Damn Necromancer - Chapter 5

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

The Wasteful Necromancer (5)
EX-Rank Skill
[You have acquired the Necromancer skill Death Lord (EX).]
[Death Lord]
[Rank: EX]
[Type: Passive]
[Effect 1. Summoned Undead revive once upon death (limited to once per day).]
[Effect 2. All summoned Undead’s stats increase by 50%.]
[Effect 3. Mana cost for summoning Undead decreases by 50%.]
[Effect 4. All Undead under your command gain the ability to learn.]
[Effect 5. Upon achieving certain conditions, you receive a trial from Death Lord. Overcoming it grants special rewards.]
‘Good grief.’
Kim Min-woo’s jaw dropped as he read through the skill’s effects.
He’d seen quite a few S-Rank skills up to now.
Which meant he could tell at a glance.
An EX-Rank skill was in an entirely different league from S-Rank.
‘Am I losing my mind?’
Consider pure efficiency. Say there was another Necromancer identical to him.
When that other Necromancer summoned ten skeletons.
‘I’d summon twenty.’
The mana cost was cut in half. And if their stats rose by 50% on top of that?
In purely mathematical terms, he’d be commanding the power of thirty.
And that wasn’t even counting the resurrection when they fell.
Accounting for that, he’d effectively have sixty.
This snowball would start rolling insanely faster the more time passed.
The effects didn’t end there.
‘Learning ability, hm.’
Undead did possess the capacity to learn. But only the higher-tier ones could access it.
‘Roughly from Durahan and above, if I recall.’
The Durahan—a mid-to-high-tier Undead, a headless knight.
Only at that level could they absorb anything new.
But with this effect……
‘Even ordinary skeletons would gain the ability to learn?’
It was a staggering benefit.
Of course, he’d need to summon one and test it firsthand to know the actual efficiency, but still.
‘It’s an EX-Rank skill’s effect, after all.’
It would match the power of the others. His chest was already swelling with anticipation.
As for the trial mentioned in Effect 5—well, he didn’t know the conditions yet, so he might as well focus on what he could do for now.
‘Status window.’
[Name: Kim Min-woo (23)]
[Class: Necromancer]
[Level: 1]
[Skills Held (1/1): Death Lord (EX)]
[Mana: 100/100]
[Title: None]
[Strength: 8] [Agility: 8] [Vitality: 7] [Magical Power: 10]
Stats typically peaked at 10 for the human average. By that measure, Kim Min-woo’s physique was below average.
‘Still, at least my Magical Power scraped by.’
Every 10 points of Magical Power granted one additional Skill Slot. And the stat itself granted 10 Mana per point.
‘I need to raise my Magical Power first.’
He had a skill to enhance Undead, but he lacked a skill to summon them in the first place.
He had to increase his Magical Power to expand his Skill Slots.
He reached into his belongings and drew out a Spirit Pill.
[Sword Shadow Pill]
[Rank: A]
[A Spirit Pill crafted by Geom Hae-gak. Upon consumption, increases all stats by 10 (no stacking).]
As expected.
Fine goods were different in every way.
An increase of 10 to all stats was, in other words, like gaining the strength of one more person.
‘It’d be wasteful to use it now.’
Like studying, the higher one’s stats grow, the harder they become to raise further.
Spirit Pills of this grade would be better saved for later.
‘I’ll need to hunt down different Spirit Pills.’
Lower-grade items were easy enough to acquire if you had the money, so he resolved to solve the stat problem that way.
Then his phone rang.
His mobile began to chime.
[Father]
“Hello?”
―Min-woo. I heard you’ve Awakened. Is it true?
Urgency colored Chairman Kim’s voice through the receiver.
It seemed the bodyguards had relayed the news.
“Yes, that’s correct.”
―Come home right now. Don’t go anywhere else.
“Understood.”
Spirit Pills, equipment, and donations—his expenses were piling up.
The timing couldn’t have been better.
* * *
Chairman Kim Gang-chul.
He paced through his study.
Even now, he struggled to believe the phone call from moments ago.
And little wonder—the news had been shocking beyond measure.
If you’re going to lie, at least make it believable!
That eldest son of his, a good-for-nothing wastrel, not only locked in an intense sparring match with Geom-seon but received praise from him as a great swordsman?
If this were a novel or film, it would’ve been panned as trash before release.
―Heh heh. You seem taken aback. But I stake my sword upon it—every word I’ve said is the truth.
―Ah, and should Geom Hae-gak ever need my strength, don’t hesitate to ask. If need be, I’ll come personally.
Even Chairman Kim, seasoned by a thousand trials, could only stammer his agreement to Geom-seon’s words.
How could he continue a conversation when he didn’t even understand what was happening?
After that call with Geom-seon, he’d immediately phoned the bodyguards…….
―Yes. I don’t know much about the sword, but it’s certain—the young master held his own against Geom-seon.
―If anything, from what I could see, the eldest young master seemed to be pressing Geom-seon back. Though of course, he eventually collapsed from exhaustion…….
‘It’s impossible.’
Truly impossible.
And yet it was real.
As he paced anxiously, the study door swung open.
“I’ve arrived, Father.”
“Here, sit down. What on earth happened?”
“I sparred with Geom-seon. I lost because I ran out of stamina.”
“……Wait! That’s too simple! Explain it properly, will you?”
Min-woo scratched his head at his father’s fidgeting eagerness.
“Well, what happened was…….”
As the explanation unfolded, Chairman Kim laughed, frowned, slapped his knee in turns.
His eldest son had caused him endless grief, never acting his age past twenty-three.
But now?
Here he was, boldly wagering tens of billions and challenging Geom-seon to a match.
Even Geom-seon couldn’t gauge the limits of such fearsome talent.
Had his eldest son always been this magnificent?
A smile spread slowly across Chairman Kim’s face.
“Ha ha! That’s my boy! Truly my boy! Of course! Like father, like son, they say!”
“Yes? Father, you were a……?”
“Ha! When I was young, I made a name for myself as an Awakened One! If I hadn’t inherited the company, by now I’d be Rank S…… *ahem!*”
Chairman Kim coughed, realizing he’d gone too far.
“Actually, I’m worried about something.”
“Worried? About what?”
“I did splash out tens of billions so casually, but as you know, I’m broke. All my money was seized…….”
“Ha ha! What’s tens of billions? Nothing to fret over! Your father will handle it, so don’t you worry.”
“Really?”
“Of course! Absolutely!”
Chairman Kim answered heartily.
This wasn’t like he was covering up some scandal with tens of billions.
A sum that could actually advance their relationship with Geom Hae-gak itself.
Geom-seon’s side had said it wasn’t necessary, but Chairman Kim had no intention of letting this opportunity slip away.
‘Money I couldn’t give even if I wanted to, in ordinary times. Well, this works out perfectly!’
Money was always a medium that cemented relationships anyway. This was simply a splendid pretext falling into his lap.
A satisfaction without hunger.
So this was what it felt like to watch your son grow up.
Chairman Kim asked, brimming with anticipation.
“So what about your Grade? They said there was an incredible light when you Awakened. B-Rank? No, that’s too stingy. Surely A-Rank, or maybe even S-Rank…….”
“Father. Is that all the ambition a father can muster? Think bigger.”
“Hm?”
What was he talking about?
Chairman Kim tilted his head in confusion.
Was he saying to think beyond A-Rank?
But hadn’t he already considered S-Rank?
For a moment, he couldn’t understand what his son meant.
Then Kim Min-woo’s finger pointed skyward.
“Higher than S-Rank.”
“……Higher? You mean higher?!”
Chairman Kim’s hair stood on end. Goosebumps crawled down his spine.
“What are you……! Doesn’t S-Rank cap the Grade system?!”
It was common knowledge among common knowledge.
No Awakened One in the entire world had ever received a Grade higher than S-Rank.
But higher than that?
Did that even make sense?
“It exists, that higher rank. I’m the proof of it.”
[Awakened One Kim Min-woo is sharing their Status Window!]
[Do you wish to view it?]
Gulp.
Chairman Kim swallowed hard and received the shared Status Window from his son.
“……!”
His eyes widened in shock.
[Skill Slots (1/1): Death Lord (EX)]
“EX? What in the world……!”
He startled first at the unfamiliar Rank and its effects…….
[Class: Necromancer]
“No, wait! What, what is this! Necromancer?”
He was shocked again by the Class.
“Yes. I’ve changed my Class to Necromancer.”
At his son speaking with such pride, Chairman Kim’s thoughts reeled into chaos.
Geom-seon had clearly praised him as a great swordsman, so why……?
How could this be……?
Then…….
As if reaching a decision, Kim Min-woo’s expression grew solemn.
“Father.”
“Y, yes.”
“We have plenty of money at home, don’t we?”
“Well……yes, we do.”
“If I buy top-tier equipment and give it to skeletons, wouldn’t that be invincible?”
“Well, that’s not entirely wrong……but is it necessary?”
“That’s the romance of it. And Necromancers can wield swords too. If you’re still unsatisfied, I could just become a genius swordsman Necromancer.”
At those words, Chairman Kim’s objections died in his throat.
* * *
‘Somehow I managed to convince him.’
Min-woo exhaled a sigh as he entered his room.
Geom-seon had been convinced readily enough with a plausible excuse, but that was a story that wouldn’t land at all with C-Rank Awakened One Chairman Kim.
Vigilance, selflessness, timing——none of it mattered.
He’d count himself lucky if he wasn’t branded a charlatan.
Fortunately, his father had only been a bit disappointed and had come around to accepting the reasoning in his own way.
He’d chosen it relying on family backing.
That EX-Rank Skill was absolutely extraordinary.
If I raise them, they’ll be worth their feed.
That’s what family means, isn’t it?
So please, give me some money.
His five-step invincible logic had loosened the chairman’s purse strings…….
―Since you’ve already Awakened, you might as well work hard at it. You’re the only Awakened One who can bring glory to Ilseong’s name, Min-woo.
[100,000,000,000 won has been deposited into Kim Min-woo’s account.]
He’d managed to extract one hundred billion won as first-stage support.
‘Everything’s going according to plan so far.’
His reason for revealing his Rank to Chairman Kim had been simple.
He’d watched for six years of gameplay.
Chairman Kim was a good father.
At least he wouldn’t stab him in the back.
And crucially…….
‘I’m going to need money. A lot of it.’
He could have glossed over his Awakening Achievement with something vague like A or S Rank.
But then he might’ve gotten decent support, nothing more.
‘I wouldn’t get what I really need.’
A unique prodigy in all the world gets treated differently than just another promising prospect.
Instead of one hundred billion for his first-stage support, the amount might have been drastically smaller.
The second and third disbursements would’ve shrunk too.
Seven years to hunt foreign gates.
Every day counted.
To get ahead, he had to act boldly.
‘Well, at this level…….’
He should be able to buy enough cheap skeletons anyway.
What he’d received from the chairman wasn’t just money and encouragement.
[Lowest-grade Mana Pill]
[Rank: E]
[Required Level: 1 or higher]
[Consumption slightly increases Mana. (Applies to stat 50 max)]
[Lowest-grade Vitality Pill]
[Lowest-grade Strength Pill]
[Lowest-grade Agility Pill]
He’d received heaps of mass-produced Spirit Pills, each worth tens of millions to over one hundred million won.
“With these, I should be able to max everything out to 50, right? Obviously?”
He checked the Spirit Pills’ effects.
They increased stats ‘slightly.’
The extent of ‘slightly’ varied depending on the individual’s physique and talent.
Someone with prodigious talent and physique? Each pill would bump a stat up by a clean point.
But Kim Min-woo?
‘This guy’s seriously unreliable.’
He’d essentially cleaned out the warehouse of low-grade Spirit Pills…….
For Kim Min-woo, such pills were basically lottery tickets.
You had to swallow them and pray they’d go up—that was the kind of gamble they were.
Pills like the Sword Shadow Pill weren’t rare treasures for nothing.
They guaranteed a fixed increase of ’10’ every time.
Even Ilseong had only a handful of those.
‘Aiming for stuff like that is too much right now.’
Ilseong had other Awakened Ones.
Considering that Spirit Pills needed to be distributed among them too, even the chairman couldn’t easily touch those items.
‘I can aim for them later anyway.’
Good Spirit Pills would come naturally once he proved his strength.
After consuming nearly hundreds of pills…….
“Ah.”
[Strength: 32] [Agility: 33] [Vitality: 34] [Mana: 35]
“Chairman, I’m sorry.”
Kim Min-woo’s talent had exploded.
In the negative direction.
‘At least I unlocked a Skill Slot…….’
He’d need to spend even more on Spirit Pills.

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