The Desperate Mob and the Cursed Road Ahead
Deamon's Elite Skeleton Mage Summoning – Unique grade, active type. MP cost: 500.
Materials: One piece of Skeleton Mage bone, ten Unique-grade mana stones, fifty magic wood branches, one heart from any monster that can manipulate mana, three hundred Normal-grade mana stones, five flasks of ectoplasm solution, one flask of unicorn blood, and one tear.
Additional material required if using the soul: one soul from the Skeleton Mage. Cool-down: one week.
Effect: Summons an elite Skeleton Mage bound by soul to serve as a minion. Current summon limit: one elite Skeleton Mage.
Obtained at level 120 or above as a Necromancer class.
‘A bit much for materials, huh.’
The Skeleton Mage I saw on the wiki wasn’t this heavy.
‘Could it be because it’s a hidden skill? Even more demanding than normal ones.’
If this skill alone existed, the Necromancer class would have been buried long ago.
‘Almost all the materials are obtainable, but the issue is the Skeleton Mage’s remains.’
First, finding a Skeleton Mage isn’t easy. Magic requires intelligence, and those mages are usually locked in labs or dungeons.
The only accessible ones are goblins or orc shamans, but they’re too cheap to waste other ingredients on. At least I need something like a black mage from the fortresses to make it worthwhile.
‘One hell of a grind.’
Yet the novel has plenty of Skeleton Mages. Most of them are named bosses. I’d have to gather dozens and hunt them, which is faster than grinding myself right now.
Especially the soul requirement. Without one, I’d just get regular elite Skeleton Knights.
‘I need the soul. I don’t have enough info alone.’
‘If I ask Master Guld, he might know.’
A level-450 powerhouse NPC mentor. Aside from that rat-like face, he’s an absolute expert. He should know where to find a mage’s soul.
‘Speaking of which, there’s the Full Moon of Valpurga quest.’
Fafnir opened his status window.
Valpurga’s Night – Normal Grade
Objective: Attend the Valpurga’s Night gathering and enjoy the festival (0/1).
Description: Participate in the black mages’ gathering, report master’s news, and introduce yourself.
Reward: Experience, Renown +150, Intelligence Stat +1, possible registration in the academy’s lineage.
‘I have to pull this off.’
A content I occasionally see in mobile games – like a special shop.
No big immediate gain, but it gets more useful the more you visit it.
‘I should visit Master first.’
I’ve already built a base, so there’s nothing urgent.
Either way, I’ll have to leave the mountains to clear quests anyway.
‘Might as well grab some hidden pieces on the way!’
The moment Fafnir decided, he told the nearby people.
“Then I’ll go with you! I know the area well, so I’ll guide you to the local specialties too.”
Immediately Kindorhan raised his hand.
But Fafnir cut him off with a single stroke.
“It’s better for you to level up here. If you get caught by the Hwalbindang or Iron Blood Alliance and dragged into their mess, this base will get looted.”
For the same reason, he turned down Hilde and the others.
“Be careful. I just received a quest notice – the Church is already moving.”
Hilde looked at Fafnir with deep worry.
“If something happens, tell Archbishop Garzong of the Thor Church. Most problems should be overlooked.”
“Thank you for worrying so much.”
“What are you talking about? If it weren’t for you, we and our friends would be under Iron Blood control.”
Probably not even he could have stopped that, but Hilde’s group were guild owners in the top ten of the novel anyway.
After accepting the thanks, a strange sense of guilt surfaced.
“Anyway, I’m heading out. Have fun and farm well.”
“Yes, Fafnir-nim too!”
After bidding farewell to the group, Fafnir descended the mountain.
–Waaaa!
–Kwa!
Below the mountain, small-scale group wars raged everywhere.
Bandits or wild monsters blocking paths and hunting prey – nowhere was safe to walk.
‘Not like some night street in Indochina or South America…’
Fafnir rode the Skeleton Horse through the chaos. When rare monsters blocked the way, he would simply run away, knowing his master could mount the skeletal knight if needed.
In the original novel, Flush would always pull treasure from those low-level mobs, but Fafnir, the real protagonist, couldn’t count on that luck.
Occasionally he would intervene in battles between orc armies, wild monster packs, and the Hunter Corps, since he was strong enough now.
In the past he would have prepared, but now his strength was enough.
First, levels were sufficient. New equipment, strengthened Skeleton Knights, and even Skeleton Mage Mages were ready.
“1 to 5, you command each squad. Skeleton Knight, Bell, and Penelope, help the human soldiers.”
–Clack… (Yes.)
–Yes, we obey your orders.
–Your orders are still awkward to obey, but helping people is unavoidable.
After sending the minions away, Fafnir personally led the Skeleton Knights into battle.
“Charge! Don’t be afraid, advance!”
Fafnir didn’t spare the Skeleton Knights. They could be summoned again, so headcount wasn’t an issue.
–Lead the battle to victory.
–Earned contribution.
–Skeleton Mage Summon skill leveled up to 8.
–Number of summonable normal Skeleton Knights increased from 45 to 50.
–Normal Skeleton Knights’ strength +3%.
–Agility +2%.
–Endurance +3%.
Every time he led an invasion to victory, contribution and skill mastery rose.
–Clack… Clack… (Command… well done…)
–Clack! (Don’t push them too hard…)
Occasional loyalty drops in elite Skeleton Knights, but overall a huge success.
–Gained enlightenment during battle.
–New skill ‘Skeleton Mage Summon’ created.
Enlightenment during combat also created subordinate skills on the fly.
Dark Balls and Dark Arrows flew from the Skeleton Mages.
Previously all close-range, now they could handle ranged attacks too.
“I want to follow you.”
“In this era of war, to have a hero like you… I’ll treat you well. Come under me?”
As renown grew, kingdom soldiers and minor nobles wanted to join or serve under Fafnir.
“If you want to follow, head south. There are nobles fighting orcs there.”
“I already serve elsewhere, I can’t.”
Living NPCs were kicked out without mercy because their corpses caused trouble!
After being expelled several times, a new quest appeared.
Rebirth Army Promotion
Objective: Inform three nobles of the Kingdom Rebirth Army (0/3).
Description: Must announce the Kingdom Rebirth Army’s name to nobles across regions.
Reward: Experience, Contribution 1200, 15 gold.
‘So I get errands on the way out.’
Since it wasn’t timed, Fafnir kept walking toward Byron City.
After repeated fights, he always scanned surroundings.
“Huh? That’s…”
Fafnir’s eyes sharpened while riding the Skeleton Horse.
Orcs and monsters were attacking the line of users and NPC refugees.
“Archers, keep shooting! Mages, use swamp and bog spells!”
“Medic! Medic here!”
About fifty users were fighting, but the monsters numbered over five hundred – three times the scale of previous small battles.
Users were fighting desperately, but the numbers were overwhelming.
If Fafnir just passed by, the line would be wiped out by orcs instantly.
‘They’re guarding something that looks like a cart. They have supplies.’
Fafnir calculated in an instant.
‘If I help such a big group, the reward will be substantial.’
‘If the stance seems off, just loot like a Necromancer and done.’
Fafnir hardened his resolve and charged into battle.
“Follow me! Everyone, charge together!”
Fafnir broke straight through the enemy command post in one breath.
Around him, the Black Wind Storm, poison aura, and all kinds of debuffs spread.
–Kwaaah! Smash every Skeleton you come across!
Orcs charging into the Skeleton Knights clashed with a clank.
The strengthened Skeleton Knights didn’t fall easily.
–Kwa? These guys are tough!
Elite Skeleton Knights hunted the stunned orcs.
Meanwhile Fafnir targeted the orc commander and shaman himself.
–Pandemonium Nepenthe!
Kwaaang.
Every time the Pandemonium Nepenthe exploded, orc corpses rained down.
‘This equipment is insane.’
A light swing with the greatsword carved through orcs like tofu. Even those with defense skills split in half with their shields.
‘As expected for an Epic item, attack power skyrocketed.’
Plus the debuff effects broke the formation cleanly.
–Kwaaaah! I am the great warrior Kelly…
–Die!
Fafnir finished the boss before the orc could even reveal his name.
–Kwa, kwa? Retreating!
–Kwaaah!
The remaining orcs fled in panic.
With every shout from Fafnir, explosions ripped through the gathered monsters.
Fighting through five hundred orcs looked like a warrior or dark warrior, not a Necromancer.
–Earned experience.
–Acquired Blackwind Clan’s Spirit Nature Wand (Rare).
–Leveled up!
–Led Bravo Pass battle to victory.
–Earned experience.
–Total Contribution +1,500.
–Renown +250.
–Cleared through the heart of the orc army and eliminated the commander.
–Outstanding performance.
–Strength Stat +1.
–Charisma Stat +1.
New stats appeared after leading the battle to victory.
–Kwaaaah!
–Retreat!
The orcs still had numbers left, but with the commander dead, they scattered.
‘Another complete victory.’
Watching the fleeing orcs, it seemed nothing bigger would happen.
That was when a man approached from the line.
A young blond man in his early twenties.
“Um… are you a user?”
“Why, yes.”
“Oh, good.”
The young man bowed his head.
“Necromancers are rare, so I was worried. Thank you so much for helping.”
“We help each other. Then…”
No point staying around to ask for help.
Fafnir was about to move when the young man asked.
“Are you heading north?”
“Yes, but why…”
The moment he answered, the young man’s face froze.
“You can’t go that way. It’ll be bad.”
“What?”
Fafnir turned around sharply.
“You don’t know? The north is already a mess. An orc gang has occupied and set up at Nevermoor Inn. They’re not normal strong either.”
The orcs had occupied a single gate in the north and blocked it.
That was why the people here couldn’t move forward or backward.
“Did the lord send out a Hunter Corps?”
“They did, but the Hunter Corps was captured by orcs.”
“Hmm…”
‘Orcs capturing Hunter Corps?’
Fafnir’s eyes lit up.