Back to Seungcheon Tower

Seungcheon Tower, revisited after a full month.

The nostalgia... wasn't particularly overwhelming.

Ever since hitting level 50 back in my E-rank days, coming here once a month only to slip and fail had become my routine.

"A mighty power can be felt here," Ingrid murmured in admiration from beside me.

"This must be your first time seeing it."

Come to think of it, she hadn't been around for the D-rank exam.

Haha. I alone have witnessed my Lord's exploits.

Don't go taking pride in something like that.

"Tsk."

Why get jealous over that of all things?

Creak—

A coffee truck was parked near Seungcheon Tower.

"Wishing Hunter Park every success in his S-rank promotion!"

For some reason, the driver seemed more fired up than I was.

It was a ten-minute walk to the tower itself. As I strolled along at my usual leisurely pace, I felt eyes gathering on us.

"Yeah, I'm the Guro-dong Necroman—"

"Whoa. She's gorgeous."

"Is she a model?"

"I haven't heard of any celebrities awakening as hunters lately."

"Who is she? Feels like someone you'd see on Enstar, but I don't recognize her."

Ah.

So today's main character wasn't me after all.

Sorry about that. I've been catching a bit of protagonist syndrome lately.

"Oh my. Everyone's looking at Master."

No.

They're looking at you, not me.

"Huh? Why?"

"Maybe take a look in a mirror."

I tried phrasing it indirectly, but she showed no sign of understanding.

"A lot of the guys are staring."

"Ah. I don't really know much about men."

"?"

"The Witch Order only accepts women, you see."

Ingrid had been part of the Witch Order since childhood. As a result, she'd barely ever had dealings with men in her life.

Hmm.

Given that even the vision I'd seen of her ended with her dying young, it made sense.

"Huh."

Basically the same situation as a priest who'd spent his entire life in a monastery. I was so surprised I was left speechless.

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"Hohoho. No need to worry."

"Worry about what?"

"I'm well aware that my appearance is beautiful."

"······."

She wasn't wrong.

Yet somehow it still rubbed me the wrong way.

You magic-user! How dare you snatch away the attention and praise that should rightfully go to my Lord!

"Ah. I'm sorry."

No.

Feel free to take some of the attention.

You two bicker just fine on your own.

Why did you have to go and acknowledge it?

"Wait. The guy next to her—isn't that the Guro-dong Necromancer?"

"You're right."

"Is the Guro-dong Necromancer involved with her somehow?"

"Whoa. I'm jealous."

"Hey. You've got your own girlfriend right there—what are you jealous about?"

"Ah. Aah."

Finally looking this way, are we?

No.

Actually, you don't even need to look at me. Looking at Ingrid is fine, but since we're together it's the same thing either way.

Tsk.

As the surrounding attention began to focus on us—

"Hunter Park Minho!"

"Guro-dong Necromancer! Are you participating in this promotion exam?"

"There's speculation that last month's S-rank promotee was you—could you give us a comment!"

Reporters came swarming in as well.

Wow.

Seriously.

Getting bombarded with questions from reporters right before a promotion exam was supposed to be the exclusive privilege of popular hunters, wasn't it?

Tsk. This is all wrong.

"Right? People are making way too big a fuss."

Had I known my Lord would come, I would have laid out a red carpet to receive him properly.

Ah.

Aah.

I had underestimated Dame Isra.

"It will be so soon enough. No—I shall make it so myself."

You magic-user. Spreading my Lord's renown is my duty.

"Hmph. Want to bet on who performs better?"

Very well. A contest it is.

Please don't get fired up over something like that.

I'm begging you.

Click! Click!

Flashes went off from every direction. The number of reporters only grew; there was no sign of them thinning out.

I'd have to say a word or two if I wanted a path to open up.

"I'll take two questions, then I'm heading in for the exam."

"Hunter Park!"

"Kim Sihyeon from the Korea Daily!"

"We're from the Goryeo Daily······."

Even reporters from major outlets were here. Well, monthly promotion exams were always a hot topic, so it made sense that the big papers would send people.

"The reporter in the blue clothes?"

"Kim Changsik from Nuri Daily. Were you last month's S-rank promotee!"

"Yes. That was me."

The reporters fell silent as if cold water had been dumped over them.

My identity as the Guro-dong Necromancer was fairly well known by now. ‍‍‌‌⁠​​⁠‌​​‍​​‍​‌​⁠‍‌‍⁠⁠‌⁠‌‍‌‍‌‌‌‍⁠​‌​‌​‌‍‌‌‌⁠‍​​‌‍⁠‌‌⁠⁠But the fact that I was an S-rank promotee hadn't been officially confirmed.

It wasn't that I'd deliberately kept it quiet. More accurately, I'd simply never had the chance.

Was not public opinion already certain that my Lord was the S-rank promotee?

It just hadn't been made official.

"Me! Me! Me!"

"Go ahead."

"Oh Hyeonsu from Newsweek. You're challenging the next rank immediately after promoting to D-rank, correct?"

"Yes."

"Could you give us your expected grade!"

Well.

President Baek had hyped me up so much that my sense of scale was a bit numb, but still—B-rank or higher should come out, right?

I wouldn't fail like I used to in my E-rank days.

Without much thought, just aiming to at least avoid an F—

"Eh······"

The moment I opened my mouth—

"Eh, S! You're confident of S on your very first challenge?"

No.

When did I ever say that?

"Hunter Park Minho. Quite the ambition."

"Confident of S-rank, is he?"

"Even Jeong Sinhо didn't clear it until his second try, did he?"

That's not what I—

You people!!

"Hohoho. For my Master, it is only natural."

"Master?"

Question marks popped up over every reporter's head at once.

One of them asked,

"What is your relationship with Hunter Park Minho, the person beside you?"

"He is the Master who owns my body and soul."

Ah.

I immediately recalled Ingrid and waved my hands dismissively.

"No more questions, right? I'm heading in."

"H-Hunter Park Minho!!!"

"Guro-dong Necromancer!!!"

A very short press conference.

Somehow...

I had a feeling I'd screwed up.

After entering Seungcheon Tower, I belatedly realized the mistake I'd just made.

"I should've just said she was a summon."

Ugh.

Stupid. So stupid.

I'd explained it perfectly fine as a summon to President Baek. Why freeze up in front of the reporters?

No.

Thinking about it, wasn't it that reporter's fault for mishearing F as S?

The sudden preemptive strike had left me unable to collect my thoughts. Then Ingrid's bombshell statement hit as a one-two punch, and I couldn't even get a word out.

Hahaha. It was quite a sight watching them all scramble to get a word in with my Lord.

Hing. I was surprised when I suddenly got reverse-summoned.

So they could convey their will through thoughts inside Death Space.

I'd picked up one small piece of information.

Hoo.

Calm down.

If I failed the promotion exam after all this, how embarrassing would that be?

I'd heard those exact words once a month for years on end.

"Hmm. The C-rank exam lines sure sound sweet."

Are you all right? It is the same line as last time, yet you speak thus—I find myself concerned.

Dame Isra.

Could you stay quiet for a moment?

Wooooong!

With a bright light, byproducts from monster corpses appeared in the open clearing.

······.

The countdown began.

One more hour than last time.

The topic is identical to the E-rank exam, so passage is assured!

"I wonder."

Could you not simply craft the same undead?

"I'm D-rank now."

Using the given materials to create the most powerful undead possible.

If I made a zombie like last exam, I'd fail spectacularly.

Crafting Draco would guarantee a pass, but without any byproducts containing dragon essence, that was impossible.

"Let's give it a shot."

Three hours would be plenty.

I pulled out the portable forge I'd packed in my subspace carrier.

Clang! Claaang!

I processed the bones.

I laid mana circuits through the muscles.

You intend to craft an Armed Zombie Warrior, I see.

Won't there be a bit too little bone for the armor?

Don't worry.

I'll just spread it thin.

As long as the "concept" of an Armed Zombie Warrior holds, it'll be fine.

My senses, sharpened even further after modifying Ingrid, gave me the conviction that I could craft it without issue even if the materials weren't perfect.

Clang!

The moment I gripped the hammer, the tension melted away like snow.

I formed the frame of the zombie warrior, then connected the bone armor and main body with mana circuits.

"Open your eyes."

"Guuuuu!"

Whew.

Success.

It had been close with the materials running short, but after crafting a bone axe as well, I still had about ten minutes left.

Master! Please call me out.

"There's nothing particular for you to help with?"

I was going to fan you.

Ah.

I'm fine.

I'll take the thought for it.

Sitting in place and cooling the sweat, the remaining ten minutes flew by.

First stage passed, then.

As expected of Master!

I've! Been through! This situation! Plenty of times!

I couldn't let my guard down.

If they tested control ability like in the D-rank exam, the second stage would be a guaranteed S-rank too—but would they really give such an obvious test?

All remaining byproducts in the clearing vanished, and a Skeleton Knight appeared in their place.

A C-rank undead monster.

It wore equipment a tier stronger than a Skeleton Soldier and, though it held an axe, it possessed proper swordsmanship as an undead.

The test content wasn't to win, but to endure as long as possible.

In other words, this wasn't a foe they expected you to take down.

But.

"Keh-geh-gel."

"Guuuk."

They never said not to kill it either, did they?

"Destroy the enemy."

"Guuuuu."

The Armed Zombie Warrior charged straight ahead.

Clang!

A sharply honed blade sliced into the bone armor.

Limited materials, plus an untested alloy method—defense was a bit lacking as a result.

"Even better."

The Armed Zombie Warrior charged in without even glancing at the blade embedded in its body.

The Skeleton Knight put strength into recovering its sword.

Screeech—

All it produced was an irritating noise.

The bone blade didn't budge an inch.

The body, reinforced by the expanded mana circuits. Bone armor and muscle clamped down on the blade.

At the same time—

Crunch!

A strike mimicking the principles of Imperial Swordsmanship rocked the Skeleton Knight's torso.

No skill had been added, so there were no bonus effects to expect. Even so—just as the same force could produce different power depending on posture—the Armed Zombie Warrior hammered the Skeleton Knight with clean, efficient form.

Crunch! Crunch!

"Keh-geh-gel!"

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The Skeleton Knight yanked free the sword stuck in its body and opened distance.

Too late.

Exactly.

Its body was already in tatters—how free could its movements be?

Had it leveraged its characteristic agility, my Lord's servant would have struggled considerably.

No sooner had those words ended than—

Crunch!

The bone axe buried itself in the Skeleton Knight's head.

Promotion.

Is it really okay for it to be this easy?