Chapter 17 Part1 (1/2)
<chapter 17.=”” disguise=”” -=”” 1=””>
”You're back? It doesn't look like you've changed much.”
”What about you? Ah.”
Kratia, who had been focusing on the core, greeted them and Lee s.h.i.+n Woo just tilted his head. He soon realized that she was talking about Jin, not him. But it was strange that the man in question, Jin, wasn't even here. Kratia spoke unimportantly.
”He just started running all of a sudden. He should be back soon.”
...Perhaps seeing his human appearance again within the mental world was traumatizing for him. Lee s.h.i.+n Woo promised that he would treat Jin well when he came back, and opened his mouth for a second time.
”Do you know what ability Jin got?”
”Magic armor.”
”...Magic armor?”
”Yeah. Jin got an ability that creates a magic barrier, right? That and Steel Body fused together to make the ability enclose his outer body in magic steel armor. G.o.d's blessing was added as well, so I suppose we can trust in its effectiveness. Honestly, it was a skill that greatly supplemented his strength and health.”
Hearing that, Lee s.h.i.+n Woo marveled at the fact Jin asked G.o.d to fuse those two skills together. Since it was an ability created by G.o.d, its power was a.s.sured.
Moreover, Jin had acquired a skill that supplemented both his strength and health, so it was easy to figure out what Jin needed to focus on in order to further develop in the future. Magic.
'It's a good skill for Jin, who had it rough due to his irregularly high agility. It seems G.o.d was fairly considerate.'
If she had been that considerate before, he wondered how good it might've been, but he had to be satisfied with the past. At that thought, Lee s.h.i.+n Woo smiled bitterly, and Kratia then inquired.
”But it looks like you haven't changed at all.”
”I really haven't changed at all.”
”Jin received such a huge present from her, yet... Ah, did your entire share go to Jin?”
”You see, I got something else.”
Lee s.h.i.+n Woo replied, revealing that he had no intention of telling her, and Kratia looked at him coyly. However, Lee s.h.i.+n Woo was immune to honey traps, so he just responded with a thin smile. She was only accompanying them temporarily to study Lee s.h.i.+n Woo's magic, so he had no intention of sharing everything with her.
[Hero's Will]
[As a result of you reaching an agreement with G.o.d, you have opened up a new test. Though the graves of the heroes she sent to the Underground Empire before are mostly hidden, her blessing still remains. Please give them peace, inherit their strength and will, and purify the Empire. But be careful. Because these heroes, who have come back in undeath, still believe themselves to be heroes.]
[Quest reward - Every hero you put to rest: 1 additional permit to G.o.d's secret shop, and Invisible Heart reinforcement]
Normally, when one takes down an undead hero, they receive the undead hero's Perium, as well as a permit to G.o.d's secret shop. He would get an additional permit for every kill as well, so if he resolved himself and farmed them, it wouldn't be impossible to go to G.o.d's garden again.
'Moreover, there's a reward I didn't even ask for: Invisible Heart reinforcement.'
So long as it doesn't increase the skill level under the pretense of 'reinforcing' it, he could honestly say that he was excited about this clause. In any case, he now knew where all the undead heroes scattered around the Empire were, meaning that he had fulfilled his objective in meeting G.o.d.
”...I'm back.”
”Welcome back... Ooh.”
Lee s.h.i.+n Woo was suddenly satisfied with his decision and nodded his head; then, Jin returned. Seeing the magic steel armor that completely covered him, Lee s.h.i.+n Woo was in awe.
Though it was called magic armor, that wouldn't do it justice; it wasn't simply armor. By wearing it, Jin's body would be reinforced and the term 'Powered Suit' was more appropriate to describe this authority. So this is what it meant by supplementing his strength and health! With this, even if he's. .h.i.t quite hard, he wouldn't feel the impact!
”Is your mana ok?”
”Just maintaining it doesn't use any mana. It uses up mana whenever I'm hit, or I use a lot of force.”
”I think you should focus on magic, rather than health and strength from now on.”
”Yeah, probably should.”
Despite the fact that his ability had developed rapidly, Jin acted way too calmly. Seeing that, Lee s.h.i.+n Woo was about to carelessly ask if he was ok, but blocked his mouth with his hand. He had returned to being a human being for just an instant, and was now a Skeleton Horse again, so there was no way he was ok.
However, was it because of their a.s.similation? Jin noticed the slight bit of hesitation and movement from Lee s.h.i.+n Woo. As well as roughly figuring out what he was thinking.
”...I admire you, s.h.i.+n Woo.”
”Stop it.”
Jin understood that Lee s.h.i.+n Woo was trying to be considerate of him, and was suddenly surprised that Lee s.h.i.+n Woo could just stand there so calmly, despite experiencing the same thing he did. It felt like his own seething emotions were beginning to abate.
”As I thought, it seems like joining up with you was a good idea.”
”Man, stop it already.”
Jin chuckled seeing Lee s.h.i.+n Woo look so uncomfortable.
Kratia decided not to interfere with their conversation, and immersed herself in the study of the core. It was good that she did. The two skeleton heroes began to look past whatever pretense she put up.
”That woman. It doesn't seem like she's just ill natured.”
Jin said. Lee s.h.i.+n Woo also thought that way.
”You want to say that she made us into undead on purpose, right?”
”Yeah, but I don't know why she did it.”
”I wonder. It may unexpectedly be something unimportant. She could've thought that she should send undead this time, since nothing was going right by sending humans.”
Lee s.h.i.+n Woo thought he'd seen G.o.d's true intentions in her garden. She said that it didn't matter what happened, so long as the Empire was purified, but... doesn't that show just how desperate she is? Wouldn't her true intention be that she wanted to purify the Empire, no matter the cost?