Necromancer Academy’s Genius Summoner - Chapter 293
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————
The Necromancer School’s Summoning Genius – Episode 293
A massive skirmish erupted across the devastated landscape.
In the urban sprawl draped with enormous root systems, countless plant-type monsters surged upward.
From the city’s outskirts, waves of undead poured forth from the Subspace.
The two forces collided head-on, and in an instant the battle lines tangled into chaos.
‘Good thing I brought the Legion with me—this could’ve been a disaster.’
If I’d had to face those numbers alone, it would have taken a solid day.
Simon’s role as Legion Commander was simple enough: advance with the undead at his side, and whenever a white apple fell from above, slash it apart preemptively.
—Grrgh, grrgh-grrgh.
Curious about the sound, he glanced back—and saw villagers charging at him, plant stems bulging from their bodies like veins.
Simon recognized them instantly. The couple he’d sold information about Sasha to for three gold coins.
‘Hmm.’
Witnessing the transformed state of someone he’d known wasn’t a pleasant feeling.
Simon set his jaw and swung his Greatsword—the two villagers’ torsos cleaved in half, and every building and plant monster behind them shattered and collapsed in a cascading ruin.
‘It’s tragic. Why does Pigaro have to kill innocent people?’
[Krkrk, how predictable! Look at that alleyway over there!]
Simon’s gaze shifted.
Tree roots pierced through the corpses like coffins, their tendrils pulsing as they drained something—energy, perhaps—from the bodies. And as they fed, the human remains withered and dessicated further with each passing moment.
[That creature intends to absorb every resident of this village as nourishment.]
‘Nourishment?’
[Precisely. It can’t remain in that massive wooden form forever. Once it gathers enough strength to fully dominate that girl Sasha’s ability, it will shed this body for another. That’s when the real nightmare begins.]
Thud! Thud! Thud!
In the meanwhile, a gnarled tree monster that resembled rotted wood rushed at Simon, but a swarm of Corpse Spiders diving in pendulum arcs immediately sank their fangs into it and brought it down.
Simon’s gaze lifted to the crown of the tree. Through his right eye—its vision enhanced—he could see Pigaro, what remained of him above the waist, grinning wickedly.
Simon’s resolve hardened once more.
‘I’m climbing up there no matter what, and I’m wiping that smirk off his face.’
He pulled a zombie from the Subspace and held the ring on his left hand before it.
“It’s time to fight. Prince.”
Crack-crack-crack!
Black lightning descended from above, charring the zombie’s form pitch-black, and then a boy rose to his feet—dressed like a noble youth, crowned with a circlet.
[Ugh, why do you always have to do this every time you summon me?]
Prince looked at the enormous tree and let out a dry laugh.
Simon shrugged.
“Hidden cards are only supposed to be played when it really matters.”
[……Huh?]
At those words, Prince’s face brightened and he began bouncing in place.
[That line! That was so cool! Hidden card! So I’m the Legion’s hidden card?]
“Yeah, yeah. Let’s move.”
Simon, clad in Pier’s Bone Armor, dashed forward with his cloak billowing behind him. Prince and the undead forces surged in right beside him.
[The hidden card is making his entrance!]
Electrified, Prince launched himself off the ground and drove his fist squarely into the massive tree monster’s torso.
Crack!
The creature flew backward, pulverizing other plant-type monsters in its path.
Prince whistled as he examined his own fist.
[My strength got even stronger! Your Dark Element is way more powerful than back at the Sacred Federation!]
“Of course it is!”
Simon swung the Sword of Ruin, slicing through falling white apples as he spoke.
“How could I not get stronger, surviving in that school?”
With Simon and Prince at the center, the Legion formed a spear-shaped formation and charged through.
The plant-type monsters and plant humans were all creatures formed from the foundation of Sasha’s ability rather than actual Saint’s Power. They rated between Danger Levels 1 and 3, and the Legion’s combat strength far exceeded them.
The Legion surged forward in an unstoppable tide.
Boom-boom-crash!
[We broke through!]
Prince sent plant monsters flying with his fists. Before them now stretched the root wall itself.
‘Dizzying height.’
Simon tilted his head back, nearly bending it all the way to see the crown at the top.
[Simon! Are you going to climb?]
“Hold on.”
Simon drew a sharp breath, gripped the Sword of Ruin, and hurled a powerful Slash directly at the tree.
Crack!
A massive gash opened across the tree’s trunk, but it was still impossible to cleave it in two with a single blow.
A moment later, white flames erupted from the wound on the tree’s body, and it restored itself to its original state.
‘The tree is Sasha’s true form. The Saint’s power is being applied to her.’
During the saint incident in the first semester, when Simon had fought against Phlema, the Saint of Purification, he’d witnessed her torn to shreds countless times, only to resurrect again and again alongside the White Flame.
In other words, severing the tree’s body outright was impossible. The only way was to climb the tree, strike down Pigaro, and rescue Sasha.
He’d had a similar experience during the Island Survival evaluation, so he felt confident about it.
‘No time for half measures.’
Simon planted his right foot on the tree.
‘Forward!’
He lifted his left foot from the ground and transferred it to the tree, then sprinted upward. Behind him came Prince, the Summoned Skeletons, and the Corpse Spiders.
[Focus ahead, boy! I’ll control the Legionized undead!]
“Reassuring!”
Simon tilted his greatsword to the side. Grotesquely large swarms of plant-type monsters were surging down from above on the tree.
‘The sensation of cleaving space itself!’
Screeeeeech!
A white arc traced through the air, and all the overlapping monsters within it were sliced apart and fell away.
[Hidden Card Punch!]
Prince thrust his fist into empty space, and a shockwave of pure darkness spiraled outward like a whirlwind, hurling the monsters aside en masse.
“You really took a liking to that name?”
[Not at all!]
Slash!
Rat-a-tat-tat-tat!
Simon and Prince continued carving a path forward with sword strikes and punches.
But it was harder than expected.
‘This is damned exhausting!’
Climbing the slanted tree on two legs, even with the aid of his Dark Element aura, was grueling work.
‘And they keep coming!’
On top of that, plant-type monsters descended endlessly down the trunk.
Simon was raising his greatsword to cut them down again when—
[Conserve your strength, you fools!]
Pier’s helmet, which had been covering Simon’s face, rose up and reassembled itself into the visage of a skeleton, letting out a clanging shout.
The Summoned Skeletons and Corpse Spiders following behind surged past Simon and Prince, attacking the plant-type monsters ahead of them.
“Nice, Pier!”
In the meantime, the two of them slipped safely past the battle.
[How much farther?!]
Prince drove his fist forward, generating a shockwave as he spoke.
Simon kicked a monster aside and answered.
“About twenty percent of the way up.”
[Ugh! It’s endless!]
Just then, branches twisted together directly in front of them, and a white apple suddenly blossomed open from the tangle.
“Ah.”
Simon’s expression froze.
That fruit, which once bloomed only from the great branches at the canopy, could now be plucked directly from the trunk.
Proof that Pigaro was growing more familiar with the Saint’s power. He had to strike him down before he achieved complete mastery of the Saint’s strength and Sasha’s ability.
Pop.
Pop.
Small apples dropped straight down toward Simon and Prince, and both destroyed them mid-air with a sword strike and shockwave.
[Whoa!]
Prince’s expression shifted to alarm.
The instant the apple was destroyed by their attacks, a tall column of holy explosion erupted vertically.
One of Prince’s ears was torn away by the blast. A hole was blown clean through his chest.
“You alright?”
[Hell!]
Prince spat blood and staggered.
[How many zombies do you have left in your Subspace?]
“At least nine.”
[Then no problem!]
Prince suddenly rushed forward ahead of Simon and caught the falling white apples in his embrace. The holy explosion erupted immediately, and Prince’s body vanished without a trace.
With Prince gone, Simon quickly summoned the next zombie and pressed the ring on his left hand against it.
Crackle-crackle! Black lightning flashed, and Prince materialized once more.
[Dying sure is annoying!]
“……ha ha.”
He’d been running without pause, but he was only at thirty percent of the total distance now.
To reach the summit where Pigaro’s true body awaited, he’d need to cover three times what remained.
The road ahead was long, and his legs had begun to tremble uncontrollably.
Still.
‘I have to keep climbing.’
Simon clenched his teeth.
‘No other thoughts. Just climb to the end, no matter what.’
Simon continued his run while reaching back to activate the magic circle behind him.
At last, it was time to use this technique.
Emerald-hued smoke billowed out, and from the subspace on the other side, he drew forth a Golem Core and seized it in his hand.
The Golem Core and the emerald smoke merged, forming Dark Magic.
“Come forth.”
At last, the Blood Golem spell was complete, erupting skyward.
Simon stopped his stride and pulled twenty Summoned Skeletons from his colossal subspace. Teal-colored smoke coiled around them.
<Simon Original – Royal Guard>
Twenty Summoned Skeletons radiated teal brilliance as their cloaks billowed.
[That’s awesome! Those capes are so cool!]
Prince squealed with delight.
Simon’s breath came ragged as he narrowed his focus straight ahead.
White apples were raining down.
Thwack. Thud-thud.
The Royal Guard traced teal arcs as they shot forward like bullets, slashing with their blades.
The apples were cleaved apart, erupting in explosions, and Simon ran safely between them.
Swish! Swish! Swish!
The twenty skeletons used Dash to move unpredictably, like countless teal flashes orbiting Simon at the center.
They cut through apples, felled plant-type monsters, and even severed the whip-like branches that lashed toward him.
“Gahk!”
Then one Royal Guard caught the edge of an explosion. Simon, connected to them through Cloud, felt a searing agony shoot through him and stumbled.
[What are you doing!]
Snap!
Prince, rushing from behind, caught Simon’s falling hand by the narrowest margin.
[Get a grip!]
Then, with monstrous strength, he hurled Simon upward. Simon conjured Darkness again and clung to the trunk.
“Thanks, Prince!”
[Shut up and keep going!]
If he fell here, it was over. In his current state, climbing from the beginning all over again was impossible.
‘I have to catch Pigaro this time, no matter what.’
Crack!
Snap!
Two more Royal Guard were taken down.
‘Argh—!’
His entire body twisted, his organs wrenched. Since he’d created the Royal Guard from Cloud, the pain transmitted directly to the caster.
Simon barely endured it, eyes wide, watching as teal blades flashing from left and right cleaved the falling apples.
Eight Royal Guard remained.
“Uuuugh!”
His vision blurred. His head spun as burning agony flooded his entire frame.
But he ran. He kept running.
Pain like this he could bear without the Indolence curse.
Besides, his Darkness state wasn’t strong enough to spare the cost anyway.
[Stay sharp!]
Whenever he faltered, Prince would appear from behind and push his back.
Buoyed by the help, Simon found his footing again and ran on.
‘Forty percent now!’
Then Prince’s voice faded into the distance.
Simon glanced back to see Prince falling from the tree.
‘No!’
A branch had erupted from the trunk and snatched Prince’s ankle, flinging him into the air. He managed to grip the tree again midway, but Simon had no time to wait for him to catch up.
Simon pressed ahead. The Royal Guard had dwindled to six.
“Huff! Huff! Royal Guard, dismiss!”
The remaining skeletons froze in place, and Cloud shot upward into the air before descending back into Simon’s Magic Circle.
Simon wheezed, swinging the Sword of Ruin with whatever strength remained.
Now only he was left.
He swung the greatsword in a frenzy, splitting the White Apple apart. Then he planted his foot on the middle of the trunk.
‘Halfway there!’
Now.
Now he’d finally made it halfway.
His remaining Dark Element reserves sat at roughly 4%. He was forcing his core to overwork through Mana Breathing to generate more, but the core was overloaded and stuttering along.
One step.
Each footfall and each swing drained more Dark Element.
Remaining Dark Element in his body: 2%.
Still half the distance to go, and above him Pigaro was laughing.
His vision blurred.
His body whispered its limits.
For how far he’d come, he’d done enough.
If he couldn’t save Sasha, well—this time it couldn’t be helped.
She would understand he’d given his all.
His other comrades would forgive him for doing his best.
His best.
‘My best.’
The word settled like a weight in his mind.
Was this truly my best?
Have I poured out everything I’m capable of?
‘Not yet.’
He cleaved through a falling apple with the greatsword and drove his right foot forward.
Current progress: 50%. Half the distance to Sasha remained.
What it would take to climb that final half.
Breaking through the threshold of limits.
Transcending reason itself.
‘Pull it out.’
Everything.
To climb that final half.
The other half of myself.
‘Raaaaahhhhh!’
His Dark Element reserves hit exactly zero.
Power drained from his body like a lie,
and helplessness seized him entirely.
And yet.
He forced one more step forward.
‘I can…!’
Only one thing was needed.
‘Anything!’
Belief.
Absolute faith in myself.
‘I can do this!’
A roar tore from his throat that shattered the air!
Pigaro, watching from above, gasped in horror.
Simon’s eyes flooded with gold, and where his core had lain empty, a pure white radiance erupted forth.
The end was a new beginning.
In the place where Dark Element had converged toward zero,
now Holiness surged to fill it—100%.
“Haaaaaaah!”
Channeling Holiness through both feet, he broke into a run.
His right hand swung the greatsword while his left pressed against his own chest.
His entire body wrapped itself in blessings of different colors as Simon’s speed surged forward. He cast healing on his wounds even as he ran, laying hands on each fresh injury.
The euphoria was enough to drive him mad.
Simon felt his chest burst open with exhilaration and cried out.
“Come with me, Pier!”
[Kha-ha-ha-ha-ha-ha!]
Pier’s body, which enfolded Simon, too became engulfed in holiness, bathed in radiant light.
[Wait, you whelp!]
The Shadowless Cloak transformed into a dazzling white mantle of holiness, and in Pier’s left eye socket, a pure white flame flickered like a torch, blazing to life.
[You’ve truly lost your mind! How dare you mock the dead like this!!]
Becoming the very form of that holy undead—the one that had severed the Saint of Purification’s right arm.
Simon and Pier swung the Sword of Ruin in unison.
Shraaaaaaaang!
Apples and plant-form monsters were cleaved in a straight line.
[How can a mere Necromancer—!!]
Pigaro, who had thought himself victorious, screamed in desperation.
“Didn’t I tell you!!”
Simon stamped holiness into his right foot and shot forward like an arrow.
“Stay right there and don’t you move!”
—————
This chapter was translated by Lunox Novels. To support us and help keep this series going, visit our website: LunoxScans.com
—————