Chapter 9

Group 20

Group Leader: Park Gi-hyeok

Group Members: Sheikh Merhem, Han Jun-woo

That's it.

There were only three of them.

Really.

The academy was in an uproar.

Is this even reasonable? Can a group of just three people even be called a group?

This was a direct contradiction to the educational philosophy that emphasized cooperation and teamwork, and many professors were against it.

"Three people! Where in the world is there a group of just three people?!"

"This is all because Park Gi-hyeok didn't know his limits and took the exam! This is nothing but the tyranny and overreach of the group leader!"

"What is the educational philosophy of our Korean Academy? Isn't it about cooperation, collaboration, and organized hunting? This is something that can't be accepted, regardless of right or wrong."

However, there were also those who countered this.

"Is there any reason for this to be controversial? Whether it's three people or two, it's the group leader's discretion. As long as they take responsibility for their choices, I see no problem."

"You're right. Looking back, there have been such cases before. 'Park Su-hyeok's' group is a prime example."

"Five, six, eight. There have been quite a few cases where groups were formed with a small, elite number. Of course, most of them didn't pass the midterm and disbanded, but who knows? Park Gi-hyeok might successfully form a team like his brother."

The responsibility given to the group is entirely on the group leader.

The Korean Academy values proactive growth and individual creativity as much as cooperation, and there was concern that excessive interference could infringe on this.

And Merhem, for one, initially supported the former overwhelmingly.

A group of just three people? What kind of joke is this?

This is crazy! No matter how much Yggdrasil recommended Park Gi-hyeok, this is not right! It's really not!

'I'll see. I'll quit today!'

...with this resolve, Merhem left home.

Even 30 minutes ago, when he entered the gate that Park Gi-hyeok had recruited, this resolve hadn't changed.

15 minutes ago, when Park Gi-hyeok was slaughtering a few goblins, Merhem still intended to say "That's it" and leave gracefully.

But things changed when 'those things' stood up.

The skeletal fragments that entered her field of vision. Fragile bones that seemed to break at the slightest touch were hunting... no, massacring the goblin army.

Well... um... in other words...

Reluctantly...

"It, it might be possible."

* * *

Squeak!!

A loud scream pierced her ears.

For the sake of my ears, I need to make them quiet.

Crunch.

The creature's neck twisted. As the fallen goblin lay behind me, I stood up, and over a dozen skeleton soldiers rushed past me, stabbing their swords into the goblin army.

Skeleton

The starting and basic magic of a necromancer.

Yet, it is a magic that is often overlooked, seen as a stepping stone before learning more advanced summoning spells.

But did you know?

This basic magic, which people think they just pass through, is what put me on the throne of the Demon King.

Crack!

A skeleton shattered from the goblin's axe. The bone fragments scattered, and it seemed the skeleton would disappear like dust.

Not at all.

The bone powder reassembled from a blind spot and stabbed the goblin's neck.

Squeal!!

The skeleton next to it was in a one-on-one standoff with a goblin.

If people here saw this, they would be as shocked as Merhem.

Aren't skeletons supposed to just charge in? But my skeletons were crouched, measuring the distance, like knights in a duel.

They hesitated, taking short steps, and when the goblin, unable to bear the tension, charged.

Swish!

With a back step, it sliced the goblin's neck.

A voice came from behind.

"...This is unbelievable. That's a skeleton?!"

"...!!"

Merhem was shocked as if she had seen a ghost, and Han Jun-woo, though silent, was so stunned that his jaw hit the ground.

It was understandable.

I've seen a lot of videos to adapt to this world. With just one click, you can watch videos from all over the world.

Inevitably, popular videos featuring superhumans would come up.

With almost millions of views, their popularity rivaled that of celebrities. Incidentally, this was a glimpse into the status of superhumans in this world.

Anyway, I accidentally came across a video.

It was a video uploaded under the name 'Necromancer.'

It showed skeletons and ghouls being summoned to deal with enemies... I doubted my eyes.

The skeletons were completely hollow!

Not even 'trained,' let alone 'acquired.' The necromancer didn't even 'command' them.

As a former Demon King, I couldn't believe it.

What kind of skeleton is that? It's just a walking corpse!

However, after a few days of investigation, I was shocked.

This world, Earth, was astonishingly ignorant about summoned creatures.

To the point where they were almost neglected.

As a result, summoned creatures were evaluated as weak and slow, and naturally, they were marginalized.

But my skeletons were different. Anyone could see they were agile and nimble.

Although their training wasn't good enough to surpass the limits of skeletons in terms of defense and attack, they fought on equal terms with goblins using experienced combat tactics, targeting vital points and taking bones while giving flesh.

To those who had only seen hollow skeletons, the fact that skeletons could fight like this would be a cultural shock.

At first glance, it seemed more shocking than the fact that I could use mana. Especially Merhem, who had no strength in her legs, sat down and watched the skeletons fight.

I unintentionally surprised them, but it was also enjoyable.

"Should I show off a bit more?"

I licked my lips and 'called' my right arm.

Black smoke rose up my wrist. The damp, sticky smoke gradually took shape.

Then, it appeared.

My loyal right arm, Baphomet.

"Open your eyes."

In response to the command, Baphomet opened its eyes.

At that moment,

The skeletal soldiers were rising to their feet.

* * *

After the battlefield was cleared, a brief rest.

Wiping the blood and taking out a chocolate bar, I noticed the intense gazes.

"..."

"Stop staring."

"Gi-hyeok, you lied. You can use mana."

"When did I ever say I couldn't use mana?"

"But Gi-hyeok has mana void, right? I thought you couldn't use it."

"Of course, of course... Princess, in the world of mages, there's nothing that's 'of course.'"

"What do you mean?"

"Exactly what I said. Sit in front of me."

Good. They had completely opposite personalities, so I needed to prioritize, but our princess took the initiative, so the order was set.

"What is a mage?"

"A mage? Someone who uses magic?"

"Then, if someone can use magic, they are all mages?"

"Isn't that right?"

"No, no. A mage is someone who seeks the truth in the path of magic."

Truth is everywhere. In the flowing wind, in the falling waterfall, in the beating heart. A true mage must seek and ponder this truth through the path of magic.

"Mana void. A body that cannot accept mana. But is this really possible? Think about it. In all the worlds we live in, there is mana. Is it possible for only me to not have it?"

"..."

Of course, it's possible for a 'giant,' but to Merhem, who doesn't know this, I am a good example.

Han Jun-woo also subtly sat next to us. A genuine guy when it comes to improvement, he was pretending not to listen but was actually paying attention, hoping to gain something.

"Should we look at the skeletons? The skeletons you saw were slow, dull, and nothing more than punching bags that only charged. But how about the skeletons you saw today, Merhem?"

"They were fast. Like wild beasts."

"Han Jun-woo, what about you?"

"They understood combat."

"Completely different, right?"

They nodded in agreement.

"See, there's nothing that's 'of course.' It's just what people think is 'of course.' That's why the beginning is a question. Always ask questions. Where does the power we use come from? What is mana? What is this gate?"

"Who are you asking these questions to?"

With a smile, I replied to Han Jun-woo's question.

"Ask that too. The answer is already within you."

Step 1.

Breaking fixed mindsets.

This was the first lesson I would teach them.

'By the way.'

I also needed to start my 'work.'

It was worse than I thought.

My gaze was fixed on the skeleton.

* * *

Following my resolve, I officially started the work after the gate.

There are three steps to enhancing a skeleton.

The first is 'Training.'

This involves strengthening the skeleton's bones to increase its basic stats like attack and defense.

The second is 'Acquisition.'

This involves inputting various combat skills like swordsmanship or spear techniques to the skeleton, allowing it to fully utilize the stats enhanced through training.

The last is 'Command.'

While the first two steps enhance the individual skeleton's stats, command involves using a group of skeletons like limbs.

The most difficult step among the three is command.

It's easy with one or two, and even a hundred is manageable. But what about thousands, or tens of thousands?

The situation becomes overwhelming for the caster. I describe this as 'the level sinking.' The soul's level cannot contain the magic and is consumed by it.

Then?

It shatters.

This is why necromancers are so obsessed with 'Death Knights.' With a Death Knight that can command itself, they don't have to be burdened by the difficult task of command.

Thus, skeletons enhanced through training, acquisition, and command.

The 'basic model creation' I am currently doing is the work of creating a framework for training.

Crunch!

I examined the shinbone of a lying skeleton. Tap, tap. I tapped the bone with my fingers and smelled it.

"It's human."

Human bones.

A completely basic skeleton.

There's no point in looking further. I threw the bone fragment behind me.

Instead, I reached into a subspace and pulled out a bone.

A goblin's shinbone.

"Goblins, despite being low-level monsters, have sturdy lower bodies."

I inserted the goblin's bone into the skeleton.

After replacing the lower body with goblin bones, I moved to the upper body. This time, I took out an orc bone. Among the various monster bones I have, this was the best I could use.

Crunch, crunch.

It might look simple, like putting together a puzzle, but it's a profound task. Transplanting monster bones into a human skeleton requires a deep understanding of each creature.

The number of ribs, the length of the arms, the various joints, and the most important spine.

I connected the missing parts and trimmed the excess to create a perfect skeleton.

This completes the first step.

Now, the second step. I pulled out a dagger from the subspace.

A crafting dagger made of pure mana stone. Honestly, in terms of technical aspects, this place is better than the empire.

Using the dagger, I drew a magic circle on the skeleton's bones.

Scrape... Scrape...

As I drew points, lines, circles, and vertices,

'Enhancement' and 'Elasticity' were completed.

I would like to do the nervous system work, but it's too early. Let's stop here for now.

When the magic circle work is done, the second step is complete.

The third step is equipment!

There's a saying that a craftsman doesn't care about tools, but from my experience, it's a load of nonsense. The better the craftsman, the more they rely on their tools.

So, I prepared! Sponsored by my mother, a set of equipment!

"Kya, look at this dazzling light."

An axe and shield made from the bones of a cyclops, known for its extreme durability.

This should last until the mid-game. Thank you again, Mother.

When I placed the equipment in the skeleton's hands, the third step was complete.

Now, the final fourth step.

The core of this work. Soul imprinting.

Swish!

I raised the knife and cut my palm.

Drip, drip. The blood that flowed down landed on the skeleton. The blood droplets seeped into the grooves of the magic circle I had drawn. How much time had passed?

A strange red pattern appeared on the lying skeleton.

"Huff."

Now, it's time for mana.

"Baphomet, come out."

My right arm, Baphomet, appeared in the air.

"Eat."

Black smoke enveloped the lying skeleton and disappeared without a trace.

This completes all the work.

Let's check it once.

"My servant, by the command of your master."

Awaken.

Instantly, a black curtain spread out.

And from within the curtain, the skeletons revealed themselves.

A blood-red magic circle glowed like a tattoo.