Chapter 4
Creak—creak—
I dragged the old, worn-out luggage carrier up the hill.
After about three minutes, my rented room came into view.
“Hey, mister. You’re late again?”
The landlord’s daughter, Kim Yeondu, waved from the second floor.
“Call me oppa.”
“Nope. You smell like an old man.”
The distinct scent of a necromancer.
Even though I spray perfume and air freshener generously, she always detects the faint smell mixed in.
She’s in high school, but she awakened as a hunter.
Rank D.
Yeah.
Higher than me.
“Uh, come eat. We grilled pork belly.”
“I’ve got work. Please thank your mom for me.”
“Going to your workshop again?”
“How do you know?”
“You go there every day.”
She spun around.
“Guess I’ll eat the leftovers.”
The landlord’s family is kind and often looks out for me.
Grilled pork belly…
Tempting.
But I held back.
There was too much to do tonight.
I headed to the basement that had become my “workshop.”
It used to be the boiler room.
The ceiling was barely high enough for me.
It wasn’t built for living and wasn’t great for storage either, so I could rent it cheaply.
Click—
A soft white light illuminated the basement.
The moment I reattached the arms, legs, and torso from the carrier—
【Haaaaah!】
A strained shout struck my mind.
Oh?
He revived automatically without me using [Corpse Creation].
Must be a side effect of settling the otherworldly soul.
Nice. No mana cost.
【If you were going to detach my limbs, you could have at least told me—ah!】
Thud—
Sir Isra lifted his head in agitation, then hunched.
The basement ceiling barely cleared my height.
An orc corpse a head taller trying to straighten up? Obviously a problem.
But something else caught my curiosity.
“You’re undead. You feel pain?”
【Yes. I can ignore it, but there is no need to.】
“Doesn’t pain interfere with fighting?”
【That applies to amateurs.】
Right.
Sorry for being an amateur.
【By the way, this place is rather bleak.】
“It’s a necromancer’s workshop. What did you expect?”
Five completed zombies stood hunched nearby.
Hooks held body parts from kobolds and goblins.
Skins and bones of various monsters lay scattered.
【I meant the lack of organization.】
…
Try researching undead for five years.
You won’t have time to tidy up either.
“We have a problem.”
【Is there an issue?】
“I need to remodel your body.”
【Sir.】
Saying “Sir” every time feels awkward.
Can’t we compromise?
【That is non-negotiable.】
Fine.
“If you can feel pain, remodeling will be uncomfortable.”
I’ll be cutting muscle.
Grinding bones.
Replacing parts entirely.
Even Guan Yu endured surgery while awake, but this is full-body reconstruction.
No sane person would handle that.
【A knight’s spirit does not yield to pain.】
“Oh?”
【… Though, I can regulate the sensation.】
“What a shame. I was about to witness your legendary mental strength.”
【Courage and recklessness are not the same. 】
Smooth talker.
Before starting—
Let’s understand the client’s needs.
【Can you read my thoughts as well? 】
“I didn’t learn telepathy.”
How would I know what body style you want?
There’s a way.
I showed him a photo on my phone.
【Hmm. That muscular physique resembles my current body.】
“I modeled you after him.”
Necrosmiths must craft undead directly.
To improve, I studied anatomy diagrams.
Orc Zombie Mk. 42 was based on a famous bodybuilder.
“How about this?”
Next photo: a weightlifter.
Sir Isra shook his head.
I showed him athletes and hunters I had used as references.
【Next.】
After losing count—
【Something like this would be good.】
Finally, approval.
A marathon runner.
I had saved it as a reference.
Never used as the main template.
“Really? Seriously?”
【Yes.】
“You won’t generate proper strength with such a lean body.”
Zombies aren’t human.
Rigor mortis reduces muscle output.
That’s why I used orcs—easy to obtain and easy to bulk up.
【Do not worry.】
He placed his hands on his hips.
【You will not regret it.】
***
Necrosmith versus necromancer.
Similar names, different methods.
Necromancers raise corpses with spells.
Slice—slice—
Necrosmiths must process everything manually.
【In urgent battles, reinforcements would be difficult. 】
Stop hitting me with facts.
【That seems excessive force.】
“It’s your imagination.”
At first glance, we seem inferior.
Not entirely.
Though I’ve been E-rank for five years.
Necrosmiths have a unique advantage.
【And that is?】
“Undead customization.”
[Nimble Goblin Shin Bone]
Rank: E
Category: Miscellaneous
[Dexterous Kobold Wrist Bone]
Rank: E
Category: Miscellaneous
[Small Gorgon Pelvis]
Rank: E
Category: Miscellaneous
***
Parts collected from byproduct shops.
Goblin and kobold bones increase agility.
The Gorgon pelvis improves center-of-gravity control.
Movement-enhancing traits.
【How do you know traits not written in the description? 】
“Experience.”
Five years reinvesting every penny into research.
Testing parts.
Cataloging results.
Even if mostly low-grade, I memorized them.
I’ll use them to remodel Sir Isra.
【Why not use them before?】
“What use is agility for a zombie?”
Rigor mortis paralyzes movement.
A bit more agility doesn’t fix sluggishness.
For zombies, strength and endurance are optimal.
“But with you, it’s different.”
He showed incredible swordsmanship even in the bulky Mk. 42 body.
Agility parts will help.
“I’ll replace everything except the head.”
【W-Wait!】
“Turn off pain.”
After detaching limbs again—
I kept the orc skeleton base but inserted agility-enhancing bone fragments.
Mixed species meant uneven lengths.
I carved them down with an enchanted carving knife.
Balanced.
【You work quickly for such delicate tasks. 】
“Dexterity stat bonus.”
[Dexterity: 197]
Dexterity isn’t a basic stat.
It developed from constant crafting.
It’s now my highest stat.
Not from bonus allocation.
From repetition.
“That sets the frame.”
Height: just over 160 cm.
Orc base.
Mixed bones.
“Now muscle processing.”
Revived One.
Not a skeleton or zombie.
But the crafting method remains similar.
[Fat Orc Thigh Meat]
Rank: D
[Brave Lizardman Muscle]
Rank: D
***
Muscle grants strength bonuses.
Orc thigh: +10% strength.
Lizardman muscle: +5% strength and agility.
Must balance carefully.
Stacking blindly ruins balance.
【Stronger monster parts would give better bonuses. 】
“Not exactly.”
Using D-rank or higher corpses adds penalties.
Higher rank, higher penalty.
Best efficiency lies between E and D.
Balance over raw stats.
【Such a troublesome ability.】
“You don’t consider that your request makes it harder?”
【If I am to serve you, it cannot be helped.】
Smooth talker.
After fine adjustments—
Just before activating [Corpse Creation]—
Light flickered in Sir Isra’s eyes.
【Is it finished?】
“Pretty much.”
【You won’t leave the face like that, I hope. 】
“If enemies see it, they’ll be scared.”
【My martial prowess should inspire fear, not this appearance! 】
Picky.
Fine.
I refined the facial skin.
“No performance improvement, though.”
【Still better.】
No more requests?
Good.
“Open your eyes.”
I used [Corpse Creation] again.
【Uoooooh!】
He rose.
Straight-backed.
No ceiling bump.
[Sir Isra]
Race: Undead
Type: Revived One
Rank: D
Strength: 172 → 121
Agility: 35 → 98
Stamina: 124 → 103
Endurance: 203 → 120
Mana: 35 → 51
Skills:
— Imperial Swordsmanship (Revised)_Isra Form [SSS]
— Undying [D]
— Corpse Poison [E]
Strength and endurance nearly halved.
Smaller body.
But agility nearly tripled.
【Remarkable. My reaction speed is much faster.】
“I am pretty remarkable.”
This maximizes his strengths.
Then—
【Power surges through me.】
Blue light spread from his eyes across his body.
[85% synchronization with soul’s original form.]
[Possession completeness increased.]
[Revived One effect: All stats increase by 50%.]
What?
All stats up?
High synchronization grants stat bonuses.
A Revived One trait.
【You did not know?】
“You’re my first otherworldly soul.”
【Hahaha! Still a trash body, but enough to teach you.】
Ah.
Right.
Swordsmanship lessons.
【This workshop is too small.】
“We’ll go outside.”
【Then provide clothing.】
“You’re undead.”
【A knight must maintain dignity. 】
“Don’t worry. You won’t walk around like that.”
【You’re not planning to dismantle me again—】
“Glad you catch on fast.”
【Y-You—!】
Before he could continue—
I dismantled him again.
Packed him into the carrier.
And headed out.
