Necromancer Academy’s Genius Summoner - Chapter 153

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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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The Summoning Genius of the Necromancer School, Episode 153
The Sacred Temple.
The final resting place of Kizen’s greatest necromancers.
The Sacred Temple’s true nature was an underwater cavern at the end of Rocksum—a place roiling with abnormal phenomena that defied natural explanation, and a holy site for necromancers besides.
The funeral rites conducted here were composed of long, elaborate traditional procedures. Even working without pause throughout the day, the ceremony would not conclude until daybreak the following morning. This time, simplified according to Lang’s will, the proceedings were still expected to stretch into the dead of night.
Among all present, it was only Umbra, the Necromancy professor and master of ceremonies, who showed genuine enthusiasm—coercing mourners to perform ritual dances that students had nicknamed the “Chicken-Feed Shuffle” and the “Squid Courtship Dance,” while constantly picking apart their movements.
After hours of such relentless ritual beginning before dawn, a brief respite was finally granted.
‘……I’m exhausted.’
Aaron trudged along, brushing wet hair from his face.
Though he set great store by “roots” in all matters, he could not for the life of him understand the connection between dunking one’s head into a waterfall in an underwater cavern and paying respects to the deceased.
‘I should write my will in advance. When I die, no elaborate ceremony—skip the whole thing.’
Mulling this seriously as he walked, he stumbled upon an empty cavern chamber where no one else lingered.
Perfect.
He stepped inside, leaned his back against the stone wall, and exhaled a long breath.
Once he was certain no one was watching, he peeled off his formal coat and loosened his necktie completely, rolling up his trouser legs. As air moved across his bare skin, he finally felt like he could breathe.
He lay there exhausted, staring blankly up at the ceiling, when—
“Instructor, is it alright if I come in?”
The unmistakable brogue of the southern Shahad region—or perhaps the Far East—reached his ears. When Aaron turned his head, he saw Hong Peng from the Magical Combat faculty smiling warmly at him.
Aaron acknowledged her with a silent nod. Hong Peng smoothed her formal skirt, then sat down with her back against the wall, her legs pressed demurely together.
A long silence stretched between them before Hong Peng broke it.
“How is Simon progressing in Summoning Magic these days?”
She was asking about Simon’s achievements in Summoning Magic. It seemed faculty conversation inevitably circled back to their students.
“Roughly at the level you’ve assessed yourself, I would say.”
He wasn’t in the mood for this.
Though his answer lacked enthusiasm, the corners of her mouth lifted slightly.
“I’ve been focusing on teaching him Combat Magic intensively.”
Aaron kept his gaze fixed on the cavern ceiling, his expression unmoved.
“I’ve taught many children at Kizen, but never have I encountered material like this. If I were to apply all my skill to refining such raw talent, I’m certain it would become a masterwork.”
“…….”
“And you, Instructor Aaron?”
She tilted her head. The hair fastened with cord slipped down toward her shoulder.
“When did you first feel that certainty about him?”
Certainty, she called it.
As if it mattered.
“At the same moment you did, I imagine.”
It was natural to sense it from the very first lesson.
So after that first class ended, he’d requested a private meeting with Neftis to ask about the boy’s parents.
But Neftis had refused to answer, simply hedging with that peculiar expression of hers—”Oh, I haven’t the faintest idea~”—and moving past it.
A prodigy suddenly brought by Neftis from who-knows-where, thrust into the continent like a stone dropped from the sky. Questions about his origins lingered, but there was nothing to do but cultivate his growth.
Besides, anyone who touched him would see him flourish.
Then Hong Peng spoke again.
“So you, Instructor Aaron, intend to…….”
“A most interesting conversation I’m overhearing.”
Tap-tap-tap.
Aaron’s expression hardened. Stepping in was not Bahil in his usual white suit and bowler hat, but Bahil in black garments as deep as spilled ink.
“I caught the name Simon just now, and—”
Bahil approached with an unhurried stride, bent down beside Aaron, and removed his hat to place it on his lap.
“I could hardly miss a conversation about such a student, now could I?”
Undisguised irritation flashed across Aaron’s face.
There were plenty of other places he could have sat.
“Come now, shall we end the posturing among colleagues? Everyone already knows this boy’s talent. The boy is excellent. The boy is a genius. Blah, blah, blah. I think it’s time we stopped stating such obvious truths.”
With that, Bahil shrugged and spread both hands.
“So, to be direct—I want Simon Polentia as well.”
“…….”
The moment he arrived, Bahil had issued an outright declaration of intent before his fellow instructors.
Hong Peng regarded him with an amused smile.
“The Curse Magic instructor? How surprising. I’ve never seen Simon use Curse Magic.”
“Ah, as expected of Professor Hong Peng. You drive straight for the heart of the matter.”
Bahil made a playful gesture as if smoothing his own chest.
“The truth is, such things don’t matter much. That Simon hasn’t used Curse Magic is simply because he hasn’t yet developed a taste for it. Once he experiences the allure of this discipline—”
Bahil’s tongue flicked across his lips.
“Never. You’ll never escape.”
Hong Peng cupped his chin, a smile of amusement playing at his lips. Aaron closed his eyes with a bitter expression.
“Still, it was somewhat unexpected, senior.”
Bahil’s mouth twisted into a smirk.
“I thought you’d simply overturn your declaration about not accepting Direct Disciples and eagerly devour that Simon boy.”
A Direct Disciple arrangement could only be proposed by a professor to a student.
While not officially codified, it was an unwritten rule. For students to beg a professor to accept them as Direct Disciples was considered quite rude.
Anyone could see that Simon had shown considerable interest in Summoning Magic. Yet Aaron himself had stepped back, guiding him from a distance.
“Is it some kind of principle—that you never break a promise once spoken?”
As Bahil pressed the matter persistently, Aaron replied with cool indifference.
“The first semester isn’t even finished yet. At this point, when we haven’t fully uncovered a student’s potential, it’s premature to discuss their major. Broaching the subject of Direct Discipleship now is abnormal—the work of charlatans.”
Bahil and Hong Peng felt a twinge of guilt internally but showed no sign of it. Bahil clapped his hands together.
“What admirable consideration for a student’s future rather than indulging your own desires! Truly, you set the standard for educators.”
“…Stop.”
Aaron’s gaze grew cold.
“Quit the nonsense.”
“Ah, my apologies.”
Bahil bowed, but his grinning face remained unchanged.
“Oh. But then again.”
His gaze shifted.
“It seems you’ve somehow coated that Simon boy in honey?”
Before the words finished, Silaji, the Blood Magic professor, appeared at the entrance.
Aaron and Bahil, who were his former students, began to rise, but Silaji raised her palm first to stop them. She exchanged a casual nod with Hong Peng.
“I happened to drop by since all the professors teaching first-year students are gathered here.”
Silaji continued, murmuring to herself.
“Am I intruding?”
“Not at all, Professor. Please, rest here at your leisure.”
Bahil spoke respectfully, but Aaron, who truly seemed to have grown uncomfortable, began to stand.
“Hey, where are you going, senior? This is really quite a fascinating gathering, isn’t it? Since we’re all here together like this, let me ask you all something direct.”
At Bahil’s words, three gazes converged on him.
“What do you think is Simon Polentia’s true strength?”
“……”
Suddenly silence fell across the cave. Aaron, rising from his seat, slung his outer robe over his shoulder and replied curtly.
“Insight.”
Hong Peng followed with a calm tone.
“Soundness.”
Silaji, standing in the posture she’d entered with, chuckled softly and answered.
“Uniqueness.”
Slap!
Bahil covered his face with his palm with an audible smack. Then he slowly pushed his hand upward. Wet strands of hair dragged across his skin as droplets of water fell steadily to the ground.
“All wrong! Every last one of you!”
“…?”
“And you call yourselves Kizen professors? Ha! Truly! To fail to recognize that boy’s true worth, and yet claim you’ll guide him down the right path?”
Bahil began speaking with sudden intensity.
His wet hair whipped back and forth, flinging water droplets, his eyes gleaming as he spoke.
“His true strength is Madness!!”
Arms spread wide as if delivering a grand speech, he turned to his colleague professors with a twisted grin.
“He is the type who can truly go mad for something!”

* * *
Thump-thump-thump!
Bang!
Whoooosh!
The battle in the Command Control Room continued.
Simon breathed roughly. Ahead of his blurred vision, he could see Serne and the Holy Maiden Phlema exchanging fierce blows.
[Why!]
Phlema shrieked.
[Why does a being like you exist in Kizen!]
Phlema seemed severely agitated. Whether caught off guard or not, the accuracy of her White Flame projectiles had dropped markedly compared to before.
“My, and what business is it of yours where I am?”
Serne countered lightly, flinging the feathers wound around her fingers like throwing knives.
Oddly enough, her feathers endured quite well even when touched by the White Flame. Only when Phlema deliberately cranked up her firepower did the feathers burn away, and this situation seemed to be causing Phlema considerable stress.
[This is sacrilege!]
Phlema, seething with rage, swept both arms wide and scattered circular White Flame like buckshot, while Serne dodged at maximum speed.
‘……She’s changed.’
Simon’s eyes glinted as he watched the battle between Serne and Phlema unfold.
That white flame, which had dealt damage only to the Undead and Necromancers, had suddenly begun to exert physical force and affect matter.
Just then Serne turned to look at Simon.
“Simon. One Coupon won’t cut it, will it? Since our opponent is a Saint, I’ll need two more…….”
“Watch out, Serne!”
Whoooosh!
White Flame came streaming toward her.
Serne’s flying speed was considerable, but the Command Control Room itself had limited space. After weaving through it deftly, she caught one beam of White Flame and was shot down to the floor.
Bang!
Phlema’s gaze, which had been pressing toward the fallen Serne, turned irritably as Simon came charging in and attacked her back with his Greatsword.
Of course, it buried itself in the White Flame protecting her once more.
[No matter how many times I try, it’s always the same.]
Phlema swung her right arm roughly. The White Flame exploded, and Simon’s body was sent flying backward again, crashing into the wall.
“Ggghhh!”
Simon clutched at where the White Flame had touched him and writhed in pain.
[Yes, this is exactly Elemental Compatibility.]
The smile returned to her face, which had been full of irritation as she battled Serne.
[This is proof that the Goddess exists! Those who deny Her cannot stand against Her power!]
As she tilted her finger, chunks of White Flame struck Simon’s body in rapid succession.
“No, Simon!”
Serne cried out. Their most important recruitment target was dying in real time.
“Damn it!”
Kassan, who had been painfully crawling across the floor, gritted his teeth.
Though he had faced countless formidable opponents until now, against this Saint there was simply no way to fight back.
[As a final struggle, it’s been rather decent.]
Phlema stretched out her arm. For now, she summoned white flames to finish off the incapacitated Kassan once and for all.
Szzzt.
At that moment, Simon—his body scarred with white flames from the White Flame’s burn, trembling in his legs—was rising once more.
[……Boy!]
Only his right hand, the sole place where Pier’s Bone Armor remained, he drew back to guard.
Simon painfully raised his head, but his legs immediately gave out and he crashed face-first to the floor.
“Nngh!”
The accumulated damage alone was enough; his mind must have been shattered into pieces. Yet still he dragged his legs, forcing and forcing himself to rise again.
He pushed his torso up and took a few steps before collapsing, then rising again only to crash headfirst into the floor. Drool streaming from his mouth, he staggered about like a living corpse trying to stand.
Phlema’s expression grew bored.
This was no longer the willpower of a human.
“Back away, Simon. You cannot win with your strength.”
The death of their most important recruitment target was a development Serne wanted to avoid.
She unleashed her full power. As she soared into the sky, feathers before her formed ten massive spell circles.
<Feather Frenzy>
Shwooooooooooosh!
As hundreds, thousands of feathers passed through the spell circles, they transformed into golden flashes of light that began flying toward Phlema.
Thousands of feathers that did not oxidize even when touched by White Flame.
Phlema immediately threw both arms forward, raising a wall of White Flame at maximum firepower. The wall and feathers collided, erupting in deafening booms.
“Haaaah!”
In that moment, Simon rose like a zombie once more and came charging. Now Phlema had gone beyond annoyance into genuine bewilderment.
[Just die already!]
Before Simon could even swing his Greatsword, White Flame shot forth, sweeping across his body. Phlema turned her gaze back to focus on the barrier.
Pop.
[……!]
Phlema felt a sudden chill run down her spine, goosebumps erupting across her skin. Simon, who should have been writhing in pain on the floor, appeared before her unharmed.
‘What? How?’
“Rrraaaaaahhh!”
The White Flame she summoned once more seemed to engulf Simon’s entire body in an instant, but immediately after, Simon burst forth with flames trailing like a tail, his eyes ablaze with Madness as he charged forward.
“Now for that attack!”
Screeeeeech!
Simon’s Sword of Ruin tore diagonally across the holy maiden’s back.
Beyond the fountain of her gushing blood, Serne and Kassan’s shocked faces flickered into view, and the holy maiden’s eyes went wide with terror.
“Lukewarm!!”

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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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