REAPER SCANS
Necromancer Academy's Genius Summoner
[Translator - Ramen]
[Proofreader - Artethrax]
Chapter 288
"We don't have much time, so I'll keep things brief."
While scouting around, Simon spotted a 'Creature', a summon which is used by priests as scouts. It confirmed that the priests were after them.
Their target was undoubtedly 'Sasha', the Saintess candidate.
Thankfully, the environmental factors were in their favor. It was midnight, and the forest was difficult to complete a full search of.
Knowing that, Simon figured that it would be best to split up into two groups.
The plan was to use Seiwirr's illusions to create a fake carriage that would draw the attention of the priests while Sasha and the others would run out of the forest on foot.
"A-Are you telling me to die?!"
Screamed Seiwirr upon hearing the strategy.
"If you run…"
Simon smiled.
"…you'll be punished so severely by both Kizen and Vengeance that you'd wish you were dead."
"…Ugh!"
"If you cooperate with us in this, I will report to Kizen that you've done a good job as a mentor."
Unless he planned to leave the Dark Territory entirely, Seiwirr would have no choice but to cooperate. In the end, he accepted Simon's plan.
"I'll go with him."
Rick volunteered to keep an eye on Seiwirr.
"Will you be alright?"
"If we let him go alone, he'll definitely deactivate the illusion early and run away alone. Someone's gotta keep an eye on him.
Simon's face became serious.
"It might be dangerous."
"Ah, don't worry! I'm pretty confident that I can take care of myself."
Certainly, Simon knew no other necromancer as reliable as Rick in terms of survival skills.
Simon and Meilyn nodded, and Camibarez added with a worried look,
"Please be safe, Rick!"
"Of course!"
They moved according to plan. After sinking the carriage in a nearby lake, the group led the horse into a dense bush where Meilyn cast a sleeping curse on it so it wouldn't be noticed.
Rick ripped the mana engine off his custom boat and attached it to a rickety cart he took out from his subspace. When Seiwirr cast his illusion on the cart, it just looked like the carriage they had hijacked.
"We'll be going on ahead! See you guys alive!"
The fake carriage rolled down the road with Rick and Seiwirr in it. Meanwhile, Simon and the others began to trek through the forest with Sasha riding on Cami's back.
Meilyn took the lead, Camibarez and Sasha moved in the middle, and Simon was at the very back to check if Efnel was following.
"I need you to focus on protecting Sasha, Cami."
"Yes, Simon! I'll do my best!"
Cami used her signature dark spell 'Blood Silk' to create a makeshift support for Sasha's injured leg in case they got into a fight and Sasha had to run.
"Meilyn, if a priest approaches, move ahead and intercept them."
"Okay. What about you?"
"Same goes for me. I'll be the first one to fall off from the group if we find anyone from Efnel. Please think I'm fighting a priest if I'm not around."
Meilyn nodded.
He was the one who had revealed Seiwirr's identity and he was the one who had found the Creature, so she decided to follow his lead for this mission.
And so they kept on moving.
The dark forest was oozing with an eerie atmosphere. Everyone was on high alert, expecting a priest or a monster to jump out at any moment.
Cami looked over her shoulder after a bit of walking and asked,
"Sasha, are you feeling comfortable back there?"
Sasha nodded warmly in affirmation. Camibarez nodded back, then turned to face Meilyn.
"There's a chance the priests might be headed straight after us, right?"
"I wonder… Could be if they have any priests who can sense people or jet-black. Still, this is the best option we have."
She looked back.
"Right, Simo—? Huh?!"
Both of them stopped running out of surprise. Before they knew it, Simon, who had been running behind them, was nowhere to be seen.
"H-He fell off from the group already?"
* * *
Dash!
Five priests ran across the grass, bringing divinity into their legs.
Four were girls in Efnel uniforms, and one was a middle-aged man in overalls, his orange hair fluttering behind him.
"Conductor, are you sure they went this way?"
At Lilinette's question, the leader—Figaro—nodded his head.
"Yes, my Creature sensed it. They appear to be traveling in a carriage commandeered from the gang members."
'Hmm.'
Lilinette stroked her chin in thought.
"It's getting late, and they also just fought a big battle, so I expect they're setting up camp soon. It'd be easier to deal with them if they're asleep."
"Unfortunately, I'm sure Kizen has realized we're approaching them."
Figaro continued,
"One of my Creatures was taken down."
"You're so bad at doing your job!"
"Haha, sorry for not being perfect."
Then, the five of them stopped running at the same time.
"Mm… It really does seem that they are aware of our pursuit. However…"
Lilinette smirked and pointed her finger forward.
"Are you by yourself?"
In the middle of the forest, engulfed with darkness, a boy stood tall with his hood pulled down low over his eyes.
He stood in place, staring down the priests in front of him.
The students of Efnel looked dumbfounded.
"Is this a new kind of way to commit suicide?"
"How full of yourself."
"I guess it's true what they say about necromancers, sisters. They're quite dumb."
A boy in brown robes was blocking the priests by himself.
It was 5 against 1. Despite being heavily outnumbered, the boy could not be more relaxed. He stood with his arms crossed, tapping his finger rhythmically against his skin as he waited for them to approach.
But because he was being so confident…
'…Something's off.'
They were hesitant to get closer.
"Could it be a trap?"
Figaro shook his head at Lilinette's question.
"I don't sense the presence of any people around him. I believe he stepped out by himself just because he's confident in his skills."
"Insane."
Lilinette wrapped her hands with divinity. A white aura pulsed around her fists.
"We don't have much time! Let's go!"
* * *
Reaper Scans
Translator - Ramen
Proofreader - Artethrax
Join our discord for updates on releases!
* * *
The five priests jumped in, silver lines trailing behind their feet.
Simon barely moved. He crouched down slightly and raised his right arm.
'Bone Armor.'
Bone fragments flowed out from his subspace, covering his right arm perfectly.
Sprint!
A moment later, Lilinette—who was in the center of the formation—sped up and rushed in like a ray of light. Simon reflexly swung his fist in front of himself.
Claaaaaaaaash!
Two fists struck in the center, creating a booming roar. Their clothes fluttered wildly, and the trees around them shook.
And while the two clashed fists, the other priests stomped down on their divinity, shooting past them.
"Ah."
Simon looked back in surprise.
"Do you really have time to worry about the others?"
Simon hurriedly stepped back as he saw Lilinette opening her other hand.
Divine spears rained down and pierced the ground.
"I don't know what you're after, staying here by yourself, but having all five of us held back by you would only be playing further into your plan."
Fwip!
She smiled, opening up her remaining fist.
"Am I wrong?"
Simon scratched the side of his head.
"So Efnel students are smarter than I thought, huh?"
"!"
Hearing that, a wave of irritation washed over Lilinette's face, but she quickly regained her composure when she realized it was just a cheap provocation.
"I'll make sure not to kill you for the sake of the treaty in the neutral area, but I'll make sure you're never able to run your mouth again!"
"Hm…"
Standing in front of Lilinette, Simon began to recall Farahann's class.
"If you determine the specialty of your opponent, you could learn a mountain of information from that alone."
Simon's eyes moved to her hands. They were pulsing white, divinity increasing and decreasing in size like boxing gloves woven of light.
'Her fist isn't just wrapped with divinity. It's a holy burst of healing.'
Healing was a study strictly focussed on tending to the sick and supporting combatants from the rear, but adjusting to the times, offensive styles have naturally developed to deal with necromancers.
And the most effective skill for offense is 'reverse healing', which infuses the opponent's body with divinity in a way which rips apart cells, destroying it from the inside.
Just a touch, and organs will rupture. Needless to mention, it was especially effective against necromancers, their jet-black making them vulnerable to any form of divinity.
'But that's not it.'
Simon saw Lilinette placing a purplish blessing on her body.
Simon recalled what he'd learned in Farahann's class.
"It's some kind of doping effect. This blessing gives the user strength and speed at the cost of destroying their body. It's one of the forbidden light spells, but healers are allowed to use it. They can fight without the risk, being able to heal themselves."
The more you know, the more you see. Just as Simon was about to draw his own magic circle to counter the blessing with a curse, Lilinette charged at him.
"!"
Through more instinct than skill, Simon managed to throw himself to the side in time.
Fwip! Fwip! Fwip!
A volley of divine arrowheads came in from behind.
"Kugh!"
Simon dodged frantically, tumbling into a cartwheel. He saw a freckled, twin-tailed female student smirking at him up in the trees.
'The frontal charge was just a trick. The real attack was coming from behind!'
"You've got pretty quick reactions."
The priests pretended that all four of them jumped past Simon, but in reality, one stayed behind to make it 2 against 1.
"Don't you agree it'd be funny to leave an enemy alone when they were confident enough to head out alone?"
The freckled girl landed on the ground and brought her arms out in front of her.
More divine projectiles flew in while Lilinette intercepted Simon while he was trying to dodge and swung her fist.
"Kugh!"
In an instant, he had been caught between two powerhouses.
Slam!
Lilinette's fist slammed straight into his abdomen.
With a flash of light from the Holy Fist, Simon's eyes widened, and a painful groan left his lips.
"It's going to hurt like hell!"
As Simon stumbled and dropped to a knee, the freckled girl leaped into the sky and unleashed a Divine Bombardment down onto Simon.
He stood no chance.
Kabooom!
Poooow!
Simon was covered in divinity. This should've been enough to incapacitate him, but the pair of priests wanted to make sure.
The two girls exchanged a glance, then simultaneously charged in at Simon through the smoke.
Poow!
Pshk!
The smoke began to clear.
Simon stood still, his body in such shock that not even pain appeared on his face.
Again, the two took no chances as Lilinette fired a Holy Burst directly into Simon's chest, and the freckled girl came in from the back with a sharpened divine arrow which she stabbed into him until it protruded out of his chest.
Simon's eyes began to glaze over.
"We did it!"
"Serves him right for being so arrogant."
They took him down perfectly.
Just as they were about to withdraw their divinity…
Grab!
"?"
"Huh?"
Both of them felt something clutching the backs of their heads.
Crash!!
Their heads slammed straight into each other.
"Oww!!"
Receiving a tremendous shock in the head, the girl with freckles immediately fainted.
And Simon, standing in the center of the two, looked perfectly fine. Better than fine, even.
'…Should I have just pursued acting as a career instead of necromancy?'
"Ugh…! What? I'm sure our attacks hit him…"
Lilinette frowned and stepped back, holding her forehead.
Her teammate was unconscious on the ground, and Simon was walking forward toward Lilinette.
"Wh-Wh-What's going on?!! With divinity, I'm sure that…!"
Without any replies, Simon lunged at her, jet-black bubbling off of him.
Then, Lilinette's eyes widened.
The wind had pulled back his hood, and she saw the boy's dark blue hair.
'Ah!'
Lilinette remembered Rete's advice regarding the neutral area.
"If you ever encounter a boy from Kizen with navy blue hair during the mission, just pretend you're dead and run away."
Lilinette's eyes widened as she watched Simon place his palm on her stomach.
Lilinette stared at the dark magic being cast on her stomach in despair.
{Hong Feng Original - Drum Beating}
Katoooooooooooooosh!
Lilinette flew through the air, crashing through several trees before landing helplessly against the hard ground.
"One mistake and you're dead."
——
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