The Martial God Becomes a Necromancer and Conquers the Tower - Chapter 66
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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 66
Episode 66
What did I need most, right now, to grow strong quickly and effectively?
After thinking it over, the answer narrowed to one thing.
“Pharmaceutical research.”
Specialized medicinal broths to supplement External Cultivation, and elixirs for the Ghoul Evolution Technique.
If I could use all manner of Spirit Elixirs and materials that came from the Dimensional Tower as ingredients for these, my growth would accelerate beyond anything I’d known before.
‘In the old days, I didn’t even have the means to attempt it.’
Dimensional Tower materials were so expensive that grinding them into pharmaceutical stock was an extravagance beyond measure.
A single material cost as much as an apartment, and the thought of brewing and drinking it would have been unimaginable for who I once was.
But now?
Now money flowed in abundance.
From daily revenues, from gambling profits, from government favors.
I had enough capital now to pour Dimensional Tower materials into a cauldron without hesitation.
“It’s worth investigating.”
I summoned Jekal Yuyeon at once.
“Jekal.”
Light flared, and Jekal Yuyeon emerged.
“You called for me, Patriarch?”
“Yes. I’m thinking of undertaking pharmaceutical research in earnest.”
“Pharmaceutical research? You mean broths for External Cultivation and elixirs for the Ghoul Evolution Technique.”
She was quick to understand—that was what I appreciated about her.
Tell her one thing, and she grasped ten.
“Exactly. I’m planning to use Dimensional Tower materials in the work. But where should we do it?”
“Both the physical world and the Personal Reality are possible, though—”
Jekal Yuyeon fanned herself gently as she continued her explanation.
“I’d recommend the Personal Reality.”
“Ah. It works there too?”
“Yes. Normally, items from the physical world cannot be brought into the Dimensional Tower, but the Personal Reality is an exception.”
This was something I’d found confusing myself.
“The Personal Reality isn’t part of the Tower—it’s classified as ‘reality’ that belongs entirely to you. So there’s no restriction on bringing physical-world items into it.”
“Ah, I see. So the Personal Reality is like my personal warehouse within the Tower, and the system doesn’t object even if I put real-world items in it?”
“Precisely.”
‘Then there’s no problem conducting research in the Personal Reality.’
In fact, it was preferable.
The physical world was cramped and I had to mind others’ eyes, but the Personal Reality was my domain—I could build a laboratory as large as I wished.
And if some dangerous experiment went wrong and exploded, the physical world wouldn’t suffer any damage.
“Good. We’ll do it in the Personal Reality. I’ll need to order equipment first.”
I immediately placed bulk orders for state-of-the-art compression heaters, precision measurement instruments, and everything else the research would require.
Then I funneled them all into the Personal Reality.
With money abundant, equipping the lab felt effortless.
“But here’s the thing—who’s actually going to conduct the research? Surely you don’t expect me to do it myself?”
To be honest, while I had knowledge of pharmaceutical preparation, I didn’t have the temperament to sit and focus on meticulous research for hours.
A martial master wasn’t a researcher.
“Don’t worry about that. I’ll oversee the research on your behalf.”
“You?”
“Alchemy, metallurgy, herbalism—these aren’t my specialty fields, but coordinating and harmonizing the overall effort is entirely within my capacity.”
A true jack-of-all-trades.
Tactics, governance, and now research oversight.
Without her, I wondered if my forces could even function.
“However.”
Jekal Yuyeon added a condition.
“We’ll need additional personnel to handle the practical work. I’d recommend recruiting Sentient Undead alchemists.”
“Sentient Undead alchemists?”
“Yes. Pharmaceutical compounding and refinement is specialized work. Even if I coordinate, we need skilled hands to execute it efficiently.”
“That makes sense. But can we actually procure something like that?”
Sentient undead weren’t exactly things you picked up as easily as instant noodles at a convenience store.
“If we search the markets, I’m sure we’ll find a way. Leave that to me.”
“Fine then. You handle it.”
For details like these, delegating to an expert was the wisest course.
If I start paying attention to every little thing, there’d be no end to it.
That was when it happened.
-I could lend a hand with the research as well, Master.
Whitelamb, who’d been working inside the Acha-Dimension, slipped in a comment.
“Oh? You too?”
-Yes. Since I was nominally a scholar of the mystic arts, I could help measure magical fluctuations and analyze the mana affinity of elixirs.
Oh, this one’s more useful than I thought.
Whitelamb was a Sentient Undead who’d been a scholar in life.
“Good. Whitelamb, join the research team.”
“I shall do my best.”
Then Asra spoke up as well.
-Well then, I could take charge of the herb collection. Master?
“Ah, right. You’re a specialist in herbalism.”
Asra, true to her witch’s origins, had thorough knowledge of herbs and poisons alike.
I’d once absorbed her herbalist’s knowledge directly, but she was far more precise when handling things in person.
-I can oversee the ingredient combinations for External Cultivation tonics. After all, the Spirit Herbs from the Dimensional Tower are essentially varieties of herbs too, so I’m confident I can work with them.
“That’s reassuring.”
Without quite realizing when, a proper research team had taken shape.
Jekal Yuyeon overseeing everything, Whitelamb analyzing magical properties, Asra handling herbal combinations.
With the addition of an Alchemist’s Corpse to fill out the roster, it would be a perfectly rounded lineup.
“Excellent. Then all of you just get to work efficiently. I just need to enjoy the results, right?”
“The master need only prepare to grow stronger.”
Jekal Yuyeon smiled with the beguiling grace characteristic of True Vampire nobility.
This one… wasn’t like this in my past life…
Still, having capable subordinates makes life remarkably convenient.
Yes. This is one of the perks of building a faction.
After all, the saying that talent is treasure proved true whether you lived in past or present, whether you were living or dead.
So I set broadcasting aside for a time and threw myself into research alongside my subordinates.
The viewers would surely complain about another hiatus, but growth had to come first.
Once I was stronger, I’d repay them with some thrilling content.
And a few days later.
Jekal Yuyeon somehow managed to procure something.
“Master. I’ve obtained the Alchemist’s Corpse.”
“Oh. You really got it?”
“Yes. It happened to be listed at the marketplace. We were fortunate.”
A dead alchemist’s corpse was being sold at the marketplace.
The Dimensional Tower’s marketplace truly was a place where you could find anything.
I immediately used the Self-Reclamation skill on the corpse.
A howling sound echoed forth.
Necromantic power seeped into the body, and slowly, the light of consciousness returned to those empty eyes.
“Mm… where… is this the netherworld?”
The corpse stirred, blinking its eyes as it pushed itself upright.
An old man with a long, snow-white beard hanging down to his chest.
“Not the netherworld exactly. Though it’s close enough to it, I suppose.”
“I died, then… ah, yes. I remember now.”
The old man grasped the situation remarkably quickly.
He had the swift understanding of a Daoist about death and resurrection—apparently a benefit of his training in the mystic arts.
“My name is Yeo Han. I lived during the era of Song, a Daoist who trained with the Maoshan Sect and gained some mastery in Daoist Mystical Arts and Alchemy.”
“The Maoshan Sect!”
This was pure jackpot.
The Maoshan Sect—one of the great centers of Daoist Mystical Arts, famous throughout the ages!
And though lesser-known, it was also a school with considerable skill in Alchemy.
And why was that?
Because Ge Hong, the founding patriarch of the Maoshan Sect, authored the legendary Baopuzi, the definitive alchemical treatise!
This was exactly the kind of talent I needed.
“What fortune to meet such a person! This is excellent!”
I grabbed the old man’s hand with a beaming face.
“I was just in need of an Alchemy specialist. This worked out perfectly.”
“Heh heh. I scarcely know what to do with myself, receiving such a warm welcome.”
The old man Yeo Han looked flustered yet pleased by the reception.
Waking in a strange place after death, I was confused by the sudden welcome, yet somehow pleased.
“I’m a person who respects free will, so I’ll give you a choice. Will you research Alchemy under me and work in my service? Or shall I return you to the earth? If you choose to work for me, I promise fair treatment.”
At my words, the old man chuckled softly.
“Master, this body is already dead. Since you’ve given me the grace of opening my eyes once more, I’ll gladly lend you my skills.”
“Excellent. Then let’s begin the research at once.”
And so Yeo Han joined the research team.
Jekal Yuyeon overseeing operations, Whitelamb analyzing magical power, Asra handling medicinal herbs, and Yeo Han managing the practical alchemy work.
The dream team was complete.
And the results were—
extraordinary.
* * *
“You created this in just three days?”
I stared at the completed elixir, speechless.
When Yeo Han’s alchemy combined with the Spirit Herbs from the Dimensional Tower, the synergy was explosive.
“It’s a Ghoul Enhancement Elixir. It will be on an entirely different level from what was made with earthly materials.”
Yeo Han stroked his beard with satisfaction.
“How does it compare to what I used to make?”
“Well, it should be at least several times more potent.”
Several times more potent.
The elixir I’d made myself was powerful enough to evolve Heuk Baek Musang into a Copper-tier Ghoul, and now this was several times stronger than that?
“If I don’t test this, I’ll never get any sleep from the curiosity.”
I decided to run an experiment immediately.
“Heuk Baek Musang. Ho Poong Hwan Woo. All of you, come out.”
I summoned all six Copper-tier Ghouls.
Then I pushed them one by one into a bath filled with the newly created Enhancement Elixir.
Roooaarrr.
The elixir bubbled violently as a terrible aura seeped into the ghouls’ bodies.
The reaction was on an entirely different scale from the previous elixir.
And moments later.
A system message appeared.
[The Copper-tier Ghoul undergoes special evolution.]
[It has evolved into an Iron-tier Ghoul.]
“Iron-tier!”
Ghouls have rankings.
Copper, Iron, Jade, Silver, Gold.
There are five tiers in ascending order, with Copper being the lowest.
With this evolution, both Heuk Baek Musang and Ho Poong Hwan Woo had jumped up one rank to Iron-tier.
“Iron-tier Ghouls, then….”
When I opened the information window, the specs were beyond imagination.
Their combat power had skyrocketed compared to before.
“Damn, they’re incredibly strong!”
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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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