Chapter 103
[Necromancy Mastery changes to ‘Blood Necromancy Mastery’.]
[The skill ‘Skeleton Summoning (D)’ has changed to ‘Blood Golem Summoning (A)’!]
A D-grade skill suddenly changed into an A-grade skill?
I quickly checked the description of the new skill.
[Blood Golem Summoning (A)]
Creates a powerful blood golem from the caster’s blood.
The current maximum number of golems that can be summoned is 1, and it lasts for 30 minutes.
(The golem grows even stronger according to the caster’s caliber!)
- Blood Power Cost: 100
- Cooldown: 1 minute
‘Whoa. It really is an A-grade skill.’
Come to think of it, something similar had happened before.
The [Book of the Dead] I had obtained as a reward for clearing the Tower of Trials.
It had originally been an item that increased the stats of undead retainers by 30%, but when my class-exclusive hidden effect activated, it evolved into an overpowered item that granted a 50% buff.
This seemed to be the same sort of situation.
‘The Book of the Dead and the Guide of the Dead. Their names are similar, too.’
In any case, this was a very good thing for me.
I didn’t know exactly what Blood Necromancy was, but it had upgraded from a skeleton all the way to a Blood Golem.
‘But how strong is a Blood Golem?’
The skill description didn’t explain it in much detail, either.
In times like this, I needed to open TreeWiki.
I accessed the wiki and typed ‘Blood Golem’ into the search bar.
<Blood Golem>
One of the summons primarily used by high-level necromancer-type Hunters.
Its stats are extremely high by default.
In particular, it is a tank-type summon with exceptionally high HP.
It has the trait of growing stronger in proportion to the caster’s level, stats, and so on.
‘Ooh.’
A summon used by high-level necromancers.
It certainly looked incredibly strong just from the attached photos.
A giant figure with red blood dripping like lava, bones visible within.
It had the presence of something that had just crawled up from Hell.
Growing stronger in proportion to the caster’s level or stats seemed like a useless option since I was weak, but….
In any case, overall it looked quite good.
More than anything, it was incredibly cool!
Considering my recent circumstances, this was a skill that had arrived at a very appropriate time.
‘Hehe. Is it finally time to restore some of my majesty?’
I kept making mistakes and behaving like a weakling.
In the community, I was treated like I was cute.
I had even been caught snacking on blood sausage from a pot without turning on the lights in front of Katarina.
At this rate, I could hardly call myself a Lord of Blood.
At last, a chance had come to put on a proper show in front of my retainers once more.
“Everyone, gather in the training room! I shall show you this body’s new power!”
I summoned all my retainers via telepathy.
***
Before long, all the retainers had gathered in the training room.
Katarina, Siyeon, Riri, Sarah, and the mother-daughter pair Haeun and Suyeon.
Even Dark, who had been sleeping in the living room, came sleepily in Suyeon’s arms.
"I am most eager to see what astonishing power Your Lordship will show us next."
"Master’s new power! Riri, thump-thump!"
All the retainers were watching me expectantly.
‘All right. Let’s focus.’
I stood in the training room with [Guide of the Dead] gripped in one hand, striking an imposing pose as I closed my eyes.
I recalled the cool incantation Dark Mage Yair had used when summoning undead.
“Blood Golem. Answer this True Ancestor’s call.”
The haughty voice conjured by [Noble Demeanor] echoed throughout the training room.
I extended the staff forward and uttered the final word.
“A. RI. SE!”
[Using the skill, ‘Blood Golem Summoning’!]
[100 Blood Power is consumed.]
Oooong!
A gigantic crimson magic circle was inscribed on the floor of the training room.
A sticky, spine-chilling sound arose, and red light burst forth intensely.
Then something enormous began crawling out from within.
‘Ooh! It’s coming out!’
I watched it with a pounding heart.
But then.
‘……Huh?’
When I finally saw the fully summoned golem, I couldn’t help feeling a little flustered.
‘It looks so different from the one I saw on TreeWiki……?’
It was definitely a large-bodied golem, just as described.
Its giant-like form was similar, too.
But rather than a terrifying monster that had climbed up from Hell….
‘Jelly?’
Because it looked like a giant pink jelly.
A soft, springy golem with an entirely pink body.
And what shocked me even more was its face.
On its smooth, front-facing surface, two tiny eyes and triangular lips suddenly popped into existence.
In other words.
(ㅇㅅㅇ) It had exactly this kind of face.
It looked at me, then soon uttered a single word.
“Kkyu?”
‘……How pathetic!’
I was crestfallen.
Far from having a fearsome presence, it looked like some amusement park mascot, and it even made a strange sound.
My shoulders, which had been raised high, drooped.
Even so, I couldn’t let the new skill showcase be ruined like this.
I decided to at least test its performance, figuring I had nothing to lose.
‘Golem, throw a punch.’
Whoosh, swish!
At my command, its jelly-like arm stretched out and threw an adorably soft punch at the empty air.
It didn’t look painful at all.
‘Run at full speed.’
Boing! Boing!
It bounded and bounced around the training room like it was jumping on a trampoline.
‘It is fast, at least.’
It was fairly nimble despite its appearance.
…Though its form was rather odd.
I gave it one final command dejectedly.
‘Show me your most confident technique.’
Thump, thump.
Suddenly, it began moving to the rhythm.
It danced a hip groove dance with incredibly fluid, undulating movements.
I was dumbfounded.
I told it to use a skill, and it was performing a party trick.
‘Stop…. Stop it….’
Just as I placed a hand to my forehead and ordered it to stop.
“Whoa!!!”
Riri clapped like a seal, apparently deeply impressed.
“Kkyuu.”
The Blood Golem placed one arm on its waist and bowed politely like a gentleman.
‘Haa….’
I was wondering how to salvage the ruined atmosphere when.
“Oh! Your Lordship’s new summon looks incredibly powerful!”
Katarina began showering it with praise.
‘No, Katarina…. You don’t have to force yourself to praise it.’
But since she worshipped everything I did, my mood didn’t improve much.
But then.
It wasn’t only Katarina.
“A structure capable of freely changing shape and absorbing impacts. It seems to be a highly useful biological weapon, Master.”
Siyeon gave her assessment with a serious expression, and.
“Wow…! Such flexible movements…! I don’t think even my sword could cut it easily…!”
Sarah praised the Blood Golem as well.
“It’s squishy! The color is pretty, too!”
“Oh my, it looks so dependable~.”
“It’s big and cool, isn’t it?!”
Riri, Haeun, and Auntie Suyeon joined in, showering it with praise.
‘Huh?’
Unexpectedly, the retainers’ reactions weren’t bad.
Is it actually okay?
Just as my confidence was beginning to rise a little.
“Grrr!”
Dark, who had been held in Auntie Suyeon’s arms, spread its wings, flew over, and clung to the Blood Golem.
Dark desperately tried to bite through its soft, squishy surface.
“Kkying?”
The Blood Golem tilted its head as it looked at Dark, who was clinging to it and whining.
“Dark. That isn’t food….”
“Grrang?”
I sighed, grabbed Dark by the scruff of its neck, and pulled it off.
Apparently, the Blood Golem looked exactly like a giant lump of jelly to it.
Well, even to me, its appearance did look somewhat like that.
***
A little while later.
‘Sigh.’
I lay on the bed gloomily, heaving deep sighs.
I had been so excited because a D-grade skill had evolved into an A-grade one.
And it turned out to be a soft pink golem.
‘Well, maybe it will be different in actual combat.’
There was still hope.
As long as it was strong, its appearance shouldn’t matter.
I had already reserved a suitable B-grade Gate.
I planned to send the mosquito army to open a dimensional gate and use the Blood Golem for hunting.
I was watching through the eyes of my mosquito retainers as they diligently headed toward the Gate when.
- “Aaaahhh!”
A frantic situation came into view through Number 5’s vision.
People were screaming and fleeing through the streets.
Wondering what was happening, I moved Number 5 right up to the scene.
All the windows of the surrounding buildings had been shattered.
The cars in the street had been crushed and were blaring their alarms.
“Kahahaha! I’ve got power to spare, power to spare!”
In the middle of that chaos.
A muscular monster resembling a gigantic Minotaur was rampaging.
A female Hunter was blocking its way, but she looked to be in bad shape.
When I examined it with [Appraisal Eye].
[LV. 47 Minotaur Demon]
‘Oh. It’s a Demon.’
A Demon who had accepted the power of a monster.
It was fascinating to see a Demon villain in person after only seeing them on the news.
‘Hmm. Is this a farming opportunity?’
Come to think of it, Demons were classified as monsters, too, so killing one granted experience.
Of course, I could send my retainers to hunt it, but if I killed it directly with my skill, all the experience would go to me, so it was more advantageous.
‘Shall I send it out and test the Blood Golem’s performance at the same time?’
A good punching bag had appeared right on cue.
If the golem didn’t work, it wouldn’t be too late to send my retainers then.
***
At the same time.
“Haa, haa….”
C-rank Hunter Oh Yuna, who was facing off against the Demon, was panting heavily.
Her body was already battered all over, and her breathing had reached its limit.
Because of her righteous nature, she had rashly stepped forward to protect fleeing citizens despite being a rookie Hunter, and that had proved to be her undoing.
‘Grrk…!’
It felt like every bone in her body was breaking.
From the outset, a battle between a B-rank-or-higher Demon and a C-rank Hunter was not even a contest.
“Heh heh, it feels so damn good to toy with such a pretty, young bitch however I want!”
Smack!
The Demon kicked Yuna like she was a toy and burst out laughing.
Even as her consciousness grew hazy, Yuna gritted her teeth.
‘It’s a good thing this bastard is so fixated on me!’
She had bought the citizens time to evacuate.
Support from the Association would arrive soon.
If only high-level Hunters would arrive.
It was precisely then, when she had not yet let go of hope.
Oooong—!
The air warped, and a purple dimensional gate opened.
‘…What?’
Despair filled Yuna’s eyes.
An Emergency Gate, a Gate that opens suddenly by an extremely rare chance.
One Demon was already more than she could handle, and now an Emergency Gate had opened, too.
It was the end.
As she trembled in fear of what terrifying monster might leap out and waited for the death approaching her.
Boing—!
“……?”
What emerged from the Gate was a huge pink jelly golem.
It was much larger than a person.
About the same height as the Minotaur monster before her.
But.
“Kkyuu!”
‘Thank goodness, it looks weak…!’
Its soft, squishy appearance, pathetic face, and cute cry.
It was obviously a low-level monster at a glance.
A Giant Slime Golem?
She didn’t know if such a thing existed, but it seemed to be roughly that kind.
Oh Yuna regained hope and took up a combat stance again.
Splish, splish-.
But then, wouldn’t you know it, that pink jelly monster began approaching the Demon.
Soon, the monster stood facing the Demon and stared silently at its opponent.
The Demon snorted and looked at the squishy monster.
“What the fuck is this weak-ass-looking slime bastard? Get lost!”
The moment the Demon raised its gigantic fist.
Creak—.
In an instant, the Blood Golem’s right arm swelled into a muscular forearm of abnormal size.
Its veins bulged grotesquely, like an anatomical diagram of human muscles.
That vicious fist struck the Demon head-on.
Baaaang—!!!
Entrails and drops of blood flew in every direction.
‘……Huh?’
Oh Yuna blinked blankly.
Amid the surreal scene of blood and chunks of flesh pouring down like a sudden shower.
“Kkyu?”
The pink jelly monster, its face splattered with the Demon’s blood,
continued looking down at her with its cute face, tilting its head in puzzlement.