The Second Life of a Legendary Necromancer

Chapter 55: Hidden Class Killer (1)

I used Elgeni’s [Complete Attribute Imbuement] on Yeonwol and the undead’s equipment.

Of course, the level of this imbuement is vastly different from an ordinary one.

Due to Elgeni’s low skill proficiency and techniques that are inferior compared to the future, the effects are slightly reduced without Yeonwol’s assistance.

Conversely, when combined with Yeonwol’s alchemy, the power significantly increases, enabling Yeonwol to receive an intermediate-level attribute imbuement even though it is currently at the ‘lower’ level.

Grade: Epic

Attack power increases by 56~65%

Strength +12, Agility +15, Stamina +8

As a result, a monstrous weapon was created, unthinkable for a weapon with only a level 112 restriction.

When combining alchemy-based enhancement methods with attribute imbuement, the attack power skyrocketed to an insane level!

However, combat power did not increase significantly.

If a high-level player with high skill proficiency wielded this weapon, their combat power would rise tremendously.

But there is a clear limit if the user’s innate strength is weak.

Since the attack power increases by a percentage based on the player’s own attack power, the weapon cannot exhibit its full potential if the user’s abilities are insufficient.

Currently, Yeonwol’s level is 136, and his combat power is 190.

Eltis, Aldein, and Velinessa also enhanced their weapons and imbued attributes, leading to significant combat power increases.

Although Cooling and Mad did not yet possess specialized equipment, they were originally monsters, so their natural prowess was unmatched among the undead.

Equipped with newly customized gear, Yeonwol arrived at the ‘Bruised Spore Forest.’

Gazing at the forest filled with violet mist, Aldein raised his bow and scanned the surroundings before speaking.

-This is a gloomy forest.

“You’re gloomier.”

-There are no signs of living creatures. However, I can sense strong hostility from the trees.

“That’s right. We’re planning to hunt Poison Ents.”

Poison Ents—one of the least popular hunting targets.

There are various reasons, but primarily due to the forest being filled with poisonous violet toxins.

[Exposed to Poison Mist, HP gradually decreases.]

Who would want to hunt in a forest where HP continuously decreases, regardless of the prey’s efficiency or rewards?

But Yeonwol knew the solution.

The answer was to carry a torch.

“Velinessa, ignite the flame.”

-Yes, sir!

Velinessa, adorned with numerous expensive ornaments, was already decked out more lavishly than her master, Yeonwol.

Equipping Velinessa with luxurious accessories had further increased her loyalty.

As a flame circled above Yeonwol’s head, a message appeared.

[The Poison Mist is neutralized by the flame and its effects are nullified.]

The undead’s pinnacle species, the ‘Resurrected White Spirit,’ inherently possessed strong ‘poison resistance,’ making torches unnecessary.

In other words, this forest was an ideal hunting ground designed specifically for Yeonwol.

“Let’s begin.”

Upon stepping deeper into the forest, three Poison Ents emerged.

[Lv. 188 Poison Ent]

Known as tree giants, Ents stood over 3 meters tall and were terrifying monsters in the dark forest, but to Yeonwol, they looked like mere firewood.

-Grrrr!!

One Ent extended its arm, causing branches to elongate and lunge toward Eltis.

However, before the attack reached Eltis, Aldein’s arrows struck the Ent’s head repeatedly.

Thunk! Thunk!

As the powerful arrows pierced through, the Ent’s body hesitated and staggered backward.

‘This is the advantage of archers. Skilled archers can even cancel a monster’s attack patterns from a distance.’

Fwoosh!

-A Flame Curtain!

Velinessa then summoned a wall of fire at the front, and arrows passing through the fiery curtain ignited, dealing additional damage.

While Aldein blocked ranged attacks, Eltis used defensive skills to hold off the close-approaching Ents.

Meanwhile, Yeonwol froze the enemies’ movements with [Frost Wave] and inflicted extra damage.

Quietly chanting a spell, Velinessa completed her casting.

-A Pillar of Flame!

A fiery circle formed beneath the three Ents’ feet and erupted upward.

Whoosh!!

The Ents caught fire, and their HP rapidly decreased.

Without Yeonwol needing to draw his sword, Velinessa’s magic alone brought them to the brink of death.

[You have hunted enemies despite an overwhelming level difference!]

Even though Yeonwol simply stood with his arms crossed, he defeated three level-188 monsters in an instant.

‘This is the result of my effort.’

Who else could have grown so much in less than a year, now able to hunt level-188 monsters effortlessly?

While the hunting speed was exceptionally fast, and the experience points were monopolized, the XP gain wasn’t as satisfying.

Compared to other parties, Yeonwol’s rate of experience gain was still remarkably fast, but his ambition knew no bounds.

“Aldein.”

-Master, your orders?

“Lure in five at a time.”

-As you command.

Nodding, Aldein leapt onto a tree and began shooting arrows in all directions, precisely drawing five Poison Ents toward them.

‘Archers are truly the best at controlling the number of monsters.’

Previously, Mad would haphazardly round up monsters, resulting in random numbers.

At times, there were too many, forcing retreat and delays in hunting. That was no longer an issue.

‘This is convenient.’

Even though there was no need, Yeonwol joined the fight to raise his swordsmanship mastery.

Standing at the forefront, he deliberately endured attacks to enhance his resistance to physical and poison damage while increasing his swordsmanship proficiency.

After two consecutive days of hunting, Yeonwol’s level rapidly reached 140.

However, his combat power did not increase.

This was the so-called combat power ‘cap.’

For ordinary players, leveling up and upgrading weapons would cause combat power to increase dramatically.

But for Yeonwol, whose basic stats were already exceptional, it didn’t rise as easily.

‘I should head to the intermediate swordsmanship test soon.’

What Yeonwol lacked, despite his sufficient weapons and stats, were two things:

Skill proficiency and his relatively low level.

‘Intermediate tests can be passed even at around level 150.’

Resolving himself, Yeonwol gripped the Blue Wave Blade and approached an Ent.

‘I’ll maximize my proficiency with the Blue Wave Ascension Blade. I should also utilize skills I haven’t used much yet.’

Yeonwol took a deep breath.

[Sun and Moon Circulation]

A type of swordsmanship technique.

It significantly reduces the MP consumption of swordsmanship skills and slightly increases MP recovery when holding a sword.

It is the most decisive skill to distinguish between those who use swords as auxiliary weapons and those who train in the sword as their primary discipline.

Thanks to acquiring this Sun and Moon Circulation, hunting efficiency had been exceptionally high so far.

There’s one fact most players still don’t know—this technique is a passive skill that activates simply by breathing.

However, focusing and chanting the specific incantations of the technique while synchronizing the breathing rhythm enhances its effects.

In his past life, Yeonwol didn’t have access to this technique and thus rarely utilized it, but now he felt its significance.

[Flat Ripple Step]

Splash!

As Yeonwol leaped sideways, stepping on the dirt floor, it sounded like he was treading on water.

-Oh! Master’s movement technique is impressive…!

It was as if he had jumped on the moon, floating mid-air, then gracefully landed while moving softly.

The Poison Ents couldn’t keep up with his smooth, seemingly gravity-defying movements and fired branches into empty space.

A brief opening was created, and Yeonwol took advantage of it to activate a skill.

[Sky Thunder Flash]

Switching from a soft, slow movement pattern, Yeonwol suddenly used teleportation to widen the distance from his enemies.

The sudden change in speed caught them off guard.

In an instant, Yeonwol closed the gap and unleashed his most powerful attack skill.

[Tempest Barrage]

A rapid combo attack that bombards a 2-meter radius with a flurry of aura blades!

The seven consecutive slashes inflicted severe wounds across the Ent’s entire body.

‘The most powerful move is the First Strike Supremacy, but it only works when the opponent’s HP is above 95%.’

While Tempest Barrage wasn’t as strong as First Strike Supremacy, it delivered consistent high DPS regardless of when it was used.

Perhaps because the skill was used against a monster 48 levels higher, its proficiency rose tremendously.

[You overcame an overwhelming level difference and defeated the enemy!]

One or two Ents were now easy for Yeonwol to handle alone without the undead.

Realizing this, Yeonwol turned to his undead companions and spoke.

“You all, hunt on your own.”

One of Necromaster’s overpowered traits was that even if the undead hunted separately, all the experience points still went to him!

Summoners had to rely on their fragile selves, casting small-scale spells tirelessly, just to gain a fraction of the experience their summons earned.

Leveling up was a grueling task for them.

But Yeonwol faced no such penalty.

“Maintain a 50-meter radius from me. That’s how far the XP can reach.”

-Understood, Master!

-But Master, will you be okay without my flame?

As Velinessa rolled a flame orb on her palm, Yeonwol stashed his alchemy kit in his left hand and picked up a torch.

“It’s a bit inconvenient, but it’ll do.”

Since there were no undead around, there was no need to carry the alchemy kit.

The alchemy kit enhanced the undead’s effectiveness and was essential for their recovery using necromantic transmutation.

However, if the undead were off hunting independently, carrying it was unnecessary.

-…Master, I’m sensing a strange gaze.

“A gaze?”

Yeonwol didn’t feel anything.

‘Hmm, I really need to master skills related to sixth sense.’

Last time, when Aldein ambushed him, he narrowly avoided a fatal blow.

Had it not been for his past life’s experience in sensing bloodlust, he might have died instantly.

‘If an assassin with a higher Stealth skill conceals their killing intent, I’d have no way of knowing.’

Just like now.

“Whoever it is, their ability to conceal killing intent is impressive… I didn’t sense a thing.”

It was fortunate that Aldein’s sixth sense was sharp.

-However, it seems their hidden presence is slipping slightly, as if under attack…

As Aldein finished speaking, someone fell from a tree.

“Cough, gurgle, ack!”

A pale face.

Violet-tinted complexion.

Grasping his neck and writhing on the ground, the figure looked far too pathetic to be an assassin.

“Help…me…!”

-Master, is this someone you know?

“….”

It was a familiar face, but not someone he personally knew.

‘A journalist, Karmels, huh? No wonder I didn’t feel any killing intent.’

Karmels hadn’t concealed his intent perfectly; he had no intention of attacking in the first place.

‘Karmels’ Stealth is infamous for being troublesome.’

Even top-ranked players struggled to detect him and spent considerable effort devising countermeasures.

Known by the nickname “Ranker Dispatch,” Karmels was a hot topic in the community.

But here, in this poison-filled forest, he seemed utterly unprepared.

“Leave him. He’s a nuisance.”

-Understood.

Shortly after, Karmels succumbed to the poison, and Yeonwol left the scene without a second thought.

There was no one else who could survive the forest’s toxins except Yeonwol, so he wouldn’t be bothered for a while.

“…What an annoying forest.”

Meanwhile, Karmels wasn’t the only one struggling in the toxic forest while trying to pursue Yeonwol.

The Hidden Class Killer, Rudrick, was also having a hard time.

Rudrick had a unique ability that allowed him to steal skills from Hidden Class users by hunting them once a month.

‘The cooldown has long reset, and I’m wasting time.’

Normally, he would immediately target his next prey as soon as the cooldown ended.

But now, his skill had been idle for days.

‘Letting the cooldown go to waste feels like such a loss. But finding another target is a hassle too…’

Unable to enter the forest, Rudrick anxiously paced at its entrance.

Chewing his nails nervously, he used the [Primal] skill from a tree to observe the forest interior.

Yeonwol had already ventured deep into the forest and left no trace.

‘He must have figured out how to resist the toxins. Even so, to endure so long in a forest with level-190 monsters…’

Yeonwol’s level was still far below 190.

‘I don’t know what method he’s using, but it’s irrelevant to my ability.’

Rudrick’s level had already surpassed 200, and he could effortlessly hunt rankers stronger than himself.

As an assassin, he specialized in ambush tactics, rendering level differences meaningless.

‘The moment he emerges…’

He could strike instantly and slit Yeonwol’s throat!

Every passing day felt like a loss. His impatience grew, gnawing at his nails irritably.

From below the cliff where his tree stood, the voices of women drifted up.

“Song Yeon-Ju! You ran off alone again! How many times must I tell you!”

Flinch. Rudrick’s eyes sharpened menacingly.

‘Song Yeon-Ju? Did they say Song Yeon-Ju?’

Could it be the famous Swordsmanship Prodigy, Song Yeon-Ju?

Quickly repositioning himself to see below, Rudrick spotted Song Yeon-Ju wiping blood off her sword.

Dressed in modest yet form-fitting light armor and tights, she revealed her elegant figure.

‘…Impressive, as the rumors say.’

For a moment, Rudrick lost sight of his purpose, his gaze fixed on her.

Song Yeon-Ju, wiping off blood and sweat, was stunningly beautiful.

When she shook off the sweat from her flowing silver hair, Rudrick’s heart sank.

Regaining his composure moments later, Rudrick smirked and retreated into the shadows.

‘I’ll need to change my target!’