Chapter 7

Chapter 7

Spendthrift Necromancer (7)

GateNet held the largest share of all Awakened communities.

Recently, one topic had begun gaining more and more attention there.―Who the hell bought up every Shaman Totem Summoning Skill Book? Weren't Shamans a fucking dead class? There's demand for that shit?―Martial Artists are losing their minds too lolol No Harden Skill Books left, so they're crying blood while getting their asses beat by mobs lolololol―Just trade directly. You can buy them easily around some Gates.―You seriously haven't heard yet? People are hoarding every low-level skill around Gate entrances too lol―Yeah. Bunch of guys in black suits are buying every Skill Book at the Gates. Even all kinds of trash-tier skills are getting bought for 4 mil.―4 mil? Am I the only one hearing all the off-meta classes screaming? lolol―What idiot sells an off-meta skill for 2 mil at the auction house lol The big scary bros at the entrance are reliably paying double kek lolol―No commission either lolol―This is why you ride the meta, dumbasses. You think popular-class Skill Books are cheap enough to use the auction house? lol―Popular ones are asking at least 7 mil now. Everything's going up;―……

Huh?―I'm a Mage and I'm fucked. Need Elemental Mastery but there are zero listings, fuck.―Just awaken to magic yourself at the Academy. Perfect chance to do some wall-facing cultivation lol―Are you kidding? I'd rather just pay for the damn Skill Book than go through that shit lololol―EMERGENCY BREAKING NEWS! Swordbros, you're fucked too…… Swordsmanship Mastery listings: literally 0!

There were no F-rank Skill Books for sale.

And it wasn't limited to any particular class. The users who had initially laughed and mocked one another gradually began realizing how serious the situation was.―This is insane. Suit bros are still here today;;―Ah; I was trying to buy a Skill Book but some suit bro next to me kept bidding higher. Lost it right in front of my eyes; what the hell…….―I'm an Assassin. Got pissed after they snatched my skill, so I used Stealth and tailed the suit bros. Pretty sure they're connected to Ilseong?―Pulling up the ladder, damn―If they're buying every class indiscriminately, don't tell me it's that? +9 enhancement.―Wait……? That's…… actually possible?―They're seriously making a +9? Did the president kick the chairman in the shin and tell him to stimulate the economy?―Fucking trickle-down economics lololol―Does Ilseong even have anyone worth giving a +9 to?―Don't think so? If they're buying low-level skills, it's for a rookie…… Haven't heard about them recruiting anybody.―I did hear something. Sword Immortal and Kim Minwoo had a duel.―??? What kind of bullshit is that?―Summary: Sword Immortal fought Kim Minwoo. Kim Minwoo fought insanely well. Pushed Sword Immortal back. Then awakened. Light was fucking crazy. I'm calling his achievement at least A-rank.―I saw it live too. Shit was amazing. None of you losers missed it, right? lololol―……?―For real?―People keep posting eyewitness accounts everywhere. Sounds like something really did happen?

“How's it going? Working?”

“Yes, Team Leader. Looks like it's starting to catch fire.”

“The Young Master's debut is coming soon, so make sure the flame doesn't die out. You know the drill. It has to look natural.”

“Come on. That's our specialty. But that thing…… is it actually true?”

“What, the duel?”

“Yes. That duel.”

“No idea.”

Even so, Ilseong's intelligence team leader was privately convinced.‘Nine times out of ten, it's true.’It was the only way to explain the group's recent frenzy.‘They said the light was incredible. Then at least A-rank…… maybe even…….’There were plenty of Awakened with high Achievement ranks.

There were also plenty of rich people.

But Awakened who possessed both could practically be counted on one hand worldwide.‘We might actually have a super rookie on our hands…….’For the first time in a long while, the team leader felt excited.* * *[Summon Skeleton(F)+9 has been completed!][You have acquired the title, ‘Promising Sprout.’]

“Whew, is it finally over?”

Minwoo wiped the sweat from his forehead inside the auction house.

Even after having Skill Books shipped in from all over the country, it had taken two full days. Several attempts had blown up once he passed +7.

Still, the reward for throwing that much money at the problem was sweet.[Summon Skeleton(F)+9][This skill has been enhanced to its limit.][Consumes 10 mana to summon 2(1+1)

LV1 Skeletons.]

“Fucking sweet.”

The original effect consumed 10 mana to summon one.

Now it summoned two.

Double the efficiency.

An overwhelming difference.‘And I even got another title.’[Titles Possessed][1. Promising Rookie][Reached the growth cap at Level 1.][Effect: All stats +1][2. Elixir Massacrer][Consumed more than 1,000 elixirs at Level 1.][Stamina +1, Magic +1][3. Promising Sprout][Created a +9 skill at Level 1.][Maximum number of skills +1]

Titles were normally awarded at monumental moments, such as accomplishing something difficult or becoming the first to achieve something.

They came with various effects such as permanent stat increases, bonus damage against certain monsters, or increased skill capacity.‘If I want to reach the very top, I need to collect as many as possible.’That was especially true of stat increases. Titles were one of the main ways, along with leveling, to push beyond growth caps.‘Great start. Status.’[Name: Kim Minwoo(23)][Class: Necromancer][Level: 1][Skills Possessed(1/6): Death Lord(EX)][Mana: 520/520][Titles: 3][Stats][Strength: 51] [Agility: 51] [Stamina: 52] [Magic: 52]

Numbers that were impossible to believe belonged to a Level 1!

His growth was practically violent.‘The number of undead I can summon right now…….’At two Skeletons per 10 mana, he could normally summon up to 104.

Then add Death Lord's 50% mana reduction?‘Maximum 208.’An insane quantity.

And those 208 Skeletons weren't ordinary Skeletons either.

Their stats were increased by a full 50%!

When an ordinary Necromancer was only beginning to control one or two Skeletons, Minwoo was already racing ahead with an overwhelming lead.‘Now this is what I'm talking about.’And even that wasn't the end.

Death Lord's one-time revival function.

Then add equipment on top of that?

Even if Skeletons were early summons weaker than adult men.‘Nobody can stop this at this stage.’He could say it with certainty. There had never been a Level 1 Awakened stronger than him.‘Now all that's left…….’Kim Minwoo recalled the message he'd seen before.

The Death Lord's Call.‘No idea what it'll do after calling me…….’But he doubted it would be all smiles and laughter.

Death Lord.

Even the name sounded wicked at a glance.

Naturally, he needed to prepare equipment, potions, and consumables thoroughly.‘The biggest question is whether to level up before going.’Even without learning Summon Skeleton, he could hunt inside a Gate just fine.

His stats were high.

He was good enough with a sword to hold his own against the Sword Immortal to some extent.

He could probably sweep through an F-rank Gate without any real skills at all.‘Leveling would be easy. My stats would shoot up too. The problem is titles…….’The easiest way to obtain titles.

The harder the self-imposed challenge, the better.

Doing things any random person could accomplish usually awarded a title with a pathetic effect, if it awarded one at all.‘I'll probably get several titles from the Death Lord's Call too, right?’It was an effect of an EX-rank skill, after all.

If things went well, it could turn into a title festival.

And if he entered at the absolute minimum Level 1, his chances of earning titles would skyrocket.

He knew it was dangerous.

But without risk, there was no reward.‘If I'm going to hunt an Outer God, I need to collect every title I can.’That was especially true for Kim Minwoo, whose physical talent was garbage.

A day would surely come when he desperately wished for every single stat point those titles provided.‘Then the order's decided.’Receive the Death Lord's Call at Level 1. Clearing Gates could wait until afterward.[Searching for equipment.][Condition: Required Level 1 or higher.]

The moment he made his decision.

The supply of low-level equipment listed in the auction house began vanishing wholesale.* * *Normal

- Magic

- Rare

- Unique

- Legendary

- Ancient

- Mythic.

Equipment had a total of seven grades.

Among all that equipment, what did beginner melee classes usually aim for?

Nine out of ten would probably answer the ‘Black Heart Set.’

The so-called standard Magic set.

Its greatest advantage was its required level.

Required Level 1.

Even a beginner who had just awakened could equip it immediately.

Despite that low requirement, its performance was quite good.

Individually, none of its effects were especially spectacular.

But once you gathered several pieces and activated the set effects, the story changed.

Only then did it truly enter the realm of premium gear. It remained perfectly serviceable all the way to Level 40.

Its price-to-performance ratio was good too.

A full set usually cost around two hundred million won. Awakened earned somewhat more than ordinary people.

With a loan, it wasn't completely unaffordable.

Naturally, it was also one of the most actively traded pieces of equipment.

Even at this very moment, countless melee Awakened were probably saving money while dreaming of owning it.[Would you like to purchase all Black Heart Set listings?]

“Buy everything under fifty million.”[50.728 billion won withdrawn…….][An additional 10% withdrawn as commission…….]‘Burp.’Sorry, newbies.

My Skeletons are taking your gear.

They're newbies too, so cut them some slack.[Items are being transferred to your inventory…….][The weight is too great!]

“Yeah, I've got a Spatial Ring.”[Items will be transferred to Spatial Ring(Intermediate)

!]

He'd obtained a Spatial Ring for situations exactly like this.

He hadn't bought it himself.

Chairman Kim had lent it to him for free.‘Saved me fifty billion.’Inventory capacity was limited.

It expanded as you gained levels, but it still wasn't exactly spacious.

That was why items such as Spatial Rings were always in extremely high demand.

You could bring porters into low-level Gates, but high-level Gates were too dangerous.

At that point, even your porters needed to be mid-rank Awakened, and hiring one for a single day already cost tens of millions.

Better to buy a Spatial Ring and save on labor costs.‘That's why they're so popular.’He'd been disappointed there weren't any listed at the auction house.

But his family background had made it easy to obtain one.‘Got two hundred equipment sets surprisingly fast.’He'd also secured weapons for the Skeletons and plenty of spares just in case.

On top of that, he'd stocked up on top-grade potions and consumables.

If he still couldn't clear it after preparing this much?‘Then the game clearly doesn't want me to.’Minwoo began equipping items one by one.

They weren't cost-efficient set pieces like Black Heart, but individual Rare items. His whole body became a riot of mismatched colors, but they were worth it.

Every single piece was genuine premium gear that easily cost hundreds of millions.

Unless someone was absolutely desperate to level as fast as possible, these were the kind of money-burning items most people simply skipped.[Equipping Crow's Horrifying Head!][Stamina +5, Magic +5][Dreadful Evil Eye(F)

activated!][Equipping Frog King's Elastic Armor!][Stamina +10][Elastic Skin(F)

activated!][Equipping Purple Goblin Leather Pants!][Agility +5, Magic +5][Curse of Sorrow(F)

activated!][Equipping Inarticulate Necklace!][Magic +8][Shield(F)

activated!][Equipping Petty Witch's Magic Gloves!][Magic +10][Ice Ball(F)

activated!][Equipping Quick Thief Shoes!][Agility +10][Haste(F)

activated!]‘Burp.’Individual items, each carrying a skill effect normally only found after assembling an entire set. Since each level gave 4 stat points, every one of these items was worth roughly two or three levels.

To be honest, their raw performance wasn't so incredible that it justified costing hundreds of millions.

But their required level was king. They could be used from Level 1.

That advantage was much bigger than it sounded.‘Reselling them later will be the problem, though.’Individuals almost never bought them. The only real demand came from large organizations occasionally purchasing them for rental use.‘Even they don't buy much because of the risk of loss.’Gates were places where accidents could happen at any moment.

Rental equipment being lost happened more often than people thought.

So demand wasn't exactly enormous.‘If they don't sell, I'll just leave them in storage.’And on top of that.[Equipping Excavation Knight Commander's Sword!][Strength +7, Agility +3][Bleed(F)

activated!]

Instead of a staff, he equipped a sword.

If things went wrong, he might have to join the fighting himself.[Would you like to learn Summon Skeleton(F)+9?]

Preparations were complete.

Time to have some fun.[Learning skill!][All conditions for the Death Lord's First Trial have been fulfilled!][The Death Lord begins calling you.]

The scenery before his eyes began to change.