tried, the skeletons grabbed them all over and dragged them back.

The orcs swarmed the slowed minions, and Ellum's army dwindled rapidly.

"Cough! Break through! I said, break through...!"

When they finally managed to clear away the skeletons—

"W-we're sa—"

A hopeless sight awaited them. Another thousand skeletons blocked their way.

"Ah... Aaah..."

Despair filled Ellum's eyes as he looked around. Dullahans, ghouls, Corpse Collectors, Wraith Knights—fewer than twenty remained altogether.

Breaking through. Taking arrows. Getting bogged down.

They had all died.

Behind him, drooling orcs were closing in.

'I almost feel bad.'

Top-grade mana potions were just that good. At low levels, one bottle could completely refill his mana. Unfortunately for Ellum, Kim Minwoo was rich in potions.

"Chwiik! Kill everything except that human!"

The orcs faithfully carried out his instructions. Before long, only Ellum and a milling throng of orcs remained on the snow-covered ground.

Minwoo approached him.

"Hah... Hah..."

Ellum was gasping for breath, perhaps from the pain of the arrow wound in his chest. He stared at Kim Minwoo with bloodshot eyes.

"I-it was you... You're the one who united the orcs...!"

"That's right."

"Cough! Spare me. If you kill me... there'll truly be no turning back!"

"And if I don't, there will be?"

"Y-yes! The Apostle doesn't know about this yet. If I explain things properly, he'll surely forgive you."

"He doesn't know yet?"

Ellum nodded vigorously.

"That's right. Your undead are extraordinary. Coming back to life! They could certainly accomplish great things at the fortress. Then you'd receive all kinds of rewards—"

Minwoo cut off his head.

[You have defeated the necromancer 'Ellum'!]

[Your level increases by 2!]

'Oh.'

The experience was tremendous, even though he'd only landed the final blow. Just what he'd expect from a high-level named monster.

That wasn't the only reward. A book lay glowing beside the corpse. The moment Kim Minwoo saw it, his expression turned serious.

'A bound skill book!'

Monsters sometimes dropped skill books when killed. Those books were for random classes, and the skills themselves weren't especially powerful.

'Because they only drop basic skills.'

For necromancers, that meant things like Summon Skeleton or Summon Mage. For swordsmen or mages, it meant skills such as Elemental Mastery and Swordsmanship Mastery.

These were generally called 'basic skills.' Monsters dropped them all the time, so they were widely traded. Even if you couldn't find one for sale, a few rounds of synthesis would soon turn it up.

'Literally, skills that let you cover the basics once you learn them.'

In other words, they did only the basics. To pull the weight of two or three people rather than one, you needed special skills as well.

The most prominent way to get them was through an Awakening Achievement. Earn a sufficiently high grade, and you could be showered at level one with skills even the highest-level awakeners couldn't obtain.

'That's why everyone's so obsessed with achievements.'

Kim Minwoo was no exception. Wasn't that how he'd learned the diabolical skill Death Lord at level one?

Another way was to obtain a bound skill book.

Bound. Put simply, an item that couldn't be traded once acquired. In exchange, it had powerful effects. On acquisition, its class and required level adjusted to the recipient.

There was no risk of obtaining a bound skill book only to find you couldn't learn it because it was for the wrong class or required a higher level.

'And on top of that...'

Bound skill books gave far better skills than the basic ones.

'How many skills like these you have determines your ranking.'

Their drop rate was as low as their effects were powerful. You could safely assume ordinary monsters almost never dropped them.

'That's a named monster for you.'

Securing the final blow had been worth it. Pleased, he picked up the bound skill book.

[You acquire a bound skill book.]

[You acquire the necromancer skill book, Bone Exchange (B)!]

'... Huh?'

Bone Exchange?

He examined its description.

[Bone Exchange (B)]

[Level Requirement: Level 75 or higher]

[Allows you to replace a summon’s bones by body part. Replacements exceeding its capacity are not possible. Capacity is proportional to the summons’ average level.]

[Applicable Summons]

[Skeleton (Capacity 0/25)]

[Skeleton Mage (Capacity 0/17)]

[Cedric (Capacity 0/75)]

'Oh.'

He thought he understood roughly how it worked. Replacing their bones with different ones would presumably grant some sort of effect.

'This sounds like a perfect fit for me.'

Couldn't he just buy bones with money?

[Would you like to learn this skill book?]

"Of course."

Even at a glance, the skill looked brimming with potential. There was no reason not to learn it.

[You learn Bone Exchange (B)!]

Just then, Urkan approached.

"Chwiik! Chief Senior! Those pointy-eared bastards over there said they wanted to see you! So I didn't kill them yet!"

Sure enough, a cluster of robed figures stood in the distance.

"Good work. Don't go waving your axe at people for no reason. Unless they're on the Witch's or Ice Dragon's side."

"Chwiik! Urkan smart! Remember everything senior says!"

"Wait here. I'll be back."

"Chwiik! Understood!"

Minwoo approached the elves, and one stepped forward to represent them.

"A pleasure to meet you. My name is Elise, a forest keeper of the Mother Tree."

"I'm Kim Minwoo. Thank you for your help. Thanks to you, the battle ended easily."

Since they'd helped him, he took the initiative to bow politely.

Elise nodded and spoke.

"We've heard rumors about you. That you're assembling a resistance force against the Witch."

"That's right."

"Would you allow us elves to join your resistance force?"

Minwoo tilted his head. Elves were famous for being aloof and insular. Yet they'd come rushing to help of their own accord, and now they were asking to join the party?

They had no reason to behave like this unless their situation was desperate.

"Elise, before that, let me ask one thing. Are the elves also under attack by the Witch?"

"... Yes."

"I imagine things aren't going well."

"... That's also true."

"I'm sorry. You did help us, but I don't think that alone is enough for me to decide whether you can join."

"... Are you refusing?"

"No. I'm saying we need to discuss this further."

"Please, go ahead."

"The dwarves supply the orcs with equipment, and in return, we guarantee their safety. I imagine the elves want something similar?"

"That's right."

"Then what can you offer our resistance force in exchange for protection?"

"We can supply troops and a map of the surrounding terrain."

"How many troops?"

"About as many as you see here..."

"That's not enough. Nowhere near enough."

He shook his head. The elves had helped, yes, but all they'd done was send thirty or so people to shoot some arrows.

What would helping the elves involve, on the other hand? Given how rough their situation looked, hundreds of orcs would die. All for one map and thirty elven soldiers?

Both were useful, admittedly.

'But the numbers still don't add up.'

It was an absolutely terrible deal. The help they'd given warranted, at most, a friendly parting gift of some dwarven equipment—not spilling their people's blood all over the place.

"... Then we could also supply fruit and medicinal herbs..."

"Elise. Do you think our resistance force's blood is worth so little? That I'd ask hundreds of orcs to die for this much help?"

She was struck speechless.

"You helped us, so we'll repay you. I'll give you dwarven equipment. Please head home."

Who did they think they were, trying to get a free ride?

He turned away without hesitation.

At that moment—

"... Wait!"

Elise hurried after him and caught his shoulder.

"Tell us what you want."

"Divine Fruit from the Mother Tree. And a large-scale supply of potions. That's the minimum I'll accept."

Divine Fruit was a potent fruit that grew on the Mother Tree only very rarely. Elves were also renowned for alchemy. In other words, they were good at churning out things like potions.

Both were prime examples of things worth obtaining from the elves.

'It's hardly an outrageous price.'

Honestly, he thought they needed at least that much to make risking their lives in the elves' defense worthwhile. Otherwise, the dwarves would have good reason to feel cheated.

"...!"

Her ears quivered. The elves behind her were equally agitated.

"Divine Fruit! You can't, Lady Elise!"

"We don't even have enough potions for ourselves! And he wants a large-scale supply?!"

The elves protested in horror. Minwoo looked at Elise.

"If you don't like it, you can refuse."

"... Divine Fruit is a precious treasure."

"Our lives are just as precious."

"... Aren't you fighting the Witch?"

He chuckled. This elf had the wrong idea.

"And? Yes, we're fighting the Witch. But we're not the elves' babysitters."

"But if we fall, the resistance force will...!"

Fall, was it?

For her to blurt out something like that, the elves' situation must have been dire. Yet she'd still made him that pathetic offer?

They said a race couldn't escape its nature. How fitting for such an aloof people.

"Really? Then you'll buy us plenty of time before you fall. We'll make good use of it."

The elves began murmuring. Was he really not going to help? It certainly looked that way. Then what about them?

He felt as though he could read their thoughts. Without teeth, the gums would suffer. They seemed intent on attaching themselves to him on roughly that logic.

'What is this, some kind of hostage game?'

Elves? Of course they'd be nice to have. But he wouldn't die without them. That was truer than ever now that the assembled orcs had increased his bargaining power so much.

Perhaps realizing the seriousness of the situation, Elise spoke with a stiff expression.

"... Please, give us a moment to think. We need time to decide."

"I'll give you five minutes. After that, I'll reject any offer. Take the equipment and leave."

Elise nodded, and the elves withdrew some distance to talk. Judging by the raised voices, a fierce debate was underway.

Exactly four minutes and fifty-five seconds later, Elise approached.

"... We'll accept. However... supplying potions on a large scale isn't realistically possible. We don't have enough alchemists to make them."

"Then we'll just have to make more."

"... More what?"

"Alchemists. We have plenty of promising youngsters."

Over a thousand of them, in fact.