Chapter 171 - Jin Skeleton Soldier

“I’ll be watching from the side, so don’t even think about pulling any tricks. Now, give it your all.”

Ransis issued a stern warning before vanishing into the spirit dimension.

Although she said she would be glaring from behind the invisible dimension, she immediately moved far away.

She flew away from the foremost frontline, soaring all the way to Millesdusk's Pantheon, to the Demon Head Palace of the Mind Demon.

The Youngest Son instantly became a dot and disappeared as she arrived at a speed that made the landscape pull backward.

The messenger, who had freely accelerated and decelerated within the spirit dimension, knelt before the Family Head.

“He has just begun his training, Family Head-nim.”

“Good work. I apologize for not being able to accommodate you.”

“Not at all. I, too, enjoy overseeing the Fifth Son-nim’s training, so I do not feel inconvenienced.”

The Family Head looked quite surprised by the messenger's response.

Just as Ransis had known the Family Head for a long time, the Family Head had known Ransis for a long time.

To think she would go so far as to use the word ‘enjoyable’ when describing overseeing someone's training.

“How long has it been since a sorcerer who met your standards appeared?”

“This is practically the first time.”

Ransis was a genius whom the previous Family Head had even considered adopting as a daughter.

Just as she had almost been recorded in such an unprecedented event, her talent was unparalleled, and her own standards were high.

In terms of height alone, the Ash Mountains had nothing on her.

“Sometimes, I feel like quitting this job as the Family Head’s messenger and just continuing as the Fifth Son-nim’s teacher.”

“Retirement is not permitted.”

“Yes. Of course, it wouldn’t be.”

The Family Head let out a low laugh and brought up the topic of the report.

“How is the youngest?”

“He has good senses, and his ability to judge situations and react is excellent. He could more than hold his own in any real combat situation. However.”

There was also a part that kept catching her eye.

“His field of vision is strangely wide.”

The Family Head expressed his question.

It was conveyed through his gaze, and the messenger answered.

“He is all too aware of his current position. He knows what he needs to do to get to the next step, and he also knows what lies at the end.”

“Are you aware that the youngest is ten years old?”

“Yes. That is why I added that it was strange. Sometimes he is as innocent as a ten-year-old, but at other times, he is like a hundred-year-old man.”

“So, the overall conclusion is.”

“That he is in a hurry. I understand his desire to run fast because he knows what lies at the end, but the Youngest Son-nim’s lifespan is long.”

The Family Head also nodded at the mention of lifespan.

“The youngest is a half-blood vampire with the Queen’s blood, and half of that blood is of the Millesdusk direct bloodline. He will live for at least several centuries.”

“In contrast, the Young Lord is still only ten years old. It is a bit early to be running out of breath.”

“But the world is not as young as the youngest.”

People might be able to rest, but the world did not.

It ran without rest, dropping and flinging far away the humans who fell behind.

“If the youngest wants to run, it is right to let him run. If he builds a dangerous tower by climbing to the top too quickly, we must be the ones to support it.”

“…Since when did you care so much about your children?”

“Didn't I mention it recently? That my new hobby is raising children.”

“The Fifth Son-nim isn't your only child, is he?”

“It's not that I don't care about the other children. You're just saying that, knowing full well.”

The Family Head's words were not a lie.

Faced with the rare case of all new-generation bloodkin showing the qualities of a Family Head, the Family Head rowed his oar without stopping.

He reformed the family sorcery to suit his children and assigned them teachers.

It was just that the quality was lower compared to the Fifth Son.

The First Son was omitted because he was the type of person who would cut off his teacher's head and turn him into a Death Knight even if one was assigned.

The Family Head spoke about the youngest.

“Support him, Ransis. Even if he pretends to be mature, he is, as you say, a child. Guide him and look after him from the side.”

“Do you truly believe the Fifth Son-nim will unite the Five Families?”

“……”

The Family Head was silent for a moment.

It seemed as if he let out a slight sigh.

But the silence did not last long, and the Family Head's mouth opened.

“Millesdusk of the East. Wisdom of the West. Winterbringer of the North. Ran of the South. And the Imperial Family of the Center. These five families have continued for over a thousand years, and in the beginning, they were all one.”

In addition, the youngest mentioned Cyclical Regressionism regarding that.

He recited the First Family Head's theory that everything is a cycle, and the starting point and the destination are ultimately the same.

There had been many Family Heads of Millesdusk throughout history, but none had believed or quoted the First's words.

It was because no one had understood the Scripture of the Dark Wheel.

But the youngest had boldly declared it in front of everyone.

That by his hand, everything would return to one.

“The First was always right. He moved as if he had the answer to every problem, and that sight reminds me of someone.”

“……”

Ransis kept her mouth shut tight and recalled a face.

The pale face she had seen just a moment ago would be sweating and making Skeleton Soldiers by now.

“I am certain of nothing, Ransis. I believe the youngest could either ruin the family or unite the other families.”

“So it's a gamble, in the end.”

“Everything in life is a gamble. One simply chooses the one with the slightly higher probability.”

“I understand.”

The Family Head had made a gamble and chosen the Youngest Son.

He bet on him uniting the Five Families.

Ransis didn't know if that decision was right, but she knew this one thing.

“I should go see my disciple. His ego should be quite deflated by now.”

“Really? Is that so?”

The Family Head raised an unexpected question.

“The youngest is not one to shrink under pressure. He is one who always moves with the right answer, so he must have found a solution this time as well.”

Even so, the messenger scoffed.

“Traversing 10km of the foremost frontline is no joke. And with only Skeleton Soldiers? This is a difficulty level that would make any bloodkin of any generation shrivel up.”

Ransis stated firmly.

“He will give up midway.”

“Give up? I wouldn't know. We'll find out if we wait and see.”

“Would you like to make a bet?”

“Of course.”

The Family Head retorted without backing down, as if it were obvious.

“If I win, you will have no salary for the next year.”

“However, if I win, I will receive my annual salary as my monthly salary for one year.”

“Deal.”

The messenger and the Family Head shook hands.

Now it was time to check the results.

Had he walked about 1km by now?

She crossed the spirit dimension and flew to the foremost frontline.

‘There he is.’

Her prediction was accurate. The Youngest Son was in the middle of a battle with Skeleton Soldiers near the 1km mark from the starting point.

Her predictions would continue to be correct.

He would get drained by the swarming monsters and use another power.

A happy fantasy was already unfolding.

How much money would that be, to receive an annual salary monthly for a year? It was enough money to make one's head spin.

Now all she had to do was wait for that amount of money to fall into her lap.

***

[A sudden quest has occurred.]

‘…A sudden quest?’

As I was summoning skeletons as long as my magic allowed, a system window appeared before my eyes.

Sudden quests usually popped up when I did something eccentric.

For example, running around on all fours for a whole day or staying still for a week.

When I consistently did things that people normally wouldn't do, sudden quests gave me gifts.

A reward for efforts that no one recognized. In the past, I thought of it that way.

But in a situation like this, it was like rain in a drought.

──「Skeleton Soldier Challenge」──

[Description]

: You, who are continuing the struggle for life using only Skeleton Soldiers! Are you crazy? Or are you crazy for Skeleton Soldiers! Your life-risking challenge, whatever it may be, deserves to be respected and rewarded.

[Condition]

: Reach the Polar Night Wall using only Skeleton Soldiers.

[Reward]

: Jin Skeleton Soldier [Skill]

─────────────

‘…Jin Skeleton Soldier?’

Before I could even think about the sudden quest, a saber-toothed tiger charged at me.

I didn't know if it was a saber-toothed tiger or what, but it was a beast with long protruding teeth.

I sent the thirty Skeleton Soldiers I had just made at the charging saber-toothed tiger.

I had them stick to it so thoroughly that the Skeleton Soldiers were connected to each other.

One of them couldn't block a single one of its paws, but many were different.

If thirty weren't enough, I added another thirty.

‘If only I could use Exploding Bone, I would have turned it into mush.’

Unfortunately, I was in the middle of training right now.

“Get lost.”

C-c-c-c-c-crack─

The 60 Skeleton Soldiers, their bones fused together, pressed in even harder.

Trapped inside, its joints were not just bent but shattered.

Most living things die when they reach such a state.

“Haa…”

I let out a breath after overcoming another crisis.

Entities that were difficult to deal with in my current state were appearing one by one.

It was because they were not a team and did not attack in coordination.

That was one fortunate thing.

Controlling, attaching, and tightening 60 Skeleton Soldiers was no easy task.

The Youngest Son’s bloodshot eyes could finally turn to the sudden quest.

‘This is the first time I’ve seen this.’

Of course it was. As a player, what reason would I have to cross the Polar Night Wall with only Skeleton Soldiers?

So it was also the first time I had seen a skill called ‘Jin Skeleton Soldier’.

‘It seems to be an enhanced form of Skeleton Soldier, but.’

I couldn't easily guess for now. It was literally the first time I was seeing it.

But that didn't mean there were no changes for now.

The moment I reached 3km across, I felt that change.

‘This really is good practice.’

Since Skeleton Soldier was my only option, my brain was working so hard it hurt.

My brain, extremely activated to avoid death, somehow came up with answers to the crises at hand using Skeleton Soldiers.

As a result, I felt the same way I did when I was learning Blood Stream Sorcery with Dracul.

‘I’m starting to understand. How a Skeleton Soldier is made, and where my magic flows from the skull to completion.’

I was gradually becoming more proficient, and it showed in the results.

Clatter─!

A single Skeleton Soldier appeared in the blink of an eye. Then I made another one.

I could now be called a Skeleton Soldier machine.

Of course, until now, I thought I would have to use other skills if things got really dangerous.

So what if I get hit once? It's better than dying, isn't it?

I had definitely thought that, but.

‘That Jin Skeleton Soldier thing, I will get my hands on it no matter what.’

The moment the sudden quest was triggered, such thoughts completely vanished.

Only the venomous determination to do it no matter what remained deep in my heart.

The Skeleton Soldier was the foundational skill for most of the Undead Private Soldiers I had.

If I could strengthen that, how much stronger would I become?

It was hard to even fathom right now.

‘It’s unlikely, but if my teacher really foresaw this and made me do this, she’s truly respectable.’

I chuckled to myself and made another Skeleton Soldier.

***

Josephine Blue Wisdom.

She had dozed off at her workbench due to her busy schedule and even had a dream.

This wasn't right.

I needed to quickly finish the spatial artifact I was making.

It was fine to keep the Magic Dragon in the basement at Eclipse, but not elsewhere.

So I began creating a spatial artifact just for the Magic Dragon, and it would be a gift for the Youngest Son.

But now, I had unexpectedly fallen asleep and had a dream.

A strange dream where the dreamer was clearly aware that they were in a dream.

However, Josephine's expression hardened.

“…When I left Wisdom, I thought I had disposed of all my biological information materials.”

Around her was only pitch-black darkness. Josephine shouted.

“If you could find me like this, you should have just left me alone. Why show up so pathetically now?”

A magic that turned a dream into a place of conversation.

This, which connected through biological information like a target's hair, was something only a few people at Wisdom could do.

And among them, the person she disliked the most spoke to her from the darkness.

─Had you lived like a dead mouse, I would not have cared. Though I am not fond of the idea of our Wisdom blood mixing with the turbid things of the East.

“…Father.”

The one who fully revealed himself was the man Josephine called Father.

The Family Head of Wisdom.