Damn Necromancer - Chapter 81

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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 (81)
In the time that had passed, the skeletons had learned many skills. Manufacturing, alchemy, combat techniques—they’d mastered it all.
‘I’ve been neglecting the mages a bit.’
Kim Min-woo himself had to admit it.
But there was no help for it.
Ordinary skeletons, which he could summon in twice the numbers, were far more convenient to train.
Most fields fell into that pattern.
There was one exception.
If there was a field where the mages held an absolute advantage, it was magic.
‘So if I want to use the mages effectively, I need to teach them magic…’
But that wasn’t easy at all.
For one, teaching magic in reality was madness.
Magic was one of the hardest subjects. And yet—skeletons learning magic that humans could barely master?
The shockwave would be dozens of times greater than conquering an A-rank Gate.
It was difficult to ask anyone but the most trustworthy people.
Normally, he’d have to search for a teacher within a Gate.
Mages could mainly be found in fantasy-world settings.
But in many of those worlds, summoning skeletons was forbidden outright.
Usually they were treated as spawn of evil, and the religious authorities came to exterminate them.
Even if summoning were possible, he couldn’t picture proud mages willingly instructing skeletons.
He’d been able to learn manufacturing techniques from dwarves and elves because the role assignments and stage had aligned perfectly.
Magic required the same kind of alignment to even attempt learning it.
‘It was fortunate that the Death School existed.’
A world where skeleton summoning was possible.
And in that world, mages who primarily handled related magic.
And those mages desperately wanted something he possessed.
For Kim Min-woo, it was pure fortune. Because of it, he could now conduct magic lessons for his mages.
‘If it had been any other school, it would’ve been impossible.’
As days passed with unceasing instruction,
the practical training period drew near.
[Maili has grasped the essence of Corpse Explosion!]
[Concentrated experience creates a new skill!]
[Skeleton Mages can now use Corpse Explosion (F)!]
[All mages are struck by a sudden wave of inspiration!]
[You grasp the essence of Magic Circle Formation!]
[You grasp the essence of Bone Rain!]
[You grasp the essence of Bone Shield!]
[You grasp the essence of Blind!]
.
.
Teach one, and they learn ten.
True to the saying, the moment Maili grasped a single spell, a cascade of realizations began to pour down.
‘Probably because they learned multiple spells from the same school.’
Each spell within a school had connections to the others. That was likely why such explosive learning was possible.
He opened his skill window.
[Skeleton Mage Summoning (E)+9]
[Skill reinforced to maximum.]
[Consumes 20 Mana to summon 2 (1+1) Level 32 Skeleton Mages.]
[* Possesses: Corpse Explosion (F), Magic Circle Formation (F), Bone Rain (F), Bone Shield (F), Blind (F)]
[Corpse Explosion (F): Detonates a corpse, dealing massive damage.]
[Magic Circle Formation (F): Constructs a magic circle to combine spells cast by multiple casters into a single effect.]
[Bone Rain (F): Rains sharp bone down over a designated area.]
[Bone Shield (F): Creates a shield made of bone.]
[Blind (F): Casts a curse to obscure the target’s vision.]
‘Oh, that’s lucky.’
Corpse Explosion was clearly a spell with countless applications,
and Magic Circle Formation was equally promising. It combined spells cast by multiple mages into one. Individual strength was one, but if he combined a hundred, two hundred…?
‘The power would multiply.’
He might even end up with a spell potent enough to challenge high-level monsters.
As for Bone Rain…
‘This looks like a fairly broad area spell.’
Bone Shield was a defensive magic like a protective dome, and Blind, the last of them, was a curse that obscured one’s vision.
With all five of them in his arsenal, these were spells he’d put to frequent use.
The professors who watched the mages casting magic lit up with excitement.
“Goodness! Learning actual magic!”
“Yes, incredible potential! If only we could summon Undead like this ourselves…….”
“The Death School dominating the magical world wouldn’t be a dream! Ha ha!”
The professors looked as though they were basking in vicarious satisfaction.
Summoning Undead might be barely possible if they were lucky.
But summoning intelligent Undead?
‘That will probably be impossible.’
This was the authority of a Death Lord.
There was no way it could be easy.
Still, he made no comment to dampen their dreams. There was plenty left to learn, and the professors’ enthusiasm needed to be sustained.
He turned to face them.
“Professors, I’ll be heading to the practical exam soon.”
“Oh, then…… do we need to bring the Undead with us?”
“At your level, first place is already assured even without these mages.”
“I’m begging you! Please don’t drag these good children into a war zone!”
The professors gazed at him with pleading eyes.
“Understood. I won’t cancel the summons unless something truly urgent comes up.”
Opportunities to learn magic weren’t common. It was right to absorb everything he could while he had the chance.
Besides, even without summoned creatures, first place was within reach. Cedric and Dolsoe alone would be enough.
He nodded.
Only then did smiles bloom on the professors’ faces.
* * *
The Demon’s Forest, located not far from the Academy.
Students began moving in pairs of two under the professors’ guidance, and soon they could see the watchtowers encircling the forest’s perimeter.
―Coo.
Hayangyi made a sound from his shoulder at the sight of the forest.
Nevertheless, the students paid no particular attention.
Over the past few days, they’d naturally integrated Hayangyi into the group.
Once introduced as a pet bird, everyone accepted it without question.
It wasn’t uncommon for a wealthy nobleman’s son to keep an exotic bird.
Mercene felt the same way. The professors, who had stopped before the watchtower, spoke.
“From now on, you’ll proceed with the practical exam in pairs of two. The test is simple. Survive in this forest for a week! Additional points will be awarded based on the types and number of monsters you hunt.”
The students nodded.
Since it was an annual event, everyone already understood the test requirements.
The professors handed over the first Crystal Orb.
“This Crystal Orb measures additional points. When you defeat monsters, the Demonic Energy dwelling within them will be absorbed into it. The deeper the color, the higher your score.”
Shortly after, each team was assigned a special second Crystal Orb.
“In urgent situations, you can infuse Mana into this Crystal Orb. The highest-tier defensive magic will activate and ensure your safety.”
One professor spoke confidently. The defensive magic in the Crystal Orb could withstand even an ogre’s strike for at least half a day.
And that’s not all.
Once the Crystal Orb is activated, a distress signal is sent immediately.
Then the Knight Order and Mage Corps waiting here will move to rescue you.
The Academy took safety measures this seriously.
It had to, really—most of the students gathered here were children of noble houses.
With them being promising talents of the future as well, it would be strange not to prioritize their safety.
‘That’s going to be expensive.’
Kim Min-woo thought as he looked at the jewel infused with defensive magic. He guessed each Crystal Orb alone might cost tens of billions in Korean won.
‘Well, that explains why tuition is absurdly expensive.’
Shortly after, the professor pointed to the forest and spoke.
“Then, please proceed inside.”
Kim Min-woo and Mercene.
The two of them entered the forest.
The other students did the same.
He spoke to Mercene, who was already trembling visibly.
“We’re just at the entrance. Relax a bit, or you’ll pull something.”
“Y-you think that’s easy? They said last year they even encountered trolls here…….”
“A troll? Then you must’ve used the Crystal Orb.”
“……Yeah. That’s right.”
“No luck, then.”
Kim Min-woo let out a short laugh.
Demon’s Forest isn’t particularly high-level. If it had been infested with powerful monsters in the first place, they’d never have left such a space near an educational facility.
They would’ve exterminated every last one and then surrounded the whole thing with walls, not just a watchtower.
He’d heard there were things like trolls around, but even so, they were extremely rare.
Even if one did appear, it wasn’t something students at their level couldn’t handle.
‘Might as well level up while I’m here.’
As they ventured deeper, he began to notice grayish-black, withered plants dotting the landscape.
Mercene swallowed hard at the sight and spoke.
“Be careful. From here on, this is a space affected by Demonic Energy.”
“Does that make the monsters stronger too?”
“Yeah. The more exposure to Demonic Energy, the more twisted and grotesque their bodies become, or so I’ve heard.”
Then they’d give more Experience Points.
I need to go deeper.
It wasn’t long before they encountered a group of monsters in the distance.
―Kee-kee!
A cunning, cackling laugh rang out.
He saw small, winged forms darting back and forth near the Demonic Energy-tainted trees.
‘Gremlins.’
They were a type of demonic monster with wings, their appearance similar to goblins.
But if you charged at them thinking they were just goblins, you’d get torn to shreds.
Their average Level hovered around 170.
He summoned Cedric.
The skeleton, who had been glancing around, soon made eye contact with Mercene.
The silence lasted only a moment.
Cedric looked toward him and spoke.
―……It’s been a while, Master. Are you conducting a patrol?
Kim Min-woo nodded.
Mercene’s eyes widened at the sight of a talking skeleton.
Word had already spread that Kern could summon Undead.
Yet there had been no major upheaval within the Academy.
After all, he only summoned low-tier Undead—skeletons—not higher-ranking ones.
Moreover, the magic was related to the Death School, which was the smallest faction among all mages.
The knights had shown virtually no interest from the start, and the mages were equally indifferent about it.
Whether the Death School made new discoveries or not made no difference to them.
So naturally, Mercene had simply let it pass as well.
But.
“C-can it talk?”
A talking skeleton was rather shocking.
Cedric let out a hollow chuckle at the sight of Mercene staring at him with wide eyes.
―……Well, well. A perfect young lady, through and through.
“You’ve never met before?”
―Never. I didn’t enter the Lord’s service until much later, after all.
“……What are you two talking about?”
“Nothing at all.”
Kim Min-woo shook his head.
He couldn’t exactly tell her she’d become Undead in the future.
“I’ll go hunt. Just wait here for a bit.”
“……Okay.”
To be safe, he summoned Dolsoe as well and positioned him beside her.
Mercene, startled by the sudden appearance of the grotesque creature, soon seemed to relax, staying close to the golem’s side.
“Let’s go.”
―Then we shall.
He rushed toward the swarm of gremlins alongside Cedric.
―Kee-kee!
The gremlins let out sharp shrieks and began flying toward them with their spears thrust forward, spewing magic from their palms as they came.
Certainly, affected by the Demonic Energy as they were, their movements were slightly swifter than what he’d seen at the Gate.
But even so.
He deflected the incoming fire arrows adequately with his blade.
Then he severed their necks.
The pack of gremlins, nearly twenty strong, began to fall in an instant. Looking at their ability scores alone, they were hopelessly outmatched from the start.
[Your Level has increased by 1!]
Having accumulated considerable experience before engaging them, he leveled up in a single stroke.
The battle was over in moments.
Immediately after.
Demonic energy began to be absorbed into the Crystal Orb. He could see it shift from pure white to a faint gray.
―20 points.
A figure that appeared as a bonus of sorts.
‘One point per gremlin?’
Then.
The blood spilled across the ground from the gremlins was drawn toward the Commanding Sword in his hand. The corpses shriveled like mummies, desiccated and twisted.
[The Commanding Sword has absorbed the prey’s blood! (20/10,000)]
‘It only gains power through killing, then.’
That made sense.
The description had indicated as much from the start.
It had specifically mentioned that enemies of equal level or higher counted as a “hunt,” hadn’t it?
The Commanding Sword hadn’t absorbed Cho Pil-wook’s blood because he hadn’t been completely defeated.
‘The one silver lining…….’
The fact that monsters hunted not only by him but also by Cedric had their blood absorbed as well. Did kills by summoned creatures count toward the total?
‘This could drastically reduce the grinding.’
Ten thousand hunts.
It might be far more manageable than he’d thought.
“Mercene.”
“Oh, yes?”
She had been staring at him with a blank expression, stunned by the sudden slaughter of the gremlin pack, and now she answered hurriedly.
“We’re pressing deeper in.”
“Isn’t that… dangerous?”
“We need to finish first. That’s the whole point, isn’t it?”
“O, okay…….”
Gulp.
She swallowed hard and nodded.

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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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