Chapter 200

Chapter 200

Wurgen was 114 years old this year. However, while his old age was a factor, the main reason he wasn’t able to reproduce anymore was his transformation into a skeleton that was devoid of any flesh during the moment he became a Perfect One.

Yet that problem had been solved with a technique he had researched previously: Soul Reproduction.

“Compared to the genetic waste that is often produced from flesh, the soul is perfect for reproduction. And the efficiency is incomparable.”

Unlike typical reproduction, which had many steps, Soul Reproduction was completed after taking a portion of two people’s souls, combining them, and placing the result in a specially-made incubator. Then, in about a month, a fully grown fetus would emerge, which was about a ninth of the usual gestation period.

“Furthermore, since the baby is the result of a fusion of two souls, its gender is irrelevant. No matter what, it will have outstanding physical abilities and strongly inherit the talents of both souls. It’s superior to ordinary reproduction in every way.”

From the perspective of someone wanting to create a child, or rather a successor, whose purpose was to inherit their parent’s abilities, Soul Reproduction was the perfect choice.

“So, why not try it?”

And that was the reason the insane skull in front of him was casually suggesting it.

“No, thank you.”

“...I don't understand.”

Wurgen looked at Se-Hoon, truly unable to understand the rejection.

“Haven’t you ever wished for the optimal assistant who could help with your work?”

“...I have.”

“But there’s no one capable enough around you, no?”

“That's... also true.”

“Then wouldn't it be better to create one yourself?”

“...”

The entire time, Wurgen spoke matter-of-factly, as if he were guiding one to create an in-game character.

But despite the clear reasoning, Se-Hoon hesitated to answer.

“...Can I be honest with you?”

“Go ahead.”

“Your method just feels disgusting and creepy.”

“Oh...”

Contemplating, Wurgen looked at Se-Hoon with interest rather than displeasure at the blunt response. After a moment, he accepted Se-Hoon’s opinion willingly.

“Well, if you don’t like the idea then there is nothing I can do. I won't suggest it further.”

“Thank you.”

“But remember, if you hand over a subpar finger bone, I'll be forcibly taking your soul, so you better do a good job. Do you understand?”

Indicating his seriousness, black mana oozed out of his skull and put Se-Hoon under immense pressure. Yet Se-Hoon’s expression remained unchanged as he nodded.

“Understood.”

“...How dull. Go on, then.”

“I'll see you tomorrow.”

Bowing, Se-Hoon turned and left, leaving Wurgen alone in his office. And upon seeing Se-Hoon exit the building, Wurgen narrowed his eyes.

“He doesn't seem like the type to be moralistic...”

He hadn’t thought Se-Hoon would unhesitantly refuse the opportunity to perform Soul Reproduction with a Perfect One. So now, Wurgen, who originally thought Se-Hoon was like him, had to revise his evaluation of Se-Hoon.

He's a bit soft.

He had considered taking Se-Hoon as a disciple, but with that disposition, he believed Se-Hoon would likely falter at critical moments. And since that was the case, he decided to end the training lessons after just some basic instructions.

With that decided, Wurgen recalled the Nimbus Steel Se-Hoon had shown him earlier.

That material wasn't bad.

He wondered how Se-Hoon would infuse it with the power of Boundaries. There were many methods he could think of, but they all seemed impossible for Se-Hoon currently.

This is turning out to be more intriguing than I thought.

Falling into deep thought, Wurgen began pondering what kind of equipment Se-Hoon would forge and what training he should give him tomorrow. Soon, the blue lights in his eye sockets gradually dimmed, and the room fell silent as if he were asleep.

The dozens of screens around him continued to glow endlessly.

***

The next morning, Se-Hoon checked his body and memory more meticulously than usual upon waking up. In this unfamiliar place, he couldn't predict what kind of tricks Wurgen might play under the guise of training.

Well, he'd probably just throw me straight into the Netherworld instead of bothering to tamper with my memory.

A while passed and he finally confirmed there were no problems. With that done, he got up and looked around the bedroom. The luxurious room in a suite at the UD Group's top-tier hotel had been arranged by Wurgen for his accommodation. It had a large bed that could easily accommodate four people and a panoramic view of the city from the window.

I’m guessing this entire area is owned by them, not just this building.

It was more than likely that the entire city was under Wurgen's economic and physical control. It was like Babel, though smaller in scale, making it still a safe place.

Eun-Ha is right next door, too.

If the Ten Evils launched an attack, with such security in place, they would likely find that they had become the target instead. Chuckling at the thought, Se-Hoon took a light shower, changed clothes, and walked into the living room.

Dressed impeccably in a suit, Eun-Ha was already sitting on the sofa.

“You’re quite adept at defining a boundary. I guess there’s no need to teach you that.”

At Wurgen's nonchalant voice coming from the eye, Se-Hoon looked up at him.

“Are we starting the lesson right away?”

“Can't you tell by looking? Stop asking such stupid questions. It’s annoying to answer them.”

“...”

It was obviously absurd to abruptly throw someone into the Netherworld and then tell them not to ask questions, but since Wurgen was the teacher and had the upper hand, Se-Hoon kept his complaints to himself and just listened.

“After pondering for ten minutes yesterday, I decided to teach you the characteristics of the Netherworld.”

“The characteristics of the Netherworld...”

“They can be divided into three major aspects: soul storage, infinite-darkness, and reality-connection.”

Wurgen’s eye then glanced to one side, where a semi-transparent gaseous form appeared.

“The souls of the dead naturally mix within the darkness of the Netherworld, meaning in a sense, we can consider this darkness itself to be a form of soul."

Surprised by Wurgen’s explanation, Se-Hoon took another look around him. He had thought for a while that the darkness mana here felt a little bit different from other elemental manas, but he hadn’t expected it to be because it contained mingled souls.

Ah, so that's why I couldn't see souls in the Netherworld...

This enigmatic aspect of the Netherworld he hadn’t known intrigued Se-Hoon.

While continuing to observe the surroundings with interest, Se-Hoon made sure to listen when Wurgen resumed his explanation.

“And the darkness of the Netherworld, which is mixed with souls, contains an almost limitless amount of darkness mana. That's what allows necromancers to maintain large armies of undead.”

As necromancers advanced in rank, the number of undead they could control increased exponentially. At A-rank, a necromancer could handle up to thousands of undead at once. In return, the quality of control diminished with the increasing number of summons, but it was still an extraordinary ability compared to typical summoners.

So they can draw power from the Netherworld's infinite pool of darkness mana...

At the revelation, Se-Hoon began considering whether he could incorporate the infinite darkness mana into the new piece of equipment he was developing. He stared at the Netherworld’s darkness, lost in thought.

Meanwhile, Wurgen shifted his gaze.

“Moreover, since the Netherworld is a shadow of the real world, it’s interconnected to it. That makes it possible to do things like this if one can properly control the boundary.”

Rumble!

The darkness around them rippled, and soon a massive skyscraper rose skyward, mirroring the building they were just in.

At the life-sized replica of the UD Group’s headquarters, recreated in the Netherworld, Se-Hoon’s jaw dropped in astonishment.

“Did you create this just now using the power of Boundaries?”

“Yes. By tuning the boundary between the Netherworld and the surface world, I can make it so that they influence each other.”

Se-Hoon processed Wurgen's explanation.

“Then is it possible to maintain such a space permanently in the Netherworld?”

“Yes. Typically, necromancers create their own spaces in the Netherworld to store the undead. However, maintaining such large spaces requires auxiliary devices.”

“Auxiliary devices...”

With the new information he had learned, Se-Hoon began to mentally revise the blueprints he had drawn up. Noticing, Wurgen waited for a bit before continuing. “That's enough explanation for now. It's better to experience the rest firsthand.”

Whoosh!

A small circle formed in the air, opening up like a lid. Then, from it, something white spilled onto the boundary line Se-Hoon had drawn.

“...Bones?”

“These are assembly skeleton bones that are commonly sold on the market. Your task is to create an undead using these bones and then climb to the top of the building with them. That’s today's lesson.”

“...”

Se-Hoon made a complex expression. While he forged similar things before, he had never created an undead.

And asking me to climb all the way to the top...

The UD Group’s headquarters was about nine hundred meters tall. Wurgen, being who he was, likely hadn't made the inside easy to navigate either.

As Se-Hoon’s thoughts churned at the challenging conditions, Wurgen added something, seemingly having anticipated Se-Hoon’s reaction.

“Well, considering you've never created an undead before, it would be challenging. And the building is quite high.”

“Yes, indeed—”

“So, I’ve prepared something for you.”

Woong!

In the distance, a huge line was drawn in the darkness, slowly opening to form a gate shape. Within it, there were an uncountable number of undead soldiers.

At the sight, Se-Hoon stared in a daze before turning to Wurgen with an awkward expression.

“...You want me to learn from watching?”

Unfortunately, Wurgen's eye curled into a crescent shape.

“If you don't want to die, you better start making one quickly.”

Rumble!

The undead army inside the gate began to rush towards Se-Hoon at a frantic pace.