Necromancer Academy’s Genius Summoner - Chapter 288
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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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Necromancer Academy’s Summoning Genius – Episode 288
“We don’t have much time. Let me explain right away.”
During his patrol, Simon had discovered a Creature—the kind used by priests. It was now certain that they were being pursued.
Their target was undoubtedly Sasha, the candidate for sainthood.
Fortunately, the environment favored their side. It was night, and the forest terrain made searching difficult.
Simon devised a strategy: split into two groups and scatter.
First, they’d use Seiwir’s Illusion Magic to create a fake carriage and draw the priests’ attention, while Sasha and the others in the second group would run through the forest on foot to escape.
“You’re asking me to die?!”
Seiwir jumped at the sound of the plan.
“But.”
Simon smiled faintly and continued.
“If you don’t, you’ll face punishment severe enough that you’d wish you were dead. From both Vengeance and Kizen.”
“……Ugh!”
“If you cooperate with us this time, I’ll report to the Kizen side that you properly fulfilled your role as a mentor.”
Unless Seiwir left the Dark Alliance altogether, he had no other choice. In the end, he accepted Simon’s plan.
“I’m coming with you.”
Dick volunteered to keep watch over Seiwir.
“You sure about that?”
“If I let this guy go alone, he’ll drop the illusion and bolt for his own skin the moment we’re out of sight. Someone’s got to watch him.”
Simon’s expression grew serious.
“You could be in real danger.”
“Don’t worry about me! I’ve got enough confidence in my survival skills to handle myself no matter what.”
And truly, there was no Necromancer Simon trusted more than Dick when it came to pure survival instinct.
Simon and Merin nodded, while Kamibarez spoke with a worried expression.
“You have to make it back safely, Dick!”
“You got it!”
They moved according to plan. They pushed the carriage into a nearby lake and led the horse into dense undergrowth, where Merin placed it under a Sleep Curse to keep it hidden. Dick removed the Mana Engine from the boat and attached it to a cart pulled from his Subspace, and when Seiwir cast Illusion Magic on the cart to create a fake carriage, the disguise was perfect.
“We’re heading out! See you alive!”
The fake carriage carrying Dick and Seiwir departed. Simon’s group began moving with Sasha.
Merin ran ahead, followed by Kamibarez and Sasha, while Simon brought up the rear, watching for pursuit from Efnel.
“Kami, focus only on protecting Sasha.”
“Yes, Simon! I’ll do my best!”
Kamibarez deployed the Black Magic she often used—Blood Silk. She wrapped Sasha’s injured leg in the silken bands and kept her suspended in the air as they ran.
“Merin, if any priests get close, peel off and intercept them.”
“Got it. What about you?”
“Same. If I spot Efnel, I’ll be the first to break away. If I’m not with you, assume I’m in combat with a priest.”
Merin nodded.
Simon was the one who’d uncovered Seiwir’s true identity, and he’d been the one to find the Creature, so from start to finish, she’d follow his lead.
And so they began their flight.
The dark forest breathed an eerie atmosphere. Everyone ran with nerves stretched taut, acutely aware that Efnel or a monster could emerge from the shadows at any moment.
“Sasha. Are you uncomfortable?”
At Kamibarez’s question, Sasha nodded that she was fine. After nodding back to her, she turned to look at Merin.
“The priests could head straight for us, couldn’t they?”
“Hard to say. If there are priests with the ability to sense auras or detect Dark Element, maybe. But this is still our best option.”
She glanced backward.
“Isn’t that right, Si—huh?”
Both women stopped in shock. Simon, who had been running at the rear moments before, had vanished.
“Did… did he already break away?”
* * *
Thud-thud-thud!
Thud!
Five priests tore across the field, channeling Holy Power through their legs.
Four were female students in Efnel uniforms; the fifth was a middle-aged man in work clothes with bright orange hair streaming behind him.
“Instructor, are you sure they went this way?”
At Lirilit’s question, the instructor Figaro nodded.
“Yes, my Creature detected them. They appear to be traveling by carriage—the one the gang members were using.”
Lirilit propped her chin on her hand, lost in thought.
“It’s late, we just finished combat, and it’s gotten dark. Let’s set up camp soon. They’ll be easier to handle if they’re asleep.”
“Unfortunately, Kizen has likely noticed that we’re closing in on them.”
Figaro continued.
“One of our creatures was caught.”
“Sloppy work!”
“Hah, I apologize for the imperfection.”
At that moment, the footsteps of five figures racing across the field stopped in unison.
“Hmm—it does seem Kizen knows we’re pursuing them. But…”
Lirilit let out a hollow laugh and extended a finger.
“You’re alone?”
Before the forest shrouded in darkness stood a single boy in a brown robe, pulled low over his head.
He stood motionless as if nailed in place, staring directly at the Efnel group.
The Efnel students exchanged looks of disbelief.
“Is this some new form of suicide?”
“How irritating.”
“I guess the saying about necromancers having no brains is true after all, sisters.”
A single boy in a brown robe blocked their path like a barrier.
Despite facing five opponents alone, the boy seemed remarkably composed—even standing with arms crossed, he merely wiggled his fingers in a come-hither gesture.
But his confidence was so absolute that—
‘…something feels off.’
In fact, they found themselves reluctant to draw closer.
“Could it be a trap?”
Figaro, their guide, shook his head at Lirilit’s question.
“I sense no presence of others nearby. It seems he’s simply come alone because he has faith in his own strength.”
“He’s lost his mind.”
Lirilit wrapped her hands in Holy Power. A white aura rippled within her palms.
“We have no time! Let’s go!”
Five priests rushed forward, silver threads trailing from their feet.
Simon made no grand movements. He simply lowered his stance and raised his right arm.
‘Bone Armor.’
Bone fragments flowing from the Subspace covered Simon’s right arm without gap or seam.
Tap-tap-tap!
Lirilit, coming from directly ahead, suddenly accelerated, rushing forward like a single flash of light. Simon met her with a punch from the front.
Crash!
Fist struck fist, and a roar tore through the air. The clothing of both fighters billowed violently, and the trees around them trembled.
And in the space where their fists connected, the other priests vaulted off Holy Power and passed cleanly through the gap between them.
“Ah.”
Simon turned around in surprise.
“You have the leisure to worry about others?”
The moment Simon saw Lirilit’s opposite hand move to open, he hastily retreated.
Holy Spears rained down in volleys, piercing the ground.
“I don’t know what you’re scheming by standing alone, but the fact that you’re keeping all five of us occupied means you’re playing into your own hand.”
Whoosh!
She extended her clenched fist and laughed.
“Am I wrong?”
Simon scratched his head as if taken aback.
“Efnel students are sharper than I expected.”
“!”
Lirilit’s expression flickered at those words, but she quickly recognized the cheap provocation and regained her composure.
“We’ll refrain from killing under the Neutral Zone Accord, but we’ll make sure that mouth of yours never runs again!”
“Hmm.”
Simon, locked in confrontation with Lirilit, recalled Parahan’s lesson.
—If you know what field of study your opponent specializes in, that alone grants you vast information.
Simon’s gaze shifted to her hands. Light flickered and swelled and shrank like a boxing glove woven from radiance.
‘It’s not just Holy Power wrapped around her fists. It’s Holy Burst from the Healing Arts.’
The Healing Arts specialized in tending patients from the rear and supporting combatants, but as times changed, offensive magic for countering necromancers had naturally developed.
And the most effective attack of the Healing Arts was Reverse Healing—channeling Holy Power into an opponent’s body to trigger cell division inward rather than healing, causing destruction from within.
A single touch would shatter her organs. Against a necromancer with the Dark Element flowing through his veins, it would prove devastatingly effective.
‘And beyond that—’
Simon could see Lirilit wrapping her body in a violet Blessing.
Simon recalled what he had learned in Parahan’s class.
It’s a kind of doping effect. You destroy your body in exchange for greater strength and speed. It’s one of the forbidden White Magic arts, but only Healers can use it. Since Healers can restore their bodies while fighting, they can do so without risk.
Knowledge shapes perception. The moment Simon tried to draw a Magic Circle to counter the Curse, Lirilit charged forward.
“!”
Simon threw himself sideways with animal instinct.
But the attack didn’t come from the front.
Thwack! Thwack! Thwack!
It came from behind.
A barrage of triangular Holy projectiles rained down from above.
“Ugh!”
Simon tumbled and cartwheeled frantically to evade. High in a tree stood a girl with freckles and split-colored hair, grinning wickedly.
‘The frontal charge was a feint. The real attack was from behind!’
“You have quick reflexes,” the Freckled Girl called out.
All four of them had seemed to leap over Simon, but Efnel’s true strategy from the start had been a two-on-one.
“Don’t you think it’s odd to just leave a lone enemy behind like that?”
The Freckled Girl landed and stretched both arms wide.
More projectiles whistled through the air—thwack, thwack—as triangular bursts of Holy energy flew toward him, and Lirilit pursued from his side, hurling punches.
“Hck!”
He was surrounded on both sides in an instant.
As Simon tried to leap backward to dodge the Freckled Girl’s Holy projectiles, Lirilit’s relentless fist slammed into his abdomen.
Crack!
Light flashed from the Holy Fist, and Simon’s eyes widened as he gasped from his throat.
“It’ll hurt enough to wish you were dead!”
As Simon staggered and dropped to one knee, the Freckled Girl dove from above and unleashed a Holy Burst at the motionless target.
Boom!
Crash!
Simon’s body was engulfed in Holy light. It should have been enough to render him combat-ineffective, but they wanted to be certain.
The two girls exchanged a glance, then charged toward Simon through the smoke in unison.
Thud!
Thud! Thud!
The smoke cleared.
Simon stood motionless, his expression blank.
His chest bore the mark of Lirilit’s Holy Burst, and from behind, the Freckled Girl had sharpened her Holy power so acutely it had pierced clean through and emerged from his chest.
The pupils of Simon’s eyes had lost all focus.
“That’s done it!”
“Look how he pays for his arrogance.”
They’d brought him down completely.
Just as the two girls moved to withdraw their Holy power—
Grab! Grab!
“?”
“Huh?”
Both their heads were seized by a rough, brutal grip.
Without hesitation.
Crash!!
Their foreheads collided head-on at the center point.
“Agh!”
The Freckled Girl, struck with tremendous force to her head, rolled her eyes back and lost consciousness on the spot.
And standing between the two of them was Simon—not just composed, but wearing a drowsy, unfazed expression.
‘…Maybe I really should have pursued acting as a career.’
“Ow! What the—? I definitely landed it square!”
Lirilit twisted her face in frustration and stepped back, gripping her forehead.
The Freckled Girl crumpled to the ground, and Simon strode toward Lirilit.
“H-how—what just happened?! With the Holy power—!”
Simon rushed at her without a word, summoning Darkness as he came.
At that moment, Lirilit’s pupils dilated.
The wind whipped his robe aside, and his blue hair streamed out and rippled in the breeze.
‘Ah!’
Lirilit recalled Rette’s warning when they’d arrived at the Neutral Zone.
—If you happen to see a boy with bluish hair from Kizen during the mission, just assume he’s dead and run.
Watching Simon place his palm against her abdomen, Lirilit’s eyes went wide.
—If you get caught up with him, someone like you really will die.
It was this human all along!!
Lirilit stared down at the Dark Magic manifesting across her abdomen, her expression one of hollow disbelief.
Crack-boom-boom-boom!
Lirilit’s body bent backward like the letter ㄷ as she hurtled through the air, shattering several trees in her wake.
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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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