The Youngest Prince Copies Skills with Skeleton Soldiers

Chapter 09 - There is No Paradise in the Place You Fled To

In the hall, though there was no sea of blood, there was a mountain of corpses.

The only living being with a beating heart sat cross-legged.

The mock combat in the hall had ended long ago.

The result.

[This is the highest record measured in the hall.]

[You have surpassed the previous highest record, which belonged to the ‘Fourth Son’.]

[Acquiring additional traits related to Bone Sorcery skills.]

──「Strong Bone」──

[Effect]

: The bones of your skeleton soldiers become 20% harder.

: Even if the bones of your skeleton soldiers are broken, they will mend 20% faster.

: The strength of your skeleton soldiers increases by 20%.

──────────

After having fun wearing the undead private soldiers I had personally brought from Dusk Citadel, the mountain of corpses piled up in an instant.

As white bones piled up and the flesh stuck to them piled up, the inside of the hall resembled a scene from hell.

But the one seated in the center was calm and peaceful.

If there was anything uncomfortable, it was the limit of the body itself, which was felt as the difficulty increased.

‘It’s obvious, but my inner foundation is not built at all.’

There were regrets that came every time I used sorcery.

I could do it a little faster.

I could do it with a little less fuel.

The efficiency could be better.

All these regrets were due to the absence of an inner foundation.

‘In The Five Families, strengthening the body came automatically with the inner foundation, but I have to do this part myself.’

I was confident.

The basis for that confidence came from my body.

The body, through which the blood of a vampire flowed, was at a level that was unbelievable for a 10-year-old.

Muscular strength, cardiopulmonary endurance, physical senses.

The growth of the body itself was at a crazy level, and if I added my own training, the synergistic effect would be tremendous.

‘Then is the problem the inner foundation of my constitution?’

The four great families that a player could choose in the game each had different growth methods.

For example, the pure magicians of the West created an additional ‘core’ inside their bodies.

By creating another mana storage just for using magic, like a hybrid, they extremely increased energy efficiency.

Furthermore, they wrapped the core with a circle responsible for output, turning the engine into a 12-cylinder one.

But for the sorcerers of Millesdusk, that was an absurd story.

‘A sorcerer has to handle a large number of undead, so their mana consumption is enormous compared to a pure magician. Therefore, a high-output engine like a core is not suitable.’

Then how do sorcerers become stronger?

The answer lay in mana itself.

‘Mana must be abundant. A large amount of mana and a fast mana recovery rate are the virtues of Millesdusk sorcerers.’

As long as there was enough mana.

A sorcerer was someone who could fight even with the bones from a bone broth soup.

That was why an inner foundation was needed.

In order to increase the amount of mana and improve the constitution related to the recovery rate, one had to consume an immense amount of ‘elixirs’.

Elixirs, made by combining materials dropped by monsters, improved various constitutions depending on the combination formula.

It could be mana capacity, absorption rate, or recovery rate.

Also, with elixirs, one had to touch the soul to increase resistance to the negative energy of spirits, and poison magic sorcerers had to create a poison core inside.

When it came to poison, there was no end to it, from resistance to combination formulas.

Each and every one of these was the inner foundation, and the inner foundation made a god-tier character.

‘Hunting monsters directly and combining is for later. There’s a standard route for the early game.’

Here, the standard was ‘financial power’.

Elixirs? How much? I’ll buy them all with money. - I had to become a wallet warrior.

‘That too was something I was supposed to do after clearing my mother’s side quests and getting funds. But those people are not my mom now.’

My mom’s card was blocked.

The mother of the body I was currently possessing was probably enjoying wine under the moonlight.

Meaning I could not reach her at all right now.

But it was by no means that there was no way.

Rather, I was lost in too many paths.

Now that I was inside the monitor, not outside.

The degree of freedom was soaring without knowing the sky was the limit, rising endlessly.

‘Just because I’m in the Millesdusk faction doesn’t mean I have to get stronger in the Millesdusk way. I’ve played all the factions.’

My eyes flashed open.

I threw off the shirt I was wearing.

Skin as white as jade and without a single blemish was revealed.

It wasn't a game where you could live long just because your skin was clean, but this skin was not just any skin.

“It’s the skin that inherited the blood of a Vampire Queen, with crazy regenerative power.”

Haa.

I sighed as I spoke.

“This is something you’re supposed to do to a magic golem, but to think I have to do it on my own skin.”

I put down my sunglasses and reviewed the theory.

Buffing magic circles engraved on the outer shell of a golem for enhancement.

Furthermore, among the buffing magic circles, there was one that had the effect of increasing mana recovery rate.

Of course, that was also a non-mainstream method.

“For heavy things like golems, it’s not efficient to engrave it all over their bodies, so they don’t do it, but if I engrave it all over my body now.”

Even if the amount of mana I had didn't increase, it would recover as soon as I used it.

As long as I didn’t use a decent amount at once, it would theoretically be close to infinite.

Of course, I couldn't rely on theory in reality, but the results would be worth seeing.

“While I’m engraving the magic circle, I’ll have to divert all my remaining mana to regeneration. Since it’s a process where my flesh will be torn apart in real time.”

It couldn't not hurt.

To make it less painful, I would need to invest a lot in regeneration.

But that meant the magic circle would be engraved more slowly, and it meant an extension of the work.

“It won’t be finished in a day.”

So what.

There was plenty of time.

There were still ten days left until that merchant arrived.

“Should I just do my forearm today?”

I said it lightly.

But the work was by no means light.

“……!”

As soon as I moved my mana, my teeth clenched on their own.

My upper and lower jaws met as if there was no more space.

And yet, I must never lose my consciousness.

In my head, I had to constantly think of the intended magic circle and somehow open my mouth to chant endlessly.

My mouth, my mind, my mana, none of them could be left idle.

Sizzzzzzle─

The smell of cooking meat brushed under my nose.

But the fact that it could remain just a smell was purely thanks to the regenerative power of a vampire half-blood.

The regenerative power that could reattach a severed arm immediately healed the cells destroyed while engraving the magic circle.

The pain of burning and the relief of the fire subsiding.

The two continued their twisted meeting on my forearm.

Nevertheless, everything has an end.

“Haa…. Haa….”

My mana ran out before the magic circle was complete.

Even though I was born a half-blood and had more than others.

I couldn't complete one forearm in one go.

“Still, within ten days, I should be able to finish it somehow.”

I swept back my bangs, wet as if from rain, and looked down at my forearm.

Although the magic circle was incomplete, the effort was not lost.

I would be able to continue as soon as my mana recovered.

And as each magic circle was completed, my mana recovery rate would also grow one step at a time.

The speed of the work would surely increase gradually.

So while my mana was recovering, I should rest….

“…I guess not.”

When I got my clothes and came out of the hall, Mirea was waiting.

It was certainly not for protection, and definitely not to return together.

Because in the Pantheon, there was a separate path for the blood members.

So the reason the intelligence agent and head maid had come all the way here was limited.

The time I had bought must be running out.

“Has my dear older brother started to move?”

“…How did you know?”

“Because at this point, the one most sensitive to me is my dear older brother.”

“And how did you know that?”

The reason was that he had a very unpleasant disposition.

Furthermore, it manifested in an even more bizarre way when it came to the Youngest Son.

With a somewhat twisted personality, he says twisted things and acts in a twisted way.

I was negative about the opinion that the crazier the sorcerer, the stronger they are.

But the strongest basis for that opinion was the Fourth Son.

Of course, I knew these personal details because I had played as the Fourth Son.

And the intelligence agent didn't need to know such a source.

So, like a future family head, I worried about the family.

“What are we to do if an intelligence agent falls behind me in information warfare? I am worried about the future of the intelligence department.”

“……”

I clicked my tongue and put on my sunglasses.

“I’ll listen on the way.”

The coachman was a familiar face, the multi-purpose porter Lubosch.

“Did you clean the room well?”

His face, which I caught a glimpse of, was dazed.

It was a face that made the owner of the room feel embarrassed.

I didn't remember using it so dirtily that he would look like that.

Then he would occasionally mutter with unfocused eyes.

“This is an important mission…. This is an important mission…. This is an important mission….”

“…What’s wrong with this kid?”

Mirea added.

“Compared to the current situation, it is not a serious problem.”

“It's not a serious problem now either. You don't have to be scared in advance.”

Yes. For now, it was.

“A messenger sent by my dear older brother has announced a visit. Isn't that what the Head Maid was trying to say?”

“…That is correct. But Young Master. The Fourth Son’s messenger is a notice and a prelude. If we start to clash with the Fourth Son’s forces….”

“The plan to draw in Jubel Maxman will collapse before it even begins. Is that the Head Maid’s opinion?”

“It is.”

No.

I shook my head.

“My bait will not come off the hook with a prelude like this. And Jubel Maxman will not open his mouth that has taken the hook either.”

“How can you be so sure?”

My tens of thousands of hours of playtime are my guarantee and collateral.

Of course, this too was not something to reveal to an intelligence agent.

“It’s starting to feel like an interrogation. Even if I die, you will just return to the intelligence department. There’s no need for you to put strength in your shoulders.”

“…I understand.”

Mirea bit her lip slightly and lowered her head.

Her golden hair also hung down limply.

I knew why that Head Maid was acting like that.

Her younger brother, who she lost in an accident, perhaps due to her own mistake.

She was overlapping him with this Youngest Son.

That was a fact I learned while thoroughly investigating the people around the Fifth Son during the ‘Save the Youngest Son’ quest.

As I could tell from the first day of possession.

The person who was most attached to and closest to the Youngest Son was Mirea Rara.

I was obsessed with her no less than the Youngest Son and tried to find out everything.

In the hope that she might hold a key.

But then again, outside the monitor, I judged that a person like Mirea had no key whatsoever.

‘But in here, I don’t know.’

Right now was a time when even ten hands and feet were not enough.

Wasn't that why I even brought in a multi-purpose porter?

I pushed that thought aside and looked at a book that occupied a corner of the carriage.

A black-purple leather cover with a black ring drawn in the center.

“The Scripture of the Dark Wheel. Why is this here?”

“It was placed neatly in front of the hall. I acquired it just in case someone had sent it to you, Young Master.”

While the Head Maid was speaking, I could feel that she had little interest in this book.

Because this book, which was distributed to most people in the East, was so common that you could trip over it.

It had no rarity, it was just an object that aroused curiosity as to who left it.

But I looked at this book with complex emotions.

The book was worn out here and there, as if someone had owned it for a long time.

The edges of the cover were worn, and the pages were faded, showing the traces of time.

How many times had it been read, and read, and read again.

The paper had been repeatedly folded and unfolded, so many of the corners were not intact.

The Scripture of the Dark Wheel was a book containing the doctrines and philosophy of the Dark Wheel religion.

Furthermore, the Dark Wheel religion was a religion created by the first Family Head of Millesdusk at the same time he settled in the East and established the family.

In other words, the Scripture of the Dark Wheel contained all the thoughts and spirit of the first Family Head.

‘Spirit is very important in sorcery. Unlike pure magic, which blocks variables with formulas and equations, sorcery is based solely on spirit.’

In that sense, the Scripture of the Dark Wheel might be a grimoire left by the first Family Head to all people.

If so, I could understand why all humans had failed to fully interpret it.

It would mean that if you couldn't fully understand it, you naturally had no right to handle it.

The owner of this book must have been in the same situation.

If he had understood it, there would have been no reason to read it many times.

‘In other words, the Scripture of the Dark Wheel is the long-cherished wish of the old-timers belonging to Millesdusk here.’

That long-cherished wish was also recommended to me as if pushed.

No, perhaps he had presented the only way for the Youngest Son to survive, as he saw it.

‘The Scripture of the Dark Wheel. This is certainly one of the paths.’

Then I have to walk it.

If it was a good path, I had to try running too.

‘For a player, the Scripture of the Dark Wheel was like end-game content that was naturally interpreted upon becoming the Family Head.’

That was why I hadn't even thought about it.

This was a problem worth reflecting on.

Because it meant that I was trapped in a player's perspective even though I was no longer a player.

As proof of that, interpretation based on the system was impossible for me now.

Because I was not the Family Head, the system did not respond.

I thought again with a cooled head.

‘But I have experience.’

A past of being the Family Head, and that dozens of times.

‘I don’t know the method of solving it, but I know the answer.’

Then it was possible for me to reverse-engineer the solution based on the answer.

It was like starting with a much bigger hint than anyone else.

Of course, it was not a problem that could be solved overnight.

‘This will also take a long time, but my time will be free anyway when my mana is depleted from engraving the magic circles.’

If there were several ways to live, it was right to have a foot in as many places as possible.

Yes. I have to try.

Even big things start from small things.

I opened the family's toughest problem book.