Awesome Shut-In Necromancer

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“Nice to meet you. Did you come regarding the test?”

“Yeah.”

With the arrival of the rumored talent, all scouts and waiting applicants focused on him.

“Whoa, that’s the guy.”

“They say his name is Choi Sung Cheol. He’s an avant-garde who wields a battle axe at a high level.”

“Right, he was getting quite a reputation even before this incident. His title was Guardian of the Earth, wasn’t it?”

I lifted my gaze to the counter and spotted a man with a strangely familiar build.

He still had bandages wrapped around various parts of his body, suggesting he wasn’t completely healed, but at least he looked lively.

“Must be nice. With that, he’s practically guaranteed a D Rank.”

“Just looking at the title, he’s definitely top-tier, isn’t he?”

“Who cares about the celestial realm? If you just exceed the top 50% of level 1, you can live comfortably. We should just pray for our results to turn out well.”

While the lively atmosphere continued, for some reason, a staff member approached the waiting applicants.

Looking around nervously, a woman stopped her gaze towards me for some unknown reason.

“Ah, you must be Baek Eun Ha, right?”

“Yeah, um, that’s me…”

Did I do something wrong? I quickly thought back, but nothing stood out.

As I awkwardly looked down at the floor, the staff member continued in a slightly embarrassed voice.

“Well, I checked the items you submitted, but is your title really this?”

“…Uh, yes.”

Of course, that was a lie.

The title section of my status window was still completely empty.

However, the title is another name, a way the world refers to me.

In that aspect, it was certainly my title.

“Um, not to speak ill, but being called the Lord of Death… That’s a title so grand that it’s hard to find even among top-ranking Hunters.”

At those words, all eyes in the center turned towards me.

Including Choi Sung Cheol. He spotted me with his hood pulled down, his face contorting in displeasure.

After taking a breath, the staff member continued.

“…It seems that this needs to be reported to the higher-ups, so could you please confirm whether your title is indeed correct?”

At that moment, I fell into deep contemplation. I instinctively felt that some annoying issues would arise.

As I pondered whether to just throw out a random name, I heard voices mocking me from all around.

[This happens from time to time. You should feel ashamed. Do you even know what happened to those who drew aggro before?]

[Just ignore him, he probably wants attention. Clearly has a pathetic title, and he won’t last long in the dungeon anyway.]

[Isn’t this too blatant? Lord of Death? Is he S Rank or something?]

It truly was a feast of foolishness.

In truth, even the title of Lord of Death was one I considered somewhat decent, yet I never expected it to invite such laughter.

My mood soured instantly.

“Blind chimpanzees…”

Can they really not sense this overwhelming presence just by looking?

If they lacked even that level of intelligence, it would be a gross offense to stand before me.

Cursing them as deserving of a curse that would make their hair fall out was hardly excessive.

“…”

But then again, maybe it isn’t entirely incomprehensible. Even Helena, an S Rank, didn’t have a particularly impressive title.

Wasn’t it something like the Ferryman of the Dead?

Calming my mind, I looked up at the staff member and replied with a somewhat disgruntled expression.

“…N-no, nothing is wrong.”

“Ah, then, I’ll proceed with that.”

The staff member left, but the gaze of many remained on me.

With a rising headache and stomachache, I hurriedly began my escape to the restroom.

“Chimpanzees…”

In that moment, I didn’t forget to glare at them from under my hood.

Thunk.

Squatting in the innermost stall of the restroom, I made a resolution internally.

“…I planned to wrap this up quickly and return.”

Now, minor annoyances were of no concern.

I would personally etch into their bodies and minds the clear level difference between chimpanzees and humans that has existed since ancient times.

‘……’

The fight for the pride of a fundamental Necromancer was about to begin.

#

The first step was simple.

It was a physical examination.

“Next person, please step in.”

Using the latest equipment developed with the cooperation of research and invention-type Awakened Ones, it precisely determines whether one possesses the physical abilities to operate as a Hunter.

Of course, passing was not solely determined by that; there are rare cases where individuals possess specialized abilities without physical capabilities.

However, because physical indicators are the most straightforward and stable criteria, their importance can certainly be considered high.

“Please stand with your arms raised and do not move until I give the signal.”

Vroom.

Click.

After finishing that silly examination, the most crucial event of this first step came into view.

It was magic power measurement.

With trembling hands, I completed all the tests and waited for the results.

Moments later, a staff woman, looking somewhat embarrassed, delivered the numbers.

“Y-your magic power is 253 points. You barely exceeded the cutoff line by 3 points.”

“Ugh.”

I had some expectations but, in truth, those results were utterly disheartening.

‘This, this two hundred fifty… is still something.’

The numbers were despairing, but they would imply drastically different possibilities for what I could accomplish.

Simply put, it was a concentration difference like between plain water and black paint, right?

So, for now, it wasn’t critically important. I desperately avoided the pitying gaze of the woman and left the site.

“How many magic points did you get?”

“470 points.”

“Really? Just 30 points more and you would be at D Rank level, huh? Lucky bastard.”

As is typical with physical examinations, the chimps were already sharing their results and chatting cheerfully.

470 points.
357 points.
292 points.

No one was below me. I was last.

However, in contrast to me, among the chimps, there was one who boasted a truly unique score.

“I heard he has over 900 points.”

“I’ve been told it’s almost 1000.”

“That’s insane. Is that true talent?”

Choi Sung Cheol.

If we’re speaking only of intelligence, he could indeed be called the king of the chimps, sitting there with a smug expression and his arms crossed.

Upon noticing me as I came out of the testing room, Choi Sung Cheol spoke.

“Long time no see. Did you get decent results?”

His words, carrying that subtle competitive spirit, refocused all eyes toward us once again. It was truly a showdown.

I hesitated and turned away, putting my brain into high gear to come up with a convincing answer.

“…Hmph, not interested.”

“Ha, so you didn’t even check? That’s quite the confidence you have.”

Choi Sung Cheol then leaped up from his seat, turning back to address me as he left the waiting room.

“I’m the top this quarter. See you in the next test.”

Thus, the practical test to categorize the aspiring Hunters began in earnest.

“Please prepare the weapons that have been issued. We will begin the measurements one by one.”

The first was a measurement of combat ability through weapon skills.

The method was simple.

You attack the sandbag freely for one minute using the skills you have honed.

Then, state-of-the-art equipment enhanced with magic engineering will assess the practitioner’s combat proficiency in multiple ways.

However, all skills aside from simple use of magic power are prohibited; this step is purely about measuring physical stats and techniques.

Swish!
Clang!
Clang!

“One minute is up. We will immediately start the second measurement.”

Next came the firepower measurement.

You attack the defensive barrier of the magic stone next to the sandbag to test your maximum firepower.

Here, both abilities and skill use are allowed. Essentially, it’s a stage where the new Hunter can showcase all their potentials.

“Yaaaah!”

Whirl!
Boom!

The first man to attack surrounded his sword with a weak flame and struck the barrier.

Thus, the first measurement concluded.

“Combat proficiency 291 points, maximum firepower 370 points. Both are at the average E Rank level. Good job.”

While it may seem like an invasion of personal information, there was a reason for publicly announcing the results.

It was meant to ensure that everyone knew their place and didn’t meet an untimely death due to overestimation of themselves.

Nothing could convey that realization more poignantly than simple comparison; in a way, it was a rite of passage.

“468 points, 564 points, D Rank.”

“433 points, 291 points. E Rank.”

For the testers, it was a familiar process they went through every week, so they did not express emotions.

They merely continued with the measurements and announcements of results.

However, a surprising situation occurred, even for the testers.

Boom─!

“Combat proficiency 782 points, maximum firepower 1197 points. This is the highest level of D Rank.”

At those words, the buzz erupted around, and the tester immediately checked some documents before continuing.

“…That’s amazing! This is the highest score of this quarter, no, in fact, the highest total for the 2nd and 3rd quarters. Are you sure your level is 5?”

“Yeah.”

“This appears to be the future A Rank Hunter visiting the Seoul branch today. I look forward to your future endeavors.”

The mid-aged tester, who must have seen many budding high-rank Hunters in this place, proclaimed that evaluation for a future A Rank.

Gasps of amazement filled the air.

“Wow, damn. What’s the salary for an A Rank? He’s going to be on TV sooner or later.”

“What does the salary matter? He could stack up dozens of buildings or resorts if he wanted.”

“Gyeom, go get his autograph later.”

In modern society, an A Rank Hunter is truly a versatile superhuman who has it all.

Wealth, fame, and strength.

Just as those imagining such things got lost in thought, the composed supervisor spoke up again.

“Ahem. We will proceed. Is Baek Eun Ha here?”

“…Y-yeah.”

It was truly a malicious timing, but I didn’t care and stepped forward.

To be honest, I was just confused.

I couldn’t wrap my head around whether this really warranted such high praise.

‘…It seems Kim Seung Min is a lot better.’

However, they evidently saw it differently; people began to murmur and express their disdain towards me.

[Ha, how embarrassing.]

[You bragged so much, and then this monster appears in front of you…]

[If your magic measurement results were good, news of them would have traveled fast anyway.]

Though a bit pained with the facts mixing in, it didn’t really matter.

After all, starting now, I intended to clearly demonstrate the distinction in ranks that anyone could recognize.

‘…It’s been a while.’

It goes without saying that Death Energy and magic power are different branches of power.

However, that doesn’t mean I can’t handle magic power.

Swoosh.

With the prying eyes being bothersome for me to show my true skills, I activated the stabilization magic in the ring and lifted my hood.

The unique refreshing aura enveloped my head, and simultaneously, a commotion spread among the people as they caught sight of my bare face.

Murmur.
Murmur, murmur.

‘…….’

But such reactions didn’t concern me at all. I focused my mind and meticulously manipulated all the magic power assessed at 253 points.

Whoooosh.

Honestly, in terms of quantity, it was really small.

It wouldn’t even be enough to touch the liver of a person.

But, as old tales say, a master can cut down a giant stone with just a twig.

As my puny magic power barely covered the entire blade, I struck without hesitation.

Swoosh─!

The sound of that strike was refreshingly beautiful and resonant.