REAPER SCANS
How to Raise Your Skeletons
[Translator – Dawn]
[Proofreader – BringTheRayn]
Chapter 170: Mutual Assistance
The atmosphere around Association President Choi Taeseung shifted—he now held a heavy, serious demeanor.
“In truth, recently… Russia has requested our assistance.”
“Russia?” I tilted my head in confusion.
They weren’t even an ally of ours, so why would they come to us?
“Haah… Recently, they’ve been struggling to manage their dungeons. As you know, communist countries like China and North Korea have weak alliances, and Russia has been staying neutral, just gauging the situation.”
“Well, that’s true.”
“They’ve barely been holding on as the 15th-ranked hunter nation… but it seems their internal gang conflicts have been more intense than expected.”
“Hm, the mafia, huh…?” I leaned back and massaged the back of my neck.
When I thought of the mafia, only one name came to my mind—Vladimir. I’d heard that after the world became dominated by hunters, the mafia had become even more rampant. Vladimir himself said that he’d become a hunter just to fight against those criminal organizations.
“But,” I asked out of pure curiosity, “is there a specific reason why we have to help them?”
There were many countries in need of assistance. Korea, as a hunter superpower, didn’t feel the impact as much, but I had heard that the situation in other countries was dire.
The number of dungeons was constantly increasing, and there weren’t enough hunters to handle them. If a dungeon break were to happen, where monsters escaped from an uncleared dungeon, all hell would break loose.
Hmph. I shook my head internally.
It would be absolute chaos—a disaster. It would be like when I had to face an orc back when I was still an E-rank hunter—an overwhelming catastrophe would befall the civilians.
“There are plenty of other countries to help, like Africa, Qatar, or El Salvador. I thought Russia had a decent number of rankers, no?”
“Ah, that’s…” Choi Taeseung closed his eyes and sighed at my question. His expression looked… uneasy.
“Just be honest with me.”
“To be frank… we could ignore it, but… unfortunately, some of our hunters volunteered as independent support. And it’s been a month without any word back from them. The Association is in a tough spot because their families keep filing complaints.”
“…”
So that’s what this was about. Even the Association was a public service, huh? For a public official, complaints from citizens were terrifying.
“I completely understand the concerns of the missing hunters’ families, but… there’s nothing we can do about it.”
“Of course.”
To clear an S-rank dungeon safely, you needed at least one ranker.
But…
In the highly competitive hunter society, rankers always held the power. Naturally, the Association was the weaker party. They couldn’t just order rankers around, which was why they were asking me instead.
“On top of that, the families have been stirring public sentiment by pushing articles about it. It’s a major headache for us. Haah… And if only the Russians would share more information, it would help, but they’re just as in the dark. The dungeon hasn’t been cleared, and none of their scouting parties have returned. It’s a total nightmare.”
“Hm, is that so?”
—Crack, crack!
I flexed my fingers, popping my knuckles.
“So to put it simply… it’s extremely dangerous?”
The Association President hesitated at my blunt question before finally sighing and admitting it. “…Yes, that’s correct.”
“Hm.”
I debated it. S-rank dungeons were extremely rare. That was why rankers and guilds fought fiercely over them—the harder the dungeon, the sweeter the rewards. The hunters who went voluntarily must have been after those rewards.
So…
I didn’t feel particularly sympathetic for them. No one had forced them to go. They went out of greed, and now they were paying the price. Life was high risk, high reward. I, too, had risked my life in every dungeon I had cleared. That was the harsh reality of being a hunter.
But…
Something about this smelled fishy—very fishy. Forget the fact that no one had made it out alive… Why were Russian rankers leaving an S-rank dungeon alone?
This looks interesting.
A shiver ran down my spine. In the past, a situation like this would have made me panic. But now I felt… excited.
I've seen too much of the world.
Thanks to Delilah, I had glimpsed the vast universe beyond. Compared to that, one little dungeon like this was trivial.
“We’re not forcing you, Mr. Joo Donghoon. It’s just that… well, you’re now one of only four high-rankers in Korea…”
High-ranker was the title for those within the top 100.
“We just thought we’d ask. If you’re hesitant, feel free to decline.”
“No, no,” I shook my head. “I don’t mind going. It’s no burden.”
I wasn’t the type to avoid dungeons anyway. Not to mention that I had already crushed Delilah’s Trial and set the record for the best performance.
“But,” I smirked, “would it be alright if I added one condition?”
A skilled person helping others for free—that was what people called a pushover.
“A condition…? Yes, of course!” Choi Taeseung jumped out of his seat.
It was as if he never really expected me to accept.
“If it’s within the Korean Association’s capabilities, we’ll do anything!” The Association President looked ready to bow his head to the floor.
I quickly gestured for him to calm down. “Wait, please take it easy.”
“Ah, yes, yes…! Of course.”
“Have you ever heard of a Fragment of Ancient Magic?”
“An… Ancient Magic Fragment, you say?” He gave me a puzzled look as if he’d never heard of it.
Tsk.
So he didn’t know—but I wasn’t about to give up.
[Effect 4: To activate, you need ‘Ancient Magic Fragment’ (SS-Rank).]
It was the item required to activate the medium item Diary of a Failing Student Mage. I planned to use the Association to help me find it.
The Association’s global network is strong.
Through the World Hunter Association, countries kept their hunter-related information tightly connected. And since there were departments that managed hunter records, they would be very useful.
“Could you use the World Hunter Association’s resources to gather any clues or traces about this? I need it.”
Mutual assistance—both sides using each other. It wasn’t just a one-sided favor but a mutually beneficial deal.
“Leave it to us, Mr. Joo Donghoon.” The Association President bowed his head respectfully. “If you help us this time, then of course we’ll do our best to find what you need.”
* * *
Reaper Scans
Translator - Dawn
Proofreader - BringTheRayn
Join our discord for updates on releases! https://discord.gg/reapercomics
* * *
A day passed.
After sending off the Association President, I spent some time warming up with my skeletons. Of course, I did so on the outskirts of the vast plains of Mulung Paradise, my newly acquired subspace.
“My lord, is Eldrin not joining us?” Sunny asked after setting his spear down.
—Whoosh! Thud!
I nodded. “Eldrin won’t be coming on this expedition.”
Until the city construction was completed, I planned to have Eldrin’s forces assist Demir. No one was better suited for clearing forests than the elves. Besides, we were finally in a position where Eldrin’s absence wouldn’t be a problem.
Why? Because Kaden and Dana were here.
“Master.”
—Boom!
Kaden approached, slamming his shield onto the ground before kneeling. At some point, he had stopped calling me Benefactor and instead addressed me as Master.
“Gahaha, Master! I’ve taught them well! ‘Forget Benefactor,’ I told them! In this world, subordinates should call their ruler Lord, Master, or something grand like that! I told them it would please you, and they agreed to it immediately!”
Apparently, Demir had trained them on proper etiquette.
“…”
Well, I didn’t particularly care about titles, but it was fascinating to see skeletons communicating and sharing opinions.
“Yes?”
As I responded, Kaden raised his head. “I once led an army through revolution. If you allow me, I’d like to train our forces about formations.”
“Oh, really?”
Right. Kaden’s past life was as a Supreme Commander—the one who had led a peasant militia to overthrow a mighty, thousand-year-old empire.
“Then you’ll be the strategist. Work alongside Sunny.”
“I shall accept your command!”
—Boom!
As Kaden stood up, other skeleton warriors around us slammed their shields on the ground.
Wow. Were they already trained to do that?
“Dana.”
“Yes, my master!” At my call, Dana also rushed forward and lowered herself respectfully.
“Assist Kaden from the rear.”
“Our faith shall be dedicated solely to Master’s army,” she pledged.
Both Kaden and Dana were incredibly reassuring.
“Hehe, it’s been a long time since I’ve seen such training,” the old man, observing from the side, laughed in satisfaction. “The scale has grown, and each of these figures possesses the talent of a ruler in their own world. I like it.”
“Right?”
“Indeed.” He grinned. “From now on, I shall set the skeletons aside and focus entirely on perfecting your Art of All Techniques.”
“Sounds great.”
I’d realized something during the recent trial. While my skeletons’ progress was important, so was my growth. If I were to be silenced and unable to use skills, I would be rendered useless. Ultimately, the only thing that could protect me wasn’t my subordinates—it was my own strength.
“Oh, but first, one moment.”
Before beginning my full-fledged training, I turned my gaze to a skeleton throwing punches in the air.
—Whoosh! Whoosh, whoosh!
Boney 8.
[Name: Bonehead 8]
[Energy: 600 / 600]
[Unique Ability: Skeleton Lord]
[Class: Martial Artist]
[Rank: S]
[Strength: 60] [Dexterity: 60] [Constitution: 60] [Magic Power: 60] [Technique: 60]
[Skills]
- Advanced Combat Technique (Lv.1)
- Summon Skeleton (Lv. Max)
As expected, its class was Martial Artist. Since it had inherited the trait of skeleton lord, all its stats were evenly distributed at 60, and it only had two basic skills.
“I don’t know what kind of resentment your original self held,” I smiled while watching it, “but keep training hard. I’ll make sure you’re freed someday.”
—Creak!
—Whoosh! Whoosh, whoosh!
The skeleton nodded while continuing its drills.
“Alright.”
Everything was in place. Under the leadership of Sunny and Kaden, the skeleton forces began their training.
“And now it’s your turn, isn’t it?” The old man picked up a spear.
I nodded with a determined expression.
I only have one day.
After this final preparation, I would depart for Russia. The Association had given me a week, but if someone was still trapped inside that dungeon, the sooner I arrived, the better.
“Shall we begin?”
—Fwoosh!
A crimson glow erupted from my hands as I summoned my godslayer spear.
“Alright, lad. Today, we start with spear techniques!”
And so another session of hellish training began.
* * *
Vladimir Lodygin—he was a man who had lost his family to the Russian mafia and dedicated his life to wiping them out. He was now the hunter known as the Spacial Mage, ranked 601st in the world.
“…” He stood in stunned silence, staring at the scene before him.
—Grit.
He clenched his teeth, and his blood boiled.
“Guys! Your boss is back! Did you see my ranking on the TV? See? I told you I’d make it!”
He was grinning ear to ear as he used his spatial skills to teleport into his hideout.
However, what he found inside was nothing short of a massacre.
“This… What is…”
There was no need to ask who had done this. It was obvious—this had to be the work of the other mafia, who had always seen them as a threat.
“Those damned bastards…!”
Again. It happened again.
Ever since losing his family to the mafia, he struggled to suppress his trauma. He pretended it didn’t affect him and kept his signature, bold grin.
But now, his smile twisted into something bitter.
“You dare to touch my family again?” His hands trembled as rage surged through him.
That severed arm over there belonged to the younger brother he cherished most. And that lifeless body with dried blood around the mouth was one of his most trusted subordinates.
“How… How…!” Vladimir bit his lip and muttered.
Before he left, he’d used his spatial magic to hide their safe house. It was buried deep underground in a secluded forest; there wasn’t even an entrance to it. There was no way for anyone to find this place.
Unless there was a traitor inside…
His eyes turned cold.
Forcing his sorrow back down, Vladimir slowly began counting the number of corpses.
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