Damn Necromancer - Chapter 118

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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 Wasteful Necromancer (118)
Replication
After stepping through the guild’s doors,
I made straight for the branch manager.
It wasn’t difficult to secure a meeting—I’d come bearing information worth money, or rather, Points.
“Welcome. I’m Marco, branch manager of the Malay Merchant Guild.”
“Kim Min-woo.”
After a brief exchange of pleasantries,
Marco, glancing at Cedric and Merchen standing behind me, asked carefully.
“So you’re a Necromancer, then.”
“Yes.”
“Yet you’re able to mass-produce items like these? Thousands of them in a single day?”
“As long as materials are sufficient.”
Gulp.
Marco swallowed hard.
The swords and armor pieces before his eyes—
their quality was beyond what any ordinary blacksmith could turn out.
I couldn’t fathom how a Necromancer managed to mass-produce such goods, but the confidence in his manner suggested this wasn’t mere fabrication.
Whether genuine or false, verification was necessary. If he proved a con artist, we’d simply send him packing.
But if—just if—his words held truth…….
‘This is jackpot.’
Plus Items.
They were merchandise where the material costs would be recouped many times over.
The Malay Merchant Guild stood to see a windfall of Points.
“It seems verification will be necessary. Would you come with me to the Blacksmith?”
“Just bring the materials. That’s all I need.”
For proper large-scale production, a well-equipped blacksmith would be ideal.
But right now, this was merely a proof of concept—materials alone would suffice.
The verification process commenced immediately.
A table lined with materials, from low-tier to premium grades.
Behind me, skeletons materialized, each clutching a small bone hammer.
They reached out their hands in unison.
“Oh, my goodness!”
Marco’s jaw dropped.
The materials transformed into finished products in an instant.
The very same items he’d seen moments before!
[Sharply Honed Blade Sword]
[Level Restriction: 110 or higher]
[Grade: Magic+]
[A finely honed sword. Born of excellent materials and a skilled craftsman’s hands, it bears the marks of mastery.]
[Effect 1. Strength +10, Agility +15.]
[Effect 2. The blade maintains its sharpness automatically.]
[Sturdy Thorny Armor]
[Level Restriction: 101 or higher]
[Grade: Common+]
.
.
Magic down to Common grade.
Plus Items across the board.
‘High-tier materials don’t yield much advantage…….’
High level requirements but uniformly Common grades; the bonus effects came laced with traps. We’d be fortunate to break even on material costs.
But the items crafted from low-tier materials—those were different.
If 200 Points’ worth of material went in,
Common-grade items sold for 400 Points or more,
‘And Magic-grade has rarity value…… I’d fetch a minimum of 1,000 Points per piece?’
Even a simple calculation showed we could pocket several times the production cost.
‘That…… done by mere Skeletons?’
Gulp.
Marco asked, swallowing once more.
“Just how many Skeletons like those can you summon?”
“Quite a lot.”
Marco checked the items as expected.
Kim Min-woo went through a simple transaction to verify everything himself.
He sold one of the items he’d just crafted, deducting only the material cost.
[You have sold a Sharply Honed Blade Sword!]
[You have earned 800 Points!]
‘So the transaction goes through,’ he thought.
As expected.
The items crafted from materials supplied by the guild—not from his existing inventory—processed without issue. That was the telling detail.
Marco, having purchased one of the swords, asked in a measured tone.
“Then, what would you require from our guild?”
“Supply of crafting materials, distribution to other cities, and advance payment in Points. If you can arrange that, I’ll give you ten percent of the profit.”
“Advance payment, you say……?”
“Ninety percent of the profit upfront, the moment I deliver the finished goods.”
Nearby cities were manageable—a day’s travel by carriage—but merchant operations didn’t limit themselves to neighboring towns, did they?
Weeks could vanish in the time it took to work the trade routes.
The contract period was one week.
If payment came only after the expedition concluded, he’d lose money.
Advance payment was non-negotiable.
“Those terms for ten percent is rather…….”
“Then I’ll look elsewhere.”
Kim Min-woo rose without hesitation and headed for the door.
The branch manager grabbed his sleeve urgently. “Wait, please! Why the rush? We’re still in negotiations.”
“You seemed regretful, so I wondered if there was more to discuss. Besides, there are other guilds.”
Marco sucked in his breath.
Small as they were, there were indeed other merchant operations in the area.
And merchandise like this—simply by distributing it—would strengthen any guild’s standing.
Multiply that by thousands, and it became even more valuable.
“Agreed! Ten percent, ten percent. We accept all your conditions.”
“Then we have an understanding.”
He shrugged and sat back down. For Kim Min-woo, dealing with the Malay Merchant Guild made more sense than the alternatives.
‘They’re the largest in the area.’
One of the major guilds.
They could fund materials and advance payments far more readily than smaller operations.
The smaller guilds in the region, by contrast?
They’d never agree to pay until goods were sold.
And if he was supplying thousands of units, even less likely.
“Would you prefer the craftsman’s name to remain anonymous?”
“Keep it anonymous.”
If he made his name public here, it might seem harmless—but returning to Earth was another matter.
Other cities surely had Awakeners scattered about, and rumors spread fast.
Marco nodded with a warm smile at that.
‘Keeps them safe too.’
If his name got out, rival guilds would pounce relentlessly on the Malay Merchant Guild, which would damage their position.
Mutual benefit meant mutual discretion.
“Is there an unused blacksmith nearby? Preferably a large one?”
“There happens to be one, but there’s a complication…….”
“What is it?”
“It’s located entirely outside the city. We could provide guards, but…….”
“Not necessary.”
That was why he’d asked for an isolated location.
Thousands of skeletons moving busily through a blacksmith would be the perfect breeding ground for rumors.
Some Necromancer working with thousands of skeletal workers?
And thousands of special-grade pieces flowing out daily?
A recipe for unwanted attention.
‘The real advantage…….’
Like in reality, he’d craft the equipment in some desolate location, then transport it via Subspace Ring and deliver it.
If the blacksmith was outside the city entirely, all the better.

“Show me the way.”
“Of course.”
We traveled beyond the city in a carriage. After about twenty minutes of riding.
Between the open plains, a fairly large building came into view, surrounded by a fence.
“There it is.”
Creak.
The dust-laden door swung open, revealing the interior.
‘They’ve stripped everything of value.’
The Blacksmith stood nearly empty.
“The scale is impressive.”
“Yes. Land here is remarkably cheap. Inside the city, it would be difficult to construct a building of this size. But for the past several years, monster attacks have become far too frequent…….”
Monsters drawn to the presence of people.
In the end, the Blacksmith’s mercenary hire costs spiraled beyond recovery, leading to bankruptcy.
That was roughly how the story had ended.
“This is quite satisfactory.”
With monster attacks so severe, there were no people nearby either.
The Blacksmith’s scale was considerable.
For a moment, I found myself wondering if this had been prepared specifically for me.
Marco’s face grew troubled as he spoke.
“……Will you truly be alright without an escort? The attacks are rather frequent…….”
“Branch director! Monsters!”
The air erupted into chaos.
The guild’s escort soldiers shouted frantically.
Soon a pack of monsters came into view.
“Ogres!”
“Th-trolls too!”
One ogre.
Two trolls.
And dragging along with them was a swarm of ghouls. Marco gazed at the monster pack with visible tension.
There was good reason this region had been abandoned. It lay far from the main trade route, and monsters infested it relentlessly.
Just like now.
‘Damn.’
At that scale, casualties seemed inevitable.
Then.
“Take care of it.”
―Right.
The woman holding a parasol beside Kim Min-woo extended her hand forward.
Immediately after.
[Merchen uses Massive Explosion (SS-rank)!]
Boom!
The ghoul swarm vanished without a trace in the massive explosion.
Two trolls collapsed, their bodies charred and lifeless.
The ogre directly behind them had fared no better.
One of its arms blocking the front was torn clean off.
―Screeeee!
The sole surviving ogre let out a wail.
Then, realizing something had gone terribly wrong, it turned and fled.
Well.
Without a single action taken, the entire monster pack had been slaughtered.
The ogre had enough of a brain to understand it had picked the wrong opponent.
Then.
A Bone Spear shot through the air and buried itself deep in the back of the ogre’s skull.
Thud!
The ogre fell limp.
“Oh, you can throw too?”
―This much is basic.
Cedric shrugged and walked over to the ogre, pulling the spear free. From Marco, the branch director, to the escort soldiers of the guild.
Everyone watched the scene with mouths agape.
‘What did I just witness?’
A torrential explosion of magic bursting forth with tremendous mana, and an ogre felled by a spear thrown from a distance.
It was all over in an instant.
‘So that’s why he said he didn’t need an escort.’
With that level of power, even if a dozen ogres came rushing in, there’d be nothing to fear.
A Necromancer’s gesture alone would end it all.
‘Thank goodness I didn’t entertain any foolish ideas.’
Marco wiped cold sweat from his brow.
If he’d been greedy for Kim Min-woo’s abilities and tried anything reckless, the guild would’ve been smashed to pieces.
It was a blessing he’d stayed his hand.
“There are some gaps here. Could you fill them in?”
“Ha ha, of course. Just give us about an hour. We’ll bring the materials right away.”
“Thank you.”
“Not at all. It’s nothing compared to this. So when should we expect the goods…?”
“I’ll deliver the first batch tonight.”
“Understood. We’ll have plenty of funds ready.”
While the guild workers headed back to move the merchandise,
Kim Min-woo checked his message.
[Monster horde eliminated!]
[You have earned 300 Points!]
Everything converted to Points, apparently—and monster hunting was no exception.
‘Three hundred points.’
For a pack of decent size, the reward felt a bit lean. Of course, there would be other gains besides this.
If he sold monster byproducts, they’d convert to Points as well.
But even accounting for that,
‘the Points are sparse.’
Kim Min-woo was certain of it.
Mass production was the answer.
Not long after, the Malay Merchant Guild transported vast quantities of goods.
The decrepit Blacksmith began operating again almost immediately.
* * *
The Super Rookie Selection Tournament.
A competition open to skilled A-grade Awakeners on the cusp of S-rank.
Naturally, looking at the roster alone, there were no easy opponents.
And since it was an international tournament, the participating nations weren’t sitting idle.
High-grade weapons, Elixirs, accessories.
Enormous support was funneled to each contestant. Among them, China’s backing was particularly staggering.
Liu Wei, China’s representative.
He recalled what the Nine Dragons Guild Master had impressed upon him.
―Whatever else happens, you must take down Kim Min-woo!
From the Premier downward through the Standing Committee—Kim Min-woo had thoroughly fallen from the favor of the upper echelons.
‘And for good reason.’
Liang Xiaojun, an SS-rank Necromancer.
An Awakener China had backed with full enthusiasm.
And yet he’d lost to Kim Min-woo.
Worse, that same Kim Min-woo had appeared on NewTube and savaged Liang Xiaojun for all to see.
At least trouncing France had salvaged some dignity—otherwise it would’ve been a complete disaster.
A wealthy heir from a chaebol family couldn’t be bought off, his growth was threateningly rapid,
and he was a neighbor practically on China’s doorstep.
The higher-ups were doing everything they could to dampen his momentum. As a result, even Liu Wei, a Druid, benefited from their efforts. He’d been supplied with virtually every item imaginable.
[Beginning High-difficulty Mission.]
[Exterminate the Cyclops horde entirely.]
[Reward: 10,000 Points]
In the distance,
a pack of Cyclopes loomed—their average height easily exceeding 10 meters.
The old Liu Wei wouldn’t have dared attempt it.
Monsters averaging Level 600.
An Awakener under Level 500 taking them on was no trivial matter.
But now was different.
‘It’s possible.’
Unique-grade items wrapped around his entire body. Though the expensive gear was technically on loan rather than his to keep, it was still sufficient.
‘If I just crush him…’
Among these items, he might claim several for himself.
[Using Leopard Transformation (A)!]
[The effect of the Fierce Beast Ring activates!]
[The effect of the Sharp Beast Helmet activates…….]
[The effect of the Howling Necklace activates…….]
Roooaarrr!
In leopard form, Liu Wei swept across the battlefield, picking apart the giants methodically.
Perhaps it was the sheer amplification from so many items stacked at once.
Each time the enormous leopard’s claws raked forward, chunks of the Cyclops’ flesh tore away in bloody strips.
[The effect of the Mystical Regeneration Shoes activates…….]
[The effect of the Endless Stamina Ring activates…….]
Nearly four hours of continuous combat.
[All Cyclops packs within the settlement have been eliminated!]
[You are awarded 10,000 Points!]
Liu Wei shifted back to human form, his expression settling into an easy smile.
‘At this pace…….’
An Awakener’s body was resilient.
Skip sleep for a few days and you wouldn’t perish—that was the reality. So he kept hunting Cyclops for two straight days.
[Current Points Balance: 120,000 Points]
Liu Wei’s score had climbed to nearly 120,000 Points—a threshold worthy of competing for the top ranks. Confidence bloomed across his features.
Then it happened.
A message materialized before his eyes.
[Day 2 has ended.]
[Rankings will now be compiled based on your accumulated Points.]
[Will you reveal your name publicly?]
With a good showing, he could even aim for first place.
‘Those Korean bastards—I’ll humble them properly this time.’
His eyes gleamed as he nodded.
That was the moment.
[All settlements are complete.]
[Day 2 rankings are now revealed.]
[Points Leaderboard]
[1st Place: ??? – 2,133,800 Points]
[2nd Place: ??? – 533,220 Points]
[3rd Place: ??? – 361,210 Points]
.
.
[5th Place: Liu Wei – 120,000 Points]
.
.
[150th Place: ??? – 3,243 Points]
“……2.13 million Points?”
Two days of relentless hunting, and his confidence had just shattered like glass.
Liu Wei stared at the leaderboard, blinking hard in disbelief.

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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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