Necromancer Survival

Chapter 135

‘The connection is disrupted when I’m looking at Choi Lee-kyung.’

It was likely enforcing the importance of confirming the summoner’s physical condition with your eyes. Furthermore, Choi Lee-kyung clearly knew nothing of this characteristic; he did not seem like the type to be able to shower calmly if he knew.

After confirming once again Choi Lee-kyung’s ignorance, I chose to keep the information to myself for now. In a way, this could function as a wire-tapping device.

‘Just in case…’

I hoped otherwise, but this effect would become an important guide if Choi Lee-kyung tried to start some nonsense. So, feigning innocence, I conversed with Choi Lee-kyung as if nothing had happened and waited for him to fall asleep.

* * *

After confirming that Choi Lee-kyung had fallen completely asleep, I sat at the table and mentally organized all that had happened today. And, I began to set priorities for the actions that should come first. Most importantly, I should secure information that I currently direly lack.

That is: securing accurate information on Necromancers.

‘What kind of battle style do Necromancers adopt?’

So, I first searched for items related to the class. The lack of Necromancer User population was an issue, though, and the amount of reference material available was not large–perhaps because of the class’s infamy as a ruinous class. In particular, video information was especially rare.

[Bone Shard! Scratch Attack!]

[Kyaaaa!]

Only after I managed to find a mob hunting video did I understand why a Necromancer’s servants were given such eavesdropping characteristics.

‘Servants don’t fight autonomously. It will attack when approached, but it remains passive without specific instruction.’

In short, a servant’s use was extremely limited beyond organizing its movements a step at a time–with the servant reciting those specific movements. Of course, I would act similarly to other human beings with their own ego, but I held a special contract that allowed for exceptional results. The Necromancer’s basic summons had simple attack patterns and were quite lethargic outside of their set responses.

‘Is that why this characteristic manifested?’

In invoking a Necromancer’s skill, specific instructions for their servants were important. In other words, the instructions that came from their mouths were a bit like computer ‘programming.’ So, no matter what condition the owner may be in, he must be able to speak to utilize the servant. The system provided a functionality where a servant in any situation could hear any word that came out of his master’s mouth.

‘Then, the cleanest way to block an enemy Necromancer would be to gag him or cut off his tongue?’

I hoped otherwise, but I needed to think of the most efficient way to prepare for Choi Lee-kyung’s possible confrontation with me down the line. After much consideration, I gave up on cutting off his tongue.

‘I’ll go crazy from the scent of blood.’

Then, I’ll just have to gag him.

However, even with the master gagged, the servant may move in different ways. How would a servant react when their Necromancer was in a situation where he was rendered mute…? I was curious, but, no matter how I searched the hunter information site, the data simply wasn’t available.

Other classes would be overflowing with information, recommended equipment by level for example; I was flustered–it was the first time I had no information on a target. The same was true of paid information sites that I had used often when I was still alive. Since the population of users were so small, there was no significant benefit in paying to access English or Chinese information accounts either.

‘Has Choi Lee-kyung become a pioneer among necromancers?’

Rather, the information we had uncovered would be a huge bounty for these sites.

For a Necromancer to be able to revive a fallen User by signing a [Vengeful Ghost Contract] with someone who died with many regrets in a dungeon… If I heard this while alive, I would have snorted, saying how absurd that was. That was how tremendous and unrealistic that power was. So, the moment this fact became widely known…

‘There will be an enormous reaction…’

So, I quickly threw away any lingering desires to find more information on Necromancers; there was no place left to squeeze out such details.

“Nnghh……”

At that time, I saw Choi Lee-kyung tossing and turning. I moved to close the laptop. I was going to close it, but…

[Berserker ‘Kim Sangyoon’ is starting a live broadcast.]

With a twinkle, Choi Lee-kyung’s laptop and cellphone were notified at the same time.

“This is Sangyoon…Hah…Urgh…Fuck……”

Because of that, I watched Kim Sangyoon’s drunk and incoherent self on his live broadcast. In trying to reveal the shocking failure of the raid to his subscribers, he streamed with only a simple black background with no accessories other than the microphone; he spat muddled swear words with a stumbling tongue.

[Sangyoon-ie hyung, you’re really drunk…]

[Someone should turn off hyung’s stream…]

[Hyung, get some sleep first TT_TT]

The broadcast was truly not worth watching; it was enough that the fans (though I really didn’t understand why they were fans) who were watching with me sent messages laden with concern.

A slurred swear against someone accompanied by quiet whimperings; cheapskate-like mutterings about borrowed money. After listening to 20 minutes of this trashy broadcast, I skimmed through his other streams on Berserker’s channel.

But…setting aside subscribing to Kim Sangyoon’s channel and enabling notification settings…there was not one video that Choi Lee-kyung hadn’t [liked] in this channel of more than 100 videos. Wouldn’t that make him an avid fan? Furthermore, Choi Lee-kyung’s Youtube username was his real name, and I could see each comment he had persistently left underneath every video.

[Lee-kyung: Where did you get the pink pants you wore in the opening? I’ll skip on that lolol]

[Lee-kyung: 00:17 I snorted while drinking cola lolol]

[Lee-kyung: This hyung always smiles so wide whenever a girl comes along kekekeke] ¹

[Lee-kyung: lolol Ah, he’s feeling extra good today] ²

Was Kim Sangyoon that fun to watch? I read Choi Lee-kyung’s overly excited comments; my tense jaw wouldn’t relax.

What was more surprising was how he didn’t show how much he liked the streamer and didn’t show any of that fan-behavior in the <Tower of Command>. Even when asked, he only told me that Kim Sangyoon was carrying him and spoke nothing of this youtube channel…

Come to think of it, maybe this was why he blushed when Kim Sangyoon embraced him. I stared at the sleeping Choi Lee-kyung, strangely discomfited.

So, I stole a look at Choi Lee-kyung’s other social media after the Youtube channel–his accounts were automatically logged in. DMs ³ or whatever, looking through the list, there was nothing in particular that stood out. Therefore, Kim Sangyoon’s presence was all the more noticeable. Even more annoyingly, Choi Lee-kyung was enough of a fan to follow Kim Sangyoon’s personal social media accounts.

I approached Choi Lee-kyung, who was still asleep, and stared blatantly at his face. For some reason I wanted to pinch him on the nose but restrained myself. Instead, I picked him off the ground and laid him on the bed. When I picked him up, his eyebrows crumpled, as if he were about to wake up; however, after I covered him with a blanket, he simply smacked his lips silently and turned his head towards my direction. His mouth was left slightly open as well…

And, when I suddenly had the cruel urge to shove something into that round gap…

[Clack Clack Clack!]

Out of the blue, white bones manifested atop Choi Lee-kyung’s body.

I did not reflexively touch it; the mass was the same shape as the entry-level skeleton I had seen in the Necromancer video I watched earlier. As soon as I saw it, I realized, ‘Ah, that must be Lackey.’

“Lackey?” I asked.

As soon as I spoke, the skeleton looked my way but didn’t approach. We both were sizing each other up.

Red glittering eyes could be seen through the emptiness of his eye sockets, and the purple core inside the ribs began to glow strangely. I wondered if I had something similar inside the shell I was inhabiting…

When…

[Clack!]

Lackey lowered its body and rushed at me without warning.

Of course, I didn’t avoid it. Its physical attack had little effect when I was simply a floating soul. As expected, its teeth latched onto empty space. Unfortunately, the skeleton constantly rushed at me without any semblance of intelligence to distinguish the futility–like a dog protecting its owner.

“Serving without any form of ego… Will I become like that?”

TL: I’d be…so embarrassed if someone I liked read through all my fangirl-like comments to someone. Or the comments I make on the novels I read >///<

Next update will be a double update and the last of this flashback. Turns out, Seo Dawon has no idea what’s going on with Necromancers–No one does!!