Chapter 172.
Jung Si-woo, who returned to the resting place, let the group rest and entered the residential area with Caina. Beto was always with Caina during her rest time.
“Oh, my Master! Noona!”
[Beto, I’m glad you’re doing well.]
“I haven’t been away for years, so don’t make me feel like a soldier who has returned from war every time.”
Beto was working hard to produce bullets for the Annihilation Gun with the materials of the Mana stones that Jung Si-woo gathered, but the bullets were being piled up as he hadn’t needed the Gun yet.
“I need you to make me some armor. It could be a consumable one, but it needs to be powerful.”
“I understand what you’re talking about. Artifacts that can invoke consumable boundaries would be appropriate.”
Perhaps because of having the best blacksmith and wizard as parents, Beto was keen on artifacts. With just a few words from Jung Si-woo, he was able to estimate the armor he wanted.
“I’ll get right to it, Master. It won’t belong.”
“All right.”
Jung Si-woo stroked Beto’s head and left the blacksmith’s shop. As always, he thought the fairy Luta would show up and bother him, but surprisingly he couldn’t find her.
[This is a message from Eriu, squeak.]
Instead, Sarite, a servant of the sand tiger Eriu, was waiting for him.
[I’m about to clean up, squeak. I’ll try as hard as I can and get back to you, squeak.]
“Yes, I’ve just come up with a way to help you more.”
[Squeak?]
As Jung Si-woo lifted his left hand engraved with Soul Force’s imprint, causing countless ghosts to pop out. With the appearance of tens of thousands of ghosts, who averaged 100 levels, Sarite’s complexion became white.
[You don’t have to show me more, squeak]
“These guys who won’t die. Oh, if you need a strong man, of course, I’ll help you myself.”
[They are monsters, squeak.]
“I know enough, squeak.”
Sarite went back, shivering. More precisely, he was caught and forced to help Simon with his farming.
[Where am I and who am I, squeak…]
“Oh, my Master, you’re here.”
“Long time no see…huh.”
Jung Si-woo, who stopped by Simon’s house with Sarite, freaked out to see Simon’s wife, Mona’s belly was now as big as the North Mountain.
“Don’t get up, and just rest. Don’t overdo yourself.”
“Thank you for your consideration.”
Come to think of it, wasn’t she already pregnant when she entered this residential area?! Looking at Simon’s worried expression, Jung Si-woo thought he would take care of her even if she wanted to help out.
“So help yourself diligently.”
[Hey…]
That was about the end of his business in the residential area. He thought he would visit Luta but quit because he thought she would’ve been hanging around in the blacksmith if she wanted to talk. There was a lake next to her secret store, which was the entrance to the Abyss anyway, so there would be another chance to face her before entering it.
“But Caina, why aren’t you with Beto? And why are you following me?”
[Master, you forget one thing.]
“What am I forgetting?”
Jung Si-woo tilted his head. Did he do anything to upset Caina? Brought from his reverie, Caina pressured him with glistening violet eyes.
[Isn’t there a change in the master’s skill?]
“Um…ah.”
Only then did Jung Si-woo realize what she wanted. Among Jung Si-woo’s skills, there was only one skill related to Caina: Soul Force. And the Soul Force skill had awakened a new ability by rising to level 10 this time…
“Well, I wish I could have said it’s true.”
[Hmm.]
The new capability was the appointment of a military commander. As the number of ghosts increased to the size of a proper battalion, it became difficult for Jung Si-woo to control the ghosts alone, and as much as that, the ghost army commander could gain spirit from the ghosts to develop his power! Caina now had the body of Dragon knight, of course, but the underlying spirit was able to be reborn as a military commander as much as it was subordinate to the Soul Force.
“Was it embarrassing for you to ask me? You have a cute side, too.”
[Well, isn’t it the master who determines that I’m qualified to be commander of the army…?]
Caina must have had enough desire for strength even if she was worse than Jung Si-woo and reacted more sensitively to the word that she was a military commander than him. He shrugged, smirked, smiled, and held out his hand, still facing her sparkling eyes. It was his left hand engraved with the imprint of Soul Force.
“Okay, I know you’ve devoted yourself to me, even though I don’t have much time. I’ll appoint you as commander.”
[It’s an honor]
Caina naturally knelt in front of him and raised her head, even though no one asked her. Jung Si-woo touched her palm lightly to her bare forehead. Then the imprint on the back of his hand began to glow on Caina’s forehead as well! Along with him, a little spirit was drawn from every ghost he commanded and delivered to Caina, raising her level by nearly 10 in an instant.
[Loud…!]
“Can you hold on to this?”
[Of course…I can!]
Not only did her level rise, but her skills and magic also changed tremendously, and Caina had to suffer from the rapid evolution of the spirituality she experienced for a long time. Of course, the pain didn’t last that long. Soon, the imprint of the Soul Force, which symbolized the position of the commander of the corps, was fully placed on her forehead, and the imprint that shone on the back of Jung Si-woo’s hand also calmed down.
[You have chosen one worthy of the rank of commander and given her the rank of commander. An army commander who can lead all ghosts will help you grow them into the strongest corps in the future.]
[Soul Force skill became Lv11. You will be able to deal with spirituality more naturally.]
Soul Force had grown again! Caina outperformed Jung Si-woo in terms of level, so it wasn’t surprising that these messages were listed. Jung Si-woo vaguely thought so, but in fact, things were a little deeper than that. A commander was a special being who was closely connected to the ghost’s owner. In the process of deepening the connection between the two, the records and experiences of countless years of her life and her life as undead were indirectly conveyed to Jung Si-woo!
As a result, it further improved the Soul Force skill itself, raised the level of the ghosts, and finally developed Jung Si-woo’s ability to control spirits.
[Amazing! Have you been under such pressure?]
Meanwhile, Caina, along with Jung Si-woo, also felt her head throbbing for a moment as she was in charge of the ghost corps. It was as if she had discovered the unexpected side of her master. However, Jung Si-woo spoke in a sullen voice to Caina, who was surprised and admiring him.
“It hasn’t been that long since I’ve felt this pressure…more than that, now that I have chosen you as commander of the army, I think I can do it.”
[What? Oh…no way?]
“Yeah.”
Jung Si-woo nodded calmly and raised the back of his hand. At that moment, all 32,154 ghosts who were asleep in the imprint rushed out!
[Master!]
[I’ll do anything!]
[What a big place!]
[What do I have to do, master?]
“For now.”
Jung Si-woo declared with a faint smile.
“Gather one-hundred men at a time.”
[You ignorant master…]
The ghosts quickly formed 321 groups, including 54 sub-groups, and lined up in front of Jung Si-woo and Caina. It was inevitable that the overall level would fall compared to the 33 groups already active outside and raising their levels. Still, they wouldn’t die anywhere as they achieved an average level of 100.
“From now on, you’re going to spread all over the planet, hunt monsters, and collect Mana stones. In the meantime, don’t forget to report to me immediately if you find another fragment of God.”
[Okay!]
The leadership increased due to the increase of one commander, and the ghosts were dispatched as quickly as they formed into groups. Jung Si-woo and Caina stumbled in unison as they were scattered in 321 groups and ran to the ground.
[It’s…it’s going to be hard to get used to.]
“I was going to go to the Abyss right away, but it’s too much. I’ll have to take a physical exam and train my strength skills.”
[Amazingly, the word rest doesn’t come out there.]
Even at this moment, Caina frowned as she felt unblocked information coming in from ghosts who ran outside. As he became a military commander and improved his ability, she also had a clear burden to bear. However, if she adapted to this, she would display another ability as a commander. Anyway, it was satisfying that she got helping her master.
[However…I realized the true power of the Soul Force only after I became a commander. As ghosts continue to grow, so will the master. Those spirits will be growing in real time.]
“And a power derived from Setnak. I’m just fed up with how strong Setnak can be.”
Moreover, Hecto, the god of power, was comparable to Setnak. What the two gods have in common was that they were learning how to call their power more effectively. Where were the two gods alone? Some of the other gods would have comparable power to Hecto and Setnak.
“So you need to be stronger faster. To defeat them…”
[Master is amazing. There’s nothing strange about being intoxicated by one’s power, but you’ve developed a desire for development by comparing yourself to the gods. Ordinary human beings…no, no matter how good a human being is, you can say you’re going beyond God without hesitation.]
Caina shook her head, recalling the people she had met and experienced in the world she lived in before. Usually, humans were bound to give in or turn away the moment they feel the great power of the gods.
“It may be more convenient. I’ve been very tired of my personality.”
[I’m glad you’re aware.]
“But I can’t help it because he’s a man of my taste. And it’s annoying to have someone on my head.”
He added in a very serious voice.
“The only person that can do it above my head is my mother.”
[You’re so cute that you bend your back for your mother.]
“Shut up.”
He snorted at Caina’s words and sent her to rest with Beto. Then he returned to his resting place, thinking about calling his parents after a long time.
[I haven’t seen you in a while, son.]
And he got an unexpected call from his father.
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