[Rather than a sound argument, you’ve used your actions and the mood to influence others. You lied so naturally that they weren't even suspicious of you! Acting is now Lv10. Your act will be even more effective when you 'dress up'.]

The moment Lee Shin-Woo made Paul 47 his subordinate, his Acting skill leveled up. Although he was neither a general or a knight of the Empire, he was able to put up quite the convincing act, so it came as no surprise that he could fool a soldier of the Empire into becoming his subordinate.

Is it now possible for me to fool others even without actively trying?!

Lee Shin-Woo was impressed by his own accomplishment. It was an act he had put on in the spur of the moment, taking advantage of the favorable situation and atmosphere. As a result, his skill leveled up, and the experience he'd gained was no joke! He felt overwhelmingly confident that he'd be able to lie his way out of any situation!

"You fraud..." Jin muttered with narrowed eyes, amazed by what he had accomplished.

Meanwhile, Kratia seemed quite touched by Lee Shin-Woo’s speech and Paul 47’s declaration. She applauded and said, "Paul Zero, you're amazing..."

Her keen mind seemed to only be put to use when she did magic; she fell for the charade completely.

"Will you be able to inherit their wills?" Lee Shin-Woo asked for confirmation.

[Of course, Captain!]

"Good. Bone Reinforcement!"

Paul 47 has much more backbone than Jin. While he continued to use Bone Reinforcement on Paul 47, Lee Shin-Woo gave Jin a look and shook his head, as if he was telling Jin to learn from the skeleton. Jin looked ready to burst into tears.

Some of the bones were level 2 and 3 ones he had bought from Kratia. Since they wouldn’t do him much good, he used them to reinforce the Pauls.

[Ugh, it feels like my body will break.]

"Let it break, and you’ll be reborn anew!"

[I understand, Captain! I'll be reborn as a new Paul 47!]

[Please allow me to inherit their wills as well, Captain!]

[Me too... Please allow me to do the same!]

Seeing Paul 47 growing stronger and inheriting the wills of the deceased knights and soldiers, the other Pauls realized the truth of Lee Shin-Woo's words. All of them scrambled to get to him first while holding the bones in their arms out, pestering him to reinforce them immediately.

Not every Paul trusted Lee Shin-Woo in the beginning. Some of them considered him an ally and superior, but not someone to pledge their loyalty to. Essentially, they saw him like an employee would an employer. That, however, changed now.

To them, Lee Shin-Woo was now someone who loved the Empire more than any other, and was a hero who inherited the wills of the dearly departed!

[I feel their wills living and breathing within me. I'm Paul 101; I'll protect the Empire, fight within the Empire, and die for the Empire!]

"Shin-Woo, isn't this a bit dangerous?" Jin whispered into Lee Shin-Woo’s ear, frightened by the Pauls yelling out fervently after absorbing several dozens of bones. Lee Shin-Woo calmly nodded.

"Of course it's dangerous. Their memory is incomplete to begin with, and now I’m introducing several dozens of foreign memories into their mind. It wouldn’t surprise me if some of them lose themselves."

"Then why did you do it all at once…?"

"Because it'll make them easier to fool. Plus, it'd help instill a false sense of loyalty in them."

The memories rushing into their feeble minds forced the Pauls to anchor their sense of self to the one thing they held fast: their hatred towards the curse that had destroyed the Empire.

Lee Shin-Woo had instigated that hatred, and was now giving them a cause to follow him blindly. He had no qualms with erasing all the unnecessary memories, so long as their combat techniques remained!

"You're a demon!" Jin muttered.

[My name is Paul 49... Henceforth, I'll follow Captain and stake my life on reclaiming the light of the Empire!]

"What a great goal, Paul 49. Next! Paul 102!"

[I'm ready!]

It seemed like a pseudo religious baptism and the perfect example of collective madness! The Pauls approached Lee Shin-Woo in order and offered him the bones they had collected; about half of them kneeled before him, and while maintaining a solemn expression, Lee Shin-Woo used Bone Reinforcement on them.

The experience erased what little suspicion the Pauls held against Lee Shin-Woo and instilled in them a fervent devotion. They would now do anything for him, and their feverish loyalty was almost radiating from them and permeating the air. Essentially, they would now forfeit the last remaining drumstick to Lee Shin-Woo after ordering fried chicken!

"Are you the last one?"

[That's right, Captain. Though there aren't that many, I did kill them.]

"Oh..."

The last remaining Paul was Paul 41. One of the bones it was holding was a beauty. It was the hand bone of a level 4 Skeleton Knight!

"You fought him one on one?"

[That's correct.]

It may seem obvious, but the Pauls all came from different walks of life and participated in different experiments, so they each possessed different latent potential and starting abilities. They were all level 3, but some of their total stats were close to 400, while others were only a little shy of 800.

If this Paul had managed to take down a level 4 Skeleton Knight, its total stats must have been on the higher end. The way it held itself was different from the other Pauls, and it seemed to have a solid intelligence judging by the way it had waited for all the other Pauls to be reinforced before coming forward.

But what if I were to steal this bone and use it on myself?

It didn't seem like a good option. The cost of using the level 4 Skeleton Knight bone for himself was too high, while it would provide him with much more mediocre stat gains and experiences compared to an elite level 4 monster. In that case... Lee Shin-Woo nodded and picked up the hand bone, placing it atop Paul 41's forehead.

"Their wills will make you even stronger than before. Bone Reinforcement!"

[Thank you, Captain! I'll trust and follow you!]

[By consuming the Lv4 Skeleton Knight's hand bone, the Lv3 Elite Cursed Skeleton - Paul 41 is being reinforced. You have made him into your subordinate.]

A blinding light shot out while the curse coursing through Paul 41 surged and spread to all parts of his body. In the secret facility where Paul 41 and his compatriots were born, the test subjects had been tampered with a curse beforehand in an attempt to block the undead curse, and the curse applied to them was ‘aging’. The curse, naturally, didn’t work on skeletons.

Paul 41 underwent a similar transformation as he had first awakened as an elite monster, but the outburst of energy was much more powerful!

Could it be… Lee Shin-Woo had a hunch. This skeleton...was leveling up right now! It had surpassed the threshold of 800 total stats!

[Your subordinate, Paul 41, has evolved into a Lv4 Elite Doom Factor. He has learned to release the curse surrounding him to destroy others. The day he learns to use this to its full ability will be the day he is reborn as a true disaster.]

What a cool title! Maybe even cooler than a Joker Apprentice. Before Lee Shin-Woo could seethe in jealousy, though, his own skill underwent a trivial...no, a great change.

[Bone Reinforcement skill is now Lv6. You have learned how to select the best bones from your enemies. When you personally defeat a monster, you can obtain two bones if you are lucky.]

"What...!?"

Normally, the moment one killed a monster, the lingering mana would be left in the form of loot, be it gear, bones, or skin.

Now that Bone Reinforcement had leveled up, he had a chance to acquire two bones from every enemy!

I don't know the specifics yet, but it seems I've hit the jackpot.

Once his transformation was complete, the Doom Factor, Paul 41, looked at Lee Shin-Woo with earnest eyes. His eye sockets were now filled with black goblin fire, which amazed him and struck him with awe. One could even describe the way he looked at Lee Shin-Woo as adoring.

[This is the strength I've gained because of you, Captain. I pledge my eternal loyalty to you.]

"Don't pledge your loyalty to me. Instead, swear that you will purify the Empire."

[Captain...!]

His loyalty was growing more and more intense by the minute. Touched, Paul 41 lowered his head in a bow. Then Lee Shin-Woo gave him another order.

"From now on, you're in charge of the other Pauls as their commander. Understand?"

[I understand!]

"Good."

That was the moment the elite battalion led by the level 4 Elite Doom Factor was born. What happened with Paul 41 gave Lee Shin-Woo another idea. He came up with a new plan.

If he could recruit more subordinates with Bone Reinforcement... If he could turn the skeletons born from the Anti-Skull Project into his subordinates... He would have a formidable army that no one could ignore!

And if I can add Golems into the mix...

Lee Shin-Woo's jaw creaked in satisfaction, already thinking about how prosperous his future would be. Jin thought he looked downright evil, while Kratia admired Lee Shin-Woo for his ability to manipulate the undeads' feelings and instantaneously acquire their absolute loyalty.

"You have the qualities of a leader," Kratia said.

"More like the qualities of a swindler," muttered Jin.

"I'm going to find and assassinate the lord. Kratia, stay on standby with these guys and rush in when I give the signal."

After using up all the bones to strengthen the Pauls, Lee Shin-Woo decided to enter the city incognito. Since they had already annihilated a battalion, he didn't know how the skeletons stationed in the city would react. It would be better to make a move before something unexpected happened.

"Jin, you're with me."

"Ok."

While Lee Shin-Woo and Jin were moving stealthily, it would take someone as skilled as Kratia to spot them. He didn't even need to sever their connection to do that. The Pauls were startled when Lee Shin-Woo got on Jin's back and activated Stealth.

[Where did Captain go?]

[Everyone, stay calm. We'll move when we get the signal. Until then, sharpen your swords and wait.]

Beside them, Kratia was calmly lost in thought. She had been studying the mystery known as Bone Reinforcement and was agonizing over whether she could apply the principles to her own magic. It delighted her that even after crossing over into this world, there was knowledge worth pursuing for her.

When they had gotten far enough away from the group, Jin asked Lee Shin-Woo what he'd been concerned about.

"Hey, Shin-Woo. Will you be bringing those guys with you from now on?"

"Nope. While it's nice that they've become a useful fighting force, it'd be kind of weird to travel with them, wouldn't it?"

He might not have a problem with the idea if he was still alone, but as it was, it would be a hassle to travel with them everywhere. He'd done this on a whim to begin with, and he didn’t really consider them important.

"Once they’ve grown enough, though, I’ll be using them properly," Lee Shin-Woo said.

"You're really amazing, man."

"I know."

Lee Shin-Woo used Bone Armory to conjure a whole set of armor, including a helmet, upper body armor, and lower body armor; he was now fully armed aside from weaponry. Although the appearance and materials of the different pieces didn’t match, equipping the whole set made him look like a knight.

"You're going to act again, aren't you?"

"Be on guard," warned Lee Shin-Woo.

The city was enclosed in four walls. Lee Shin-Woo could easily tell where the defense was weakest thanks to the memories he had absorbed from the knights and soldiers. Once they approached the city walls, he led Jin away from prying eyes.

"How do you think they formed this underground empire?” Jin tilted its head in wonder. “And how was it maintained... The fact that this commercial city can thrive means that it must have independently developed several of its own industries underground."

"They probably used those amazing technical skills to build the Empire."

"Why would they go underground when they possessed such skills?" asked Jin.

It was easy to forget that they were underground when they weren’t looking at the distant ceiling.

Moreover, the Underground Empire itself distinguished between areas above ground and further underground. And the weather, as well as day-night cycle, were mostly controlled through magic. Perhaps the Empire even had rivers and oceans. No, they definitely did.

"Maybe there were too many people up there."

Jin tilted his head up. "I wonder what it looks like above ground..."

Lee Shin-Woo could tell that Jin was feeling restless, perhaps because he'd met Kratia, someone of the living. Lee Shin-Woo understood. He was happy that he could sympathize with his partner. Gently, he stroked Jin’s back to comfort him.

"We should be able to see it someday,” Lee Shin-Woo said. “We'll definitely be able to if we continue to grow."

"...Thanks, Shin-Woo."

"I'm the one who should be thankful… Shall we infiltrate the city now?"

"Yeah."

With the help of low rank level 9 Stealth, the two entered the fringe of the city through a doghole and infiltrated the slums. Compared to the small towns filled with level 1 or 2 skeletons, the scale and condition of the city were worlds apart. This was their first time entering a true undead city.