Chapter 58
Siriel's shadows were practically all-powerful.
When she covered the broken ceiling with her shadows, the house was restored as if nothing had happened.
Only after seeing that could Kang Ha-min finally relax.
He had no desire to move again because his house had been destroyed.
Somehow, the room had been repaired.
As Kang Ha-min looked around the restored room and ate the meal Siriel had prepared, the two of them sat down beside him.
Normally, they didn't even like being near each other.
Yet for some reason, they were sitting side by side.
"Master."
The atmosphere felt strangely tense.
When Baek Cheon-myeong spoke, Kang Ha-min put down his spoon.
"Is there something unusual about the Eternal Tombstone?"
The two had started acting this way after he obtained the Eternal Tombstone.
Even Siriel, who was normally so cheerful, was sitting quietly.
Kang Ha-min grew nervous, and his expression stiffened.
Is there something dangerous about it?
"Yes, it concerns the Eternal Tombstone. As Master read in the description, our abilities are affected by yours."
"Uh, is that all right?"
For Kang Ha-min, who was far weaker than the two of them, it was a worrying thought.
"No, that's not what I mean. On the contrary, we grow stronger."
"Really?"
Wasn't that great news?
But Baek Cheon-myeong and Siriel didn't seem to share his excitement.
"Yes. Actually, I hadn't intended to use my shadows with that much power earlier."
Hearing that, Kang Ha-min remembered Siriel's reaction.
She had looked surprised after using her own power.
I see.
She had been surprised because her abilities had improved without her realizing it.
A skill that strengthened summoned creatures.
For a summoner-type Class like the Gravekeeper, it was an incredibly useful skill.
"What? If that's the case, it's a good thing. Why are you both acting like this?"
"I won't deny that it's good. It certainly is. I never thought this body would be able to reach an even higher realm."
Hmm?
A higher realm?
Kang Ha-min tilted his head.
There was clearly more to this story.
Baek Cheon-myeong sighed with a complicated expression, then slowly continued.
"Master, we are corpses. You know that better than anyone."
Of course he knew.
Both of them had risen from graves on Grave Mountain.
There was no way he could forget that they were corpses.
"And that was also our only weakness."
"Being corpses is a weakness?"
"We cannot grow stronger."
Ah.
So that's what he means.
Although they looked alive, they were actually corpses.
No matter how hard they worked, their bodies and mana could not improve.
They could only remain at the same level while helping their master.
To Kang Ha-min, they already possessed complete and overwhelming strength.
But even Baek Cheon-myeong and Siriel, with all their power, had ultimately failed to conquer the Tower.
That meant their inability to grow would eventually become an obstacle.
Baek Cheon-myeong understood that very well.
That was why he called it a weakness.
"But just now, the Eternal Tombstone allowed our abilities, which had stopped growing, to improve again."
"...Isn't that a good thing?"
"Yes, just as you said, it is a good thing. Once we became corpses, growth was something that should have been absolutely impossible for us."
Ah.
Now Kang Ha-min understood.
Baek Cheon-myeong's strange expression came from the fact that he still couldn't quite believe it.
He had already reached a level of seemingly complete strength.
Yet even with that strength, he had failed to conquer the Tower.
His longing to climb the Tower.
His guilt toward the disciple he had lost inside it.
Those things made up Baek Cheon-myeong's entire existence.
And now, Baek Cheon-myeong had experienced growth once again.
A thrill he had thought he would never experience again swept through him.
For the first time, genuine excitement appeared in Baek Cheon-myeong's eyes.
Kang Ha-min had never seen him show such intense emotion before.
"I feel the same way as the Heavenly Slaughter Star. It has been so long since I experienced growth that I couldn't quite believe it."
Even Siriel was having trouble accepting what had happened.
Kang Ha-min finally understood how extraordinary the Eternal Tombstone was.
"That tombstone has been connected to Master ever since it appeared."
"You can feel that?"
"We are Master's corpses, so we are naturally more sensitive to such things. I believe the stronger Master becomes, the more power we will receive."
In other words,
"If I become stronger, the two of you become stronger too. Is that what you're saying?"
"Correct."
Kang Ha-min couldn't help feeling amazed.
Wasn't that beyond unfair?
S Rank Hunters.
Tower Ascenders.
Returnees.
Baek Cheon-myeong had crushed all kinds of powerful opponents with his own strength.
And if someone like Baek Cheon-myeong could become even stronger,
Just how far...
How far could he go?
Kang Ha-min couldn't even imagine it.
"Therefore, Master, what you must do is clear."
But the moment Kang Ha-min heard those words, he had a bad feeling.
Why had Baek Cheon-myeong brought up this subject in the first place?
His desire to become stronger was clearly visible in his eyes.
And that bad feeling...
"...What exactly do I have to do?"
"Training."
...was never wrong.
Kang Ha-min was already sick of it.
But Baek Cheon-myeong had always been obsessed with training.
Now that he had discovered he could become stronger himself, there was no way he could hold back.
And on top of that,
"I agree! My becoming stronger means Lord will be safer! And Lord becoming stronger also means Lord will be safer! You absolutely must become stronger!"
Unlike usual, even Siriel was actively supporting the idea.
The opportunity to become stronger was a tremendous one for her too.
"...Don't Hunters become stronger by climbing the Tower?"
"Being able to use your power properly is a separate matter. You already know that the quality of mana differs regardless of Level, don't you?"
I know.
Of course I know.
Unable to hide his bitterness, Kang Ha-min obediently stood up.
The endless cycle of training.
He had gained a reason that made it absolutely necessary to keep running on that training wheel.
This was a fate he could not escape.
"...Let's at least rest for thirty minutes after eating."
Exercising immediately after a meal will give me indigestion...
It was his last peaceful moment before training.
Beneath the World Tree that towered over the Heavenly Spirit Medicinal Forest,
Kang Ha-min had collapsed after training until he could no longer move.
Ever since he obtained the Eternal Tombstone, the stronger Kang Ha-min became, the stronger the other two could become.
Baek Cheon-myeong was climbing the Tower.
Who would have thought that the best way to support him would be through training?
Swordsmanship wasn't even supposed to be part of my life.
He had already intended to learn swordsmanship from Baek Cheon-myeong.
But ever since Baek Cheon-myeong discovered that he could become stronger too, his training had become even harsher.
Thanks to that, Kang Ha-min was quickly improving his swordsmanship fundamentals.
Unfortunately, his stamina was being completely drained in the process.
"I really can't do any more! I mean it! Let's stop here!"
"Hmm."
Baek Cheon-myeong looked disappointed.
But Kang Ha-min raised both hands in surrender.
If he trained any longer, he really would die.
Even Baek Cheon-myeong couldn't ignore such a desperate plea.
"Very well. We shall stop here. I have to enter the Tower anyway."
Does this man never sleep?
Ah, he's a corpse.
He genuinely doesn't need to sleep.
"Master, make sure you continue taking the Elixirs I prepared. Even though you've undergone Body Reforging and Rejuvenation, the medicinal herbs from the Heavenly Spirit Medicinal Forest will still help you."
If I don't eat them, he'll probably force-feed them to me.
Kang Ha-min obediently put the Elixirs he had been given into his mouth.
Bitter.
So terribly bitter.
"Seriously, that Heavenly Slaughter Star is far too rude to Lord!"
Meanwhile, Siriel approached and diligently wiped the sweat from Kang Ha-min's face.
She said that, but she wasn't trying to stop the training either.
After all,
"Now it's my turn!"
She was making him train just as much.
Their own strength was important, but the ultimate duty of the corpses was to protect their master, the Gravekeeper.
Kang Ha-min becoming stronger was necessary for that purpose too.
Even Kang Ha-min couldn't deny it, which said everything.
Fortunately, today was the perfect day to use an excuse.
Now that his Rejuvenation was over and his body had fully grown, Siriel had said that his growth was complete.
That meant he needed to buy some clothes.
No matter what, he needed something to wear.
"Wait a minute. Let's buy some clothes first!"
He genuinely didn't have any spare clothes left.
He had only managed to get by because he had previously bought some clothes in larger sizes.
But he had finally reached his limit.
"Lord, may I walk around outside your shadow this time?"
Does she want to see the world?
Siriel looked at him with sparkling eyes as she made her request.
He was weak against that kind of expression.
Well, Siriel looked no different from an ordinary person.
Ever since the Great Hunter Era began, there had been plenty of people with unusual hair and eye colors.
People might think she was a foreigner, but they wouldn't find her strange.
"All right. Let's go shopping together, Ms. Siriel."
"Wow! I'd love that!"
It would be nice to have someone else's opinion while buying clothes.
"What about you, Mr. Baek Cheon-myeong?"
"I shall go to the Tower."
As expected.
In the first place, with Siriel by his side, there was no danger to worry about.
That was why Baek Cheon-myeong didn't insist on accompanying him.
Although the two constantly bickered, they acknowledged each other's abilities.
"There is also something I want to check personally."
"Is it related to the Third Floor Realm?"
"Yes. In my experience, this type of realm tends to become troublesome toward the end."
Baek Cheon-myeong had been traveling through the apocalyptic world of the Third Floor Realm.
Since he was speaking from experience, it would be wise to keep his warning in mind.
"Then we'll be heading out."
It had been a while since Kang Ha-min last went shopping.
He put on a long T-shirt and a pair of jeans he had previously bought in the wrong length.
The T-shirt was originally oversized, but because his build had improved, it had become a tight-fitting shirt.
I'm really glad I at least have these.
He needed to buy several sets of properly fitting clothes as soon as possible.
"Wow! Lord, you're so handsome!"
At least he appreciated Siriel's compliments.
Now, where should they go to buy clothes?
The clothing stores inside a large nearby supermarket would probably be the most convenient.
Riiiiing!
Just as he was thinking about it, his phone suddenly began ringing.
The number on the screen was unfamiliar.
Hmm. Is it spam?
He pressed the reject button.
But the phone immediately rang again.
Why is this spam caller so persistent?
Having no other choice, he finally answered.
"Hey, Kang Ha-min!"
An angry voice rang out from the other end of the call.
"Why the hell did you hang up on me? Have you lost your mind?"
Hmm, let's see.
"Do Baek-ho?"
The caller was Do Baek-ho.
He was the same Do Baek-ho who had suffered a terrible humiliation at Kang Ha-min's hands not long ago.
Whenever Kang Ha-min remembered that incident, he couldn't help chuckling, even in his sleep.
"You bastard! You haven't forgotten that you ripped my designer clothes, have you? Do you have any idea how expensive they were?"
Ah, of course I remember.
It was difficult to forget such a ridiculous sight.
More importantly, had he actually asked their old classmates for Kang Ha-min's phone number just to call him about this?
He really was unbelievably persistent.
Still, Kang Ha-min did feel sorry for ripping his clothes.
"Sorry. I'll buy you another one. How much was it?"
"Ha! What kind of money does a pathetic civil servant like you have to act so confident?"
I'm not even a civil servant anymore.
But saying that would only give Do Baek-ho something else to use against him.
"And listen, you idiot! That was a premium item, and there are only a few of them in the entire country! Do you think you can buy everything with money?"
"Then what do you want me to do?"
He had already apologized for ripping the clothes.
He had even offered compensation.
When Kang Ha-min asked what more he wanted, Do Baek-ho ground his teeth.
"Come to Flode Department Store right now. I'll make sure I get everything you owe me there!"
With that, Do Baek-ho hung up.
He really had nothing better to do in the middle of the day.
Hmm. Well...
"Ms. Siriel, let's go to a department store."
"What's a department store, Lord?"
Ah, so we have to start from there.
