Damn Necromancer - Chapter 128

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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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Donzirah Guild Necromancer (128)
Mountain of Treasures
He watched the Awakeners.
They gazed at the small boxes they held, their wonder plain to see.
From what he could gather, they’d received Unique and Legend Grade equipment boxes instead of points.
‘That makes sense.’
He recalled the message he’d seen when he first arrived here.
[Points continue to accumulate. However, if you have not experienced anything special until now, there will be no change going forward.]
If he hadn’t unlocked the VIP Shop, accumulating more points wouldn’t open it now.
That was roughly what it meant.
In such circumstances, there was no point in rewarding Awakeners with points when they had no real way to spend them.
So perhaps the reward came as items instead.
Unique and Legend Grade gear was compensation the Awakeners could be satisfied with. That was the nature of the Awakener profession—risking your life to obtain such equipment.
He gazed at the Soul Sword.
When he’d captured Ifrax.
[Formidable foe! Absorption amount increases significantly! (9/10)]
He’d absorbed roughly 5 points of value.
It was less than the Duke’s 4, relatively speaking.
‘So absorption scales with contribution, it seems.’
That appeared to be the case.
His remaining count was 1.
Once he cleared a Gate and defeated one more formidable foe, it would grow again.
The sword had advanced from Legend to Legend+ Grade; next would likely be Ancient Grade.
‘An Ancient Grade blade.’
A truly extravagant weapon.
He suspected this one would last him quite a long time.
It was unfortunate he hadn’t earned a Title.
‘Nothing strange about that.’
Titles typically dropped more often in solo play than in parties.
‘So what are they giving me?’
Then it came.
[You rank 1st in Contribution!]
[You may choose!]
[Select one of the options!]
[1. Receive your Contribution converted to points.]
[2. Travel to the Mountain of Treasures instead of converting to points.]
‘Hmm…….’
An interesting choice had appeared.
Option 1 was the reward system he’d originally expected, and option 2 was…….
‘The Mountain of Treasures.’
A choice to travel to an entirely different region.
That was when it happened.
―Well then, everyone’s received their rewards, yes? The trial will end soon! You’ll be returning to Earth!
“So we’re going back too?”
At Kim Min-woo’s question, Popo shook her head.
―No. The 1st, 2nd, and 3rd place participants are exceptions. You’ll be given sufficient time to make your choice.
A choice?
He looked at his guild members.
“Did two options appear for you both?”
Both nodded simultaneously. It seemed they’d need to compare notes.
Then it happened.
The Awakeners began to murmur.
“Only three minutes until transmission?”
“Isn’t that too short?”
“Even so, you should give us time to say goodbye…….”
Their confusion was brief.
The Awakeners began surging toward him.
“Thank you for saving us!”
“Thanks to you we cleared it. If you ever come to France…….”
“We’re in India too!”
A torrent of words tumbling out without pause.
Business cards scattered from every direction, countless and unending.
Seasoned A-Class Awakers, all of them.
Most of these would eventually rise to S-Class as time went on.
Even with an SS-Class Achievement on the table, an S-Class Awaker wasn’t someone to be dismissed anywhere.
There was no harm in building connections while the opportunity presented itself.
Like playing a defense game, I accepted each Business Card one by one and tucked them into my inventory. Seo Ye-rim and Park Si-woo gathered quite a few themselves.
Having seen what they were capable of, it would have been strange not to want to befriend them.
Then.
The American Awakers approached.
Thomson grinned and spoke.
“Boss! Well, maybe ‘boss’ feels a bit off now? Anyway, if you ever get a chance to visit the United States, drop by our Dragon Guild sometime. Let’s grab a beer.”
He struck a pose with his muscular arm, as if chugging a beer.
The Dragon Guild.
Ranked first in the United States.
‘Well, everyone did something like that.’
After all, it was a tournament where each country sent three representatives. It would have been stranger if these Awakers didn’t have solid backing.
“If the opportunity arises, I’ll make sure to visit.”
“Good. Next time we meet, it’ll probably be… the Gate Conquest War. Take care until then.”
Next came Sofia.
She approached casually and asked.
“Min-woo! Do you happen to have a girlfriend?”
“Hunting’s more fun than romance at this stage of things.”
“Really? I feel the same way. Let’s stay in touch.”
With that, she slipped a piece of paper into my pocket.
“This isn’t a work number—it’s my personal one. It’s valuable, so don’t lose it, okay?”
Sofia smiled as she said it.
This one’s a tough opponent.
I took it anyway.
Once you keep a number, there always comes a day when you use it.
Soon after, the figures of the other Awakers grew blurred. They’d already vanished from the Second Trial’s stage.
Only three members of the Donzirah Guild remained. Park Si-woo drifted over and spoke.
“Wow, what was that sleight of hand just now? If I didn’t know better, I’d think you were a thief, not a mage.”
“What’s there to be surprised about? You got what, ten of them?”
“…Eight of those are basically worthless. They all just wanted me to introduce them to you.”
Kim Min-woo tilted his head.
“If that’s the case, wouldn’t it make more sense to just give it directly?”
“I heard something—apparently there’s a kind of hierarchy among women? Sofia was supposedly number one among the trainees?”
“So what, someone threatened them into not giving her their number?”
“Nothing so crude. It’s just… subtle, you know? Anyway, there’s a high chance something like that was at play. Otherwise, there’d be no reason for them to do it.”
That might be true.
‘Actually, that’s better.’
Thanks to that, I didn’t end up with just a single number.
“Even if you subtract eight, you’ve still got two left. What’s to complain about?”
“Right. I mean, I did my part, didn’t I?”
He puffed out his chest proudly as he turned to look at Seo Ye-rim.
“You didn’t get many numbers either, did you? I saw that guy with the baguette haircut earlier—he was totally coming on to you. With those greasy eyes and all.”
“I prefer Korean food.”
Seo Ye-rim answered flatly, then turned to look at Kim Min-woo.
“So, which of the two options are you thinking of choosing?”
“I’m not sure. Popo?”
—Yes.
Popo, who had been standing by, approached us.
“If I choose option 2, do I get zero points?”
—That is correct.
Hmm…
Kim Min-woo paused to think.
Both choices had their merits and drawbacks.
Option 1: converting Contribution into points.
It would probably be a substantial score.
‘The problem is…….’
[1. Light Bomb (500,000 Points)]
[2. Highest-Grade Elixir Recipe (1,000,000 Points)]
[3. Elixir (1,000,000 Points)]
[4. Random Item Box (2,000,000 Points)]
[5. Rusty Key (5,000,000 Points)]
[6. Scar of Lightning (7,000,000 Points)]
[7. Tears of Ellu (9,000,000 Points)]
[8. (Sold Out)]
Namely, the fact that there were sold-out items.
The nuclear bomb, that one’s no longer available.
“If I convert my Contribution to points, roughly how many would that be?”
―Approximately 1,000,000 points per percentage point, I’d estimate.
It lined up with what he’d roughly anticipated.
‘I received a Legendary Box for 1% Contribution.’
For reference, the 2,000,000-point box sold in the shop was a Legend to Ancient-Grade drawing box.
Far higher potential.
So they’d scattered half-tier boxes to the Awakeners according to their point scores.
“Once the VVIP inventory sells out, there’s no restocking, right?”
―To be precise, that applies from item 5 onwards—the key.
“If I earn more points, will shops above VVIP grade open up?”
―I apologize, but no shops beyond that tier have been allocated for this stage.
Kim Min-woo nodded.
‘Right.’
If there were, the system would’ve announced it by message long ago.
‘So converting to points won’t be worthwhile.’
Even if I bought items 5, 6, and 7, I’d still have 21,000,000 points left. Scatter that across small trinkets?
A school of minnows is still just minnows.
They can’t beat a shark.
Better to sink it all into one expensive item worth 21,000,000 points.
But if I chose item 1 now, I wouldn’t be able to do that.
“Can you tell me what the Mountain of Treasures is like?”
―Ah, well…… it’s exactly what the name suggests. A place where treasures are piled high.
“I’m guessing I can’t just pick every treasure.”
Nod.
“Is it more like a gamble? The kind where if you hit, the reward shoots sky-high?”
Nod.
Popo was being helpful.
Seo Ye-rim and Park Si-woo’s eyes lit up at that.
Both of them had memorized the behavior patterns of this bear plushie.
They’d bought items using the VIP Shop before coming here.
And specifically ones this bear plushie had recommended.
“For me, item 2 is the right call. You and Si-woo can do item 1 if you want.”
Kim Min-woo gave a quick explanation of the VVIP Shop.
Their Contribution, when converted, would easily exceed 10,000,000 points.
The VVIP Shop would open, and spending there wouldn’t be a bad move.
As for him…….
‘I have Demonic Authority.’
Andromalius.
Commonly called Andru.
That creature had granted him a power.
He’d heard it was an ability to find treasures. It might prove quite useful.
Then.
Park Si-woo spoke with a wry smile.
“There was something I thought about when I joined the Guild.”
“What’s that?”
“That no matter what I do, if I just follow your lead, I’d at least hit half the mark. So I’m just going with item 2. How about you?”
“Item 2 for me too.”
“Unexpected. I thought you’d pick the safer option.”
“Why?”
“It’s just that you’re so conscientious, you know? The way you structure your life like clockwork, everything perfectly organized. Usually people like that tend to play it safe, I figured.”
Seo Ye-rim let out a quiet laugh.
“That’s not it at all. I’m actually impulsive.”
It was one of the common misconceptions people had about her—that she was rigid, formal, and exactly the type they assumed she’d be.
She’d never felt compelled to correct them before.
But these guild members were different.
They’d grown close enough over time.
There was no point leaving misunderstandings between them.
Park Si-woo blinked at her words, then asked carefully.
“You are?”
“Yeah. Anyway, I’m going for the second trial too. High ceiling, right? Then we might as well shoot for it.”
“Then we’re all going for the second trial.”
Low floor, high ceiling—a structure worth betting on. A chance worth taking.
The guild members nodded in agreement.
“Got that?”
―Yes. Then I’ll escort all three of you to the Mountain of Treasures.
The moment Popo began to clap.
The surroundings lurched and shifted.
“Oh.”
“Wow.”
“So many.”
Before them lay what looked like mountains of glimmering treasure chests stacked in every direction.
[You have entered the Mountain of Treasures.]
[The rules will now be explained.]
[1. Each chest has a grade. They are ranked as follows: Poor, Mediocre, Average, Good, and Excellent.]
[2. The lower the grade, the more chests there are. The higher the grade, the fewer. There are only three chests of Excellent grade.]
[3. Each person may select only one chest.]
[4. Each person has been assigned a default chest. This chest’s grade is ‘Average.’]
[5. You are free to choose a different chest instead of your assigned one.]
[6. You must select one chest within a single day.]
[7. Once you choose a chest, you will receive a reward commensurate with its grade.]
[8. However, if you damage a chest, you are forced to select that one. Be warned.]
“Where’s our assigned chest?”
―Right over there.
Popo pointed.
Three chests sat atop a small table.
Kim Min-woo nodded slowly.
He grasped the basic mechanics well enough.
‘Pick the safe option, you get average grade.’
Pick something else?
Either jackpot or bust.
Like most things, the odds of busting were overwhelmingly high.
The three examined the scattered chests all around them.
[Treasure Chest]
[Grade: ??]
[It is a treasure chest.]
“The descriptions are all identical, though?”
The appearance was the same, the weight was the same, the description was the same. Even the helpful Popo was useless. Not a single hint, not even an implicit gesture.
It seemed impossible for him to distinguish between the chests either.
“Just looking at them, there must be tens of thousands… and only three of them are winners?”
Park Si-woo clutched his head in despair. Seo Ye-rim’s brow was equally furrowed. Even with an archer’s keen vision, finding a special chest seemed impossible.
“Can’t break them to see inside, either. This is rough.”
Then.
Kim Min-woo pressed his hands together tightly, as if in prayer.
“…?”
“…?”
Regardless of the confused looks from his guild members, Kim Min-woo continued praying.
‘Come on, Authority. Work. Work….’
Andromalius had three Divine Powers in total.
Criminal Detection, Stolen Item Locating, and Treasure Finding.
The first two abilities had their own merit, certainly, but the real jackpot was the third Divine Power.
The stage was perfect for it, too.
Treasures surrounded him on all sides.
He recalled what Andromalius had said when handing over the temporary Divine Power.
―This is my humble gift to you. Just once, at the moment of activation, one of my Divine Powers will trigger automatically.
Now was that moment—when the ability would activate on its own.
Even ranked 72nd among the demon lords, he had to demonstrate competence, didn’t he?
And then it happened.
[All around you lies treasure!]
[The temporary Divine Power of Andromalius, one of the 72 Demon Lords, activates!]
[A powerful scent of treasure radiates outward!]
Immediately after.
A sweet, intoxicating aroma began to drift through the air.
From three distinct directions.
‘Lucky.’
Andromalius had hit a home run.

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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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