Chapter 35

Chapter 35

Spendthrift Necromancer (35)

Buying (1)

As he emerged from the midway zone, a familiar scene greeted him.

The inside of his room.‘Warm.’It was hard to believe that just moments ago he'd been battered by freezing winter winds.‘They'll hold out fine.’He thought of the Orcs, Dwarves, and Elves.

He recalled the final order he'd given them. He would be gone for three days, so they were simply to behave as usual.

Nothing difficult about that.‘Time to get moving.’There were many things he needed to obtain during this trip outside.

He pulled out his smartphone and made a call.

“Father. It's me.”―Did you clear the Gate?!

“No. I just used the midway zone for a bit. There are a lot of things I need to buy, and I'd like you to obtain them for me. I'll reimburse whatever it costs.”―What do you need?

“Food.”―How much?

“More than you can imagine. The type doesn't matter, so sweep up everything. Prioritize things available in bulk and that are filling.”―Very well. But do you have anything to carry it in? One Spatial Ring won't be enough.

“I'll borrow some spares from the company. Nine high-grade ones.”

High-grade Spatial Rings were almost never listed for sale.

So borrowing them was better.

Apparently realizing the rough scale of the food Minwoo intended to carry, the chairman fell silent for a moment.―……

The midway zone gives you three days, right?

“Yes.”―Understood. Your father will see what he can do. Anything else?

“Bones.”―……

Bones?

“Yes. Put out a purchase notice. We're buying every Hexar skull, Iron Knight rib cage, Cockatrice leg bone, Long-Armed Gorilla arm bone, Mutonka spinal bone, and Elephant Man pelvic bone available. Offer 5

00,000 won per part. If the company buys them, I'll reimburse the full amount.”

The monsters he'd just named all had one thing in common.

Every one of them was around Level 200.

And each was famous for having especially outstanding bones in the specified body part.

At 500,000 won per part, it was too much money to simply kill them and leave the bones behind.

People would spend a little extra time digging them out.

One Gate run could easily yield around fifty.

That made 25

million

won.

A nice bit of guaranteed income for one C-rank Gate run.

He planned to use the bones purchased this way to replace parts on his Skeletons.‘Doesn't matter which part.’Their capacity meant they could only replace around one body part anyway.

For his current Skeletons, replacing one part with the bone of a monster around Level 200 was probably optimal.―……

Everyone and their mother will start digging out bones. Can you handle that?

“I'm only buying them for a fixed period. Around two weeks should be enough.”

He'd gather a certain amount before reentering and strengthen the Skeletons somewhat.

Then after returning, he'd replace whatever bones he couldn't handle beforehand.

If there were extras, he could store them until their capacity rose and replace more later.―Is this because of a skill?

“Yes. I think I need to bring them with me before I go back in. I also need some bones from higher-level monsters…….”―Hoho…… how high-level?

“Dragon-type monsters above Level 500 should do. Just post the request for these. If anyone contacts you, let me know.”

Those were exclusively for Cedric.

Very few Gates contained dragon-type monsters. They didn't even appear consistently.

They were difficult to hunt and appeared randomly, so every part of their bodies was practically worth its weight in gold.

He'd have to bid aggressively to buy them.―I'll look into it. Above Level 500 means the higher the better, correct?

“Yes.”―Anything else?

“Maybe some D-rank Skill Books? There should be listings at the auction house, so I'd appreciate a little help there too.”―Hoho, you've already reached Level 101?

“Hidden Gates really are good. There are quite a few things here that could help you too, Father.”―Oh…… Now I'm curious.

“I'll tell you once I return.”―Very well. Ah, right. Your mother and the kids are all coming back this time. It's winter break, after all.

“Ah, right.”

Minwoo nodded.

Come to think of it, around this point in time, Kim Minwoo's younger brother, Kim Hyungseok.‘Was studying abroad.’He was attending Harvard in America.

The chairman's wife and youngest daughter had accompanied him to the United States. Since it was winter break, it seemed they were returning home.―Make some time when they arrive. I know you and your brother had a falling-out, but family should still see one another.

“Did we? I've already forgotten all about it. I'll make time when they get here.”―Good. Get back to your work.

The call ended.‘That solves the food problem.’Buying everything himself would've meant running around all over the place.

Far better to use the power of the family.

The second problem he needed to solve was elixirs.* * *Inside a café.

Kim Minwoo entered after seeing the familiar surroundings.

“It's been a while, Ms. Choi Yuna. Almost three weeks?”

“Yes. I came because you called, but what did you need……?”

“What else but elixirs? Intermediate-grade elixirs. How many have you prepared?”

“Uh…….”

Her eyes darted around.

“Well, because of Mr. Siwoo in the middle? I had to make elixirs for him too, so…….”

“How many do you have right now?”

“About a hundred and fifty…….”

“Hmm. That's far too few.”

“I-I didn't know you'd come back this soon…….”

It had been around three weeks since he'd last purchased elixirs from her.

Even assuming he'd been Level 51 then, she'd expected at least another three months before his next purchase. Even super rookies had limits on how quickly they could level.

Yet he'd already come asking for stock?

“If you're trying to buy them in advance, could you wait a little…….”

“I need them immediately. Everyone knows elixirs become less effective the higher your level gets.”

“……

You're Level 101?”

“Yes.”

“What the hell did you do to level that fast?”Had it even been much more than a month since he set the Level 1 record?

In other words, he'd gained a hundred levels in just one month.

A completely absurd leveling speed.

Back then, Isabella had taken one month just to reach Level 49 and attempt her record.

Then it took another three months before she reached Level 101. A top-tier Awakened took four months, and he'd done the same thing in one?‘He's just a monster.’Her jaw dropped.

“I'd prefer to purchase directly from you, Ms. Choi Yuna. But if this is how things are…… it might become difficult.”

“H-How soon do you need them?”

“Three days. Can you do it?”

“Eight hundred, right?”

“Yes. That should be enough.”650 in three days.

If she worked without sleeping, it wasn't impossible.

After all, creators tended to display superhuman strength as deadlines approached.

“I'll make them.”

“You need to meet the deadline.”

“I won't sleep. I'll use stimulants.”

As expected.

People really did work harder when you cracked the whip a little.

Kim Minwoo nodded in satisfaction.

“And you know, right?”

Kim Minwoo placed a finger over his lips.

Choi Yuna nodded frantically.

“Y-Yes! This is a private order anyway, so only my dad and I know who requested it. Don't worry. Absolute secrecy!”

“Reliable.”

“Um, but.”

“Yes?”

“I haven't heard anything about you entering a Gate. Where did you even level that much? Was it something connected to the hidden piece you found in that tomb?”

“Something like that.”

“Wow…… I'm jealous…….”

Envy practically dripped from her eyes. Production classes could level by crafting.

That didn't mean they never entered Gates.

As Gate ranks rose, the required party size also increased.

Eventually, classes other than combat classes began joining parties too.

Because high-level Gates demanded far more than simple fighting power.

That meant production classes could also stumble upon fortuitous opportunities.

Forgotten ancient crafting techniques, recipes, or perhaps a special master. Discovering even one of those could change someone's life overnight.‘He's probably enjoying one of those hidden pieces right now, isn't he?’Jealous.

Part of her wanted to ask him to take her along.

Of course, she wasn't insane enough to actually say that aloud.‘Still, I learned something useful…….’Kim Minwoo had been quiet for a while after setting the record.

Naturally, every community had been speculating about what he was doing.

Even so.

Nobody would imagine he was already Level 101.

At most, people probably guessed he was somewhere in the mid-to-high 50s.

Knowing information no one else had filled Choi Yuna with a small sense of intellectual superiority, and the corners of her lips curled upward.

Someday, when Kim Minwoo's true strength was revealed, the entire world might be turned upside down again.

“I should get going. I have elixirs to make.”

“Yes. Good luck.”

She grabbed her handbag and hurried out almost at a run.* * *[(Breaking News) Ilseong Group bulk-buying food and bones? Strange new movements!][(Breaking News) Every D-rank Skill Book at the auction house swept away? Is Kim Minwoo already approaching D-rank?][(Breaking News) Ilseong says: We're buying dragon bones! Announces intent to purchase bones from Level 500+ dragon-type monsters! Experts say all of this is highly likely to be connected to Kim Minwoo…….]

News poured out.

Naturally.

Ilseong Group and Kim Minwoo, both quiet for some time, had suddenly begun moving.

The communities heated up just as quickly.―Where'd all the idiots go who called Kim Minwoo a bubble because he'd gone quiet? lololol They're saying he's already near D-rank? lololol―Bullshit lol You think buying D-rank Skill Books means he's actually Level 101? He's obviously buying them ahead of time, stop overreacting lol―Even if he's buying them in advance, he's at least over Level 51, right? Why would an F-rank already stockpile D-rank books? Yeah.―That much seems possible. Isabella reached around that line in a month. No way Kim Minwoo can't.―So what level is Kim Minwoo right now? Does this guy even enter Gates? If he did, how could it not make the news?―Been a while since I saw a Necromancer buying bones. Maybe he got some Bound Skill or something?―I think Kim Minwoo found a Hidden Gate? Didn't he say he found some hidden piece in the tomb? Maybe it connects to that. The food probably has something to do with it too. No way he's buying all that for charity.―Whoa. Hidden Gate; Guess he got the skill there too;; I'm jealous as hell. When do I get to enter one of those?―Wake up lol With your skill, you'd go in and get stabbed through the neck and die lololol―No, seriously, what level is Kim Minwoo right now, fuck.―How the hell would we know lolol Still, probably around 60. Maybe 70 if we're generous.―Yeah, around there. Saying 51 would basically mean he's worse than Isabella, which is just hating. Either way his leveling speed is insane. Already halfway through E-rank;;―But what does he even do with bones? Seriously no idea.―Looking at what he's buying, they're all distinctive body parts from each monster. What, is he building his summons out of bones or something? lol―Maybe? But if you assembled all those monster bones together, wouldn't that just make a Chimera? I can't even imagine what it'd look like lololol―You couldn't even assemble them. The proportions don't match at all. You'd just end up with a patchwork golem lolololAs the community users busily discussed Kim Minwoo.

A massive piece of news dropped and shook the entire community.[(Breaking News!) Sword Immortal ends his seclusion and moves! Destination: S-rank Gate, Dragon's Grave!][(Breaking News!) Korean Avengers assembled? Raid members include Divine Spear, Poison Demon, Fist King, and others…….]―Holy shit. Isn't Dragon's Grave infamous for being insanely hard?―Yeah. Top-tier even among S-ranks. A random high-ranking dragon-type monster appears as the boss. Kill one and drag the corpse out and you're set for life lolololol―Don't tell me they're moving because of Kim Minwoo? lol Ilseong said they're buying dragon bones lololol―Whoa, that raid lineup is insane. Looks like all Korea's strongest Awakened from the previous generation gathered up. Divine Spear, Fist King, Poison Demon... holy shit. They're all Sword Immortal's friends.―Grandvengers showing their class... holy shit.―Grandvengers? You're fucking insane lolololol