Damn Necromancer - Chapter 23

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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 (23)
Park Si-woo
Shadow.
An assassination organization that moves in darkness, dreaming of the resurrection of a great being.
Its members were remarkably diverse, with many operating openly in daylight.
A kind of double life, so to speak.
Han Baek-gil, the leader of that organization, gazed at the blackened stone he held in his palm.
The Stone of Life.
A gift bestowed by the great being.
Its function was simple enough.
When the designated target dies, the stone loses its color—just like the one belonging to Lee Seo-yun now resting in his hand.
‘She’s dead, then.’
Han Baek-gil clicked his tongue silently.
Lee Seo-yun had been a promising talent from the moment of her Awakening.
She was also an Awakener with a cruel nature lurking beneath her surface.
A madman recognizes a madwoman when he sees one.
Han Baek-gil had spotted it at a glance, and so he’d approached her beforehand and brought her into Shadow’s ranks.
‘I was planning to entrust her with major responsibilities later.’
She was a sure bet to reach S-rank. Talents of her caliber were not abundant even within Shadow.
And yet such a prospect had simply dropped dead in a single night.
“……Tsk.”
He clicked his tongue and summoned his members.
Members filed in wearing masks.
From Agent One through Agent Seven—each a core talent bearing their own number.
Upon seeing them, Han Baek-gil spoke.
Han Baek-gil spoke.
“Lee Seo-yun is dead.”
“That sadistic bitch is dead? How?”
“Same old story. She finished the job I gave her, then went hunting to let off some steam, and got herself killed instead.”
At those words, the members nodded inwardly. Lee Seo-yun’s escapades were fairly notorious within Shadow.
Whenever she completed an assignment, she’d invariably go out to hunt people for sport.
“But that’s strange, isn’t it? Sure, she was unhinged, but she wasn’t stupid. If the prey looked worth hunting, she’d have gone after it, but…….”
A fair point.
Lee Seo-yun enjoyed hunting, but she wasn’t the type to stake her life on a real fight.
“She always targeted people moving alone, right?”
“Right. She said hunting parties were boring, so this time she probably did the same. And that’s how she got caught…….”
Han Baek-gil raised his hand to speak.
“There are two possibilities. First: a high-ranking Awakener concealed their identity and entered a lower-tier Gate. Or…….”
“A new face appeared and took down Lee Seo-yun one-on-one?”
“Exactly.”
Han Baek-gil nodded.
If an A or S-rank Awakener had entered in disguise, it wouldn’t be strange for Lee Seo-yun to end up as prey.
But the probability itself was extremely low. Lee Seo-yun primarily moved through D to E-rank Gates.
Would some recognizable high-ranker really enter such a place just for scraps?
Of course, it was possible they’d encountered some hidden piece of a puzzle, but the odds weren’t high.
Usually, high-level Awakeners started their hidden pieces in higher-tier regions anyway.
“If it really is a new face, who could it be?”
The members’ eyes gleamed with interest at this intriguing subject.
People commonly assumed that high Achievement Rank would be broadcast everywhere, but that wasn’t always the case.
There were many Awakeners who deliberately concealed their Achievement Rank to some degree.
If they were A-rank, they’d pose as B-rank.
If they were B-rank, they’d pose as C-rank.
They’d accept lower treatment in exchange for drawing less attention.
There were quite a few Awakeners who operated that way.
Flaunting high Achievement Rank didn’t always come with advantages.
“That woman’s rank was A, wasn’t it? Level 300 as well. If someone brought her down, that’s no small feat…….”
“Exactly. That’s why I called you all together. If a true new face has emerged, we have a variable on our hands.”
The members nodded in understanding.
Of course, even calling someone a new face didn’t mean they were a complete newcomer.
There was a high likelihood they were someone who’d already been grinding through the Awakener world for some time.
There’s no way some low-level Awakener actually caught Lee Seo-yun.
“Fine. I see why we’re all here. So boss, once you find this bastard—what then? Kill him?”
“Not necessarily. We’ll keep recruitment as an option too. Of course, if that doesn’t work out…….”
Han Baek-gil’s eyes grew cold.
No one needed him to finish the sentence.
“All right. I’ll track the movements of any A-rank or higher Awakeners. If someone entered a Gate, there’s bound to be gaps in the records.”
“We’ll look into lower-tier Gate access logs on this end. Anyone who went in alone.”
Finding out who killed Lee Seo-yun.
That was when Shadow began to move.
* * *
After leaving the Gate.
Kim Min-woo returned home at ease and summoned his bodyguards.
“Look into this person for me, would you? And please dispose of this Identity Card.”
“Understood, sir.”
Park Si-woo.
Han-bit Orphanage.
He handed over Park Chul-woong’s Identity Card along with a sheet of paper bearing basic information.
He was planning to dispose of it beforehand—Shadow would be able to pick up the scent otherwise.
In less than ten minutes, he had the file containing Park Si-woo’s details in hand.
As expected, Park Si-woo was currently at the orphanage.
He reviewed the notes listed under special remarks.
[Has been skilled with the sword since childhood. Several Guilds have approached him seeking to cultivate his abilities, but he has yet to Awaken.]
‘A promising seedling, then.’
The sooner he made contact, the better. Park Si-woo’s Awakening would need to happen within a certain window—miss it, and he’d have to loop back around.
‘First, I’ll meet him.’
Level up?
That could happen anytime.
Hunting Foreign Gods within seven years.
Honestly, even a few months would get him to 200 easily.
After that, growth would hit a wall.
This was something with the potential to break through that ceiling.
Reason enough to move now.
“Have a car ready for me. I’m going there.”
Han-bit Orphanage.
First, he would meet Park Si-woo there.
* * *
Han-bit Orphanage.
Children ran about the grounds as they did every day, located as it was in Gyeonggi Province.
A friend the same age sat down beside Park Si-woo, who was gazing blankly at the scene.
“What are you doing?”
“Just…… I don’t have much time left here anyway. Thought I’d take it in.”
“Living the dream? Got all the time to space out.”
“Dream nothing. This is suffocating enough as it is.”
“Yeah, I guess. Especially with your younger sister here and all…….”
The friend nodded in understanding. And it was true—his younger sister was here at the orphanage with him.
He was aging out, had no choice but to leave. Even with resettlement assistance, that pittance would barely stretch to a semi-basement room in some gosiwon.
As the weight of it pressed down and he wrestled with the thought, Park Si-woo spoke.
“……What are you going to do once you leave? How’ll you eat?”
“Me? I told you. Learn a trade, I guess. What about you?”
“I don’t know. Lately I’ve been wondering if I should really try. If only I’d Awakened, things might be different…….”
His friend let out a quiet laugh.
“Awaken? If you haven’t by our age, it’s over. That’s just how it is.”
“……Yeah, I suppose.”
Park Si-woo nodded quietly.
Bitterness sat heavy in his chest.
Since childhood, his dream had been to become an Awakener.
The reason was simple.
He had been saved by an Awakener. Thirteen years ago, an A-rank Gate had suddenly torn open in Yongin, Gyeonggi Province.
He’d been on an outing with his family then and lost his parents. If the Awakeners hadn’t come to help, he might have lost his only sister as well.
From that day on, his dream became to become an Awakener himself. He wanted to be someone who saved others, the way he and his sister had been saved.
Of course, it didn’t necessarily have to be an Awakener, but…….
No profession earned more recognition than an Awakener. Because of that, most children here at the orphanage dreamed of becoming one.
Sadly, only a handful had managed to achieve that dream.
Then it happened.
A convoy of vehicles pulled up in front of the orphanage. The procession of cars—each one clearly worth a fortune—made both of them stare.
“What is this? Did someone important come by today?”
“I don’t know. The director didn’t mention anything special.”
What followed was astonishing.
People stepping out of the vehicles.
And among them, a very familiar face.
Kim Min-woo!
Sunglasses or no sunglasses, there was no way not to recognize him.
And why wouldn’t he be recognizable—wasn’t he the hottest Awakener in Korea right now? What’s more, the people flanking him who looked like bodyguards were laden with gifts, so many they could barely hold them all.
‘What on earth is he doing here…….’
Just then.
“Hey there, friend!”
“Excuse me? Me?”
“Yeah, you. You’re Park Si-woo, right?”
“Yes, I am, but…… do you know me?”
“Do I ever. I know you well—very well, in fact. How about you and I have a little chat? Somewhere quiet?”
Kim Min-woo removed his sunglasses and spoke with a grin.
* * *
Inside a small cafe.
Kim Min-woo and Park Si-woo sat facing each other.
“Order whatever you’d like—anything at all.”
“No thank you. I ate earlier, so I’m fine. Um, what did you want to talk to me about…….”
Park Si-woo seemed curious about his purpose.
There was nothing for it but to get to the point.
“Si-woo, you’ve been worried lately, haven’t you?”
“…… What?”
“You’ll be leaving the orphanage soon, and the future looks uncertain. Right?”
“Well…… yes.”
“And you have a younger sibling to think of, so you need to establish yourself first.”
Park Si-woo nodded.
“I have an eye for talent, you see. And from what I can tell, you’ve got what it takes.”
“What do you mean by ‘what it takes’…….”
“You have the talent to become an Awakener.”
“…… What?”
“Didn’t you hear me?”
“No, I heard you, but I haven’t Awakened yet.”
“Fool. I Awakened much later than your age. Look at me now.”
“You’re a super…… rookie.”
“Exactly. If you find the right conditions and Awaken, you could be just like me.”
“I’m sorry, but I don’t really know what those conditions are…….”
“Of course you don’t! Who knows the Awakening conditions? I stumbled onto mine through trial and error.”
Though truthfully he’d already known, so there was no reason to tell him that.
“I’ve been looking for talent lately, and you caught my eye. I checked the orphanage records—you handle a sword pretty well?”
“Ah…….”
Park Si-woo nodded as if it made sense.
Being an Awakener was a respectable profession.
Moreover, Awakening conditions often came down to pure luck, like winning the lottery.
So naturally, orphanages worked hard to produce Awakeners.
When they managed to send a talented Awakener to a Guild or organization, support funds would pour in as a form of compensation.
Training was one way they pursued this. They gave children various practice weapons and had them train.
In doing so, they could discover which weapons suited them, and sometimes—if luck was on their side—a child would even Awaken.
Even if they didn’t Awaken, it was worthwhile to identify promising prospects.
Park Si-woo had once been one of those prospects.
He wielded a sword with remarkable skill.
But he still hadn’t Awakened.
Could this lottery ticket finally be his chance to scratch and win?
With that thought, several guilds forged ties with Park Si-woo and offered their support.
They helped him in various attempts to understand the conditions for Awakening.
But now, considerable time had passed.
Park Si-woo was already a spent resource. Most promising candidates complete their Awakening before fifteen, yet no matter what he tried, it never came. He remained stuck.
What good was talent in Swordsmanship if he couldn’t Awaken? Without that, everything was worthless.
You only try so many times.
One by one, the guilds that had been watching Park Si-woo lost interest and moved on.
That was why Park Si-woo worried about how he’d survive after leaving the orphanage.
No education.
No trade.
He’d run after a single shot at Awakening, and it hadn’t come through.
“You haven’t given up yet, have you?”
“…….”
Park Si-woo nodded quietly.
Kim Min-woo let out a low chuckle at the sight.
“I’ll help you. Until you Awaken. Whatever you can imagine, you’ll receive support beyond that.”
“……That…….”
“Hey, speak comfortably. Just call me hyung.”
“……Yes. I understand why you wanted to see me. But I don’t understand why you’d go this far for me. All the other guilds have already given up…….”
He laughed softly.
Why help him to this extent?
The world didn’t yet know the true value of this genius.
Among the disciples of the Sword Saint, it was not he himself but Park Si-woo who deserved to be called a true genius.
‘Because this guy is a real genius.’
Characteristic: Swordsmanship genius.
Hadn’t the game’s opening screen nailed it down unmistakably?
This guy was a monster.
There was no loss in establishing a relationship with him.
And most importantly—
‘The probability of gaining Achievement Points is extremely high.’
That value couldn’t be measured in mere money.
Achievement Points elevated Kim Min-woo’s potential itself.
The higher your Level, the better for Hunting Foreign Gods.
The only way to surpass Level 200 and break through that ceiling.
Could he pass this up?
“Absolutely not.”
“Pardon?”
“I’m telling you, this hyung can’t pass this up.”
What would Park Si-woo’s life have been like originally? He didn’t know exactly, but he could make an educated guess.
Long ago, in the past.
Even when the greatest player, knowing the Awakening condition, had personally piloted through it, S-rank Achievement was the limit.
Much less this current Park Si-woo, who didn’t even know his own Awakening condition.
With such difficult conditions, even if he Awakened, he’d typically cap out at C or B rank.
Being a Swordsmanship genius, he might climb to the upper echelons, but—
‘Just the level of a famous Awakener in Korea.’
That’s where he’d end up.
The first Skill Book was that crucial.
What if, against a fate that would otherwise end here, he achieved an S-rank Achievement or higher?
If he could twist the destiny of a protagonist character this much, wouldn’t the story bend even further?
If it succeeded, Achievement Points would come pouring in.
A lottery ticket guaranteed to win.
You had to scratch it and see.
“S-rank? No, you’re going to become an Awakener far beyond that. Let’s do this. I’ll help you.”
He would write legend in Korea’s Awakening world.
That was why he had come to find Park Si-woo.

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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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