Record of a Thousand Lives

Kang Yoon-Soo summoned his undead army. “Summon 76 Rotten Mudgems.
Summon 316 Blood Bats.” He pointed toward the flying Bone Dragon and said, “Kill it.”

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Shriek!

The Blood Bats let out an ear-splitting shriek before spreading their wings and charging toward the Bone Dragon.
They attacked the Bone Dragon and an aerial battle began.

The Bone Dragon was relentlessly attacked by the bats’ sharp fangs, and the Rotten Mudgems gathered mud from the excavation site and flung it toward the Bone Dragon.
However, the attacks of the undead were ineffective against the Bone Dragon.

“Kirikiryaaaaah!” The Bone Dragon let out a gout of dark flame from its mouth—it was Black Dragon’s Breath. Black Dragon’s Breath was even stronger than the flames of a fire spirit. The Bone Dragon was a monster that had high resistance against fire, which was why Kang Yoon-Soo had not summoned Sally for the fight.

Multiple Blood Bats were burned to a crisp and fell to the ground.
Kang Yoon-Soo waved his hand around as he gave more orders. “Rotten Mudgems, throw the corpses of the Blood Bats into the sky.”

The Rotten Mudgems picked up the corpses of the Blood Bats that had been killed by the Bone Dragon, and flung them toward the dragon.

Kang Yoon-Soo quickly used a skill once the corpses were about to hit the Bone Dragon’s wings. “Corpse Explosion.”

The corpses of the Blood Bats simultaneously exploded and inflicted damage on the Bone Dragon. Kang Yoon-Soo used ‘Corpse Explosion’ over and over again until the skill gained a level.

[The skill level of Corpse Explosion has increased.]

[Explosions will now trigger chain explosions.]

The Bone Dragon could no longer focus on flight because of the continuous barrage of explosions, and it decided to land on the ground. The moment it landed, however, Shaneth swung her Death Scythe down at its tailbone.

“Karigriyaaaaah!” The Bone Dragon let out another gout of black flames as it roared in pain.

“Kyaaaah!”  Shaneth screamed as the black flame engulfed her.
She had believed in her resistance and tried to take the black flame head-on, but she soon realized that the black flame was hotter than what she could handle.
The Bone Dragon’s breath was something even she could not withstand.

“Kyaaaarigaaaah!” The Bone Dragon roared as White lunged at it and dug its claws deep into the dragon’s ribcage, trying to tear them apart. The Bone Dragon thrashed for a while before managing to bite White’s neck.

As White was roaring in pain, however, Kang Yoon-Soo smashed the Bone Dragon’s skull with Ravian’s Longsword.
The Bone Dragon wildly swung its claws as it tried to catch the human that was causing damage to its skull, but Kang Yoon-Soo lowered his stance as he evaded every claw swipe before stabbing his sword toward the core located between the Bone Dragon’s ribs.

The Bone Dragon thrashed and squirmed in pain as its core was stabbed, and Kang Yoon-Soo used the new opening to use the ability attached to Ravian’s Longsword—Vitality Absorption.
Vitality Absorption was an ability that drained the life force of any creature the sword came into contact with.

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“Vitality Absorption.”

[You have drained a fraction of the Bone Dragon, Skeltrodon’s life force.]

[You have absorbed one of Skeltrodon’s characteristics.]

[The chance of sustaining bone injuries has decreased.]

That was not all, however. Kang Yoon-Soo’s mana regenerated quickly due to the ‘Ring of Life Suppression’, and he cast another spell. “Life Drain.”

It was the Necromancer’s signature skill, Life Drain. It was also a skill that absorbed the life force of another. Kang Yoon-Soo’s use of both skills that drained the Bone Dragon’s life force made it sustain continuous damage, while he on the other hand could keep fighting without getting tired at all.

“Kirigriyaaaaah!” The Bone Dragon charged toward Kang Yoon-Soo, finding the human annoying.

Clang!

Kang Yoon-Soo continuously attacked the Bone Dragon with his longsword, but the dragon’s bones were quite sturdy.
The longsword could not cause them to crack.

“Kirikriyaaah!” Black flames poured out of the Bone Dragon’s mouth, and the attackers suddenly spread out to either side to avoid the devastating fire.

The Bone Dragon’s black flames heated up the area; in fact, the heat was so intense that some parts of the floor started to melt.
It made the combatants all the more cautious, as the slightest graze from the flames would inflict significant damage. 

‘This guy has always been annoying to deal with,’ Kang Yoon-Soo thought.

The Bone Dragon was a powerful boss monster. Its bones were so sturdy that it was not easy to inflict any damage on it with swords, and it was relatively agile too despite its huge size.
It was capable of flying quickly, and the black flame it breathed could melt almost anything.

The Blood Bats had all been destroyed, and there were only a handful of Rotten Mudgems left.
The situation was significantly stacked against them.

Kang Yoon-Soo suddenly said, “Retreat.”

The Bone Dragon charged toward them as it smashed stalactite after stalactite.
Kang Yoon-Soo grabbed Shaneth and leaped atop White, and White fled at incredible speed. They barely managed to escape from the excavation site.

“Oh! Are you guys alright?” Ramax asked worriedly, and the other excavation group members as well as the survivors looked toward the party with great concern.

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 “We’re alright, but we weren’t able to kill the Bone Dragon.
It’s a shame.” Kang Yoon-Soo answered with empty words as he put on an act, appearing exhausted.

“Hmm…” Ramax mused, deep in thought. Then, he spoke up and said, “You aren’t only my savior, but also everyone else’s.
There’s no way we can just sit back and watch as our savior is going through all of this.
Also, if that Bone Dragon is left as is, we won’t be able to continue excavating.
I’ll give you the contribution points in advance.”

[Your achievement in rescuing 150 civilians and members of the Red Rock Excavators has been acknowledged.]

[Your contribution points have increased by 150,000.]

[Current Contribution Points: 151,245]

It was an astounding amount of contribution points.
It was an amount that even a seasoned excavator would be unable to earn even if they worked day and night without rest for months.

Kang Yoon-Soo exchanged his newly earned contribution points for the ‘Staff of Lightning’ and the ‘Magic Amplifying Bracelet’.

[Staff of Lightning]

Rating: Rare

Mana Increase: 125

A staff that can call forth powerful lightning.
The user may be electrocuted as well if it is used carelessly.
The ability ‘Release Lightning’ may be used four times a day.

[Magic-Amplifying Bracelet]

Rating: Rare

Mana Increase: 445

Mana Regeneration: +25

A bracelet that significantly increases the magic power of the user, as well as mana regeneration.

Accessories such as necklaces, rings, and trinkets were usually sold at an expensive price.
They were much more complex to manufacture than weapons and armor, and even if they could only give small boosts alone, they had an advantage in that one could equip numerous accessories at the same time. Besides that, a bracelet that increased the user’s magic power would be an extremely expensive item.

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Shaneth looked at Kang Yoon-Soo skeptically as she asked, “Do you know how to use magic staves as well?”

Magic staves required their users to have an understanding of magic for them to be used properly, which was one of the reasons why it was difficult to change into the Sorcerer class.
Magic could not be cast just by wildly swinging a staff; rather, it required a calculated movement, or sometimes even tens of calculated movements, for a spell to manifest.
There was a distinct difference between offensive magic and magic like raising undead or summoning spirits.

However, Kang Yoon-Soo nodded and answered as if stating the obvious, “Yes.”

He had once reached the pinnacle of mana as a Magician in one of his previous lives. Kang Yoon-Soo had a perfect understanding of being both a Magician and a Swordsman after reaching the pinnacle of both classes. ‘A magician is effective in a brawl, and a warrior is better in a duel.’

He held the ‘Staff of Lightning’ in his left hand, and equipped the ‘Magic Amplifying Bracelet’ on his right wrist. With a black longsword in his right hand, and a staff bearing various exquisite engravings on it in his left hand, seeing him wield a staff and a sword simultaneously made it difficult to tell whether he was a Magician or a Swordsman.
He looked like a Magic Swordsman, a class usually only heard of in folktales; even the survivors who trusted him could not help but express their skepticism.

“What? Why is he using a sword and a staff at the same time?”

“Maybe he plans to use the sword and magic at the same time?”

“No way! Don’t you know that’s like doing needlework with your left hand and hammering with your right?”

“Do you think that man is a dual-class? You know, that rare phenomenon where two classes are merged into one!”

Kang Yoon-Soo ignored the onlookers’ murmurs and quietly walked toward the excavation site. White followed after him, even as it licked its wounds.

Shaneth walked beside him and asked, “Is there anything you can’t do?”

Kang Yoon-Soo seriously pondered for a minute before answering, “Abstaining from alcohol.”

“…” Shaneth was speechless.

***

They entered the excavation site once again, and the Bone Dragon spread its wings as it roared. “Krigriyaaaah!”

The Bone Dragon flew toward them at a low altitude, but Kang Yoon-Soo raised his staff and slammed it against the ground.

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Bzzt!

Blue lightning started to rain down; it was so intense that just being grazed by it would definitely electrocute anyone.
The intense lightning struck down on the Bone Dragon and inflicted heavy damage on it.

Kang Yoon-Soo continued his magic attack on the Bone Dragon. “Release Lightning.”

The ability ‘Release Lightning’ unleashed the mana stored within the magic staff to summon even stronger lightning against the target. Fierce lightning struck down on the Bone Dragon.

White did not miss the chance to charge toward the Bone Dragon. “Grrrrr! Urnokra!”

White attacked the Bone Dragon’s tailbone, but the Bone Dragon retaliated by slamming White’s waist.
White sustained critical damage, but it managed to hold on and lunge toward the Bone Dragon’s tailbone.
The beast bit down on the Bone Dragon’s tailbone as it clung on.

Shaneth took the opportunity to strike the Bone Dragon’s skull with her Death Scythe.
The Bone Dragon tried to resist, but Shaneth stubbornly refused to back down and rained down a barrage of attacks on it.

Bam! Bam!

[The Bone Dragon, Skeltrodon has been inflicted with the Curse of Sloth.]

[The target’s movement and defense have been significantly reduced.]

The Death Scythe had the ability to inflict curses upon damaging enemies, and the Curse of Sloth was one of the seven curses it could inflict.
The Bone Dragon’s movement slowed down, and its bones seemed to have softened somewhat.

Kang Yoon-Soo relentlessly swung both his sword and his staff at the Bone Dragon.
A lightning bolt struck whenever he swung his staff, and he thrust his sword at the Bone Dragon’s core to inflict critical damage.
He did not forget to use both ‘Vitality Absorption’ and ‘Life Drain’ continuously against the Bone Dragon, either.

As the Bone Dragon was being abused by Kang Yoon-Soo’s continuous barrage of attacks, it suddenly opened its mouth wide.

“Avoid it,” Kang Yoon-Soo told his team.

Shaneth and White instantly obeyed his orders as they disengaged from the Bone Dragon, and the black flames it breathed out melted the floor at the spot they had been standing in just moments before. The dragon breath used by most dragons had limited uses and long casting times, but its destructiveness was not something to underestimate.

The Bone Dragon continued breathing out black flames as it tried to keep the attackers at bay.
They had lost their chance to capitalize on their momentum, and if the Bone Dragon kept using dragon breath, their chance of winning against it would be zero.

At that moment, something that would change the tides of the battle happened.

Shaneth suddenly grasped her chest as she fell to one knee.
She gasped for air as her breathing became rough and ragged. “Something hot is swelling up in my chest…!”