Damn Necromancer - Chapter 2

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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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Extravagant Necromancer (2)
‘How did things come to this?’
Wujin—or Kim Minwoo, as he was now—exhaled slowly.
〈(Tip) Stage 6 is ‘reality.’ Remember: you have only one life.〉
The opening message had an inexplicable chill to it.
[Your consciousness begins to settle into Kim Minwoo’s body!]
[Mental characteristics undergo significant change!]
The messages had come, and then—
He’d been possessing this godforsaken world for three days now.
A memo opened on his phone, and the text came into view.
[Day 1]
—All twenty-three years of Kim Minwoo’s memories downloaded into me. The technology is insane! Was the game company really torturing an alien?
—The sensations feel exactly like reality. Raising sensory implementation above fifty percent must be illegal, right?
—Something’s wrong. I can’t log out. The broadcast has been dead for ages.
—I’m starting to lose track of whether this is a game or reality.
—Could I have been kidnapped into the game itself?
—The last broadcast had 300,000 viewers! But they kidnapped me? Did the game company lose their minds?
—I can’t leave the room. The guards block the way.
—Apparently I’ve still got two days left of confinement from the chairman. At least they bring meals, though…
[Day 2]
—No hydration warning. No bodily function warning. No forced logout for extended play.
—It’s as if… my body isn’t in the capsule at all. It’s unsettling.
—One day left until Kim Minwoo’s confinement ends.
[Day 3]
—If my body were in the capsule, rescue should have arrived by now. I’ve been playing for seventy-two hours straight!
—It seems I’m heading toward the worst-case scenario I imagined.
—Hunt a Foreign God within seven years. If I don’t achieve this goal, I might never leave this place…
‘There’s no rescue coming.’
He’d waited long enough.
And conveniently, his confinement had just lifted.
It was time to move.
Stage 6, not Stage 5.
One misstep, and the result would be death.
“…At least it’s not the absolute worst.”
He’d spent half a lifetime as a Gate Hunter.
No one knew this world better than he did.
Overwhelming informational advantage.
‘And my mental state has changed dramatically, remember.’
He reflected on the past three days.
There had been no particular sluggishness, no excessive complaints, no arrogance, no cowardice.
He did dream of cutting corners here and there, but that was natural for a gamer.
His mental state had definitely improved.
‘Talentless. This wretched physical talent deficit seems to have remained, though…’
Still, an improved mind was something.
But that wasn’t his only advantage.
‘Status window.’
[Name: Kim Minwoo (23)]
[Job: Unawakened.]
And this Kim Minwoo was actually unawakened!
‘Being anything but a hopeless case is already a win.’
Kim Minwoo’s physical abilities were nearly catastrophic.
Setting aside the fact that he’d never trained properly—
‘He simply has no talent at all.’
Truly abysmal lack of aptitude.
He’d consumed countless spirit potions and undergone intense training.
Yet his growth had stalled at merely the mid-rank Awakener level.
He’d tried pivoting to artifacts, but the ceiling was unmistakable.
Even when facing the Dragon Lord, despite the top virtual reality player piloting him—
‘I only scraped off half his health.’
And now his goal was a Foreign God. Certainly stronger than the Dragon Lord, at minimum.
Conclusion.
There’s no answer in melee combat roles.
But is ranged combat the solution?
‘Not particularly.’
Kim Minwoo’s talent wouldn’t be constrained by distance.
But even he had his advantages.
‘A titanium spoon.’
The Ilseong Group.
Ranked first in Korea’s financial world.
Ranked twentieth globally.
In Korea’s Gate Hunter scene, no other chaebol family came close to Ilseong’s scale.
If he could restore his standing—foundation cracked, reputation shattered though it was—then…….
Show me the money.
He’d be able to deploy wealth like a cheat code.
In other words, he could acquire vast quantities of equipment.
And which profession could utilize that best?
‘Jobs that leverage summons.’
Tamers, Spirit Masters, Summoners, Elementalists.
The summoning class was Kim Minwoo’s true calling—because summons could equip gear too.
“And among those, the Necromancer reigns supreme.”
Skeletons, Dullahans, Liches, Death Knights—most undead summons were humanoid.
A market of nearly a billion Awakeners. Easiest place to source equipment for summons.
‘Perfect for throwing money around.’
But that wasn’t the only advantage.
The undead were immune to fear.
Which meant he could outfit them with that much more offensive gear.
“And they’d never stab you in the back.”
A Necromancer’s summons were remarkably easy to manage.
They didn’t demand meals, didn’t complain, didn’t expect praise.
Tell them to charge into flames and they’d dash forward without hesitation—blind loyalty incarnate!
Combined with sheer numerical superiority.
Those were the Necromancer’s strengths.
“Time to take a breather myself.”
One thousand eight hundred and thirty-two days.
Nearly six years wielding a blade wet with tears.
So a reward like this was only fair, wasn’t it?
He opened the door.
Stern-faced bodyguards came into view.
“I’m heading out. That’s all right, isn’t it?”
“Of course, young master. We’ll need to move with you, so if you could just tell us where you’re going…….”
“Geomhae-gak. Let them know we’re coming.”
“……Geomhae-gak?”
The bodyguards exchanged puzzled glances.
They had reason to be confused.
Geomhae-gak.
The residence of Geom Seon, an S-rank Awakener and Korea’s highest-ranked Awakener.
They couldn’t begin to guess why Kim Minwoo would want to go there.
He smiled faintly as he spoke.
“Yes, I have some business to attend to there.”
First came the Awakening.
* * *
Five vehicles carrying bodyguards glided smoothly along the road. In the back seat, Minwoo was lost in thought.
‘In Gate Hunter, anyone can become an Awakener.’
That is, provided you discover your specific awakening condition.
The conditions varied from person to person.
Drinking water, eating a meal, taking a breath.
Some awakened through simple, ordinary acts like these.
Others swung a sword ten thousand times a day for a full year.
Or imagined casting magic ten thousand times daily for twelve months straight—awakening through relentless, unbroken repetition.
But some conditions were far more demanding: meditating in rain for thirty hours straight, or surviving a lightning strike.
The opportunity to Awaken is fair to everyone.
Whether you’re a tycoon or a homeless person, if you learn the conditions suited to you, you can become an Awakener.
But the results were far from equal.
‘That’s where the difference starts.’
Once you complete your Awakening, an Awakening Achievement is calculated based on the process—ranging from F-rank to S-rank.
And what can you do with this achievement?
It’s simple.
You create a Job Skill Book.
Not just an F-rank Awakener.
An F-rank Swordsman.
An F-rank Mage.
An F-rank Priest, and so on.
You can craft the foundational skills that will define your lifelong profession. Many people achieve easy conditions. That’s why lower-rank Awakeners are everywhere.
‘The problem comes after that.’
Easy conditions typically lead to low achievement results.
So the Job Skill Books created that way are naturally poor quality.
‘And that’s how the snowball starts rolling.’
The gap widens the more time passes.
Take, for example, Park Siwoo, the swordsmanship prodigy who cleared the first playthrough.
[You have overcome extreme difficulty and achieved S-rank in your Awakening Achievement!]
[Creating your first Job Skill Book as a Swordsman!]
[Swordsman’s Path (S)]
[Effect 1. All sword damage increased by 30%.]
[Effect 2. If you pierce the same area three or more times, it becomes your opponent’s weak point.]
[Effect 3. For every ten sword strikes you make, one attack is guaranteed to land as a critical hit.]
The moment he achieved an S-rank Awakening Achievement, this monstrous first skill appeared.
Meanwhile, what about the over fifty percent of F-rank Swordsmen who serve as fodder in the Awakener world?
[Cutting (F)]
[Effect 1. When using Cutting, damage increased by 10%.]
[Piercing (F)]
[Effect 1. When using Piercing, damage increased by 10%.]
That’s right.
The difference is overwhelming from the very first skill. Insurmountable for most, practically forever.
That’s why it mattered.
What the Awakening condition was.
And how to achieve that achievement at S-rank.
“Kim Minwoo’s Awakening condition was… getting beaten up by an Awakener.”
The eldest son of Ilseong Group.
Kim Minwoo, who’d been born with a titanium spoon rather than mere diamond.
Even an S-rank Awakener would think twice before laying hands on him.
They’d face Ilseong’s wrath. And the one who beat Kim Minwoo was his own father—Chairman Kim Gangjul.
―I can overlook everything else. But how dare you touch drugs? Director Im, bring it here!
The fury of Kim Gangjul, a C-rank Awakener and group chairman!
That day, Kim Minwoo was beaten nearly to death with a golf club, and his pathetic attempt at resistance yielded a devastating result.
Achievement rank: E.
In other words, utterly hopeless.
And then, because a Swordsman in some drama that year had looked cool, he’d switched his class to Swordsman through a reclassification book…
[Spinning Slash (E)]
[Effect 1. Deal 120% sword damage to up to two enemies.]
‘…Damn, thinking about it still pisses me off.’
So for the past 1,832 days, the memory of spamming Spinning Slash was still vivid.
But things were different now.
Kim Minwoo hadn’t gone through his Awakening yet.
This was the only chance to undo everything that went wrong!
‘Fortunately, the Awakening condition isn’t bad.’
It wasn’t a condition so basic it would be hard to even tweak, like breathing.
Depending on who hit him, where, and how, the Awakening Achievement would differ.
‘He needs to be hit by someone strong, first of all.’
But he can’t just take a beating passively.
He needs to put up a decent struggle for the achievement rank to climb higher.
In that sense, Geom Seon was perfect. There was no stronger Awakener in Korea than him.
And over the past six years, he’d wielded a sword like his life depended on it.
That sensation remained vivid even now—the knowledge that he could handle other job classes more easily than most.
‘S-rank. Worth aiming for.’
“Young master. We’ve arrived at Geomhae-gak.”
The security detail descended first, surveying the surroundings before opening the rear door.
A grand timber structure rose before him, the kind that belonged in a wuxia novel.
A middle-aged man standing at the main gate approached Kim Minwoo.
“…I am Kim Un, instructor at Geomhae-gak. You wished to tour the facilities, I take it?”
His manner was courteous, yet the look in his eyes was cold. Perhaps it was only natural.
A spoiled heir to a chaebol fortune and a rake.
Kim Minwoo’s public reputation, built on countless scandals, was close to abysmal.
The visit was permitted only because of Ilseong Group’s backing.
They had donated the most when Geomhae-gak was constructed.
“I appreciate your time.”
“…Very well. I shall show you around. However, our students are currently training, so I would ask that you observe quietly.”
In other words: don’t cause trouble.
“Of course.”
He nodded and entered with the security team.
“This is the Training Hall where Geom Seon’s disciples practice. Recently, foreign swordsmen have been taking vows at Geomhae-gak as well.”
Perhaps it was the formal attire that drew their eyes. The trainees, glistening with sweat, stole glances at the cluster of security personnel.
“Isn’t that… Kim Minwoo?”
“With all those bodyguards, it has to be. What’s that delinquent doing here…?”
Murmurs rippled through the trainees. Kim Un’s brow tightened slightly at the sight.
“You should be devoting yourselves to the sword, yet where are your minds wandering!”
At his sharp rebuke, the trainees flinched and turned their attention back.
Minwoo began clapping as he spoke.
“This is truly Geomhae-gak. Ha! Even Geom Seon’s disciples alone have formidable presence!”
“…Ahem, we are still far from sufficient.”
Few people dislike praise. Though he spoke curtly, undeniable pride shone unmistakably in Kim Un’s eyes.
Second-rank disciples’ Training Hall.
And beyond, the first-rank disciples’ Training Hall—rarely opened to outsiders. As he continued showering praise and made his way deeper into Geomhae-gak’s interior,
“Has the tour been satisfactory?”
Kim Un stopped, as if signaling this was the end.
“There is nothing more to see?”
“Correct. I apologize, but no outsiders are permitted beyond this point.”
“What a pity. I had hoped to meet Geom Seon once.”
“He is currently undergoing Closed-door Training. And even if he were not…”
Kim Un regarded Minwoo with a cold, cutting gaze. The unspoken remainder of his thought was plain enough.
You’re hardly someone he’d see on a whim.
‘Something along those lines, no doubt.’
Minwoo nodded.
He already knew Geom Seon was in Closed-door Training.
That’s precisely why he’d pushed as far as he could.
He drew in a deep breath.
Now came the crucial part.
“Geom Seon! I, Kim Minwoo, request a match with you!”
Though his voice carried not a shred of mana, an adult crying out with full force is never quiet.
At the sound reverberating through the interior, Kim Un’s eyes went wide.
“What—what are you doing!”
Leaving the bewildered Kim Un in his wake, he pressed on.
“I will wager one hundred billion won on this match! Whether I win or lose, I will donate the entire sum to Geomhae-gak!”
Kim Un wasn’t the only one shocked.
The security detail stared at Kim Minwoo with expressions of utter disbelief.
“I can handle a sword fairly well! I guarantee it will be an entertaining match! Surely you’ll come out now? Or are you afraid?”
“Stop—stop this at once! Are you insane!”
Kim Un grabbed Minwoo’s shoulder urgently. What on earth was this lunatic trying to do!
Then…
Heh-heh.
A laugh echoed through Geomhae-gak, accompanied by a formidable, suffocating pressure. A towering, broad-shouldered elder suddenly materialized before Kim Minwoo.
Those pitch-black pupils seemed ready to swallow everything whole.
“So, you found me?”
“Yes. I found you. Let’s fight. Like men.”

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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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