Necromancer Academy’s Genius Summoner - Chapter 378

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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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Summoning Genius at Necromancer School Episode 378
Before Simon, who had earned an ‘A+’ on the final practical assessment in Magical Combat, the next exam awaited.
The subject was Poison Magic, taught by Professor Byeol-Ya.
And the name of the final practical assessment for Poison Magic was “Comprehensive Evaluation of Deep Black Poison System and Resistance System.”
“This is really our first time, isn’t it?”
Outdoor Training Ground.
“You and me going head-to-head.”
Simon’s opponent was Dick.
Dick stretched out his arm and massaged his biceps with a show of strength.
“True enough.”
Simon placed his hands on his waist with an easy smile.
Though this final practical assessment for Poison Magic took the form of a one-on-one duel, it was less a relative evaluation than an absolute one.
The rules were simple: both students would infect each other with the Deep Black Poison System, and simultaneously activate the Resistance System to see who broke free from the poison first.
Of course, grades were determined not by win or loss, but by the detailed metrics of both the Deep Black Poison System and the Resistance System.
“Even if you’re my roommate, I won’t go easy!”
Dick called out as he completed his Magic Circle.
“That’s what I was about to say.”
Simon likewise spread a Magic Circle across his palm and took his stance. Just then, Byeol-Ya came walking toward them after observing the previous pair.
“Oho, our cutie’s turn now?”
Byeol-Ya flashed her pointed shark teeth and ruffled Simon’s hair playfully.
Dick seized on this at once.
“Hold on, please! Such behavior right before a duel is favoritism, isn’t it? I lodge a protest!”
“Ugh, you’re wound tight! Can’t a professor show affection for her student? You got a problem with that? Hmm?”
“Then do it for me too, please!”
And he boldly pointed to his own crown.
“Get lost, you pest.”
“Discrimination! I oppose this discrimination!”
Amused by Dick’s protest, Byeol-Ya laughed heartily.
The Senior Teaching Assistant, belatedly clutching an evaluation sheet to her chest, came rushing over.
“Professor! What are you doing now?”
Byeol-Ya quickly tried to look innocent.
“Hmm, nothing at all.”
“Students are sensitive when their grades are on the line—I’ve told you several times to be serious about this!”
The Senior Teaching Assistant rattled off her reprimand, and Byeol-Ya pouted while waving dismissively at her ear.
Simon watched the exchange with satisfaction.
Back during Claudia’s “boycott incident,” the Senior Teaching Assistant wouldn’t even meet Byeol-Ya’s eyes. But here at semester’s end, she seemed to have developed quite a backbone. Though it also seemed the two of them had grown closer.
“Get ready then.”
Byeol-Ya spoke in a flat tone, yet her voice carried the charisma befitting a Kizen professor.
Simon and Dick brought their joined hands to their chests.
“Alright, alright then—begin!”
Byeol-Ya snapped her fingers as the starting signal.

Both boys cast Poison Whip simultaneously and lashed out at each other. Simon’s Poison Whip was pale green, while Dick’s was a deep brown.
Crack!
The moment they were struck by the Poison Whips and infected, both dropped to the ground in a cross-legged position and began drawing up their Dark Element.
‘Focus……!’
Simon’s Poison Whip was nothing special, but his Immune System was something he felt confident about.
He activated Black Magic to convert the blood in the infected area to Blood Poison, and began analyzing the harmful substances that had entered his body.
‘Hmm.’
Simon’s eyebrow twitched as he reached toward the medicinal herbs in the Antidote Kit.
‘The composition is tricky.’
The protein particles were tangled in a mess, making analysis difficult. He needed to observe how the Blood Poison changed when the toxin entered and determine the detoxification approach, but he found himself confused about which reaction was which.
‘Impressive.’
Dick’s Poison Magic was more advanced than it appeared.
As Simon chewed the medicinal herbs to analyze the poison, Dick was grunting through his own detoxification process. He even cracked open an eye occasionally to check Simon’s condition.
‘His color’s improving already. Is this guy really human?’
Dick’s Immune System skill wasn’t particularly exceptional, but fortunately Simon’s Deep Black Poison System was textbook simple.
And so both boys grimaced as they worked through detoxifying the poison.
Whoosh!
Dick raised his hand first. The Senior Teaching Assistant checked the timer and noted the time.
“Yes, Dick Hayward, six minutes and twenty-eight seconds.”
“I won!”
Dick cheered and pumped his fist in triumph. Moments later, Simon lifted his arm.
“Simon Polentia, six minutes and thirty seconds.”
Simon offered a rueful smile. Dick wagged his index finger at him dismissively, as if to say he still had a long way to go.
“Analysis results.”
While the two boys detoxified their samples, other teaching assistants analyzed the poison residue scattered on the floor. Byeol-Ya compiled the findings and announced them aloud.
“Simon’s Resistance System is unquestionably the highest level among first-years. But his Deep Black Poison System is merely average. He lost considerable points there, but still—a B+. Well done.”
“Thank you!”
A B+ meant top-tier marks overall. Simon accepted the evaluation gratefully.
“And the little troublemaker—it’s the opposite for him. His Deep Black Poison System is at the highest level, but his Resistance System sense is comparatively poor.”
“P-poor?!”
Dick bristled.
“Even so, the way you twisted the components so they couldn’t be detoxified—that Deep Black Poison System of yours is genuinely impressive. You get an A.”
“Ohhhhh!”
It was Dick’s first A in the practical assessment.
An overwhelmingly superior score, excluding the Poison Magic specialists like Claudia.
Dick bowed deeply, repeatedly.
“Thank you, Professor! From today forward, I’m a Poison Magic student!”
“You little scoundrel, always flip-flopping!”
Byeol-Ya laughed heartily and kicked Dick’s shin. He yelped and hopped about clutching his leg, though his expression remained gleeful.
“Congratulations, Dick.”
Simon offered his own words of congratulation.
As Byeol-Ya and the other assistants moved on to evaluate the next set of students, Dick suddenly spoke up.
“Hey, should I really major in Poison Magic?”
“…You’re already almost done with first year and still haven’t decided on a major?”
“That’s the burden of being a master of all trades, I suppose.”
Dick pressed his fingertip to his forehead and shook his head ruefully, then abruptly stretched his hand toward Simon.
“Anyway, the Summoning Studies final practical assessment is this afternoon, right? Just you wait. I’ll beat you at your own specialty!”
Simon simply laughed.

* * *
Three hours later.
“Dick Hayward.”
Aaron, the Summoning Studies professor, held a copy of Dick’s thesis, his expression hardening.
“That was an impressive presentation.”
This was the Summoning Studies final practical assessment.
It was the thesis presentation session for Class A on “Magical Undead Creation and Thesis.”
Dick stood rigidly on the podium, visibly tense, and before him sat a single raven confined in a birdcage.
But Aaron’s expression was not favorable.
“Training an Undead Phantom Raven to replace the existing messenger bird system, is it…”
“Y-yes! Isn’t it incredible, Professor?”
Dick thrust both thumbs upward with exaggerated enthusiasm, but the moment he met Aaron’s eyes, he quickly snapped to attention.
“Demonstrate it.”
“Sir?”
Aaron casually tossed a bundle of papers that lay nearby toward Dick.
“Right here and now, prove that the Phantom Raven can perform the role of a messenger bird—at least to the far end of this classroom.”
“Ah, yes! That much is basic, sir!”
Dick opened the birdcage and withdrew the Phantom Raven. Though it was an undead creature, it resembled an ordinary raven in appearance.
Dick locked eyes with the raven for a moment, establishing a psychic connection, then dashed toward the far end of the classroom.
“Right then! Commencing now!”
Dick’s voice echoed from a distance.
“Fetch this bundle of papers back here!”
Dick’s command rang out.
But.
……
The Phantom Raven gave no response. It merely scratched at its feathers with its beak and scurried across the classroom floor.
“Come! Come back here, I said!”
The classroom erupted into laughter in an instant. Particularly when the Phantom Raven lifted its leg and deposited droppings all over the bundle of papers, the students doubled over in fits of hysterical laughter.
“That’s enough. Come back.”
Unable to watch any longer, Aaron called a halt. Dick retreated to the platform with his head bowed.
“If the author of the paper can’t even control the Phantom Raven, what’s the point?”
“I’m… I’m sorry.”
“There are more problems.”
As a Summoning Studies professor, Aaron methodically tore apart the paper’s flaws.
Individual Necromancers commanded steep market values—so which one would accept meager wages just to tend ravens in a birdcage and release them? When psychic connection frayed over long distances, the undead would have to rely on homing instinct, except that becoming undead muddled such biological drives. And then there was the matter of the absolute coordinate formula used in the summoning magic circle itself being fundamentally wrong.
“E-minus.”
Aaron’s tone was ice.
“That’s the highest mark I can give you. The only reason it’s not an F is because I value that imagination. That’s all.”
Dick slouched back to his seat in defeat. A handful of kindhearted students offered him scattered, gentle applause.
“Snort. Snort-snort.”
As he sat down, Merin clamped a hand over her mouth, fighting desperately to hold back her laughter.
“A Phantom Raven messenger service… snort! That’s absolutely genius… snort!”
“Please stop.”
Dick couldn’t bear the shame anymore.
Simon, sitting beside him, patted his shoulder soundlessly once or twice, then buried his face. He, too, was struggling to contain his laughter.
“…H-hang in there, Dick.”
Kamibarez clasped her hands together earnestly, offering what comfort she could. Dick made a show of wiping away tears, muttering that Kamibarez was the only one he could count on.
“Still, though.”
Knowing he’d be the butt of jokes for at least the next week, Dick hastily steered the conversation elsewhere.
“Why are there so many people here?”
This wasn’t even a formal thesis presentation—yet besides Class A students, there were second and third-year seniors. Adults, even. Teaching assistants dispatched by professors and researchers from Kizen headquarters were claiming seats throughout the room.
“Why do you think?”
Merin giggled, glancing at Simon.
“Next. Simon Polentia. Come forward.”
At Aaron’s words, the crowd began to murmur with anticipation.
In truth, apart from the Class A students presenting their own work, most of the people gathered here had been waiting all along for Simon’s presentation of “Herseba.”
“Go get them!”
“Simon! You’ve got this!”
Buoyed by his teammates’ cheers, Simon tucked his presentation materials and thesis under his arm and made his way forward. He handed Aaron a copy of the paper with a respectful bow, then turned to address the audience.
“Good morning, everyone. I’m Simon Polentia from Class A.”
Clap clap clap clap clap!!
An eager burst of applause erupted. The energy in the room was already electric.
“Then I’ll begin.”
Simon opened a subspace, and Herseba burst forth from it.
Murmur murmur murmur!
Instantly, order dissolved. Throughout the room, people sprang from their seats, craning to catch a glimpse of Herseba.
“Please, let’s stay seated!”
“Do you think you’re the only one with eyes?”
Even the dignified adults forgot themselves, leaping up in excitement.
[Hey, little one—what’s this about? I feel like an exhibit at a zoo.]
‘Just bear with it a moment.’
Bang!
The murmuring promptly died.
Aaron had struck the blackboard.
“I allowed you all to observe this class only because you pestered me so relentlessly. Cause one more disturbance to my student, and I’ll throw every last one of you out.”
At those words, the audience fell into an almost unbelievable silence.
Simon nodded lightly toward Aaron in gratitude, then turned his attention forward.
“I’ll begin now.”
Summoning Studies A-plus.
As a prospective student, this was the grade he had to have—the one he absolutely needed. Simon picked up the chalk with focused determination.

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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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