Damn Necromancer - Chapter 12

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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 (12)
Cedric was baffled.
His master, Kim Min-woo.
He’d known to some degree that the man was a skilled swordsman.
He’d seen it on the battlefield.
The way he wielded his blade.
A master recognizes mastery in others.
Certainly, despite being a Necromancer, he was an anomaly—one who wielded steel better than most knights.
‘But that’s not why I acknowledged him as my master.’
The audacity to stand firm against overwhelming odds.
The indomitable spirit that refused to yield.
And beyond all that, a knightly virtue: staking his life to protect someone he’d never met before.
It was the admiration for such spiritual qualities that had swayed him.
And that admiration was beginning to fade.
How could he have imagined such recklessness?
Even that Death Lord had never treated him with such disrespect.
If anything, they’d exchanged mutual respect.
Cedric had watched countless knights in his time, and so he could read Kim Min-woo’s state precisely.
‘He’s drunk on his own ego—lost in pure delusion.’
A little talent, and suddenly the world means nothing to him.
Fledgling knights who’d learned swordplay always carried themselves that way.
Cedric rotated his spear.
His once-perfect Spear Technique felt somehow dulled, blunted in ways he couldn’t quite place. It seemed that descending to Level 1 had imposed constraints on his technique as well.
‘But that doesn’t matter.’
He wasn’t the only one at Level 1.
His master was Level 1 as well.
What mattered was the skill itself—the capacity to wield a weapon.
Cedric had never tasted defeat with his spear in all his life.
‘The weapon favors me too.’
When blade meets spear, the spear wins eight times out of ten.
The reason was simple.
It was far longer than a sword.
Both weapon and mastery—overwhelming advantage on his side.
Cedric was confident.
He truly was…….
* * *
Crack!
The Righteous Wooden Sword came down hard on the summoned creature’s skull.
Cedric drove his spear forward with gritted teeth, the weapon’s edge undeniably sharp.
But Min-woo sidestepped it with ease.
‘One more strike.’
Crack!
‘And another.’
Crack!
The wooden sword continued to pummel Cedric’s body.
Had the creature been summoned in that state he’d witnessed on the battlefield, Min-woo wouldn’t have engaged at all.
How could anyone defeat a monster riding a white dragon?
But things were different now.
The current Cedric was barely Level 1.
In terms of Ability Values, he was hovering around Level 50 at best.
And Min-woo?
His Ability Values alone approached Level 70—and that was before accounting for the fact that his pilot was no amateur.
‘Does the world-ranked number one look like an easy meal now?’
Gate Hunter had been an old game, but the difficulty was unmatched—the hardest ever created.
He’d dominated it, claiming overwhelming first place.
That’s why Kim Min-woo was subtly recognized as the world’s number-one ranked player across the virtual reality population of three billion.
Unless that creature’s Spear Technique was at the apex level he’d displayed on the battlefield, being carved up like this…….
‘It’s easy.’
He was merely prey for Kim Min-woo.
[Damage exceeding your limit is accumulating!]
[Cedric is reverse-summoned!]
[The Death Lord effect activates!]
[Cedric is revived!]
“Hello again?”
Cedric came charging back, gritting his teeth. After beating him a few more times, he got reverse-summoned once more.
It didn’t matter.
He had more than enough mana to keep summoning him.
[Cedric Summon (SSS) is activated!]
“We meet again?”
―…
Beat him.
Reverse-summoned.
Beat him.
Reverse-summoned.
Beat him.
―… Wait!
Cedric spoke urgently.
He must have realized something instinctively.
That something was wrong.
“Who said you were my brother?”
―…
“Looks like you need more of my loving discipline.”
Smack!
An endless cycle repeating itself.
Wasn’t he starting to relive his own nightmare?
“Phew.”
When his stamina and mana ran low enough, he drank a Potion.
His body surged back to vitality.
“Guidance is really something, isn’t it?”
Leading someone onto the right path was never easy. That’s precisely why success felt so rewarding.
[Cedric Summon (SSS) is activated!]
Loyalty: 100.
He would reach it, no matter what.
* * *
Day 1.
―… How long are you planning to keep this up?
“Until my love is accepted.”
Day 2.
―… I understand you’re strong, master. I was rash, certainly. I’ll acknowledge you.
“No. That’s nowhere near enough. My discipline was insufficient too.”
Day 3.
―… I’ve lost.
“So who’s your brother?”
―… It seems you are, master.
“You hesitated just now?”
―Ah…
Day 4.
―Master is my brother. I mean it.
“Then can you swear a Loyalty Pledge?”
―…!
“Only I was sincere again, wasn’t I?”
Smack!
Day 5.
―Stop…! I’m losing my mind! How many times a day are you summoning me! My head is ringing! Please stop hitting my head!
“Such disrespect.”
Day 6.
―… I’m sorry. It’s all my fault. I mean it.
“Then shall we swear the Loyalty Pledge?”
―I… will.
“Did you just hesitate?”
―No. If you’re to be my master, you’d seem worthy of my loyalty.
[The Knight Cedric pledges his loyalty to you!]
[A knight’s oath, solid as stone!]
[Cedric’s loyalty is fixed at 100!]
A Loyalty Pledge.
In plain terms, it’s a slave contract.
Loyalty becomes permanently fixed at 100.
If your master commanded you to leap into fire, you’d have to jump. You lose the ability to refuse orders.
Naturally, high-ranking undead were reluctant to make such pledges.
That’s why the whip of love had been necessary.
―Ugh…….
“I’ll take good care of you from now on.”
I stroked Cedric’s head.
Six days of grueling effort.
I’d spared no sleep in summoning him tirelessly.
The effort hadn’t been wasted.
Cedric had finally transformed into a true summoned creature worthy of unreserved affection.
A warm sense of satisfaction bloomed inside me.
“Come to think of it, I’ve been curious about this for a while—who destroyed you all?”
―……I cannot speak of it. I’m bound by a restriction.
“A restriction?”
Cedric nodded.
―It seems to be something the Lord left behind. Right now, there’s little point in you knowing, that’s likely why.
“Because those creatures were too strong?”
―Something like that. For now, grow stronger, Master. When I recover my true power, you’ll naturally come to understand.
“I was thinking about leveling up anyway.”
I’d already reached the ceiling of my growth stats.
I needed to raise my level to break through the growth limit.
‘Level 51.’
In common parlance, it was the level bracket typically classified as D-Rank Awakener.
‘I’ll level up to there as fast as I can.’
I looked at Cedric.
“Cedric. I’m appointing you Skeleton Commander from now on. Train the skeletons hard.”
―……Understood.
I summoned skeletons around him. Since he’d been one of the legion commanders, he’d know how to run training well enough on his own.
“Weapons are all stocked at the Training Ground, so use whatever you need.”
Clatter!
A throng of skeletons nodded vigorously. After setting the training on auto-macro, I headed into my room.
‘Time to make a real move.’
I’d been supported with thirty billion so far.
Money is hard to accumulate, but easy to spend like water.
‘If I buy equipment one more time this round, it’ll all be gone.’
Purchasing Skill Books.
Buying gear and consumables.
Money was flowing out like a stream.
The skeleton equipment I’d bought last time had even been sucked into that place—the Eternal Battlefield or whatever it was.
‘I need more money.’
I could ask for more.
But I was starting to feel the awkwardness of it.
The expiration date on being the Sword Saint’s useful tool was quietly approaching.
The Chairman would start to feel burdened soon enough.
‘I need to pull off something big.’
Then I could ask for money without hesitation and get it cleanly.
‘And right now, attention’s starting to focus on me anyway.’
Rumors about the match I’d held last time were slowly spreading across the internet. I pulled up a few posts on Gate Net on my smartphone.
―So what’s Kim Min-woo’s achievement level anyway? Isn’t he actually just trash?
―He fought the Sword Saint and even at worst he’s gotta be B or A, right lol. Top 1% of Awakeners looking trash?
―Nah dude. Rank depends on awakening conditions. Could even be lower than that.
―Bullshit lol if he was C-Rank or below would that much light have burst out?
―Even if we say A-Rank there’s still a problem. Just ’cause achievements are high doesn’t mean everyone makes it, yeah? How many guys vanish mysteriously in the middle of things?
―(Information) Even if Group A has those kinds of people, there’s not a single Awakener buried under Achievement S. ㅋㅋ Does S-Rank Skill Book look like small change to you? ㅋㅋ
―But isn’t S risky?
―The inflation right now is insane, though. Kim Min-woo didn’t pick Swordsman, right? If he picked Swordsman, why would he sweep up all that equipment? ㅋㅋㅋㅋ
―Did Kim Min-woo buy the equipment? It could be someone else.
―Who else is throwing over 70 billion won at low-level gear? ㅋㅋ He was buying Skill Books like he was using them up. ㅋㅋ
―There were rumors he picked Necromancer. The first thing sold at auction was Necromancer-related Skill Books. If you think about it, buying equipment in bulk makes sense for a Necromancer build.
―Crazy ㅋㅋㅋㅋ He’s matched up against Sword Saint and Whatever King, and he’s picking that? Is he actually an idiot or something? ㅋㅋㅋ
―So Kim Min-woo is a bubble then or what???
―Who knows? We’ll find out when he goes to a Gate. ㅋㅋ
It seemed noisier than expected—like the Information Team had thrown fuel on the flames of public opinion.
Well, that made sense.
If he was going to debut as the face of Ilsung Group, high visibility was a good thing.
‘This works out perfectly.’
He’d been thinking of raising his market value soon anyway. He thought of an F-Rank Gate he could clear from Level 1.
When does an Awakener’s market value spike the highest?
Simple.
When people believe the future is far more promising than the present.
That was exactly why Awakeners who achieved S-Rank Achievements were called Super Rookies.
While others started with F or E-Rank Skills, they were starting with S-Rank Skills, after all.
Draw in all that anticipation.
Show them your clear speed in the Gate and make them lose their minds.
Kim Min-woo planned to do exactly that.
And to make the stage truly grand.
He made a call shortly after.
“Chief Lim? It’s me. Kim Min-woo. I was wondering if you could round up some journalists for me. I’m going to clear a Gate this time. Solo, of course. Bring everyone you know.”
Every journalist there was to be gathered.
Once public attention was concentrated, he would deliver his most shocking debut.
‘Fastest time in the world. Solo clear.’
Gating was meant for party play. Even Super Rookies usually formed parties for their first run.
There was too much danger involved.
But for Kim Min-woo.
‘F-Rank? It’s basically a walk in the neighborhood.’
Moreover, the current Kim Min-woo was stronger than any version of himself across six years of play. His Level was 1, but his ability values were monstrous.
His skill composition was organic.
Death Lord and Cedric receiving its effects. And the skeleton soldiers besides.
He even planned to participate directly in combat.
Korea.
No, the entire world would be shaken.
Because Kim Min-woo was strong?
No.
Because the future he would paint was worth anticipating.
[Breaking News! Ilsung Group’s Kim Min-woo Declares Awakening! He Really Did Awaken! But His Job Isn’t Swordsman—It’s Necromancer?!]
[Experts Judge Achievement Grade at Minimum B or Higher!]
[The Crown Prince Returns in Glory! Kim Min-woo Declares Solo Conquest of First Gate ‘Tomb of Osiris’! Vows to Clear It in Record Time!]
[‘Tomb of Osiris’ is known to be among the highest difficulty F-Rank Gates……]
Korea began to stir.

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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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