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Translated By Arcane Translations
Translator: FusionX
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And with some of the byproducts, I could even craft decent equipment.
Basilisk hide was one of the best materials, boasting both physical and magical resistance.
Its magical resistance had developed naturally to prevent self-harm from its own Petrifying Breath, and this function persisted even after death.
Although it required some processing and would be weaker than when it was alive, it was still a top-tier material.
However, the problem was that it wasn’t easy to capture with our current strength.
‘Kayla could probably handle it, but the Petrifying Breath is a bit of a problem.’
As a high-ranking Expert, she could resist it to some extent, and with my assistance, she would be able to face it even more safely.
But it wasn’t without risk.
Considering the monster’s nature, there was no one else who could provide proper support, so a single mistake could turn a part of her body to stone.
‘So… I need to use a different method.’
Bang! Bang, bang!
The orcs continued their fierce resistance.
There was enough time.
I raised the staff and slammed it hard against the ground.
I supplied the Land of Death with additional demonic energy.
My will was transmitted to the Land of Death.
Unlike before, the orc corpses didn’t rise. Instead…
Swirl.
Red blood began to gather at a single point, slowly forming a shape.
I drew out more demonic energy and prepared another spell.
The gem, Dragon Heart, held in the skull at the top of the staff, began to glow with an ominous light.
The spell was completed, and I chanted the activation words.
Temporary Base Construction.
Mages were beings who could unleash power beyond their limits through preparation.
Within a carefully constructed dungeon, a mage could face three or more warriors of the same level, and with sufficient preparation, even defeat ten or more.
However, mages who wandered without their own dungeons were inevitably exposed to numerous threats.
Even mages with their own dungeons couldn’t realistically stay cooped up inside forever.
Therefore, mages pondered.
How could they maximize their power outside of their dungeons?
It was a concern that dragons wouldn’t have.
They had Dragon Language and near-infinite mana.
Of course, they could become stronger with preparation, but dragons were a powerful race that didn’t need to bother.
The Land of Death and Aura of Death I used could also be seen as a byproduct of wandering mages seeking ways to maximize their power.
The Land of Death wasn’t originally a spell that could be used instantly on the battlefield, and the Aura of Death was a spell devised by warlocks who had lost their strongholds to survive in the mortal realm with little demonic energy.
And as a result of such research…
A spell was developed that allowed mages to unleash their full potential outside of their dungeons.
That was what this spell was.
Though it had the same name, its manifestation varied depending on the mage.
Even its structure was vastly different, essentially just a basic framework that the caster had to customize individually.
It was at least a 5th class spell, and not everyone who reached 5th class could use it.
It took at least years to complete the customization process.
However…
‘I already finished it.’
In my first life, I was a 6th class mage who had even reached the peak of 6th class.
Therefore, I had completed the customization process long ago.
‘But I need to lower its level.’
I was currently a 5th class mage, and it hadn’t been long since I broke through.
Therefore, it would inevitably be weaker.
However, its level of completion was on a different level compared to other 5th class mages.
Annelise, who was next to me, looked surprised.
The corpses of dozens of orcs separated into bones and flesh.
The magic drew in the bones, forming a double wall, and the flesh of the orcs adhered to it.
With dozens, or rather, over a hundred corpses scattered around, including those that had been enhanced zombies, there were plenty of materials.
“Ugh…”
It wasn’t a pleasant sight, but it was highly efficient.
But the gruesome scene was soon covered by blood that dripped from the flesh, concealing it.
Only the red and white walls remained, protecting me.
At that moment, Annelise spoke with a puzzled expression.
“This… isn’t this a magic circle?”
I didn’t bother answering.
I had no obligation to.
Then, a faint mist began to flow around the walls.
“The souls of… orcs?”
Annelise somehow recognized their true nature.
And in the meantime, the spell I had cast earlier came to fruition.
“Grooo…”
The remaining residue from the base construction was absorbed into the mass of flesh.
Although the surroundings were enclosed by walls, visibility wasn’t an issue.
A small eye floated in the sky.
This was also part of the magic, allowing me to share its vision.
The undead that emerged was a giant humanoid zombie that walked on two legs.
But honestly, its appearance was closer to a monster than a human.
Its skin was pale, its teeth and claws were sharp, and its upper body was significantly more developed than its lower body.
It was over 3 meters tall.
Where its eyes should be, there were only black sockets, giving it a repulsive appearance.
A high-level zombie that could only be created at 5th class or higher.
To be precise, it was closer to a monster than a zombie.
Even for an undead.
‘It’s still lacking.’
Although I had created it, it was a growth type.
Moreover, this one was a special case that could be kept alive under certain conditions even though it wasn’t a permanent undead.
‘It won’t be possible this time.’
It wasn’t cost-effective anyway, so I had no intention of doing so.
If necessary, I would make it a permanent undead, but it wasn’t worth it.
‘I have the Bone Golem anyway.’
Although the temporary base was still absorbing resources from the surroundings, this was enough.
Despite my low voice, the sound was amplified and transmitted directly to the intended recipient.
It was a type of message magic.
The base itself was primarily designed to protect the caster and enhance their magical abilities, so it came with various functions.
“Eliminate the remaining orcs with the Draugr, along with your companions.”
“You mean… assist that thing?”
“What is that thing…”
It seemed Kayla had never seen a Draugr before.
“Think of it as a type of zombie.”
As my will was transmitted, the undead charged towards the orcs in unison.
This included the three Elite Living Armors that had been protecting me.
Since the temporary base had been established, they were no longer needed here, so I decided to invest them in the front line.
“…Kuaaa!”
Our attack signaled the resumption of battle.
They had taken a short break while I was constructing the temporary base, but they hadn’t fully recovered their stamina.
‘That’s why I used Swamp Mist.’
They must have been bewildered by their slow recovery.
As expected, their movements were significantly slower than before.
The Draugr charged at them.
With its massive size and immense strength, it trampled the orcs, piercing their vital points with its sharp claws and teeth.
And then it swallowed them whole.
“What is this…”
The way its mouth unhinged grotesquely, swallowing an entire orc, was surreal.
The Draugr’s size increased slightly after swallowing the orc and its aura became even more ferocious.
It was the Draugr’s ability.
‘Blood, bones, flesh. Those are the Draugr’s food.’
It gained energy and strengthened itself by consuming living beings.
Even if they were dead, as long as they hadn’t been dead for too long, they could be used as food for the Draugr.
The most efficient method was to swallow them alive.
And in the process, it could even alter its physical structure as needed.
To put it bluntly, if I wanted to, I could create a Draugr that crawled on all fours.
‘Form is meaningless.’
A growing, giant zombie.
That was the essence of a Draugr.
It wasn’t called a monster-like undead for nothing.
Even Athena, Kayla, and Baldur hesitated for a moment at the sight of it brutally devouring the orcs alive.
But they quickly regained their composure.
They had already seen me control undead made of bones.
My companions had all chosen to become my allies despite knowing that I was a warlock, specifically a necromancer.
Although our relationship had begun with a forced mana oath, we were now strongly connected through the favors I had done for them and the time we had spent together.
Therefore, they didn’t show much distress over something like this.
“…Support the Draugr so it can consume as many orcs as possible.”
“It seems Inha intends to use it to deal with the Basilisk.”
She was spot on.
Although it was a growing zombie, its efficiency inevitably decreased over time.
Still, if it swallowed all of the orcs here, it would become a formidable undead capable of withstanding petrification.
‘But it won’t be able to handle a 1v1.’
Of course, I had no intention of defeating the Basilisk with just one Draugr.
I planned to use it as the main tank.
As my companions and the undead swiftly overwhelmed the orcs, the orc warriors clashed with the Basilisk.
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The Basilisk roared.
Its Petrifying Breath sprayed in all directions, and the orc warriors agilely dodged.
Despite their ferocity, they calmly surrounded the Basilisk and attacked it from all sides.
The Basilisk moved surprisingly nimbly for its size, trying to counter their attacks, but it couldn’t easily defeat nearly thirty orc warriors at once.
However, it was slowly getting closer to the village.
‘They’re handling it quite skillfully.’
The way the orcs were fighting against a high-level monster showed that this wasn’t their first encounter, but they were still struggling to defeat the Basilisk.
Or rather, it seemed their goal wasn’t to kill it, but to drive it away.
However, my goal was to capture the Basilisk, not drive it away.
‘Should I intervene a little?’
Naturally, I had no intention of helping either side.
I intended to create a situation where they would fight more fiercely and aggressively.
I immediately raised my staff and arranged the demonic energy.
Ellosette’s Staff screamed, and the temporary base resonated, amplifying the power of the spell.
The target was the Basilisk.
As soon as the spell was activated, countless black hands erupted from the Basilisk’s shadow, grabbing it.
The Basilisk was startled and tried to react, but its movements were inevitably sluggish.
It couldn’t be completely restrained thanks to its high resistance and strength, but it was an opportunity for the orcs.
However, their goal from the start was to drive the Basilisk away, not kill it.
I could guess the reason why.
‘They must lack the firepower.’
They could manipulate mana, but none of them used proper Aura.
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