Damn Necromancer - Chapter 74

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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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Wasteful Necromancer (74)
Han Baek-gil.
The leader of Shadow, who dreamed of resurrecting the Great Being.
Kim Min-woo didn’t know the details of this “Great Being” that they spoke of.
It made sense—the members of Shadow only referred to their deity vaguely as the Great Being, never uttering its name or describing its nature in any concrete way.
‘Or rather, to be precise.’
These fanatics themselves knew nothing real about the existence they served.
That’s why users called them a cult.
They received no tangible rewards, yet they prayed desperately and made offerings to an entity they didn’t even understand. Shadow was less an organization than a zealous religious sect.
A group with nothing to gain by getting close to. Normally, he would have made idle conversation, left things ambiguous, and dragged out the meeting—the standard Korean protocol for buying time before an assassination.
A way to delay the killer’s arrival.
But this time, something was different.
“Kim Min-woo, wouldn’t you like to level up faster?”
“My leveling pace is already quite fast, isn’t it?”
“Haha. What if you could earn far more experience from the same monsters?”
“…What are you talking about?”
“If you wish, I can offer you a special opportunity.”
Experience Duplication? Really?
Han Baek-gil might be insane, but at least he counted as an honest fanatic. The recruiter’s pitch always boiled down to: the Great Being is watching you.
We offer you the glory of joining our cause.
Just empty platitudes and hollow nonsense.
So why was he suddenly offering something?
‘This isn’t Han Baek-gil’s style at all.’
That made it interesting.
The man didn’t usually bluff about something he didn’t have. Had this zealot actually discovered an Experience Duplication bug?
“I thought you were just a fan of mine… but isn’t this getting a little obvious about the whole ‘cult’ thing?”
“Haha. I can see how it might look that way. I won’t deny it. But I’m sincere.”
……
He narrowed his eyes slightly.
Cult.
It was one of the words Han Baek-gil, rootless fanatic that he was, despised most.
Usually, the moment someone used that word, his eyes would roll back and he’d lunge forward with a weapon.
Why?
Because he knew.
He knew he really was a fraud.
And it made sense—they didn’t know what they believed in themselves, there were no rewards, yet offerings had to be made.
It really did look like nothing more than a gathering of a delusional prophet and his blindly devoted followers.
‘But now he’s so calm?’
Where did this sudden composure come from?
Simple.
Because he was unshaken.
In other words.
Han Baek-gil had found some solid ground beneath his feet.
A foundation so firm he could laugh nonchalantly at being called a fraud.
‘This is amusing.’
He studied Han Baek-gil intently.
“If it’s something that important, this might not be the best place. Shall we go to a café nearby?”
“Of course. My treat.”
The two men stood up.
Outside the auction house.
As they walked toward the café, he glanced at Han Baek-gil.
‘His face has this odd composure to it.’
Usually, he wore the look of someone being chased, bloodshot eyes wide.
But the Han Baek-gil before him now was different.
He walked through the street with a peaceful smile, as though the cool winter breeze pleased him.
‘…Though it could be because this is just a clone.’
The Han Baek-gil before him wasn’t the real one. It was one of the assassin’s S-rank skills: Shadow Clone.
A technique that allowed him to create elaborate duplicates and act through them.
The Han Baek-gil here was that duplicate.
The reason he could tell was simple.
‘Items can’t be duplicated.’
Han Baek-gil, being a notorious villain, had amassed quite impressive equipment—at minimum, Unique grade up to Legendary.
He was a walking treasure vault.
Yet every item he wore bore crude shapes and patterns.
A novice wouldn’t notice, but Kim Min-woo—rotten through and through—could spot counterfeit gear at a glance. The kind a Shadow Clone would wear.
That’s why he’d provoked him. A clone was nothing; he could crush it in minutes. Then in a few days, another clone would show up.
So Kim Min-woo and Han Baek-gil entered a nearby café.
They ordered coffee, exchanged names, and got down to business.
“So, Han Baek-gil—this thing about copying experience you mentioned. What exactly is it?”
“We receive Baptism from a Great Being.”
“Are you really a cult?”
“I understand your skepticism. But it’s true. Many are already enjoying the benefits.”
“Fine, suppose such a thing exists. Why offer something so valuable to me?”
“We saw your potential. Especially after witnessing your mark directly.”
“My mark? That strange pattern?”
“Yes. Even our most devout haven’t reached that level. Yet you achieved it in one go. We were very impressed.”
Han Baek-gil’s eyes gleamed with an unsettling fervor as he spoke.
“What’s the price?”
“Trivial, really. Insignificant. But first, one question: is the wellbeing of strangers important to you, or your own strength?”
“Obviously the latter.”
What kind of question was that.
He wasn’t some hero. Honestly, hunting Outer Gods wasn’t about some noble desire to save the world.
It was about not dying.
That said, it didn’t mean he’d sacrifice people without remorse like Han Baek-gil.
Everything required moderation.
He was just an ordinary person—valuing himself over complete strangers, nothing more.
Satisfied with the honest answer, Han Baek-gil nodded approvingly.
“Excellent. The price is simple: offer sacrifices to Him and carry out His commands.”
“Sounds like an expensive price.”
“Not at all. You gain nearly double the experience.”
“Double?”
“Yes, double.”
“You said many benefit from this. Isn’t that awfully quiet for something so good?”
“You know better than anyone—good things are enjoyed in secret. To avoid envy.”
If that were true.
The Shadow members were making offerings and completing tasks while secretly copying experience.
“I need to know exactly what this Baptism is.”
“Originally, this isn’t something we’d explain to outsiders.”
“That so? Why would an outsider stay then? I’m leaving.”
He stood up immediately.
After all, Han Baek-gil had approached first. And now he was fawning about talent and possibilities.
Time to remind him who held the upper hand.
As expected.
Han Baek-gil grabbed his hand urgently. “It’s not that I won’t—just that I’m hesitant. Sit, please. I’ll explain.”
Kim Min-woo sat back down.
He stared at Han Baek-gil.
“We were called by a Great Being.”
“What is this Great Being?”
“As a mere insect, I cannot even utter His name. It would drive me mad.”
“Mad. What, like Lovecraft? You expect me to believe that?”
In that moment, Han Baek-gil handed over a small stone.
“Look.”
[Stone of Life]
[Grade: Special]
[A stone that reveals the life or death of Lee Seo-yoon. Strange power dwells within it.]
[Effect 1: The stone loses its light when the target, Lee Seo-yoon, dies.]
What was this.
A Stone of Life.
He’d never seen this item once in all his gaming.

‘So that’s why the investigation moved so fast…….’
Was there a method like this all along?
Han Baek-gil spoke.
“Have you ever seen an item like this?”
“Never. But couldn’t something like this come out of a Gate?”
His expression grew deeply serious in an instant.
“I obtained this through prayer. The Baptism works the same way.”
“……The same way?”
“Through prayer, I received an orb imbued with tremendous power. By transferring the force dwelling within it, I can administer the Baptism.”
“You’re saying you’ll transfer that orb’s power to me as well?”
“Yes. Since the power disperses the more it’s divided, our existing members strongly objected. But someone of your caliber deserves to receive the Baptism.”
Kim Min-woo’s face hardened visibly.
Shadow.
A group that had worshipped illusions had overnight become one that served an actual monster. They claimed prayer granted them an Experience Copy Orb?
If that was genuinely true, there had to be an extraordinarily powerful being backing them.
‘Could it be that Foreign Deity?’
The first thought that came to mind was precisely that. What else could produce such bizarre items?
‘It’s not impossible.’
Stage 6: Hunt the Foreign Deity.
The Foreign Deity would naturally have begun its activities by now. Or perhaps this world had already been operating under its influence from the start. There was nothing strange about its effects rippling outward to Shadow.
“I have one question.”
“Go ahead.”
“Let’s say such a being exists. But why would something that powerful help you? You’re so weak I can barely remember your name.”
“Yes. We are insignificant. But even frail creatures like us can serve a Great Being in certain ways.”
“By offering sacrifices?”
“Ha, that’s merely a small gesture of our sincerity. Our true purpose lies elsewhere.”
“What is it? I’m curious.”
“That……you’ll come to understand gradually once you join our organization. It’s difficult to discuss here.”
Han Baek-gil’s eyes hardened with finality. It seemed he wouldn’t stop Kim Min-woo from leaving even if he tried to stand and walk out.
‘A Foreign Deity. Something that would make creatures worth using…….’
It could be an item on Earth, or a person, or something unknown entirely.
In any case, there was definitely something worth pursuing.
‘It could even be me they’re after.’
Right after his awakening.
After seeing those presences behind the curtain.
● Warning! Warning! Warning!
● ??? senses something amiss!
● ??? begins searching for the cause!
● Be careful. ??? will not overlook this matter lightly!
He’d seen those strange messages once before.
The question marks wouldn’t let this situation pass quietly.
An entity whose name, when recalled or spoken, drove one mad.
Perhaps it had applied a kind of filter—question marks serving as a protective measure for him.
‘I had a feeling it’d be intense from the start…….’
If what Han Baek-gil served was genuinely a Foreign Deity, then the final boss had entered alert mode after only two months.
Of course.
All of this only held true if what Han Baek-gil served was actually a Foreign Deity, and if that Foreign Deity was genuinely targeting him.
‘Everything’s still just hypothesis though.’
But if that hypothesis proved entirely true.
Stage 6.
It didn’t seem like it would be easy at all.
“What’s your organization’s name?”
“We are Shadow. We exist everywhere.”
“……Everywhere? Are you a global organization?”
“That’s correct. You grasp things quickly. Let me reintroduce myself. I am Han Baek-gil, High Priest of Shadow’s Korea Division.”
Damn.
These people really have grown.
A group that had once played only in Korea had suddenly become a global organization.
“Yes, I’ve listened carefully. I’ll think it over and give you my answer.”
But even as he said it, he harbored not the slightest intention of joining.
I had no idea what kind of side effects might emerge from receiving a Baptism.
In the worst case, I could lose control of my mind overnight.
First things first—I needed to buy myself some time.
“Very well. I shall return to visit you again in one month’s time.”
I nodded in agreement.
One month. I’d bought myself that much at least.

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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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