My Catastrophic‑Level Summon Devours Gates - Chapter 6

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Episode 6

Cheonho-dong Rodeo Street.

Originally a place that sold various clothing stores and food.

But after the Gate called [Cave of Darkness] appeared, hunter convenience facilities were also established.

“Jack O’Lantern that lasts one hour in the Gate! Only 100,000 won!”

“Don’t you know that night vision is essential for the Cave of Darkness?”

“We rent out Warrior Equipment.”

“Cheap. Cheap!”

The area near the Gate had a market atmosphere.

Street vendors and store owners soliciting customers.

“Any mage going for a random clear?”

“Healer on standby.”

There were also hunters forming parties on the spot or checking their equipment.

Still, this was considered quiet.

The fixed Gate at Rodeo Street wasn’t very popular.

In front of profitable and easy-to-clear Gates, hundreds of people were the norm.

There were even waiting lines to enter, so that says it all.

Squeak, squeak.

Just as I was about to enter the Gate with my old Carrier.

“Hey. Mister.”

A Giant Man about 190 centimeters tall blocked my way.

Broad shoulders.

The badge attached to his chest was naturally exposed.

That’s a Hwarang Mark.

Why would someone from one of the top 5 domestic guilds come to an unpopular Gate?

“What is it?”

“You look like a mage, join our party.”

The Giant Man leaned down slightly and whispered secretively.

“The boss is about to respawn. We’re going to hunt it.”

What was he talking about?

Fixed Gate boss respawn times come up with just a little searching.

Since hunting records remain, you can roughly figure out the timing by calculating respawn times.

“I prefer going alone.”

“Why are you speaking informally, mister?”

“You spoke casually first.”

“Hah.”

When the Giant Man got angry, the Girl standing next to him snorted.

“Forget it. They’re offering to give us a ride on the bus but you’re refusing.”

“If it wasn’t for the guild mission, there’d be no reason to even talk to them. Tsk.”

The Hwarang Guild members were playing both drums and janggu.

Were they telling the newbies to go on at least a rough raid?

Well, it’s none of my business.

Sir Isra’s combat power is beyond E-rank.

There’s nothing to worry about even if I go alone.

After watching the unfunny farce, I entered the Gate.

* * *

[You have entered the Cave of Darkness.]

Entry Requirement: E-rank (100)

Type: Fixed

The interior of the Gate was shrouded in darkness.

Except for the blue light emitted by the rift, not a single point of light could be found.

Near the entrance, I unzipped the Carrier and quickly assembled its contents.

【Hyaaaah!】

“Don’t you think you could drop that pathetic scream by now?”

【You can say that because you haven’t experienced it yourself.】

“Yes, yes.”

Listening to Sir Isra’s complaints with one ear and letting them out the other, I pulled out a wrist-length bone.

【That’s rather blunt for a weapon.】

“Your weapon is right there.”

I pointed to the Bone Sword I had carved when teaching him swordsmanship.

【Does what you’re holding have a different purpose?】

“Yeah. It’s a substitute for a lamp.”

I finely ground the Luminous Powder I had brought in advance and sprinkled it on the bone.

[Corpse Processing]

The bone absorbed the Luminous Powder and began to glow.

【What kind of magic did you use?】

“I absorbed the energy of the Luminous Powder and manifested it as magic power.”

Simply sprinkling the powder wouldn’t produce such bright light.

I used the death mana dwelling in the bone, in other words spiritual power, as a medium to drive away the darkness.

“This way it’s much cheaper.”

The regular price for a one-hour Magic Lamp is 80,000 won.

The Gate merchant sucker edition adds an extra 20,000 won.

On the other hand, Luminous Powder and a piece of bone cost about 5,000 won.

The duration was also much longer.

【You’re skilled at utilizing magic power.】

“If I didn’t do this, my wallet would have had holes in it.”

Making a proper undead costs at least hundreds of thousands of won.

If damage occurs during hunting, additional costs pile up.

So I researched all sorts of ways to reduce costs using Corpse Processing abilities.

【Impressive. Applying the spiritual power dwelling in corpses is difficult even for intermediate necromancers.】

It feels very strange when you praise me.

Considering you drove necromancers to extinction.

【It’s an objective assessment, so accept it gladly.】

“Yes. Yes. Thank you.”

The [Cave of Darkness] has a tunnel-like structure with blocked ceiling and sides.

【It’s higher than the Workshop, so it’s livable.】

“Even though you got shorter.”

Orc Zombie MK. 42 was about 1 meter 90 centimeters tall.

Sir Isra after the modification is just over 160 centimeters.

Even standing with his back straight, he wouldn’t touch the Workshop ceiling.

“Krek. Krek.”

Rough breathing sounds flowed from the opposite end of the passage.

A grotesque being emerging into the light.

A humanoid monster that moved on all fours—it was an underground dweller.

“Sir Isra.”

【I’ve been waiting for this.】

Isra gripping his Bone Sword stepped forward.

“Underground dwellers are stronger than kobolds.”

They have adhesive properties on their hands and feet, allowing them to move on walls and ceilings.

They induce openings in hunters with three-dimensional movement.

They leap like frogs to inflict fatal wounds.

Instead of using tools.

Their physical abilities are far superior to kobolds.

This was why the [Cave of Darkness] was unpopular.

【Don’t worry. The body you modified for me is sufficient.】

For a moment, Sir Isra’s body seemed to stretch out.

Tremendous speed.

With a single leap, he reached near the group of underground dwellers.

Slash—

He severed an underground dweller’s neck with his Bone Knife.

“Crazy.”

How can a zombie achieve that kind of speed?

A movement impossible with Sir Isra’s specs.

Even with a 50% additional stat boost.

Running at a speed that left afterimages was impossible.

【I applied a method of using magic power.】

“A zombie using magic power?”

【Though it’s a realm not permitted to this body, one can use it skillfully.】

My mind goes blank.

You need to be at least a B-rank Hunter to enhance or burst your body with magic power.

So he really was the continent’s strongest knight.

I never thought he could apply the meager spiritual power that forms the basis of zombies like that.

【Since it’s irregular, it doesn’t produce proper power.】

Hmm.

Even that alone is amazing, isn’t it.

“Did you do the same thing with the kobolds?”

【Oh. Good, you understand quickly.】

No.

I don’t understand at all.

“Krererk!”

The underground dweller drew its legs together then spread them, pushing hard against the ground.

Like a frog, it leaped quickly.

Throwing its entire body as it charged at Sir Isra.

【I detest undignified fighting.】

Swahahahak!

The underground dweller’s body was cut in half.

Green blood splattered everywhere, but barely touched Sir Isra’s body.

“Sir!”

【Hehe. This is my true skill.】

“You said you’d make it undead, but what do we do if you cut it in half!”

Ugh.

My fate.

[Corpse Crafting] isn’t an ability that creates undead instantly like necromancer spells.

To revive the underground dweller cut in half, I’d have to sew it back together!

【Ah. I see.】

“Please be careful next time.”

After grumbling briefly, I approached the underground dwellers’ corpses.

One of the four bodies is scrapped.

I’ll have to turn the remaining three into zombies.

The first step was inserting the E-grade Magic Stones I’d prepared beforehand into the corpses’ chests.

【Is this a meaningful action?】

“They need to ripen before I can make them into undead.”

They must fully absorb spiritual energy to become targets for [Corpse Crafting].

For natural maturation, they need to be left in shade for several days.

They must be salted and managed to prevent decay.

When would I have time for that in a Gate?

Converting the power contained in Magic Stones into spiritual energy.

Using [Corpse Processing] to drastically accelerate the maturation process.

There was much more work to be done besides that.

Connecting the cleanly severed head and neck with thread.

Cutting flesh with a scalpel, then adjusting bones with hammer and chisel.

To change the quadrupedal underground dwellers into bipedal forms, I had to restructure their skeletons too.

About 20 minutes per specimen.

Sir Isra looked around the surroundings.

【Won’t other hunters come in?】

“This Gate has multiple entrances.”

There’s only one crack connected to the outside world.

But upon entering, people are scattered to various points.

This was also why I hadn’t encountered those annoying bastards I met before entry.

“Awaken.”

[Corpse Crafting]

Three underground dwellers rose up staggering.

Sir Isra stepped back one pace.

【Your time has come.】

“I’ll show you the results of yesterday’s training while getting beaten up.”

Three zombies swayed forward, leading the way.

* * *

How long had we been advancing?

“Krerererk!”

Four underground dwellers blocked the path.

3 versus 4.

It was worth trying.

While it’s common knowledge that undead have lower specs compared to the same grade.

My zombies were special-made, possessing abilities comparable to their originals.

【Are you really sure you don’t need my help?】

“Just cross your arms and watch.”

The zombies stood side by side with spacing between them.

The underground dwellers twitched their antennae several times instead of using their degenerated eyes, then drew their feet together.

A precursor to charging.

It was fascinating.

Like watching a slow-motion video.

I could see the underground dweller’s movements clearly.

The moment I ‘recognized’ the attack, commands were input to the undead.

Whoosh!

The frog-like leap matched the momentum of a soccer player kicking a ball with all their might.

“Uuuugh.”

Like a dodgeball player catching a ball.

With its buttocks slightly pulled back and both arms spread wide, the zombie caught the underground dweller.

In the process, claws tore through skin as they dug in.

“Uuuugh.”

It’s fine.

Zombies don’t know pain.

Injuries won’t slow down their movements.

The Bone Knife pierced into the back of the underground dweller caught in its embrace.

“Krerererk!”

It didn’t kill in one strike.

If once isn’t enough, then twice.

If that’s not enough, swing three times.

“Uuugh!”

The zombie gripping the Bone Knife in reverse stabbed several times.

The underground dweller’s trembling body collapsed downward.

The other underground dweller’s situation was even worse.

It leaped in its species’ characteristic charging posture, but the zombie dodged.

Not missing the opening, it swung the Bone Knife.

The blade sharpened with a Carving Knife grazed past the throat.

“Krek.”

The underground dweller clutched its neck and rolled on the ground.

Two became corpses in an instant.

The remaining two couldn’t last long against the zombies’ coordinated attack either.

“This actually works.”

I was dumbfounded.

They learned my combat abilities.

Furthermore, they moved smoothly according to my will.

Just yesterday, when facing a single kobold, all they could do was crush it by overwhelming force.

【Really. This is…】

Sir Isra trailed off.

“I know. I couldn’t use 100% of the swordsmanship you taught me.”

What I learned yesterday was First Form and Second Form.

Vertical Slash and Horizontal Slash.

He didn’t teach me the crude fighting style of gripping it in reverse and striking down.

Even if I’m dissatisfied, there’s nothing I can do about it.

Hunting four underground dwellers with three zombies without any casualties is quite an achievement.

【You seem to have misunderstood.】

“What?”

【I was trying to say it was impressive.】

Sir Isra clapped his hands.

【To overwhelm enemies with weak zombies. In terms of Control Ability alone, you’re no less than an advanced necromancer!】

“Oh, really?”

【This is guaranteed by Isra, the necromancer slayer. You can trust it!】

Um, teacher.

That title is really bothering me, you know?

Despite feeling uneasy about it.

I couldn’t help the corners of my mouth twitching upward.

【Will you make all four corpses into zombies?】

“No. Three is enough.”

I don’t plan to increase the number of zombies.

This Gate doesn’t have much space.

Even if I make more zombies, there are limits to how many I can deploy simultaneously.

Since I can’t collect Magic Stones or useful Byproducts, it would just be a waste of money and time.

I made three zombies, same as during the first hunt.

I used the remaining corpse to enhance the zombies’ specs and craft Bone Knives.

“At this rate, I might even clear the boss.”

【Beware of overconfidence.】

“Yes, yes.”

I can’t tell if I’m traveling with a familiar.

Or if I’m stuck with a nagging companion.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Team. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————