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Chapter 68
[Translator - Hestia]
[Proofreader - Kaya]
Chapter 68: Temple of the Heaven's Defiance
“Why the mutated Rerik’s corpse?”
【Hmm. How should I describe this sensation?】
Fafnir’s blue mane flickered back and forth, reflecting his complex thoughts.
【Yes. To define it, it's hunger.】
“There's no Minyeong here to empathize with you.”
【It's not the sense of tasting flavor. It's a fundamental hunger, a starvation. An instinctive craving to fill what's missing.】
‘Oh my. Since when did Fafnir become someone, no, a deceased who spouts such elegant expressions?’
Yoojin stroked his chin.
“Interesting.”
An Eldritch Dragon, a top-tier undead, feels the hunger that zombies or skeletons feel.
If there was a reaction never seen before, the answer was simple.
“It must be trying to fill something that's lacking.”
【Something I lack?】
“Reriks are lower dragonkin.”
Even if they are half-baked creatures created by the Gate, the essence of dragonkin is imbued within their bodies.
The mutated Rerik possesses an even stronger essence.
“The appetite you feel is probably an instinct to fill the incomplete parts of you as an Eldritch Dragon.”
【I didn't feel much when I saw the other Reriks.】
“Their essence is too weak to be of any help.”
The reason the mutated Rerik awakened power beyond that of a Saint was because of the reaction of the dragonkin essence.
“It's just a hypothesis, though.”
【Hmm. So, you're giving me this corpse, right?】
“Try eating one first.”
【Stingy as ever.】
Fafnir grumbled briefly and opened his mouth wide.
Crack—Crack—
The chilling sounds of bones breaking and muscles tearing.
The five-meter-long giant disappeared into Fafnir’s mouth as if being sucked into a vacuum cleaner.
[Eldritch Dragon (Fafnir) absorbs dragonkin essence.]
[Eldritch Dragon's completeness increases.]
[Absorbed dragon essence – 6.7%]
[All stats increase by 12.5%.]
Fafnir’s body convulsed.
The absorbed dragon essence expanded his bones, and his flesh grew to match the enlarged skeleton.
‘I wonder if the term “growth” is appropriate for someone already dead. But nothing else comes to mind.’
He thought as he watched Fafnir's entire body convulsing incessantly.
“Eat the rest as well.”
【Is it really okay? You said they would become a strong force if made into undead.】
“It's far more beneficial for you to become stronger.”
【Master······!】
Fafnir strode towards Yoojin and tightly grasped his hand.
【Thank you. I will never forget this grace!】
“Ah, ow, ow, ow!”n/ô/vel/b//jn dot c//om
【My apologies. I used too much strength.】
“I think my bone’s broken.”
His wrist dangled limply.
Yoojin let out a short sigh and used Life Drain.
[6.7% → 9.3 → 10.9 → 12.1 → 12.5]
The more mutated Reriks he consumed, the less dragon essence was absorbed.
It probably meant he needed to hunt stronger ones to perfect his Eldritch Dragon.
As the dragon essence increased, the stat bonus also rose to 45%.
And one trait added after consuming the fifth mutated pleased Yoojin even more.
[Trait – Immortal Commander added.]
The same trait that Jo Seungchul acquired.
Although the number he could command was limited for now.
If Fafnir accumulated more dragon essence, the number of undead under his command would also increase.
‘I've gained something far more valuable than the corpses of lower-ranking dragonkin.’
Originally, the plan was to bury the mutated Reriks' corpses in the Unholy Graveyard.
To create a mid-rank undead like a Dragner, Yoojin's level also needed to be at least 4 Star.
‘Not only has my power increased, but the number of troops I can command has also risen.’
Compared to five Dragners he couldn't even use immediately, this was a much greater gain.
〔Contractor. Now let us go and seize the opportunity.〕
With Kronos urging him, Yoojin stopped thinking and turned his head.
The scene from the past, or rather the future, he saw through [Memento].
A crumbling cathedral stood before his eyes.
‘Let's get to the main event.’
Yoojin slowly walked towards the cathedral.
＊ ＊ ＊
The cathedral located at the heart of the island.
Calling it a cathedral was generous; besides a barely recognizable statue of the Virgin Mary, worn down by time, there was no trace of a chapel to be found.
‘It was around here, wasn't it?’
After recalling the scene from [Memento], he ordered the Revenant to dig into the ground.
Thud— Thud—
The Revenant scooped up the soil with hands cloaked in dark aura, its force rivaling an excavator.
When it had dug down about five meters.
“Hmm.”
A groan instinctively escaped him, sensing an unusual energy emanating from the pit.
Yoojin descended into the deep hole without hesitation.
〔The opportunity that Memento showed······.〕
‘Yes. It was referring to this stone.’
A fist-sized gray mineral caught on the Revenant's fingertip.
Yoojin carefully grasped the stone.
[Fragment of the Void]
Rank: Epic
Classification: Catalyst
Durability: 56/100
A fragment of the Void that complements order and symmetry.
It amplifies powers or emotions of a negative nature.
A rank higher than Unique.
Even as a raw mineral before processing, it being Epic rank meant that if used in artifact crafting, it could potentially yield a Transcendent grade result.
Transcendent was the same rank as the Dragon Scale Armor and the Ring of Darkness!
‘Well, it's just a possibility.’
Yoojin smirked.
Even without considering the realm of possibilities, the Fragment of the Void had many uses.
A mineral comparable to a Transcendent grade artifact for a Necromancer.
"When it comes to negative energy, one might think of dark magic, the power wielded by demonkin and dark mages."
But spirit power, or in other words, mana from the yin dimension, also possessed negative properties.
〔Khahahaha! Behold! This is my power!〕
‘I am eternally grateful.’
〔But while I understand that this ominous stone is the opportunity, how can it be used?〕
‘To use it properly, you need at least a 7 Star alchemist and a Master craftsman.’
At this point in time, Master-level craftsmen were few and far between, even if you searched the entire world.
And there were no alchemists who had surpassed the 7 Star wall.
〔What?! It's a truly useless treasure then!〕
‘There is a way to use it in a simplified form.’
[Oak Staff Imbued with Lightning].
An artifact obtained after defeating the Red Spider executive, Lee Seongyeon.
‘The core option is that its properties change depending on the catalyst inserted into the staff.’
One of the few means to draw out the power of a catalyst without processing it.
Come to think of it, he also said those words, "a truly useless treasure," while looking at the staff equipped with the ‘Flame Orb,’ didn't he?
After removing the Flame Orb attached to the end of the staff, he inserted the Fragment of the Void into the empty socket.
[Equipping new catalyst.]
[Existing options will be removed, and new options will be added according to the catalyst ‘Fragment of the Void’.]
[Oak Staff Imbued with Lightning]
Rank: Unique → Epic
Classification: Staff
Durability: 87/150
A staff made from a tree that was struck by lightning, giving it a different color inside and out. By inserting a magic amplification catalyst into the socket, you can increase the destructive power of your desired attribute.
*Mana (Spirit Energy) + 150 → 450 increase
*Rearrangement speed 30% → 45% decrease
*Flame magic power increased by 74%.
*Number of undead controlled increased by 100%
*Spirit Power consumed for undead maintenance reduced by 50%
*Socket - [1/1]
Fragment of the Void equipped
The spirit power increase was tripled.
And the rearrangement speed was reduced by a further 15%.
〔The basic options themselves are quite different.〕
‘The Flame Orb is a Unique grade catalyst. It's natural since its quality is lower than the Fragment of the Void.’
The important thing was the undead-related abilities added in place of the deleted flame magic-related options.
Number controlled doubled.
Spirit Power consumption halved.
‘Even though the number of controllable undead has increased, there are no penalties at all.’
Truly exceptional options.
At this rate, the day when he could recreate the undead army from his days as a one-man army wouldn't be far off.
‘I never thought I'd feel grateful to the Red Spider.’
Thanks to the [Oak Staff Imbued with Lightning], he was able to utilize the Fragment of the Void without processing it.
Since the staff's original rank was [Unique], the drawback was that it couldn't bring out 100% of the catalyst's power.
But it was much better than not being able to use it at all.
‘When a craftsman capable of processing the Fragment of the Void appears, I can remove it then.’
The durability might decrease a bit, but it was more advantageous to use the gem in some way rather than leaving it idle.
With a satisfied expression, Yoojin tightly gripped the staff.
＊ ＊ ＊
Yoojin emerged from the pit.
The eerie site of the cathedral came into view.
〔Have you perhaps missed something?〕
‘No. The Fragment of the Void is all that Memento showed me.’
〔But you seem to be observing your surroundings quite carefully.〕
‘I told you, I'd build you a temple.’
Yoojin scanned the cathedral with spirit power infused in his eyes.
In the past, it was a place where the island's inhabitants offered prayers.
It was also a place of conflict where South and North Korea frequently clashed.
The sacred energy, the grudges accumulated from the war, and the wishes of the residents all intertwined, making it a suitable location for a temple, a 〔sacred ground〕.
〔Indeed. When I focus, I can sense the abundant spiritual energy.〕
‘This should suffice.’
〔It does. But, were you aware that this island was suitable for constructing a temple?〕
‘Thanks to the vision Memento showed me.’
The Manhunters received the blessing of the Evil God constellation at the site of the ruined cathedral.
The Fragment of the Void buried in the cathedral and the unique characteristic of the sacred ground.
It was a miracle that could only occur with both of these elements fulfilled.
‘Do you think it's easy to receive the blessing of the Evil God constellation in a place that's not the Babel Tower?’
Thanks to the future sight shown by [Memento], Yoojin was certain that the crumbling cathedral site was a sacred ground.
An island untouched by human presence.
The perfect condition for building a temple for Kronos.
〔There's a discrepancy, my sole believer.〕
‘What are you dissatisfied with now?’
〔The more people visit the temple, the stronger my presence will become.〕
‘Then Zeus will quickly discover your identity.’
〔Ah……〕
Kronos suppressed a groan.
He was always so greedy. If you're consumed by greed for immediate rewards, you're bound to miss out on something bigger.
〔That doesn't seem like something the Contractor should be saying.〕
‘I'm greedy because I'm confident I can take it all.’
Pushing aside Kronos's thoughts, he called out to the Revenants.
“Collapse all the pillars. And bring me that large stone over there.”
Thud— Thud—
Half-collapsed and weathered by the passage of time, the building disappeared from history.
After the Cataclysm, it became known that the gods, only passed down through oral tradition and literature, existed as starlight.
Since then, it became taboo to damage any building that enshrined a constellation, in any form.
‘Because the constellations themselves would inflict punishment.’
The case of the Yeonpyeong island cathedral was an exception.
After the Gate Break, the residents who frequented the cathedral either left the island or died.
Therefore, it was no longer a place where a constellation could reside.
‘Your Lordship, I don't know much about architecture, so I'll build it in a simplified form, okay?’
〔Does the form matter? In the end, it's the heart that counts.〕
What a surprise.
Wasn't the God-King if Titans fond of pomp and circumstance?
He needed to finish building the temple before Kronos changed his mind.
Yoojin meticulously cleaned the broad rock.
An altar for Kronos.
It was the central structure of the temple.
【Master, what are you doing?】
“I'm building a temple to commemorate the constellation I serve.”
【The one called the Heaven-Defying Titan, right?】
“That's right. He's a pretty frugal guy. He'll understand even with just this much.”
As he praised Kronos while conversing with Fafnir, boisterous laughter filled his mind.
〔Khahahahahaha!!!〕
Perfect, he's falling for it.
【Still, it's too empty for a temple.】
“I don't know much about architecture. I was able to build the Necropolis thanks to the ring.”
【Master. In that case, can I show off my skills?】
“Go ahead.”
As soon as Yoojin gave his permission, Fafnir used the nearby trees to erect pillars on the site of the old cathedral.
Walls were built using the debris from the destroyed building.
It wasn't exactly a temple, but it barely managed to take the form of a 'building.'
“It hasn't even been an hour. How did you do it?”
【Before my awakening, I did a lot of volunteer work. It's the knack I picked up then.】
Fafnir said proudly.
A modest altar, completed in a simplified manner.
Standing before it, Yoojin knelt on one knee and offered up his holy power.
“Oh, Heaven-Defying Titan. I dedicate this place to you. Though it may be lacking, please accept it graciously.”
Fwhooooosh—!
A whitish energy surged from the center of the sacred ground.
The ruler of the domain that defies death, the holy power of the 〔Heaven-Defying Titan〕 began to envelop the humble structure.
[Translator - Hestia
[Proofreader - Kaya]