The Regressed Necromancer Prepares for the Apocalypse - Chapter 17

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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 Returned Necromancer Prepares for the End – Episode 17

“You seem to have considerable experience. Though I don’t recall seeing your face around these parts before……?”

Hong Jin Gu finally spoke.
His colleagues were collapsing one after another before his eyes, yet he showed no sign of alarm—and considering the faint but distinct presence of Mana Detection he was sensing…….

‘My senses are growing sharper. To feel a Player’s Mana outside the Arena, even during the Tutorial Season……’

Though extraordinarily faint, if Mana could be sensed at all, this man was no Rank F Player. At minimum, he’d reach Rank D.
Player Ranks existed from F to S.
Among them, Rank F encompassed Levels 1-10, Rank E covered Levels 11-30, and Rank D spanned Levels 31-50.
In other words, Player Hong Jin Gu was either close to Do Jin’s current Level 32, or else possessed a level gap of at least twenty.

‘Even if he’s Rank C, I wouldn’t find him particularly impressive.’

The Tutorial Season hadn’t ended yet, so Players couldn’t freely wield Mana and Skills in reality.
But Do Jin possessed an exceptionally acute sensitivity to Mana Detection, allowing him to faintly perceive the Mana of the Player standing before him in the physical world.

“Why stare so intently? It seems you’ve already caught on, haven’t you?”

Do Jin deliberately curled one corner of his mouth upward.
Seeing the expression on Do Jin’s face—an unmistakable sneer—Hong Jin Gu’s eyes, which had been wearing an affable smile, turned noticeably colder.

“……You want to try? A nobody whose face isn’t even known?”

The exchange between Do Jin and Hong Jin Gu would have been incomprehensible to anyone unfamiliar with the Underworld of Players.
Doubly so for someone who’d only awakened as a Player mere days ago.
But Do Jin was well-versed in this realm.
When the main scenario began, all social order collapsed, and every dark, ugly facet of Players was laid bare for the world to see.
Above all, he’d learned much from Hae Won Yi, who had actually been conscripted into a criminal Players’ guild.

‘Criminal-origin Players are already exploiting the Arena for their crimes.’

No—they cared far more about something else entirely.

‘A space where no one could ever discover their criminal acts.’

Criminals whose profession was harming others—be it wealth or life—never shed their nature upon awakening as Players.
Rather, they became more cunning.
For them, leveraging Player power for violence and murder became life’s very purpose.
And since streaming broadcasts were entirely voluntary, those who refrained transformed the Arena into a space for Players alone.
It became the perfect blind spot—beyond the reach of any law, any surveillance.

“…….”

Naturally, this remained secret from the outside world.
Only criminal-origin Players knew how to exploit the Arena as a venue for crime.
Whether stashing contraband or drugs by exploiting Quest time limits, or ignoring the Arena’s designated targets to fight among themselves—
Since Players suffered no death or permanent injury within the Arena, such uses grew ever bolder and more brazen.
In short, what Do Jin was now doing—challenging Hong Jin Gu—meant……?

“Log into the Arena right now?”
“There’s one nearby. A small one people don’t usually visit.”

He was saying they’d settle it by force. Whoever lost as a Player would withdraw without protest.

“……Ha!”

Hong Jin Gu’s brow furrowed.
The face seemed familiar, as though he’d seen it somewhere before. But the fact that he couldn’t place it immediately meant the man wasn’t anyone famous in the Underworld.

‘A nobody like that dares to come at me?’

Do Jin’s earlier Rank assessment of Hong Jin Gu had been accurate. Hong Jin Gu was a top-tier D-Rank earth-attribute mage Player.
While he lacked confidence in close combat, his fighting method—summoning massive stone walls compressed from boulders to hunt monsters indiscriminately—had earned him a certain reputation.

‘I’ve got the new Armor I bought recently underneath. I can log into the Arena anytime.’

Having run through his mental calculations, Hong Jin Gu decided to accept Do Jin’s provocation readily.

“I like your fire, young friend. Shall we head over right now?”

And so Do Jin and Hong Jin Gu walked side by side toward the nearby Arena.
Of course, all the thugs who’d received their beating from Do Jin had already departed from Hae Won Yi’s home.
Left alone in the now-empty house, Hae Won Yi stood uncertainly and barely poked her head out from her room.

* * *

“It’s conveniently close,” Do Jin remarked.

His words proved accurate. The Arena was indeed located near Tal-dong Village where Hae Won Yi lived.
They arrived after barely a five-minute walk.

“This place doesn’t attract many other Players. The rewards are stingy despite the decent Rank.”

Since Players’ attention was focused entirely on Mana Stone and Gold acquisition, the popular Arenas were almost uniformly those offering good Mana Stone or Gold rewards.
Occasionally an Arena did offer valuable items as Quest rewards, but such places were rare.
Consequently, Arenas offering unprofitable rewards—for instance, experience points—were hardly frequented by Players at all.

“So abandoned Arenas find their use this way,” Do Jin observed.
“Exactly right,” came the reply.

But the voice responding to Do Jin’s remark wasn’t Hong Jin Gu’s. Do Jin’s gaze shifted.

“About time you showed up.”

Following Hong Jin Gu’s drawling voice came other voices chiming in with sneering laughter.

“Rushed over the second we got the call, boss!”
“So this is the bastard? The one who’s been running his mouth in our territory?”
“Looks like some soft young thing who’s lost his fear, doesn’t he~.”
…….

Do Jin showed no particular reaction. He merely observed the unfolding scene with quiet deliberation.

‘He’s called in his crew.’
“I’m sure you’re not about to start lecturing me about fair play and all that tedious nonsense. Everyone simply does their best within their own limits, don’t they?”

Hong Jin Gu quietly edged away from Do Jin’s side and promptly rejoined his group.

“Since you seem curious, shall I make a quick introduction?” Hong Jin Gu asked.

He pulled a small ring from his pocket and slipped it onto his finger—a thin jade ring set with a tiny piece of jade.

‘So the ring is the item, not a staff,’ Do Jin noted mentally.

Hong Jin Gu moved his ring-adorned hand, gesturing to his companions.

“One D-Rank Tank, an E-Rank top-tier Assassin, and a D-Rank Hunter.”

Then Hong Jin Gu grinned, his eyes sweeping over Do Jin with unmistakable contempt.

“Will you slink away quietly, or keep throwing your weight around?”
“Hah.”

But Do Jin’s laughter shattered the arrogant atmosphere those thugs had cultivated.
That single, bitter laugh was enough.

“I’m logging in first. Follow if you dare.”

He turned and walked toward the Arena entrance without another glance.
As Hong Jin Gu and his crew stood frozen, Do Jin’s voice drove into them like a spike.

“Pathetic.”
“……!”

At this point, they couldn’t back down. No — not after hearing themselves insulted like that. It was impossible.
If they walked away now, if word of this even whispered through the Underworld, they’d be branded cowards. Worse than cowards.

“……Hey! Wait up!!!”

The instant Do Jin’s foot crossed the threshold, light rippled across the Arena entrance like a curtain. The Mana of the portal was responding.

Arena D-Rank Login
Player — Do Jin

“…….”

He’d planned to head straight to the Underground Arena after this.
Instead, he’d logged into the regular Arena again — unforeseen.

“I’ll have to hit the Underground in the afternoon.”

At least the Arena was D-Rank, so he could still access it.

‘If it’d been E-Rank or F-Rank, I couldn’t log in at all now that I’m D-Rank.’

The Arena’s landscape was a vast interior stadium, just like before.
But there was one difference from his previous login.
The ground wasn’t level — it was tilted, canted at an angle.
Like standing on a steep mountainside.

“……Interesting.”

Do Jin surveyed the terrain with sharp interest, then decided to test a skill. It was one he’d been meaning to try anyway.

“……Oh, that works.”

Seconds later.

“……Cocky bastard!”

Hong Jin Gu and his three lackeys streamed through after him.
Unlike Do Jin, who’d logged in still dressed in a business suit, all four of them materialized fully armed and armored.

“What’s this? Did you take forever getting dressed up in all that armor?”
“Shut it!!!”

Rank: D
Login Limit: 30 Players / Level 50 and below
Clear Objective: Destroy 300 rockslides within 30 minutes (First 3 to complete)
Reward: Mysterious Powder 30g (Garlic Scent)

Rumble! Crackle-crackle!!!
The moment the quest window vanished, a thunderous roar erupted from above the tilted ground.

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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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