Chapter 16

Chapter 16

Spendthrift Necromancer (16)

Super RookieBreaking a world record.

Naturally, it wasn't easy.

Many super rookies had declared they would challenge one. But even among them, ninety-nine out of a hundred failed.

Because the people who had already set the records were super rookies just like them.

Something with a very high chance of failure.

And Kim Minwoo hadn't even announced a tame attempt at breaking a record like other super rookies.

Level 1 solo clear.

Even Isabella hadn't done it until reaching Level 49, and he was attempting it at Level 1?

Insane.

France, which had Isabella, was the first to laugh coldly.

Then Japan snickered.

China mocked him.

America clutched its stomach laughing.

At best he'd reach the midway point before fleeing in his underwear.

Common sense.

It was going to fail anyway.

Naturally, outside his home country Korea, not much attention gathered around him. People needed at least some expectation before they'd bother paying attention.

Why waste effort on something guaranteed to fail?

Only a tiny handful of overseas reporters had come to Korea.

Why?

So the instant he failed, they could immediately publish articles mocking Korea.

World record? Little brother of Japan, Korea still has a long way to go!

Foolish challenge! Come back after drinking more milk!

Things like that.

But…….―Holy shit……!―N-No way!

Impossible.

The impossible was unfolding right before their eyes.

Something like this had happened in Korea, a weak nation when it came to Awakened!

Naturally, the foreign reporters' phones began catching fire.

Thousands of messages poured in. Their stations, families, friends, even people from their neighborhoods.

The core of every question was the same.

Was this really happening?‘What, you think this is some hidden-camera prank?!’While the foreign reporters stood there with their mouths hanging open, the Korean reporters at the waiting area urgently rushed toward Kim Minwoo.

“Mr. Kim Minwoo! Mr. Kim Minwoo! Please answer some questions!”

“Hey! Move, asshole!”

“You move!”

Every reporter was desperate to obtain even a single line of interview.

Kim Minwoo's value was skyrocketing past the heavens and about to pierce outer space.

By tomorrow morning, the entire world would probably be in chaos.

“Ask one at a time. I'll answer.”

Kim Minwoo smiled.

“You've set a world record. How do you feel?”

“I'm a little dazed, and happy too. I got somewhat lucky. I found a hidden element, so the clear was easier than expected.”

“There was something like that in this tomb?”

“Think about what my class is.”

“Ah…….”

The reporters nodded as though convinced.

Since he was presumed to have a high-ranking Achievement, it wouldn't be strange if he'd discovered a hidden route in a tomb that helped with the clear.

“There are rumors that your Achievement Rank is S. Is that true?”

“Yes. It is.”

The reporters' eyes lit up.

Awakened with S-rank Achievements were called super rookies.

This was the moment Kim Minwoo was officially confirmed to be a super rookie.

Well…….

If it had only been A or B, setting a world record itself would've been impossible.

That was how enormous the gap between S and everything below it was.

Then…….

One of the foreign reporters raised his hand high.

“Uh…… Tanaka from Japan. So, in the end, you're saying you set the new record because you were lucky?”

His pronunciation was a little awkward, but the meaning was clear.

The surrounding reporters glared daggers at the Japanese journalist.

Just as the atmosphere began turning hostile.

Minwoo snorted.

“I don't know. Then I guess Ms. Isabella was simply less skilled than some lucky Level 1 guy?”

The Japanese reporter's eyes darted around after France was suddenly dragged into it.

Then he answered while sweating.

“Uh…… My Korean is poor, so I don't understand well. Th-That's all for my questions.”

The Korean reporters sneered in satisfaction as the Japanese journalist quietly sank into silence.

“You're probably all very curious. What kind of Achievement skill made the clear so easy?”

Naturally.

The only reason they hadn't dared ask outright was because Kim Minwoo's status had changed completely from before.

Previously, revealing a skill would've been little more than showmanship.

Now, if things went wrong, it could even become an issue of leaking classified information.

Exceptional Awakened were treated as strategic national assets.

“I'll satisfy some of that curiosity today.”

Minwoo spoke.

The moment he snapped his fingers…….[300 Skeletons are summoned!]

Murmur!

“Th-That's how many?”

“Looks like at least three hundred at a glance…….”

“It wasn't around 150 like the Sword Phoenix said?!”

Then the Skeletons efficiently equipped gear emerging from his ring.

The armed Skeletons lined up in neat ranks and files.

“Are all those Skeleton summons related to your S-rank skill?”

“Something like that.”

The reporters nodded as though they understood.

Skeletons might be weaker than adult men, but things changed when you gave them proper equipment and numbers.

This rich young master had spent over 200 million won outfitting each Skeleton soldier.

And wasn't Kim Minwoo a genius acknowledged by the Sword Immortal?

Large numbers of Skeleton soldiers.

A hidden route discovered in the tomb and exceptional swordsmanship.

Add Ilseong's support on top, and it became believable that he'd set a world record.

Only then did they understand how he'd managed to clear the Gate despite starting at Level 1.

Once he'd destroyed the first group, his level would've risen rapidly after that.

Even so, it remained an incredible feat. Obtaining an S-rank Skill Book itself already proved his ability.

Click!

Cameras began furiously photographing the solemn ranks of Skeleton soldiers.* * *Gulp, gulp!

Bang!

A tall can of beer slammed onto the table.

“Ugh, fuck.”

Seo Yerim savagely tore apart a strip of dried squid.

Chew, chew.

She poured heavily salted almonds into her mouth.

Crunch, crunch.

She pulverized them as though grinding them to dust.

“That fucking bastard! Like he's so damn good with a sword!”

People had desires.

But they also possessed the self-control to suppress those desires for the sake of a goal.

Dry chicken breast instead of delicious food.

One more spar instead of enjoyable entertainment.

Reviewing training instead of comfortable rest.

Seo Yerim had given up many things for the sword.

She'd poured more than half her life into it and earned the title Sword Phoenix.

Therefore.

That title could be called her life and her everything.

And all of it had been denied.

By that damn wastrel bastard.

Naturally, profanity burst out of her.

She got kicked off the livestream.

Humiliated herself spectacularly.

By tomorrow morning, there would probably be hundreds of articles mocking her.

That part was fine.

She could simply not look at the media.

What truly, truly infuriated her was.

The fact that deep down, she couldn't deny what Kim Minwoo had said.

As fucking irritating as it was, that bastard really was ridiculously good with a sword.

She had basically been hit by a brutally direct fact bomb.

And so…….

Is she really that good? Is she really that good? Is she really that good? Is she really that good? Is she really that good? Is she really that good? Is she really that good?

His voice replayed endlessly like a recording.

Under the catastrophic stress, all of her self-control collapsed in an instant.

Binge eating.

More binge eating.

Then…….―Whoa, insane!―He actually did it!―He cleared it! He cleared it!

Cheers erupted from the area where the instructors' rooms were.

In the dead of night, what were they so excited about?

Obvious.

An irritating face flashed through her mind.‘That fucking…….’With the rough strength of an A-rank Awakened, the tall can crumpled instantly.

Psssh!

Beer sprayed over her head like fireworks.

“Argh!”

Nothing is going right today!

She dried her hair with a towel and looked toward her smartphone.

Seo Yerim was currently in a state of zero restraint.

Now that the beer shower had cooled her head slightly, resisting the desire called curiosity was impossible.‘He really did it? That?’She hadn't declared it impossible merely out of jealousy.

She'd said it was impossible because it genuinely was.……

Then how the hell did he clear it?

“……

I'm just checking a little.”

How could an Awakened resist this?

Muttering an excuse to herself, she opened the news on her smartphone.[Breaking News! Kim Minwoo brings glory to Korea! World record broken!][Breaking News! 40 hours, 23 minutes, 32 seconds! The world's most talented Necromancer is born!]..

“……

Impossible.”40 hours.

Nearly eight hours faster than Isabella at Level 49.

What about public opinion, not just the news?

She hurriedly switched to NewTube.

Patriotism videos on NewTube had begun surpassing one million views within five minutes of upload.[K

-Awakened Kim Minwoo causes a massive incident! Why Isabella knelt before the might of the Necromancer and all of France fell into stunned silence!][Korea finally escaping its status as an Awakened weakling? K

-Awakened Kim Minwoo breaks a new record! Awakened worldwide shocked by his talent!][Kim Minwoo becomes Korea's star and hope! Why foreign media were left drooling in shock at his heroic achievement! Real-time footage included!]

They were channels she'd subscribed to because they frequently uploaded videos related to her grandfather.

Normally when videos this saturated with nationalism appeared, public opinion was split about half and half.

There were always parts even viewers thought went too far.

Even videos about her grandfather, the Sword Immortal, usually got around eighty percent support and twenty percent negativity.

But now…….

Likes: 999,832Dislikes: 1,773Korea was boiling.

The comments were the same.―Is this for real? lol Holy shit it is lolol Innkeeper! Inject patriotism straight to the lethal dose today!―Today the innkeeper can work herself to death and it's still legal lolol―40 hours is insane lol France kept talking all that shit and sank instantly lololol―Isabella bubble collapse lolol Now we know France's level lol Their number-one Awakened is that? lololol―Did you see him sink the Japanese reporter with one line? Kek lololol―This is iiiit~ This is Korea's spicy flavor, you bastards lolololThe heated reaction of ordinary people.

Even GateNet, the Awakened community.[Isn't Kim Minwoo a bubble?][Recommendations: 123,423]

Seo Yerim's eyes gleamed as she hurriedly opened the trending post.―Unbelie‘bubble,’ you bastards lolololㄴKek lolol Everyone who trashed Kim Minwoo got stunned lololㄴNo black cranes here who doubted Kim Minwoo, right? Kek lololSeo Yerim's brows furrowed hard at the sight.

Breaking a world record was definitely incredible.

Maybe it was natural that such a heated response followed.

But even so.

This was Kim Minwoo.

How could public opinion possibly be this positive?

Tap tap.

Tap-tap-tap.

Her fingers hammered her smartphone.[Why is public opinion like this right now?][Nick: ㅇㅇ](Drawing of an orangutan scratching its head)―I get that Kim Minwoo did something amazing, but is it really enough to go this far? Did everyone forget he's a wastrel? I don't think even the Sword Immortal got this kind of reaction;ㄴThat old man has already shown everything he can show, and Kim Minwoo is brand-new. Why compare them? lololㄴFor real lol. OP doesn't understand the point. The last super rookie Korea produced was 7 years ago lolㄴ……

So what?ㄴKorea's everyday life is having every decent Awakened stolen away while getting shoved around from every side lol And now Kim Minwoo shows up in that situation lolㄴBut he's a fucking wastrel. Didn't everyone hate him?ㄴI didn't. Did he commit a serious crime? Get a criminal record? No? Then who cares? lololㄴFor real lol. OP keeps trying to ruin a good day, sounds like a disguised anti.

Almost instantly, the post began getting bombarded with downvotes.[Dislikes: 3,733]

The post shot straight to eighth place on the worst ranking.

She looked at the worst-ranked posts.[1. Getting this excited over something this small really shows your level lol As expected of an Awakened weakling nation lolol][Dislikes: 101,231][2. Making a huge fuss over one super rookie when strong Awakened nations produce them like meals lololol][Dislikes: 78,745]..[8. Why is public opinion like this right now?][Dislikes: 3,842]..

“…….”

The dislikes had climbed by nearly another hundred in the meantime.

She felt like a one-eyed person in a world full of two-eyed people.

Her mood soured as the dislike count continued rising, and she exited GateNet.

Even then, the fever was only growing hotter.