Chapter 27: Birth of the Blue Skeletons

Nova Team Leader Cha Jihye.

She and the team members watched in a daze.

The battle of the necromancer Seo Juwon.

This makes no sense. 

How can he fight like this with just skeletons?

Cha Jihye was stunned by the scene unfolding before her eyes.

The skeletons were fighting with terrifying unity and precision.

Skeletons aren’t supposed to be able to fight this well…??

Unlike their performance in games, necromancers in reality were a weak class.

The reason was simple.

Skeletons were far too frail and far too stupid.

Of course, that could be mitigated by raising levels a lot, but if that were the case, there would be no bad classes at all.

Skeletons were as weak as straws and dumber than most monsters.

Seo Juwon Hunter’s skeletons are different.

But the skeletons controlled by Seo Juwon were different.

Against the gigantic monstrous bird, the “Siren.”

The skeletons facing that monster moved with astonishing agility.

Even setting aside how they charged in perfect unison like well-trained soldiers, the combat itself was unbelievably fluid.

The skeleton mages cleanly evading the siren’s attack range while delivering ranged strikes.

The skeleton soldiers rushing forward without a moment’s hesitation.

Support fire that was no different from a machine gun, and in the gaps, grabbing the siren’s tail feathers to form a skeleton ladder.

Then, while the siren floundered, pouring magic once more.

Every single attack meshed perfectly, as if it had been pre-planned.

Is he really controlling all of this?

Cha Jihye stared at Seo Juwon’s back, standing just a few steps ahead.

He stood there motionless.

Was he truly commanding all those skeletons?

Such agile, perfect, and overwhelmingly powerful tactics?

Cha Jihye could not believe it.

But the most shocking part was yet to come.

“KIYAAAAK! KIYAAAAAAAH!”

The siren, unable to rise into the air and crashing into the pink clouds.

The skeleton soldiers swarming over it with loud CLACK-CLACK.

An unbearable, blinding flash erupted from them.

KABOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOM!

A tremendous explosion detonated among the dozens of skeletons.

As if a nuclear bomb had fallen, Cha Jihye and the team members ducked their heads and squeezed their eyes shut.

HISSSSSSSSS…

After the massive tremor, deafening roar, and typhoon-like pressure slowly subsided.

Cha Jihye and the team members slowly raised their heads and looked forward.

And they saw it.

T-The siren…

The gigantic monstrous bird, the siren.

It had vanished, leaving only blackened remains.

Cha Jihye and the team members looked at each other.

Mouths half-open, faces frozen in shock.

They were having a wordless conversation.

Did you see that?

Is this really reality?

Is it true that a necromancer solo-cleared the siren?

Because even after seeing it with their own eyes, they couldn’t believe it.

While Cha Jihye and the team were reeling from the shock, Seo Juwon was also surprised.

The reason was simple.

[You have reached a certain level and acquired a new skill.]

He had leveled up from the experience gained by killing the siren and obtained a new skill.

As expected…

Seo Juwon had experienced it before.

Every new skill made him overwhelmingly stronger.

That was why he was excited.

What kind of skill had the system given him this time?

[The name of the new skill is…]

[“Skeleton Mastery”.]

The newly acquired skill.

It was none other than “Skeleton Mastery.”

Skeleton Mastery?

Of course he knew that skill.

Skeleton Mastery.

Wasn’t it a passive skill that strengthened skeletons?

Just how much stronger will they become?

But he had no idea how much stronger Skeleton Mastery would make them.

Then, suddenly, an astonishing phenomenon occurred.

SHHHHK!

Even after the bone explosions, a few skeletons still remained.

Their appearance began to change.

The pure white bones began turning blue.

What the…??

The skeletons shifting from white to blue.

Staring at them, I blinked blankly.

The skeletons that had completely transformed into vivid blue skulls.

Looking at them, Cha Jihye and the team members exclaimed.

“Huh? Blue skeletons?”

“Whoa! Blue skeletons! They’re blue skeletons!”

“Seo Juwon, what level are you that your skeletons already turned blue?”

“Blue skeletons already. This is insane.”

“Ha, blue skeletons. They’re going to be ridiculously strong now. Getting even stronger from here? Insane.”

“I’m jealous, Seo Juwon…”

What?

Blue skeletons?

Hearing the unfamiliar term for the first time, I tilted my head.

“Blue skeletons? Team Leader, what are blue skeletons?”

“Huh, Seo Juwon Hunter. You’re a necromancer and you don’t know about blue skeletons?”

“I really don’t. What are they?”

I genuinely asked because I didn’t know.

Cha Jihye explained with a shocked face.

“So, skeletons have four stages…”

Cha Jihye said.

Necromancer skeletons have four stages.

The very first is “white skeleton.”

The basic pure-white form.

The next evolution is “blue skeleton.”

Exactly like the ones that had just changed—blue-colored skeletons.

Next comes “red skeleton.”

As the name suggests, bright crimson skeletons.

“The final stage is black skeleton. As the name implies, pitch-black skeletons. Naturally the strongest.”

“Blue, red, black skeletons… I’ve never heard of that before.”

I was being honest.

Despite having studied necromancy quite a bit, I thought skeletons were always pure white.

But that wasn’t the case.

Listening to Cha Jihye, I realized there really were four stages.

White → Blue → Red → Black.

That’s how it worked.

Cha Jihye continued.

“Well, it’s possible not to know. Colored skeletons are extremely rare.”

“Really? Why is that?”

“As Seo Juwon Hunter knows, necromancer is a weak class, and very few hunters reach high realms with that weak class.”

“So does that mean almost no one has blue, red, or black skeletons?”

“That’s not entirely true, but they’re incredibly rare even if you search the whole world. Yet you already have blue skeletons… Your level must be insanely high…”

Cha Jihye said with a stunned expression.

Apparently you needed an extremely high level to obtain blue skeletons.

“Team Leader, do you know roughly what level is needed for blue skeletons?”

“Hmm, I don’t know exactly, but probably over level 70.”

“What? 70…!?”

“Yes. Isn’t Seo Juwon Hunter around that level?”

Cha Jihye tilted her head and asked.

The other team members also exclaimed in admiration, wondering if my level was that high.

But no.

Level 70?

My level was nowhere near that.

My level is only 26.

Yet my current level was a mere 26.

That was actually the lowest in the entire Nova team.

Level 26 wouldn’t be strange even in a Bronze attack squad.

My level is low, so why did I get blue skeletons?

The questions in my mind only grew thicker.

Why?

Why was I the only one whose skeleton color changed so quickly?

Why had I obtained blue skeletons that supposedly required level 70 this early?

Could it be because of the EX grade?

I immediately guessed the reason.

Right next to the newly acquired Skeleton Mastery skill was the unmistakable “EX grade.”

I instantly realized that was the cause.

Yes, it’s because of the EX grade. There’s no other explanation.

I was convinced that the reason I obtained blue skeletons so incredibly early was thanks to the EX grade.

It was an obvious deduction.

After all, my skeleton soldiers, skeleton mages, and bone explosions already displayed power far beyond what any same-level necromancer could produce.

They did say blue skeletons are strong.

Cha Jihye and the team members had clearly said blue skeletons were overwhelmingly powerful.

Then what if they became red skeletons?

Or even black skeletons?

I’m going to become ridiculously strong.

I smiled while looking at the blue-tinted skeletons.

And in my mind, I imagined it.

Thousands of black skeletons swarming around me like a black wave.

After defeating the harpies and the siren and exiting the gate.

Cha Jihye and the Nova team members showered me with praise.

They said that without me, they absolutely could not have cleared the gate, and thanked me for saving their lives.

Receiving such lavish praise on my very first raid.

I was overjoyed.

Of course, the even better thing was obtaining the skill “Skeleton Mastery.”

My skeleton soldiers had become vivid blue skeletons and grown even stronger.

Imagining them turning red and then black made my heart race.

And the fact that I could even imagine such things filled me with happiness.

Because back when I was powerless, I could never have foreseen my life turning out this smoothly.

And astonishingly, good things kept coming.

From a place I had never even expected.

To the respected firefighters, police officers, and citizens here today. 

This is Gangnam Fire Station Chief Kang Hyeonguk speaking.

Inside the large auditorium of Gangnam Fire Station.

From the wooden stage in this spacious hall, the fire chief continued speaking into the microphone.

Today, as the fire station chief, I wish to commend one courageous citizen.

The chief looked out over the audience and said.

Hunter Seo Juwon, please come up to the stage.

At the chief’s words, I stood from my seat.

Hundreds of people in the auditorium all turned to look at me.

Feeling the weight of countless admiring gazes, I spoke to Eunbyeol sitting beside me.

“Eunbyeol, Daddy will be right back.”

“Yep! Daddy, go get your award!”

Eunbyeol smiled brightly.

Yes.

Just as Eunbyeol said, today I had come to Gangnam Fire Station to receive the “Courageous Citizen Award.”

It was because I had previously used my necromancer powers to handle an accident scene and rescue citizens.

As I stepped onto the stage, the fire chief continued.

On the 19th of last month, a ten-vehicle pile-up involving a city bus occurred in the middle of a Gangnam road. 

In truth, traffic was extremely heavy at the time, making it difficult for our fire station to respond even after receiving the report.

The chief went on.

The person who took control of that situation is none other than Hunter Seo Juwon standing here today. 

Using superhuman strength, Hunter Seo Juwon pried open crushed vehicle doors and rescued citizens.

It was embarrassing, but true.

On my way back from the toy store with Eunbyeol, an accident had occurred, and I had used skeletons to rescue the citizens and Eunbyeol.

In our society, there are sadly many cases where hunters use their astonishing power for ill, even though there are also many who use it for good. Yet Hunter Seo Juwon here used his remarkable power to save citizens.

The chief continued the announcement in an emotional voice.

The Courageous Citizen Award being presented today symbolizes our desire to forever remember Hunter Seo Juwon’s courage and devotion. 

As fire station chief, I once again express my deepest gratitude for Hunter Seo Juwon’s noble sacrifice.

Saying that, the chief handed me a commendation plaque and a crystal trophy.

After also receiving armfuls of flower bouquets from the female staff, I stood before the microphone to give my acceptance speech.

Um, first of all, thank you. 

Honestly, I never expected to receive an award like this. 

At the time of the accident, trying to save people was simply instinctive.

Looking out over the hundreds of people filling the auditorium, I continued.

Even so, I feel immensely proud that my actions could give society courage and serve as an example.

The thought that the image of hunters might improve even a little because of me truly makes me happy.

Still feeling dazed, I went on.

Having received such a precious award, I will continue to live selflessly, helping others. 

That, I believe, is the way to serve this society. 

Thank you for the award, and I dedicate this honor to my daughter. Eunbyeol-ah, Daddy got an award! I love you!

As I raised the commendation and trophy high, hundreds of people clapped with joyful faces.

Thunderous applause.

Amidst it all, Eunbyeol raised both hands and jumped up and down, cheering.

Becoming a hunter was the best thing I ever did.

Receiving the shower of applause, I felt a thrill run through me.

Becoming a hunter was the greatest blessing of my life.