Damn Necromancer - Chapter 121

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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 (121)
Overwhelming
Before examining what the Nuclear Bomb actually was.
He first checked the title he’d just obtained.
[1. Upper Completion Master]
[You have filled ten titles from the Upper completion list.]
[Effect 1. All Ability Scores increase by 10%. (Applies to additional ability scores as well)]
Kim Min-woo blinked.
‘Huh.’
All Ability Scores increased by ten percent.
And the effect applied even to additional ability scores.
“That’s incredible.”
He nodded with satisfaction.
Until now, even after all the grinding Kim Min-woo had done, he’d only had one title of this caliber: Indomitable Spirit. Now he had two.
Filling out the Upper completion list had certainly been demanding.
From becoming the successor to Death Load all the way to the last one he’d just obtained, “Executioner of the Vampire Duke.”
Not a single one of them had been easy.
He examined the newly unlocked Middle completion list.
[Legend’s Beginning – Middle]
[An Awakener writes legend into being. His second chapter of achievement is recorded.]
[Effect 1. When you complete all titles in the Middle list, a very special effect will be added to the ‘Upper Completion Master’ title.]
[Effect 2. When you complete all titles in the Middle list, you will be able to create the Lower list.]
〈Middle List 0/15〉
‘It went from ten to fifteen.’
He’d fill these out as he progressed, one by one.
There was still one more title he’d obtained.
[He Who Executed the Vampire Duke]
[He granted eternal peace to Duke Timorn, lord of Castle and a Pure Blood Vampire.]
[Effect 1. Pure Blood Vampire Authority is applied.]
[Effect 2. Lower vampires receive an intense aura of pressure from you.]
‘……Pure Blood Vampire Authority?’
Could it be referring to the origin of blood itself?
The reason Pure Blood Vampires stood out even among vampires.
They possessed a passive skill that prevented hemorrhage.
He lightly cut his wrist with the Spirit Sword. A sharp sting accompanied the flow of blood.
And then it happened.
As if rewinding, he watched the blood being pulled back into the wound.
The wound sealed itself smoothly, as though there had never been any bleeding at all.
Cedric, who had been staring intently at the sight, tilted his head.
―Master. Just now—wasn’t that the Pure Blood Vampire Authority?
Kim Min-woo nodded.
“It’s the effect of a title I just obtained.”
―That’s quite the prize. To harness the origin of blood without even being a vampire…….
Cedric’s eyes gleamed with intrigue.
―With that level of regeneration, you’d rank somewhere around a baron among Pure Blood Vampires. It’s like a High-Grade Potion is constantly in effect.
“Exactly.”
Not quite Highest-Grade Potion level.
More like High-Grade Potion regeneration constantly applied.
―Min-woo, that’s amazing! With this…… Olivia will probably like it too!
“That vampire will like it?”
―Yep! She really hates humans. But now you’re special, right? You’re using Pure Blood Vampire abilities and everything. At least you’ll look way better than some ordinary human?
So I can score points with the commander?
It was an unexpected bonus.
Either way.
Duke Timorn had been generous—pouring out rewards without restraint as he departed.
He was a monster worth the cost of two Light Bombs.
Now that the appetizer was finished.
‘Time for the main course.’
It was time to use the real reward for slaughtering the vampires.
[Use VVIP Shop Access Ticket?]
He nodded.
[The shop has been upgraded to the next tier!]
[New items are now available!]
[New!]
[6. Scar of Lightning (7,000,000 Points)]
[7. Tear of Ellu (9,000,000 Points)]
[8. Nuclear Bomb (10,000,000 Points)]
Items that had previously shown as question marks were now unlocked and visible.
He examined the details.
[Scar of Lightning]
[Grade: Unique]
[A mysterious scar. Upon purchase, it is automatically etched into your body.]
[Effect 1. You gain the ability to wield lightning.]
‘A scar?’
An image appeared before him—a pattern resembling a stylized lightning bolt.
Its size was roughly that of a five-hundred-won coin.
‘To command the power of lightning…….’
Unlike other items, which were plastered with multiple effects, this scar’s benefits were almost suspiciously simple.
Which made it all the more appealing.
In other words, all the power was concentrated entirely into the single ability to wield lightning.
‘It doesn’t seem like the kind of thing that would boost my Brain stat just by etching it onto my body.’
If that were the case, it would’ve been listed in the effects.
‘Still, it’s another card I can play in combat…….’
He was a close-range Necromancer, after all.
No one would expect a Necromancer to hurl lightning at point-blank range.
At seven million points, it was certainly worth consideration.
Next, he examined the Tear of Ellu.
[Tear of Ellu]
[Grade: Ancient]
[Level Requirement: 251+, Summoner class.]
[A ring said to have been crafted from a tear shed by the goddess Ellu herself.]
[Effect 1. All Stats +100]
[Effect 2. All Recovery Speed +100%]
[Effect 3. Once per month, you may invoke ‘Ellu’s Miracle.’ When the miracle activates, something wondrous occurs.]
‘Wow…….’
Excellent.
Truly, incredibly good.
That was his honest reaction upon seeing the Tear of Ellu. It was already a rare accessory to come by, and its effects were flawless.
The boost to all stats was practically universal.
A hundred percent increase in recovery speed was equally extraordinary.
Mana and health would regenerate twice as fast—from a combat endurance perspective, he couldn’t imagine a better option.
‘As for the miracle…….’
Using it would apparently trigger something extraordinary, whatever that meant. Either way, that effect alone was bound to be phenomenal.
‘I should at least look at the last item.’
It was even more expensive than this ring.
Nuclear Bomb.
He was intensely curious about it.
He checked the description.
[Nuclear Bomb]
[Grade: Unique]
[A mystical bomb. No radiation. But whatever you imagine, its destructive power will surely exceed your imagination.]
[Effect 1. Triggers an ultra-powerful explosion in the surrounding area.]
[Effect 2. Does not harm the user or their allies.]
For a price of ten million points, the description was remarkably sparse.
But the fact that it was the most expensive item here……
‘……meant the destructive power was genuinely catastrophic.’
Of course, he had doubts about whether it would work against true outer gods-class monsters……
‘But anything below that tier would probably fall to it without much trouble.’
Two Light Bombs had dispatched a vampire slightly weaker than Balkan without any resistance.
Looking at the price, this would have at least twenty times the destructive force.
It was the sort of thing even Death Load-tier monsters could fall to.
‘Not bad at all.’
Kim Min-woo’s eyes gleamed.
For a disposable item, it was extraordinarily expensive.
But it possessed an overwhelming advantage the other items lacked.
When a life-or-death crisis arrived, this object could become the crucial move—the one card that changed everything.
The ‘miracle’ property in the Tear of Ellu had somewhat similar effects, but naturally it would pale in comparison to a Nuclear Bomb.
‘In other words…….’
Life plus one.
An item capable of overturning an entire losing match in a single stroke.
About four days remained.
Even if he scraped together points diligently, he’d be fortunate to afford a single VVIP Shop item.
‘All-in. Buy the bomb.’
His deliberation was brief.
‘There’s still the second round anyway.’
The VVIP Shop, like the VIP Shop, remained accessible through the second round.
Which meant there was a chance to earn points beyond just this first exam.
‘When it’s over, well—can’t be helped.’
He had to choose something regardless; there was no point agonizing over it indefinitely.
Ancient-grade accessories were tempting, but nothing outweighed an extra life.
His mind grew busy with calculations.
The must-buy list.
To avoid being dragged around the United States, he absolutely needed the Supreme Spirit Elixir Recipe. Add one Nuclear Bomb to that, and it came to 11 million points.
‘Chasing equipment draw boxes on top of that is a bit tight.’
If points remained, stockpiling a few Light Bombs didn’t seem like a bad idea.
“I need to rack up serious points.”
Kim Min-woo’s eyes blazed with resolve.
The landscape before him shifted.
He immediately tore open the next quest.
[You begin a difficulty ‘High’ quest.]
[Exterminate the Cyclops horde entirely.]
Before materials arrived at the merchant’s stall, he’d squeeze points from the Cyclops.
* * *
One hundred fifty participants.
Though numerous nationalities were mixed among them, there was one thing they all shared.
It was shock.
“……What in the world are these people doing?”
It started when the points were first tallied on day two.
Even Liu Wei, a Druid with some renown, had only 120,000 points.
Most naturally fell far short of 100,000.
But the top three were in an entirely different league.
Third place: 360,000 points.
Second place: 530,000 points.
Honestly, even these numbers were staggering.
‘2.13 million points?’
‘What is this person even doing?’
First place was operating on an entirely different scale.
“……Could they have found some kind of loophole?”
Small wonder such suspicions arose. The Awakeners didn’t sit idle.
They’d already combed through the entire city thoroughly, but to be sure, they tore through it again. Some even ventured beyond the city limits, searching for hidden elements.
And they realized something.
“……There’s nothing like that, really.”
There seemed to be no method to accumulate points on the sly at such a rate.
‘No matter how I look at it, hunting is the only way.’
Whether fulfilling commissions at the Mercenary Guild or crushing monster hordes.
Nothing earned points quite like hunting did.
‘And besides, every participant sent was a combatant anyway.’
A tournament where lives hung in the balance.
Naturally, no nation sent producers.
All were combat classes.
So in the end, I’d earned those points by fighting.
‘How on earth do you rack up 2.13 million points? Did someone participate in an actual war?’
Questions piled on top of one another.
Curiosity about who exactly occupied the top ranks had only grown.
“……Are they Korean Awakeners?”
The Guild War against Ilseong Guild.
The performance they’d shown there was certainly impressive—enough that talk of them being strong favorites for the championship circulated among the spectators.
Most of the Awakeners participating in the preliminary rounds acknowledged as much.
‘Certainly…….’
‘If it’s Shin Goong, second place wouldn’t be surprising.’
‘Park Si-woo. That guy was formidable too. Third place—sure, why not.’
Even if both of them took second and third, it wouldn’t have seemed that strange.
At least they were skilled enough to overpower anyone below Level 500.
But first place…….
‘Who the hell is this person?’
Shin Goong?
Honestly, even if Shin Goong’s grandmother showed up, he’d question whether she could score that much.
Park Si-woo, who was even weaker, didn’t warrant discussion.
‘But it doesn’t seem to be Kim Min-woo either…….’
If Shin Goong and Kim Min-woo were to face off one-on-one, most people would still bet on Shin Goong for now.
Kim Min-woo’s summons were formidable, but few believed they could overcome Shin Goong—an experienced, high-level Awakener.
Yet this person had earned nearly four times Shin Goong’s score?
It made no sense whatsoever.
That’s precisely why the Awakeners’ heads began to spin.
‘Who is it, really?’
A complete question mark—there was no way to even identify them.
Could there be some dark horse who’d hidden their true strength?
Meanwhile, more anomalies continued to unfold.
Not only did the vampire’s castle quest in the Mercenary Guild disappear, but the first-place score began climbing at a positively insane rate.
[Day 3: Standings revealed.]
[Score Rankings]
[1st Place: ??? – 3,138,000 points]
[2nd Place: ??? – 812,300 points]
[3rd Place: ??? – 562,130 points]
.
.
Up through Day 3, the score had climbed at a relatively human pace—averaging around a million points per day.
[Day 4]
[1st Place: ??? – 6,172,300 points]
[Day 5]
[1st Place: ??? – 9,637,400 points]
[Day 6]
[1st Place: ??? – 13,212,300 points]
[Day 7]
[1st Place: ??? – 15,211,230 points]
“……What the hell is this person doing?”
The gap had widened to the point where bitter laughter was all anyone could manage.
15.2 million points?
Even farming Cyclops—the most lucrative scoring cycle—would require defeating them fifteen hundred times to earn that many points.
Everyone had naturally lost all motivation.
There was no point even trying to compete.
No matter how you looked at it, the first trial was already decided.
“Ah, hell. Spit. You take it all.”
The Awakeners spat onto the ground.
* * *
[Current Points Held: 13,211,230]
Over the past four days.
I’d thrown myself into point-farming with every ounce of resolve. Grinding Cyclops, crafting non-stop for three straight days.
Fortunately, the merchants seemed to have gritted their teeth this time and sent over thirty thousand units of materials.
I’d completed all of them and combined those points with what I’d earned from doing some Mercenary Guild work, and that total was right there.
The fifteen-million-point gap existed because the rankings were calculated by summing all scores accumulated thus far.
‘Thirteen million points….’
He opened the shop.
[Opening the VVIP Shop!]
[A shop sales assistant will visit you!]
“Good to see you.”
―Yes, hello.
“I’d like to buy a few things. This one first. And this.”
[Deducting 10,000,000 points!]
[1 Nuclear Bomb has been added to your inventory!]
[Deducting 1,000,000 points!]
[1 Supreme Spirit Elixir Recipe has been added to your inventory!]
That left him with roughly two million points remaining.
He’d originally planned to buy Light Bombs, but it seemed he’d accumulated more points than expected—living so intensely during the trials had its rewards.
“Hmm. Equipment random boxes, huh….”
That was when it happened.
―Ahem, ahem!
Popo suddenly broke into an exaggerated cough.
Kim Min-woo’s eyes sparkled.
“You know what, buying equipment feels off.”
―Is that so?
“Yeah. I’m not sure whether I should save the points or spend them….”
Save them.
Head shake.
Spend them.
Nod.
This creature.
Whatever Popo had grasped from their last exchange, the assistant had turned into a mind-reading machine—answering before the words even left his lips.
―That must be a difficult decision indeed.
“Actually, I think I need to use them. Who knows what the second trial will throw at me.”
―As your assistant, I always respect the purchaser’s choice.
“An Elixir, though….”
Head shake.
“Doesn’t feel right. Maybe I’ll just blow everything away with Light Bombs instead.”
―Shall I proceed?
“Yeah. Explosions are an art form, aren’t they?”
He and Popo existed in a kind of symbiosis—a comfortable, warm relationship where they pushed and pulled each other without needing to speak.
There was no reason to refuse a helping hand.
[Purchasing 4 Light Bombs!]
He bought them all at once.
―Is your shopping complete?
“Yeah. Thanks for the hard work. Let’s grab a meal together sometime, if you get the chance.”
He patted Popo’s shoulder warmly.
―Not at all—it’s my duty. Hehe…. I sincerely hope you survive the second trial as well. Then I shall take my leave….
After Popo departed like that.
A message soon appeared.
[The First Trial has concluded!]
[Settlement is beginning!]
[Total participants: 150]
[Casualties: 12]
[Current survivors: 138]
[You have secured first place!]
[As a reward, you are granted limited information about the Second Trial!]
[Cursed Land]
[Sacrifice]
[Survival
]
[Do you wish to enter the Second Trial?]
[* Your life may be in danger.]
[* If you decline, the offer will be extended to those ranked below 50.]
The Cursed Land?
I had a rough idea of why Popo had done it.
From time immemorial, light had always vanquished wicked curses, hadn’t it?
Light Bombs in bulk purchase.
I already felt reassured.
“I’m in.”
His figure vanished at once.

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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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