Awesome Shut-In Necromancer

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After the situation settled, Trione was instructed to stay at Kwon Min-ji’s house.

It was better for slaves to stick together when doing assorted chores, and with Trione around, I thought she could cover for the combat-weak Kwon Min-ji against unforeseen threats.

‘……’

There were several reasons why I had chosen to keep Trione alive.

Having a strong manipulation ability would be beneficial in many ways, and it was convenient to assign trivial tasks to her.

But the biggest reason was to draw out the remaining members of Hades.

‘…If I keep her around, someone will definitely take the bait.’

A colleague who went to kill the opponent is instead living with them? Naturally, that would be concerning for Hades.

Just by being passive, Trione could serve as a very effective lure.

Thud.

I buried my throbbing head into the bed while wrapped in a blanket.

It was due to the overload I suffered from summoning both Hans and Jack in the last battle at the same time.

“Brother, I’m off.”

“Uh…?”

Even though I was feeling terrible, it was quite encouraging that I had managed to summon two high-ranking undead simultaneously with a bit of effort.

‘…Still far from enough.’

There was one comment from Trione that kept bothering me.

One of the three main Returners associated with Hades was a Necromancer, just like me.

Moreover, it seemed that this person was skilled enough to command high-ranking undead.

Honestly, I couldn’t help but feel anxious about it.

‘If I fight now, I think I’ll lose…’

Defeated by a fellow Necromancer who is also a Returner?

That was something I absolutely couldn’t accept. My pride wouldn’t allow it.

‘I need to level up more.’

In the end, that was the only way. It was the simplest and most reliable method.

As I burned with the desire to grow, a message came through.

Ding.

[I found it.]

It was contact from my long-awaited second disciple, Helena.

#

It was good to finally find a substitute for the ring, but things weren’t going as smoothly as I had hoped.

[It’s troublesome.]

“Why, why?”

[The owner is a bit particular. It seems I’ll need you to come in person.]

“Uh…”

Startled by the sudden news, I tried to visualize the scenario in my head.

Going to the airport without a ring and flying overseas with people?

There was no way that could happen.

However, I had briefly forgotten. The person I was on the phone with was a world-famous star.

[I’ll arrange a private jet for you.]

So, I was about to experience something I had never even seen before.

“……”

Since I was in rough shape from the overload, two weeks after that, I called Song Ha Yeon and Trione to head to where Helena was.

“…Why am I taking you with me?”

“W-well, I need bait.”

If the Hades members showed up while I wasn’t there, using bait would be meaningless. It was only logical.

“Wow…”

Song Ha Yeon was looking around with sparkling eyes, fascinated by the private jet she had only heard about.

Gordon, who was watching from my necklace, clicked his tongue lightly.

– Such a lack of class. Truly a lack of class. No matter how you look at it, she doesn’t fit as your disciple.

Where did the memory of him trying to recruit her as his apprentice go? Recently, Gordon had an oddly strong competitive spirit towards Song Ha Yeon.

I left him with a final remark.

“You’re the backup.”

– …….

Ignoring the speechless Gordon, we boarded the plane with the guide provided by Helena.

Our destination was, of course, Heathrow Airport in the United Kingdom.

“I’ve been waiting.”

At the airport, an incredibly luxurious car was ready and waiting for us.

I felt a bit intimidated for some reason as I sat alone in a corner of the car, opened the window, and focused on the scenery outside.

“Master, are you okay?”

“Ugh. D-don’t talk to me……”

After all the effort to get there, we finally got out of the car, and a massive, extravagant building caught my eye.

It was one of the branches of the Calliope Guild to which Helena belonged.

“I’m feeling a bit nervous.”

Ignoring the anxious Song Ha Yeon, I poked Trione with my finger, silently telling her to go in first and avert her gaze.

“…I understand, so stop poking me?”

Click.

Guided by the staff, we entered the guild.

At that moment, countless gazes turned towards us.

It wasn’t surprising since an exotic-looking group had just barged in.

“They are guests of Ms. Helena.”

Hearing those words, the guild members gasped in shock and began to murmur.

Some of them hurriedly stood up or bowed their heads to greet us. It showed how much stature Helena had in the guild.

With my head bowed, I shyly followed the group, and soon we took the elevator to the 10th floor where Helena was waiting.

“Did you have any inconvenience on your way here?”

“Uh, not really, it’s just tiring.”

Even though Helena went to great lengths to ensure our comfort, I was already exhausted.

Thud.

As I sprawled on the sofa with Song Ha Yeon and Trione pushed into a corner, Helena spoke softly.

“This is a better artifact than the ring I gave you last time. The value is very high as well.”

“…That’s good to hear.”

“However, the owner has said that if her request isn’t met, she will never sell the item.”

At that, I lifted my face, which had been buried in the sofa, to look at Helena.

“W-what’s the request?”

Helena, unusually, flashed a slightly awkward smile and looked away.

Then, with a hint of restrained laughter, she said to me,

“…She wants to take a picture.”

“What kind of picture?”

“Of you, Master.”

That was a condition I hadn’t expected at all.

#

“So, you mean she wants to use me as a model?”

The owner of the artifact Helena found was the daughter of a renowned hunter family in the UK and the owner of a famous clothing company.

And it seemed that the owner had been eyeing me for some time now.

I fell silent for a while upon hearing that, then asked Helena.

“Isn’t there any other item?”

“No. To begin with, artifacts with such effects are rare.”

“Ugh.”

What a troublesome situation this was.

I didn’t want to refuse, but it was fundamentally at odds with who I was.

In my confusion, Song Ha Yeon approached me and said,

“Why not just do it? They’re offering a lot of money.”

“……”

This is the mentality of someone well-connected.

I gave Song Ha Yeon a sullen look.

“After all, there aren’t many options.”

That was indeed a valid point.

Since there wasn’t much of an alternative, I let out a deep sigh and accepted the proposal.

So, we headed back to the agreed place.

“The lady will be waiting on the upper floor.”

As expected of a celebrity, the building here was quite flashy as well.

Since I didn’t need to bring the two with me, I left Song Ha Yeon and Trione outside and headed to the top floor where the item’s owner was waiting, only with Helena.

Ding.

Swoosh.

As the elevator doors opened, facing me and Helena was a young blonde woman accompanied by an elderly man who seemed to be her attendant.

The old man flinched in surprise as soon as he saw us, blocking the woman’s path, but the woman gently smiled and restrained the old man.

“There’s no need for concern. As I said, they’re guests.”

Then, she gazed at Helena and me and continued speaking.

“It’s rare for Mr. Brooks to react this way. Perhaps it’s because of Hel?”

“It’s our first time meeting face to face. How is your father?”

“Of course, he’s fine.”

While the woman and Helena engaged in their own conversation, I quietly observed the retreating Brooks.

‘No sense of pressure.’

If that was the case, given my previous experiences, it meant the other party was also a Returner.

Unseen eye exchanges occurred between us, and as I tried to speak, the blonde woman approached me first.

“Nice to meet you. I’m Ayla.”

“A, uh, yes…”

She was quite the awkward person.

It wasn’t that her impression was bad, but she exuded an air of high society that instinctively put me on guard.

Seeing my reaction, Ayla covered her mouth and chuckled softly.

“Hehe. I’ve heard about you, but seeing you in person is quite something. Should I present the item before discussing?”

With that, Ayla signaled the old man, Brooks, who immediately brought forward an elegant box.

Ayla took out a ring radiating a peculiar power from it and began to explain.

“Based on our tests, it can elevate the wearer’s physical condition up to a limit based on their will. In simpler terms, as long as its activated, it allows you to maintain your condition indefinitely.”

“……”

“It doesn’t heal wounds, but it works remarkably well against various status ailments.”

After hearing the explanation, I could tell it was quite an impressive functional item.

At this level, it would be something high-tier hunters would covet, even without me. Sending a questioning glance, Ayla replied with an awkward laugh.

“This artifact does have side effects. Because of that, while you can activate its effect whenever you want, its efficiency decreases.”

“Uh, what…?”

In response to my question, Ayla gave a cryptic smile.

“I don’t know. It varies from person to person.”

Then, she slipped the ring onto my hand and continued speaking.

“If you’re okay with it, would you like to test it right now?”

Without even thinking, I nodded my head in agreement.

Thirty minutes later, what I saw upon regaining my senses was Helena desperately trying to hold back her laughter while I lay across her lap.