Necromancer Academy’s Genius Summoner - Chapter 42

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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 Necromancer’s School of Summoning Prodigy — Chapter 42
After the morning and afternoon teams completed their Practical Evaluations, all of Class A gathered in the Beginner Black Magic Classroom.
“Everyone, thank you for your hard work today.”
Jane spoke.
“Setting aside results and scores, I’m satisfied that Class A conducted the field evaluation without incident. That matters to me as your instructor.”
“Thank you, Professor!”
Finally released from the pressure, the students cried out with renewed energy.
“But at Keyzen, results are what count.”
…….
Jane had a gift for building an emotional moment, then dousing it with cold water as if it were obvious. By now the students were used to it; they exchanged knowing smiles and waited to hear what came next.
“I’ll evaluate Team 1 first. Team 1, come forward.”
Simon sat calmly and listened to the other teams’ evaluations without expression.
What struck him most was Jane herself—she dissected each team’s strengths and weaknesses with uncanny precision, even offering concrete improvements. So logical and analytical was her assessment that even people unfamiliar with a team found themselves nodding along, as if they’d known it all along.
And then.
“Karel and Yona.”
“Yes!”
“Shake hands.”
……What was this about shaking hands all of a sudden?
The two exchanged bewildered glances until the assistant instructor nudged them with a meaningful look. They complied.
“You didn’t undermine your teamwork in any amateur fashion, but if there’s any lingering hurt between you, it’s better to clear it up quickly.”
“……!”
“Next team, come forward.”
Jane saw through not just performance but relationships and psychology too. It was almost eerie.
What Simon found surprising was how many teams had actually succeeded in hunting Cyclops.
In the initial simulation, only slightly over 40 percent of teams had succeeded, but in the actual evaluation, thirteen out of sixteen teams managed to hunt down a Cyclops.
Even accounting for differences in practice time, it showed the students’ raw strength under real conditions. It was a moment that revealed the true caliber of Keyzen’s students.
And when that many teams succeeded, the emphasis shifted from whether they’d caught the Cyclops to how many points they’d earned.
“Team 3’s final score is A+. Well done.”
Hector’s Team 3 was overwhelming. Cheers, applause, and envious glances came from all corners.
“Team 3 has almost nothing to fault.”
Combat Team Member Hector’s exceptional combat ability and leadership. Clear role assignment and teamwork among all members. A hunting time that broke the three-minute barrier—unprecedented. And even a stability margin that left the Barrier Gauge at over 90 percent.
It was no exaggeration to call them the representative team of Class A.
“Each of you shows promise for tremendous growth. Thank you for your effort.”
“Thank you!”
The other strong contender was Cindy’s Team 5.
Their hunting time was comparable to Team 3, but Cindy being an all-in strategy became a liability. Their teamwork and stability scores were slashed significantly.
And.
“Team 7, come forward.”
At last, the problematic Team 7 was called before Jane.
Though Team 3 had posted impressive results, Simon’s Team 7 had actually generated the biggest sensation.
They’d put on such dominant performances that everyone had erupted into frenzy.
“Team 7 is…….”
She rustled the grading sheet in her hands. The room fell silent as a tomb.
“Abysmal.”
Thud.
Simon’s heart sank. Merlin squeezed her eyes shut, and Kamibarez’s lips trembled.
“Hunting time of thirteen minutes fifty-eight seconds. Combat Team Member’s Barrier Gauge in single digits at 7 percent. And tactics with not a single element matching your original plan—nothing but careless, improvised action.”
She lowered the papers, regarding Team 7 with an expressionless gaze.
“Is there anything else you want to say?”
…….
With such concrete numbers presented, there was nothing left to argue.
All four fell silent, and Jane spoke.
“Team 7’s evaluation score is D.”
Scores below F go to teams that failed to hunt a Cyclops. For a team that had actually caught one, this was effectively the lowest grade.
As the four began to shuffle back to their seats in dejection.
“However.”
The assistant instructor handed Jane a new document. Jane placed it over the grading sheet and spoke.
“That evaluation would be without this information factored in.”
“……?”
Team 7’s members froze in place, utterly bewildered.
“Upon autopsy of the Cyclops that Team 7 hunted, we discovered traces of abnormal side effects caused by the Curse and drugs used at the time of capture.”
Of course, the autopsy results contained certain “highly suspicious information,” but that had been classified as Keyzen Level 2 Classified.
This was all that could be shared with the students.
“The Cyclops displayed extreme aggression, and the moment the Curse broke, it went berserk with its physical abilities dramatically enhanced. The upper administration has determined that the difficulty of this test was markedly different from the Cyclops hunted by the other teams.”
The Keyzen upper administration! Murmurs rippled through the classroom.
Jane waved the report bearing the official seal of Keyzen Headquarters in front of the students and spoke.
“Based on a comprehensive assessment of the Cyclops’s aggression, brute strength, and Curse resistance, Team 7 will receive revised scores under the premise that they hunted a higher-tier monster—a Red Cyclops. It does seem only fair.”
Jane’s gaze turned toward Hector.
“Don’t you think?”
…….
Hector’s expression hardened into stone.
If the Keyzen upper administration had made the judgment, it was not a matter for the students to dispute. Of course, it was equally true that all of Class A had harbored the same doubt about the Cyclops that Simon faced.
That Team 7’s Cyclops alone had simply been too strong.
“I will announce the corrected scores.”
Jane began reading from her materials.
“Merlin.”
Merlin answered with a startled gasp.
“Yes, Professor.”
“With Dark Element Magic that far exceeds the average of Keyzen first-year students, you performed the most critical role in protecting your combat team members. I award you 80 points.”
Ohhh!
Gasps of amazement erupted throughout the room.
Given that Hector, currently the highest scorer, had 90 points out of 100 and she was a Selected Team Member without the bonus points, Merlin’s 80 was a strong performance indeed.
Merlin trembled with emotion, and Kamibarez embraced her in congratulation.
“Though your reckless training and lapse in self-management clearly resulted in injury—an undeniable mistake.”
Jane’s gaze shifted to Merlin’s leg, wrapped tightly in bandages.
“Your fighting spirit despite the injury was impressive.”
Merlin couldn’t answer at once and her shoulders trembled faintly. She had been the team member who suffered the most emotional strain throughout.
“Next, Dick Heyward.”
“Yes!”
“You utilized high-performance Black Enchantment strategically and effectively, playing a smooth, facilitating role in Team 7’s Cyclops strategy. I award you 80 points as well.”
Exclamations burst forth once more. Dick threw both hands up in triumph and cheered.
“Kamibarez.”
“Ah, yes!”
“As an aspiring Hematology student, you executed the core damage-dealer role of Team 7’s offense properly.”
Jane smiled warmly.
“Even among Necromancers working in the field, Excessive Bleeding Magic at that level is rarely seen. I award you 85 points.”
“Ah……!”
Waves of emotion surged through her, and Kamibarez’s eyes grew moist.
“Kami!”
“Yes!”
Merlin and Dick embraced her tightly, repeating “Well done!”
“Finally, Simon.”
Silence fell over the classroom in an instant.
Hector’s face, which had been tensely watching Team 7’s advance, drained of all color. He shifted slightly in his seat.
“As a Combat Team Member, you fulfilled your role. You supported your teammates through unexpected variables, bought time by evading the Cyclops’s attacks yourself, deployed your Summoning with dramatic effect to wound the monster’s body and satisfy the prerequisites for massive bleeding, and your application of the Restoration Technique was likewise impressive. In the end, you cut off the Cyclops’s breath yourself.”
She exhaled lightly after reading the evaluation sheet, then opened her mouth.
“……It was perfect. I award you 100 points.”
100 points!
An explosive roar of acclaim shook the classroom.
Even the other Class A students could not deny Simon’s performance. The exploits of Team 7 had been too great a stimulus for everyone.
Thus Team 7’s overall evaluation score reached the highest grade: A+.
The score jumped several tiers upward, putting them level with Team 3, the strongest in Class A.
And then.
“It’s unfortunate that there are no grades above A+.”
With these words from Jane, the fact that Team 7 was the highest in Class A was confirmed, driving the point home completely.
Hector closed his eyes tightly and sank deep into his chair.
“Hector…….”
“Don’t talk to me. Not before I tear your mouth off.”
Team 3’s members had no choice but to keep silent and watch Hector’s mood carefully.

* * *
“To A+!”
“Cheers!”
Beer glasses clinked together, and laughter erupted in a cheerful din. Against the darkening evening sky, a campfire crackled in front of a small cabin.
Simon, Dick, Merlin, and Kamibarez sat in a circle around it, while appetizing skewered meat sizzled over the flames, oil dripping steadily as it cooked.
“Ahhhh, this Practical Evaluation was basically Dick carrying us the whole way!”
Dick’s face flushed as he laughed and spoke.
“Without me, you all wouldn’t have even scratched that Cyclops! Right? You’ve got to admit that, don’t you?”
“Here he goes again.”
Merlin rolled her eyes at him, her tone cutting—though a smile lingered at the corners of her mouth, lacking its usual sharp edge.
“If even one person hadn’t done their job, we would’ve lost anyway, idiot. Besides, if you think about it, you did the least! All you did was scatter weapons around!”
“What! That’s completely unfair! Are you really allowed to trash-talk the carry player like that?”
“Ugh, go away! You reek of beer!”
“Huh? Is it really me? I’ve only had one glass.”
Dick cupped his hand and blew into it, sniffing to check. Merlin made a face and shook her head dismissively.
Meanwhile, Kamibarez stared intently at the beer glass she held in both hands, her expression deadly serious.
“If you don’t like it, you don’t have to drink it.”
Simon said with a smile.
“Oh, no! It’s not that… It’s just my first time with alcohol, so I’m a little nervous about it…”
“It’s fine! Kame, it’s totally fine!”
Dick waved his hands enthusiastically.
“Keyzen students are free to do whatever as long as they take responsibility for their actions! Besides, it’s not like it’s just us here—we have a ‘guardian’ present, right? This is a legal gathering! Legal!”
Kamibarez, who had been staring at the overly excited Dick, cautiously turned to Simon with a question.
“If I drink this, will I end up like Dick?”
Simon couldn’t help it—he burst out laughing.
Merlin across from him was nearly convulsing with laughter. Dick’s expression crumpled.
“Kame, you too…”
Just as Dick was trying to recover the mood with slurred words, someone emerged from the cabin.
“Here, have some of this too!”
It was none other than Professor Hong Peng, who taught Matou Studies.
She set a pot on the stand in front of the campfire. Steam rose gently from the Meat Soup inside.
“Awwww!”
Everyone rushed toward the pot, drawn by the delicious aroma. Hong Peng ladled out a bowl for each of her students and handed them over.
“Thank you for the meal!”
It was Hong Peng who had invited them all to the cabin. She’d heard that Simon had earned the highest score this time and, wanting to celebrate, had invited his team members. The skewered meat and Meat Soup sizzling over the fire were all made from game she’d hunted herself.
Simon took a spoonful of the soup and tasted it.
‘…Wow, it’s delicious!’
He’d never experienced a flavor like this before. His jaw practically dropped. It was pure and natural without any added spices, yet somehow the depth of flavor was extraordinary.
“Amazing!”
“Professor, you’re the best!”
“Hehe! Eat as much as you like!”
Hong Peng took a seat.
Normally, gatherings like this among Keyzen students would be unthinkable, but because she had provided the venue and taken responsibility as their guardian, they could enjoy this time together.
Dick quickly poured a glass of beer from the oak barrel and handed it to her.
“Thank you, Dick.”
“Wow! So this is what it’s like to receive an invitation from a Keyzen professor! As expected…”
Dick looked at Simon with a meaningful grin.
“Professor Hong Peng, you’re subtly playing favorites with Simon, aren’t you…?”
Merlin, who had been eating her soup, suddenly looked up.
“Hey, Dick!”
“That’s right.”
Hong Peng laughed lightly and admitted it. Everyone paused and turned to look at her.
“We’re all human too, after all. There are students I like, and students I don’t like. Isn’t that natural?”
“…Ahaha! Now that you mention it, that makes sense! Cheers!”
Dick quickly called out for a toast.
Simon felt embarrassed and clinked his glass with a flushed face. Hong Peng chuckled warmly.
“I’m kidding. I’m proud of and love all my students!”
Even as she said this, Hong Peng affectionately ruffled Simon’s hair.
Dick and Merlin’s envious gazes fixed on Simon, while Kamibarez looked back and forth between him and Hong Peng before quickly ducking her head.
“The protection period for students these days will end, and things will get harder. But that doesn’t mean the Keyzen instructors dislike you all. Just hold on a little longer, yes? You understand?”
“Yes! I understand!”
Hong Peng, encountered outside the classroom, carried none of the professorial authority one might expect from a Keyzen instructor. She treated everyone with such warmth and ease that she felt like a kind, approachable neighbor.
Thanks to her manner, the group quickly settled into the relaxed rhythm of the gathering.
“Next week.”
As the mood grew livelier, Hong Peng stretched out her legs and spoke.
Dick leaned forward eagerly, as if hanging on her every word.
“Yes, Professor! We’re listening!”
“Next week, you’ll finally be heading out on your first Mission.”

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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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