Damn Necromancer - Chapter 129

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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 (129)
I’ve got it.
In the middle of sniffing the air like that.
Kim Min-woo’s eyes sparkled.
‘One of them feels different.’
Among the three, there was one scent that stood out with peculiar intensity.
‘Is there a difference?’
There should be three Superior Quality boxes, no doubt about it.
If that were the case, the scents should be identical. But they’re not…….
‘There might be hidden factors at play.’
Regardless.
Since I didn’t know how long this Divine Power would last, I had to move quickly.
“Let’s head that way.”
Kim Min-woo dashed forward at once.
The Guild members followed in his wake.
Soon he came to an abrupt halt before a certain box and looked toward Park Si-woo.
“Si-woo.”
“Yes.”
“Pick that one.”
“That one?”
“Yeah. That one’s a jackpot.”
His puzzlement lasted only a moment.
Park Si-woo picked up the box.
“Let’s move to the next location.”
Before long, Kim Min-woo arrived at the second box and looked toward Seo Ye-rim.
“Why don’t you choose that one?”
She nodded and took hold of the box. If he was speaking with such conviction, he must have figured something out.
‘……Is this the shop’s ability he mentioned back then?’
He’d said you could exchange goods for special currency instead of money. Perhaps he was using that to locate the best boxes.
After handing out boxes to the Guild members, it was Kim Min-woo’s turn.
The most intense fragrance brushing against his nose.
He had arrived at the destination.
“Huh?”
The intense fragrance was clearly wafting from ahead…….
‘I don’t see anything?’
There was only an empty floor, as if nothing existed at all.
Kim Min-woo’s eyes gleamed.
‘Could it be camouflaged?’
The moment he reached out his hand slightly.
Tap!
Something caught in his hand.
Feeling it briefly, it was unmistakably a square box.
‘This one’s mine.’
If I’ve already helped them find Superior Quality boxes, I’ve practically done everything.
The most special reward was something the Guild Master couldn’t yield.
“Let’s go.”
“……?”
Seo Ye-rim tilted her head, seeing his empty hands.
It lasted only a moment.
“Are you holding a box in your hand right now?”
“Yes. It seems to be a transparent box.”
The three of them approached Popo, each holding one box.
“You all picked one.”
―……? One person doesn’t have a box…… Wait. Why does it say all four are selected?
The confusion faded just as quickly.
Popo hummed softly and asked matter-of-factly.
―……Are you absolutely certain about those selections?
Since Popo didn’t know what was good either, they seemed to be trying not to express any personal feelings as much as possible.
“Yeah. We’re going with these.”
―Understood. Then…….
Popo clapped her hands together with a sharp sound.
That was the moment.
[You have selected a box!]
[The box’s grade is being revealed!]
Shimmer!
A dazzling rainbow burst of light exploded from the box in his grip.
[How remarkable!]
[You have obtained the one and only “Superior Quality box masquerading in disguise” hidden on Treasure Mountain!]
[You have obtained the title “Wait, how did you even find this?”]
The same burst of light erupted from Seo Ye-rim’s and Park Si-woo’s boxes.
If there was any difference between them,
it was that his glowed with rainbow brilliance, while theirs shimmered with pure white light.
“Huh?”
Park Si-woo tilted his head, glancing back and forth between his own box and Kim Min-woo’s.
“Senior, aren’t these three Superior Quality boxes? But why are the colors so different…….”
“That one’s a special hidden box, apparently.”
“Really?”
“Yeah. There’s only one of them.”
“Wow, that’s insane…… How did you even find something like that, senior?”
“I had something from before that turned out to be useful. It was one-time use, but…… well, this was the moment to use it.”
“You really deserve respect, senior. No, admiration.”
Park Si-woo gave him a thumbs up.
If Kim Min-woo hadn’t been there,
he would have blindly picked one box and done nothing but pray.
He probably would have ended up with a shoddy or mediocre box.
But now? What about now?
He’d managed to choose the finest box among tens of thousands.
Of course, Kim Min-woo’s box would be first, so strictly speaking his was second best…… but.
‘I wouldn’t have known anyway.’
So practically speaking, he’d walked away with first prize.
Seo Ye-rim was equally astonished. From the moment Kim Min-woo stepped forward with such confidence, she’d sensed something was up.
‘So it was real…… .’
Thanks to him, she’d caught the lucky break.
“Thank you, Min-woo.”
“It was an ability I needed to use anyway. And this way I took care of both of you.”
It was an ability he had to deploy whether the two guild members were there or not in order to secure optimal rewards. In the process, he’d strengthened the guild’s overall power as well.
For him, it was all gain—no loss in this transaction.
Then.
A small voice of wonder came from beside him.
―Wow…… what is that box?
“You don’t know either?”
―I don’t. The seniors who oversaw this place never mentioned anything like it…… .
“Look.”
He held the box up to Popo’s view.
[Superior Quality box masquerading in disguise.]
[Grade: Special]
[A cunning box that has been hiding on Treasure Mountain in camouflage for tens of thousands of years. It was confident it would never be found, but today it finally had its collar grabbed.]
―If it’s one rank higher…… I’m curious what it will give. I heard Superior Quality usually grants a Trait…… .
“…… A Trait?”
It didn’t seem to be a Skill.
Since it was an item that appeared from a Superior Quality box, it had to be good, but he couldn’t quite grasp what kind of reward it represented.
―Oh, I don’t know the details either. I just heard it from the seniors. But I did hear it was incredibly valuable. Why don’t you open it and see?
All three opened their boxes simultaneously.
[Opening the Superior Quality box!]
[You receive a correction bonus of 42% Contribution Rate!]
[This is a special box. You obtain an additional reward tailored to you! It will be added to your inventory!]
[Reward List]
[1. Trait Manifestation Seed (High-Grade)]
[2. Item Grade-Up Ticket x1]
[3. Elu’s Tear]
[4. Worn Key]
[5. Random Item Box x3, Elixir x1]
He whistled low at the sight of the rewards.
The Trait Manifestation Seed was the main reward anyway, so setting that aside.
There was this Item Grade-Up Ticket, a name that raised immediate suspicions, and beyond that—
‘I’ve seen most of this stuff before.’
Elu’s Tear, that ancient-grade ring he’d spotted in the VVIP shop.
‘Five million point key, boxes, Elixir… seriously?’
Excluding the seed, the rewards alone came to roughly twenty-one million points’ worth.
It was time to examine the main reward.
[Item Grade-Up Ticket]
[Grade: Special]
[A one-time ticket capable of raising an item’s grade. A very, very good box apparently sneaked a bite and hid it away. Someone might be desperately searching for it right now?]
[Effect 1. Upon use, raises the item’s grade one step higher.]
‘Damn.’
This was nasty.
That was his first thought seeing it.
A simple effect—raising an item’s grade.
But there really wasn’t any limitation to it.
‘What if I used it on a Mythic-grade item?’
Mythic was the grade above Ancient.
In all his playtime, he’d only encountered it once. And naturally, the option had been absolutely broken.
What would happen if he threw a grade-up at a Mythic-grade item?
‘I’m genuinely curious what’d drop.’
Of course, he could also use it to bump an Ancient-grade item up to Mythic.
‘Feels like a waste, though.’
He wasn’t particularly weak right now anyway, so what was the point?
Holding onto it was the right call.
He’d stash this carefully in his inventory.
Now for the truly main reward.
[Trait Manifestation Seed (High-Grade)]
[Grade: Special]
[What is your inborn trait? Consuming this might reveal the answer.]
[Effect 1. Upon consumption, a ‘Trait’ category is added to your status window.]
[Effect 2. Depending on each trait, you gain access to unique effects.]
[Effect 3. Traits grow progressively stronger the more you actively use them.]
This was equally fascinating an item.
‘A Trait category added to the status window…’
A type of item he’d never encountered before.
He looked at Seo Ye-rim and Park Si-woo.
Both of them held something seed-like in their hands.
“You got a seed too?”
“Yeah. You?”
“Yes. It says Intermediate Trait Manifestation Seed… Did you get one too?”
“I did. Mine’s Intermediate as well. And they threw in three Random Item Boxes.”
“Wait, three?!”
“What? Didn’t you get three?”
“…I only got one. Hold on—you too?”
“Sorry. I got three as well. And a bunch of other stuff on top of that.”
“Why! Why just me…?”
Park Si-woo’s eyes grew deeply sorrowful.
“You got the seed—that’s what matters. I’ll buy you gear from the Auction House later, so don’t stress about it.”
“Ugh… Is this really because of the Contribution Rate difference?”
“Probably. Still, you got one box, so it’s fine. Let’s consume the seeds now.”
The two nodded in agreement.
They each placed the small seed into their mouths.
Kim Min-woo did the same.
[Trait Manifestation Seed consumed!]
[Analyzing the footprints of life etched into your soul…]
[Analysis complete.]
[Endless Challenge. You have never faltered, no matter how difficult the circumstance.]
[The Trait Indomitable (High-Grade) has been added to your Status Window!]
He examined the details.
[Trait: Indomitable (High-Grade)]
[Whenever you refuse to yield to hardship, you receive a special bonus.]
‘Indomitable.’
His eyes brightened.
The greatest reward possible.
The effect was just a single line.
In other words, all the power was compressed into that one line alone.
The activation condition was remarkably simple.
All he had to do was choose the harder option.
‘That’s what I’ve always done anyway.’
He could check the effect whenever he chose the difficult path. With a shrug, he turned to face the other Guild members.
“I got Indomitable, but what did you get, Ye-rim?”
“I… got Sincerity.”
“Sincerity? What’s the effect?”
She flinched at his question before speaking.
“…When you work hard, your effort is rewarded.”
Work hard and receive reward.
Since hers was intermediate grade, there’d be a difference in power compared to his high-grade, but even accounting for that, it seemed like a remarkably good effect.
“What about you, Si-woo?”
“Perseverance.”
“Perseverance?”
“Yes. The saying goes—one day the sun will shine on you too?”
“Oh, so one day something big will happen to you?”
“Well… I guess? But my life already feels like the sun’s shining on it…?”
“That’s fair.”
Wasn’t he living a far more stable life now than he would be if he’d left an orphanage with a settlement stipend of five million won and spent his days doing manual labor?
“Look, you don’t need a big breakthrough anyway, so don’t worry about it.”
He patted the boy’s shoulder as he spoke.
“Let’s open the box too.”
A box from Legend rank—the kind that could produce Ancient-grade equipment.
The three of them opened the box together.
[Opening Random Item Box!]
[Obtained Uldrape’s Horn Flute (Legend)…]
[Obtained Specter’s Step (Legend)…]
[Obtained Plague Lord’s Gauntlets (Ancient)…]
He examined the details.
The horn flute granted powerful buffs to allies when blown.
‘The shoes are pretty good too.’
When worn, they were exclusive Necromancer equipment that allowed access to special techniques.
As for the Plague Lord’s Gauntlets…
[Plague Lord’s Gauntlets]
[Grade: Ancient]
[Requirement: 251 or higher, Necromancer]
[Gauntlets woven from the flesh of the Plague Lord itself.]
[Effect 1. Curses transmit to enemies. If enemies are nearby, the curse multiplies infinitely.]
This… is the power of Ancient grade?
Kim Min-woo blinked.
Just one effect.
But that one effect was absurdly good.
‘Curses transmit to enemies?’
And infinitely, as long as there are enemies nearby?
This item was insane.
The only real weakness was that it wouldn’t be as useful in small-scale fights.
‘Even accounting for that, it’s broken.’
Until now, whenever enemies came in groups, he’d fought by placing curses on each one individually.
He wouldn’t need to do that anymore.
Now a curse would spread everywhere on its own.
Combined with Elu’s Tear, he’d already acquired two Ancient-grade items.
‘I’m going to burst, seriously.’
Running through everything he’d obtained so far……
—Superior-Grade Elixir Recipe.
—The recovery rate of a True Blood Clan member of Viscount rank.
—One Elixir.
—A nuclear bomb.
—An Item Grade-Up Ticket and a Trait.
—Two items: one Ancient-grade and one Legendary-grade.
‘Right, and I still have the Worn Key.’
He’d find a use for it eventually.
Was that all?
His Guild members’ overall power had grown considerably too. While only mid-tier, they’d each obtained a Trait, and through the gacha boxes, they’d secured equipment as well.
Seo Ye-rim had acquired two Legendary-grade pieces and one Ancient-grade piece of equipment.
Park Si-woo had hit the jackpot too.
An Ancient-grade item dropped from the single box he opened.
‘That’ll cover the equipment costs by slot.’
All of that would become his investment capital.
‘I’ll be taking full advantage.’
Truly, it had been a worthwhile tournament.
* * *
When he returned.
Familiar scenery came into view.
It was the Waiting Room where they’d been taken before entering the Selection Tournament. Stepping outside, an enormous sea of people awaited him.
Hundreds of reporters.
He wasn’t particularly surprised.
‘The other Awakeners who left earlier must’ve spread the word.’
Korea was a minor power in the world of Awakening.
Just advancing past the preliminaries in an international tournament was enough to send the entire nation into celebration.
But this time they’d swept first, second, and third place?
National pride would be absolutely through the roof.
He was clearing his throat to prepare for interviews when——
“Kim Min-woo! There are reports that China is imposing export restrictions on critical resources! What do you make of this situation……?”
……Huh?
Where did China suddenly come from?
The confusion was brief.
‘Ah.’
Kim Min-woo let out a low chuckle.
He could see exactly where this was going.
“How amusing.”
“……I’m sorry?”
“Among the awakening superpowers, China’s the only one whose entire delegation was wiped out, isn’t that right?”
“Well…… that’s true, but…… they say you made them sacrifices…….”
“Do you know why they were sacrificed?”
“Well…… I’d imagine you know something about it…….”
“Either way, since things have come to this, I’ll impose a sanction of my own.”
“……A sanction?”
The reporters exchanged confused glances.
Could he be talking about restricting Il-Sung products?
With Kim Min-woo’s influence, it would certainly be possible.
But even then, it would barely scratch China’s position…….
Then.
Kim Min-woo, smiling slyly, spoke.
“During the Selection Tournament, I obtained something quite valuable. A Superior-Grade Elixir Recipe. France went so far as to make a secret pact with the United States to get their hands on this, didn’t they?”
A visible swallow.
The reporters’ throats moved in unison.
A Highest-Grade Elixir.
An Elixir that could only be produced in the United States—a substance so tightly controlled that it never leaked beyond the United States, France, and a handful of close allies.
The very Elixir that had launched America’s dominance in those fierce Gate Conquest Wars of such enormous strategic consequence.
And China, currently facing American pressure?
Something that no amount of effort could ever procure—I’d stake my reputation on it.
“The materials are exceedingly rare, driving up production costs. A single dose likely runs about eight billion won just to manufacture. And given the Gate Conquest War is right around the corner, let’s add a markup fee, shall we? Going forward, anything involving China gets a tenfold multiplier.”
Tenfold?
Surely he didn’t mean ten times the production cost?
‘……So, eighty billion won per dose?’
It was essentially a way of saying don’t bother buying.
“……Guild Master. Are you perhaps considering selling the Elixir to foreign nations?”
“Well, depends on how things develop.”
A laden answer.
The reporters sensed it immediately.
The game had just gotten exponentially bigger.
‘This is going to—right now…….’
The United States and its allied nations would descend into chaos.

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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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