How to Raise Your Skeletons

Chapter 5: Opportunities Are Meant to Be Seized

Status window?

It seems like a feature used to show the status of the skeletons, just like my own. Better try it to understand better.

I immediately looked at Boney 1 and said, “Status window.”

[Name: Bonehead 1]

[Energy: 100/100]

[Unique Ability: Awakened Skeleton]

[Class: Swordsman]

[Rank: D]

[Strength: 23] [Dexterity: 19] [Constitution: 20] [Magic Power: 10] [Technique: 21]

[Skills]

– Low-Level Slash (Lv.2)

“Wow.” A sound of admiration escaped my lips.

Honestly, I was deeply moved. It was my first time seeing the skeleton’s information after three years.

The skeleton’s status was almost like looking at a hunter’s stats. It had energy, rank, and a unique ability. The only difference from a hunter was that it had stats like ‘Strength,’ ‘Dexterity,’ and ‘Constitution.’ Additionally, it had a ‘class,’ and the skills had levels.

I opened and examined the status windows of the other four skeletons sequentially.

[Name: Bonehead 2]

[Energy: 100/100]

[Unique Ability: Awakened Skeleton]

[Class: Spearman]

[Rank: D]

[Strength: 22] [Dexterity: 20] [Constitution: 19] [Magic Power: 11] [Technique: 20]

[Skills]

– Low-Level Thrust (Lv.2)

[Name: Bonehead 3]

[Energy: 100/100]

[Unique Ability: Awakened Skeleton]

[Class: Archer]

[Rank: D]

[Strength: 17] [Dexterity: 23] [Constitution: 17] [Magic Power: 10] [Technique: 24]

[Skills]

– Low-Level Rapid Fire (Lv.2)

– Secure Visibility (Lv.2)

[Name: Bonehead 4]

[Energy: 100/100]

[Unique Ability: Awakened Skeleton]

[Class: Shieldman]

[Rank: D]

[Strength: 10] [Dexterity: 10] [Constitution: 11] [Magic Power: 10] [Technique: 10]

[Skills]

– Low-Level Block (Lv.1)

– Low-Level Taunt (Lv.1)

[Name: Bonehead 5]

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[Energy: 100/100]

[Unique Ability: Awakened Skeleton]

[Class: Mage]

[Rank: D]

[Strength: 10] [Dexterity: 10] [Constitution: 10] [Magic Power: 11] [Technique: 10]

[Skills]

– Fireball (Lv.1)

– Air Shield (Lv.1)

“Wow…”

Boney 1 to 3 seemed to have higher stats from previous training, while Boney 4 and 5, having recently acquired their weapons, only had their basic stats.

So it wasn’t a waste of three years.

The results of my efforts were now visible before my eyes. To someone who felt trapped in darkness, this was enough to be deeply moving.

Now I just need to train them comprehensively, right?

My heart pounded.

Like other necromancers, the dream of forming my own small army was growing closer to reality. I was a step closer to achieving the desire to continuously strengthen them, surpassing A-rank and S-rank.

“Alright, you guys.”

—Creak?

Resting for a moment, the skeletons turned their heads toward me. Their open jawbones looked particularly charming today.

“Let me ask you a favor,” I grinned with a shameless expression, “since you were summoned as my skeletons.”

Six days left until the dungeon.

“Become the strongest skeletons in the world for me, will ya?”

—Click, clack!

They clacked their teeth cutely. That must be a sign of agreement, right?

And at the same time, the training began in earnest.

* * *

Reaper Scans

Translator – Dawn

Proofreader – BringTheRayn

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* * *

Time flew by.

During my time off work, I extensively tested the skeletons’ new skills. As my energy depleted each time, theirs fluctuated between 0 and 10.

I also didn’t neglect my physical training with running, push-ups, pull-ups, and more. Nothing is better for mental fortification than exercise.

Then, on the morning of the seventh day, I headed to Paju Station on the Gyeongui-Jungang Line, as guided by Team Leader Kim Junseo.

I had packed my backpack with a sleeping bag and ample emergency food.

My role here is a porter.

There’s no profession as suited for a necromancer as being a porter. Despite the training, having five skeletons capable of heavy lifting is quite beneficial.

“Over here! All participating mercenaries, please come this way and follow instructions!”

“Yes, please wait in front of the dungeon! We will enter together shortly!”

Upon arrival, guild members from Parang controlled the hunters, and dozens of mercenaries were already waiting.

Paju Station and the dungeon were quite close. About 200* meters ahead, a dark aura emanated, and there was a hole in its midst. It was the typical appearance of a naturally formed dungeon.

* ≈ 218 yards

“Haah, I’m nervous…”

“It seems like a high-difficulty dungeon.”

Mercenaries with dark expressions whispered amongst themselves.

“Right, the darker the area around the hole, the higher the difficulty or complexity of the dungeon.”

“But hey, it’s Parang we’re going with. What could possibly go wrong?”

“Hah, whatever happens. I just want to finish quickly and enjoy hot soup and soju…”

“Sounds great!”

Everyone was thinking alike. Most mercenaries shared the same sentiment as Kim Junseo: they felt safe because they were with a major guild.

But I thought differently.

Safe, my ass.

The world is full of dungeons and countless missing hunters. Countless sacrifices and deaths lay beneath the glamorous spotlight of “rankers.” Such undiscovered dungeons could be especially dangerous, even for major guilds.

Someone might ask me, ‘Then why go in?’

Because I didn’t come here to play it safe; I came to bet my life on this journey and to seize any opportunities that might arise.

Though I would be a porter, my mindset was fundamentally different from other mercenaries.

“…”

Clutching my staff in silence, I waited for a long time.

A faint breath brushed my ear.

“Excuse me, you there, holding the staff?”

I flinched. My body trembled. Goosebumps rose all over my body.

I felt no presence from the direction of the voice.

Moreover…

“…?”

Not only was there no presence but there was also no figure. Only a young-sounding woman’s voice, cold and sharp, echoed.

“Hm, interesting. Judging from the energy, you must be at least a D-rank. No, higher, but you have an E-rank badge. And you’re a porter? Who are you?”

“…”

I glanced at the white E-rank badge hanging from my waist.

I had awakened to D-rank but hadn’t updated it, so officially, I was still E-rank.

But more importantly…

“…Who are you?” I asked, tense.

Instinctively, I knew the opponent was at least an A-rank or higher individual.

In this changed world, the hunters to be most cautious of were those who could perfectly conceal their presence, like this one.

If someone like that harbored malice and committed murder silently, modern technology would never be able to track them down.

So I tried to be as polite as possible.

But for some reason, the voice grew even colder.

“Well, didn’t I ask a question first? What could possibly be your ulterior motive, applying as a porter with Parang while hiding your skills?”

“…?”

She seemed to have a huge misunderstanding.

I had only awakened my power by chance a week ago. Since then, I’ve been busy training.

And besides.

How could she even detect such fine details? As expected from someone affiliated with a major guild, I guess?

Quite frankly, I really couldn’t understand. This treatment felt unfair.

Parang was abundant with A-rank hunters already, so what difference would a D-rank or E-rank make?

As I made a troubled expression, the chilling voice spoke again.

“Hm? You seem suspicious. Are you a spy trained to act?”

“Wha…?”

A spy?

“Did you underestimate Parang’s intelligence network? Did you think we wouldn’t know you were a spy sent by a rival guild?”

—Ssssh!

The voice’s owner appeared with a slight breeze.

Her appearance was simple. She wore practical leather clothes for combat, a light assassin’s dagger, and neatly tied black hair. But beyond all that…

Are you kidding me?

I was shocked inwardly because I saw what was tied to her waist. It shone so brightly it was blinding.

A golden badge!

The dream of all hunters, only granted to S-rank and above.

Which means…

I finally realized who the voice belonged to.

Gi Soyul, the Dark Empress—one of the 37 rankers in South Korea. The only sister of Kiparang, the Blue Guild master.

Moreover, with her unique assassination ability, she was someone you should never make an enemy of.

—Tremble, tremble.

My body shook uncontrollably. Not just because I was scared but because I was talking to the ranker I had always dreamed of meeting!

“Um, ranker. I think there’s been a misunderstanding…” I quickly responded.

No matter how much I admired a ranker, I had to correct the facts.

Seeing the nearby mercenaries tilt their heads in confusion, I realized her voice and presence were only audible to me. But it didn’t matter as this concerned my precious safety.

“I am not a spy from a rival guild. I’m only D-rank… For Parang to consider a rival guild, it would have to be a major guild. So why would they use someone like me?”

“Pfft!” Gi Soyul chuckled all of a sudden. Then she said, “I was just teasing you, but your reaction is interesting.”

“…What?”

What is this? I didn’t understand at all. Why would someone of her stature play such a prank on a nobody like me?

Or did she do a background check?

Training skeletons in a vacant lot overnight could have caught a ranker’s attention.

My heart raced wildly. Regardless of the circumstances, a ranker’s interest was a heaven-sent opportunity. There was no time to feel offended about the prank. My passion for rankers was that sincere.

Moreover, look at that smile. There was not a hint of malice, only curiosity.

“My apologies if I was rude.” She bowed her head politely. “I got a bit nosy. You looked quite intriguing.”

“Pardon?”

“An E-rank badge with the energy of at least five high D-rank beings. That’s enough to make me curious.”

—Scritch, scritch.

She scratched her cheek with her finger before she said, “It’s a bit suspicious, don’t you think? Though not enough for Parang to be concerned.”

“Ah…”

I had nothing to say. She had a point. Maybe I should have updated my badge despite being busy.

No, more importantly…

Did she gauge my power just from sensing my aura?

A chill ran down my spine. The gap between me and a ranker felt insurmountable, almost awe-inspiring.

Noticing my feelings, Gi Soyul chuckled.

“My brother asked me to help squad 2 with reconnaissance. So I was looking for a porter, and you seemed suspicious. And interesting.”

“Reconnaissance…?” I asked, dumbfounded.

A reconnaissance unit prepares the area before the main force enters. As expected of the Parang Guild. I wondered why only their reserve team was sent to a dangerous dungeon. Turns out they sent a ranker too. It made so much more sense now.

“What do you think?”

Gi Soyul’s gaze met mine directly. Her intense aura felt like it could make me lose my mind.

“For potential spy management, would you like to join the recon unit? It might be dangerous. But you seem the most capable among the porters. And you don’t look like you’d run away in fear.”

“Oh, is that so?”

“Of course. I have an eye for people. And I promise to double your pay.”

Whoa, what? A dungeon expedition with a ranker? And double the pay? Ten times doubled would be twenty! There was zero reason to refuse this opportunity.

Actually, for me right now, I’d join the recon unit even without pay.

I quickly nodded before she could change her mind.

It seems an opportunity came faster than I expected.