Chapter 26  

The Black Orc was not using the ax he was holding. Was he thinking that he would not even need a weapon to deal with Lee Shin?

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Every time Guerren’s fist collided with Lee Shin’s defense mana, the entire citadel vibrated. Every time Lee Shin blocked Guerren’s punch, his mana power diminished drastically. And the soldiers screamed with horror when they saw this situation.

"This is crazy," Lee Shin muttered.

Guerren smirked at Lee Shin. A huge molar protruding from between his lips could be seen the whole time. Was he excited to see humans shaking in fear? Or was he finding it fun to have somebody to fight him?

"Ha..." Lee Shin sighed.

If that was not the case, was he happy to find someone who could kill him?

Keuahhh!

Guerren’s eyes were already filled with madness.

Boom! Boom! Boom! Boom!

"Oh well, who cares about that.”

Gulp— Gulp—?

Lee Shin gulped down the mana recovery potion given by Belia and spread his mana in all directions.

"That’s not the important part anyways,” Lee Shin muttered.

Lee Shin could see that the huge battlefield was turning red with blood. With their heightened morale, the demons were floating everywhere. There were almost a million of them.

[Necromancy]

# You can communicate with demons.

Lee Shin could feel the grudge coming from the Orcs’ souls who had now become demons. Some had grudges against Lee Shin, and others against human beings. Most Orcs had this feeling towards the Orc Lord, Guerren. All the resentment and grudges of these demons were now passed on to Lee Shin.

[Demon Explosion]

A huge explosion swept the battlefield, but it was not visible to everyone. An inferno struck Guerren.

Keuaaahhh!!

Guerren’s screams of pain echoed across the battlefield. Lee Shin did not have enough mana power to explode all one million demons. However, it was enough to destroy a small group of them. Orcs, by nature, were weak to necromancy. They just had a strong physicality, rather than a strong mentality.

"Keuk..." After Lee Shin had cast the Demon Explosion spell, he grabbed his head.

Lee Shin could not tell how many demons had exploded.

The demons were filled with malice and a desire to murder. Lee Shin could clearly sense the kind of danger associated with the use of the skill Necromancy. It felt like his mind was becoming increasingly contaminated with their malice. It felt like even the sorcerer would be infected with these emotions of the demons and become demons themselves.

Lee Shin, who prided himself on being mentally strong, also felt that this amount of malice invading his mind was dangerous.

Crunch—

Lee Shin was forced to commune with the demons.

Lee Shin clenched his teeth in order to escape from the malice that was about to engulf him, but only barely managed.

When the souls became demons, only evil was left behind. No matter who the target used to be, it became insignificant from the moment it turned into a demon. Therefore, the sorcerer took advantage of the demons by making use of their malice.

Lee Shin felt nauseous. He was afraid that he would be stained with malice and kill all the humans around him. Despite all the mana he had poured out, there were still countless demons on the battlefield.

[You have taken away the Strength of Guerren.]

[Your Strength has increased by 1.]

[You have taken away the Agility of Guerren.]

[Your Agility has increased by 1.]

[You have taken away the Dominance of Guerren.]

[Your Dominance has increased by 1.]

Stat extortion was activated once again due to Chaos, just as it did when Lee Shin had killed the Orcs. It was good to rob the Strength and Agility; but above all, the great achievement was robbing the Dominance.

Dominance was essential in order to use most of the necromancer’s power. Moreover, Necromancy was a branch of the Necromancer’s sect. Therefore, it was now crucial to raise the Dominance stat for Necromancy, as it was one of Lee Shin's strongest suite.

"Kreukkk—" Guerren’s voice of pain was heard in the flames of the invisible but intense inferno.

Guerren was a monstrous fellow. Lee Shin could not believe that Guerren endured the flames that struck him.

His soul was almost in danger of being destroyed if someone touched it. And yet he did not give in. The soldiers and the Knight Commander who were standing near Lee Shin did not know what was happening, because they could not see anything.

Those who could not see souls could not see anything that was going on. Only the Knight Commander was vaguely aware that something had happened. With great effort, Guerren picked up the axe that fell on the floor.

"Just give up, Guerren,” Lee Shin muttered.

He was about to die. The shadow of death hung over him.

# You can see through death.

It was one of the powers of He Who Knows Death. Not only could they see the past of the dead, but they could also see death approaching the living. The shadow of death, which did not exist at first, wrapped around him. And it became thicker and thicker as time passed.

"Shshhh— how do you know my name…?" Guerren asked.

"Guerren, your people did not reject you,” Lee Shin explained.

"Shish! What do you even know about us...!" Guerren continued.

"Trust me, I know. I lived the same life as you,” Lee Shin answered.

Guerren stared at Lee Shin after hearing his words.

"Do you really think you were so ostracized just because your skin color was different from others? You’re wrong! You were rejected not because of your skin color, but because of your strong power,” Lee Shin explained.

"Shish! That can't be true! Our clan worships the strong. Nevertheless, I was still ostracized. How dare they ostracize me when I was the strongest one of the clan!” Guerren shouted.

As Guerren spoke, his motivation soared. Death, which had been getting thicker, faded at that moment.

‘Is he overcoming the approaching death on his own?’ Lee Shin wondered and etched the strange phenomenon that he had witnessed at that moment in his memory.

"It's the same for humans. Humans worship those who are strong and brilliant. But it becomes different if their strength is beyond the norm. Both humans and Orcs get afraid if someone possesses a power that they could not have imagined. Then they start to deny that those outstanding ones are not of his kind, and they are more like monsters…” Lee Shin explained.

"Monsters..." Guerren mumbled.

"Yes, monsters. You were a monster that could easily beat the Orc Lord. That's why your clan was afraid of you. So… stop it. Don't indulge in madness," Lee Shin told Guerren.

"Madness… I am… I am… Keuaahhh—!”

Guerren’s eyes, which were filled with madness, began to slowly return to their original state. Then he grabbed his heart and roared. The soul, which was already almost broken, was forcibly held by his will and madness. Death, which had been fading, began to intensify rapidly again.

"Shish, what is… your name...?” Guerren asked.

"It’s Lee Shin," Lee Shin answered.

"I will remember you... Thank you," Guerren muttered.

Guerren’s huge body collapsed. In his eyes, there was sorrow and remorse. He seemed to have more lingering feelings about his life now than when he was filled with madness.

How strong was his willpower? The reason why his soul was still holding on was because of his willpower. It would not have been strange for his soul to have broken and disappeared a long time ago. What if this place was not a tower, and he was not made in the tower? What would he be like if he was the original Guerren? This guy probably deserved to acquire divine status.

[You have defeated Guerren.]

[You have cleared the hidden stage.]

[That was an amazing achievement! Many gods are paying attention to you!]

[Many gods are wanting to talk to you. Do you want to accept them?]

"No," Lee Shin answered.

Lee Shin did not feel happy to see Guerren’s cold corpse.

"Mr. Magus." Belia approached Lee Shin before he even noticed. "The Lord wants to see you.”

"Alright," Lee Shin replied.

As Lee Shin followed Belia down the wall, there was the Lord.

"Nice to meet you. My name is Hamel Urtein, the Lord of Urtein," the Lord introduced himself.

"Hello, this is Lee Shin," Lee Shin also introduced himself.

"Thanks to you Mr. Magus, we could win the battle. Thank you very much.” Hamel bowed his head and thanked him. "I would like to show you our appreciation. Will you please come with us?"

"Alright," Lee Shin replied.

Lee Shin and the Lord both got on the carriage and entered the castle of Urtein. Hamel wanted to serve him food, but Lee Shin refused and went directly to the underground warehouse.

"This is the underground warehouse where we have been storing the treasures that have been collected from generation to generation by our Urtein family," Hamel said with a proud face. "Please, follow me."

When Lee Shin entered the underground warehouse, there was another staircase to go deeper underground. And after going down two more flights of stairs, he finally arrived at the actual destination.

"The items above are rare and valuable enough, but these ones here are the most precious ones," Hamel explained.

"They truly are,” Lee Shin replied.

Even with a short glance, Lee Shin could tell that these items were of another level compared to the ones above.

"I knew you would be able to recognize that at once,” said Hamel.

"That's what it feels like," Lee Shin answered.

"Hahaha, you don't have to be modest. Anyway, I’ll give you anything you want from here. But, I can't give you more than one because they are ‘national’ treasures that have been handed down from generation to generation." Hamel looked really sorry, but Lee Shin did not expect any more than one.

Just one item was enough for Lee Shin.

"Okay. Can I choose?" Lee Shin asked.

"Please take your time to look around and choose. We'll be upstairs," Hamel replied.

"Really? What if I steal more than one?" Lee Shin smiled.

"Hahaha, I know you won’t do that. You're the one who killed that horrible Black Orc for us, so I will trust you. And also, if you want to, aren’t you capable of destroying all of us and taking all of them?” Hamel laughed.

However, Hamel was wrong. Urtein’s strength was not something to be made fun of. First of all, Lee Shin did not have enough mana power to deal with all of them; and even if he did, a complete takeover was impossible. It was a different matter from dealing with one Guerren.

"Thank you for trusting me," Lee Shin muttered.

"We will be outside then," Hamel replied.

"Alright," Lee Shin answered.

After the Lord and the Knights had gone upstairs, Lee Shin slowly checked the items around him. Compared to the items above, there were not many items here; but Lee Shin knew that each one here was worth more.

There were many swords, axes, arrows, gloves, and armor; but there were only two items that drew Lee Shin’s attention.

[Enchanted Silver Tree Wand]

A wand made of Silver Trees grown in the Ertel Mountains, where ordinary plants cannot survive due to their high mana concentration.

# You can store mana power.

# Mana Storage: 0/300,000

# At a low probability, it will increase the user's mana power when one’s mana power is saturated.

# Contracts with a low-rank spirit.

[Subspace Wand]

It is a masterpiece made by Ashrell, the magus of space, a brilliant blacksmith.

# Creates a skill [Subspace]

# Creates a skill [Mana Power Force Field]

# Creates a skill [Blink]

Lee Shin had a wand that he had purchased from the Points Store, but he only carried it because his hands were empty. That wand was not necessarily a good one. If there was a decent wand available, it was best to prepare the wand first.

After checking various artifacts, Lee Shin carefully selected two wands. The Enchanted Silver Tree Wand could fill the lack of mana power, something that Lee Shin needed most at the moment. Also, Lee Shin could sign a contract with a low-rank spirit. Moreover, the wand with full mana storage could increase the maximum amount of mana power just by holding it.

On the other hand, the Subspace Wand allowed him to use some of the convenient manas, including Subspace and Blink.

‘Hmmm… Which one should I choose?’?Lee Shin thought for a moment.

As of now, with his current skill, it was impossible for him to create Spatial Mana. Spatial Mana was a type of mana that could be used only if someone had their own speciality, not merely talent. That would be possible if Lee Shin regained the level he had in his previous life, but for now, he was far behind.

‘Oh well, I should pick this one then.’ Lee Shin decided on the item.

Lee Shin picked up the wand emitting silver light. Although it was a pity that he couldn’t get the Subspace Wand as well, what Lee Shin needed the most was growth, not convenience. It was right to choose the silver wand that could be an engine of growth for him. When Lee Shin went up with the wand, a system message appeared. [You have cleared the third floor.]

[Your achievements will be recorded.]

[You have achieved 123,820 points.]

[You have received 123,820 points.]

[Your Health Point has gone up by 2,300.]

[Your Mana Power has gone up by 10,082.]

[Your Strength has gone up by 7.]

[Your Agility has gone up by 5.]

[Your Intelligence has gone up by 15.]

[Your Dominance has gone up by 6.]

[Your understanding of Necromancy has increased significantly.]

[You have acquired the Enchanted Silver Tree Wand.]

[You have acquired the Fragment of Divine Status.]

Lee Shin did not leave the third floor immediately. He returned to the wall where he had fought the war. The soldiers were busy cleaning up the war, and the soldiers who encountered Lee Shin greeted him politely.

"Dear magus, my lord!” the soldier greeted Lee Shin.

The soldier standing in front of the gate recognized Lee Shin and raised his hand in salute.

"Where is the dead body of Guerren?" Lee Shin asked.

"It’s still there at the same place!" the soldier replied.

"Can I go take a look at it?" Lee Shin asked.

"Yes, yes, of course! There was an order to listen to everything you say!" the soldier explained.

"Thank you," Lee Shin replied.

Lee Shin passed through the gate and moved to the place where Guerren’s body was. Along the outer side of the wall, countless remains of Orcs lay. And the reddish-brown colored land was covered with greenish blood. Amongst the large group of Blue Orcs, Lee Shin could see Guerren’s dead body, which was pitch black.

"Guerren..." Lee Shin remembered him.

Guerren was several times bigger than other Orcs. He had a sharp protruding molar, and muscles that look stronger than most metals. However, in contrast to his ferocious appearance, the dead body looked pitiful and lonely.

‘Why is the power of He Who Knows Death not working?’ Lee Shin wondered.

Lee Shin thought that he would know Guerren’s backstory once he killed him, just like the time he had killed the Lizardman Chief on the second floor. The moment Lee Shin faced Guerren, he was sure that the story of each floor must have something to do with the gods. And the Fragment of Divine Status confirmed that belief.

[Fragment of Divine Status]

This is a fragment of Divine Status that was split into several pieces. If you collect all the fragments, you will be able to get one proper divine status.

Guerren could have had a divine status. Maybe that was why the gods took away his divine status and left the fragment behind.

Lee Shin thought that the reason why the power of He Who Knows Death did not work on Guerren was that Guerren had a higher class than Lee Shin. That meant all the ghosts upon whom Lee Shin could not use the power of He Who Knows Death were of a higher class than Lee Shin.

‘That’s possible,’ Lee Shin thought.

There was a way back to the first floor. And by the time he returned, he would be able to relieve the ghosts of their resentment.

"Take me to the waiting area on the fourth floor," said Lee Shin.

[You are moving to the waiting area on the fourth floor.]

* * *

There was a plain, barren land with a dull atmosphere. There were numerous people here and there, but they would soon leave. People did not stay long in the waiting area on the fourth floor, which had nothing to do or see; but there were still a lot of people here because it was a special occasion right now.

"Grooka!" A troll approached Lee Shin.

It was a huge troll that looked three meters tall. He had big, dark eye bags that made him appear very tired.

"Huh?" Lee Shin asked when the troll suddenly approached him and talked to Lee Shin.

"Are you the Messenger of God?” the troll asked.

"No," Lee Shin replied.

"Oh, I see. Alright.” The troll had suddenly appeared, asked questions, nodded to himself, and ended the conversation.

Lee Shin frowned.

"Be careful, Grooka," the troll told him.

"What am I supposed to be careful about?” Lee Shin asked.

"I can't just tell you," the troll replied.

The troll was implying that Lee Shin should give him points if he wanted to hear the information.

"...How much is it?” Lee Shin asked.

Lee Shin thought there was a high chance that this information would be really important because the manager approached him and talked to him first.

“It will be 10,000 points,” the troll demanded.

"What?" Lee Shin was shocked.

"It has to be that much, or else you don’t get anything," the troll replied.

Lee Shin could not believe that information regarding merely the third floor was worth that much.

[You have paid 10,000 points.]

Lee Shin could pay this much because he had enough points.

"Watch out for the altar, and don't believe it," the troll left a short sentence.

"Is that it?" Lee Shin was shocked.

"Yes, Grook!" the troll replied.

‘The altar…’ Lee Shin thought for a moment.

Lee Shin was disappointed because that information was not very helpful.

It would have been helpful if this was Lee Shin’s first attempt to clear the third floor. However, it was Lee Shin’s second attempt, and he already knew about the altar’s existence.

"If I pay more points, can I get the next piece of information?" Lee Shin asked.

"The next one is expensive. It will be 50,000 points..." said the troll.

[You have paid 50,000 points.]

"Just give me the next one," said Lee Shin.