There existed something amongst his subordinates that allowed them to instinctually find each other. Heâd become sure it existed after observing the Pauls, and sure enough, Shino Rendu didnât really need to ask where Lee Shin Woo wanted him to go, because he was able to figure out where they were.
[There are quite a lot of them.]
âItâll just get bigger from now on.â
[âŚWhat do you wish for?]
âThe purification of the Empire.â
[Like the heroes.]
ââŚPerhaps.â
Lately, he thought of something else, aside from just the purification of the Empire, but didnât say it out loud. Even he himself thought it was unreasonable, so the moment he spoke it out loud, he felt like heâd just be ridiculing himself.
âAre you ok with just that?â
[I originally fought with my fists. There were times where I fought with a greatsword as wellâŚ]
Fists and greatswords; those two definitely fit his image of Shino Rendu. Moreover, that fist. He shouldnât have needed another weapon aside from that fist.
[Moreover, the moment I was reborn as an Avenger, all the karma within my inventory disappeared and was transformed into this armor⌠Because of that, Iâll be able to better use my authority.]
âHuh?â
Lee Shin Woo tilted his head, and Shino Rendu seemingly knew that he wouldnât be able to understand what he meant by his inventory disappearing, so he explained starting there.
[The inventory is exclusive to heroes. Itâs like a subspace storage house⌠I became unable to use my inventory when I became an undead, and all of the karma within my inventory turned into this armor. All my accumulated Perium thus far⌠the bones I hadnât sold⌠equipment⌠everything.]
âHuhâŚ!?â
Lee Shin Woo momentarily couldnât believe his ears. However, he soon shuddered as he realized that he didnât even have any ears.
He didnât hear wrong. Shino Rendu was saying not only were bones used in the formation of his armor, but also all the karma he possessed!
âWas that always possible?â
Well, it probably was always possible. Didnât the shop owner, Pleine tell him before? That it wasnât possible for Lee Shin Woo to change Perium into a different type of karma at this point in time. That meant that it was possible to change the karma into a different form so long as one had the ability to do so!
[Itâs strange for me as well. It seems like it wasnât something normal.]
âIt was the moment your karma changed from being a simple zombie to an Avenger, so I donât think itâs that weird.â
[âŚIndeed. If you think about it that way, itâs not hard to understand.]
Seeing Shino Rendu calmly nod his head at his words, Lee Shin Woo pledged that he would examine every type of karma he acquired from now on.
Especially Perium! Since there werenât any bones he could buy at the secret shop anymore, he might be able to create something more effective than just weapons or skill books!
[Then, Iâll get going immediately.]
âI already told you, but try to avoid heroes as best you can. They wonât believe that youâre Shino Rendu.â
[Iâll keep that in mind.]
It looked like he didnât understand based on his expression, but so long as it was a direct order from Lee Shin Woo, he had no choice but to obey.
That was also the reason he formed a master-servant contract with him. In this world, contracts were absolute! He was probably the one most informed about contracts amongst his fellow heroes.
âGood. He left.â
âAh. In the end, another Paul was created.â
When Jin could no longer see Shino at all, he opened his mouth.
It wasnât like he was really trying to hide his identity. Itâs just that conversing with the undead was kind of awkward. Plus, he was an undead that was originally a hero! Talk is cheap; one wouldnât even think of talking with the undead, unless they were Lee Shin Woo that is.
âAre you going to do that for every undead hero we meet from now on?â
âThat sounds interesting, but Iâm not sure I can do that every time.â
Lee Shin Woo still wasnât very sure as to how he made Shino Rendu into his subordinate. If he met one or two more undead heroes, he should be able to figure out how he did it.
He shrugged his shoulders and changed the subject.
âShino Rendu definitely said that once they figured out he was a hero, one of the 12 generals was summoned here, right?â
âStill, itâs a relief that the men brought by one of the 12 generals were taken care of.â
ââŚIt feels kind of disappointing to leave like this, so letâs take a lap around the city.â
Unfortunately, this city, which had been trampled by Metafelâs troops, left nothing to do or explore as it was all ruined.
Lee Shin Woo got on top of Jin and took a lap around the city; Lee Shin Woo searched the surrounding area with mana, which was an ability that level 5s couldnât possibly have. But even with his senses, he couldnât find anything of note. No matter what they did, they couldnât figure out how the troops contacted Metafel.
âThe sewers⌠are just regular sewers. Indeed, it doesnât seem like the right place for Anti-Skull to hide.â
âItâs possible that they awakened on their own without needing us, and joined up with Anti-Skull.â
âThatâs probably what they did, but still, I wanted to find those traces and follow them to Anti-Skullâs headquarters.â
âHeadquarters, huhâŚâ
Lee Shin Woo had been given a quest where he had to find an executive from Anti-Skull. Of course, he would eventually be able to clear the quest as time passed, but if given the chance, Lee Shin Woo thought it wouldnât be so bad to search for them and find them on his own.
The faster he found them, the better his plan would play out.
ââŚPlan? What plan?â
âWhat are you talking about all of a sudden?â
Lee Shin Woo reprimanded him, as it seemed as though Jin didnât know about his plan.
âThereâs an organization thatâs resisting the Emperor amongst his troops. Theyâd be useful; thereâs nobody better. You didnât know that this quest was given to me as a hint that I should use Anti-Skull?â
âThatâs what it meant!?â
âOh, so you didnât know about it.â
Lee Shin Woo softly patted Jinâs neck, as if saying that he should work harder. That really pissed off Jin, and consequently began to shake his body like a rodeo; but because Lee Shin Woo was so familiar with this ârodeoâ, like he was a cowboy, he didnât drop from Jinâs back. Ultimately, Jin could do nothing but accept his defeat.
âItâs an organization thatâs involved with one of the 12 generals, Seagald. Thereâs a lot we could get from them.â
âYouâre⌠Youâre always looking so far into the future.â
âAlright. Now that you mention it, letâs start moving actively, now shall we?â
This was their first time entering a danger level 3 zone, but it was still the same as usual. There were still plenty of sewers that they hadnât cleared within the level 2 danger zones (though they had cleared most of the sewers in the level 1 danger zones)!
There should still be several Pauls waiting to be rescued, and before he earnestly moved on to the level 3 danger zones, he planned to finish saving them all (a.k.a. brainwash them). If he could, he would level up in the process.
âWhat about undead heroes?â
âAside from Shino Rendu, most of them are beyond the level 3 danger zones⌠Of course, there are some in the level 1 or 2 danger zones as well, so Iâm planning to do both at the same time.â
âItâd be quite the sight to see if you made all of them your subordinates and put them all in one place.â
Jin recalled Shino Rendu bowing his head before Lee Shin Woo and snickered, finding it laughable. Lee Shin Woo sighed and shook his head.
âEven I think youâre getting out of hand, so letâs leave it at that. And it makes me feel ticklish when you laugh like that, so stop.â
âWhat?â
Once they were finished with their very short break (if one can consider entering a level 3 danger zone and fighting a level 6 undead hero a break), they went back to the danger level 2 zones. With Jinâs remarkable speed, as well as sometimes using the golem train, they began to go around to every city in the Empire.
âWhat about dungeons?â
âAh⌠I donât think those will really be helpful to me, so Iâll leave them be. I have to leave something for my future juniors.â
âWhen were you so considerate of your juniorsâŚâ
Of course, there werenât as many hidden facilities in the level 2 danger zones as there were in the outskirts of the Empire. However, if they found one, they would find a considerable amount of Pauls that hadnât awakened yet.
[Pauls 118 â 150 will only follow your commands, Paul Zero!]
[Weâre not Anti-Skull, but weâll try to become even greater than them!]
âOh⌠R-Right.â
After Lee Shin Woo labored in vain a few times, he gained 33 level 4 Doom Factors as subordinates, and realized that this entire region was an endless gold mine. As expected, the higher the danger zone, the higher quality the Pauls would be!
[Paul Zero!]
[Paul Zero! Paul Zero!]
He moved around busily, searching the level 2 danger zone cities; the more he searched the sewers where these Anti-Skull hidden facilities were located, the more materials he gained. Anti-Skullâs history, their test methods, as well as the location of each hidden facility!
The chance of finding nothing lessened, and he was able to easily find the most hidden of facilities, as well as exponentially increasing the amount of Pauls.
[How can this be⌠This man must be a hero sent by God to purify the Empire!]
âSomebody already said that before.â
[I was touched by your iron will. Why⌠Why did we cower within this dark storage house!?]
âProbably because thereâs a giant level 5 poisonous snake lurking outside.â
Of course, there werenât a lot of monsters that could threaten Lee Shin Woo and Jin in the level 2 danger zones. Because Lee Shin Woo and Jin had to split the bones they absorbed, their rate of progression had gotten a bit slow.
However, Lee Shin Woo trained his skills at every moment, without wasting even a second of his time, which allowed him to progress forward.
[Paul Zero, thatâs too much for us!]
âTch. Watch and learn. Paul 807.â
[How can this be⌠ThatâsâŚ]
[Lightning. Itâs lightning. Lightning just came from the skyâŚ!]
Gradually and precisely. It was less than during the time of his explosive growth, but nevertheless, everything he had absorbed and learned thus far gradually connected and fused together; they harmonized, reforming his abilities once more.
âYour⌠Your name isâŚ!â
[Iâm⌠Iâm⌠Keuk, Kuhaaaaaaaahk!]
âTch. As I thought, it doesnât work on all of them.â
âHow unfortunate.â
âI donât know who you are or when you came from, but⌠rest in peace, Senior.â
[You have acquired 2 permits to Godâs secret shop, and 1,275,910 Perium.]
[You have brought peace to a comrade who had gone past the point of no return. You have satisfied a portion of the questâs conditions, and have acquired 1 additional permit to Godâs secret shop. The maximum level of Invisible Heart increases by 1.]
Perhaps he needed an opportunity like this before. When constructing a tower, doesnât one always have to worry about the foundation?
Because Lee Shin Woo had only been fighting against higher leveled foes, he was only accustomed to irregularity; in the process of killing monsters weaker than him or possessing similar abilities to him, he was able to train his abilities from the ground up and further strengthen them.
[Silene Viesa â Itâs been a long time, Senior!]
[Lee Shin Woo â Oh, itâs a relief that youâre ok.]
[Prince Altania â You act like he has the highest seniority around here.]
[Silene Viesa â At the very least, I feel as though Senior Shin Woo is more experienced than you, Senior Altania.]
[Prince Altania â What did you say!? By the way, why are you calling me by my last name when youâre calling him by hisâŚ]
[Ye Jin Jin â Please congratulate me. Iâve finally reached level 5!]
[Lee Shin Woo â Oh, that was really fast. Congratulations.]
[Ye Jin Jin â HeheâŚ]
[Erian Ruparte â Ha⌠It really does sound like Shin Woo is more experienced than Ye Jin Jin.]
[Prince Altania â Iâve had enough of this. You guys are just outright ignoring me now!]
After parting ways with the now undead Shino Rendu, they had been on the road for 2 months going through the level 2 danger zones; it had only been half a year since Lee Shin Woo had come to the Underground Empire.
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In the meantime, Ye Jin Jin had become level 5, and another extremely talented newbie entered in after Kratia. None of the other heroes had died, and were enduring in this dangerous Empire. It was truly awkward to say that living in this awful environment that was an empire of undead was everyday life, but the other heroes were all leisurely growing.
AndâŚ
[The Intermediate Combat Sense skill has become Lv7. Agility has increased by 5.]
[Your stats have surpassed 3,200. Your preparations are slightly, no, largely, perhaps even unbelievably perfect. It seems disrespectful to even ask if you are ready to accept your karma. Would you like to accept your karma?]