Necromancer Academy’s Genius Summoner - Chapter 570
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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 570
The dazzling radiance slowly faded.
Ice melted away, and a pale, biting chill settled over everything.
Whisper…
Pure white feathers scattered like snow through the air, swirling gently. One came to rest on Simon’s shoulder. Another brushed his eyelid before falling limply to the ground.
Simon stared at the feather on the floor, his gaze unfocused as he looked ahead.
The Dungeon Master who had driven the Ivory Tower to its destruction—as the ice of the Frozen Clock melted away, Serne’s body too seemed to drain of strength, collapsing to the ground.
And then.
The light was gone.
……
Only silence remained.
The white feathers that had been dancing faded like spring snow, the Binding Magical Circle that had held Simon’s arms dissolved, the Thought Channel was restored, and Pier’s voice echoed faintly in his mind once more.
Thud.
Simon’s legs gave out and he collapsed to the floor.
“…No. No, it can’t be.”
Simon’s lips trembled violently.
“No! No! No!”
Like a man possessed, he scrambled toward Serne’s fallen form and pulled her into his arms.
Her once-proud ivory-colored hair had lost its luster, her lips had turned blue, and her skin had withered like that of a mummy, thin and papery.
Rustle…
Serne’s hand rose to cradle Simon’s cheek. From her pallid lips came a voice stripped of all strength.
“…Please.”
With that heartbreaking smile as her last.
Her arm fell to the ground.
Simon bit his lip until blood came, his silent scream tearing through him.
‘You…!’
She, who had seemed to care for nothing but herself.
‘Why you…!’
Had sacrificed everything.
And in that everything were the lives of Merin and Simon himself. Holding her motionless against him, Simon’s bloodshot eyes burned with intensity.
For her sake—now was not the time for this. Simon looked toward the Frozen Clock.
The ice had nearly melted; about two-thirds of the mechanism was now exposed, but it remained still, as if the seal had not yet fully released.
[I understand your pain, but we must hurry!]
The voice of the Time Ghost came belatedly.
[Someone’s coming to the 100th Floor!]
‘!’
Simon quickly hid behind the Frozen Clock. The Time Ghost waved its hand, manifesting magic, tearing a piece of empty space and draping it over Simon like a blanket.
Thud… Thud…
Slow, heavy footsteps echoed through the 100th Floor.
Screech… Scrrrreeeech…
And the sound of something being dragged along the ground as well.
Concealed beneath the magical veil the Time Ghost had cast, Simon peered out cautiously.
‘…Bermud Aindark.’
Fresh blood still stained the Tower Master’s face a sickly red. In one hand, he was dragging across the floor a bloodied man.
Girdon.
Bermud stopped and gazed at the Frozen Clock, its seal not yet fully broken, and at Serne’s corpse lying cold upon the ground.
“…I told you to wait, yet at the last moment you wanted no one to see it.”
A heavy sigh escaped his lips.
“Difficult to control even at the end, it seems. But as you wished—I will spare at least Merin.”
Bang!
Bermud hurled the blood-soaked Girdon in front of the Frozen Clock, then raised a Communication Crystal to his ear.
“This is Bermud. What’s the status of the Kizen students?”
Static crackled.
-Sir! Guard Force Captain here! We’ve cornered Student Council President Simon Polentia on the 41st Floor! Even with one leg blown clean off, he keeps fleeing…!
“Pathetic.”
Bermud spoke with sharp irritation.
“One student, and you make such a spectacle. Blow off the other leg if you must. Leave him breathing, and he’ll stay put. Capture him in ten minutes—no exceptions.”
-Yes, sir! And we’ve also located Merida Hu Ikel! She’s fleeing on the 20th Floor!
“Take that one alive and unharmed. We cannot afford to make Phantasus Hu Ikel an enemy. She is the only leverage we have to keep him in line.”
-Understood, sir!
Click.
Bermud ended the Communication Crystal call and picked up a new one.
“Bermud here. Report on the status of Relocation Magic.”
-This is former Center Director Hesion! All preparations will be complete within ten minutes. We can send the Time Tower to Rocksum whenever you give the word.
“What’s the probability that teleportation will be disrupted by Kizen’s coordinate-jamming Barrier?”
-It’s an ancient magical technique. The probability of it being caught by modern Barrier formulas is zero percent.
“Understood. When I give the next order…….”
Cough! Cough!
Bermud’s eyes shifted. He could see Girdon, who had been leaning against the Frozen Clock, spitting up blood. Bermud regarded him with a gaze devoid of all emotion.
“Remarkably tenacious. Still alive, are you?”
From the mouth of the trembling man spewing blood came a sound like metal scraping against metal.
[Cough! Cough! Kizen……! You filthy Kizen……!]
“So you’ve finally lost your senses. Still spouting the same words? Girdon.”
Bermud reached out his hand, and in the blink of an eye, a Magical Circle unfurled.
“Your dark reputation will endure in the continent’s history. Didn’t I promise you? That I would make your dream come true—the destruction of Kizen.”
[Kizen……! Kizen……!]
“Farewell.”
Whoooosh!
A lance of molten lava erupted from the Magical Circle, piercing through Girdon’s abdomen and burrowing into the Frozen Clock beyond.
From what appeared to be a mere mechanical clock, blue blood began to seep out in streams.
“To time the Rampage with the tower’s relocation, I’ll need to prime it gradually.”
Bermud’s eyes gleamed.
“Awaken. Dungeon Master.”
Just as he was about to cast the next attack Magical Circle in succession—
Tick-tick-tick-tick!
Two eyes opened at the center of the Frozen Clock.
They were hollow, vacant eyes utterly devoid of emotion—the kind that sent shivers down the spine of anyone who saw them.
Tick-tick-tick-tick!
Three clock hands began spinning wildly. The Dungeon Master’s seal had finally been lifted.
“Activated by merely this much damage? More of a crybaby than I thought.”
Bermud murmured with a note of surprise, dismissed the Magical Circle, and picked up the Communication Crystal.
“This is Bermud. The Frozen Clock has been awakened as planned. Full Rampage will begin in three hours. Report the situation.”
Click.
-This is the 10th Floor Relocation Magic Restoration Center! All preparations for the Time Tower’s relocation are complete!
Click.
-This is the 20th Floor! We’ve captured Merida Hu Ikel!
Click.
-W-we’re on the 41st Floor! Simon Polentia……! H-he’s vanished!
Bermud’s brow furrowed.
“Vanished? You said you had him cornered, didn’t you?”
-That’s what we thought! But suddenly he disappeared, leaving only his School Uniform behind! All that’s left is a motionless zombie!
“Imbeciles. Never mind. The plan will begin soon anyway. Just grab Merida Hu Ikel and fall back…….”
Then Bermud’s eyes snapped wide open.
‘What?’
Tick-tick-tick-tick!
Tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick-tick!
The clock hands were spinning like something possessed.
He had anticipated three hours until full Rampage, but for the damage inflicted being so slight, signs of Rampage were already beginning to manifest.
Bermud hastily began constructing the formulae for Sealing Magic.
Whoooosh—
The body of the rampaging Frozen Clock began growing increasingly translucent.
“A proper introduction at last. Master of the Ivory Tower.”
Bermud’s pupils dilated as though they might burst from his skull.
The body of the Frozen Clock was being drawn into a green Greatsword. And from behind the clock, concealed until now, a blue-haired boy stepped into view.
“You’re……!”
“Sorry about that.”
The Frozen Clock was sucked completely into Simon’s Greatsword and vanished entirely. Golden light danced across his pupils.
“This dungeon is mine now.”
Simon clenched his fist.
Crackle-crackle-crackle-crackle!
The dungeon wall suddenly surged inward from both sides like a tidal wave, swallowing Bermud before he could do anything to stop it.
“You…! What are you—”
Even the tip of Bermud’s outstretched hand vanished, buried beneath the Ivory Tower’s bricks. Simon seized his clenched fist and yanked his arm sharply to the side.
Boom!
Bermud’s body was forcibly ejected from the Ivory Tower, and in the blink of an eye, the 100th Floor returned to its original form.
Simon breathed heavily, then placed his hand once more on the grip of the Sword of Ruin planted in the floor.
‘The 20th Floor, right.’
Simon squeezed his eyes shut and drew his concentration inward.
* * *
“Let me go!”
Merida thrashed violently, her arms bound by Dark Magic Shackles. The guard holding her scowled and shouted.
“If you don’t want to get hurt, walk quietly!”
The guards dragged her forward, gripping her arms. One of them glanced back.
‘…Astounding.’
Nearly twenty Time Tower guards lay sprawled on the ground, snoring softly.
He’d thought nothing of it—after all, they were just children, even if they were from Kizen—but he hadn’t expected them to be this formidable.
“I said let go!”
Merida, still struggling fiercely, drove the back of her head hard into the guard’s nose. He cried out and crumpled, and she bolted.
“You little brat!”
Whip!
A rope of mana lashed out from his staff, coiling around her legs. Merida couldn’t resist and fell hard to the ground.
“This kid’s driving me crazy. All right, let’s see who comes out on top.”
The guard approached with crazed eyes, blood streaming from his nose.
“What’ll it take to calm you down?”
He reached to grab her hair and haul her up—
Boom!
A section of wall suddenly jutted out like a pillar, slamming into the guard’s body.
“?!”
Crash!
Boom!
Wall segments erupted from above and below, striking every guard still standing. They all slammed into the opposite wall and lost consciousness.
“Huh?”
Merida blinked, her expression dazed.
As the casters lost awareness, the Dark Magic Shackles and rope binding her arms both dissolved.
Slide…
The wall that had risen sank back to its original position. She didn’t understand what was happening, but this was her chance to escape.
Merida got to her feet and ran.
* * *
Thump.
Simon collapsed to the ground.
Using the Dungeon Master’s power drained an enormous amount of mental energy.
‘…At least that put out the immediate fire, I hope.’
The Time Ghost drew closer.
[Well done.]
“Thanks for helping me stay hidden,” Simon replied.
But the moment he spoke, his expression hardened and his gaze dropped.
“Still, Serne…wait.”
Simon’s eyes suddenly widened.
Serne’s corpse, which had been lying on the ground, had vanished without a trace.
It should have been here—all that remained was Girdon’s body. Which meant—
“Looking for someone?”
A chill raced down Simon’s spine.
Stiffly, like a creaking puppet, he forced his head around to look behind him.
A girl with faded hair stood there, waving her hand casually. So startled was Simon that he scrambled backward on the ground, his heels scraping frantically.
“What’s with that reaction? You look like you’ve seen a ghost.”
She pouted, her lips jutting out. Simon’s trembling hand pointed at her.
“You… you… How are you alive?!”
“Funny, that.”
She squeezed her eyes shut and plucked a single feather from between her clothes.
Her withered skin returned to its natural state, and her faded grey hair bloomed once more into a rich wheat-gold, flowing in the light.
“I’m Serne. Do I look like someone who dies so easily?”
Simon turned his head, stupefied. The Time Ghost was laughing too—a look that said he’d known all along.
‘How is this possible? Surely to release an Absolute Seal, she would have had to—’
“The Absolute Seal. A decrepit old technique from three hundred years ago, cast by nothing more than an ordinary mage, not even a Necromancer.”
She flicked her fingers dismissively.
“The world has advanced so much. Why would I need to cast the exact same seal again? I used my own Black Ice Magic to reverse-engineer the formula and break the Absolute Seal. The Time Ghost here helped me with it.”
[Yes, that’s right!]
The Time Ghost nodded vigorously.
“You reverse-engineered and broke an Absolute Seal? That’s… even possible?”
Serne stopped walking and turned to face Simon with her hands clasped behind her back, smiling.
“You think my abilities don’t surpass a three-hundred-year-old spell?”
“Ha… ha.”
Simon let out a hollow laugh and flopped flat on his back.
He understood now—she must have been researching this spell ever since learning of the Absolute Seal’s existence, all for the sake of saving Merin. She really did know how to keep him dangling.
“I’m still touched, though.”
Serne made a show of wiping away tears from the corners of her eyes.
“I never thought you’d cry for me.”
“I wasn’t crying!!”
Simon shouted, his face flushed red. Serne watched his reaction and laughed aloud.
“There’s something amusing about teasing you, I have to say.”
“Why did you deceive me?”
“There’s an old saying: to fool your enemy, first fool your own side. I deceived Bermud as a bonus. Still, it did motivate you, didn’t it?”
Simon shook his head in disbelief.
“You’re honestly the strangest person I know, and—huh?”
Blood dripped from Serne’s nose, dark red and steady. Simon rushed to her in alarm.
“What—what’s wrong?”
“I never said I could undo it without a price.”
She laughed softly, almost to herself.
Serne’s body felt weightless, drained.
“There was a fifty percent chance the spell would fail and I’d die from Black Backflow. Everything I told you was true. I was saying goodbye, just in case.”
“You…”
She swayed and leaned her body toward Simon.
“It’s strange. I’ve never shown someone this kind of weakness before.”
“Don’t say strange things.”
Simon helped Serne sit down. She didn’t resist, instead letting herself lean into him.
“Alright, so what do we do now?”
“We’ve stopped Bermud’s plan, but now he’ll try to kill us both and silence us however he can.”
Serne winked with one eye.
“We’re being hunted by one of the continent’s strongest masters. He’s probably already climbing up from the first floor.”
“…!”
“If you want to live, you need to run to where Neftis is.”
Suddenly, the pressure of it all crashed down on him, stealing his breath.
Before, the ambush had worked because it was unexpected. But now Bermud would come at full strength, and the next time they met, he would show no mercy.
Simon was silent for a moment, thinking. Then he spoke.
“Then let’s use the Ivory Tower Master’s plan as it is.”
“How?”
“I have the Dungeon Master’s power now, so the Frozen Clock is no longer a threat. I’ll activate the Relocation Magic on the tower and move the entire Time Tower to an empty space in Rocksum.”
Everything had changed.
Now, to survive, they would have to move the tower to Rocksum themselves.
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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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