Damn Necromancer - Chapter 11

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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The Spendthrift Necromancer (11)
The Whip of Love
His return to the world was instantaneous.
Kim Min-woo looked down at his own body.
Just moments ago, his limbs had been scattered in disarray.
Now he was whole again—pristine as new.
No symptoms of Potion addiction either.
Virtual flesh. Remarkable.
‘I burned through some coin, but I got it cheap in the end.’
What he’d gained was far from negligible.
First.
Combat experience from the skeletons.
He’d witnessed a colossal war firsthand—something no amount of money could normally buy into. This experience would prove invaluable as his skeletons continued to grow.
Second.
Titles.
He’d earned countless Titles.
Since this was unfamiliar territory, many of them contained details he hadn’t yet grasped.
‘Time to take a closer look.’
[New Title List]
[1. So, Just How Far Will You Go?]
[Participated directly in a Special Battlefield.]
[Effect: Mana +3]
[2. Orc Slayer]
[Hunted five hundred Orcs of far greater level.]
[Effect: Attack Power against Orcs increased by 10%.]
[3. Living Only for Today]
[Consumed Potions like water, falling into an addicted state.]
[Effect: Resistance probability to Potion addiction slightly increased.]
[4. Mighty Hunter]
[Achieved victory against a monster with overwhelming power gap.]
[Effect: Attack Power increased by 10% against monsters with 200+ level difference.]
[5. Fledgling Commander]
[Commanded over five hundred subordinates.]
[Effect: Morale of led forces increases by 3%.]
‘Up to here, that’s solid baseline stuff.’
They were respectable Titles, all things considered.
And from this point onward……
‘These are the truly elite ones.’
Titles earned through miracles that would’ve cost him ten lives.
[6. Indomitable Spirit]
[An unbending spirit. It is a shard of brilliant possibility.]
[Effect 1. The spirit endures the death of the flesh.]
[Effect 2. All Stats increased by 10% (applies to bonus stats as well)]
[Effect 3. Sealed]
[Effect 4. Sealed]
First, Indomitable Spirit.
‘The effects are insane.’
Only two of them had unlocked, yet those two alone were absolutely ridiculous.
The spirit enduring the death of the flesh.
‘Without this, I’d be dead.’
It had saved his life.
That alone said everything.
And the second effect.
All Stats increased by 10%.
‘This is nuts.’
A percentage-based efficiency, no less.
Titles with effects like this were genuinely rare.
In fifteen years of playing this game and nothing but, he’d only seen three Titles with similar effects.
‘And those were around 5%, tops. Plus they were individual stats, not all Stats.’
But all Stats by 10%—!
The additional stats from Titles and equipment applied to it as well!
“Heh heh.”
His mouth stretched into a grin.
That’s right.
After crawling around at level 1 like that, I deserve at least this much as compensation for risking my life.
And I still have three more main Titles left to check.
[7. Master of the Dragon Knight]
[You have become the master of the Dragon Knight Cedric.]
[Effect 1. The learning ability of all Skeleton-type summons increases dramatically.]
[Effect 2. Skeletons can now reach the rank of Dragon Spawn Soldier.]
[Effect 3. Exudes intense pressure upon dragon-related monsters.]
[Effect 4. Locked.]
[Effect 5. Locked.]
‘Wow.’
This one was equally incredible. The learning ability of Skeleton summons increasing dramatically—that was the real prize.
Raw stats mattered, certainly.
But equally important—
‘—is knowing how to fight.’
The Orc Guardian.
He’d won against an enemy with overwhelming stat superiority.
Because he fought well.
Combined with the Death Lord’s learning effect, the Skeletons would have the potential to do the same.
‘I’m not asking them to fight like me.’
Kim Min-woo had some conscience, after all.
It would be greedy to expect ordinary Skeletons to move with the precision of a former world-ranked gamer.
‘But half my level?’
Even a quarter of that would be enough.
At that level, they’d slap most Awakeners around the face. His fighting power would transform entirely.
The second effect was equally impressive.
‘Dragon Spawn Soldiers.’
Kim Min-woo had hunted Dragons a few times before.
Dragon Spawn Soldiers were among the Undead troops that high-level Dragons employed as subordinates—typically guardians of the Dragon’s Lair.
But they weren’t summons that a Necromancer could normally utilize.
‘I’ve never seen the Skill Book for them.’
As far as he knew, a Dragon Spawn Soldier Skill Book had never dropped in Gate Hunters.
He’d wondered if the drop rate was just abysmal.
‘Was it something you could only access by taking Cedric as a subordinate?’
The Dragon Spawn Soldier—the final form among Skeleton-type summons.
Just the opening of that pathway was enormous.
One day he’d be summoning whole troops of them.
The third effect was good too.
Dragon-related monsters were plentiful enough.
And their rewards were generous compared to same-tier monsters.
‘Plenty of places to use that.’
[7. One Recognized by Moo Tak-ta]
[The Orc Hero Moo Tak-ta has recognized you as a true warrior.]
[Effect 1. Strength, Agility +30]
[Effect 2. Orcs feel intense affection toward you. Opening special routes upon encountering Orcs becomes possible.]
“Wow, Moo Tak-ta, you bastard…….”
Just how strong was that monster?
‘His recognition alone bumps my stats by sixty?’
That was fifteen levels’ worth of pure stat increase. He’d suspected it from his fight with Cedric, but—
—the guy really was a monster.
[8. One Who Stopped Eternity]
[You pierced the impossible and ended the repetition of the battle in the Eternal Battlefield – Hruluunif.]
[Effect 1. Mana +20]
[Effect 2. You smell delicious. Divine Beasts are taking notice of you.]
“……?”
Twenty Mana points—fine, he could accept that.
‘But smelling delicious? What are Divine Beasts?’
At the mention of being watched, Min-woo glanced around his surroundings.
He felt nothing out of the ordinary.
“……There shouldn’t be anything to worry about, right?”
The Chairman’s Main Residence.
It was one of the most heavily guarded places in Korea.
Detection systems comparable to the Blue House were installed throughout.
Even a master swordsman would have difficulty slipping in undetected.
He didn’t know what this Divine Beast was up to, but if it was a creature that even these detection systems couldn’t find.
‘There’s no point trying to prepare for something like that anyway.’
How was he supposed to find something even these systems couldn’t locate?
The solution was simple, then.
Just think positively about it.
There was a reason the saying existed: if you can’t avoid it, enjoy it.
‘Things will work out one way or another.’
In any case.
He’d received tremendous rewards from this summons.
‘Status window.’
[Name: Kim Min-woo (23)]
[Class: Necromancer]
[Level: 1]
[Skills Possessed (3/8): Death Lord (EX), Summon Cedric (SSS), Summon Skeleton (F)+9]
[Mana: 820/820]
[Titles: 12]
[Stats]
[Strength: 81(+8)] [Agility: 81(+8)] [Endurance: 52(+5)] [Magic Power: 75(+7)]
‘Damn…….’
His equipment had been utterly destroyed by Moo Tak-ta’s kick. The stats he saw now were pure physical ability.
And these were level-one stats.
His heart soared.
‘The bonus stats alone add up to eighty-three.’
He’d gained stat increases equivalent to twenty levels or more.
He’d acquired a ten-percent boost to all stats.
‘And I got Cedric too.’
What had he lost?
Min-woo considered what was gone.
Rare items so thoroughly destroyed by Moo Tak-ta’s kick that they couldn’t even be repaired.
The Black Heart Set worth fifty billion won that had been fitted into those skeletons.
Consumables including potions worth nearly ten billion won.
Spare equipment worth nearly twenty billion won.
And finally, a Dimensional Ring worth fifty billion won (intermediate grade, destroyed).
All told, roughly one hundred and thirty billion won.
To gain this much benefit for a mere one hundred and thirty billion won.
“That’s an absolute steal.”
He’d squeezed every drop of value from the transaction.
* * *
Ilseong — the number-one conglomerate group.
The Main Residence was correspondingly vast, with every imaginable facility built into the estate itself.
The Training Ground was no exception.
Min-woo arrived at the sprawling courtyard, divided into dozens of sections, and examined his skill.
[Summon Cedric (SSS)]
[Type: Active]
[Mana Cost: 100]
[Summons the Dragon Knight Cedric. Cedric’s level follows the master’s. As the level increases, his power is gradually released.]
The description was straightforward.
‘So it follows my level…….’
That meant a level-one Cedric would be summoned.
He extended his hand forward.
[Cedric is being summoned!]
[50 Mana is consumed!]
Half the mana cost reduced by Death Lord.
Click-clack!
Cedric emerged moments later.
In the Eternal Battlefield – Hruluunif, he’d been mounted on a true dragon, gleaming with a dazzling golden radiance.
This was different.
He cut a finer figure than an ordinary Skeleton, yet the difference was hardly dramatic.
His bones were pale white, and his frame stood perhaps a head taller than a typical Skeleton—that was all.
The only remarkable thing was the Dark-Light Spear he held.
Kim Min-woo examined Cedric’s Stats.
[Cedric]
[Class: Dragon Knight]
[Level: 1]
[Possessed Skills: Master of Spear (S)]
[Loyalty: 50]
[Special Notes: Most Skills and Stats are currently sealed.]
[Strength: 34(+17)] [Agility: 32(+16)] [Endurance: 34(+17)] [Mana: 36(+18)]
‘Well. Even so, this is SSS-tier, isn’t it?’
Even subtracting the Death Lord’s stat bonuses, Cedric was undeniably a formidable Summon.
A level 1 Summon whose raw Stats alone looked capable of overwhelming multiple F-rank Awakeners—a staggering gap compared to an ordinary first Skeleton summon, which typically averaged baseline Stats of 10 and came with no Skills at all.
‘But……’
Kim Min-woo’s eyes narrowed as he noted the Loyalty figure.
After risking his life to take blows meant for Kim Min-woo, battling that orc, and on top of that pulling him free from an endless nightmare that had spanned what felt like ages……
‘Only 50?’
Dead center on the scale.
Roughly translated, it meant:
I’ll acknowledge you as my master.
But I’m going to keep a close eye on you.
‘That’s the vibe this Loyalty level gives off.’
Honestly, it stung. More than stung—it hurt quite a bit.
Shouldn’t it be a full 100?
‘Then again……’
Would a creature as stubborn as that really throw open heart and soul to a savior just once?
Kim Min-woo spoke to Cedric.
“Cedric.”
Click-clack! Click-click!
After his jaw had been working wordlessly for some time, the creature finally spoke.
―……Master. Don’t tell me I was truly Level 1?
“Yeah.”
―……I had a feeling. Most of my power is sealed. This pathetic body, so feeble I can scarcely form words—I’ve never known such a thing.
“So, is it the fault of the master who fed and clothed you?”
―……I didn’t quite mean it that way. And you never put me to sleep, did you?
“I did save you, though.”
―That much…… I grant you.
Cedric bowed his head.
“Let me cut to the point. I’m a man with a long road ahead. You’ll have plenty to keep you busy as well.”
―So it seems. Combat I welcome at any time.
Cedric nodded.
“But there’s one problem.”
―A problem?
“Yeah. Your Loyalty.”
Lesser Undead, creatures with barely a mind to speak of, offer their master infinite devotion. Command them to leap into a blazing pit, and they hesitate not a moment.
Why?
Because they do not think.
But higher-tier Undead were different.
They possessed intellect, the capacity to reason, the ability to judge.
That collective weight was the Loyalty system itself.
Loyalty was one of the Stats that demanded careful management.
If it fell too low, an Undead might abandon their master—or in extreme cases, even turn and kill them.
This was why dealing with high-tier Undead carried its own particular dangers.
‘Though Necromancers aren’t the only ones bearing such risks.’
Every summoner class faced the same perils.
Failing to manage Loyalty is the fastest path to ruin.
Loyalty at 50 in a situation like this?
It’s not a stat to take into combat with confidence.
Usually in cases like this, there are two methods to choose from.
First.
The coddling approach.
Treat the Undead like precious treasure, shower it with devotion and care, and painstakingly inch the Loyalty upward one microscopic point at a time.
‘And the second is.’
The Oath of Loyalty.
Once a summon swears an oath to its master, Loyalty becomes fixed at 100.
No room for betrayal.
The safest and cleanest method.
The only problem is…….
‘Nine times out of ten, they refuse.’
That’s when Cedric spoke.
—Master. Do you truly believe I would betray you? I am a knight. I would never commit such a dishonorable act.
“Of course you’re a knight. But those Death Knights are knights too, and if their Loyalty isn’t perfect, they’ll slit their master’s throat without blinking.”
—……Are you comparing me to such base knights?
“Mouths can lie, but numbers always speak the truth. So here’s my question: will you swear an Oath of Loyalty to me?”
—I’m afraid that won’t be possible, Master. I still don’t know you well enough.
Just as expected.
The refusal came back sharp as a blade.
‘Getting an oath isn’t easy.’
Summons aren’t fools.
Why would they stamp their seal on a slave contract indistinguishable from being put on a leash?
Usually you had to raise Loyalty to at least 95 before they’d even consider swearing an oath.
With Loyalty at 50 now, would I really need to coddle it all the way to 95 the hard way?
That would take forever.
There was only one shortcut left.
Kim Min-woo, gripping the Wooden Sword laid out in the Training Ground, spoke.
“Cedric. I’m giving you two choices. Either swear the Oath of Loyalty to me nicely right now, or do it after I beat it into you.”
—……You mean to fight me?
“Yep. If you won’t swear the oath, that’s what’s happening. I’m a really good master, you know? So just do it now, yeah?”
—……Master, do you take a knight for a fool? Stop this at once.
“I don’t want to hit my own summon either. So, what’s your answer?”
He gripped his spear.
His eyes burned with azure flames, blazing fierce.
His answer needed no words.
Heh.
Kim Min-woo laughed.
He understood well enough why he was so arrogant.
After all, he wasn’t a combat class—he was a Necromancer. Being challenged to fight with a Wooden Sword would offend anyone’s pride.
‘But what can I do.’
The two of them were both Level 1.
And Cedric’s spear technique was even capped at S-class in this situation.
Even if his own stats were lower, he had confidence he could win—and besides, his stats were actually far superior here.
“In Korea we have a saying: the Eastern Land of Courtesy and Righteousness. Let me teach you some manners today.”
—I warned you, Master. And by age, I am far your senior.
Yeah, and the stronger one is the senior.
It was time to teach this arrogant summon some respect personally.

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This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
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