Chapter 8

Become a Legendary Necromancer - Chapter 008

Class Skills can be obtained every 15 levels.

Once you acquire a Class Skill, you have to gain another 15 levels before you can obtain the next one.

However, there is one exception.

Just one.

And that is when you reach Level 5.

Scholars have analyzed this as a kind of safety net.

During the early stages of climbing the Tower of Trials.

They believe the System provides this consideration to prevent large numbers of people from dying during that process.

In truth, none of that really matters.

All that matters is the fact that you can obtain a Class Skill at Level 5.

[You have leveled up.]

[You have reached Level 5.]

[A Class Skill will be granted.]

I waited for the System message that would follow.

Before long, it appeared.

[The Skill Tree has been activated.]

[Available Skill Points: 1]

[Time Remaining: 00:04:59]

At the same time, three different holographic windows appeared before my eyes.

[Undead Enhancement]

[Curse of Weakness]

[Undead Swarm]

'As expected. It appeared.'

This could also be considered another piece of evidence that I had regressed.

Because it was one of the System messages that had never appeared before my regression.

'This is where I choose my specialization.'

It was the stage where I decided what kind of Necromancer I would become.

Like a tree extending its branches...

Once you selected a skill, you could obtain similar but more powerful skills the next time.

However.

At the beginning, the options were almost equally useful.

'Let's start with Undead Enhancement.'

[Undead Enhancement]

-Level: 1

-Effect: Increases the bone density of summoned undead.

Undead Enhancement was a Skill Tree that allowed a Necromancer to increase the stats of their Skeletons.

Initially, it worked by hardening the Skeletons' bones.

But later, it became possible to increase their other stats as well.

Stats such as Strength and Agility.

'A growth-type Necromancer.'

Next, I examined Curse of Weakness.

[Curse of Weakness]

-Level: 1

-Effect: Creates an area that reduces all stats of nearby targets by 5%.

'This is the Curse Necromancer path.'

A type of Necromancer capable of using various debuff skills.

While weakening opponents with debuff skills.

This Skill Tree also allowed the Necromancer to strengthen their own undead accordingly.

Now, only the final option remained: Undead Swarm.

[Undead Swarm]

-Level: 1

-Effect: Summoned undead immediately revive once upon death.

'And this is the numbers-focused Necromancer.'

Which specialization should I choose?

Naturally, it was a difficult decision.

I glanced sideways at Yulias.

Our eyes happened to meet at exactly the right moment.

Yulias raised his hand and brought his index finger and thumb together.

Swoosh—

He mimed zipping his mouth shut.

Naturally, I understood.

He was indicating that he couldn't speak.

Still, couldn't he offer at least some advice?

'Well, can't be helped.'

Apparently, the decision was entirely mine.

'But... is watching me make this decision really that entertaining?'

Yulias wasn't saying anything.

However, one thing was certain: he was thoroughly enjoying the current situation.

His eyes had taken on the shape of upward-curving crescents (^^), and his mouth was stretched into a broad smile.

'Seriously.'

I decided to discuss that with him later.

For now, making my choice came first.

[Time Remaining: 00:01:02]

There was only about a minute left.

'First, I'll rule out Curse of Weakness.'

Yulias's ability to control Skeletons.

When it came to maximizing that ability, Curse of Weakness was considerably less efficient than the other two options.

'In the end, I have to choose between Undead Enhancement and Undead Swarm... But no matter how I look at it, Undead Enhancement seems better.'

[Would you like to select the Undead Enhancement skill?]

'Yes.'

In the end, that was the decision I made.

[You have selected the Undead Enhancement skill.]

That was when it happened.

A mysterious series of System messages followed.

[Special conditions have been detected.]

[The Soul Devouring (EX) skill has been confirmed.]

[Your qualifications have been verified.]

Special conditions? Qualifications?

Before I could dwell on my questions.

The System messages immediately continued.

[Skills are being fused.]

[A new skill has been created.]

[You have obtained 'Necromancer's Authority' (EX).]

“What the hell is this...?”

Everything about this was a first.

Both the fusion of skills and the creation of a new skill.

I immediately examined Necromancer's Authority.

Shing—

[Necromancer's Authority (EX)]

-Level: 1

-Effects:

1) Increases the bone density of summoned undead.

2) Allows the use of 'Curse of Weakness.' (Reduces all stats by 20%)

3) Summoned undead immediately revive once upon death.

-Additional Effects:

1) Undead buff skill effects +20%

2) Undead debuff skill power +20%

3) Recovers 20% of the mana consumed when a revived undead dies.

My eyes widened.

Because all three skills had been 'combined' into one.

And that wasn't all.

“All the effects have been increased.”

As the Class Skills were combined into an EX-grade skill called Necromancer's Authority.

Additional effects had been created to correspond with each individual skill.

And each one provided an increase of a staggering 20%.

However, there was something even more important.

The fact that I could obtain Necromancer skills from every specialization.

That was the key.

“This is insane!”

There was no other way to describe the current situation.

No, even that word didn't seem sufficient.

[Hehe!]

When I turned my head, I saw Yulias smiling brightly.

Only then did I understand.

Yulias had known about all of this.

That was probably why he'd been smiling earlier.

[Congratulations, Honored Master!]

Thud! Thud! Thud! Thud!

Immediately afterward, dull thumping sounds rang out.

They were the sounds of Yulias clapping.

Rather than sharp claps, they sounded like dull thuds.

Watching him, I revised my assessment of Yulias in my mind once again.

In a very, very favorable direction.

The sight of him smiling so innocently looked truly adorable.

_____________

Afterward, Yulias explained the situation to me.

[It's something that could cause my existence to be erased...]

According to his explanation, there were certain restrictions.

If he spoke about anything covered by those restrictions, his very existence would be erased.

[I absolutely wasn't trying to tease you, Honored Master! Please don't misunderstand! For your sake, I'd gladly offer you my liver and gallbladder—no, I'd even give you my heart!!]

“Do you even have a liver, gallbladder, or heart to give me?”

At my words, Yulias looked down at his own body.

[...Gasp! My apologies!]

Then he quickly apologized.

[But I really wasn't just saying that...]

Yulias fidgeted with both hands.

I smiled at him and spoke.

“I'm joking. I know.”

[Right? You understand how sincere I am, don't you, Honored Master?]

“Yeah.”

Only then did Yulias smile and chuckle happily.

Naturally, I could understand his situation well enough.

'When you think about it, it really would be ridiculous otherwise.'

Yulias possessed knowledge of the future that rivaled my own.

Because he had served previous masters before me.

I didn't know the exact periods involved.

But I was certain he'd spent a long time with them.

'With his abilities, they wouldn't have died easily.'

Perhaps all of them had been Awakened who reached the upper floors of the Tower of Trials.

No. They definitely had been.

'Even now, when we've barely begun, his abilities already feel ridiculously overpowered. Of course they would have reached that level.'

But what if someone like him could freely reveal all the information he knew about the System, along with his own experiences?

'Perhaps that would be even more overpowered.'

After all, Yulias must have accumulated an enormous amount of information and experience.

It was disappointing.

But not enough to leave me dwelling on it.

I quickly pushed the matter out of my mind.

Compared to all the unfair things I'd endured before my regression, something like this was easy enough to accept.

Immediately afterward, I opened my Status Window.

[Status Window]

-Name: Yoo Seong

-Level: 5

-Nationality: Republic of Korea

-Class: Necromancer

-Stats: Strength 8 (+1), Agility 10, Stamina 2, Mana 3 (+1), Magic Power 2

-Unique Skill: Soul Devouring (EX)

-General Skills: Mana Release, Necromancy (EX), Necromancer's Authority (EX), Curse of Weakness (EX)

I had invested the stat points I received upon reaching Level 5 into Strength and Mana, one point each.

The skill list now included Necromancer's Authority and Curse of Weakness, both newly obtained.

“Good.”

Curse of Weakness was a skill that could be toggled on and off.

When activated, it continuously consumed mana.

That was why I had increased my Mana stat by one point.

The number of situations requiring mana was steadily increasing.

“Well, if I obtain 'that' from this Gate, the problem should be resolved to some extent.”

Before long, I started walking.

The battles afterward were hardly worth mentioning.

I mercilessly slaughtered the Scorpions.

Twang! Crack!

[You have defeated a Scorpion.]

The arrows I fired accurately shattered the Scorpions' venomous stingers...

Crack!

[You have defeated a Scorpion.]

And the three Skeletons I summoned also continued killing Scorpions.

Naturally, Yulias was the one controlling the Skeletons.

Yulias made the battles easy by directing them to target the Scorpions' tails.

Yulias controlled the Skeletons at the front, buying time.

Meanwhile, I used my bow to reduce the number of Scorpions.

This was the first time I had entered battle with all three Skeletons summoned.

'The efficiency is definitely good. Incredibly so.'

It felt as though one plus one didn't equal two, but five.

'At this rate, it might eventually become ten instead of five.'

I hadn't even used the skills extracted through Soul Devouring or the Curse of Weakness I'd just obtained.

And since none of my Skeletons had died, their immediate resurrection effect hadn't activated either.

Of course, it wasn't time to think that far ahead just yet.

As I'd said, I was short on mana.

[You have defeated a Scorpion.]

[You have defeated a...]

Even as I thought about that, the Scorpions continued dying.

Before long.

[You have eliminated all Scorpions inside the Gate.]

[An entrance leading to the Boss Room will be created.]

Craaaack!

Immediately afterward, a large entrance appeared before my eyes.

[The entrance to the Boss Room will disappear shortly.]

[Time Remaining: 00:04:59]

Another System message followed, stating that the entrance would close in five minutes.

I took some bones from a nearby Scorpion and used them as a chair.

Sitting down, I quietly waited for time to pass.

Both Gates and the Tower of Trials contained something known as 'Hidden Routes.'

Hidden Routes.

They were concealed paths that could only be opened by fulfilling specific conditions.

Naturally, these Hidden Routes offered extraordinary rewards...

And one such Hidden Route existed inside this Gate.

[Time Remaining: 00:00:20]

Only about twenty seconds remained before the entrance to the Boss Room disappeared.

Soon, the countdown began.

10, 9, 8...

Nevertheless, I didn't get up.

As I mentioned earlier, this Gate was considered one that every F-rank Awakened should enter at least once.

Because it offered excellent experience points.

And most of that experience could be obtained inside the Boss Room.

“That's why nobody can afford to skip it.”

Before the Boss Room entrance disappeared.

People would safely enter the Boss Room.

No, they would enter it without exception.

'After all, they can just leave the Gate while fighting the boss.'

Inside this Gate, it was possible to leave at any time.

Without fulfilling any special conditions.

That was why the Hidden Route here had remained undiscovered.

There were two conditions for opening this Hidden Route.

Enter the Gate alone, without a party.

And do not enter the Boss Room.

To begin with, hardly anyone had ever entered this Gate alone.

And there certainly weren't any fools who would refuse to enter the Boss Room.

Just as I finished organizing those thoughts.

[1. You entered the Gate alone, without a party.

2. You did not enter the Boss Room.]

[All conditions have been fulfilled.]

[The Hidden Route has been unlocked.]

At last, the System message I had been waiting for arrived.