Chapter 61
Simon gave an awkward smile.
“It’s just, by chance, similar to a technique I already knew.”
Riding the momentum, Simon immediately began the second circling. The process was much easier than the first time.
As Simon started rolling Darkness in his palm, it was as if the Darkness was asking,
‘You’re doing that thing from before?’
As if answering, Simon maintained a strong rotation of the Darkness.
In nearly half the time it took initially, he completed the circling and inserted it into the magic circle.
Vwoooong!
With the second corner activated, a few more runes came to life.
“Only two left! Keep going, Simon!”
“Yeah.”
Simon focused again and resumed circling. The second time was easier than the first, and the third was easier than the second.
Vwoooong!
Finally, when all four corners were ignited, a bright light filled the entire magic circle.
Click. Click-clack.
The skull began to move. Its jaw clacked against the roof of its mouth, making a clear, crisp sound — probably because of the different material — unlike the Island Ratman Skeleton.
Then, the skull suddenly boinged up.
“Ow!”
And it bit Simon’s arm. Even without teeth, its jaw strength was enough to make tears well up from the pain.
“Oh, there’s a warning here.”
Said Dick while looking at the assembly manual.
“Sapiros has a strong habit of trying to bite everything. After activating the magic circle, step back and toss it a chew toy or cushion or something.”
“Man, you could’ve told me that a bit earlier!”
Grunted Simon as he struggled to detach the skull.
“I just found it now. It says here, after a day or two and connecting through thought, you can slowly tame it and this aggressive behavior will subside.”
“No time for that.”
Simon glared at the skull with wide eyes.
“Down.”
The skull, which had been gnawing Simon’s arm fiercely, flinched. As Simon gave it a firm stare, it eventually let go and backed away.
“You are never to bite anyone again. That’s an order.”
The skull slumped down, looking dejected. Dick gave a dry chuckle at the sight.
“It’s like ‘There’s no such thing as a bad skull’, huh? They all listen to you like saints.”
Now that the summoning magic was activated, it was time to assemble the bones. Simon laid out the bones from the box and gently patted the skull.
“Just wait a bit. I’ll build your body soon.”
As if it understood, the skull began to bounce excitedly across the table. Then, it accidentally knocked over Feer’s projection that was sitting on the table.
[Who dares!]
Feer’s voice echoed in Simon’s head.
[This newbie has no sense! When you get down to the Legion, you're dead, repeat, dead!]
‘…Haha.’
Simon placed Feer’s projection back on the table and began the main task. Following the manual, he assembled the skeleton step by step.
‘This is still the most fun.’
The bones seemed to have a magnetic pull. Every time he connected a part, they clicked into place like magnets, which felt incredibly satisfying.
However, compared to the Island Ratman Skeleton, the assembly difficulty was significantly higher.
‘Banding? How do I do that?’
Some parts required Simon to use Darkness techniques himself, and others required using chemicals included in the box.
The arms were the hardest part. Skeletons, being undead, are naturally weak, so he had to carry out various procedures to ensure they had enough strength to draw a bow.
He threaded Darkness thread through holes in the arm bones, wrapping the Darkness like bandages around them to perform the banding.
He applied adhesive chemicals to the joints, waited for them to become moist enough, then applied heat to complete the bonding.
It was his first time doing any of this, so he fumbled a lot. Dick, who had been dozing off for two hours, eventually returned to Room 409. Other students who occasionally visited the break room stopped coming entirely.
Now Simon sat alone, surrounded by the Introduction to Summonology and Darkness Dynamics textbooks, relentlessly focused on assembling.
“Ah…”
Time flew by as Simon became immersed in his work. When he looked out the window, the sky was already beginning to brighten.
‘Never in my life has every second felt this precious.’
But he had to see it through to the end. Finally, he connected the last two leg bones.
“It’s done…!”
A majestic skeleton, with a smooth white body and horns on its skull, began to move its limbs.
Click! Click-clack!
As if pleased with its body, it began to bounce around the break room.
“Alright. Let’s head outside!”
Click!
Simon and the Skeleton Archer stepped out of the dormitory together.
Under the cloudless, deep navy dawn sky, the Keyzen campus looked like a painting.
Taking in the fresh morning air, Simon shouted,
“Catch!”
He opened his subspace and tossed the special bow for the Skeleton.
Originally, he had planned to give it his own 1-gold bow, but that seemed too stiff for the skeleton. It was better to start with something easier.
Thwack.
The moment the Skeleton Archer caught the bow, its body shivered slightly as if it sensed something. Then, it immediately assumed a sharp shooting stance.
Grasping the bow with its left hand, it reached behind with its right. Although there was nothing on its back, it kept sweeping through the air like a broken machine.
‘…Is it looking for the arrows in the quiver it used to wear on its back?’
Skeletons are a type of undead with strongly retained habits and instincts from life.
That’s why the bones of monsters who used bows in life are used to create Skeleton Archers. Sapiros, too, is a half-beast monster from the forest who used a bow as its main weapon.
“Here are the arrows.”
Simon pulled some arrows from subspace and held them out. The Skeleton Archer backed toward him, still facing away, its right hand continuing to sweep the air behind it.
Simon let out a small laugh and placed an arrow in its hand.
Snap.
In a flash, it nocked the arrow.
Creek!
With skilled precision, it pulled back the bowstring and took aim. Simon entered thought connection to designate a target.
‘Shoot that tree.’
His heart raced. It was time to see the result of his all-night labor.
Simon gave the command, full of excitement.
‘Now!’
Fwip!
The arrow sliced through the early morning air and struck the tree with a thunk! Simon clenched both fists and shouted in triumph.
It was Simon’s first time creating a Skeleton Archer in his life.
* * *
At the same time, in Rochest.
A run-down building, located slightly away from the city center. Beneath its stairs lay a mysterious underground operating room.
In this space, cluttered with bloodstained tools, a man lying on the surgical bed slowly rose. He was wearing only underwear on his lower half, while his exposed upper body was completely covered in jet-black tattoos drawn with Darkness.
“Ugh.”
As soon as he woke, a splitting headache struck, and the man frowned, clutching his forehead.
“You’re awake, Haren Koak.”
His gaze shifted. The door to the operating room opened, and a tired-looking man walked in.
“Ah, Professor Bahil!”
Bahil leaned against the wall, arms crossed.
“The procedure was completed successfully. How are you feeling?”
“……”
Haren looked over his body, covered in black tattoos. Then, he clenched his right fist tightly.
Darkness began to flow out like a spring, dripping steadily onto the floor.
“...I feel overflowing with power! Like I can do anything!”
“That’s good to hear.”
Bahil smiled gently and continued.
“Now return to Keyzen and continue your classes as usual. Under no circumstances should you show your body to anyone. Also, refrain from showering until after the duel evaluation. Washing your hair or face is fine.”
With that, Bahil tossed the uniform hanging on the coat rack to Haren.
“The tattoo will naturally vanish from your body once the duel evaluation begins in two days. It won’t get flagged by Keyzen’s doping inspections either. Still, the strength you’ve gained through the curse will last comfortably for about two months.”
Haren looked at Bahil with grateful eyes.
“Professor, why… why are you helping me like this…?”
“Does the reason really matter? All you have to do is carry out the task I’ve asked.”
At those words, Haren’s expression turned serious.
“Defeating Special Admission No. 1, Simon Follentia, in the duel evaluation, that’s what you mean.”
“Exactly. Just because he’s Special Admission No. 1 doesn’t mean you should be overly intimidated. You now far surpass his level.”
Haren clenched and unclenched his fists, checking his physical condition. Then, from his back, he pulled out his signature technique, Black Hand.
Shrrraaaaak!
A black hand was drawn out from his back. Haren couldn’t help but be amazed.
The size, the power — it was on a completely different level than before. When he stretched out the Black Hand, it became large enough to cover his entire body. When he lengthened it and swung it like a whip — whoom! whoom! — a menacing slicing sound echoed through the air.
With this, he felt confident he could defeat anyone.
“Thank you, Professor Bahil! I’ll never forget this favor!”
This overwhelming euphoria!
Haren felt as though Bahil, who had gifted him this power, was like a god. And so he added,
“If Simon Follentia is really such a bother, should I just kill him during the duel and make it look like an accident?”
At that moment—
The smiling expression on Bahil’s face turned ice cold.
Screeeeeeeeeech!
A sound like a ghost wailing echoed from behind Bahil. Haren’s entire body trembled in pure terror.
“Do not do anything foolish. Just carry out exactly what I instructed, nothing more.”
Haren felt his breath grow shorter. Eventually, he began to clutch his own throat.
“If anything goes wrong and he dies…”
A chilling light flared in Bahil’s eyes.
“Then neither you nor your family will die peacefully. Even in death, I will ensure you suffer eternally.”
“Gehk! Cough! I-I understand!”
As Bahil withdrew his energy, Haren gasped for breath, panting.
‘...A worthless punk who can’t even qualify as a backup dares to overstep.’
Without another word, Bahil turned and exited the operating room. He put on his coat, and wore his hat.
‘Simon Follentia. I’m sorry for having to resort to this, but there’s no other way.’
It felt like carving bone and slicing flesh, but what Simon needed right now… was defeat.
If Simon were to fall into a deep sense of failure, he would eventually reflect on himself, begin questioning what went wrong, and then come to realize that the source of it all was Summonology.
‘One day, I will apologize for this. But you too, in the distant future—’
Bahil’s mouth twisted into a wicked grin that stretched to his ears.
‘You’ll come to thank me for this decision I’ve made. Without a doubt!’
Superb.