Chapter 5: EX-Grade Skill
[Necromancer Skill, Death Lord (EX) acquired.]
[Death Lord]
[Grade: EX]
[Type: Passive]
[Effect 1. Summoned undead revive once upon death (limited to once per day).]
[Effect 2. All stats of summoned undead increase by 50%.]
[Effect 3. Mana cost for undead summoning decreases by 50%.]
[Effect 4. All undead under your command gain learning ability.]
[Effect 5. Upon achieving certain conditions, the Death Lord's trial will be granted. Overcoming it yields special rewards.]
‘My God.’
Kim Minwoo’s jaw dropped as he read the skill’s effects.
He’d seen plenty of S-grade skills up to now.
That was why he could tell at a glance.
EX-grade skills were on an entirely different level from S-grade!
‘This is insane.’
Even looking at it purely in terms of efficiency, it was nuts. Suppose there was another necromancer just like him.
When the other necromancer summoned ten skeletons, Minwoo thought, ‘I’d summon twenty.’
Mana cost halved for summoning. And with a 50% stat boost on top?
Pure math made it equivalent to thirty.
And that wasn’t all—they revived once after death.
Factor that in, and it was like sixty.
This snowball would start rolling harder and crazier the longer it went.
But the effects didn’t stop there.
‘Learning ability.’
Undead did have learning ability. But only higher-tier ones.
‘Dullahan and up, roughly.’
Dullahan: mid-to-high undead, the headless knight.
You needed that level to learn anything.
But with this effect…
‘Even basic skeletons get learning ability?’
An insane effect.
Sure, just how effective it’d be would only show once he summoned and tested them.
‘This is an EX-grade skill.’
It’d deliver efficiency on par with the other effects. His chest already swelled with anticipation.
The trial in Effect 5? No clue on the conditions yet, so he’d just focus on what he could do now.
‘Status window.’
[Name: Kim Minwoo (23)]
[Job: Necromancer]
[Level: 1]
[Owned Skills (1/1): Death Lord (EX)]
[Mana: 100/100]
[Title: None]
[Strength: 8] [Agility: 8] [Vitality: 7] [Magic Power: 10]
Average human stats were 10. By that measure, Kim Minwoo’s body was below average.
‘Well, at least magic power barely scraped by.’
Magic power gave one extra skill slot per 10 points. Plus 10 mana per point.
‘First things first, raise magic power.’
He had a skill to empower undead, but no skill to actually summon them.
He needed to boost magic power to open more skill slots.
He rummaged in his pocket and pulled out a spirit pill.
[Sword Shadow Pill]
[Grade: A]
[A spirit pill from Sword Sea Pavilion. Consuming it raises all stats by 10 (no stacking).]
As expected.
Luxury items were on another level.
All stats +10 was like adding another person’s worth of power.
‘Too wasteful to pop now, though.’
Like studying, stats got harder to raise the higher they went.
Best to save premium elixirs like this for later.
‘Gotta hunt down other elixirs.’
Low-grade stuff was easy to buy with cash, so he decided that’d solve his stat issues.
Right then…
His phone rang.
[Father]
“Hello?”
―Minwoo. I heard you awakened. Is it true?
Urgency seeped through Chairman Kim’s voice from the receiver.
The bodyguards must’ve reported it.
“Yes.”
―Come home right now. Don’t wander anywhere else.
“Got it.”
Elixirs, gear, donations—places to spend were overflowing.
Perfect timing.
* * *
Chairman Kim Kangcheol.
He paced his study.
He still couldn’t quite believe the phone call from moments ago.
And no wonder—the contents were too shocking.
You had to lie with some restraint to make it believable!
His wastrel eldest son not only clashed fiercely with the Sword Sage but earned praise as a great swordsman?
If this were a novel or movie, it’d get trashed as garbage before launch.
―Haha.. You seem flustered, but I stake my sword on it—everything I said is true.
―Oh, right. If you ever need Sword Sea Pavilion’s help, just say the word. I’ll come myself if needed.
Even Chairman Kim, veteran of every trial and tribulation, could only stammer yes, yes.
What choice did he have? You needed to know something to hold a conversation!
After hanging up with the Sword Sage, he immediately called his bodyguards…
―Yes. I don’t know much about swords, but young master definitely held his own against the Sword Sage.
―To me, it even felt like the young master was pushing the Sword Sage back at first. Though he collapsed later from stamina drain…
‘Impossible.’
Utterly impossible.
Yet it was reality.
As he paced anxiously, the study door opened.
“I’m here, Father.”
“Sit, sit right here. What the hell happened?”
“I dueled the Sword Sage. Lost because my stamina ran out.”
“… That’s too brief! Explain in detail!”
Watching his frantic father, Minwoo scratched his head.
“Well, see…”
With every detail of the explanation, Chairman Kim laughed heartily, squinted, or slapped his knee.
His eldest son had wasted away past twenty-three without amounting to anything, gnawing at his heart all these years.
But now!
The boldness to bet 100 billion and challenge the Sword Sage.
Talent so fearsome even the Sword Sage couldn’t gauge its limits.
Had his eldest always been this fine a lad?
A grin crept across Chairman Kim’s face.
“Haha! That’s my boy! My boy! Of course! A tiger sires no dog!”
“Huh? You, a tiger…?”
“Erhem! Back in my youth, I made a name as an awakener too! If I hadn’t taken over the company, I’d be S-grade by now… Ahem!”
Realizing he’d overshared, Chairman Kim cleared his throat.
“Anyway, I’m worried.”
“Worried? About what?”
“I dropped 100 billion on the spot, but as you know, Father, I’m broke. They confiscated all my cash too…”
“Haha! 100 billion’s nothing! No worries at all! Your old man will handle it.”
“Really?”
“Of course!”
Chairman Kim answered heartily.
It wasn’t like covering for some screw-up.
This was advancing ties with Sword Sea Pavilion itself.
They’d said no need to pay, but he wasn’t letting the chance slip.
‘Money I couldn’t give even if I wanted to before. Perfect excuse!’
Money bound relationships tight. And here was the ideal opportunity.
Satisfaction welled up, belly full without eating.
So this was the joy of watching your kid grow.
Chairman Kim asked, brimming with anticipation.
“So, how’d the awakening go? They said the light was intense. B-grade? Nah, too low. At least A, maybe even S…”
“Father. Is that all the tiger’s ambition amounts to? Aim higher.”
“Huh?”
What?
Chairman Kim tilted his head.
Higher than A?
He’d already considered up to S.
He couldn’t grasp his son’s words for a moment.
Then, Kim Minwoo’s finger pointed skyward.
“Above S.”
“… A-above? Above?!”
Chairman Kim’s hair stood on end. Goosebumps raced down his spine.
“What do you mean…! S is the awakening ceiling!”
Common knowledge.
No awakener worldwide had ever gotten above S in awakening grade.
Above that?
Absurd.
“It exists. I’m the witness.”
[Awakener Kim Minwoo shares his status window!]
[View it?]
Gulp.
Chairman Kim swallowed hard, accepted the share, and…
“…!”
His eyes bulged.
[Owned Skills (1/1): Death Lord (EX)]
“EX? What the…!”
Shock at the unseen grade and effects…
[Job: Necromancer]
“Wait! What, what is this! Necromancer?”
Shock at the job too.
“Yes. Transferred to necromancer.”
His son said it proudly, throwing Chairman Kim’s thoughts into chaos.
The Sword Sage had called him a great swordsman, so why?
What the hell…?
Then…
As if resolved, Kim Minwoo’s face grew serious.
“Father.”
“Y-yeah.”
“Our family’s loaded, right?”
“W-well, yeah…?”
“Buy top-tier gear and give it to skeletons—that’s invincible, isn’t it?”
“N-not wrong, but… do we have to?”
“That’s the romance of it. And necromancers can swing swords too. If it bugs you, just call it genius swordsman necromancer.”
Chairman Kim was speechless.
* * *
‘Somehow, convinced him.’
Back in his room, Minwoo sighed.
The Sword Sage bought the vague reasoning, but to C-grade awakener Chairman Kim? No dice.
Realms, enlightenment, whatever—no way.
Lucky not to get labeled a cultist.
Fortunately, he was a bit disappointed but accepted the logic.
Family backing.
EX-grade skill’s amazing.
Raise him, he’ll earn his keep.
Family’s what it’s about.
So give me money.
The invincible five-step logic loosened the chairman’s purse strings…
―Since you awakened, go hard. You’re Ilsung’s only hope to shine.
[100,000,000,000 won deposited into Kim Minwoo’s account.]
First round of support: 100 billion secured.
‘Up to now, plan’s on track.’
Reason for revealing his grade to Chairman Kim? Simple.
He’d seen it over six years of playing.
Chairman Kim was a good father.
No backstabbing there.
And crucially…
‘Need money. Lots of it.’
He could’ve vaguely said A or S-grade and slid by.
But that’d mean modest support.
‘Not the big leagues.’
World’s only vs. just another prospect? Worlds apart in treatment.
First support might’ve been slashed from 100 billion.
Second, third rounds too.
Had to hunt outer gods within seven years.
Every day counted.
To surge ahead, bold moves.
‘This should do…’
At least enough for skull gear.
Chairman Kim gave more than money and cheers.
[Lowest-Grade Magic Power Pill]
[Grade: E]
[Required Level: 1+]
[Consuming slightly raises magic power. (Applies up to 50 stats)]
[Lowest-Grade Vitality Pill]
[Lowest-Grade Strength Pill]
[Lowest-Grade Agility Pill]
Mass-produced elixirs worth tens of millions to billions each—he got a heap.
“With this, all to 50… gotta be, right?”
Checking the effects.
Slightly raises stats.
That ‘slight’ varied by body and talent.
Genius body and talent? +1 per pill, skyrocketing.
But Kim Minwoo?
‘This guy’s iffy.’
He’d nearly emptied the low-grade elixir warehouse…
To him, these were lottery tickets.
Pray and force them down.
No wonder Sword Shadow Pills were rare treasures.
They guaranteed +10.
Even Ilsung had few.
‘Too tough to chase those yet.’
Ilsung had awakeners too.
They needed elixirs. Even the chairman couldn’t touch them easily.
‘Save for later.’
Prove himself, premiums would roll in.
He downed nearly hundreds…
“Ah.”
[Strength: 32] [Agility: 33] [Vitality: 34] [Magic Power: 35]
“Sorry, Chairman.”
Kim Minwoo’s talent exploded.
In the wrong direction.
‘Still, skill slots opened…’
Time to splurge on more elixirs.