Summoning Genius of Kizen - Chapter 21 [Aaaaargh!] Startled, Pier quickly recoiled from Simon. [This is horrible! A son born from my closest friend and my sworn enemy! How could this possibly…!] It was the first time Simon had seen Pier so flustered. A sudden mischievous urge struck Simon. He cleared his throat and imitated Anna's voice. “Honey~ Dinner’s ready!” [Aaaaargh! Stop! Stop it! The nightmare! The nightmare is coming back! Get out of my head right now!] Simon clutched his stomach and laughed, watching Pier suffer. This was his revenge for having to listen to his father's embarrassing past, which he hadn't even wanted to know. And somehow, he felt that he and Pier would get along even better from now on. “Please take care of me from now on, Pier.” [Don’t smile like Anna! Damn it!] “Hahaha!” * * * The next morning dawned. Until the afternoon of the last day of the weekend, Simon stayed with Pier, learning about the operation of the Legion. [It’s a mistake to think of undead as creatures with common sense! The reason undead under a Necromancer’s control often cause accidents by devouring people is because the practitioner lacked understanding of the undead!] Pier’s lessons were conducted from the perspective of an undead. It was a different viewpoint from Kizen’s professors, which made learning uniquely interesting for Simon. [What moves the undead is a strong death thought! Among the things humans can do, the closest equivalent would be a firm ‘will’.] Simon tilted his head. “Will?” [That’s right! Let me give you an easy example. Suppose you, a Kizen student, meet an annoying senior. You think you want to kill him multiple times a day. Then the undead next to you remembers that will.] Simon, who had been nodding along, suddenly felt all the hairs on his body stand on end. “Wait a minute. Then, surely…!” [That’s right. Now that undead will try to devour that senior the moment you’re not looking!] Flames swirled in Pier’s eye sockets. [Even if your ill feelings towards that person fade! Even if time passes and they disappear from your memory! The undead will forever seek his life.] “Th-that’s ridiculous!” Pier chuckled. [Don’t worry, I’ll tell you these precautions from time to time! Back to the main point, what’s most important when controlling undead is a powerful will. Boy! Command that skeleton standing idly by the wall to attack it!] “Ah, yes.” Simon stood up and extended his right arm. “Attack that wall.” *Clack.* The skeleton ran. Then it started scratching and kicking the wall with its hands and feet. [That’s not enough.] Pier shook his head. “……Then what should I do?” [Watch closely.] Pier’s eyes turned menacing. [When you command an undead to attack, harbor hatred for that target, no matter what it is! Your parents’ enemy! The demon who killed your lover! Hate that wall more than anything in the world! Break it! Tear it! Bathe in its blood!] The skeleton, which had been lightly hitting the wall, gradually changed its movements. It scratched hard enough to leave marks on the wall and violently slammed its entire body against it. At the same time, Pier’s voice grew louder and louder. [Die! Die! Die! Die! You shouldn’t be alive! You shouldn’t exist! Die a painful death! I’ll tear off your limbs and pull out your guts to feed to pigs! I’ll personally chew and savor every single piece of your flesh! Die! Die! Die!] *CRASH!* *BANG!* *CRASH-CRASH-CRASH!* The assault grew stronger and stronger. The skeleton even began to ram the wall with its skull, letting out terrifying screams. Simon wore a horrified expression at the murderous intensity. [Do you understand now, boy! The stronger the will, the more you can draw out the undead’s latent power and aggression!] “……By cursing?” [I merely explained it from your human perspective; language isn’t what’s important! A first-rate Necromancer can imbue a dense will even when commanding to chop firewood! And even with the same will, negative emotions like anger, hatred, and murderous intent are more effective for undead!] But Pier’s voice didn’t register well in Simon’s ears. The skeleton attacking the wall was being irreparably shattered and damaged. “Pi-Pier! At this rate…!” [Make it stop. You are the Legion’s First Commander.] Simon nodded and looked at the skeleton. “Stop it! Stop now!” *BANG! BANG!* But the skeleton didn’t stop. Even with its skull cracking and its hands dangling, it continued to pound the wall, screaming like a madman. “Can’t you hear my voice? I said stop!” The skeleton didn’t even pretend to listen. It even began to convulse, its aggression intensifying. Pier watched silently. It might be a bit shocking for young Simon, but it was necessary to firmly implant and make him understand the power of will and the gravity of a Necromancer’s command. That skeleton would not stop until it was reduced to dust. Even if its entire body crumbled, and only its hands and legs remained, it would continue to pound the wall until its existence was erased. Because that’s what an undead is. “STOOOOOP!!!” At that moment, Simon’s eyes widened as he roared. The air trembled and the ceiling echoed. It was a rough shout that made even Pier flinch. Then. *Thud!* The skeleton finally stopped. Its gaze still flickered towards the wall, but it dared not defy Simon’s command. “……Hey.” Simon panted roughly, glaring at the skeleton. “If you disobey my command one more time, I won’t let you off.” He didn’t want to see his own summoned creature horribly mutilating itself any further. At Simon’s menacing gaze, the skeleton hastily averted its eyes from the wall and stood straight. Seeing this, Pier let out a small gasp of admiration. ‘……That kid is already using absolute commands?’ This wasn’t a level that could be achieved just by explaining to imbue will. This was truly beyond expectations. ‘What kind of monster were you raising in that rural backwater, Richard!’ Simon wiped his mouth with his sleeve and straightened his posture. Then, as if nothing had happened, he scratched his head with an embarrassed expression. “Terrible, right? I can’t even properly control my undead.” [No, you did well.] Of course, it was a sincere compliment. [In a real battle, you won’t have time to curse or intimidate like this. Keep training so you can move your undead by firmly imbuing your will with a single command!] “Yes, I underst—…” Suddenly, Simon swayed and clutched his forehead. One side of his head throbbed painfully. [It’s because you’ve used too much mental energy. The profession of a Necromancer is always accompanied by mental illness. Get enough rest!] “Ugh, yes.” Rest was one thing, but he hadn’t eaten anything since last night. Simon said it was time to return to Kizen. [You’ll need a means of communication when you return to Kizen!] Pier threw him a small skull, which he pulled from who-knows-where. [It’s my sub-body. If anything happens at Kizen, use this to call me.] “Ah, thank you.” The skull had a soft texture. Simon took a pin from his bag and attached it to his uniform, just like other students decorated theirs. Its appearance wasn’t bad enough to be considered a fashion statement. “Then, see you next weekend, Pier.” [Hehehe! I look forward to new achievements in a week!] “Of course!” Simon packed his belongings and left the ruins. * * * By the time Simon arrived at Kizen, it was starting to get dark. Simon successfully completed his return report and entered the dormitory. [Hahaha! Kizen, it’s been a long time!] Pier’s sub-body, hanging on Simon’s uniform, wiggled and spoke. Of course, its voice was only audible to Simon. [You said the student protection period isn’t over yet, right?] “Yes, it ends next week.” [Excellent! I’ll get to see a lot of interesting things from now on! Kuhuhu!] Simon opened the door to room 409 and entered. Dick was lying on his bed, and Kazhan hadn’t been seen all weekend. “Oh, Simon! You’re back?” Dick’s face brightened as he got up from his bed. “Hi, Dick. Did you have a good weekend?” “So-so. On the first day, I just got acquainted with some merchants and secured some investment promises. How about you?” Simon placed Pier’s sub-body on his desk and hung his uniform jacket in the closet. “I just met some acquaintances. I guess I had a pretty good weekend.” In fact, it wasn’t just ‘pretty good’. Simon had become one of the seven Legion Commanders in the world this weekend. Pier’s sub-body on the desk grinned. “Glad to hear you had a good time. Oh! By the way, did you see the schedule for next week?” “No, not yet.” Kizen’s faculty members were active Necromancers. And with students often having missions or other commitments, the schedule was flexible. All students had to check the updated schedule once a week. “Tomorrow morning and afternoon, both are ‘Beginner Dark Magic’ classes.” “Beginner Dark Magic… that’s the class with group projects, right?” “That’s right.” All first-year students at Kizen took nine subjects: <Curse Studies>, <Jet Black Mechanics>, <Summoning Studies>. <Necromancy>, <Hemomancy>, <Toxicology>, <Martial Arts>. <Divine Defense>, <Beginner Dark Magic>. Among them, <Beginner Dark Magic> was a bit unique; its professor also became the homeroom professor for their respective class. The class was conducted in groups, and it would evaluate performance in all other eight subjects. “I hope Professor Bahil is in charge of Class A.” Dick seemed completely smitten with Bahil after the recent teleportation incident. “Anyway, that’s not the important thing. Looking at the schedule, it seems like we’ll be forming groups in tomorrow’s ‘Beginner Dark Magic’ class. And once a group is decided, it stays for the entire semester. This is a matter of our Kizen life’s survival.” “That’s true.” Forming a group that would last the entire semester. Its importance couldn’t be overstated. Simon also tilted his head with a serious expression. “You have to strategize group formation really well.” Dick’s eyes sparkled. “First, it’s advantageous if the four group members each excel in different subjects. I’m generally average across the board, but my highest entrance exam score was in Jet Black Mechanics, so I’m aiming for that.” Simon thought for a moment and then spoke. “I haven’t taken any exams yet… but I think Summoning Studies is my strongest.” “Okay! So, one Summoning Studies, one Jet Black Mechanics? The balance is really good!” Dick flipped through a notebook with the profiles of Class A students and continued. “Then our next top priority for recruitment is definitely a Curse Studies major.” “Curse Studies? Why is that?” “Let me explain. Watch closely.” Dick put down his textbook and took out a notebook and quill from his desk drawer. “Among the subjects with the highest credit weighting at Kizen, there are what are commonly called the ‘Three Great Necromancer Disciplines’. Those are Curse Studies, Jet Black Mechanics, and Summoning Studies. Students simply abbreviate them as ‘Curse-Jet-Summon’.” Dick neatly wrote down Curse Studies, Jet Black Mechanics, and Summoning Studies in his notebook and circled them together. Simon looked down at the notebook with a thoughtful expression and said, “We’ve completed ‘Jet-Summon’. So that’s why we need a Curse major.” “You got it, Simon! You’re quick to understand! Well, these days, the importance of Summoning Studies has decreased, so some people exclude it and include Necromancy, calling it ‘Curse-Jet-Necro’, or even ‘Curse-Jet-Summon-Necro’… but the fact is, these three subjects are the most widely known.” Simon nodded. “And below Curse-Jet-Summon are the ‘Four Major Specializations’: <Necromancy>, <Hemomancy>, <Toxicology>, <Martial Arts>. Abbreviated as ‘Necro-Blood-Poison-Martial’. These subjects are also important, but rather than being something everyone learns, they’re often chosen as a specialization to delve deeply into.” Dick wrote all seven subjects in his notebook, then wrote the last two remaining subjects below them. “And the auxiliary subject <Divine Defense>, and the comprehensive compulsory subject <Beginner Dark Magic>. Together, they’re called ‘Divine-Dark’. These cannot be chosen as specializations.” “I understand.” Simon folded his fingers, organizing it in his mind. “Curse-Jet-Summon. Necro-Blood-Poison-Martial. Divine-Dark. Total of nine subjects.” “That’s right.” “Four people can be in one group, right? If we bring in a Curse major and complete ‘Curse-Jet-Summon’, who should we recruit for the last spot?” “That’s the part we need to put our heads together and figure out now!” Dick excitedly turned to the next page of his notebook. “First, among Necro-Blood-Poison-Martial, it’s best to avoid Martial Arts majors. Martial Arts kids tend to only be good at Martial Arts and weak in other subjects. I checked them all during Professor Hongpeng’s last class.” “……We have to consider that too.” “Yeah. And generally, Curse Studies majors also have high Divine Defense scores, and Hemomancy kids often have high Toxicology scores because there’s a lot of compatibility there. You have to understand all these things.” Simon and Dick pondered their group project recruitment plan late into the night. Dick, with his vast amount of knowledge, led the planning, and Simon, who listened quietly, made sharp observations at times. Dick readily acknowledged them and adjusted their direction. As a result. “Perfect! So, this is the decision?” “Yep.” Their recruitment targets, from first to tenth priority, were decided for tomorrow’s group class.
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