Damn Necromancer - Chapter 135

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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 (135)
President Robert.
He had come to visit Cheong Wa Dae.
His casual conversation with President Lee Gang-hun was brief.
In a secluded space within Cheong Wa Dae, he met with Kim Min-woo.
“Pleased to meet you. I’m Robert, President of the United States.”
“I’m Kim Min-woo. You wanted to see me?”
“The Gate Conquest War was truly impressive. I kept wondering how you pulled off a tenfold return—well. I never imagined anyone would exploit information disparity in such a way.”
“Korea’s already struggling enough, so I need to bring in some exports too.”
“If that’s the case, I believe the United States could offer substantial support.”
“Shall we get to the point?”
“Very well. We’re certain that you possess exceptional abilities. We suspect you’ve shared some form of teaching with China—otherwise, such massive capital flows wouldn’t be happening.”
There it was.
Already sniffing out the truth and pouncing.
The Americans were nothing if not predictable.
“And?”
“As you said, it’s better for us if Korea grows stronger than China. We’re willing to help you make use of China going forward.”
“Refreshingly candid.”
“Isn’t there already a rough limit to what we’re prepared to give China?”
“I’m thinking of raising them to around fifth place in the Gate Conquest War.”
At that, President Robert shrugged and continued.
“Fifth place. Not bad from Chairman Li’s perspective. Though the Chinese might see it differently.”
“Is it my teachings you want?”
“Narrowly speaking, yes. But looking further ahead, there’s more.”
“Speak plainly, then.”
“From our analysis, you’re clearly very devoted to Korea. We can’t recruit you to America. Yet leaving you unchecked seems unwise, given your capabilities.”
“Sounds like quite the dilemma.”
“It is. With the Gate Conquest War just around the corner, I won’t lie—we’re nervous. I don’t know where the limits of your education might lie, or what its full reach could be.”
“It shouldn’t work on top-tier global rankers.”
“I’d like to believe that, but you’re a complicated person, Kim Min-woo. This is a genuine headache. There are too many variables to consider.”
President Robert sighed heavily.
“I can’t exactly launch nuclear weapons at a friendly nation’s Awakener just because they’re getting ahead. It’s a genuine dilemma.”
Kim Min-woo let out a small laugh.
“You’re remarkably frank.”
“You prefer directness, don’t you?”
So he’d already figured out his tastes.
Kim Min-woo nodded.
“I do. But it would be strange for me to stop using my abilities or stop growing, wouldn’t it?”
“True enough.”
“I’ll educate American Awakeners as well. If you send them to Korea.”
“How many?”
“This kind of education is more tedious than you’d think. Let’s say ten. For reference, China gets five.”
“How many are you planning to train in Korea?”
“Ten S-Rank members from Il-Sung, plus our guild members… roughly twelve altogether.”
“Will the training level match Korea’s?”
“I’ll match it. Without restrictions.”
“Good. We’ll do that. What’s the price?”
“A Grade A Tier 9 Skill Book. Naturally, a Necromancer Skill Book.”
From this point on, collecting items would be difficult even traveling the world.
That tiresome process of gathering and enhancing—I’ll need to hand it off to them. If they want to keep improving, they’ll figure it out themselves.
Durahhan had cost roughly twenty quadrillion won.
Given how Skill Books get exponentially more expensive as you go higher, even attempting a Grade A Tier 9 in one straight run would likely burn through eighty quadrillion won without breaking a sweat.
And if it breaks in the middle?
The account tanks.
But then again.
It’s America—they’ll figure it out just fine.
“Is that sufficient?”
“I’d also appreciate some cash. I need to visit the Auction House.”
Robert scratched his head.
Massive capital outflows from Saudi Arabia and China had already been detected.
It wouldn’t be a matter of mere hundreds of billions of won.
At minimum, we’re talking trillions.
The auction takes place in a few days.
There wasn’t enough time to route the funds through parliament.
And while his teachings are certainly exceptional, handing over that sum would invite all manner of criticism and gossip.
If I was going to meet Kim Min-woo’s demands, the only way was to do it quietly.
‘Li Zhemin. He must have had a difficult time of it.’
It seemed he would likely walk a similar path.
“……I think I can manage around twenty trillion won.”
The slush funds he’d been quietly using from defense budgets and intelligence operations amounted to roughly that much.
“Twenty trillion. Being a democratic president is quite the thankless job, isn’t it.”
“……Truthfully, there are rare occasions when I find myself envying Li Zhemin.”
“Well, I’ll accept it gratefully.”
Twenty trillion won acquired.
As tuition, it wasn’t particularly steep.
The Americans would surely send some of their own promising talent.
An Awakener of that caliber growing stronger held value that far exceeded any mere monetary calculation.
Especially now, with stronger Gates potentially emerging in the future.
America was getting an education bargain.
If Li Zhemin saw this.
He’d probably cough blood in indignation and writhe about.
But what could be done about it.
America was simply too powerful a nation to pressure openly.
A degree of cooperation was essential.
“Well, I suppose the narrow view is settled. Now I’m curious about the broader perspective.”
“Guild shares—sell some to the United States government as well. I’d also like to see Korea and America cooperate in the Gate Conquest War. Everything that comes from it, too.”
The conversation seemed like it would stretch on.
* * *
After finishing the conversation with the American president and stepping outside.
President Lee Gang-hun approached quietly.
“Did the discussion conclude well?”
“Yes. Seemed to go rather smoothly. I received quite a bit, actually. Though nothing free, of course.”
“I apologize. In times like these, the nation should be providing stronger support from behind…….”
“That’s not your fault, sir. It’s just a matter of transferring some shares anyway. What’s the concern.”
“……How much did he ask for?”
“Around 10%?”
After pushing and pulling back and forth with Robert, they’d settled on transferring roughly 10%.
A share that was neither too much nor too little.
The Americans would get their foothold this way, which worked out fine for them.
‘As for me, well. No harm in it.’
Giving shares to America had always been part of the calculation anyway.
As the Donzirah Guild grew, America would inevitably keep watch.
The moment growth crossed a certain threshold and they felt their hegemony threatened, they’d start causing all manner of trouble—that much was certain.
But if some shares were handed over?
By establishing a mutually beneficial relationship, the timing of such interference could be delayed considerably.
What was really needed here was time.
‘And there will be plenty of ways America can help going forward.’
Gates within America to clear, international-level villains to hunt with their assistance, help covering things up when squeezing China, and so on.
There was genuinely a lot to gain on this end as well.
In any case.
5% of the shares would be priced and transferred in the near term, while the remaining 5% would be sold later once the guild had grown further—that’s what they agreed on.
A reasonably good deal, all things considered.
‘Still, the growth rate really is faster than before.’
In previous timelines, the old Kim Min-woo needed at least two years before America started making cautious approaches.
And even then, it wasn’t nearly this aggressive.
At best, they’d just probe a little.
But this time was different.
Only five months since possessing the body.
The American president not only cancelled his entire schedule to fly over, but was so aggressive that it took effort to push him away.
That’s how fast the growth had been.
“I’ll be on my way now, Mr. President.”
“You’ve done excellent work. If there’s anything Korea can help with going forward, please don’t hesitate to ask. Anything at all.”
Kim Min-woo returned home, having received a warm farewell from President Lee Gang-hun.
Basement Level 4.
Bubble, bubble……
Between the cauldrons where the contents were boiling, Choi Yu-na appeared, her eyes ringed with dark circles, dropping in ingredients. For a moment, her head bobbed drowsily.
He spoke to her as she stirred herself awake periodically, producing results with effort.
“Yu-na?”
“Hm?! Oh…… yes! You’re here?”
“If you’re tired, you should rest.”
“Well, the more I do it, the more fun it becomes. Both my level and proficiency are jumping up so quickly.”
Her eyes gleamed as she spoke, as though she’d never been sleepy at all.
Perhaps she was finding a certain pleasure in the fact that a deposit appeared in her bank account each time she crafted an Elixir. At least he was paying her salary generously.
“You’ve already produced about eight thousand, haven’t you?”
“Um…… probably?”
“Then let’s make three thousand more.”
“More will be used?”
“Yes. There are some new students coming.”
The Elixirs he’d made so far had been distributed widely—some to Seo Ye-rim, some to the Ilseong Guild, and some stored here.
Now, to feed the incoming members of the Gu-Ryong Guild from China, he needed even more Elixirs.
“By the way, I’ll pay you ten times the usual rate for this batch.”
“T-ten times?!”
“Yes. I’ve negotiated a higher price.”
“Then I should do it! One week! No, give me five days! I’ll have them done in no time!”
Kim Min-woo nodded in satisfaction. Nothing motivated people quite like money.
After setting Choi Yu-na running like an automatic program, he stepped outside and made a phone call.
“Dr. Kim, are you free right now? Yes. I wanted to visit if possible. Oh, you have time? Then I’ll head over in about thirty minutes.”
He ended the call and got into his vehicle. Soon, his car pulled up in front of a large building.
Il-Sung Comprehensive Research Institute.
After passing through several buildings inside, he spotted his target.
Maseok Battery Specialized Research Institute.
After absorbing Dorim’s department.
He’d relocated all the related research teams and facilities here.
Among them, Dr. Kim Seok-jin was.
‘The most critical personnel.’
Without this man, battery development simply wouldn’t happen. He’d naturally raised his salary a hundredfold to keep him.
Dorim had paid him so poorly—it amounted to only about thirty billion won.
For extracting an item that would dominate a market soon to exceed one quadrillion won, it was absurdly cheap.
‘Develop the battery quickly.’
Originally, he’d planned to take his time with the development.
But there was no need for that now.
He held in his hand a bargaining chip worthy of negotiating on equal terms with the United States.
Thanks to this, he’d received an implicit nod of approval regarding entry into the battery market.
‘Then I should accelerate development.’
From the American president’s perspective, he’d answered rather casually about this sudden topic of batteries during negotiations.
But eventually, that answer would become a source of regret.
Inside, the research team was bustling about busily.
“Welcome!”
“Yes, Doctor. Are you satisfied with the facilities? We built them in a hurry, so——”
“Of course! Even just these facilities here are things we could never have dreamed of at Dorim!”
“The research is progressing well?”
“Well…… that is…… we’re doing our best, but……”
“I’m not trying to rush you. Feel free to speak frankly.”
“The thing is…… starting from the internal structure for transferring Mana Stone energy, all the way to the materials—we’re still in the exploration phase……”
Kim Min-woo nodded as the doctor continued speaking.
It was largely what he already knew.
He’d heard that being stuck on this point was why they hadn’t produced decent results in ten years.
That’s why Dorim’s investment had gradually withered, even from the early stages when their ambitions ran high.
“Do you happen to know about slimes?”
“Slimes? I’ve heard of them, but……”
“If you catch that, you’ll get byproducts. Chunks, that sort of thing.”
Kim Seok-jin nodded.
He knew that much already.
There had been a time, years ago, when slimes had set the whole world buzzing.
You could dump anything into those chunks and they’d dissolve it for you.
Could this be the revolutionary answer to waste management?
That’s roughly what people had hyped it up to be, all across the globe.
‘Then the side effects hit.’
The problem was, throw something in and it would explode at random. The acidic solution that sprayed everywhere caused catastrophic damage.
Several companies that had eagerly built slime waste-processing facilities went belly-up spectacularly, and the whole affair died down.
After that, interest faded and slimes became just another unpopular monster.
“Try putting a Mana Stone into that chunk.”
“I’m sorry—a Mana Stone?”
“Yes. It’ll produce a liquid. Then mix in a few of the materials you’ve been researching and harden it.”
“……?”
“After that, arrange it in a twisted shape and it should work.”
Kim Min-woo shrugged.
Mana Stones didn’t detonate when you put them in.
They just got wrapped in liquid instead.
Several organizations had analyzed what that was for, but nobody figured out what it was actually used for.
So it had been forgotten.
‘Until Kim Seok-jin figured it out.’
That’s roughly all he knew.
It was content that Kim Seok-jin had presented himself, so Kim Min-woo didn’t know the specific arrangement pattern or what materials went into it.
‘He’ll figure out the rest on his own.’
If you led someone to the water, they ought to be capable of drinking it themselves.
Kim Seok-jin had that much competence.
“Give it a try. You understand?”
“Of course. It’s not a difficult task, but…….”
“Even if the research falls behind because of this, there’s no problem. You know me—your salary and research budget aren’t even pocket change for me.”
“That’s…true enough.”
“Do it. Seriously.”
“Yes. I’ll definitely try it.”
“Then work hard on your research. I’ll be heading out.”
He’d planted the seed. Now he just had to wait for it to sprout.
* * *
May fifth.
The day the world’s most extravagant auction house opened its doors.
Thanks to unexpectedly acquiring the Highest-Grade Elixir recipe, his available funds had ballooned once more.
Fifty trillion won, plus donations from warm-hearted China.
Twenty trillion won, plus support from the democratic president.
On top of that, the hundred trillion won he’d received from the Saudi king, plus his earlier investment from Il-sung. All together, it came to over two hundred trillion won.
That was certainly no small sum.
‘Time to have some real fun.’
Necromancer, Swordsman, Archer.
For those three classes, there wouldn’t be any items for sale.
Because he was planning to buy up everything anyway.
And with cash to spare like this.
‘I should pick up some gear for Cedric and Merchen too.’
Until now, he’d been outfitting both of them with decent Rare-grade items as a stopgap.
But now that money was flowing in.
‘No reason to keep doing that.’
For Merchen, he could probably just grab Mage equipment.
As for Cedric—his class was a bit unusual, but close-range gear should work for him.
‘Might as well spend freely.’
That’s what money was for—earning it so you could spend it when it mattered.
At nine in the morning, a message flashed before Kim Min-woo’s eyes.
[The Heavenly Auction House has opened!]
[You possess an Invitation!]
[Will you enter the Heavenly Auction House now?]
There could be no fresher way to greet the morning than this message.
“Ha-yang-i.”
—Coo.
The creature settled onto my shoulder.
“Let’s go shopping with Dad.”
—Coo, coo?
“That’s right. Shop-ping. Today Dad’s going to buy you lots of delicious things.”
—Coo!
[Participant Number 1. Kim Min-woo. Target confirmed.]
[You are entering the Heavenly Auction House!]
[A Special Mask is placed over your face! Taking it off is entirely your choice.]
The world shifted with the message.
A dazzling auction house interior.
Somewhere in that vast space, a thousand masked figures had already taken their places.

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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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