Chapter 81: Second Arrangement (7)
The skeletons had picked up a ton of skills in the meantime. Crafting, alchemy, combat techniques—you name it.
‘The mages got a bit neglected, though.’
Even Kim Minwoo had to admit that.
But it couldn’t be helped.
Regular skeletons, which could be summoned in twice the numbers, were far easier to train.
That held true for most fields.
Except for one.
If there was a domain where mages held an absolute edge, it was magic.
‘So if I want to make use of the mages, I have to teach them magic…’
Easier said than done.
Teaching magic in the real world was straight-up insane to begin with.
Magic was one of the toughest subjects out there. And now a skull was going to learn magic that even humans couldn’t master?
The ripple effect would be dozens of times bigger than clearing an A-rank gate.
You couldn’t ask for that unless it was someone you could truly trust.
Which meant you usually had to scout teachers from gates.
Mages were mostly found in fantasy-world gates.
But in those worlds, summoning skeletons was often outright banned.
They were typically seen as minions of evil, and religious orders would come to purge them.
Even if summoning was allowed, it was hard to picture haughty mages tutoring skulls.
The dwarves and elves had taught crafting because the roles and setting lined up perfectly.
Magic would need the same kind of fit for anyone to even attempt it.
‘Lucky that the School of Death was around.’
A world where skeleton summoning was possible.
With mages who specialized in related spells.
And those mages desperately wanted something Kim Minwoo had.
It was basically a stroke of fate for him. Thanks to that, he could finally give his mages magic lessons.
‘Any other school, and it’d be impossible.’
Days of nonstop lessons later.
The practice period arrived.
[‘Hail’ has comprehended the essence of ‘Corpse Explosion Magic’!]
[Condensed experience forges a new skill!]
[Skeleton mages can now use Corpse Explosion (F)!]
[Lightning-fast inspiration surges through all mages!]
[Comprehended the essence of ‘Magic Circle Formation’!]
[Comprehended the essence of ‘Rain of Bones’!]
[Comprehended the essence of ‘Bone Shield’!]
[Comprehended the essence of ‘Blind’!]
Teach one, learn ten.
Just like the saying, the moment Hail mastered one spell, a chain reaction of insights exploded.
‘Probably because they learned multiple spells from the same school.’
Spells from a single school were interconnected by nature. That must’ve enabled the explosive growth.
He checked the skill window.
[Skeleton Mage Summon (E)+9]
[Skill maxed out.]
[Consumes 20 mana to summon 2 (1+1) level 32 skeleton mages.]
[* Possesses Corpse Explosion (F), Magic Circle Formation (F), Rain of Bones (F), Bone Shield (F), Blind (F)]
[Corpse Explosion (F): Explode a corpse for massive damage.]
[Magic Circle Formation (F): Form a magic circle to combine multiple casters’ spells into one.]
[Rain of Bones (F): Summon a rain of sharp bones over an area.]
[Bone Shield (F): Create a shield made of bone.]
[Blind (F): Curse the target to obscure their vision.]
‘Oh, lucky.’
Corpse Explosion looked like a spell with endless uses at a glance.
Magic Circle Formation was the same. Combining spells from multiple casters? Each might be a 1, but stack 100 or 200?
‘The power would skyrocket.’
It might even produce magic capable of taking down high-level monsters.
Rain of Bones…
‘This one’s like a wide-area nuke.’
Bone Shield was your standard defensive spell, and Blind capped it off as a vision-debilitating curse.
Five solid spells they’d use often.
The professors watching the mages cast spells lit up with excitement.
“My god! They’re actually learning magic!”
“The potential is enormous! If we could summon undead like these…”
“The School of Death could dominate the mage world! Haha!”
The professors looked thrilled, like they were living vicariously.
Summoning undead might be possible with some luck.
But summoning ones that could learn?
‘Probably impossible.’
That was the Death Lord’s prerogative.
No way it’d come easy.
Still, he didn’t burst their bubble. There were plenty more spells to learn, and their passion needed to stay fired up.
He looked at them.
“Professors. I’m heading out for practice soon.”
“Th-then… do you have to take the undead too?”
“At your level, you’re guaranteed first place even without these mages.”
“Please! Don’t drag these good kids into a warzone!”
The professors gazed at him with desperate eyes.
“Alright. Unless it’s an emergency, I won’t unsummon them.”
Magic lessons weren’t exactly common. Better absorb everything he could while the opportunity lasted.
He’d take first place either way, summons or not. Just Cedric and Dolsae would do.
He nodded.
Only then did smiles creep onto the professors’ faces.
* * *
The Demon Forest, not far from the academy.
Students began moving in pairs under the professors’ guidance, soon spotting the watchtowers encircling the woods.
―Kyu.
Hayangi let out a cry from his shoulder at the sight of the forest.
Still, the students paid it no mind.
They’d naturally folded Hayangi into the group over the past few days.
Introducing it as a pet bird, everyone just accepted it.
No big deal for a duke’s rich kid to have an exotic bird, right?
Merhen was no different. The professors halted before the watchtowers.
“You’ll now enter the practical exam in pairs. It’s simple: survive in this forest for a week! Bonus points based on the types and numbers of monsters you hunt.”
The students nodded.
As an annual event, everyone knew the drill.
The professors handed out the first crystal orbs.
“These measure bonus points. Slay a monster, and its demonic energy gets sucked in. The darker the color, the higher the score.”
Each pair then received a special second orb.
“In emergencies, pour mana into this. It’ll trigger top-tier defensive magic to keep you safe.”
One professor said confidently. The orb’s barrier could withstand an ogre’s blows for at least half a day.
And that wasn’t all.
Activating it sent an instant rescue signal.
The waiting knight and mage squads would then mobilize.
The academy spared no expense on safety.
It had to—most students here were from prestigious families.
Future powerhouses, no less. Ignoring safety would be weirder.
‘These things must cost a fortune.’
Kim Minwoo thought, eyeing the enchanted orb. Probably billions in Korean won each.
‘Explains the insane tuition.’
The professor pointed to the forest.
“Enter.”
Kim Minwoo and Merhen stepped inside.
The other students followed.
He turned to Merhen, already shivering.
“We’re barely at the entrance. Relax, or you’ll cramp up.”
“Y-you think it’s that easy? Trolls showed up here last year…”
“Trolls? You used the orb, then?”
“… Yeah.”
“What rotten luck.”
Kim Minwoo chuckled.
The Demon Forest wasn’t that tough. If it teemed with powerhouse monsters, they wouldn’t leave a training ground this close.
They’d have purged them and walled it off with more than just watchtowers.
Trolls were rare outliers.
Even if one appeared, students could handle it.
‘Time to grind some levels.’
Deeper in, blackened, withered plants appeared.
Merhen gulped and warned.
“Watch out. Demonic energy affects everything from here on.”
“Monsters get stronger too?”
“Yeah. The more exposed, the more twisted and vicious they get.”
More exp, then.
Time to push deeper.
Soon, they spotted a monster pack in the distance.
―Kikik!
Cunning laughter echoed.
Small figures darted around a demon-tainted tree.
‘Gremlins.’
Winged goblin-like demons.
Charge in thinking goblin, and you’d get shredded.
Average level near 170.
He summoned Cedric.
The skeleton glanced around, locking eyes with Merhen.
Silence held briefly.
Cedric spoke, facing them.
―… It’s been a while. Master, on an arrangement mission?
Kim Minwoo nodded.
Merhen’s eyes widened at the talking skull.
Word was out that Kern summoned undead.
But it barely caused a stir in the academy.
Not high-tier undead—just basic skeletons.
From the mage world’s view, it was a minor school’s magic.
Knights didn’t care, mages shrugged.
New breakthroughs in Death School? Not their problem.
Merhen had brushed it off too.
But.
“Th-they talk?”
A talking skeleton was a shock.
Cedric gave a dry chuckle at her wide-eyed stare.
―… Well. She looks every bit the lady now.
“Never seen one before?”
―No. I joined the Lord much later.
“… What are you two talking about?”
“Nothing.”
Kim Minwoo shook his head.
Couldn’t exactly spoil her undead future.
“Stay put. I’ll hunt.”
“… Okay.”
Just in case, he summoned Dolsae too and left it with her.
Startled by the sudden monster, Merhen soon relaxed and stuck by the golem.
“Let’s go.”
―Right.
He and Cedric charged the gremlin pack.
―Kikit!
The gremlins shrieked, spears thrusting as they flew. Magic blasts from their hands were a bonus.
Demonic taint made them sharper than in gates.
But still.
He casually deflected fire arrows with his blade.
Then severed necks.
Nearly twenty gremlins massacred in seconds. No contest on stats alone.
[Level up by 1!]
Fresh exp boost meant an instant level.
Battle over quick.
Demonic energy flowed into the orb, tinting it faintly dark.
―20 points.
The number appeared.
‘1 point per gremlin?’
Then.
Gremlin blood on the ground surged toward his necromantic sword. Corpses withered like mummies.
[The necromantic sword absorbs the prey’s blood! (20/10,000)]
‘Gotta kill to count.’
Made sense.
The description specified ‘upon hunting’ foes at or above your level.
It hadn’t absorbed Jo Pilwook’s blood because he wasn’t fully finished.
‘Good news, though…’
Not just his kills—Cedric’s too. Summons counted as kills?
‘Grinding just got way easier.’
Ten thousand kills.
Might be smoother than expected.
“Merhen.”
“Y-yeah!”
She snapped out of her daze from the swift slaughter.
“We’re heading deeper.”
“I-isn’t that dangerous?”
“Gotta lock in first place. Right?”
“Y-yeah…”
She gulped and nodded.