Damn Necromancer-Chapter 283

Chapter 283: Ranking Battle (3)

[Level increased by 4!]

The Lich and the Fallen Angel.

Both were beings with juicy experience points.

‘They were quite strong.’

On Earth, they would have been beings who could live throwing their weight around. But not to Kim Minwoo.

He looked at the supply box.

‘I wonder what’s inside.’

Survival items?

Or…….

[Opening the supply box!]

Flash―!

Light soared.

Soon after, items popped out.

[Acquired Treasure Map Fragment No. 7!]

[Acquired Treasure Map Tracker!]

“……Huh?”

Kim Minwoo tilted his head.

In such an extreme zone, wouldn't one usually think of items related to food, clothing, and shelter as supplies?

Unexpectedly, what popped out was a treasure map fragment.

He examined the content immediately.

[Treasure Map Fragment No. 7.]

[One of the treasure map fragments divided into a total of 20 pieces. It seems you can complete the treasure map by gathering and combining all of them.]

[Treasure Map Tracker.]

[Displays where the treasure map fragments are.]

[Currently operating.]

A tracker, huh.

Red dots were floating all over the circular mechanical screen. There were moving dots, and stationary dots.

‘The moving ones must be the guys holding treasure map fragments.’

The stationary ones must be unacquired treasure fragments.

“But what happens if a guy who obtained it sinks?”

Or there might be cases where they sink without acquiring the supply box at all in certain zones.

Then does finding the treasure become impossible?

Anyway, one thing was certain…….

“Covetous.”

The fact that the treasure map combined into one was quite covetous. Wouldn't something pop out if gathered?

‘The gathering difficulty is also very high.’

The guys holding fragments could basically be considered guys who were something.

Didn't it mean they disposed of everyone in extreme situations and ate the supply box? Since the treasure map is completed only by disposing of all such guys, the completion difficulty belonged to the very high side.

“I should move quickly.”

Treasure?

How could he resist that?

He would monopolize it even if he had to kill everyone.

Plus, the guys participating as proxies would all grant massive level ups if caught…….

“Let’s go. To the next area.”

Kim Minwoo, having looked at the tracker, smiled broadly.

＊ ＊ ＊

[Entered the second fragment!]

[Entering the Extreme Ice Zone!]

Extreme Ice Zone.

As soon as he took a step, a chill that seemed to freeze his nose hairs pierced his lungs. Murderous cold likely exceeding minus 100 degrees Celsius.

An environment where an ordinary Awakened would have to grind up their mana just to maintain body temperature.

‘It doesn’t matter to me though.’

Having changed his assimilation to Ice attribute and increased ice resistance with Merhen’s magic, he calmly took out the tracker.

A small red dot blinked.

It was close.

And it was moving.

‘Found it.’

He moved his steps.

As he advanced cutting through the snowy field, a black dot was captured in his vision before long.

It looked like a giant mantis.

A physique close to 4 meters.

The sight of such a mantis advancing through the blizzard while spewing steam from its whole body came into view.

It looked like a Fire attribute Awakened.

In fact, red heat was rising like a haze around the mantis’s scythes.

‘A Fire ability user in the Extreme Ice Zone.’

Maintaining that level of output even in unfavorable terrain? It was quite something.

However…….

“Kill it.”

Cedric rushed out holding his spear, and simultaneously Merhen’s magic made the atmosphere freeze even more.

The movements of the mantis, already fighting against the extreme cold, became noticeably dull.

―Kkiiiiik!

Screaming sharply, the mantis swung its scythe. It tried to draw up flames, but it had already exhausted more than half of its internal energy fighting the cold.

Perhaps because hunger overlapped with it, cracks were visible all over the mantis’s exoskeleton.

The spear pierced the mantis’s head.

The hunt was simple to the point of futility.

[Level increased by 1!]

[Acquired Treasure Map Fragment No. 3!]

“The guy holding the fragment gives solid experience points too.”

Kim Minwoo smirked while looking down at the fallen mantis.

＊ ＊ ＊

In the Spectator Seats of the Abyss, the gazes of the Seven Great Demon Lords hardened simultaneously.

―……Treasure Map?

Baal’s voice sank low. His usual relaxed smile disappeared, and only a sharp gaze remained.

Paimon tapped his chin with a finger.

―It’s an object separate from the Ranking Battle rewards. A hidden reward…….

―Only twice throughout the history of Ranking Battles.

Marbas cut in.

Unconcealed greed stained his voice.

―Are you saying the Hidden Piece that appeared only twice has appeared this time?

Silence settled.

Amon’s pupils narrowed slowly.

Flames began to ripple within them.

―The Ranking Battle takes place a total of three times. Since it appeared in the first trial, it means there is a high possibility it will appear in the second and third as well.

Gamigin laughed low.

It was a laugh that sounded rotten, but the desire contained within was intense. Seven pairs of eyes turned toward Kim Minwoo on the screen in unison.

Greed.

Pure greed dyed their pupils blazing. First place in the Ranking Battle was, of course, important.

However, generally, they were certain of Baal’s victory. Hadn't he obtained the Demon God's Stone and accumulated ruthless power over a long time?

The power of authority he could bring down would likely transcend imagination.

In that sense, it was difficult to aim for first place.

But the treasure map was different.

If luck followed, wasn't it a structure where their proxies could also aim for it?

If Kim Minwoo headed to the next Ranking Battle holding the fragments of the treasure map……

‘Just dispose of him.’

‘There are many proxies.’

It would depend on the stage, but the next stage would likely also offer a chance for proxies to meet like now.

They could join hands and dispose of him first anytime.

Then the ownership of the treasure map would pass over to them!

Greed rose in everyone’s eyes.

Meanwhile, Kim Minwoo was not the only one collecting the treasure map.

Somewhere in the Deadly Poison Zone.

A-4’s optical sensors captured three red dots.

[Target confirmed. 2 Treasure Map Fragment holders.]

[Combat Protocol activated.]

Its mechanical arm unfolded, and a built-in sword slid out. Before the massive Barbarian warrior could even swing his axe, A-4’s sword brushed past his neck.

Seogeuk―.

Along with a mechanical sound, the head rolled down.

Emotionless movement. Pure efficiency containing not even killing intent.

[Fragment No. 5 acquired.]

The remaining one fled, but thrusters ignited on A-4’s legs.

Three seconds later, corpses rolled on the snowy field.

Meanwhile, in the Extreme Wind Zone, a thousand eyes blinked simultaneously in the empty air.

Observer Omnia with a thousand eyes.

Through her vast field of vision, the locations of fragment holders were updated in real-time, and the weakest prey was selected.

“Found it.”

As one pupil shone red, a scream burst out from hundreds of meters away.

Extreme Darkness Zone.

Amidst the darkness where the surroundings were all dyed pitch black, the Vampire Kara licked her bloodied lips.

Three corpses were sprawled beneath her feet.

“The blood, really tastes bad.”

Three fragments were held in her hand.

In the Abyss Zone, a Tentacle Mage was seen swallowing a victim alive.

The rule of the Ranking Battle was simple.

The strong eat everything.

And as fragments pile up, collision becomes inevitable.

＊ ＊ ＊

A change occurred on the tracker screen.

The sizes of the red dots were different.

Some were the size of a millet grain, others the size of a fingernail. And exactly one circle stood out exceptionally.

‘Is it a structure that grows bigger as fragments gather?’

As time passed, one particular circle rapidly increased in size.

Kim Minwoo’s eyes narrowed.

A level similar to or slightly smaller than his own dot.

“There’s another guy besides me gathering properly.”

The squirming tentacle beneath his feet caught his eye.

It was the remains of the Tentacle Mage, not yet completely dead.

A hideous monster whose whole body was covered in tentacles. He had ripped off four fragments from this guy alone.

Current possessed fragments, eleven.

He had surpassed half of the total twenty.

‘Then that means the remaining nine are all with that guy.’

The red circle on the tracker was slowly moving. The direction was up. It was climbing toward the highest fragment.

The location was also close.

“Done.”

The corners of Kim Minwoo’s mouth twisted.

Victory in this Ranking Battle.

Completion of the Treasure Map.

It was a chance to catch two rabbits at once.

He crossed the boundary heading to the highest fragment.

[Entered the Highest Fragment!]

[Entered No Wind Zone!]

There was no wind.

All the zones he had passed through so far had something. Extreme cold, murderous poison, ear-tearing storms.

But there was nothing here. Sound, smell, presence.

Only silence settled heavily.

And…….

“…….”

20 meters ahead.

An existence that looked like a human was standing there.

But the information seen through the Demon Eye was completely different.

[Name: A-4]

[Species: Machine]

[Armament Level: Close to state-of-the-art.]

[Characteristic: Inserted the memories of Ice Blood Demon Lord Jeong Cheong.]

But it was a machine.

Moreover, the Demon Eye directly expressed that its armament level was close to state-of-the-art.

It rarely gave such generous evaluations easily.

‘Then it must be quite strong?’

Cheol-keok― Cheol-keok―.

Along with the noise of gears interlocking…….

A-4’s appearance began to change as if shedding a husk. The artificial skin covering its entire body disappeared completely.

A-4’s bare body revealed like that…….

Precise gears were interlocked at every joint of its limbs, and blue light pulsated faintly in its chest.

There was no expression on the part that could be called a face. Only the optical sensors corresponding to eyes were lit red.

“Wow, is it Cyberpunk or something? Even machines are coming out. Looks like it kills people well.”

Kim Minwoo muttered low.

An existence he had only heard about through rumors throughout the Ranking Battle.

A monster that collected fragments by slaughtering enemies without emotion, unshaken in any environment.

A-4’s sensors locked onto Kim Minwoo.

A voice like a human’s rang out.

―I shall correct one misunderstanding. I am not a machine. Memories are everything to a personality. My body is made of iron and steel, but my memories are those of the Ice Blood Demon Lord…… so I can be called Jeong Cheong himself.

A-4’s voice, speaking thus, settled coldly.

[Target confirmed. Kim Minwoo.]

[Danger Level: Highest.]

[Presumed to possess large quantity of map fragments.]

It was an emotionless voice. But the meaning contained within was clear.

[Elimination Protocol, Activated.]

A-4’s figure began to approach at an explosive speed.