Necromancer Academy’s Genius Summoner - Chapter 603

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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 of the Necromancer School, Chapter 603
A few days later.
At last, the practical assessment day for “Single Undead Operation” had arrived.
The gathering place for Summoning Department students was the Kizen Underground Dungeon, located within Rocksum.
Clatter, clatter—
Surrendering to the swaying carriage, Simon sat with a tired face, staring blankly. Around him, classmates chattered away noisily.
“The Kizen Underground Dungeon. Quite a famous place.”
Fitzgerald pushed his glasses up the bridge of his nose.
“It’s essentially a massive prison that holds countless monsters captured from across the continent.”
“Toto and I have been there before!”
Toto said this and looked at Simon.
“Right, Simon?”
“That’s right.”
It had been a long time.
The enormous cave visible through the window—a year ago, the 1st Year Class A had conducted their first practical assessment there, hunting Cyclops in groups.
“Simon, are you all right?”
Lorain, sitting across from him, asked with concern.
“You look pretty exhausted.”
“…Haha. I’m just a bit nervous, that’s all.”
Simon answered and turned his head away slightly.
‘I only slept for thirty minutes.’
Up to the final moment of completion—the intense, blood-soaked process of creation.
Creating undead meant walking through an endless series of variables. He felt like if he made one more undead with special materials, he wouldn’t have a life left.
‘Anyway.’
Simon clenched his fist with an energized expression.
‘I finished it.’
He was so eager to test it that his excitement made him fidget. During the entire carriage ride, he’d been imagining opening his Subspace and pulling out the newly created Dullahan.
Soon after, the carriage stopped and students disembarked one by one. The teaching assistants waiting at the dungeon entrance bowed respectfully.
“The professors are waiting for you.”
“We’ll proceed now.”
The moment they entered the dungeon’s entrance following the assistants, Simon felt stale air filling his lungs. The damp, humid space reeked of mold, and the cries of monsters echoed from afar.
The students gazed around, taking in the sights of the Underground Dungeon.
“My goal is to see the angel sleeping at the very bottom of this place before I graduate!”
On the way to the Test Arena, Eshu was saying such things.
Toto, standing beside her, picked up on it.
“…Ah, that school legend.”
“Believing that rumor is a matter of intellect, frankly.”
Fitzgerald added, pushing his glasses up.
“Angels don’t exist.”
“There’s a Saint, so there could be an angel too! But why do you keep hanging around our group, glasses guy? Go be with your own group!”
“…When I’m around Serne, my memory feels… fragmented.”
Having been caught off guard by Serne several times, Fitzgerald would occasionally visit Simon’s Group Ten. Apparently, being with both Simon and Toto gave him a sense of psychological stability.
Exchanging trivial banter like this, the Summoning Department students rode the Teleport Magic Circle within the dungeon multiple times, moving deeper inside.
The structure of the Teleport Magic Circles within the prison was exceedingly complex, and even students who tried to memorize the directions eventually gave up.
‘We’re going incredibly deep.’
They had come far deeper than when they were in their first year.
What on earth would happen in this place?
Simon straightened his school uniform necktie and steeled his resolve.
“Ah!”
“There are the professors!”
After a fairly long journey, they arrived at their destination.
A wide underground plaza came into view, and gathered there were all the professors of the Summoning Department.
Aaron, the department’s director and instructor of Intermediate Summoning; Grerion, who oversaw Summoning Material Studies; and even the twin professors Lin and Lun, who managed Funeral Magic.
Behind the professors, teaching assistants were standing by. Seeing them gathered all at once made it clear that the department had quite a large staff.
But this wasn’t all. Simon lifted his gaze to the upper level.
‘Those are Kizen Headquarters staff. And…’
“Even the elders are here.”
Lorain murmured. With a familiar eye, she gazed intently at the elderly men with age spots.
Eshu bounded over, pointing to the side.
“Miss Lorain! The ravens came too!”
“Looks like there are some wealthy folks over there. They’ve got like ten rings on each hand.”
For the first time since second year, this was a proper practical assessment, so everyone’s attention was concentrated.
It was a kind of showcase.
The students had an opportunity to display their abilities before the continent’s movers and shakers. It was obvious that each result like this would influence their future and career.
“Listen up.”
Aaron stepped forward.
All the students fell silent at once, their eyes fixed on him.
“Welcome to the Kizen Underground Dungeon. You’ve all prepared well for this first large-scale practical assessment, haven’t you?”
Yeeeees!
The students answered at full volume.
“I needn’t tell you how important this assessment is. Not only will I be grading your Intermediate Summoning, but Professors Grerion, Lin, and Rune will also be assigning scores in their respective subjects.”
The students swallowed hard.
Three major subjects all connected. This was no ordinary practical assessment.
“And regarding this assessment, I announced the requirement: Single Undead Operation.”
He swept his gaze across the students, then spoke abruptly.
“Coiter Fizzen.”
The surrounding area quieted. A moment later, one student realized his name had been called and shot his hand straight up.
“Y-yes, yes, I’m Coiter Fizzen!”
“Self-assessment.”
Aaron continued in an even tone.
“If I were to grade the four Undead you’ve prepared for this exam, what rank from F to A do you think would be appropriate?”
“……What?”
A heavy silence settled over the area.
Not only the other first-year students and professors, but the dignitaries and elders watching with interest from the second floor, the headquarters staff, and the upperclassmen—all eyes were on him.
Coiter, who had been sweating profusely, clenched his fists and shouted with bravado.
“O-of course it’s A-rank—”
sir!”

The last word cracked with a high-pitched squeak. Laughter rippled through various spots in the crowd.
Coiter’s face turned bright red as he answered.
“I’m really confident! I haven’t even slept properly preparing for this assessment! I’ve put my midterms on the back burner and went all-in on this……!”
“So you slacked off on your midterms.”
At Aaron’s blunt remark, Coiter’s face flushed even deeper.
“N-no! It’s not that I actually slacked off—that was just a figurative expression! I meant that I’ve put that much effort into this assessment!”
Oooooh—
A few students whistled playfully. Hector’s faction tittered amongst themselves, muttering “dense little fool.”
“Then that’s good.”
Aaron turned his head.
“Elarin Ruo.”
“Huh! Y-yes, yes yes! I’m Elarin Ruo!”
A female student’s hand shot up. Her fingers, trembling visibly as they peeked from her school uniform sleeves, showed signs of nervousness.
“Self-assessment.”
“Oh, I, um……!”
She glanced toward Coiter, who had answered first, then clenched her eyes shut and shouted.
“I’m also A-rank! I believe my Dullahan is in perfect condition to pass any test!”
Aaron then continued, pointing to students as his gaze fell upon them.
“Rauvel Bruenmus.”
“Eshu Argel.”
“Guinevere Vennas.”
Most of the students raised their hands and confidently called out A-rank.
Aaron’s tone was light, and above all, even the teaching assistants weren’t recording the grades the students were stating. Perhaps this was just a moment to ease tension before the exam and hear a simple declaration of resolve.
If so, then so be it. For a Necromancer, it was better to project confidence than to show fear.
At best, the few conscientious students who called out B-rank or those like Toto who hesitantly said C-rank were the lowest tier.
There was nothing below that.
“Hector Muir.”
Hector, whose name had been called, answered with an indifferent expression.
“There is no S-rank, is there?”
Ha-ha-ha-ha!
His faction laughed cheerfully and patted Hector on the back. Having secured a Guardian and created a Dullahan, Hector looked more confident than ever.
Hector’s lips curled upward as he stared at Simon, and at that moment Aaron spoke.
“Simon Polentia.”
Simon maintained his poker face and opened his mouth.
“I’d like to give myself the highest grade as well.”
“Very well.”
Aaron cut off Simon last and surveyed the students in a sweeping glance.
“Most of you mentioned ‘A-Class.’ If that’s the case, everyone here would be receiving top marks equally. Wouldn’t you agree?”
“…….”
A tense silence settled over the room.
“Confidence and ambition are admirable. But a Necromancer must remain cold-headed at all times. Before entering actual combat, a summoned creature’s performance can be predicted with sufficient accuracy. What materials were used? What formulas were employed in its creation? Were there any damages during the manufacturing process? Are any elements missing? Is its movement fluid? What’s the level of Dark Element manipulation?”
Aaron looked around at the students.
“A hunter must be knowledgeable about the weapons he wields, or he’ll go hungry. He needs to know how far an arrow travels so he can close to the proper distance and strike his prey. A Necromancer is the same. No matter how much passion goes into creating a summoned creature, you must measure its abilities coldly and objectively. Underestimating it wastes Dark Element and reduces efficiency. Overestimating it, however…”
Aaron added gravely.
“In the worst case, you could die in combat.”
“…….”
“I will be watching this exam to see whether you can assess your summoned creatures’ capabilities objectively and whether you can utilize them at full capacity.”
Aaron snapped his fingers.
The assistants activated the projection device they’d prepared, and a large Mana Screen unfolded in mid-air.
“I will now reveal the rules for this practical assessment.”
The Mana Screen displayed the interior of the Test Arena in the Underground Dungeon. Countless monsters swarmed within it.
“That is where you will take your examination.”
Simon’s eyes brightened as he saw the monsters teeming in the Test Arena.
There were no overwhelmingly powerful individuals among them. By danger level, they ranged from Grade 2 to Grade 3. Which meant—
‘This is a one-versus-many battle.’
In the first-year practical assessment, five students had faced a single powerful monster.
And now, as a second-year majoring in Summoning Studies—
each student had to face those monsters alone with just a single summoned creature.
“Your time limit is fifteen minutes maximum per person. Within those fifteen minutes, you must eliminate all the monsters in the Test Arena. According to the previously announced ‘Single Undead Operation’ rule, you can only use one summoned creature. You yourselves cannot enter the arena.”
The students had anticipated this much, so they nodded vigorously.
“That seems doable, doesn’t it?”
“Yeah! Yeah!”
“With a Dullahan’s firepower, that should be easy.”
A Dullahan was a creature that could exert tremendous power in a short span of time. Before the midterms, during a special lecture by Professor Lin and Rune, the students had even learned how to use Aura and perform Slash Attacks with a Dullahan.
Those who had attended the special lecture diligently seemed largely without fear.
“But a new rule applies here.”
At Aaron’s words, the students quickly turned their attention back.
“You—the students—will decide how many monsters you hunt in that room.”
The students began to murmur excitedly.
‘I decide the number of monsters?’
The students had been thinking of it as a ‘Time Attack’ rule, where they would be evaluated on how quickly they could defeat an equal number of monsters.
But now something subtly different had been introduced.
“Don’t overthink it.”
Aaron continued his explanation.
“Before the exam begins, you’ll tell the Dungeon Master how many monsters you wish to hunt. The Dungeon Master will then release that many monsters of random types into the Test Arena. You will hunt all of them with a single undead creature, and you’ll receive points based on how many you defeat.”
The screen was displaying an example scene, showing a Skeleton Archer controlled by an assistant hunting monsters.
The Skeleton Archer, with practiced efficiency, shot and eliminated monsters one by one, destroying twenty monsters within the fifteen-minute time limit.
“In this case, that test subject destroyed twenty monsters within the time limit, earning twenty points.”
The students slowly nodded at the straightforward rule.
“Doesn’t seem too difficult?”
“Right?”
The Mana Screen’s scene changed.
A ‘Skeleton Knight’ clad in heavy armor was chasing after monsters, but the weight of the armor made it slow. The fifteen-minute time limit expired, and in the end, it missed one monster.
“This test subject declared he would capture thirty monsters but failed to catch one.”
Simon’s eyes narrowed slightly.
‘So that would be twenty-nine points, with a one-point deduction…’
“In this case.”
Aaron spoke heavily.
“Zero points.”
Murmur, murmur, murmur!
The students’ faces went pale as they began to whisper urgently.
“Zero points just for missing one?”
“This… this isn’t quite right, is it?”
Aaron clapped his hands once, quieting the students.
“What reason could you have to complain? You’re the ones deciding the number of monsters.”
“……!”
The noise in the hall died at once.
“If you want to avoid such misfortune, then evaluate your summons and call out an ‘appropriate number.’ Call too few, and you won’t be able to overcome competitors who’ve chosen higher numbers. But call too high, and you’ll pay the price of recklessness and arrogance. That’s all there is to it.”
Aaron’s lips curved upward.
“I noticed many of you called out ‘A-Class’ earlier. I’m curious to see how boldly you can make decisions when actual risk is on the line.”
And so.
The cruel field exam for Summoning Studies began in earnest.

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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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