The moment he was sure of Metafel Rerdanâs death, Lee Shin Woo was swarmed by lines of text that he should be familiar with by now, but wasnât.
[You have hunted one of the 12 Generals, the Eater Metafel Rerdan! All heroes who contributed gain 50,000,000 Perium, and all stats are increased by 100. You have acquired 15 permits to Godâs secret shop. Proficiency in all combat-related skills increases significantly!]
[The High Rank Combat Sense skill has become Lv3. Agility has increased by 20.]
[The High Rank Fire Resistance skill has become Lv2. Magic has increased by 10.]
[The Mana Acceleration skill has become Lv2. Magic has increased by 10.]
[The High Rank Command skill has become Lv3. All stats have increased by 5.]
Killing one of the 12 generals meant removing a portion of the curse that covered the Empire. Heâd not only taken down one of those generals, but Metafel had grown to level 8 and wouldâve been a huge threat to the other heroes, so he was given an unprecedented reward.
Heâd gained the same amount of stats, but heâd been given at least 50% more Perium and permits than normal. From what heâd been told, permits to Godâs secret shops were fragments of Godâs power, so he knew that, if nothing else, God had sacrificed much of her power to give him these.
[Through your fight against one of the 12 generals, you have shown your ability as a leader, a warrior, and a thief. You have achieved a feat worthy of the Joker karma. All stats have increased by 20.]
[The Joker karma has become even stronger. The Jokerâs innate skills have grown. The Acting skill has become Lv18, the Disguise skill Lv7, and the Instigate skill Lv8. Magic has increased by 10.]
Was that all? Lee Shin Woo had used all the means available to him to win this battle, and had made the title of Joker proud, causing his Joker karma to become even stronger.
Lee Shin Woo, who read through the messages, smiled happily. Just how many stats had he gained from this battle!? As he thought, it was worth pushing himself to manufacture the golem and to fight Metafel head on.
[You have received Godâs grace. The Invisible Heart skillâs max level has increased by 10.]
Finally, his last message was of Godâs grace. This time, too, his Invisible Heartâs max level had increased. Heâd killed 7 of his undead seniors through the hero quest, and had killed two of the 12 generals, so his Invisible Heart skillâs max level had gone up to 127.
ââŠItâs still not enough. I still donât know how exactly this affects me.â
It wouldâve been nice if he could precisely feel and control Invisible Heart. No, it would be possible sometime in the future. He would be able to do so in the future, he thought, and stiffly nodded his head. As if this were all planned, the Titan golemâs duration time just finished up.
[The Titan Bone Golemâs core is recharging its heat. Time until fully charged: 60 days.]
First, the mana that flowed through the golemâs exterior body disappeared, and the body rapidly shrunk. Then, Lee Shin Wooâs synchronization with the core was released, and the exterior body returned to its original state, attaching back onto the core.
The core went back to charging, but because the core was surrounded by material which would eternally emit heat, it didnât freeze its surroundings like before. Due to that, he could say that he had indeed completed the golem. Even if he left it alone, it was âfully armedâ now.
âHoo, it feels like Iâve suddenly become a lot weaker.â
Lee Shin Woo grabbed the core, softly landed on the floor, and smiled bitterly. So this is what it felt like to be a giant hero. Now he understood how the Titans, who were obsessed with their size, felt.
[Oh Titan!]
[Congratulations on your resurrection!]
Lee Shin Woo was swarmed by Ellata and Arogan, followed by the newly reborn Titan Tribe.
Although the Titan Bone Golem was no longer active, there was no way that the Titans, whoâd been reborn, would return to their original forms; they all remained in their elite forms. They were no longer weakened.
âI told you, Iâm not a Titan. Look, this is the Titan you worship. This thing.â [1]
Lee Shin Woo instantly re-equipped his equipment, and then brought the core before the deeply bowing Giants. However, their attitude didnât change in the least. Arogan, who was the only one amongst them that had evolved into a Bone Titan Knight, slightly raised his head and spoke respectfully.
[Paul Zero, you have not only resurrected the Titan, but you have become the Titan yourself. That is enough for us. Us Titans will always follow you, Paul Zero.]
ââŠRight.â
Of course, Lee Shin Woo knew that this was how it would turn out from the very beginning. Well, at least when heâd figured out that the Titan that they worshipped was actually a golem. However, he sported an expression that seemed to say âWell, if thatâs how you feel, then it canât be helpedâ, and nodded his head seriously.
âAlright then. I canât always maintain that Titan form, but I can make it so that you can remain as the powerful Titan Tribe.â
[Itâs an honor!]
Arogan was the first to bow his head and soon after the other Titans followed suit. That was the beginning. They, who had hidden in the depths of the Giantsâ domain for their own safely⊠as well as those who had originally been part of Metafelâs corps bowed their heads before him.
[Sir Paul Zero!]
[Weâll follow you forever as well!]
[Please allow us to accompany you, even from the rear while you do your great work!]
Mm, as expected, turning into and moving around as a Titan had a huge impact on them. After all, the best way to achieve absolute loyalty was a show of absolute force.
âI already know how loyal you guys are. Even if you donât bow like that, I wonât abandon you.â
âHoo, Paul Zero is so coolâŠâ
ââŠWell, I suppose right now he is.â
Kratia said, and Jin bitterly nodded his head. Lee Shin Woo stood in the center of hundreds of Titans (who had been reborn as elites), as well as thousands of undead soldiers who maintained military discipline and prostrated before him, and looked them over; there was no way that sight could not be cool.
Of course, all of his bowing troops were undead, and Lee Shin Woo was undead as well, so he seemed more like a great demon rather than a general.
âYou all did well, so make sure you rest. Ah, Shino Rendu, come forward.â
[Yes, Sir Paul Zero.]
Shino Rendu stood before him calmly. Lee Shin Woo briefly sighed and spoke.
âI promised you that Iâd let you cut off his head, but I couldnât keep my promise. Sorry.â
[Please donât worry about it. He didnât even have a head left to cut off. Iâm happy that I could at least get a good hit in.]
It seemed like he was talking about that time when he had stood in front of Lee Shin Woo and hit Metafel in the groin. Not only was it a surprising attack, but his attack began Metafelâs transformation into a true monster⊠He supposed those were the end days for a man whoâd lost âitâ!
âStill, a promise is a promise. So instead, I have something to give to you.â
[Iâm sorryâŠ?]
Lee Shin Woo extended his hand towards the place Metafel had fallen. It seemed that because Metafel had been a level 8 when he had died, he had left much more loot than Hansen Von Dorthe. Amongst the loot, there was one thing that caught his eyeâŠ
[Lucky Strike! You have acquired 96,661,210 Perium.]
Heâd acquired about 100 million Perium. Lee Shin Woo and Jin had a total of 100 million Perium before, but killing Metafel had garnered another 100 million for them.
Considering the fact that Perium was clearly another source of karma, the Lucky Strike skill heâd learned was definitely not normal. However, that wasnât what was important right nowâŠ
[You have acquired the Bayran inner map.]
Wait, heâd definitely gotten the Bayran inner map when he had killed Hansen! To think heâd get a duplicate item; there was nothing worse! But when he caught a glimpse of the map, it seemed like the map possessed a bit of a different shape, so Lee Shin Woo told himself that heâd go over it later and went on to the rest of the loot.
[You have acquired Lv8 Eater Metafen Rerdanâs tongue bone.]
[You have acquired Lv8 Eater Metafen Rerdanâs frontal bone.]
âNow thatâs what Iâm talking about!â. To think that heâd get two bones here. With just this, Lee Shin Woo thought that it had been the right decision to kill Metafel. Therefore, he was able to overcome this ordeal with just a feeling of heartburn.
Lee Shin Woo grabbed the more disgusting of the two bones, the one which clearly held the essence of Metafel as an Eater, rather than the Mercenary King, the tongue bone.
ââŠCome close.â
Lee Shin Woo called for Shino, trying his hardest to conceal his heartburn. Shino, who was well acquainted with Lee Shin Wooâs Bone Reinforcement skill, was extremely surprised that Lee Shin Woo called for him.
[Sir Paul Zero, youâre notâŠ]
âItâs something youâll need to complete your revenge. Youâre not going to refuse, are you?â
[I⊠May I really receive this?]
âAll you need to do is accept it.â
The moment he said that, Shino sported an indescribable expression. He was probably deeply moved. The others nearby who looked on seemed inspired as well.
To be honest, Lee Shin Woo would have to fight stronger and stronger opponents from this point forward, so he needed to get Shino Rendu, who acted as his unit commander, to reach level 7 as soon as possible. Thatâs why he offered the level 8 bone to him. He was unique, as he possessed the Super Regeneration skill, as well as a herculean strength vested in his right arm; abilities which no one else had. The higher his level, the better a job he could do.
[If you insist, then⊠Iâll accept it.]
âGood. However, itâll be tough, so youâll have to endure it.â
[Iâm well aware of the danger, but Iâll be alright. My instincts as an Avenger are telling me that.]
Was that really reliable? There was no greater revenge than absorbing the bone of the target of oneâs revenge. Lee Shin Woo had never used Bone Reinforcement on someone with a bone two levels higher than them, but he thought Shino would be ok.
Moreover, if he gained the additional karma held within, then Shino would grow immensely.
âGood, then take it.â
Lee Shin Woo activated Bone Reinforcement immediately. The mana in its entirety went into Shino Rendu. At that moment, Shino yelled, but he soon closed his eyes and focused on accepting the power.
[Consuming Lv8 Eater Metafel Rerdanâs tongue bone to execute Bone Reinforcement on Shino Rendu. Health and Magic have increased by 20. The Absorption skill has become Lv8. Magic has increased by 10.]
As expected, level 8 bones were different from the rest. He used that bone to reinforce someone else, yet his stats increased by 40! Plus, his Absorption skill had grown as well, so he naturally smiled bitterly.
[KuhaaahkâŠ!]
So what wouldâve happened to Shino Rendu, who absorbed such an amazing bone? He was tormented by the overflowing black mana, and grabbed a hold of it with his strong will. The Eaterâs lunacy, which was instilled into his brain, was forcefully burned away with his own mana, as if it were thrown into fire.
The karma heâd been bestowed as an Avenger was complete, and in the process of accepting a new and more powerful karma⊠he finally evolved into a level 7.
[The Lv6 Undead Avenger Shino Rendu has evolved into the Lv7 Greedy Avenger.]
Oh, he didnât have his hopes up, but⊠had had gained a portion of the Ghoulâs predatory abilities? Since Shino Rendu had become a âGreedyâ Avenger.
There wasnât much change to his outer appearance, but it felt like his already tough body had become even tougher. Especially his right arm, which contained Godâs power, as it felt like the power hung around the arm even more clearly than before. It screamed âbad guyâ energy, but Lee Shin Woo was sure that Shino Rendu had acquired the essence of the Eater karma from the bone.
âHow do you feel? You can do well from now on, right?â
[âŠItâs the best.]
Shino Rendu, who had finished leveling up, replied joyfully.
[With my newfound power⊠I will help you kill all the 12 generals, as well as the Emperor. No, Iâll continue to follow you even after, wherever you go.]
âThereâs probably nothing past that, but⊠Alright. You did good.â
Now, aside from his golem corps, all of his Corps Commanders were level 7s. Lee Shin Woo absorbed the last remaining bone. He turned around to see if Jin was interested, but he just shook his head.
Honestly, heâd turned around to see that very reaction⊠He grinned, grabbed the bone, and activated Bone Reinforcement on himself.
[Consuming Lv8 Eater Metafel Rerdanâs frontal bone to execute Bone Reinforcement. Strength has increased by 40, Agility by 25, Health by 50, and Magic by 35. The High Rank Command skill has become Lv5, and all stats have increased by 10.]
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As he thought, he gained a ridiculous amount of stats from absorbing a level 8 bone himself. Now he could understand how he could gain 40 stats from using Bone Reinforcement on someone else.
Lee Shin Woo kept nodding his head, and then, calmed down the mana that was furiously rotating with him. At the same time, he also organized the information that flowed through his mind and⊠in the process, gained one good memory.
âBayran⊠Itâs the most advanced huge city and a level 4 danger zone directly connected to the capital. Itâs essential that we attack there to access the capital.â
The two maps heâd acquired told him where the city was. As well as the significance behind that city.
[1] E/N: The Titan, and the Titans are different. Though it may be confusing, THE Titan is Lee Shin Wooâs Gundam Titan Bone Golem while the Titans (emphasizes the S) is the tribe that was formerly the Giants⊠or as system-ssi said: [Sealed Titan Zombie]s.