REAPER SCANS
Necromancer Academy's Genius Summoner
[Translator - Ramen]
[Proofreader - Artethrax]
Chapter 509
[You've strayed too far from the path, Nirthi.]
Nirthi let out a cold, mocking scoff.
"Strayed too far, you say?"
Her interest in Simon vanished, replaced by utter contempt.
"What, are you trying to start some pathetic lecture about how revenge is wrong or something?"
[No.]
Simon slowly shook his head.
[I have no interest in understanding the motives behind your atrocities, but I do still know that forgiveness and repentance don't fix everything. Even if every single person in Tarados begged for your forgiveness, your hatred wouldn't just vanish.]
"Huh, then what are you—?"
[However.]
Simon cut her off.
[From what I can see, you've already conducted your revenge. But you're still going further. You declared that you'll destroy the kingdom and, furthermore, the entire Grand Alliance.]
Scrrrrrraaaaatch!
Simon's greatsword scraped against the dungeon floor.
[Do you really think anyone would be fool enough to just stand idle and let that happen?]
Nirthi had gone too far.
[To let someone standing before them threaten to destroy the people and places they hold dear?]
She was no longer walking toward the same direction of revenge; she was no longer aiming at the same target.
[What's even more ridiculous is that you asked me, a complete outsider, to join you. Purely because I seemed useful. Because I might serve your grand cause. My own goals and convictions don't matter to you. You're not prepared to persuade anyone. No, you don't even have the will to convince others in the first place.]
A coldness entered Simon's eyes.
[You're not bringing justice to anything right now, Nirthi.]
His voice spread across the floor like mist.
[This isn't revenge. It's just a tantrum.]
"…"
A long silence and heavy stillness wrapped around them both.
Simon and Nirthi both knew that they would never understand each other.
In the end, the stronger one would decide.
Simon adjusted his grip on his greatsword, and Nirthi infused her modified chimera arm with jet-black.
"Looks like we're back where we started."
Said Nirthi.
"But what can you possibly do now, alone? With every passing moment, The Association's victory only becomes more certain."
[From now on, one step at a time…]
Simon smirked.
[I plan to change things so my victory becomes certain instead.]
Swaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaah…
As soon as he said that, a massive wave of sand began to spread through the empty air.
[Did you forget? That we took the master of the dungeon.]
The dungeon created by Herseva had reached its limit. As the sand cleared, the staff Herseva resided in appeared, so completely drained it was drooping.
Behind it was the master of the dungeon. Its flesh was torn apart, covered in countless black feathers mixed with sand.
Nirthi's face stiffened.
'The master of the dungeon I enhanced with my research…!'
'I knew that Herseva and Akemus would win.'
However, although the master of the dungeon had been reduced to mere chunks of flesh, the dungeon itself remained intact.
Simon suspected this would happen when he first noticed that moving the master of the dungeon to another space didn't cause any cracks in the dungeon.
Moreover, the master was still alive. Its immortality was trying to restore its flesh, but the cursed feathers from Akemus embedded within it were blocking the regeneration.
'If I can make it completely unable to recover…!'
Simon kicked off the floor, launching himself toward the master of the dungeon.
Nirthi did the same a moment later, intercepting him.
Slaaaaaaaam!!
Simon's greatsword clashed head-on with the chimera arm.
With a deafening shockwave, both of them were pushed backward, and Nirthi raised her left arm, conjuring a magic circle.
"Research abandoned. Code release. Everyone, activate!"
As she activated the magic circle, the sound of glass tube shattering echoed throughout the room.
One by one, the chimeras trapped inside the tubes burst out.
[Kieeegh!]
[Kurrrrgh!]
As soon as the chimeras escaped, killing intent radiated from them and they charged straight at Simon.
'Of course she'd try to overwhelm me with numbers.'
Simon let out a battle cry and dashed forward.
Slaaash!
As he swung his greatsword upward, the frontmost chimera was split evenly in two.
Shiing! Shiing! Shiing! Shiing!
White arcs slashed through the air, cutting down monster after monster.
But a bull-like chimera charged between two arcs and rammed into him. Simon was sent flying backward and crashed into the wall behind him.
"Kill him!"
Du-du-du-du-du-du-du!
At Nirthi's command, every chimera in the lab stormed toward the dust cloud from Simon being thrown into the wall.
{Simon Original - Royal Bodyguards}
Shiiiiing!
The dust was sliced apart by countless emerald sword flashes, scattering in all directions from the wind pressure.
Step! Step! Step! Step!
As the dust cleared, twenty skeletons appeared, each wielding a turquoise sword and dressed in fluttering capes.
[Follow me.]
Simon took the lead, and his royal bodyguards followed after him, leaving streaks of turquoise light. Every time a sword flashed in the darkness, another chimera was split apart.
'How is he cutting down chimeras with mere skeletons?'
From Nirthi's perspective, it was an unbelievable sight.
The chimeras were being shredded apart like chunks of meat thrown into a grinder.
Unable to remain a mere spectator, Nirthi sent a signal through her magic circle, and soon the chimeras regrouped, forming a solid defensive line.
[I was waiting for you to do that.]
Simon opened his subspace. At the same time, the Cloud flowed out from a few of his royal bodyguards, forming into the shape of a magic circle in front of his subspace.
[Come forth, skeleton knights.]
Five skeleton knights appeared from the subspace, spinning at high speed as they shot forward.
And the moment they passed through the magic circle formed by consuming some of his royal bodyguards…
{Simon Original - Royal Bodyguards & Blade Storm}
Craaaaaaaaaaaaaash!
Fierce turquoise whirlwinds surged forward, grinding through every chimera in their path. Nirthi's jaw dropped.
"What in the world is that?!"
Concentrating her forces to counter the royal bodyguards had been a mistake.
The massive whirlwinds rampaged through the enemy lines, clearing a path for Simon and the remaining royal bodyguards to pass through unharmed.
As a huge chunk of her forces were wiped out before her eyes, Nirthi let out an agonized scream, pulling at her hair.
"Fire everything!"
Booom!
Pooow!
The chimeras in the rear—closer to artillery cannons than living creatures—unleashed a barrage of flashes, explosions, jet-black projectiles, and biological bombs into the whirlwind.
Facing the brunt of the assault, the spinning skeleton knights were thrown to the side, tumbling away.
[Kugh!]
As the royal bodyguards suffered damage, the owner, Simon, suffered the same.
'I'll surpass this kind of limit…'
Simon didn't bother wiping the blood trickling from his lips, a flash of light appearing in his eyes.
'As many times as it takes!'
Retrieving the Cloud from the fallen skeleton knights, Simon directed all the remaining royal bodyguards' bones to fly toward him.
The true strength of the royal bodyguards was in their adaptability.
Simon leaped off the ground, soaring into the air.
{Royal Bodyguards - Flight Mode}
The bones attached to the back of Pier's Bone Armor, and Cloud burst from Simon's back like a booster, propelling him high into the air.
A long streak of turquoise light cut through the air in a zigzag. Then, in an instant, Simon had slashed through the entire front line and reached the rear, cutting down dozens of the artillery-cannon chimeras in a single strike.
"Yooouuu!!"
Seeing her most crucial chimeras slashed with a sword that prevented regeneration, Nirthi spun around in a fury.
However, Simon didn't flinch, continuing to charge forward as he gathered his Cloud and changed its shape into a bow.
{Simon Remake - Blood Arrow}
A black arrow streaked through the air like a ray of light, piercing Nirthi's arm. Instantly, an explosion dark as ink erupted, engulfing the surroundings.
"Kuighhh!"
Nirthi barely withstood the attack, though her chimera arm was torn to shreds and she was sent skidding backwards. As she was stuck moving, Simon closed the distance so fast a deafening roar flattened the area he jumped from.
The white greatsword was drawing a perfect vertical arc toward her head.
Clash!
Nirthi raised her tattered chimera arm to block it.
But something felt wrong.
[Kuhehehe!]
* * *
Reaper Scans
Translator - Ramen
Proofreader - Artethrax
Join our discord for updates on releases!
* * *
'!'
The strike was weaker than a moment ago. Now that she looked closely, what charged at her still took the shape of Bone Armor, but there was no one inside it.
'Don't tell me, again…?!'
Her head turned back.
'Another feint!'
Having taken off his Bone Armor, Simon positioned himself behind her, already in the process of striking once more. He stepped forward, his shoulders and hips twisted, and he threw a crackling lightning bolt with all his might.
{Simon Original - Chaos Spear}
Kaboooooom…!
With a sound so violent it felt as though the air had been torn apart, two purple spears shot forward like beams of light, stabbing deep into Nirthi's abdomen.
"Kuhughh!"
Dark blood gushed from her mouth.
'Just how many damn originals does he ha—?!'
"I'm not done yet!"
Simon continuously generated chaos spears and threw them.
The third and fourth spears struck her stomach and chest, and only then did her chimeras rush in to shield her with their bodies.
Dash!
Stopping his ranged attacks, Simon charged in barehanded.
As Simon charged, Pier—who had disguised himself as Bone Armor—broke apart into countless bones and swiftly wrapped around Simon's body once more.
The moment the Bone Armor covered him, Simon's speed became five times faster.
Slaaaaaaaash!
With every swing of the Greatsword of Destruction, the chimeras defending her were sent flying.
'What the hell is this bastard?!'
Nirthi's eyes shook.
'His ability to read the flow of battle, his combat instincts… He's far beyond the level of even a professional!'
When she saw him without his Bone Armor earlier, she realized he was student council president Simon.
'Lack of experience? Not at all! Just how many life-or-death battles and impossible limits has he overcome to get to that level??'
Shk!
She bit her lip hard as she watched her chimeras being mercilessly slashed apart by the greatsword that hindered regeneration.
But when it comes to surviving near-death experiences, she was second to none.
"Come forth!"
She grabbed a new syringe with her left hand, stabbed it into her neck, and then activated the soul-bound magic circle embedded in her abdomen.
Flutter!
Fwip!
Tentacle-like things lashed out from her stomach, grabbing the nearby chimeras and forcefully attaching them to her body.
Even while relentlessly cutting down chimeras while advancing toward Nirthi, Simon stopped his advance.
'So this is the final move Nirthi had been holding back.'
This was on a completely different level from merely replacing limbs with chimeras.
She had abandoned any hope of returning to normal, fusing with over a hundred chimeras. Only her head remained, while the rest of her body writhed with grotesque, pulsating flesh.
[Kuhehehe! They say insanity is a virtue for necromancers, but this is beyond insane!]
Even Pier was taken aback.
Simon gripped his greatsword, gasping for breath. He had to cut her down before her transformation became bigger and complete, but…
'The recoil from pushing my body too hard…!'
He had controlled countless troops of the Legion, fought his way through three floors of enemies, used Cloud in a myriad of ways and even unleashed chaos. He had given everything.
Simon forced strength into his legs, making them move.
But he could only manage a few steps. Meanwhile, Nirthi continued growing larger and stronger.
'Any moment now…'
Panting, Simon looked upward.
'It's about time for them to arrive.'
Of course, Nirthi wasn't the only one with a card up their sleeve.
While the two fought fiercely, a massive crack had formed in the ceiling of Nirthi's lab.
Simon had deliberately created as much noise as possible to keep her from noticing.
Just one more strike.
Craaaaaaaaaaash!!
The timing was perfect. With a loud noise, the ceiling of the lab shattered completely, revealing a boy with his fist reached out.
[Hahahaha! Did you wait long, Simon?]
Prince and Kajann, who had gone to retrieve Karl, came crashing down from above. A huge glass tube was by their side.
"Glad you're still alive, Simon!"
[We found Karl!]
The two landed on the floor.
Without hesitation, Prince clenched his fist and shattered the glass tube. Yellow fluid spilled out, followed by a quivering mass of liquid.
It was Karl's main body. It was writhing and shifting as if longing for something.
[Boy! Now's your chance! Take out the other half of Karl!]
"Got it!"
Simon opened his subspace and took out the half of Karl he had carried.
A core-like mass pulsed at the center as the two bodies became one. Four legs planted themselves firmly on the floor, and the mass transformed into a massive hound.
'So this is…!'
Simon clenched his fist.
'The true form of Karl, the demonic beast of plague!'
Green gas and eerie flames coiled around the undead's body. Unlike what Simon had imagined, its physical form was a little… blurry.
[Hello, stranger! I thank you for freeing me from my endless suffering.]
Simon blinked in confusion.
'Stranger?'
It seemed that the main body had no memory of its clone.
"Well, how are you feeling? Is your body okay?"
[No.]
Karl silently shook his head.
[It's already too late for me.]
"Hm?"
[They drained all my power. Just maintaining this form is a miracle. Soon, I will completely disappear.]
Simon's eyes shook violently.
"That's different from what your clone told me!"
[I apologize. My clone probably had no idea of the real situation. Its priority was simply to rescue my main body.]
Karl's gaze moved toward Pier's skull.
[Pier, I will soon cease to exist. You know what needs to be done, right?]
[…]
A sharp light flickered in Pier's eye sockets.
[Are you serious, Karl?]
[Woof woof! Don't play dumb! You must've, at least to some extent, expected this outcome.]
Rrrrrrumble!
Nirthi, now the size of a multi-story building, raised her massive fist and swung it toward Simon and his party.
[What are you guys all doing?! I get that this is a nice reunion, but this isn't the time for chatting!]
Prince shot up into the air and delivered his 'hidden-card punch', but the difference in strength and mass was overwhelming. He was instead sent flying backward, crashing into the wall.
"Prince!"
[Hurry up, Pier! And you, human!]
Karl opened his mouth.
[At this rate, everything will be over! This is the only way to defeat her!]
"Pier! What do we need to do?"
[…]
Pier conveyed the situation to Simon through thoughts. Again, Simon's eyes shook, but he soon shut his eyes tightly.
There was no time to hesitate.
"I'm sorry, Karl."
Simon raised the Greatsword of Destruction.
"I wanted to talk with you more."
[Woof woof! So you're Richard's son and the one who Pier chose, huh? You seem sentimental for an offspring of Richard's!]
Karl stepped forward, standing before Simon.
[They have drained and depleted me countless times! I'm tired. If you truly wish to help me, harvest me with your hands!]
Simon nodded. Karl's chest split open, revealing his core.
Karl wouldn't last much longer. But there was still a way to reclaim his power.
"Goodbye, Karl."
The Greatsword of Destruction pierced Karl's core.
Karl let out a relieved smile, and his body turned to liquid.
Swoooooooooop…!
Then, he was sucked into the Greatsword of Destruction that Simon was holding. Simon could feel the overwhelming power surging through him.
'What the?!'
Simons' arm trembled violently.
'I can't control the power.'
Before long, Karl's body vanished without a trace, and a faint green color spread over the Greatsword of Destruction.
[I'll explain this only once, so listen carefully, Boy!]
Said Pier.
Simon saw Kajann being sent flying by a kick from the massive Nirthi. The distraction being dealt with, it was now coming for Simon.
[From now on, we can use Karl's power!]
Fwooooooooooosh!
Green smoke began to rise from the Greatsword of Destruction. It formed the shape of a dog howling at the sky.
"Gasssp!"
It wasn't difficult to activate. Simon focused the jet-black into the greatsword and drove it into the floor with all his might.
Gloop… Gloop…
The area around the greatsword transformed into a strange, poisonous swamp.
Nirthi's steps slowed as she sank into the swamp, and at the same time, hundreds of small dogs, Karl's 'clones', appeared from the swamp.
Simon shouted,
"Attack!"
Foosh! Foosh! Foosh! Foosh!
Hundreds of clones fired poisonous projectiles imbued with disease from their mouths.
As the toxins rained down, the chimeras forming Nirthi's body started screaming in agony. Nirthi thrashed uncontrollably, unable to command its own body.
'I'm not done yet!'
Simon dashed forward again, leaving the tip of the greatsword lodged into the swamp before then lifting with all his strength.
The poison swamp surged in the direction of the greatsword's swing, wrapping around Nirthi's massive body like a serpent and forcing it to the floor.
"Th-This is amazing!"
Simon gasped in awe at his new power, and Pier chuckled.
[This is nothing! Karl's true power lies elsewhere! You know that, don't you?]
Pier's gaze moved to the tattered corpse of the master of the dungeon.
[Destroy the master of the dungeon with that greatsword and claim this dungeon, Boy!]
——
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