Chapter 160
Chapter 160
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 160
Chapter Title: Necromancer #3
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"Fuckin' zombie bastard! Get over here and stand straight in the middle, you hear me? Or else...!"
Or else what?
I glanced at Luna to ask for her opinion, and she yelled out.
"Threaten to smack his head! Twice! No, three times!"
Luna really knew what I was thinking just from my look sometimes. She seemed pretty damn smart.
"Yeah! Fuck, I'm gonna smack your head three times!"
?Grrooo, uwaaa...
Maybe he got scared by my threat with Luna's advice, but the dead Ismail stood obediently in the cramped magic circle.
Whew, what would I have done if the threat hadn't worked? I didn't even want to imagine it.
Woooong...
Soon, the magic circle under his feet began emitting a strange, bluish glow. Sensing the danger, Ismail started trembling violently and freaking out.
- Grrooo, uu, uwaaaak!!!!
Fuck, that's scary. Is this how beast tamers feel training lions or tigers? I really respect those guys now.
"Stay still! I said stay fuckin' still! That's an order. Shit!"
They'd have know-how for handling savage monsters like this, but with zero experience, I was just screaming in panic.
- Or... order...
At least it was a relief that he stopped moving at my clumsy threat?
My mind was spinning from this bizarre dynamic. Once could be coincidence, but twice listening to me? No way.
"Th-this bastard's actually listening to me, right? Did I steal control over this fucker?"
Just to be sure, I asked, and Luna paused her gloomy chant, stood up, and showed me her open palm.
"Hassan! For Hassan to control a zombie! That's something only high-ranking shamans of the Tatari tribe can do! How the hell did you pull that off?"
"I dunno! Anyway, it's solved!"
Clap-.
Luna and I high-fived like a great team. Then Paranoya freaked out in panic.
"Ah, the spell isn't finished yet...! The control transfer hasn't even started...!"
"What the fuck! So this bastard's still dangerous? Sit down, you! Sit or I'll beat the shit outta you!"
I gripped my club, ready to swing if needed.
Luckily, my threat worked, and dead Ismail bent his legs and sat properly in the magic circle.
-Grrooo....
Aha.
Now I get it.
Dead guys fear violence too, for sure. This guy's scared of my powerful, special club.
And this isn't just any club—it's the blessed olive wood club named Terror crusher.
Maybe swinging this club is the right way to solve most problems? I'm a genius.
"Summoning the dead... Heretic sorcery is as creepy as ever. Convert Paranoya, looks like you had some talent after all?"
Hippolyte had sidled up beside me, watching with narrowed eyes. She even sheathed her sword with a shing-.
The situation wasn't over yet, but was she putting the sword away already? I was about to subtly ask her to keep it out when she spoke first.
"Can you make him extend his hand?"
"His hand?"
"I want to check if he's under control."
"Right. Hey, hand. Extend your right hand."
Ismail, sitting on the floor, obediently extended his right hand. Fuck, scary and amazing.
"Oh, he's really obeying. There are occasional beast tamers among adventurers, but controlling undead? I've only seen Pluto cultists do it."
"Hey, left hand too."
I took the chance to make him extend his left hand as well.
Swoosh.
Out came the left hand.
-Grrooo...
He seemed obedient, but that cruel, savage face made my legs shake.
Like I was a Taoist from old Hong Kong movies commanding jiangshi. Exactly that vibe.
People obeying my orders. Is this what power-tripping feels like? Have I finally reached that level? Sure, it was a heartless zombie, but still.
Not just any zombie—a super zombie. I could brag anywhere.
But Hippolyte disagreed a bit.
"Hassan, we should keep this quiet. If word gets out you're involved in necromancy, it won't end well."
"...You think?"
"Pluto's temple knights might come knocking. I'd rather avoid tangling with them."
The temple knights were like prosecutors back on Earth—packing massive power, each one highly skilled.
"We'll dispose of him here. Convert Paranoya, can you undo the necromancy?"
Dispose.
Relief washed over me, but also regret. A sturdy undead obeying me? Free labor like that doesn't come often.
Necromancer undead don't eat, don't tire, and work diligently without whining, even without whips.
The perfect part-timer.
The perfect slave.
I'd imagined adventuring with this undead handling chores.
Disarming traps, carrying gear—all the annoying, dangerous stuff. Even pitching tents.
Fuck, but he's an undead from forbidden dark magic.
Can't use him for personal crap.
"Silence Voodoo-!"
-Guek!
In the end, his head got smashed by Luna's silence totem.
Royal Guard.
Some high-tier undead, apparently. But against Luna's thick silence totem, finished with onyx interior? No chance.
Come to think of it, Luna easily smashed the undead zombie that heretic voodoo shaman Somnia raised with her silence totem.
If it was an undead the silence totem could drop, fuck, we didn't need all this hassle from the start, right?
* * *
"Nine-headed monster, underground despair Hydra... Twisting heads..."
"Six-foot tall black-haired Samaritan... Big thick club-"
Bards shouting on every street corner, songs noisy as hell. Lyrics and tunes all over the place. But the stories were mostly the same.
Black-haired Samaritan who fought the nine-headed Hydra.
Two days after I left the underground,
Word spread like wildfire among bards, hustlers, and gossiping sycophants that the thief guild Hydra ruling the underground market was wiped out.
And the one who solved it wasn't Calcuta's veteran team White Rose, or gold-tier adventurer Hippolyte, but.
"Look, over there. Black hair, hunchback. Samaria's Hassan, right?"
"They say he took down the thief guild Hydra!"
Me, Samaria's Hassan.
The disbanded thief guild Hydra followed my order to "spread that Samaria's Hassan beat us-" perfectly, so this happened.
Walking the slums, people whispering behind me tickled my nape, but it didn't feel bad.
Plus, it wasn't exaggerated rumor—I really disbanded the thief guild, so I could hold my head high.
"The thief guild boss had nine heads, they say?"
"Poison fangs that kill a bull with one graze!"
"Beat that thing barehanded! Samaritans are fearsome warriors!"
Of course, weird bullshit rumors spread too.
No official announcement, so as stories passed mouth-to-mouth, tellers added their flair and hype.
"Samaritan, you're getting full hero treatment."
Hippolyte, patrolling with me to nab thief guild remnants, grumbled at the whispers.
"But hey, not a bad story. Famous Mars Guild adventurer boosts our guild's stock."
She chuckled soon after.
She seemed thrilled thinking her stocks would rise, so no interest in correcting the obvious weird rumors.
Anyway, thanks to chatterbugs like Malco, news of the guild's disbandment spread across Sodomora in under a day.
"Extra! Extra! Thief guild tied to west gate clerk!"
"Fleur Baron's missing statue, Goddess's Tear, back home!"
Kids hawking crudely printed papers ran around excitedly at the rare scoop.
"No more tax-dodging underground market. Fuck those cheap stolen goods bastards. Serves 'em right."
"Fuck, no more protection racket thugs. Business might pick up now."
"Never thought I'd see the day. Feels good to work."
Market vendors at west and south gates smiling—it made me proud. City livening up because of me,
"Look, black hair! Samaritan! Hippolyte's with him!"
Young women giggling sweetly, a far cry from the curses and screams of fear I used to hear.
"Not bad, Samaritan. You've got that famous adventurer vibe."
Distracted by the laughter, Hippolyte poked my side. Hard—it hurt.
"W-well, yeah. Heh."
"Your actions brought smiles to many in the city. But not all good. Lots lost jobs and status because of this."
I thought of officials linked to the guild, underground merchants facing crackdowns.
Climbing high means making enemies.
Someone sharpening blades and fangs at me soured my joy, brought worry.
Especially since the thief guild wasn't gone.
Just regrouping under a new name.
And even Hippolyte didn't know I was kinda their boss. Awkward to say, scared of criminal label.
Fuck, for hero—steel warrior Hassan—better cut ties with those crooks quick.
But no clue where they hid or watched from.
Dropped by Dorgo's illegal underground tavern for Dorthea—closed. Run illegally, so escape anytime made sense.
Only link now: yellowed camel hide pouch in my pocket.
They'd lie low in this purge like dead men.
I'll avoid approaching first, play dumb for now.
Anyway, Hippolyte and I entered the Nymph's Wings inn. Packed, no room to step.
"What’s with the crowd?"
"Rumor we're favored by famous adventurers. Riffraff hoping to network."
I nodded, makes sense. Innkeeper spotted me, beamed, approached.
"Everyone, here, here—Samaria's Hassan! Told you he's our regular! And the lady next to him..."
Swoosh...
Eyeing Hippolyte's gold tag. His eyes widened huge.
"This lady's gold-tier adventurer! Luck on our inn!"
Pub erupted at our entrance.
Attention, praise, envy—embarrassing yet nice, but also wanted to bolt. Conflicting feelings.
"Over there, corner seat. Yours forever, Samaritan bro. You like quiet."
Reading me, innkeeper led to secluded table. Coming daily for months, he knew my tastes.
"Noxdoty hasn't arrived yet, it seems."
Hippolyte scanned the inn from the corner, commented.
Agreed to meet Luna for potion promo talk and repay 3 silvers. Wondering why she's late.
Yesterday, today—Luna slaving over potions for workshop opening. Probably nagging Paranoya, grinding weird veggies and ingredients.
"She'll come if we wait."
"Hmm, how about a quick drink, just us?"
"Still midday?"
"Right. Uh, maybe not. Anyway, first time eating alone together, huh."
"Yeah."
Dining solo with gold-tier adventurer. Am I kinda big-time now?
Waited, but no Luna, so Hippolyte and I split a whole roeng.
As meal ended, she spoke.
"Afternoon's busy. Heard guild considering silver-tier promo for your feats, so maybe update karma value?"
"Update? Wait, I'm getting silver-tier already?"
Felt too soon. But promotion? Silver now, gold necklace soon—not a dream.
She chuckled.
"Even so, your karma total's under 20 probably. Needs 30 for silver. Old geezers hyped over rookie. They're stock-obsessed like me."
"...Right."
"But not impossible. If you learn aura, special silver promo possible."
"Aura?"
"Aura users and attack mages get +10 karma bonus sometimes."
Aura brought her sword's golden glow to mind. Learn it, my level 23 counts as 33?
"Of course, aura's not backyard dojo common. But learnable if you try."
"Where to learn?"
"Normally, find master like Kairos, serve long time. Or self-enlighten."
No feel for mana, aura, karma—self-study impossible. So find master.
Sodomora and big cities had sword dojos, martial academies, fight schools everywhere.
Fees steep, never considered. But now, worth a shot.
Where's best? As I pondered, Hippolyte tapped table rhythm with gauntlet, casually added.
"So, how about training with me once a week? J-just us... Secrets like secret arts need privacy."
"You'll teach me aura?"
I nearly yelled at the shock.
Sword aura, slashes—ace cards everyone hides.
Ultra-secret, not taught on request. Gold-tier teacher? Perfect!
"Ahem-."
Pulled small hand mirror, rubbed eyes, cleared throat.
"I'll step out briefly. Think it over."
Swoosh.
She left for real. Think? Aura for silver? No reason to refuse.
Excitedly waiting her return,
My eyes fixed on the gnawed roeng bones.
Scrape, scrape.
Glanced around—no one watching corner anymore.
Whispered to bones, voice so quiet even I barely heard.
Unhearable by anyone.
"...Rise..."
Crunch, cruuunch.
"...Huuu."
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