Chapter 10 Part1 (1/2)

<chapter 10.=”” partner=”” -=”” 1=””>

”Did you wait a long time?”

In just 13 hours, Jin had returned with the leather bag Lee s.h.i.+n Woo had given him completely filled, speaking like a girlfriend who had arrived late to their meeting place. Of course, Lee s.h.i.+n Woo didn't even have a girlfriend before, so he wasn't bothered at all and spoke.

”It's alright, since I was busy reading this.”

”What is it?”

Lee s.h.i.+n Woo raised and showed the bundle of papers to Jin, who carefully thrust his head forward; the edges of the papers were gradually weathering away and disappearing with every gust of wind. Jin likewise didn't know the Empire's language, but he could read the t.i.tle of the doc.u.ments without much difficulty.

”The Anti-Skull... Plan?”

”You wanna read it?”

”Yeah...”

Originally, he didn't really like reading very much, but Jin thought that there was something more to these papers than just a waste of time; yet he couldn't joke like that as Lee s.h.i.+n Woo's face was much too serious.

Ultimately, he nodded his head, and Lee s.h.i.+n Woo laid one of the papers on the ground, which best summarized the current state of affairs, so that he could read it easily. Lee s.h.i.+n Woo then turned his head back to the papers. It was the last page.

”This is... Did the Empire have a force that knew about the impending curse and was preparing for it by any chance!?”

”Ah, so you didn't know.”

For a few hours after clearing and leaving the dungeon, Lee s.h.i.+n Woo thoroughly scrutinized the data he'd acquired from the sewer hidden facilities.

Anti-Skull was lead by General Seagald, and was a group created to prevent the Emperor's plan; at the same time, it was the name of the project that researched ways to prevent them from becoming undead.

”There're detailed records written here about their research into preventing them from becoming undead. In laymen's terms, at the heart of the research was their attempt to magically create a body beforehand which wouldn't be affected by the curse.”

”So what happened? Did they succeed?”

”No.”

Was it because he was also undead? Jin asked in a deeply interested voice, and Lee s.h.i.+n Woo replied firmly, cutting him off.

That's right. The plan progressed in multiple ways, but all of them became frustrated. There were several cases where the tested individuals exploded, and it was common that their bodies wouldn't even be able to use mana anymore.

On the contrary, this experiment with Acid Poison wasn't bad. The test subjects didn't die, and actually became stronger; though they degenerated into the undead, they were able to retain their memories and their reason as well.

'Even if they meet humans, the current Pauls shouldn't be driven by their hatred.'

Regardless of their intent, all undead hated humans. It was like a suggestion engraved into their instincts. Because of that, humans also consider undead enemies. Though Lee s.h.i.+n Woo didn't really know about it since he was an undead as soon as he arrived in the Empire!

'I wonder what state General Seagald is in?'

Based on the reports, General Seagald was gathering forces through various means to prevent the Emperor's plan, while also actively partic.i.p.ating in the Anti-Skull's experiments with his subordinates.

In the past, he opposed the Emperor and certainly raised a force, but considering how he couldn't prevent the curse despite that, his rebellion must've failed in the end. What happened to him as a result? Was he still alive, surviving as an undead? If he's still alive, what would be the state of his reasoning?

The day would come where he'd be able to figure this out. Lee s.h.i.+n Woo didn't really need to take the lead and figure it out himself. Since there were a lot of seniors already ahead of him.

”Do the other heroes know about this?”

”Wouldn't they? I don't really have any plans to check, but they probably do.”

Of course, he had coincidentally learned of Anti-Skull in the sewer dungeon, but there were various secret facilities hidden throughout the Empire. If he a.s.sumed that the majority of them had become dungeons, a portion of his seniors should've been able to find them already. At least, that's what Lee s.h.i.+n Woo thought.

”You did some quests, right?”

”I got the inventory and the chatting channel as well.”

As if he were demonstrating, Jin put the leather bag in and out of his inventory. Seeing that, Lee s.h.i.+n Woo nodded his head and took the bag.

There were different bones that filled the bag to the brim, and they were all bones from at least level 2 monsters, just like Lee s.h.i.+n Woo had instructed. Rarely, he saw some level 3 bones as well.

”How was your hunt?”

”When I actually got started, it wasn't that hard. It felt like I got a bit used to battle in just a few hours. ...Yeah, laugh it up.”

”Nah, it's normally like that.”

Lee s.h.i.+n Woo finished inspecting the bones and raised his head, locking gazes with Jin. His face, which blazed with blue goblin fire, came right in front of his own.

”Now you're going to accept me as your colleague, right?”

”Of course. However, there's something I'd like to check before that. What's the ability you got from G.o.d as you were dropped onto this world?”

”Mmm, that's... well you're undead too, so I guess it's fine to tell you.”

Jin was briefly conflicted, but soon he scanned Lee s.h.i.+n Woo's body and slightly nodded his head, and opened his mouth for the second time. In a way, Lee s.h.i.+n Woo had antic.i.p.ated what he had to say, but at the same time, his expectations were completely off.

”Truthfully, I have an ability that revives me even if I die. It's an ability called the Blessing of Death; the magic of the curse is absorbed, and the acc.u.mulated power is changed into a blessing. Even if I die, it makes it possible for me to revive.”

”The magic of the curse? Ah.”

”Yeah, that's why I'm acc.u.mulating magic even now. It's not very much, though...”

The curse's magic, which transformed people into the undead, was overflowing in this world right now. In exchange for Jin having no curse resistance, his skill took care of it. It was a complete surprise to Lee s.h.i.+n Woo, who thought Jin would definitely have the 'Invisible Heart' like him.

”Though the magic I've acc.u.mulated is only enough to revive me twice.”

”So the reason you just constantly ran was because of that skill's effect, huh.”

”It's embarra.s.sing, but... yeah.”

Lee s.h.i.+n Woo felt refreshed. He had thought that no matter how depressed Jin was from becoming a Skeleton Horse, just constantly running was too much, but after learning about his ability, he realized that Jin had run to stockpile the necessary energy to activate his skill.

”I've already died once, so I've become afraid of dying again. I couldn't tell Jin Jin, but that's how it is. I'm pathetic, right?”