Chapter 258
Simon and Benya rode a carriage to the warehouse.
He had only opened the window briefly to let in some air, yet the uneasiness he had felt was strangely gone, almost too easily.
Was it because the scene had been so horrifying that his brain was trying to subconsciously forget it? Or was it really nothing to begin with?
Now, only questions remained in Simon’s mind. Walter—no, Judah—what was he planning with so many hearts?
While pondering this over and over, they soon arrived at the warehouse. In fact, it was more like a factory equipped with large-scale facilities than a simple warehouse.
When Deimos was brought in, the place erupted in chaos.
“The goods are here.”
“That’s the Underworld Whale material?”
The staff who had swarmed around couldn’t hide their astonishment.
“Excuse us, coming through.”
At the voice from behind, the employees quickly stepped aside and bowed their heads.
Before they knew it, Benya Vanilla had changed into her work clothes and was approaching with a set of dissection knives in hand.
“Well then, time to start the butchering.”
She tied up her hair professionally and climbed atop Deimos with a blade in hand. Simon spoke in surprise.
“You’re doing it yourself, Senior?”
“Of course.”
She adjusted her grip on the knife and began marking points on Deimos’ carcass. Then, she sliced the air with the blade, drawing a cross, and pressed the tip of the knife at its center.
“Beginning the conquest of Deimos!”
With dazzling skill, Simon’s mouth dropped open.
There was no hesitation in her movements. As the blade flashed—Pabat!—the flesh split open cleanly. It was a technique that required a deep understanding of muscle and exact knowledge of bone locations.
Squelch!
As the dissection progressed, thick chunks of flesh fell to the ground, revealing pure white bones. Even with blood splattered on her face and work clothes, Simon didn’t find the sight unpleasant.
There was a certain nobility in her face, absorbed completely in her task.
After about two hours,
“There, all done!”
Deimos was now reduced to a clean skeleton. Not only Simon but the staff watching gave her a round of applause.
“Being a youngling, it had a lot of soft cartilage, so it was a bit of a hassle. Still, the skeleton was well-formed, so that was a relief.”
“Thank you. You really worked hard!”
Simon handed her a towel. She quickly wiped her face and handed it back, her face tired but beaming with satisfaction.
“Let’s move on to the next step, reinforcing the bones!”
Now it was time to use Vanilla’s high-end equipment.
The bones were either fully submerged in a green solution or had chemicals carefully brushed on with tools before being placed into a cooling device. It was a multi-step process.
During the wait, Simon took the opportunity to ask Benya some of the many questions he had.
‘I’m learning so much. Even though I’m at odds with the prince of Dresden, I’m really glad I joined this club.’
He felt like all the hardships he had endured because of Andre were finally being repaid.
Among the many things they discussed, Simon brought up something that had been bothering him.
“Senior, are there Necromancers who focus solely on collecting ‘hearts’?”
“Hearts? Why do you ask all of a sudden?”
Simon minimized the scale of what he had seen earlier and explained,
“I saw a cart piled high with monster hearts. It was an incredible amount.”
“Hmmm.”
She thought for a moment before replying,
“Well, are there times when you'd need that much? Hearts are more commonly used in Haematology than our field, so I don’t know the details. Could be ingredients for a massive black magic spell.”
As Simon pondered deeply, the magic circle on the freezer let out a beep.
“It’s done!”
Simon and Benya rushed over, opened the freezer, and pulled out Deimos’ bones.
Just from a glance, the bones had clearly become sturdier. Normally, bones felt dry and rough, but after going through all those processes, Deimos’ bones were smooth and even glossy. Touching them felt like handling porcelain.
Benya picked up one of the bones and gave it a test swing at a thin piece of wood. Whack!—the wood shattered instantly.
Simon asked in awe,
“Can you make other skeletons this strong too?”
“That depends on the type of monster and the condition of the bones. At Vanilla, we adjust bone durability according to purpose. Since Deimos is still a youngling and has a lot of cartilage, we had to harden it completely. We didn’t have much choice.”
The intermediate steps were now complete. It was time to draw the most important component, the summoning magic circle for the skeleton.
“They’re here!”
Benya turned her head and shouted.
Simon also turned to look and saw three men walking in from outside. A sudden wave of tension hit him.
‘Wh-Who are these people?’
Each of them gave off an overwhelming aura.
“First time the young lady’s asked for our help.”
Said a rugged man with a short beard. Just from his demeanor and voice, Simon could tell he was seasoned and battle-hardened.
“Thanks for coming on such short notice.”
Benya spread her arms and introduced them to Simon.
“Simon, these are the artisan necromancers who’ll be drawing the summoning circle. Sir Diego, Sir Marco, and Sir Rodrion. They’re here to help us.”
Simon stared at Benya in shock.
Artisan necromancers? Was it really okay to bring in such big names?
“And this is Simon Follentia, my club junior and a first-year in Keyzen.”
“Nice to meet you!”
Simon stood upright and bowed. The bearded man called Diego walked up and extended a hand.
“I’m Diego, a necromancer from the Vanilla Group. Let’s work well together.”
His voice was cold, but Simon didn’t let it show and shook his hand firmly.
“It’s an honor. I look forward to working with you!”
He greeted the other two men as well. They exchanged brief pleasantries with Benya and began removing their robes to prepare for work.
“Simon, this is a special undead creation unlike the usual ones, so we’ll need your cooperation.”
“Yes! I’ll do my best!”
Skeletons purchased from the necromancer shop only required final touches on a pre-installed magic circle to be completed.
Of course, that was only possible because their summoning formulas were verified and mass-producible. For a special undead like the one made from Deimos’ bones—a brand-new creature—it had to be developed through on-site trial and error.
That’s why Benya brought in artisan necromancers capable of handling such a task.
“Hey.”
While Benya and the artisans were talking, Diego quietly approached Simon alone.
“Yes, sir! You called?”
“Keep your voice down. The lady might hear.”
“Oh, yes.”
His eyes flashed sharply.
“I’ll be watching. Don’t screw this up. If you mess with our flow and delay the work, you won’t walk away unscathed.”
He tapped Simon’s shoulder and walked off, muttering in annoyance.
“I’m already buried in work. Why the hell am I stuck playing school with kids now?”
Simon scratched his head awkwardly. Then he heard Feer’s voice, laced with killing intent.
[Is that guy begging for a death wish or something.]
‘…It’s fine. I’m the one who needs the help, and I asked for it. I can understand how he feels.’
If he’d been pulled from important work by the chairman’s granddaughter, Simon figured he wouldn’t be thrilled either.
He resolved to finish the task quickly, for their sake as well.
Soon, the three artisan necromancers took their places in front of Deimos.
The easy-going, uncle-like demeanor they had with Benya disappeared. They now wore serious expressions and focused their attention inward. Each of them entered their own routine, either closing their eyes or muttering to themselves.
‘Wow, professionals really are on a different level.’
“What are you waiting for? You, get over here.”
“Yes!”
And so, the real work began.
The leader, Diego, drew a magic circle on the skull. He then raised his arm, and the circle expanded, floating into the air.
It was over two meters wide, empty in the center.
Diego manipulated Darkness to sketch the base rune structure in the center.
“Remember this.”
He spoke in a cold tone.
“Once we start, you’re no longer the lady’s friend or junior. We treat you as an equal necromancer, no favors. Stay sharp.”
“Understood!”
“Place your hand on the rune.”
Simon placed his hand over the base structure. Diego continued,
“Darkness.”
Simon released his Darkness into the diagram, which the other two quickly took and began forming runes with.
It was unbelievable. They were controlling someone else’s Darkness to form runes in someone else’s circle! How was that even possible?
“Lay the chains.”
“S-Sir?”
Diego snapped.
“You don’t know what a chain is? The circuits the Darkness travels through! Circuits! Do I have to explain every little thing?”
“I’m sorry!”
Simon hurriedly began laying down the Darkness circuits. The other two artisans drew formulas based on Simon’s circuits.
“Who told you to curve the chains? Can’t you make them cleaner?”
“Sorry! I’ll fix it right away!”
“Simon, your Darkness is too thick here. Do it again.”
“Yes, I’ll redo it!”
“Hey, buddy. You’re nervous. I can see your Darkness trembling.”
The moment work began, the artisans bombarded Simon with criticism. At least the other two were somewhat gentle, but not Diego.
“Lay it again! What the hell are they teaching you at Keyzen?”
“I’m sorry!”
“If you’re going to do it like this, just quit now!”
“I’ll fix it right away!”
Diego was relentlessly strict, and Simon was drenched in sweat as he worked. It felt like he was being scolded every minute.
“What’s this transformation formula? Who did it?”
“I did!”
“Unbelievable. Marco, cover this.”
“Got it.”
Marco erased Simon’s formula and redrew everything from scratch.
Simon could only watch from behind.
“That’s the second time I’ve told you. Get your head on straight.”
Diego’s eyes burned with intensity.
“Every time you screw up, the rest of us suffer. Right now, you’re not helping, you’re a liability.”
“Yes, sir. I’m sorry!”
“Embed circling into the corners.”
It was the first thing he recognized. It was a technique he had used when learning skeleton archers.
Simon immediately formed a swirling stream of Darkness over his palm and embedded it in the designated position.
“Circling completed!”
“Next. I won’t show you twice, so watch closely.”
Diego formed a small magic circle, and as he gently rolled liquefied Darkness over it, the shape gradually solidified.
“This is canting work. Do it.”
“Yes!”
Simon widened his eyes and liquefied his Darkness, rolling it left and right.
Diego, who had briefly turned to look elsewhere, turned his head back.
“Hey, you can’t even do one properly—”
He stopped mid-sentence, a baffled look on his face.
“I’m sorry! Did I do something wrong?”
“…No, keep going.”
To think he succeeded in that difficult canting in one try. Wasn’t he a first-year?
Diego tilted his head slightly, then returned to his own task.
“Lay the chain alongside it.”
“Yes.”
“That’s where the binding formula goes! It’s too cramped!”
“I’m sorry! I’ll fix it right away!”
“Simon. Please redo this formula here as well.”
“Yes!”
Though he was wedged between three master artisans, Simon quietly focused on his task.
Before he knew it, an hour had passed in the blink of an eye.
‘This kid…’
Diego looked at Simon with surprise.
‘He’s not intimidated?’
Graduates from Necromancer School, especially newcomers who just landed their first job and joined magic circle projects, usually spent their first day bawling their eyes out.
Magic circle creation carried the huge risk of explosion, so seniors strictly enforced discipline. Many quit within a month or two.
But Simon was different from those rookies.
Despite not even having graduated yet, he didn’t shrink back in the field.
He wasn’t afraid of being scolded. He acknowledged what he didn’t know and had no hesitation asking questions.
Even when he made a big mistake, he clung on like grabbing at someone’s pant leg until he figured it out.
“Can’t you lay a straight chain?!”
“I’m sorry!”
After Diego’s shout, Simon quickly apologized, then calmly corrected his work and continued.
‘Weird kid.’
That’s what Diego thought.
‘…But interesting!’
The truth was, Simon was thoroughly enjoying this task.
‘How did I not realize how fun this is until now?’
The pleasure of learning.
The thrill of challenge.
He couldn’t waste time being intimidated by the seniors’ scolding. Working with these master artisans was a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity. Wasting emotional energy on anxiety would be a loss. Better to spend every second learning.
He wished they would teach him more.
He wanted to know more new things, more difficult, more complex things.
Caught in exhilaration, Simon laid down a straight chain of Darkness without hesitation.
“Whooo~ Tough stuff!”
“Nice, nice! A summoning circle is all about momentum, buddy!”
Except for Diego, the other two seniors were delighted by Simon’s bold attitude. That only boosted Simon’s confidence further.
“Hey, watch this carefully!”
Diego demonstrated a new technique using Darkness.
“This is called a Flop. Think you can do it?”
“Yes!”
Simon failed once, but succeeded on the second try.
Diego, who was about to get annoyed, found the corners of his mouth twitching on their own.
‘What is this kid’s deal?’
Teach him one thing, and he learns ten.
He makes one mistake, and learns twenty.
Even in front of master artisans, he doesn’t lose heart and holds his ground.
“All done! Is there any part I need to fix?”
“No.”
Diego was also a necromancer. Sure, being dragged out here during a busy time was annoying, but…
“…Good job. Keep going just like that.”
There isn’t a single necromancer in this world who dislikes someone who’s good at their work.
“Simon. Could you help over here?”
“Yes!”
A few hours in, even the master artisans were starting to rely on Simon. As they drew rune structures, Simon assisted by correcting any overflowed Darkness.
“Hey, who finished the canting on my line over there?”
“I did!”
“Ah, thank you, Simon. You saved me some time!”
“Buddy! Help me with the right-side canting!”
“I already did that!”
“Whoa, really? You’re an ace, an ace!”
Two hours had passed since the magic circle work had begun.
In just two hours, even the artisans had come to recognize Simon as a useful asset.
“Alright, pay close attention, buddy.”
Rodrion patted Simon’s head, summoned Darkness to his fingertips, and pressed a spot on the magic circle.
“What we’re creating is the brain of the undead. There’s no other logic. What we make becomes everything for the undead. You get it, buddy?”
“Yes, I understand!”
“When you press here—”
Rodrion pressed a part of the magic circle, and the tail fin bones began to flutter.
“See? This part’s connected to the nerves in the tail fin.”
“Understood!”
“But the movement’s too unnatural right now.”
Rodrion gently rotated the ‘circling’ embedded in the circle with his fingertips. The fluttering motion grew wider.
“See that? Adjust the balance by turning the circling. Loosen it too much, and the motion becomes unnatural. Tighten it too much, and it gets stiff.”
“Got it!”
The work was going smoothly. The magic circle created by the three artisans and Simon was visibly nearing completion.
At that moment, Diego, who had been completely silent while fine-tuning the head movement, tried adjusting the tail fin.
“…!!”
His eyes widened at the tail fin’s movement.
It swayed gently, not like bones, but like a real living creature with flesh and muscle. It truly looked like Deimos was alive and swimming through the sea.
‘I’ve never seen such smooth movement at the tuning stage!’
Diego quickly raised his head.
“Hey! Hey! Hold on! Who tuned this tail?”
Simon raised his hand a little nervously.
“I did! Is there something I need to fix…?”
Zzzzt zzzzt
A current of electricity ran through Diego’s body as he looked down at Simon. A powerful jolt spread through his whole body, and his mind blazed with heat.
“Khuhuhu!”
This kid’s the real deal.
“Ahahahahahaha!”
Diego tapped the crown of Simon’s head and burst into loud laughter.
“You crazy bastard! That was f***ing amazing, Simon!!”
For the first time, Diego called him by name. Simon’s face lit up, and he bowed with a big smile.
“Thank you! It’s all thanks to the seniors’ guidance!”
Even giving credit to his seniors with humility.
Thanks to Simon’s efforts, the mood of the project was now at its peak.
All three artisans had shed their authoritative airs. They laughed with open mouths as they continued crafting the magic circle. It had been years since their work was this fun.
Benya, who had been silently observing Simon whether he was being scolded or praised, smiled in satisfaction.
“…Really.”
The people back at headquarters would never believe it, no matter how she told them.
That picky Diego, with a friendly arm slung around Simon’s shoulders, now brimming with excitement and dying to teach him something new.
“He’s amazing.”
Superb.
When are we getting more free chapters?
Thanks for the new chapters