Chapter 66
-----------------------------------------------------------------
Translator: 8uhl
Chapter: 66
Chapter Title: Mingwang (2)
-----------------------------------------------------------------
As soon as the topic of "problems" came up, Mingwang let out a deep sigh after a moment of contemplation.
"Hmm, there are three for now. Which one do you want to hear first?"
"...You have to tell me what the three are first."
"Ah."
Mingwang chuckled awkwardly at Kang Sa-hu's point, then held up three fingers.
"First, the awakened Necromancers."
The first finger folded down.
"Second, the Gates appearing in the Necromancer Society."
The second finger folded.
"And finally, the problems arising in the Necromancer Society because of that."
"......"
Kang Sa-hu pressed his throbbing temple upon hearing three major issues that none could ignore.
But just hearing the names of the problems allowed him to infer what kinds of issues had cropped up.
"I'll hear them in order. I expected some awakened Awakeners among the Necromancers. So, the resulting problem is that these awakened Necromancers are drawn more to their awakened powers than to Necromancer magic, right?"
"Huh?! How did you know?"
Mingwang looked dejected, surprised that Kang Sa-hu had pinpointed the issue so accurately.
"Yeah. From what I've heard, awakening boosts physical abilities tremendously, and you can wield far stronger powers through skills than Necromancer magic with ease. Because of that, many awakened Necromancers are relying on their awakened powers instead of learning magic or building knowledge."
Kang Sa-hu nodded bitterly, confirming his prediction had come true.
"Yes, I understand. If you can grow stronger easily and quickly, it's only natural to be drawn to it."
Not just Necromancers—Sorceresses and Knights of the Round Table had to grind through bone-shattering efforts for a single skill-equivalent power.
For Sorceresses, it meant honing affinity, resonance, and dominance over the elements in nature.
For Knights of the Round Table, daily aerobic and anaerobic training, mastery of cold weapons like swords and spears, and achievements befitting their prestige.
And for Necromancers, magic required not only handling magic circles, Spirits, and Qi/Mana, but also detailed anatomical knowledge, characteristics of the human body, and skills in manipulating bones, blood, and muscles.
Even enduring such grueling training for a lifetime offered no guarantee of attaining even one such power.
The vast majority struggled to master a single spell perfectly, and casting it demanded dozens of preparations—an utter inefficiency.
In short, the efficiency and cost-performance were worlds apart.
"Come to think of it, you awakened too, Sa-hu. Have you grown more accustomed to your awakened powers over Necromancer magic now...?"
Mingwang gazed at him pitifully, her eyes brimming with bloody tears. Kang Sa-hu quickly shook his head.
"No. In my case, I did the opposite at first—minimized use of my awakened powers and mainly relied on Necromancer magic."
"...Huh? Why?"
Mingwang was flustered. She hadn't expected Kang Sa-hu to cling to Necromancer magic, which was hard to manifest properly without Spirits, over the convenient awakened power—even though she'd said it herself.
"Because I didn't know what that power was. When a monster was charging right at me, it was natural to reach for the ability I knew best."
"Fair enough. My Kang Sa-hu is the Necromancer I personally dubbed the strongest in history!"
Mingwang clapped delightedly, thrilled that his Necromancer identity hadn't wavered despite awakening.
Kang Sa-hu gave a small smile in return, but inwardly resolved.
'I shouldn't mention that I'm currently focusing on my awakened abilities and minimizing Necromancer magic.'
When his sister, Kang Ji-ye, had suggested not sending Hunters' Spirits off with a farewell rite but capturing them for Necromancer magic...
He knew it stemmed from worry that without Spirits, Necromancer magic couldn't be used properly, and relying on degraded mana-based spells would hit a limit eventually.
Yet Kang Sa-hu had stuck to his convictions and performed the farewell rites on the Hunters' Spirits.
Still, he acknowledged her concerns had merit. So he'd made a choice and decided to focus on it.
That was honing a combat style actively using his awakened physical prowess, skills, and weapons.
Explaining that background would make Mingwang understand and accept it, but in the current situation, it would surely hurt her feelings.
With that thought concluded, Kang Sa-hu returned to the original topic and pondered the phenomenon of awakened Necromancers abandoning their Necromancer path.
"But this doesn't seem like a problem unique to us. Aren't the Sorceresses, Druids... and even the Knights of the Round Table facing something similar?"
Kang Sa-hu considered mentioning the Vatican Paladins but held back.
Vatican Paladins were beings bound tightly by faith and conviction.
Even if they awakened, they wouldn't reject the power—they'd interpret it as "Ooh, a blessing descended from the Lord in response to your piety!" and embrace it fully.
But Mingwang shook her head at his question.
"No, not at all. Druids are wanderers who don't settle, so it's hard to say for sure. But the Sorceresses are actually excited and researching a system where they can cast high-level spells instantly without incantations."
Kang Sa-hu was startled by how the Sorceresses approached the same issue so differently. Mingwang continued.
"You haven't made your name as big as yours yet, Sa-hu, but there's this hidden gem whose reputation has spread among knowledgeable Hunters. Of course, quite a few are people you know, Sa-hu."
Kang Sa-hu easily accepted her explanation, recalling the talents in other organizations.
Just as he'd earned the title of history's strongest Necromancer, it was natural for others to have standouts too.
As he rested his chin, pondering that anew, Mingwang went on.
"And for the Knights of the Round Table, it's split. Awakeners with physical enhancements are welcomed and use that power as fuel to become knights. Those with magical abilities are popular at Merlin's School of Magic."
The Knights pursued extreme physical training, so they were highly favorable toward Awakeners who grew stronger through training and hunting.
Plus, if they had magic, even if not suited for knighthood, they could bloom at Merlin's school—the legendary wizard and King Arthur's right hand.
They had every reason to welcome Awakeners.
"And finally... those bastards? Predictable. They interpret everything as their god's will and design."
Mingwang's face soured recalling the Vatican Paladins, a rough curse slipping out.
Resonating with her rising anger, ripples briefly disturbed the steady power emanating from the magic circle supporting the entire chamber.
Feeling it, Mingwang took a deep breath to quickly calm herself.
Over 400 years, layers of resentment and fury toward Paladins had built up. Yet, having lived that long, she could compose herself swiftly.
"Phew. Sorry, Sa-hu."
"I'm fine."
Another Necromancer might have vomited blood from the intensified Spirits and Qi/Mana from the ripple, but not Kang Sa-hu.
Mingwang felt a swell of emotion seeing him—the only one besides the elders who could withstand her emotional fluctuations.
"The Sa-hu who used to comfort me through my Death Knights when I cried lost and alone... when did you grow so much?"
"That's over 25 years ago."
Mingwang reminisced about an embarrassing memory from when he was 2—one he couldn't even recall or verify. Kang Sa-hu looked serious.
Rarely seeing him stern, Mingwang burst laughing before turning grave again.
"Anyway, that's the situation. Necromancers use such unique, independent abilities that even awakening doesn't overlap much. So they focus on awakened powers instead of learning our magic and techniques."
"And most awakened Necromancers have left the Society, right?"
Mingwang nodded emphatically.
"Yes, and that's the bigger issue. Plus, awakening seems to favor the talented—most who awakened were already skilled..."
Her voice trailed off glumly.
Hearing the full situation, Kang Sa-hu pondered.
Was there a way to overcome this?
But knowing he was exceptionally talented and passionate among Necromancers, he couldn't offer easy answers.
Unable to find a solution despite brooding, he shifted focus as usual—not dwelling on the unsolvable, but to the others.
"So, what are the second and third?"
"Mm, not easy ones either... Anyway, at some point, Gates started appearing intermittently here in the Necromancer Society."
Mingwang began explaining in detail.
It was lengthy, but in summary: From some point on, Gates had begun spawning in the Society.
The problem was that awakened Necromancers who chose Hunter life over Necromancer abandoned it entirely.
With no way to enter Gates, they couldn't clear them—always waiting for Gate Breaks, then cleaning up monsters spilling into reality afterward.
And this second issue led to the third.
With frequent Gate Breaks, Mingwang's summons alone weren't enough—even Necromancers had to join forces against monsters, resulting in heavy casualties.
Worse, Necromancer magic relied on Spirits at its core, but Gate monsters had none—a huge problem.
They couldn't fight properly; fights brought constant minor wounds at best, deaths at worst. This drove many to leave the Society.
"So there's a Gate scheduled to break right now?"
Kang Sa-hu asked, startled. Surprisingly, Mingwang shook her head.
"No. It got too serious, so I blocked them for now. No new Gates have spawned recently for some reason, but holding them back is reaching its limit..."
"Wait, Mingwang. What do you mean by 'blocking' the Gates?"
Her explanation—that Gates appeared unpredictably and unenterable without being Hunters—contradicted "blocking" them. Kang Sa-hu asked, baffled.
To his question, Mingwang waved it off casually.
"Eh, 'blocking' is a nice way to put it. Truth is, I'm just delaying their opening. I figured it out experimenting: Gates with Spirits overlaid on them don't Break over time."
"...You overlaid... Spirits...?"
With an inkling, Kang Sa-hu realized the shocking truth in her nonchalant reply.
The only way to prevent Gate Breaks indefinitely.
Having Hunters enter and survive inside.
'But Spirits can't awaken, obviously. So does the Gate recognize the overlaid 'Spirit' itself as a Hunter?'
As Kang Sa-hu's expression grew grave, Mingwang panicked.
"Wha—Sa-hu, what's wrong? Some problem?"
"No, not a problem—more like a very important 'truth' or 'secret'."
"Truth? Secret?"
Mingwang blinked in confusion. Kang Sa-hu gazed at her seriously.
"Mingwang, does 'reaching the limit' mean you're at your capacity holding the Gates back?"
"Huh? Yeah. Numbers and ranks being what they are."
"Then clearing the Gates would ease your burden. And solve two problems at once, perfectly."
"R...ight?"
As Mingwang puzzled over his intent,
Kang Sa-hu nodded with resolve.
"Let me clear that Gate for you instead."