Chapter 112 - The Money-Blowing Necromancer

Cocktail of the Dead

Cocktail of the Dead.

It was one of the items for sale that had interested him for some time.

'The timing is perfect, too.'

The legion commanders' stats had skyrocketed with the release of their seals. That meant the Cocktail of the Dead would provide an even larger stat increase.

And then there was the sensory activation.

'That's a huge advantage.'

Kim Minwoo had experienced it himself. The game had reproduced sensations at fifty percent fidelity. Now, though, it was a full hundred percent, no different from reality.

The resulting difference in performance was considerable. Merhen and Cedric would certainly benefit as well.

'As for the skill...'

Since the probability was low, he wasn't expecting much. It would be nice if they got one, but no loss if they didn't. The stat increase and sensory activation alone were worth the price.

'If it guaranteed a skill in the first place...'

They wouldn't be selling it for a mere hundred Achievement Points. It would cost at least three hundred.

He summoned Merhen and Cedric.

"You two want something good to eat?"

"... What do you mean by something good?"

"I'd love some."

Cedric immediately questioned him, while Merhen nodded without hesitation.

"Cedric. Don't you feel anything when you look at Merhen?"

"How mindless. She has no idea what you intend to give her, Master."

"Dummy. He said it was something good."

"... You never cease to amaze me. You really do live in a world of sunshine and flowers. Were you always like this?"

"Cedric, don't you trust Minwoo?"

Merhen blinked as she asked, leaving Cedric utterly speechless. Humans and animals simply couldn't communicate.

That was more or less how it felt.

Kim Minwoo sighed.

"I'm sorry, Cedric."

"... For what?"

"Your senior has just realized something. Your attitude adjustment still has a long way to go."

"Wait..."

WHACK!

His resistance was short-lived. Unsummoned in an instant, Cedric was dragged right back out.

"You two want something good to eat?"

"I'd love some."

"... I would like some."

[Purchasing 2 Cocktails of the Dead!]

He took the cocktails out of his inventory.

Jet-black liquid filled the glasses. Bubbles rose and popped in the roiling black fluid. They looked almost like human faces—something out of Munch's The Scream.

'Well, I'm not the one drinking it.'

Maybe it tasted heavenly to the undead.

But hold on. Merhen looked human, so she could probably drink it.

'Can Cedric even drink?'

His entire body was bone, without any muscle or flesh. It seemed as though anything he drank would simply spill onto the floor.

'... Surely not?'

An item bought with Achievement Points ought to have some wondrous properties. Perhaps the liquid would cling to his bones and be absorbed.

He handed each of them a Cocktail of the Dead.

"Try it."

"... It's gross."

"Hmm..."

This time, even sweet Merhen was showing reluctance. And of course, Cedric was standing there with his arms crossed, going, "Hmm."

To be fair, the liquid did look rather disgusting.

But what could he do? He had to get them to drink it.

"Now, now. It's good for you. Drink it all down. It might even taste good."

Merhen, who had accepted her glass with a slight squint, was the first to gulp down the cocktail.

GULP.

[Merhen consumes the Cocktail of the Dead!]

[Senses are amplified!]

[All stats increase by 10%!]

Merhen's eyes widened.

"Huh? I can taste it more clearly!"

"Does it taste good?"

"No. I think it tastes bad."

"... Really?"

"Yeah. But it feels like all five of my senses suddenly got sharper. It's so strange."

Merhen stared at the empty cocktail glass, her eyes still round.

"Minwoo. Do you have anything to eat?"

"One second."

He pulled an energy bar out of his inventory. Keeping food in there was standard practice for an awakener.

Merhen took the energy bar and crunched into it. A moment later, she spoke.

"... I can taste it."

"What's it like?"

"Nutty and sweet. It's faint, though..."

Then she turned to Cedric.

"Hurry up and try it, Cedric."

After staring at his cocktail, Cedric tipped its contents into his mouth.

Normally, it should all have spilled onto the floor, but the Cocktail of the Dead was different. The liquid flowed smoothly past the bones of his neck and down.

'What is this?'

It was as though Cedric had transparent internal organs. Soon, the liquid gathered around his abdomen began to evaporate.

[Cedric consumes the Cocktail of the Dead!]

[Senses are amplified!]

[All stats increase by 10%!]

"... So this is how it feels. Master. Could you give me something to eat?"

"Here."

Cedric accepted an energy bar and chewed it with his teeth. The light in his eyes soon flared.

"... Remarkable."

"Can you taste it?"

"... Yes. It has been... a very long time."

Cedric stared at the energy bar with a bite taken out of it, as though the experience were unfamiliar.

Strangely enough, the energy bar he swallowed vanished as it passed down his neck, as if evaporating.

"It's quite... peculiar. Whenever I put food in my mouth before, it all fell onto the ground."

"You've tried eating before?"

"... A few times? My memories of eating were rather pleasant. Of course, every attempt ended in failure..."

"Makes sense. You're nothing but bones."

Merhen resembled a human, so it was conceivable that her body allowed her to eat. Cedric was another matter entirely.

His body consisted solely of bones. He had teeth, so he could chew, but without a tongue, he naturally couldn't taste anything. On top of that, his anatomy made swallowing food itself impossible.

Cedric nodded.

"Indeed. At any rate... thank you, Master. Thanks to you, I feel as though I've revisited a sensation I've missed for a very long time."

With that, Cedric polished off the energy bar. Ever since he drank the cocktail, food gently vanished whenever he swallowed it.

"Do you feel full at all?"

"No. I feel nothing of the sort. It merely feels as though my sense of taste has returned a little."

"That's fucking awesome."

"What is?"

"You get to taste things without getting full, right?"

"Correct."

"And since the food evaporates along the way, you probably don't even have to shit."

"... Does that really qualify as fucking awesome?"

"Of course it does. Merhen, you don't feel full either?"

"I think I probably work the same way as Cedric."

"The food evaporates along the way?"

"Yeah. I don't particularly feel like there's anything in my stomach."

"How much can you taste?"

"Hmm..."

Merhen furrowed her brow as though trying to recall a very distant memory.

"About ten percent?"

At ten percent, it seemed they would have to settle for being able to taste anything at all.

'Well, it might mean a lot to these two.'

They probably hadn't tasted anything for ages. And since their other senses would have recovered along with their taste, their combat prowess must have improved considerably as well.

It was worth the hundred points.

Just then—

KNOCK, KNOCK.

There was a knock at the door, followed by a familiar voice.

"Minwoo, it's Naye. Can I come in?"

When he opened the door, Naye slipped into the room.

"You're even knocking now. Our little Naye is all grown up!"

"Heehee. They taught me at the kindergarten I went to yesterday."

"Really?"

"Yeah!"

Hyeongseok, Naye, and Mrs. Choi had originally lived in America. Things were different now, though. Hyeongseok, a college student, had returned, but Naye and Mrs. Choi had stayed in Korea.

'It must be because of the warning I gave them.'

After he told Chairman Kim about Shadow, Hyeongseok had gone back to America, being old enough to look after himself and already awakened. Mrs. Choi and Naye, however, had decided to remain in Korea.

Minwoo thought it was the right decision. This way, the bodyguards sent to America could focus entirely on protecting one person.

No matter how global Shadow had become, it would have difficulty extending its reach into Korea. This was Ilseong's home turf, after all. Besides, everyone in the Korean branch had already been wiped out.

In any case, that was why Naye was staying at the family estate instead of returning to America. Naturally, they had enrolled her in what was considered Korea's best kindergarten.

Looking around, she called out.

"Snowy!"

"Coo."

Snowy appeared and perched on Naye's shoulder.

"Hehe. You're so cute, Snowy."

"Coo."

"Minwoo, can I play with Snowy?"

"Of course."

Her face lit up as she hugged Snowy.

"Oh, right. Dad told me to come get you."

"Father did?"

"Yeah. He has something to tell you."

Minwoo nodded and left the room.

"There you are."

"Is something wrong?"

"Yes."

Chairman Kim pressed a hand to his head as though troubled and looked straight at him.

"Minwoo."

"Yes?"

"... About Ilseong Guild. Do you intend to keep using them?"

"Has someone said something?"

"Guild Master Nam said he'd like to meet with you."

"I'll speak with him."

Chairman Kim nodded. Before long, Minwoo was able to meet Guild Master Nam Cheolmin.

"Good to see you. The chairman told me about your request."

"Yes. Many of our guild members have been unsettled since the guild battle. I've come to ask a question on their behalf."

Minwoo nodded. It was understandable that they were anxious. It certainly looked as though the Money-Blowing Guild was rising above them.

"... Will our Ilseong Guild be allowed to continue existing?"

"Of course. You know better than I do that the guild still has its uses, Guild Master Nam."

Small elite guilds and large guilds served somewhat different purposes. Elite guilds focused on clearing high-rank gates. Meanwhile, large guilds with first, second, and third teams...

'Are for farming.'

They went from gate to gate, procuring materials, mana stones, and various other items. They were indispensable to a corporation.

To put it bluntly, as the Money-Blowing Guild kept growing stronger, would they really visit low-rank gates to gather materials? They would rather run another high-rank gate in that time.

"... Whew. That's precisely why I'm here."

"What do you mean?"

"To be frank, yes, we would still be useful for farming. But who would be happy with that?"

"Ah, you don't want to be pushed out of the starring role and into a supporting one? Is that about it?"

"... To be honest, yes."

"Then you should have performed better."

"... Yes, that's true as well. That's why I've come to ask a favor."

"What is it?"

"Would you be willing to train us?"

"... Train you?"

"Both the deputy guild master and I were shocked by the results. We realized just how far short we fell. I suppose we've been complacent all this time."

After staring at the floor, Nam Cheolmin bowed his head deeply.

"Guild Master Kim Minwoo. Please help us. We would like the Money-Blowing Guild to instruct us."

"Have the other guild members agreed to this?"

"... Yes. Some still haven't come to their senses, but that doesn't matter. I'll weed those people out myself."

When Nam Cheolmin raised his head, his eyes were filled with resolve.

"If you help us, we will never forget your kindness."

Minwoo nodded.

Guild Master Nam was forty. The other guild members had considerable experience as well. No matter how successful another guild was, bowing their heads and asking for instruction couldn't have been easy.

That was especially true of the Money-Blowing Guild. Two of its three members were newly awakened rookies, after all.

But they had done it. That must have been how shocking their defeat in the guild battle had been.

Perhaps this very moment would become the starting point for Ilseong Guild's next leap forward.

If Ilseong Guild grew stronger...

'There's no downside.'

Ultimately, it would benefit Ilseong. Those benefits would reach the Money-Blowing Guild, even if only indirectly.

"All right."

"Really?"

"Yes. I'll ask my guild members as well."

"... Thank you."

Nam Cheolmin bowed deeply.

He already acknowledged the trio's skill. Moreover, as Korea's best archer, he had few people who could teach him anything. The only real candidates were the top-ranked awakeners overseas.

In truth, receiving instruction from people of that caliber was no easy feat. Who would readily reveal their own know-how?

But Seo Yerim was different. Her archery was overwhelming. If he doggedly stuck by her and learned, he would come away with something. That would fuel his growth.

"I'll ask them right now."

Minwoo unlocked his smartphone. He opened the group chat and was just starting to type when a message appeared.

[Park Siwoo]

—Has everyone seen this? Apparently an SS-rank appeared in China?

(Link attached)

Puzzled, Minwoo clicked the link.

[(Breaking News) Chinese Government Officially Announces World's First Awakener with an SS-Rank Achievement! Says Necromancer Is the Likely Class Choice!]

"Huh?"

The appearance of an SS-rank wasn't particularly strange. He had seen the message saying that potential had increased.

What actually surprised him was...

'A necromancer?'

The fact that they were looking to choose such a bizarre class instead of a straightforward one.

Had these guys decided to become connoisseurs of crap too?