So this is how it works.

I thought about using Legion of the Dead right away, but I shook my head.
With only one rabbit carcass at hand, it didn't seem worth it yet.

It's called the Legion of the Dead, after all—raising just one would feel underwhelming.

And besides.

“It’s a waste of mana.”

I still had other skills to test, and there was a chance I'd deplete my mana entirely.
Even Wraith of the Dead consumed more mana than expected, so conserving it was a good idea.

Let’s start with Aura of Death first.

Aura of Death

A powerful skill affecting everything within a 30-meter radius.
According to the description, it devours the souls and bodies of the dead while inflicting pain upon the living.

Even at Level 1, the legendary-grade skill seemed overpowered in its range and effect.
In the beginner's village, it would have drawn way too much attention.

But since there was no one around, I could finally use it.

“Alright, let’s see.”

The moment Seong decided to activate the skill, a turquoise heart materialized behind him.
It throbbed once, rhythmically.

Thump!

The turquoise aura spread from his back like blood pumped from a heart.
It was as if an eerie fog cloaked the area, its ethereal glow both mystical and foreboding.

The nearby rabbits, sensing something, raised their heads.

It resembled the scene of a volcanic eruption where birds in the vicinity fell from the sky as toxic fumes spread.

The rabbits reacted the same way.

Thud. Thud-thud. Thud.

[『One Strike!』 effect is activated!]

“Oh?”

The title even applied to damage over time.
Though it was hard to gauge the exact damage, the rabbits fell immediately upon touching the turquoise mist.

There were no visible wounds on the 20 lifeless rabbit carcasses.
All had succumbed to the Aura of Death.

The range and power were both astonishing.

“And it even heals me?”

Mana was steadily draining, but Seong could feel his health replenishing.
It seemed like the skill restored health if it had been depleted.
Helena’s memories confirmed this as well.

A skill truly deserving of its legendary grade.

Wraith of the Dead had been impressive for picking off a single rabbit, but Aura of Death was on an entirely different level.

It vividly showcased the majesty of a legendary-grade skill.

Before his mana fully drained, Seong deactivated the skill.

“If I stop it before the duration ends, the cooldown decreases.”

After using the skill for about a minute, he noted that the remaining cooldown was 10 minutes—down from the original 30.
It seemed that each minute of active use reduced the cooldown by 10 minutes.

Mana consumption was also reasonable.
Using the skill for one minute, combined with Wraith of the Dead, left Seong with about 50% mana.

This skill was already highly usable, even at his low level.

Though Wraith of the Dead might be his go-to, there was still one skill left to test.

Seong turned his gaze to the 20 rabbit corpses, all emitting faint turquoise smoke.

[『Legion of the Dead』 is now available.]
[Would you like to summon 『Legion of the Dead』?]

Twenty corpses.

It still felt a bit lacking to call it a “legion.”
But this was definitely enough to be worth seeing.

What would an Almighty-grade skill look like?

Seong activated the skill with a sense of anticipation.

Fssss.

The turquoise mist rising from the corpses was drawn back into their bodies.

At the same time, a turquoise heart appeared in Seong’s grasp, pulsating fiercely.

Boom—!
Boom-boom—!

As the heart throbbed, it sent ripples of sound through the air, to which the corpses responded.
As if granted new life, the rabbits began to rise in rhythm with the heartbeat.

Their once-red eyes now gleamed with turquoise light, and their bodies were enveloped in a mix of black energy and turquoise glow.

Though their forms resembled rabbits, they seemed like an entirely different species.

Seong’s eyes widened.

Something was off.

“This is different.”

The risen rabbits looked nothing like the legion from Helena’s memories.

Typically, they should appear as shadowy figures with only their eyes glowing turquoise.

But Seong’s Legion of the Dead radiated turquoise energy throughout their bodies.

Was it because of his low level?

No, that wasn’t it.
If anything, Seong’s legion felt more powerful than Helena’s.

What could it be?

As Seong pondered, the difference dawned on him.

“Ah?”

The souls of the freshly deceased rabbits—ghosts—had all been absorbed into the legion.

The spirits seemed to bind themselves willingly to the Legion of the Dead.

Was this a built-in effect of the skill?

No matter how carefully Seong examined the skill’s description, there was no mention of such an effect.
Helena’s memories contained no precedent for it either.

Though Helena had used necromantic arts to forcibly bind spirits to her legion, they had never naturally fused upon activation.

“Is that why it feels stronger?”

With their original souls returned to their bodies, it made sense for them to exude greater energy.

As Seong drew his conclusion, a flurry of messages appeared.

[『Lord』 effect is activated!]
[『Legion of the Dead』 movement speed +30%.]
[『Legion of the Dead』 attack speed +20%.]
[『Legion of the Dead』 attack power +10%.]
[Morale of 『Legion of the Dead』 increased!]

“Oh.”

The title’s effects were undeniable.

With such enhancements, it was time to unleash the Legion of the Dead.

Luckily, since the corpses were only rabbits, mana consumption was minimal.
Seong still had over 40% mana remaining.

Commanding an undead army—the hallmark of necromancy.

Thinking of the iconic image of a necromancer leading a horde of undead, Seong issued his command.

“Hmm...”

Sweep the area?
Kill them all?

As he deliberated, the rabbits nodded in unison.

Commands work through thought alone?

Other spirits had responded to his thoughts before, and this seemed to be an extension of that.

The undead rabbits rampaged across the beginner’s hunting ground, wiping out living rabbits with unparalleled efficiency.

The sight was awe-inspiring.

Unlike the disorganized living rabbits, the undead moved with strategy and coordination, mercilessly subduing their prey.

They even remained swift and stealthy, avoiding detection by other players.

“Hey, weren’t there rabbits here just now?”
“Huh? The one I was about to hunt is gone too.”
“Ha-ha! What are you talking about? That can’t—oh? Wait, where did the rabbits go?”

There weren’t many players around, but those present were baffled.

No matter how hard they searched, no rabbits could be found.

Only Seong could see what was happening.

“Wow...”

Even Seong, who rarely showed emotion, was astonished.

Within moments, a third of the rabbits in the beginner’s hunting ground were gone.

He had known the skill was strong, but not this strong.

[You have hunted over 100 rabbits in the beginner’s hunting ground in a short period.]
[You have earned the title 『Beast Slayer of the Beginner’s Village』.]

“Over 100?”

In just a brief span, his legion had slain over 100 rabbits.

The speed was absurd.

It wasn’t without drawbacks, though.

“Mana consumption is massive.”

His mana was now below 10%.

But was that truly a disadvantage?

For a Level 1 player, Seong’s mana pool was already impressive.
Even so, the Legion of the Dead could be sustained and used effectively.

There was no need to rely solely on a sword for hunting anymore.

Seong deactivated the legion, impressed.

The undead rabbits gathered before him, bowing their heads as if saluting.
Their bodies crumbled away, leaving behind nothing but faint regret.

Though losing the 20 corpses felt like a waste, the haul of over 100 rabbits more than made up for it.

“Butchering them all will take a while.”

With that, Seong began processing the corpses, only to recall something he had overlooked.

“I haven’t checked the title’s effects yet.”

Curious, he opened the title menu to inspect the new addition.

The name alone seemed promising.

 

 

 

Title: Beast Slayer of the Beginner’s Village
→ Epic Grade
→ A title awarded to users who hunt 100 or more rabbit or beast-type monsters in a short period in the Beginner’s Village.
→ Increases attack power by 5% when hunting beast-type monsters.

“Oh.”

The effects were certainly impressive.

An epic-grade title—higher than rare.

With this, there was nothing left to gain from the Beginner’s Village.

Time to sell off all the hides and meat and move on.

0.

In the Beginner’s Village, you can only leave through the village chief.

This is a mechanism to prevent unqualified beginners from leaving prematurely, as determined by the chief’s judgment.

The requirements weren’t too strict:
If you lacked a training certificate or hadn’t learned the butchering skill, you’d be turned back and advised on what to do next.

This system, installed by the game developer E-World, served as a guide for players.

The training certificate and butchering skill were essential for moving to the next area.

Moreover, the tasks assigned before meeting the chief—completing various quests—were designed to teach players social interaction with NPCs.

It was a reminder that rudeness toward NPCs could lead to unexpected consequences, fitting for a game where even NPCs had their own intricate systems.

The Beginner’s Village was essentially one large tutorial.

Marlen, the butcher NPC, played a key role in this system.

At the Butcher Shop

“Uh, here’s the meat…”

Sigh.

Marlen let out a deep sigh, causing the nervous player to ask cautiously,

“Um… how do I handle the meat properly to make it neat?”

“Hmph. Well, at least you’ve got the basics down, outsider. When removing the hide from the meat, don’t use excessive force, or you’ll end up with this mess. Use a gentle slicing motion instead of brute strength.”

“Ah! Thank you!”

For polite players, Marlen wasn’t exactly friendly, but she wasn’t dismissive either.
She provided tips on butchering and tools, making it easier for them to learn the skill quickly—so she could get some rest herself.

Of course, not all players were respectful, but her method had its effects.

While Marlen despised the clueless and rude outsiders, she made an effort to be somewhat kind to those who showed basic manners.

Thinking back to Seong, who had visited earlier that morning, she muttered to herself:

“If only all outsiders were like that one…”

Lost in thought, she was startled when Seong approached.

“Hello. I’d like to sell some items. Is now a good time?”

“Ho! If it isn’t my regular customer! Come on in!”

Seong covered his ears instinctively as Marlen’s booming voice echoed through the shop.

Though his ears stung, he had grown slightly accustomed to her thunderous tone after hearing it several times.

Still, Marlen squinted at him curiously.

“Something’s different.”

His calm and composed demeanor was unchanged.
The timid gesture of covering his ears was the same.

But there was an unfamiliar, intense aura surrounding him.

It wasn’t just his presence—it was palpable, almost oppressive.

Marlen could feel it prickling her skin.

She had never encountered an outsider with such an imposing presence in the village before.

“Amazing.”

Lost in silent admiration, she stared blankly at Seong until his voice snapped her out of her thoughts.

“Ahem, ha-ha. Right, yes.”

“Bring in all the meat and hides you’ve got! They’re always welcome here!”

“Good to hear. Well then…”

Reaching into his inventory, Seong began pulling out items.

Marlen’s anticipation grew as she watched him unload rabbit meat.

Her expression started to falter as the sheer quantity piled up:
Over 100 rabbit hides and cuts of meat, the rare green stag hide and meat, and even the hide and meat of a massive, menacing tiger.

Two towering mounds of hides and meat formed before her eyes.

“….”

“Hmm?”

The butcher shop fell silent.

Marlen, known for her deafening voice, was uncharacteristically quiet.

Was she upset?

Seong glanced over, concerned.

And then he saw it.

Thud.

Marlen collapsed, her eyes rolling back.

“Huh? Isn’t this actually dangerous?”

Above Marlen’s unconscious body, her ghost floated halfway out, as if unsure whether to leave.

“Marlen’s down!”
“She fainted standing up!!!”
“Breathe, Marlen, breathe!”
“Ahhh! Bring Marlen back!!!”