Damn Necromancer - Chapter 42

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————

Spendthrift Necromancer (42)
[Divine Beast ‘Hayang’ accompanies you!]
[You obtain the Title: ‘Master of Divine Beasts’!]
[You may name the Divine Beast!]
“What should I name her?”
—Hmm. How about Colorful?
“Wow, you really have no sense, do you?”
—Chirrup.
Hayang nodded in agreement.
—…… So Haeil and Maeil, they had taste?
This damned thing dares to dig into facts?
I flicked the presumptuous Summoning on the head.
Only then did the creature quiet down a bit.
“Look. Your body is white, so how about Hayang? What do you say?”
—Chirrup.
“You like it? Oh, how adorable you are, our Hayang.”
[The Divine Beast’s name is set to ‘Hayang’!]
After naming the seven-colored bird, I tapped her beak lightly.
“Hayang. Let’s eat.”
—Chirp!
Flutter-flutter!
The moment I pointed at the fragment, she spread her wings. Hayang approached the fragment like a hawk diving for prey.
When she drew to within ten paces,
[Divine Beast Hayang activates a racial trait!]
[Beginning Attribute Adaptation!]
[Perfect adaptation to the Ice Attribute achieved!]
Her small body reached the fragment without any hindrance.
I watched as her tiny talons gripped the fragment tightly.
Then,
Peck-peck-peck!
She began cracking the fragment apart with her beak.
Her beak must have been incredibly hard—the fragment crumbled like a biscuit.
‘Wow, it breaks that easily?’
Hayang pecked at the fragment frantically, as though savoring a delicacy.
With each peck, the temperature around us rose noticeably, visibly warming.
Before long,
[Winter Fragment dissipates!]
[Hayang has consumed an Ice Attribute fragment!]
[Ice Attribute increases by 20%!]
[80% remains until complete manifestation of the Ice Attribute!]
—Burp.
Having devoured a fragment larger than herself, she let out a contented belch and fluttered over to me, landing on my shoulder.
“Did you enjoy that?”
—Chirp.
Perched on my shoulder, she nodded. Some of the feathers along her neck had transformed into an icy blue that mimicked frost.
Then,
[Hayang shares her Attribute with you!]
[You can now utilize the Ice Attribute!]
[Ice Attribute resistance increases by 20%!]
“……?”
Reading the message, I blinked.
“Hayang. Stop sharing.”
[Hayang no longer shares her Attribute with you!]
[You return to a neutral Attribute state!]
‘Insane…….’
Kim Min-woo’s expression turned rigid.
“Cedric.”
—What is it.
“Does the seven-colored bird share her attributes with her owner too?”
—Haven’t I told you already? I’ve never encountered anyone raising a seven-colored bird. It’s uncharted territory. Why—does she?”
“Huh. I got Attribute Sharing with ice? And I can cancel it too.”
―That’s… extraordinary.
Cedric’s expression grew serious.
Kim Min-woo felt the same weight settle over him.
The ability to freely receive and share attributes at will.
He grasped instinctively how formidable such power truly was.
On the surface, gaining an attribute seemed remarkably advantageous.
But it was a double-edged blade.
‘Attributes have compatibility matchups.’
You acquired a water-related attribute?
Fire devours it.
But if wood-type attacks come in, you take double damage.
The more potent your current attribute became, the worse such weaknesses grew.
One might argue the problem solved itself if you cultivated multiple attributes evenly.
‘Except it doesn’t work that way.’
You’ve locked in a fire attribute and want to develop water instead?
That element barely rises, and worse—the fire attribute dies entirely.
The moment you fix one attribute, the range of attributes you can cultivate shrinks dramatically.
This was precisely why he’d resisted consuming the ice fragments earlier. Death itself wasn’t the only concern.
‘Locking an attribute in one direction isn’t particularly beneficial.’
It would serve well against those weak to ice. Conversely, it would hinder those with ice-aligned compatibility.
His current attribute leaned toward neutrality. No pronounced strength, but no glaring weakness either.
If there was one dominant attribute among them, it was the death-related one.
‘It has no counters.’
Its rank was so high that light-type attributes—its natural enemy—barely penetrated.
In any case.
Hayang’s ability had just emerged as revolutionary.
The capacity to receive any attribute he desired, whenever he desired it.
‘Insane performance.’
It was simply unhinged in its utility.
He turned to Cedric urgently.
“Hayang here—this counter-attribute stuff? Like, if you eat ice, does the fire effect get halved, that sort of thing?”
―No. It doesn’t. Had it done so, we’d never call her a Divine Beast.
“My child! My precious child!”
He hoisted Hayang high and spun in a circle. With that single declaration, her worth had multiplied tenfold—no, a hundredfold or more.
All the attribute-related items that would drop going forward?
He’d feed them straight to Hayang.
Carefully selecting only the critical attributes. Just the main ones coming to mind numbered several.
Fire, wood, wind, earth, lightning, and more….
Then, simply share whichever attribute suited the stage.
‘If I just keep developing them….’
Gate clearings would become exponentially easier going forward.
Smashing monsters with counter-attributes would make them beg for mercy.
Settling the contentedly chirping creature on his shoulder, he stepped out of the cavern.
The sun hung brilliant in the sky above, though a blizzard had raged there mere moments before.
―Squeak! Sunlight!
―It’s warm!
The orcs sprawled across the ground, their faces bright with joy.
The elves, too, basked in the rays with equal delight.
A gentle breeze carried through the Northern Region.
That was when it happened.
Time itself seemed to freeze within the Gate—everything came to a standstill.
[Gate Clear Reward Granted!]
[Cleared via Special Route!]
[The effect of the Mystical Necklace undergoes significant change!]
[Title, ‘One Who Walks the Path of Heroes’—partial effects activated!]
[Your level is too low to proceed to the next stage!]
[Escaping the Gate!]
―Chirp?
“Hm?”
―Huh?
The landscape before his eyes had shifted back to his home in an instant.
‘I was bounced back?’
It seemed the next Gate had a level restriction. He examined the Mystical Necklace, the item he’d used when entering the first Gate.
[Mystical Necklace]
[Rarity: ??]
[A necklace from which the wicked design has faded, and into which the aura of a hero has begun to take root.]
[Effect 1. It is the medium through which you may undertake Continent Salvation (S+). Until then, your previous progress is saved. (Minimum requirement: Level 251 or higher)]
[Effect 2. Two slots exist. It appears something can be inserted into them.]
[Effect 3. This necklace can only be activated if you possess the Title “One Who Walks the Path of Heroes”.]
The Mystical Necklace.
The description of the item had changed significantly.
Certainly, at the very beginning, there had been text about carrying out Osiris’s design and whatnot.
‘The wicked design has faded?’
Osiris’s design equaled the wicked design.
No matter how he looked at it, that seemed to be the meaning.
“Osiris, you bastard…….”
He didn’t know much about this entity.
Not a single being beyond the Gate had even known its name.
But he had a feeling he understood what it had been trying to pull off.
‘It was suspicious from the start.’
A typical necromancer would have sworn allegiance to the Apostle immediately upon encountering the Chimera in the Orc village.
And then?
They’d have served beneath that master, accumulated merit, leveled up diligently, and collected rewards.
‘That must have been this creature’s scheme.’
It was undoubtedly trying to cultivate the necromancer for something.
Perhaps it had been planning to seize the body, or strike a deal with the Witch, or something like that?
‘If we ever meet, you’re finished.’
Osiris.
He fixed the name firmly in his mind, then examined the slots in the necklace.
‘This…….’
He thought he understood what it was.
One slot shaped like a woman in a wide-brimmed hat, another like an enormous dragon.
The Witch and the Frost Dragon.
The slots resembled them.
‘So if I claim both of them, something that fits perfectly here will emerge?’
Whatever it was, inserting them would clearly bring something good.
‘First, I need to reach Level 251.’
He reviewed the new Titles he’d obtained.
[New Titles]
[1. Master Commander]
[You commanded an army exceeding thirty thousand.]
[Effect: Morale of subordinates increases by 15%.]
[2. Slayer of the Mighty]
[You hunted monsters of overwhelmingly superior power with ease.]
[Effect: Damage increased by 20% against monsters with a level difference of 200 or more.]
[3. Master of Divine Beasts]
[The young Hayang has acknowledged you as its master.]
[Effect: Mana +10]
[4. One Who Walks the Path of Heroes]
[You united the strength of foreign races and defeated the Apostle, driving back the chill of the Northern Region.]
[Effect 1. All Stats +30]
[Effect 2. ???]
‘Oh.’
All four Titles were excellent.
Especially One Who Walks the Path of Heroes.
Plus thirty to all stats.
And there was even another hidden effect beneath it.
‘Probably something that unlocks when I undertake Continent Salvation.’
Skills, Titles, items, and so on.
The haul was no small matter.
It more than justified the investment.
‘But the real prize—that’s got to be Hayang.’
This Divine Beast was the greatest find of all. Without the Hidden Gate, acquiring something precious like the Winter Fragment would have been nearly impossible.
And meeting her would have been delayed far longer besides.
I settled Hayang onto my shoulder.
“From now on, we’re together forever.”
I’m never letting you go.
―Coo.
“You like that? Dad likes it too.”
I stroked her beak and left the room. There was work waiting to be done once I stepped outside.
Equipment manufacturing.
It was time to meet with Chairman Kim.
* * *
“……What’s that bird doing on your shoulder?”
“I obtained her from the Gate. She’s my child. Her name is Hayang. Say hello to Grandfather.”
―Coo.
As Hayang lowered her head in greeting, Chairman Kim—suddenly a grandfather—received the salutation with a bemused expression.
“I heard you had business to discuss…….”
“I’d like to venture into the equipment business.”
“Min-woo, you’re a Necromancer, aren’t you? Where would you source equipment? The equipment business isn’t something to take lightly. Competition’s fierce these days—crafters’ fees are through the roof…….”
Snap!
A swarm of skeletons materialized at a single gesture.
“Father, take a look.”
I laid out the materials before him.
The skeleton deployed its Crafting Skill.
Given the materials were appropriate for its level, the result came together swiftly.
“……Hm?”
Chairman Kim blinked hard.
“Am I losing it to old age? Why can I see a plus mark?”
“You’re seeing it correctly. You already know the Hidden Gate yields exceptional items. This is one of them.”
“You’re telling me the Hidden Gate taught these things skills?”
“Not taught—learned. You already know my skeletons have learning capacity.”
“Huh…….”
For a moment, confronted by something so absurd, he could only exhale in disbelief.
Then Chairman Kim’s expression turned serious.
“How many can you Summon?”
“Well over a thousand.”
“Can these skeletons use their Crafting Skill infinitely?”
“No, not infinitely. It consumes Mana. But there’s a workaround—Re-summoning.”
The Crafting Skill devours Mana.
Use it enough and the skeletons’ reserves run dry.
Yet there was a solution.
I simply cancel the Summoning and bring them back. They respawn with full Mana.
“In a single day’s work, I could produce tens of thousands of pieces. As long as materials don’t run short.”
“Heh heh…….”
No labor costs.
No fatigue.
Superior quality.
My Summons possessed the sheer disruptive potential to overturn the entire equipment market.
“What about pricing?”
“Sell cheap, you know?”
Kim Min-woo drew a finger across his throat.
Chairman Kim smiled wickedly in return.
He could already hear the death screams of the conglomerates scrambling to enter this space.
From the discount market to the mid-tier segment.
Competitors would be buried one and all.
But neither of them cared.
Lose, and you perish.
That was capitalism, and that was business.
“How long can you keep this up? You’ll need to hunt eventually.”
“I’m not sure. But in the meantime, wouldn’t Father be able to put all those unemployed craftsmen to work?”
“That’s true enough.”
If that happened, the groundwork for Ilseong’s dominance would be laid. By then, Kim Min-woo wouldn’t need to pour himself into crafting anymore.
+ The products would just trickle out as loss leaders, that was all.
Chairman Kim studied his son.
“What is it you want?”
“Just the profit margin from the equipment I supply—after deducting material costs, nothing more.”
“……You’re sure that’s enough? That seems awfully generous.”
Kim Min-woo was supplying the equipment, and he was the one distributing it cheaply too.
In the end, this would boost Ilseong’s market share and let them swallow the whole market.
Because of that, Chairman Kim was even prepared to add bonuses to every piece of equipment supplied.
Yet his son wanted only the margin?
“Father, do we profit from this?”
“……Of course we do.”
“Ilseong needs to shake off the hangers-on this time. We need to raise our global ranking too. We’ve got a lot of ground to cover.”
“Min-woo……”
“And I’ll need to borrow Ilseong’s strength often if I’m going to keep climbing. We need to play the long game.”
“……You really have no interest in the company side of things?”
“I find hunting genuinely enjoyable. Numbers aren’t my thing. Besides, Hyung-seok’s already studying management, isn’t he? Pass it to him. I’ll just ask him to support you.”
“Heh heh……”
Chairman Kim let out a wry laugh.
To be honest, the succession question had been causing headaches lately.
But he never expected his son to be this cool about stepping aside……
If anything, it was Chairman Kim who felt the regret now.
Business sense, boldness of action, even remarkable awakening potential—
‘The boy would’ve done brilliantly if he’d inherited this.’
Chairman Kim clicked his tongue with obvious disappointment.
Kim Min-woo, by contrast—
‘I’m not inheriting this under any circumstances.’
He had no intention of taking over the company. He was already busy chasing foreign Hunters; why would he let himself be shackled?
Becoming the successor would be incredibly bothersome. Staying as a good business partner, like now, was the best arrangement.
‘And it’s profitable as is.’
The Crafting Skill only improved with use.
But now he had a supplier providing infinite materials?
Experience Points?
He could level them freely at no cost.
He didn’t have to worry about sales at all.
Ilseong would handle everything.
Plus, his Skeletons had a chance to level up too. Using the Crafting Skill accumulated Experience Points for them anyway.
“Make the most of this opportunity, Father.”
“If I can’t capitalize on this kind of setup, I’d be an idiot. Don’t worry. Starting tomorrow, I’ll stock quantities in equipment sales outlets across the nation.”
Done and said.
The two men smiled knowingly at each other.

—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————