Awesome Shut-In Necromancer

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The events that followed were not lengthy.

Recognizing the open portal, the trainees began to find their way to the Boss Room one by one. After the situation was sorted out, everyone emerged from the dungeon together.

Fortunately, there were no fatalities, but quite a few sustained injuries, with most needing to be hospitalized.

As we, the dungeon clearers, received various praises and accolades, I was far too exhausted to pay attention and let it all wash over me.

Honestly, I was not even concerned.

At that moment, I had something much more important on my mind.

‘…Could it be that I would awaken at that timing?’

And now, one day after the dungeon tour, I lay in a comfy bed reflecting on the achievements of that day.

“Status window.”

Ding!

【Baek Eun Ha】

▶Title:

▶Level: 1

It was clearly etched. The level.

I could also tell. Just that single number indicated that so much had changed.

‘I can definitely feel it.’

Swoosh.

As I focused my mind, a trickle of Death Energy flowed from the tip of my outstretched index finger.

That’s right. I had finally been able to move the power that resided within me.

Of course, it was only a tiny fraction of it.

“Just a smidge…”

The assumption that awakening would be the key to regaining my power was accurate.

Now that I had achieved a clear awakening, I could feel and manipulate the power that I had previously been completely oblivious to.

However, in comparison to my original strength, it was, as they say, truly insignificant.

‘…Does this mean I need to level up?’

I didn’t even need to ponder the solution. From now on, as I level up, the power that had been tightly bound would gradually return to its true form.

Ultimately, it meant I had to constantly conquer dungeons and battle monsters.

‘So annoying…’

But there was a significant advantage in that I could draw upon my own Death Energy.

While Song Ha Yeon’s Death Energy or that collected from the town’s back mountains were cheap liquor, mine was truly top-shelf whiskey worth a house.

Surely, the necromancy I was performing now would produce results entirely different from before, without exception.

‘And…’

There was one more notable change.

Even at Level 1, an Awakened One is still an Awakened One. Consequently, my physical capabilities had drastically improved beyond that of an ordinary person.

From sheer strength to overall body elasticity, flexibility, vision, and more.

After my feeble physique since crossing into this world, it felt like I had literally shed my old skin.

And above all, there was something even more important.

‘Perhaps now…’

It was surely possible and more than enough.

[Welcome to the battlefield of heroes!]

“…The fourth promotion battle.”

Overcoming past grievances, I was stepping onto a higher plane.

[Death to the enemies!]

Kaboom!

【Victory!】

In truth, I could say that my physical prowess had been somewhat lacking compared to my almost perfect intellect until now.

As a result, I had been unable to flawlessly replicate the plays I envisioned in my head.

Click.

Click-click!

[The era is calling me.]

Kaboom!

【Victory!】

So now that that limitation was lifted. Nothing could stand in my way on this battlefield.

Forgetting even to breathe, I immersed myself in my own gameplay, and after a few hours, I finally achieved the goal I had longed for.

【Promotion successful!】
【Grandmaster】

“…….”

It had truly been a long journey. It felt like I had completed an endless, long adventure. I felt tears welling as I gazed at that longed-for scenery.

“If I keep up this pace, surely…”

I could aim for even higher places.

The place I had only imagined, the Challenger.

Now, there were no more annoying promotion battles. From here on out, it was a true battle of who could stack up more impressive achievements.

Click.

[Starting matchmaking.]

The time for departure had come.

Now was the moment to step into the true battlefield of men, not some shabby D Rank Dungeon.

[Welcome the hero!]

And thus, a week passed.

Click.

Creak.

While I was living in my room barely eating anything, Seo Ha, seeing my state, snapped at me.

“Uh, brother…”

“Yeah?”

“Are you not going to register for Hunter Qualification?”

“…I’ll, I’ll do it in a few days.”

The wall of being a Challenger was honestly much higher than I had anticipated.

#

As the aftermath of the chaotic incident began to fade, one obstacle remained for me to become a true Hunter.

“So, you actually came today?”

“…I’m not lying. It’s about time to trust me, isn’t it?”

The condition to gain Seo Ha’s permission was to make three friends. I needed to prove that.

“I, I swear they are all coming.”

To that end, I invited the closest Kim Seung Min, Han So Eun, and Choi Eun Sol to my home, entirely at Seo Ha’s behest.

“Honestly, was it really necessary to call them all the way to your house? Just a phone call would have sufficed…”

“No way. This is an important matter. It’s the first friends I made after coming back, so I need to build solid relationships. Otherwise, it’ll just fizzle out, right?”

“It’s for proof, so it doesn’t really matter…”

Saying such unnecessary things led to a lecture about how friends aren’t just a game’s challenges or collectible items.

It was overly social of her, but honestly, she had a point, and I couldn’t argue back.

Ding ding.

Ding ding.

Soon, as Kim Seung Min and crew arrived, I heard the intercom ringing as if they had sent a signal at the apartment entrance.

I skillfully pressed the button to open the door.

“Don’t you want to greet them?”

“…They’ll see me when they come up anyway, so why bother?”

Soon, the group made their way through the corridor and rang the doorbell. I pulled down my hoodie that I had put on in advance, and Seo Ha, unable to avoid it, approached to open the door.

Click.

“Nice to meet you! Hello.”

Then, silence fell.

“Uh…”

Kim Seung Min and the others tilted their heads as if they were seeing some kind of hallucination, and upon noticing their reaction, Seo Ha turned to me and asked.

“…Did you not tell them?”

“Ah.”

Now that I think about it, my sister was practically a celebrity.

Naturally, chaos ensued.

“Ah… So that’s why you were so quiet during the training.”

“Yes. I’m really worried, you know.”

The awkward atmosphere lasted only a brief moment. Remarkably, within 30 minutes, Seo Ha and the two women were engaged in cheerful conversation as if they had held a parent-teacher meeting.

“Really? You’re not just a little sister, but an older sister?”

“Yes. Um… I look this way because of my awakening. I’m actually the younger one.”

Before long, strange settings were even being added. With no specific words to say, I approached the more approachable Kim Seung Min to strike up a conversation.

“Um. Uh…”

“…”

“Want to… play a game?”

“…Sounds good.”

And there, I was faced with a shocking realization.

【Victory!】

Kim Seung Min was a Challenger. Moreover, he was ranked in the double digits.

His appearance as a meat shield Debuff Totem suddenly resembled a hidden master.

“Um, by the way…”

“Yes? What is it?”

“Could you… add me as a friend…?”

After returning to Earth, this was the first moment I acknowledged someone else’s skill.

#

All obstacles vanished.

Since Seo Ha realized that I had successfully made acquaintances, she no longer opposed my becoming a Hunter, and I was now able to walk the path of a true Hunter.

The first step in this process was the Hunter Qualification Certification Test.

To embark on dungeon raids in this era, passing this test was a requisite obstacle.

It was quite simple yet challenging.

‘I’ve heard all the explanations…’

It entails measuring physical abilities and magical prowess, conducting a small test to determine readiness for entering a dungeon.

If one surpasses the standards, they pass; if not, they fail.

And now, I finally came to the Awakened One Registration Center to take that test.

Alone.

Murmurs.

[I’m so nervous I could go crazy.]

[My cousin who took the test last week got a D rank from the start, they say.]

[Nothing less and nothing more than the top 50%!]

‘A ton of Debuff Totems…’

There was no helping it.

Seo Ha was busy, and even if she did come along, there might be unnecessary gossip due to her fame.

I preferred to avoid such troublesome matters.

With a weary gait, I trudged toward the reception desk. Since I had already completed the application online, it was a simple matter of a quick verification to finalize the registration.

“Excuse me…”

“Are you here to register for the test?”

“Yes. Uh…”

“What is your name?”

“…Ba, Baek Eun Ha.”

“Okay. I’ll verify that for you.”

The receptionist was kind, but her warm smile somehow felt overwhelming. I deliberately averted my gaze to the floor, ceiling, and the counter’s paperwork as I successfully completed the registration.

“Please wait at the designated location.”

I took a kind of ticket and went to sit in a corner of the waiting area.

The certification tests generally occurred weekly, so it was not uncommon to have a decent number of people waiting.

Moreover, with guild scouts gathering to recruit talented newcomers, the large center was bustling on all sides.

“Yes. Yes. Team Leader. Understood. Should I prioritize that side?”

“Recovery type? No confirmed individuals, but I will look into it.”

“Yes. I heard there’s a rookie who performed well in the recent training dungeon situation. They are practically a proven resource.”

Among them, a concerning remark made my reflexes kick in, and I pulled my hood tighter and hunched down.

That couldn’t possibly be talking about me, right?

However, upon hearing the ensuing murmurs shortly after, I realized that was merely a fleeting worry.

Thud.

Thud.

As someone walked straight to the counter, dozens of sharp gazes fell upon them.