Damn Necromancer - Chapter 36

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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 (36)
Geom-seon Seo Jin-chul.
A swarm of reporters surrounded him.
“Geom-seon! Is it true you’re clearing Dragon’s Tomb with just five people?”
“That’s correct.”
The reporters murmured among themselves.
As you venture into higher Gates, the required number of personnel grows.
All the more so with Dragon’s Tomb, known as one of the most difficult S-Rank dungeons in existence.
Even filling out thirty slots would barely be enough—and they were going with only five?
What’s more, those five weren’t even composed entirely of S-Rank Awakeners from their heyday.
The roster contained only four S-Rank Awakeners in total.
Geom-seon, Shin Chang, Dok-ma, and Gwon Wang.
And the fifth member was.
Park Si-woo.
Completely out of nowhere, an Awakener nobody had ever heard of appeared on the list—one who’d only recently awakened as an F-Rank Awakener just a few weeks prior. When they hurriedly checked the Registry Office, that’s all he turned out to be.
It was absurd.
‘They’re going to clear an S-Rank Gate with this crew?’
‘They won’t even reach the middle sections……?’
Some journalists even suspected Geom-seon of senility.
The claim was that outlandish.
S-Rank Awakeners, befitting their status, age slowly and their lifespans extend considerably, or so the reports claimed.
But that didn’t mean they didn’t age at all.
And it had been twenty years since Geom-seon’s generation of Awakeners last ventured into a Gate.
Most Awakeners of that era had shifted their focus to cultivating younger talent instead of exploring dungeons.
The fact that they still held top positions in Korea’s Awakener rankings was out of respect for their past accomplishments. So skepticism was unavoidable.
The reporters pressed forward urgently.
“Why on earth is an F-Rank Awakener included on the roster?”
“Level doesn’t determine everything.”
“Are you saying this person has great potential?”
Geom-seon nodded.
“He’ll be more useful than most greenhorns out there.”
“……!”
An F-Rank Awakener capable of being useful in an S-Rank Gate?
Geom-seon’s firm answer carried considerable impact.
The reporters eagerly began typing, sensing the possibility of a new super-rookie.
Yet their questions never stopped coming.
“Dragon’s Tomb is a place even the top guilds avoid attempting! The Baekho Guild was the last to challenge it and failed catastrophically, suffering massive losses. Are you truly confident?”
The Baekho Guild.
Once ranked third, they had boldly challenged Dragon’s Tomb and lost half their fighting force in the attempt.
They were fortunate to have escaped alive from the middle sections at all.
The force they’d brought that time consisted of six S-Rank Awakeners and twenty-four A-Rank Awakeners.
Yet they still failed to clear it.
After that, the Baekho Guild entered decline. So naturally, doubt arose.
At that moment…….
Geom-seon spoke quietly.
“The current Awakener classification system divides ranks purely by Level alone, doesn’t it?”
The reporters nodded in agreement.
Though in truth, it wasn’t quite Level alone.
There were cases where lower-level Awakeners with exceptional Skills or Titles were recognized as belonging to higher ranks.
The real problem was that Awakeners didn’t want to reveal everything about themselves. Who would eagerly expose all their capabilities to the public?
That’s why Level had become the standard for classification.
The easiest way to distinguish, and a metric Awakeners felt no particular burden disclosing.
Moreover, higher Levels typically correlated with stronger Skills, Titles, and other attributes.
That was the reason.
Why classification by Level had been established.
“But precisely because it’s so convenient, it’s become the global standard. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“I’m not arguing against it. Only that it doesn’t encompass everything an Awakener is. I will show you. That we are not yet finished.”
“Geom-seon!”
“Just a few more questions……!”
His footsteps carried him from the waiting area into the interior of the Gate.
A massive Gate loomed into view.
The Dragon’s Tomb, located in Jeonju, Jeollabuk-do. Awakeners who had made their preparations were waiting for him there.
Gwon Wang stepped forward from among them, letting out a soft chuckle as he spoke.
“Well now, gentlemen. We’ve taken quite the beating ourselves. Getting suspicion over clearing just one Gate like this?”
“A lot of time has passed, that’s all.”
Shin Chang replied flatly.
His gaze, which had been wiping his spear with cloth, turned toward Park Si-woo.
The child Geom-seon had brought.
Word had it he was an F-Rank Awakener.
“Geom-seon. You called me out after all this time, but what exactly is this boy?”
“He’s my disciple.”
“……But isn’t your disciple Ye-rim?”
“I took on another.”
“He must have some talent, then.”
Shin Chang’s eyes brightened.
If even the fastidious Geom-seon called someone a disciple, his potential was beyond question. Gwon Wang and Dok-ma seemed equally surprised, casting sidelong glances at Park Si-woo.
In place of the quiet Dok-ma, Gwon Wang—wild as an unbroken horse—spoke first.
“Hey, you little one.”
“Yes, sir!”
“Think you can avoid getting yourself killed?”
“I’m confident I can at least protect myself!”
“Hmm, is that so?”
“Yes, sir!”
“Since Geom-seon says so, I’ll keep an eye on you.”
“Thank you, sir!”
Park Si-woo answered, cold sweat beading on his brow.
He was in a state of extreme tension.
Ever since being introduced to Geom-seon by Kim Min-woo.
He’d done nothing more than a few practice bouts.
‘And now he’s calling me his disciple?’
On top of that, they’d suddenly called him out, and now an S-Rank Gate was right in front of him.
As if that weren’t enough, legendary S-Rank Awakeners were all gathered in one place.
He was far behind them in age, experience, and renown. It was no wonder he felt the pressure acutely.
Click.
He hurriedly checked his phone.
The last message he’d sent to Kim Min-woo was visible.
―Brother ㅠ I suddenly got the chance to clear an S-Rank Gate, is it okay to go? I’m only level 52, but Geom-seon said to come along…….
[20 minutes ago]
―Yeah. That’s insanely sweet, isn’t it? He must like you. Go ahead and come back safe.
[1 second ago]
‘Is this really something I should be doing?’
Of course, level isn’t everything, and these four men were once called legendary Awakeners, but…….
“Come on, what are you waiting for? Get moving!”
“Yes, sir! Right away!”
At Gwon Wang’s shout, Park Si-woo scrambled to gather his things.
‘What the hell, I’ll just go for it.’
His brother wouldn’t have answered like that if he didn’t have faith in this.
He stepped into the Gate.
Soon the Gate that had been glowing began to grow dark.
* * *
Geom-seon’s S-Rank Gate conquest.
It was an unforeseen development.
She had known he had some interest in her, but she hadn’t expected he’d go this far.
‘But honestly, I’m pleased.’
Geom-seon’s strength far transcended the S-Ranks of this era.
In a time when even those barely past level 500 were treated as S-Rank Awakeners.
The Awakeners of Geom-seon’s time and these modern ones were simply not in the same league.
Geom-seon, Shin Chang, Gwon Wang, Dok-ma.
True Awakeners who knew how to fight.
‘They’ve aged and stepped back to nurture the next generation, but that’s all…….’
If these people were still active, Korea would never have earned a reputation as a weak Awakener nation.
It looked like he’d gathered all his old comrades just to hunt down Dragon Bone.
Dragon’s Tomb?
‘Might wake something up while digging around.’
That’s why he’d sent Park Si-woo without hesitation. Even if the kid became a -10 liability, those four would grab him by the collar and carry him through.
‘Well, just tapping away with the Holy Sword would be enough…….’
Experience Points would pour in like rainfall.
For Park Si-woo, it was nothing short of opportunity.
‘Gathering this much attention isn’t a bad thing at all.’
After the clear, countless eyes would turn toward Park Si-woo.
And if he joined the guild after reaching Level 101?
Public interest wouldn’t just be hot—it would detonate.
People would finally grasp what it meant to accept only the best.
[Skill Book enhancement successful!]
[Curse of Aging (D)+9 has been completed!]
“Mm.”
The Necromancer’s basic F-Rank skill.
He checked the details.
[Curse of Aging (D)+9]
[Consumes 30 Mana to afflict the target with the Curse of Aging. Cursed targets suffer a 20% (10+10) reduction in Defense and Speed.]
The effect had doubled exactly.
‘Cost me a trillion to make this.’
The failure at enhancement level 8 had been brutal.
It meant the total cost doubled.
If Skeleton Summon was the foundation of all summoning skills,
then the Curse of Aging was the foundation of all curse skills. It was too important to regret the expense.
‘The investment pays off in effect too.’
Defense and Speed cut by that much?
Once cursed, you’re done for. Of course, curses weren’t guaranteed to land—success depended on the target’s Magic Resistance, size, and evasion rate.
Even if it hit, the success chance hinged on the enemy’s stats and agility.
And if the enemy’s Level was too high, the efficiency would halve regardless.
For something like an Apostle, you’d have to throw dozens of curses just to land one.
But once it landed, combat became far easier.
There was no reason not to learn it.
Kim Min-woo calculated the remaining funds.
After offering a 10% stake, he’d received 5 trillion in capital injection.
Combined with the 300 billion already on hand, that made 5.3 trillion won.
Subtract the curse skill cost of 1 trillion, leaving 4.3 trillion.
‘Take out 800 billion for Mid-Grade Elixirs.’
Considering an orc’s appetite, he’d need at least 500 billion for food expenses.
And that’s not all.
He hadn’t even calculated the bone earnings yet.
Average per party: 25 million won.
Given that the buyout notice had circulated, plenty of parties would be running the Gate.
Unlike other Gates where minimum earnings weren’t guaranteed, this one promised profit—the bone value was built into the structure.
And if parties kept cycling through all day…….
‘Two thousand parties would net about 50 billion.’
In two weeks, 700 billion.
He still needed to buy Dragon Bone, but he’d have to meet with Geom-seon to settle the price, so he’d leave that for now.
He also needed to upgrade all gear to Rare quality for Level 101—easily 500 billion minimum. Both he and Cedric needed new equipment.
All told, he’d likely spend close to 3 trillion won.
Remaining balance?
Roughly 2 trillion in the early stages.
High-Grade Elixirs cost about 3 billion each.
Eight hundred of them?
2.4 trillion.
The elixir budget was going to fall short.
“Phew. At least I learned the Crafting Skill in time…….”
The High-Grade Elixir stage.
From around Level 151 onward, things get brutally expensive. Even with Il-sung’s support, that remained true.
Even if it were a corporation, it couldn’t absorb an amount of that magnitude.
A sum that left you breathless just to think of handing over.
‘I need to start growing Il-sung too.’
He couldn’t manage the spending on his own.
He needed to run dual income streams.
Il-sung—an automatic money-printing machine.
The larger the money pool itself grew, the more freely he could draw from it whenever he needed.
Taking on the advertising model deal had been for that very reason.
‘I heard the sales jumped a bit from the commercial campaign, but….’
It still wasn’t quite enough.
He needed one bold strike soon.
‘I should start selling equipment and potions, shouldn’t I?’
Of course, the corporations weren’t idiots—there was no way they hadn’t already jumped into this sector.
It was already an ultra-saturated field, with countless companies competing, Il-sung included.
But….
‘How am I supposed to compete with mass-produced gear?’
Even massive conglomerates had only a limited number of craftsmen on their payroll.
Here, though, expanding his Mana pool meant unlimited artisan supply.
And there were no labor costs.
He’d flood the market with goods stamped with Il-sung’s name, powered by sheer volume.
“And sell cheap. Very cheap.”
A price war?
He’d welcome it.
With superior quality and quantity both, defeat was impossible.
First, he’d dominate the low-level equipment market. Then the mid-tier one.
Crush every competitor in his path.
After that?
Swallow the entire market whole.
‘Not just equipment trading, either….’
He could move into rental models.
The potential was limitless.
Once Il-sung had the equipment market completely locked down?
Its value would reach tens of trillions. If he factored in future overseas expansion, it might even eclipse a hundred trillion.
Then he’d have his justification for asking for money.
The plan was flawless.
That was when….
A breaking news alert flashed across the TV near the Auction House.
―Wait, wait…? The Gate at Dragon’s Tomb is shining right now…… It’s green! Green! Geom-seon did it! Cleared it at an insane speed…! Huh? Isn’t this a World Record?! Citizens! It’s a World Record!
Geom-seon had just shattered the World Record for an S-Rank Gate.

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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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