Damn Necromancer - Chapter 120

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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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Spendthrift Necromancer (120)
Vampire.
One of the famous monsters.
The distinguishing trait: the more fresh blood they drain, the stronger they grow.
Their recovery rate skyrockets—a bonus of their own making. That draining ability made them notorious, one of the most feared monsters around.
‘In that respect, Undead are their natural predators.’
Undead?
Most have no blood at all.
A few species do, but it’s rotten blood—corpse blood.
Drinking it would be a losing proposition, blood with no value.
The only blood worth draining was their own kind.
‘Well, just avoid it and we’re fine.’
It was effectively like having their most troublesome draining ability half-sealed away.
Thump.
Thump.
As Dol-soe’s heavy footfalls drew near the Ancient Castle, it happened.
—Shriek!
Without warning, shadows flooded in from all directions, dark silhouettes rushing forward.
About ten of them in total.
A vampire ambush under cover of darkness. Their crimson eyes all fixed on him with hunger.
The conventional strategy against a Summoner is always to target the summoner himself.
These vampire bastards knew that rule well enough.
The Undead horde’s response was swift and precise.
[Dol-soe uses Provocation (A) on Idrahn!]
Shield raised high to block from above, Dol-soe redirected one vampire’s gaze—its head snapping toward the golem instead.
‘So it begins.’
Kim Min-woo reached forward with his hand.
[Land of Death (S) is cast!]
The Land of Death activated first,
[Curse of Aging (D)+9 takes effect…….]
The amplified curse, enhanced by the Ascension Ring, washed over their bodies.
[Serina has been cursed!]
[Albolten has been cursed…….]
.
.
[Strong blood detected! Curse effectiveness and duration significantly reduced…….]
Every single one of them bore a name—the mark of True-Blood vampires. Yet the curse still took hold.
About ten percent reduction in speed and defense.
Toward these now-sluggish vampires, Merchen unleashed his magic.
[Merchen uses Water Prison (SS)!]
The horde charging at Kim Min-woo was caught in a prison of water that materialized in mid-air. Blood surged through their hands and hardened into claws like fingernails.
Shrieeek!
Blood-wrought claws tearing through water.
Several vampires slashed free of the Water Prison and thrust their bodies outward.
As if waiting for this moment, Cedric’s lance met them head-on.
—Kill them all!
[Cedric activates Dragon Strike (S)!]
Claws of blood collided with the elongated spear.
Crash!
The vampire’s form shuddered and was driven backward.
With his secondary seal already broken, Cedric’s ability scores were already elevated.
Add to that the stat bonuses from the Land of Death and the skill itself—he wouldn’t easily lose ground.
Dullahans and Specters, skeletal masses converged from all angles, while mages’ curses blinded the vampires’ eyes.
Chaos erupted on every side.
Through it all, two vampires forced their way through and charged straight at Kim Min-woo.
“Fire.”
—Chirp.
[Ha-yang-i shares attributes with her master!]
[Fire attribute can now be utilized!]
[Fire resistance increased by 10.2%!]
Ha-yang-i’s attributes had grown considerably. By now, they were useful enough to deploy even without ice affinity.
[Law of Victory activates!]
[All ability scores increase by 50%!]
[All damage increases by 50%!]
A title that climbs 10% for every hundred levels.
A 50% boost meant the level gap had to be at least five hundred.
‘The level is pretty high, I’ll admit.’
Though it hardly mattered.
Flame was the natural weakness of vampires.
I swung the sword wreathed in fire.
[Soul Reaping Swordsmanship (S) is activated!]
[Consuming 3,000 Mana…….]
Dozens of flame-engulfed sword strikes descended upon their bodies.
Droplets of blood that should have splattered seemed to reverse course, sucking back into their flesh as though rewinding.
Origin of Blood.
One of the True-Blood Vampire’s passive skills.
The effect was straightforward.
Even when blood flowed, it returned to the body.
A sort of miniature immortality.
‘The way to break it…….’
Inflict severe wounds that force them to lose more blood than they can recover.
I wielded my blade, dodging the vampires’ attacks.
In the savage chaos of the melee.
After three minutes of combat, the first vampire’s head flew.
That was the moment.
The headless vampire rose to its feet, arms flailing at its sides.
“……!”
The vampire beside it gasped in horror.
No True-Blood Vampire, regardless of rank, could survive with their head severed.
Unless they were a high-ranking noble.
But the one I’d just killed was nothing but an ordinary commoner.
‘Surely not……?’
My bad premonition became reality. The now-undead vampire drove its nails into its companion’s body.
The tide of battle shifted sharply against us.
* * *
Click.
For the first time in decades, a coffin within the Ancient Castle opened. A single vampire lay within, submerged in blood.
“We pay our respects to the great Duke Timourn.”
The mob of vampires bowed reverently toward the one who opened his eyes in the coffin.
The vampire before them now possessed power worthy of such deference. A noble-rank True-Blood Vampire, no less.
One who bore the highest title of all: Duke.
“What matter compelled you to awaken me?”
The vampires, all biting their lips, knelt as one.
“……We beg your aid, Your Grace. A Necromancer has invaded. We are powerless against such a foe.”
Interest flickered in the Duke’s eyes.
A vampire’s strength is determined by their blood.
In other words, True-Bloods are born inherently powerful.
Since settling here, they had thrown countless intruders to the crows without effort.
Yet they sought him out…….
The Duke rose from within his coffin.
Smooth as silk…….
The remaining True-Bloods followed in his wake like apostles, their reverence palpable.
As he walked forward.
The Duke’s brow furrowed at the sensation of his vitality draining away.
‘An annoying little trick.’
Of course, at his level, losing a trickle of life force posed no real threat.
Merely an irritation.
Soon the interior of the chaos-stricken Banquet Hall came into view.
Blood splattered in all directions.
A jumble of corpses strewn about in disarray.
Countless hordes of the undead, and in their midst, a human standing with casual composure.
Timourn’s eyes narrowed.
‘A Necromancer.’
A Summoner who commanded the undead.
Among them were even True-Blood Vampires already transformed into corpses.
It seemed he’d killed these Vampires through some special ability and then raised them again.
‘I see well enough how this is unfolding.’
A Necromancer attacked, and in blocking him, we only ended up amplifying his strength.
The Duke stepped forward.
In that instant, the woman with the Parasol unleashed a spell.
Crack!
A massive bolt of lightning bore down on the Duke. The True-Blood Vampires who saw it trembled.
Many of their companions had fallen to this witch’s magic.
But then—
A surge of blood rose up and enveloped the Duke in a perfect sphere.
Fwish!
The lightning that struck the blood dissipated in an instant.
“Interesting. You command quite a capable thrall.”
Timourn began to stare at Kim Min-woo intently, as if fascinated.
* * *
A Vampire in visibly antiquated dress.
The atmosphere was far from ordinary.
From the moment he’d entered the Banquet Hall, a throng of Vampires had trailed behind him.
‘That must be him.’
The reason this mission offered five hundred thousand points plus extra rewards.
It seemed to be because of that Vampire.
[The boss of the Ancient Castle, ‘Duke Timourn,’ has appeared!]
The message also indicated he was no easy opponent.
Bearing the rank of Duke, no less.
As a test, I ordered Merchen to attack. The magic that had annihilated countless True-Blood Vampires proved nearly useless against this Duke.
‘High magical resistance.’
Well.
He held the rank of Duke.
Having lived for centuries, his Level would naturally be extremely high.
While the Second Seal’s release had greatly increased my mana, a Level gap was not something I could simply overcome.
I sent the True-Blood Vampires resurrected by the Land of Death toward him.
To assess his physical capabilities. Undead Vampires rushed forward with their jaws hanging slack.
Once resurrected as undead, the special abilities of their race had long since vanished.
But their physical abilities alone still held utility.
―Shriiiiek!
The Duke frowned at the undead attacking from all sides.
“Tch.”
The moment he clicked his tongue and swept his hand through the air, more than ten undead Vampires were cleaved in half instantly.
‘…He’s quite strong.’
He was weaker than Balkan, whom I’d seen in Anbe last time.
The problem was that he wasn’t alone. The number of True-Blood Vampires that followed approached sixty.
Having barely managed to reach forty, I could say I was climbing mountain after mountain.
‘Good thing I brought the bomb.’
Without it, I would have had to resign myself to death to attempt this.
“I shall grant you a glorious life.”
His fangs gleamed sharply. Boundless greed overflowed in the Duke’s eyes.
‘He intends to make me a Vampire?’
A Vampire could transform those they drained of blood into thralls.
Of course, that number wasn’t unlimited. So they typically created thralls with great deliberation.
It seemed my abilities had caught his fancy.
‘Perfect.’
To make someone a thrall, fangs had to pierce the neck.
Besides, I needed to close the distance to use the Light Bomb anyway.
Watching the Duke’s greedy gaze, it seemed I wouldn’t need to worry about that.
And sure enough.
The duke was closing the distance.
True-Blood Vampires converged from all sides—a bonus. While the Undead contingent dealt with them.
Cedric and Dol-soe.
Both rushed forward alongside him toward the duke.
[Dol-soe uses Provocation on Timourn!]
[The Level gap is too great! Provocation has no effect…….]
The level difference was too severe—Provocation simply didn’t land.
Whoosh!
Dol-soe swung his mace.
The duke bent low to slip past it lightly, and Cedric hurled his spear at him.
Shadow’s spear and Dragon Strike intertwined, unleashing a devastating fourteen-fold damage combo.
Yet the duke simply caught the spear in his bare hand.
Cedric’s mouth fell open as he unleashed his breath.
The duke opened his jaws as well.
A stream of crimson mist poured forth, completely consuming Cedric’s breath.
Kim Min-woo drove his blade through the opening.
[Law of Victory activates!]
[All Ability Scores increase by 80%…….]
A monster exceeding 1,000 Levels.
The Soul Reaping Sword bit shallowly into the creature’s waist. A few drops of blood trickled down before being reabsorbed back into its body.
The duke’s head snapped around.
Timourn smiled coldly, his gaze fixed on Kim Min-woo.
Desire burned bright in his eyes.
“So you covet it.”
Maintaining his ease throughout, he didn’t seem to entertain even the remotest possibility of defeat.
“Want a gift?”
“……?”
The duke tilted his head, bewildered by the sudden words.
A small mass of light materialized in Kim Min-woo’s palm. A Light Bomb drawn from his inventory.
[Light Bomb activates!]
[Causes no damage to allies!]
“……!”
The duke’s eyes went wide.
The uncanny sensation sent fur standing on end; he hastily erected a barrier of blood, but it was useless against the burst of light detonating inches from his face.
“Krraaaagh!”
A brilliance so blinding it seared the retinas.
The True-Blood Vampires nearby were caught in the blast too, their bodies torn to shreds as if swept up by a typhoon.
When the explosion subsided.
“Cough……hack…….”
Burned across his entire body, the duke coughed blood from his lips.
It was unmistakably a critical wound.
Yet he did not fall.
His Tier was simply that high.
Fury kindled in his eyes at the unexpected blow.
“……You. I will tear you apart.”
“Oh, but there’s one more.”
“……?”
Boom!
Another massive explosion erupted. He managed to weather the first, but a second was beyond his capacity.
All the blood in his body evaporated; his form withered like mummified flesh.
When the endless torrent of light finally faded.
The duke’s state had become pathetic.
“Blood…… I need…… blood…….”
Desperately, the duke craved sustenance.
Sadly, it was an impossible desire.
With all his blood drained, weakened to helplessness, the duke was hardly a match for what stood before him.
Under the onslaught of Undead converging from all sides, his body crumbled like biscuit.
‘Worth the points.’
To suppress such a monster with merely two Light Bombs—who would’ve thought.
No wonder it was worth 500,000 Points apiece. Kim Min-woo approached the duke.
“Farewell.”
The Soul Reaping Sword severed his neck.
That was the moment.
[The Soul Reaping Sword absorbs the prey’s blood!]
[A formidable foe! Absorption increased significantly! (4/10)]
‘Hmm?’
When he’d hunted the demon-transformed Han Baek-gil, the Soul Reaping Sword had absorbed a value of 1.
This time it jumped to 4 in an instant.
‘Is this similar to the Balkan case?’
When Balkan had consumed blood, his stats rose by two thousand at a time — this seemed to follow a comparable mechanism.
It was proof of just how formidable the Duke had been.
The messages weren’t finished.
[You have obtained the Title “Executioner of the Vampire Duke”…….]
[Legend’s Beginning – Part One has a new entry…….]
[All entries in Part One have been completed! (10/10)]
[As a reward, you obtain the Title “Completion of Part One”!]
[Legend’s Beginning – Part Two is generated!]
Title acquisition messages.
[You have completed the Vampire’s Ancient Castle quest!]
[Rewards are granted!]
[1. You obtain 500,000 Points!]
[2. You are given a VVIP Shop Access Voucher!]
The hidden question mark reward.
It seemed that had indeed been the VVIP Shop Access Voucher.
He examined the details.
[VVIP Shop Access Voucher]
[Grade: Special]
[Effect 1. Upon use, you can open the VVIP Shop. (However, the VIP Shop must be open first.)]
[Effect 2. You become able to purchase “Nuclear Bomb” from the VVIP Shop.]
What is this.
Something seemed off about the description.
“……A nuclear bomb?”
Kim Min-woo tilted his head in confusion.
Could it actually be referring to the nuclear bomb he knew of?

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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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