The Saint Who Levels Up Through Necromancy-Chapter 93: America, here he comes! (2)

[Translator - Hestia]

[Proofreader - Kaya]

Chapter 93: America, here he comes! (2)

About 50 kilometers east of downtown LA is Anaheim.

A city famous for Disneyland.

The [Whispers of the Wraith] appeared in northern Anaheim.

"An attack team has already been dispatched, I see."

"Even if they can't defeat the boss monster, they need to periodically clear out the monsters."

Alice Kim replied with a disgruntled look.

A Hunter's main source of income is the byproducts of monsters hunted within Gates.

The most common example is mana stones.

However, undead monsters are born when mana stones seep into corpses, so even if you kill them, they're empty.

And even if you try to find useful byproducts from the corpses, all you get are rotten bones and leather.

Hunting monsters just to prevent the mana density from rising further was quite a loss.

"Vice Guild Master."

“Report.”

"The attack team has returned."

“Excellent timing."

Alice said with a satisfied nod.

"I have someone I want you to meet."

She glanced back at Yoojin.

"Gather the others. And tell them to clean up a bit first."

Moments later, the Hunters assembled before Alice, though traces of their recent battle—slime, dust, and exhaustion—were still evident.

"Good work, everyone."

"It was nothing, Vice Guild Master."

"I've recruited someone to help you all."

Alice Kim pointed at Yoojin.

"This is Mr. Cheon from Korea. His class is Priest—"

"Saint!"

Yoojin interjected smoothly while Alice was speaking.

Saint.

A short word, but to them, the weight it carried felt particularly heavy.

Alice Kim glanced at Yoojin in surprise.

'It's about time I revealed it.'

Yoojin intended to build his influence in Korea in earnest. The reason he had concealed his Saint class was out of concern that he would be swayed by his reputation.

Now, he has started to gain some fame.

And with the "Saint" series about to be released, it was an appropriate time to reveal his class.

"Vice Guild Master, are you having an outsider participate in the Gate conquest?"

"That's because you guys couldn't handle it yourselves."

"....."

Jake, who was in charge of the [Whispers of the Wraith] Gate conquest, swallowed his frustration.

‘Well, that was a normal reaction.’

Little Angels was one of the top guilds in California.

It was natural for them to have pride.

"Hey, baldy. If you don't trust me, why don't we have a test?"

"A test?"

"There's a saying in Korea: Seeing is believing."

"Speak in a way I can understand."

"Seeing for yourself is better than hearing about it a hundred times. That's what it means."

[Activating Bone Control.]

[Activating Alchemy - Reinforcement Circuit.]

Bones elongated.

Mana was densely engraved inside the bones, reinforcing their durability.

‘Hmm. Now that I've learned spearmanship… It wouldn't be bad to get a proper weapon instead of bones.’

Even with Reinforcement Circuit and Bone Control, upgrading bones only brings them to the level of magic items.

"Come on. I'll be your opponent."

Yoojin beckoned to Jake, the armored, Martial Hunter.

＊ ＊ ＊

The people surrounding the Gate entrance, those from Little Angels, were watching Alice Kim closely.

'Is this going to cause trouble?'

'But he's a Hunter that the Vice Guild Master brought in.'

'Why is a Priest picking a fight with a Martial Hunter with a staff?'

'Is it okay for us to just watch?'

Unlike the guild members who were watching nervously, Alice Kim had her arms crossed and wore a calm expression.

The audacious request for command echoed in her ears.

'He must be confident he can handle it, that's why he stepped up.'

Little Angels' reputation wouldn't crumble just because a few rookie Hunters were defeated.

Alice Kim, instead, decided to use this as an opportunity to discipline the new Hunters.

'Show me what you've got, Mr. Cheon.'

Jake, the leader of the Gate attack team, interpreted her silence differently.

'She wants me to teach this outsider a lesson, to show him that he can't just act however he pleases.'

"Saint" or not, Jake knew that a lack of teamwork could be disastrous in a Gate. He assumed Alice was testing his leadership, relying on him to assert control and ensure the success of their mission.

"Mr....?"

"Cheon. Cheon Yoojin."

"Ah, Mr. Cheon. Just so you know, I don't know how to hold back."

"Good. Come at me with everything you've got. No complaints later."

A tense silence fell over the clearing.

Crack—

Jake's knuckles cracked as he gripped his weapon, his frustration simmering just beneath the surface.

‘Oh, ho. Is he actually going to attack me?’

Yoojin wondered, a hint of amusement flickering in his eyes.

[Using Unholy Blessing.]

[Using Giant's Strength.]

[Using Punishing Spike.]

‘Kekeke. I'm overflowing with power.’

As Yoojin gave a confident smile, Jake's eyebrows furrowed.

"If you're relying on those meager buffs—"

"If you're all talk, then leave."

[Verdian Basic Spear Technique]

[Fifth Form - Charge]

Charging with all his strength focused on the spear tip.

Yoojin saw Jake's startled expression reflected in his eyes.

'F-FXXX!'

Fast.

A swift thrust that even a Martial Hunter of the same rank would struggle to execute.

By the time his eyes caught Yoojin's attack, the spearhead was already upon him.

Clang—!

A dull impact resonated in his ears.

He hadn't consciously blocked it.

Jake's instincts, honed through countless training sessions and battles against monsters, moved his left arm.

The shield attached to his arm barely managed to block Yoojin's spear.

But Jake's ordeal was just beginning.

[Verdian Basic Spear Technique]

[Second Form - Quick Thrust]

'D-Damn it.'

Blocking the attack wasn't the end.

Instead of deflecting the force loaded into the spear, Jake took the full brunt of the blow, disrupting his breathing and stance.

He couldn't even attempt to counter the sharp thrusts that followed.

"Team leader, get a grip!"

"Aren't you taking it too easy on him just because he's not a martial type?"

His teammates jeered, oblivious to Jake's struggles.

Curses lingered on the tip of his tongue, but he couldn't utter them.

"What's wrong? Are you getting wobbly?"

Yoojin had enough composure to speak while wielding his spear.

His body was strengthened by the triple buffs.

Although [Giant's Strength] doubled his stamina consumption with each spear thrust, he managed to endure thanks to Life Drain steadily replenishing it.

'This is nothing compared to getting beaten up by Fafnir.'

Jake's item set was the typical balanced type, with a sword and shield.

What does having a good balance of offense and defense mean?

Conversely, it means there's no outstanding point.

It means once you're caught in the enemy's pace, it's difficult to break free.

[Shield Wall]

An intense blue light engulfed the shield.

Yoojin's wrist, gripping the spear, throbbed, and the strong recoil forced him to slow his attack tempo.

Jake had barely withstood Yoojin's onslaught to prepare this skill.

"Do you think I'll lose like this?!"

Jake, his face flushed red, let out a near scream and swung his sword.

[Bowling Bash]

A strike skill that delivers consecutive impacts.

The moment the mana loaded in the sword was about to strike Yoojin—

A barrier of milky divine power enveloped the spear shaft, receiving Jake's sword strike.

Crack—

The divine barrier shattered with a single blow.

But Jake couldn't smile.

An immense rebound force traveled through his sword-wielding hand.

The physical force of [Bowling Bash], which should have delivered consecutive impacts, rebounded back to its user.

[Using Unholy Shock Shield.]

A divine spell that reflects a portion of the damage back to the attacker when blocking a melee attack.

Yoojin deployed his divine power just before the collision.

The consecutive hits of [Bowling Bash] accumulated in the sword completely engulfed Jake.

Jake endured his own power, unable to even scream.

Whizz—

Even as the spearhead aimed for his neck, he only focused on withstanding the shock, his eyes wide open.

He couldn't even react.

Clap— Clap!

"Excellent. That was splendid, Mr. Cheon."

"I haven't even warmed up yet. What a shame."

Despite Alice Kim's praise, Yoojin wasn't entirely satisfied.

If Jake had held on longer, he could have clearly demonstrated the difference in their skills.

Winning too easily made it seem like it was just a fluke.

'Guess I was overthinking it. No need for any makeshift Aura shenanigans.'

〔You expected too much from such insignificant mortals, Contractor.〕

'Well, excuse me for having standards. I figured a top guild in California would at least have some high-ranking Hunters.’

Yoojin let out a sigh.

'Looks like they need to step up their recruitment game.'

He glanced around at the assembled Hunters.

Aside from Alice, none of them seemed to grasp the nuances of his fight with Jake.

"Vice Guild Master, we can't accept this outcome!"

"He must have used some kind of trick."

“See? This is what happens when they lack the skills to understand.”

Yoojin muttered under his breath.

"Though I suppose I should be grateful they're not accusing me of sorcery."

Alice Kim seemed to be contemplating what kind of penalty she should give to the protesting team members.

"Then how about 9 versus 1, with the condition that I can summon?"

"Hmm. That's quite a bold offer."

"I suppose I'll have to do that much to convince the team members."

Alice Kim inwardly clicked her tongue at Yoojin's pointed words.

She realized that the cost of the request had increased due to the rookies' pride.

"Alright. Then let's make it two."

"You won't regret it."

Yoojin smiled slyly.

Perhaps...

Did he plan this from the beginning, anticipating the backlash from the new guild members?

That thought crossed Alice Kim's mind.

"Hey, time to work."

A Skeleton Knight emerged from the Ring of Darkness.

Facing the ominous killing intent emanating from Song Myeongseok, the Little Angels rookies involuntarily stepped back.

【Master, should I kill them all?】

"Whoa, hold on there! It's just a spar, remember? No need for any fatalities. Besides, if you kill them, Alice might make me pay for the damages."

【Hmph. How boring. I was hoping for some real action.】

"Don't worry. I won't hold you back. Go wild, have some fun."

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【Really?】

"When have I ever lied to you?"

【Well… from my perspective, Master, it seems you have a rather... liberal interpretation of the truth.】

"Shut up."

Yoojin muttered.

‘Technically, I didn't lie. A half-truth is still a truth, isn't it?’

Yoojin and Song Myeongseok conversed leisurely.

They no longer paid any attention to the Little Angels rookies.

'Are we screwed?'

'Goddamn! What is this?!'

Simply by the numbers, it was 9 versus 2.

It was a fight they couldn't lose, but Yoojin's nonchalant demeanor sent chills down their spines.

They were already losing the psychological battle.

The Little Angels rookies, while trying to hide their unease, prepared for the spar.

Two Martial Hunters, three Mages, and four Priests.

The personnel deployment was focused on priests due to the Gate being primarily undead.

Since Yoojin's summon was a Skeleton Knight, they believed having many priests would be advantageous.

That's what they thought...

...until the spar actually began.

"Let's Rock!"

As soon as Alice Kim's words fell, the Little Angels rookies realized just how wrong their judgment had been.

[Lightning Steps]

Song Myeongseok easily evaded Jake and the other Martial Hunter, penetrating the heart of the team.

He swung his twin swords, held in a reverse grip, incapacitating two Mages.

[Paralyze]

[Holy Light]

[Divine Shield]

A barrage of divine spells followed a beat too late.

Waves of divine power enveloped the Skeleton Knight.

"Did we get him?"

"He must have taken some damage."

"Don't miss the chance while he's immobilized—"

Fwoosh—!

Black currents stained the white radiance, swiftly erasing it without a trace.

Dark Fighting Aura surged from the armor.

【Wow, this is more fun than I thought. I take back what I said about it being boring.】

The undead are weak to divine spells.

Even Song Myeongseok wasn't free from this fundamental rule.

【But thanks to that, I was able to project Dark Fighting Aura onto my armor.】

Heavenly bone structure.

As expected of a physique blessed by the heavens, his ability to apply Dark Fighting Aura was exceptional.

The genius who could manifest his newfound inspiration without a single flaw.

He's like Fafnir.

"Eh, Aura..."

"That's cheating! This isn't fair."

【Try saying that to an enemy aiming for your throat.】

Song Myeongseok had surpassed his limits.

Even with nine opponents, it was a game they couldn't win from the start.

"Is everyone convinced now?"

In response to Yoojin's question, the Little Angels attack team lowered their heads with humiliated expressions.

Seeing this, Alice Kim had a complicated expression.

She had hoped to simply suppress their spirits, but due to Yoojin's overwhelming power that defied common sense, the rookies experienced a greater setback than expected.

"It didn’t take long."

Whether he knew her feelings or not...

With those nonchalant words, the attack team entered the Gate.

And the troublesome Gate that had been plaguing Little Angels for a month disappeared in less than half a day.

[Translator - Hestia

[Proofreader - Kaya]