Swordmaster of the Graveyard
Episode 4
Chapter 2: The First Hidden Piece (1)
Although he was a Necromancer, Jinhyeok's main weapon had always been a sword, and he still thought so now.
So, in preparation for close combat, he spent 30 silver to purchase a light set of leather armor.
Since he had an undead army, he didn't expect to experience close combat very often. That was why he hadn't gone as far as getting chainmail.
Seokgyu was a Swordsman class that primarily engaged in close combat, so he layered leather armor over his chainmail.
Now equipped with defensive gear, the two purchased decent swords.
They didn't sell the swords they had been using before. They stored them in subspace so the undead could use them.
Undead basically wore equipment made of bone, but it was possible to arm them with other gear.
The Necromancer Ji Seokgyu had advised that iron equipment was preferable to bone-made equipment, so if he had the funds to spare, he should arm his undead army with iron gear.
Following that advice, Jinhyeok intended to steadily collect iron equipment to arm his undead army.
"I feel like something's changed."
Seokgyu muttered as he looked at his transformed appearance. Right now, he looked like a medieval swordsman.
"Still, don't get too excited. You're still a beginner."
While equipping gear made him look slightly different, these were the most basic items available at the shop.
To some eyes, he would still look like a beginner.
However, being equipped meant he would at least be looked down upon less than a clueless beginner.
"How much is left?"
After buying dried meat and dried fruits, Jinhyeok asked as they left the shop.
Seokgyu spaced out for a moment before realizing Jinhyeok was asking about their remaining funds, then checked his coin purse.
"About 30 silver left."
"Then I'll buy the tent."
"Why a tent? Aren't we staying in the city?"
Seokgyu asked with sparkling eyes.
"Hunting."
At Jinhyeok's words, Seokgyu's expression stiffened slightly.
"Real combat?"
"Yes."
"I-I'll do my best!"
Seokgyu shouted in a voice filled with strength. Jinhyeok raised the corner of his lips and headed to the general store.
Having purchased camping tools including a tent and item appraisal scrolls from the general store, Jinhyeok left the south gate with Seokgyu.
Lawrence was one of the representative starting points, so the moment they exited the south gate, they could see beginners scattering toward the hunting grounds.
If there was one thing they had in common, it was that most belonged to guilds and were equipped with the bare minimum. Those not affiliated with guilds were few.
"Where are we going now?"
"To the southern forest of Lawrence."
All of Lawrence's hunting grounds had difficulty levels suitable for beginners. The reason they were heading specifically to the southern forest was because of the hidden piece Seokgyu had mentioned.
'The reason I was able to grow strong in such a short time was partly due to the hidden class, Necromancer, but discovering Viscount Radek's castle in the southern forest of Lawrence was a major factor.'
The Necromancer Ji Seokgyu had told him to make sure to conquer Viscount Radek's castle in the southern forest of Lawrence, and had explained how to find it.
'In the southern forest of Lawrence, there are gargoyle statues at the eastern, western, southern, and northern points, with a certain location as the center. If you destroy them all, the barrier is dispelled and you can reach Viscount Radek's castle. I happened to find it while smashing everything in my path.'
The southern forest of Lawrence was not far away.
'If even I, who's from Lawrence, didn't know about it, then it's definitely a hidden piece. I can monopolize it.'
They walked quickly and arrived before long.
"Master, it says this is private property?"
The moment they entered the southern forest of Lawrence, Seokgyu read the visible signboard and spoke. Jinhyeok checked the warning sign.
[This vicinity is the private property of the Ronin Guild. Unauthorized hunting will be dealt with by the guild.]
Jinhyeok frowned after reading the warning sign.
Hunting ground monopolization.
It was a common sight near starter cities.
The guilds established in starter cities were mostly large, and since beginners made up the majority in starter cities, it was difficult to rebel against them.
Outside of starter cities, it was relatively rare to see hunting grounds monopolized.
On the contrary, dungeon monopolies were common.
"What should we do?"
Seokgyu asked. He seemed terrified after reading the warning sign.
"Ignore it."
An immediate answer. Jinhyeok was not so idle as to humor such petty turf wars.
"What?"
Seokgyu looked surprised at Jinhyeok's words.
"But is it okay to just enter private property?"
"Don't worry. Nothing will happen."
After reassuring Seokgyu, Jinhyeok took the lead. As he walked ahead, Seokgyu had no choice but to follow.
Before long, they encountered a group of goblins. At the appearance of monsters one would only see in games or movies, Seokgyu drew his sword with a nervous expression.
"What should I do?"
"Don't ask me. Judge for yourself."
Jinhyeok answered in a cold voice. Seokgyu needed to get accustomed to real combat as well.
There were three goblins.
Given the talent Jinhyeok had seen from Seokgyu up until now, he should be able to handle them easily.
Jinhyeok silently placed his hand on his sword hilt. He planned to intervene if it looked like Seokgyu was being pushed back.
"Huu!"
Seokgyu took a light deep breath to relieve his tension. Then, keeping his sword aimed, he slowly closed the distance to the goblins.
Jinhyeok silently observed him. Fortunately, the goblins didn't seem to be carrying poison blowpipes. If they had been armed with those, they would have been annoying to deal with.
"Use Chamgui."
Chamgui was a specter that enhanced a sword's cutting power.
"Understood."
At Jinhyeok's advice, Seokgyu nodded. He moved a large amount of mana to summon the specter onto his blade.
"Karsen!"
Ominous mana enveloped the sword. And behind him, the soul of a knight faintly revealed itself.
The jet-black knight held a greatsword.
As the specter revealed its presence, the goblins instinctively felt fear and stepped back. But Seokgyu, wielding the phantom's sword, had no intention of letting them go peacefully.
His green-tinged eyes flashed as he closed the distance in an instant. Then he swung his sword, cutting the body of the goblin positioned at the front.
"Kerk?"
Cut in two.
With the blow imbued with Chamgui, its upper and lower body separated. The goblin, not yet dead, let out a futile groan as it looked at its severed lower body.
"Kieeeek!"
Did goblins actually have camaraderie? One goblin rushed in with a dagger, but as Seokgyu swung his sword with clean movements, its head flew off.
The last remaining goblin also suffered a deep wound to its upper body and collapsed.
"Huu!"
After the battle ended, Seokgyu took a deep breath to calm his excited self. It had been a brief moment, but to him, it felt like a long time.
'His growth rate is fast.'
In that brief moment, though it was merely a battle against goblins, Jinhyeok saw much.
'To think he'd master basic swordsmanship in just one day.'
He had taught him personally, but the growth rate was astonishing.
Jinhyeok acquired a small amount of silver and a usable dagger from the goblin corpses.
Goblins had a habit of carrying human currency like medals, so by hunting them, one could collect small amounts of silver like this.
If one was lucky, gold sometimes dropped as well.
Goblins that carried gold were called Golden Goblins by the people of the Otherworld.
"Let's move on."
"Yes."
Jinhyeok finished looting and headed toward the place the Necromancer Ji Seokgyu had mentioned. Before long, they were able to discover a gargoyle statue.
It was the barrier stone maintaining the barrier around Viscount Radek's castle that the Necromancer Ji Seokgyu had spoken of in the first round.
"I can feel tremendous mana."
Seokgyu spoke. As expected of an elite who had awakened mana in the selection exam, he seemed to notice that it was no ordinary statue.
"There are three more barrier stones shaped like this in the forest. If you destroy them all, the path to the vampire's territory opens."
"Vampires... you mean?"
"Don't be scared. They're lower-level than you'd think."
Jinhyeok answered and fired a mana bolt.
A mana bolt was a spell that fired pure mana to inflict damage.
True to its nature as a dungeon guardian in a beginner area, the barrier stone pathetically shattered after just a few wordlessly completed mana bolts.
"Let's go."
Jinhyeok moved with Seokgyu and destroyed the other three barrier stones.
When the last barrier stone was destroyed, an invisible curtain lifted, revealing a vampire's ancient castle beneath an alien black sky.
"Even though I said they're low-level, what they're holding isn't toy swords, so be careful."
Jinhyeok entered the vampire's territory first. Seokgyu swallowed dryly and followed.
There were no obstructions, and after walking for about ten minutes, they arrived in front of the castle gate.
Jinhyeok silently fired mana bolts.
After about ten shots connected, the wooden gate was effortlessly smashed apart.
In the courtyard, over twenty vampires were waiting for the two.
"Welcome, humans. As a reward for discerning my barrier, I have prepared a banquet."
A vampire in neat evening wear smiled, revealing sharp fangs. Judging from the circumstances, he was certainly Viscount Radek.
"Master, our retreat is blocked."
At Seokgyu's words, Jinhyeok turned his head toward the gate. Five vampires were blocking the way.
"Don't worry."
Jinhyeok calmly assessed the enemy forces. Excluding Viscount Radek, there were twenty-one, all armed with iron breastplates, halberds, and longswords.
The corner of Jinhyeok's lips rose upon seeing them.
'I'll be able to arm quite a lot of undead.'
Though very small in scale, it was still a proper territory. There would be an armory inside the castle. If they plundered that as well, they would be able to arm dozens of undead with iron weapons.
To form a powerful undead army, proficiency and strong mana were important, but the quality of equipment was also crucial.
Since it was difficult to raise proficiency and mana immediately, the only way to obtain strong military force was to secure equipment and arm the undead army.
"Humans, I shall kill you in a most gruesome manner."
Viscount Radek spoke, his red eyes flashing.
"Shall we see who dies gruesomely?"
Jinhyeok turned his head to look at Seokgyu. Despite the precarious situation, he had not drawn his sword. Because Jinhyeok's command had not yet fallen.
"Ji Seokgyu, draw your sword."
"Understood, Master."
"Remember. End it in one blow with Chamgui."
Seokgyu nodded and manifested Chamgui Karsen upon his sword.
"That specter's aura...! Could it be... a Specter Swordsman? Impossible! The lineage of Specter Swordsmen should have been severed since ancient times!"
"It's too early to be surprised."
Jinhyeok said with a smirk as he watched Viscount Radek panic at the appearance of a Specter Swordsman.
And he opened his subspace.
"This scent... the scent of death!"
Viscount Radek frowned at the smell of death that began emanating from the subspace.
The scent of death and subspace.
He prayed that it was not the worst thing he could imagine.
But reality was cruel, and it betrayed his expectations.
The army of death revealed itself. Undead with nothing but skeletal frames surrounded Jinhyeok and Seokgyu as if to protect them.
"Could it be... that a Necromancer still remained...."
Viscount Radek surveyed the undead army with trembling eyes.
"But nothing changes! Attack!"
The vampires began their assault. The undead army fought back. But as time passed, the undead army was gradually being pushed back.
"Strike the Necromancer! He is weak in close combat!"
Necromancers were classified as mages. And it was common knowledge that mages were weak in close combat.
A vampire knight in full plate armor broke through the defensive line with five vampires and approached Jinhyeok.
"Master!"
Seokgyu moved to protect Jinhyeok. However.
"I'll handle the Specter Swordsman!"
The vampire knight unfolded marvelous swordsmanship and blocked his path. He judged that since this was close combat, if he just blocked the Swordsman, the ordinary vampires would be able to kill the hidden-class Necromancer.
"Kill the Necromancer!"
The five vampires surrounded Jinhyeok. And each took a stance, aiming the tips of their swords and halberds.
A storm-like attack would soon follow. But Jinhyeok smiled leisurely.
"Weak in close combat?"
He drew his sword with a sneer.
"Who said that!"
The swiftly swung sword cut through the necks of the five vampires.