The Saint Who Levels Up Through Necromancy-Chapter 91

[Translator - Hestia]

[Proofreader - Kaya]

Chapter 91: What Kind of Opportunity is This?

Yoojin, while handing over the distribution rights for [Saint's Blessing], also entrusted the sale of the mass-produced intermediate potions.

⋯⋯⋯

- Contract period: 3 years. Renewable with mutual consent.

- Party A (Shin Joonseok) delegates the distribution rights of Saint's Tears (formerly mass-produced intermediate potion) to Party B (Daehan Pharmaceuticals).

- Party B acquires 10% of the profit margin from Saint's Tears.

⋯⋯⋯

"Securing a stable supply. Will that be possible?"

"If you give us a little more time and budget..."

"We will support you with equipment as a concept of advance payment."

Shin Joonseok's gaze slowly shifted to the side.

"Why are you watching my expression?"

"You said not to receive investments."

"The situation has changed."

In the past, he was wary of capital inflow because he could be swayed by investors.

An alchemist with no career experience.

In the process of proving the efficacy of the potion, he could be scammed.

There was also a high possibility that the entire business would be swayed.

"Cheon Yoojin's partner. Isn't that enough of a reputation?"

He'd teamed up with the rising star of the Arhan Guild, playing a key role in the legendary double dungeon raid.

Though newly awakened, Yoojin had quickly become a household name due to his involvement in a string of major incidents.

He doesn't have to worry about being taken advantage of by anyone.

"It's also been proven that my business partner's skills are outstanding, isn't it?"

Shin Joonseok was a genius, single-handedly developing 'Saint's Blessing' and 'Saint's Tears'—two groundbreaking potions that launched the renowned Saint series.

Should his partnership with Daehan Pharmaceuticals falter, he knew he'd be inundated with offers from others eager to collaborate.

Now that he has grown his business to a decent size, he doesn't have to worry about being swayed by someone just because he receives some investment.

He might not be able to control the entire game, but he now held enough cards to be a serious player.

"I'll accept it."

Daehan Pharmaceuticals promptly dispatched the necessary equipment for large-scale potion production, along with a team of ten to handle operations and basic labor.

‘If I've said this much, they'll know what to do.’

Kronos groaned briefly, showing signs that he didn't understand.

〔Isn't that too naive? If the company dispatches personnel, they will quickly grasp the potion production process.〕

"They'll figure out the rough process, right?"

〔Even though you are aware of that fact, you still did so? How foolish.〕

"Don't underestimate the field of alchemy."

Alchemy is an incredibly precise art.

Even the slightest variation—a single degree in temperature, a 1% deviation in the mixing ratio, a mere second's difference in timing—can drastically alter the outcome.

Knowing the rough production process is meaningless; the devil lies in those minute details.

"The important thing is that minute difference. Even if you try to imitate it by matching the mixing ratio and temperature, it'll take forever."

Why would the recipe for that dark carbonated drink that polar bears love remain a secret even after decades?

If it were something that could be easily stolen with a rough glance, everyone would be selling potions.

Let's say you were lucky and succeeded in copying it.

Saint's Tears has already been patented.

'It's perfect for a lawsuit.'

Yoojin chuckled.

〔Contractor. You are extremely cunning.〕

'I was just explaining that I have a plan in place before I cause trouble.'

Kronos, speechless, paused his thoughts for a moment, then exclaimed with delight.

〔Finally, that time has come.〕

'What do you mean?'

〔I am talking about the day when you will once again utilize the ability that I bestowed upon you.〕

The pocket watch vibrated.

‘Ah, right… It's been a month since I last used [Memento].’

He recalled how the watch had led him to a Fragment of the Void hidden on Yeonpyeong Island, one of the five West Sea islands.

This [Broken Kronos' Pocket Watch] was no ordinary timepiece; it tapped into the timeline before his regression, revealing opportunities that had appeared at the same point in time—even those he hadn't personally encountered.

Kronos's raucous laughter echoed in his mind.

〔Khahahaha! Hurry up and use it!〕

‘Let's see what you've got for me this time.’

[Using Memento.]

[Target - Broken Kronos' Pocket Watch]

With a resounding tick-tock, the previously frozen hands sprang to life. A vivid scene flashed before Yoojin's eyes, pulled from the depths of time.

＊ ＊ ＊

A large ship floats on the sea.

A large cruise ship capable of accommodating over 1,000 people approaches the harbor.

The speed doesn't decrease even as it gets closer to land.

Kwaang—!

The cruise ship, crushing the docked ships and moving forward, climbs onto the harbor.

Civilian casualties occur due to the unannounced accident.

'...What? Excuse me. What kind of opportunity is this? I was used to tragedies, but why is there an accident scene when I asked you to show me an opportunity? I don't understand.'

With one side of his cheek distorted, Yoojin continued to examine the pocket watch's memories.

A situation where chaos has fallen due to the cruise ship suddenly pushing into the harbor.

The disaster was just beginning.

-Kihehe. There's a lot of fresh prey.

-Let's offer them all as sacrifices.

Red skin.

And two horns attached to the forehead.

A heterogeneous race rarely seen on Earth, demons appeared on the deck of the cruise ship.

'Demons?'

A sense of deja vu flashes through his mind.

As Yoojin was stroking his chin, the demons in the illusion of [Memento] headed straight for the city.

Hunters who faced the unexpected disaster resisted sporadically, but...

They were no match for the demons who freely wielded dark magic and the dark beasts with physical abilities that surpassed Saints.

〔It's an otherworldly demonic realm.〕

'Indeed.'

Eaten by monsters.

Or caught by horned demons and offered as sacrifices.

Around that time the entire city was painted red.

A strange light soared from the cruise ship into the sky.

[2028/2/14]

[Memories of Sokcho have been read.]

An event from before the regression read through Memento.

Yoojin was lost in thought for a moment, his chin resting on his hand.

〔Contractor. Don't misunderstand.〕

'Misunderstand what?'

〔This is not what I intended. Surely the memories read from the timeline before the regression are related to opportunities, not disasters....〕

'If you think about it, it is an opportunity. If my guess is correct.'

It came to his mind.

‘Seeing the date, February 14th, and the location, it became clear. Bloody Valentine. Only two months left until that damn disaster happens.’

〔Bloody Valentine?〕

'It was called that because the disaster happened on Valentine's Day.'

An unprecedented situation where the entire Sokcho area was devastated.

After the monster wave that occurred in North Korea, the Bloody Valentine incident was the first time a city in South Korea was devastated.

〔Wasn't there also a gate called the Iron Tomb or something?〕

'There weren't many casualties in that one. There was a lot of property damage because of the boss monster that absorbed iron and became stronger. Most of the citizens were evacuated, so there were almost no casualties. But the Bloody Valentine incident was different. Tourists. Citizens. Countless others were unable to escape the city and perished.’

〔Tell me more. I'm curious.〕

'Well, it's unnecessarily complicated.'

Yoojin furiously scratched the back of his head.

As seen in [Memento], the starting point of the disaster was the cruise ship traveling between Sokcho and Sapporo.

'To be precise, it's the cultists who occupied the ship.'

After the Pantheon appeared in various parts of the world.

No one could deny the existence of 'Gods' anymore.

The problem is that the evil gods standing at the opposite end also revealed themselves.

'Those who worship the Evil God constellations. The so-called Satanists began to emerge from the United States.'

〔What a terrible naming sense.〕

'Well, they had demon worshipers even before the Cataclysm.'

The 72 Evil God constellations of the Tower of Babel.

The demon worshipers, named after Satan, the being who reigns supreme among them, have taken root all over the world.

'Some of them hijacked a cruise ship. They planned to offer the passengers as sacrifices.'

The Evil God constellations grant power to the target in proportion to the sacrifices offered.

A cruise ship that is difficult to access from the outside once it begins sailing.

With plenty of humans to offer as sacrifices to the Evil God.

They were incredibly clever.

Disgustingly so.

〔I agree. The results built through wrongful methods will surely crumble.〕

Kronos murmurs in a low voice.

Wrongful methods.

As if recalling his past self who swallowed even his own children to protect the throne of the God King.

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His thoughts were laced with indelible regret, longing, and rage.

'It might have been fortunate if the ritual had succeeded.'

〔What do you mean?〕

'They didn't have enough sacrifices. That's why it went out of control.'

The passengers were insufficient for the scale of the ritual.

The demon worshiper, who was receiving dark magic, lost his mind and moved the cruise ship in search of more sacrifices.

The future that the [Broken Kronos' Pocket Watch] read was the tragedy that unfolded afterward.

〔But why did the watch tell you that disaster was an opportunity?〕

'Perhaps... the reason Memento read that memory is because of the demon worshiper's belongings.'

〔What is that object?〕

'The Coffin of the Undying.'

True Blood.

It is the coffin of those called the noble bloodline among the vampire race.

The demon worshiper used that artifact to offer sacrifices to the Evil God constellation.

〔Why is the coffin of blood-sucking mosquitoes an opportunity?〕

'It has many uses for me.'

Before the regression, the Phoenix Guild subjugated the demon worshipers.

[The Coffin of the Undying], the medium that borrowed the power of the Evil God, was completely destroyed by divine spells.

‘If I could get my hands on the Coffin of the Undying.... It would be useful for a long time. If I use it incorrectly, my stomach could explode and I could die, though.'

〔Hmm. You're saying it's more dangerous than Yeonpyeong Island.〕

'The demon worshiper's Saint rank was 7 Stars, I think.'

〔So you're saying he's at the same level as that One-Eyed man you fear?〕

'I'm not afraid of him, okay?'

7 Star.

In martial arts, one can manifest Aura Blade, a power that transcends Aura.

Hunter Mages also gain the power to twist providence.

Priests are even granted 'miracles' depending on the constellation they serve.

〔That's unlike you.〕

'What is?'

〔Those small humans whose demise in the future is certain. Besides, if it's the Phoenix Guild, haven't they been indebted to you before?〕

'Are you suggesting I ask the Guild Leader to get the coffin for me?'

〔I dislike such cowardly methods, but I thought you would choose that path without hesitation.〕

'What about the citizens?'

Yoojin clicked his tongue.

He wasn't particularly righteous.

He had shed countless blood to reach the pinnacle as a Necromancer.

And among them were many innocent people.

He had no intention of now spouting about how precious human lives are.

'Still, I know what's going to happen.'

Obtain the Coffin of the Undying, and save the lives of Sokcho citizens at the same time.

If he had to choose between the two, then maybe.

But now, he could choose both.

〔Khahahaha! Excellent. It's like seeing the spirit of a hero.〕

'Damn hero hymns.'

〔Let me ask you one more thing. Wouldn't it be better to prevent the incident from happening on the cruise ship altogether?〕

'They prepare thoroughly to conduct the ritual. If I board the ship, they might cancel the ritual.'

He would rather not have the future change because of something like that.

Yoojin intervenes and the ritual prepared for February 14th is canceled?

The demon worshipers would choose a different date and perform the ritual again, receiving the power of the Evil God constellation.

'I'll stop them when the cruise ship arrives at the port. Tsk. There are so many things to prepare. The demons' Saint ranks are at least 4 Star.’

Currently, among his companions, only the undead who have undergone Harmonization and surgery can handle 4 Star monsters without difficulty.

The newbie team and Im Jaebaek's level are not enough.

'I need to strengthen my companions' power. And create more undead.'

〔What are you going to do about the 7 Star demon worshiper?〕

'He reached 7 Star by offering sacrifices. When he first lands, he'll probably be around 6 Star.'

The last part of the illusion seen through [Memento].

Didn't a bloody glow rise from the cruise ship and ascend to the sky?

The phenomenon of overcoming the wall by satisfying the sacrificial requirements.

The demon worshipers called the rising bloody glow the 'Ascension Ritual.'

〔So the Contractor also has a chance.〕

'Even 6 Star is tough.'

The gate opened on the cruise ship.

It's not an ordinary gate, but a rift that pierces the wall between the demon world and the present world.

A phenomenon that appeared in the aftermath of the Ascension Ritual.

The demonic beasts and demons of the demon world appeared in Sokcho by crossing that passage.

'Nothing is in my favor.'

〔Even though you say that, you haven't given up, have you?〕

'There are two months left. I have to prepare from now on.'

Crack—

Obtain the Coffin of the Undying.

And as a bonus, prevent the disaster that will be called 'Bloody Valentine.'

Yoojin clenched his fists tightly.

[Translator - Hestia

[Proofreader - Kaya]