Surviving the Apocalypse as an All-Time Best Overpowered Necromancer - Chapter 105
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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Chapter 105
105. A Day in December (6)
‘Since it’s strength-based, an accessory would be perfect.’
Having reached the third floor while chatting with Seo Hwa-rin about this and that, Lee Gang-hyuk set down the Catapult Core and nodded to himself.
He’d already crafted a staff as a Christmas gift, and with a Bone Armor made from Yeti materials on hand, making an accessory seemed like the right move.
Having decided, Lee Gang-hyuk activated his skill.
“Bone Accessory Crafting!”
He quickly scrolled past the notifications that appeared before his eyes and completed the bracelet.
[Bone Bracelet]
– A bracelet made from the Core of a mutated Zombie.
– The wearer’s Strength increases by 3 points and throwing ability is enhanced.
– When throwing an object, the Core resonates and forcibly activates the arm and shoulder muscles for 20 seconds.
– During activation, throwing speed and destructive power increase slightly, and thrown objects gain strong rotational force.
(Cooldown: 10 minutes)
“Throwing?”
“Throwing?”
Hearing Lee Gang-hyuk’s murmur, Seo Hwa-rin tilted her head and examined the bracelet.
“It’s… really an ability befitting a Catapult, isn’t it?”
After checking the ability, she started to say something but deliberately swallowed the words and spoke differently.
To that, Lee Gang-hyuk spoke what she’d held back instead.
“Seems like a pretty useless ability, doesn’t it?”
“Ha-ha…”
Seo Hwa-rin laughed awkwardly at his words and asked a question.
“But what’s the range for objects?”
“Pardon?”
The range of objects?
At her sudden question, Lee Gang-hyuk tilted his head in confusion, and Seo Hwa-rin pointed to the bracelet.
“It just says ‘object,’ but there’s no exact criteria listed.”
Certainly…
Just as Seo Hwa-rin said, it only mentioned “object” with no precise definition.
If that were the case, couldn’t skills work as well?
“We should test that at some point.”
As he stroked his chin and nodded at her words, a sudden image of a massive Zombie Core flashed through his mind.
He didn’t know why.
But for some reason, the urge to craft it grew unnaturally strong.
However, since he’d intended to wait until his Craftsmanship improved, Lee Gang-hyuk furrowed his brow and tried to shake the thought from his mind—
But the more he fought it, the stronger the compulsion to craft right now became.
‘Something’s there.’
Lee Gang-hyuk, for whom this had never happened before, sensed intuitively that this was no trivial impulse.
‘It would be wasteful to use it now, but there’s probably a reason I need to craft it.’
Unable to resist the compulsion, Lee Gang-hyuk retrieved the massive Zombie Core from a bag he’d set aside and used his skill exactly as his instinct commanded.
“Bone Accessory Crafting!”
His instinct naturally guided him toward a bracelet, and as he nodded in acceptance, countless notifications bloomed before him.
[Crafting Bone Bracelet.]
[Your Craftsmanship affects the crafting process.]
[Low Craftsmanship has caused some ability within the material to deteriorate.]
[Abilities have been adjusted to match your Craftsmanship level.]
[Variable detected.]
[A similar-performance necklace exists in proximity.]
[Use the Bone Necklace as material?]
‘A necklace?’
As Lee Gang-hyuk processed the notification, the necklace around Seo Hwa-rin’s neck responded, emitting a pure white light.
“G-Gang-hyuk?”
Startled, she called out to him, and he reassured her by explaining the situation.
“It looks like it wants to use your necklace as material.”
“Oh…”
Her surprise was brief.
Once she understood what was happening, Seo Hwa-rin hurriedly removed the necklace and handed it to Lee Gang-hyuk.
“Go ahead.”
Slip.
As soon as he confirmed the necklace would be used as material, the Bone Necklace melted away and seeped into the massive Zombie Core.
[The ability granted to the Bone Necklace attempts to fuse with the ability granted to the bracelet.]
[Craftsmanship is still insufficient.]
[Craftsmanship is temporarily compensated.]
[Compensation consumes Health.]
[Compensation consumes Mana.]
[Compensation reduces Experience.]
[Craftsmanship needed for creation is now satisfied.]
[Via compensation, some ability within the material is restored.]
“Ugh.”
As the fusion began and his Health and Mana drained, Lee Gang-hyuk’s brow furrowed involuntarily.
More than half his Health and Mana had been consumed in mere moments.
But even that wasn’t enough—his Experience also began to drop.
Then, as the insufficient Craftsmanship was satisfied, the massive Zombie Core gradually began to take shape.
And simultaneously…
[Crafting successful!]
[You have crafted a Bone Bracelet.]
As the notification confirming the bracelet’s completion appeared, Lee Gang-hyuk collapsed onto the floor.
Overwhelming fatigue had washed over him.
“Gang-hyuk!”
“…I’m fine.”
The moment Seo Hwa-rin rushed to his side and he offered her a smile—
A new notification appeared before Lee Gang-hyuk’s eyes.
[Achievement unlocked!]
[Transcend Your Limits!]
– You have successfully created an item by transcending your personal limits.
[You receive bonus Experience for achieving this milestone, and Craftsmanship increases by 5 points.]
[Congratulations. You have leveled up. All physical stats increase by 1.]
…
…
[Consumed Health and Mana are restored.]
“Phew.”
As he leveled up from the achievement, the exhaustion that had overwhelmed him vanished entirely.
Having caught his breath, he told the worried Seo Hwa-rin that he’d leveled up, then examined the bracelet he’d just crafted.
[Greedy Bone Bracelet]
– A bracelet made from the Core of a Zombie that has successfully undergone a second Mutation.
– Performance enhanced by fusion with a necklace crafted from a mutated Zombie Core.
– Natural recovery speed of Mana and Core Power greatly increased.
– Health + 5
– Strength + 5
– When Health drops below 50%, you enter the Hunger status condition.
– Hunger: Appetite increases.
– While in Hunger, Mana and Agility each drop by 2 points, but the effect of the Gluttony skill is enhanced.
– Gluttony skill unlocked.
* Gluttony (Active)
– Upon activation, Health and Strength increase for 20 seconds. (+10)
(While in Hunger, +2 is added.)
– While active, the potency of all attacks, including skills, increases.
(While in Hunger, potency increases further.)
– After activation, Health permanently decreases. (-20)
(The reduced amount gradually recovers as you consume food.)
“Ha?”
Upon checking the bracelet’s specifications, he let out an awkward laugh; Seo Hwa-rin followed suit, examining it as well, and she too gave a hollow chuckle before asking.
“…That’s good, right?”
“It is good. It’s definitely the best item I’ve made so far, but… the drawback is a bit concerning. Still, pairing it with this other bracelet should give good Synergy.”
In answer to her question, Lee Gang-hyuk wiggled the bracelet he’d made from the Catapult Core.
“You’re right about that.”
As Seo Hwa-rin nodded in agreement, Lee Gang-hyuk chuckled wryly and pointed upward.
“Let’s head back up. Everyone must be waiting.”
“Right.”
* * *
“You’re here?”
“How is Ha-neul doing?”
Upon reaching the twenty-third floor, the two encountered Seo A-rin, who had just stepped into the hallway.
Lee Gang-hyuk asked about Yu Ha-neul’s condition, and Seo A-rin shrugged with a smile.
“He’s asleep. There’s nothing quite like sleep for recovering Core Power.”
He was relieved to hear that, but upon seeing the red clothes Seo A-rin was holding, Lee Gang-hyuk felt awkward and asked.
“I see. But that…those are…”
“Ta-da! What do you think? Pretty convincing, right?”
“…Yes.”
As soon as he asked, she unfurled the outfit with a bright smile, and upon seeing the Santa Outfit, Lee Gang-hyuk gave a wry smile and reluctantly nodded.
At that moment—
“I have something I need to check on.”
Seo Hwa-rin said so and fled toward the greenhouse.
Seo A-rin, seemingly intent on catching her, handed the outfit to Lee Gang-hyuk and spoke.
“Please wear it when you come up for dinner.”
With that, Seo A-rin dashed after Seo Hwa-rin, and—
Left alone in the hallway, Lee Gang-hyuk sighed at the sight of the clothes she’d given him.
Still…
Out of respect for the effort she’d put in, he should at least try it on. With that thought, Lee Gang-hyuk trudged down to his own floor.
* * *
Having changed into the Santa Outfit and returned to the twenty-third floor, he spotted Kang Pil-du dressed identically and couldn’t help but chuckle.
“Suits you pretty well.”
“…I could say the same to you, couldn’t I?”
“…”
As Kang Pil-du shot back, Lee Gang-hyuk realized he was in the same predicament and exhaled a small, silent sigh.
Kang Pil-du sighed identically, shaking his head as he continued.
“I wish today would end quickly.”
“Same here.”
At his agreement, Seo Hwa-rin, who had been caught and forced to change by Seo A-rin, emerged into the hallway with flushed cheeks.
Unlike the men in their Santa suits, her outfit was a red one-piece dress.
“Is… is it okay?”
“…It suits you.”
“We could’ve made ours look a bit better too.”
At the follow-up question, Lee Gang-hyuk and Kang Pil-du looked down at their own outfits and shook their heads.
She looked so impressive in her dress that their own Santa suits felt shabby by comparison.
Yet Seo Hwa-rin herself seemed uncomfortable and uneasy, giving a wry smile.
“Since I’ve never worn something like this before, it still feels strange.”
Being a carpenter and architect by trade, Seo Hwa-rin typically wore nothing but a plain T-shirt and jeans.
Perhaps for that reason—
Wearing the one-piece, she felt oddly as if she weren’t wearing clothes at all, which made everything feel awkward.
And as time passed, her face only grew redder because of that feeling.
“Come on, everyone, let’s go see the kids!”
At that moment, Seo A-rin burst through the door with a triumphant smile.
Her outfit was a two-piece Santa suit, unlike Seo Hwa-rin’s.
“…”
As her shapely legs showed prominently with the short skirt, Lee Gang-hyuk averted his gaze uncertainly and led the way to the children’s home.
“The weather’s cold. Isn’t that skirt too short?”
Following behind, Kang Pil-du asked with concern, and Seo A-rin pulled up her stockings.
“It’s fine. I’m wearing thermal tights.”
“…Alright then.”
Caught off guard by her sudden action, Kang Pil-du shook his head awkwardly and continued walking.
“You’re here!”
Upon entering the children’s home, Yu Ha-neul greeted them warmly with a bright smile.
His expression was cheerful, suggesting his Core Power had recovered, so Lee Gang-hyuk nodded in relief.
“Yeah. You look great in it, by the way.”
“You look good too!”
“…Thanks.”
Complimenting how cute he looked in the Santa suit, Yu Ha-neul replied at once. Knowing it was a genuine compliment but still finding the outfit awkward, Lee Gang-hyuk gave a wry smile and stepped inside.
Then, hearing the sound, Yu Bit-na emerged from the room into the living room.
She wore a two-piece outfit like Seo A-rin’s, but it looked less like a Santa suit and more like a magical girl costume.
“You look good too, Bit-na.”
“…Thank you.”
As the compliments continued, Yu Bit-na bowed shyly and examined Lee Gang-hyuk and Kang Pil-du carefully before smiling.
“As I thought, you both look great in your outfits.”
“W-well…”
“…Good work.”
Lee Gang-hyuk and Kang Pil-du scratched their cheeks and nodded at her pleased expression, then gathered in front of the tree and spent a pleasant time talking about various things.
A short while later—
While Seo Hwa-rin and Seo A-rin stepped away to prepare dinner—
Lee Gang-hyuk retrieved the bracelet made from the Catapult Core from his pocket and handed it to Yu Ha-neul.
“Oh, by the way. Take this.”
“Huh?”
As Yu Ha-neul took the bracelet with a confused expression, Lee Gang-hyuk smiled and shrugged.
“It’s a bracelet made from the Catapult you caught.”
“Ah! Th-thank you so much!”
“Don’t mention it. I only made it because you helped me out.”
At his words, Yu Ha-neul’s mood brightened, and he immediately put on the bracelet with a grin, prompting Yu Bit-na to cast an envious look. Lee Gang-hyuk chuckled and spoke to her.
“Don’t worry. I’ll make you one later when I get a chance.”
“Yes!”
At her energetic response, Lee Gang-hyuk’s smile deepened.
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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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