Necromancer Survival

turned it off, so you can try again.”

     “I’m not going to go easy on you, Choi Lee-kyung.
Now.”

     “W-What are you saying?! What did I do?!”

     Jung Garam had been subdued in less than a minute after we began our 1 on 1 tussle–it turned out that one of Seo Dawon’s protective skills had been triggered.
Even though I was not at fault, Jung Garam still reamed me harshly for daring to rebel.

     Like that, 30 minutes flew by.

    “Gasp, gasp….”

     “Jung Garam, did you really only use 1/40th of your strength?”

    “Of course.”

     No matter how desperately I struggled, I couldn’t harm a single hair on Jung Garam’s chin.
Furthermore, he had been only using 1/40th of his strength.
Jung Garam shook his head, as if to indicate that he couldn’t lower his strength anymore.

     Kim Olim stared at me with a grim expression, “Necromancer… Your physical strength is shocking.
By my standards, you’re practically at no strength at all.
I’m fascinated that you’ve lived like this until now.”

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     Embarrassed by her admiration–or, more likely, ridicule–I hurried to spit out some excuses, “It’s just, I’m something of a…caster…and Jung Garam is an Assassin…”

     “Well then, should I be your opponent?” This time, Seo Dawon stepped up.

Seo Dawon did not aggressively attack like Jung Garam; instead, he defended against my attacks.
He allowed my fists to connect a few times, but Kim Olim soon told him to stop going easy on me.
Soon, my arms flung uselessly through the air.
My speed, compared to his, felt like I was swimming in something rather than traveling through air.
I fell down exhausted at the Mage’s feet.

     Jung Garam, watching from the back, laughed despicably hard…I wanted to stand up immediately and rush at him, but–not to complain needlessly–I didn’t have the energy to even sit up.
Eventually, still collapsed, I could only clench my fists and tremble in anger.

     The three servants surrounded me and had a ‘pretend meeting.’ The tone was quite serious and expanded on my shocking lack of ability, but it was obvious that they meant to laugh and tease me.

     “Honestly, at this rate, he’ll faint from just the shock of Park Hoseok’s roar,” Seo Dawon said.

     Kim Olim nodded, “Hm…Park Ho-seok’s not the problem; he’ll be in danger if he’s exposed to one of the security guards.
It’s quite shocking for me too.
Sparring…I completely overestimated him.
I need to revise the program completely.”

     “Pfft… Ah, Dawon-hyung! How was getting punched by Choi Lee-kyung’s fist earlier?”

     “I felt like I was being massaged.”

     “Right? Hey, Choi Lee-kyung! You said you were weak because you’re a magic-user? Dawon-hyung is a Mage!”

     “….Shut the fuck up.” I groaned.

“Pffthahahahaha!”

     That’s how Kim Olim’s ambitious sparring program finished that day.
And, the next day, the program was forced to pause because, sadly, my body ached and I could hardly move.

 

* * *

 

    “Haah…”

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     “I’ve placed the painkillers to the side.
Take it after eating the rice porridge.”

     Seo Dawon and Lackey were the only ones nursing me as I was left motionless in bed.
Seo Dawon made the porridge and brought it on a tray to bed; Lackey, who had been wandering near the bed, rushed to take away the tray.
The Mage docilely handed it over.

     Lackey stirred the stolen porridge vigorously to cool it down.

     Feeling my whole body creak, I rose to check on the skeleton.
I had no energy to stop it.
“Tha…nks…”

[Clack Clack.]

     “Ah, mn.
Lackey, you too…”

     I hurriedly acknowledged Lackey, who had even stolen the gratitude directed at the Mage.
I turned to Seo Dawon, who was still staring at me, once more–did he have anything else to say?

Contrary to my expectations (I had thought he would leave after handing me the porridge), Seo Dawon sat on the bed and looked at me.
Lackey looked incredibly displeased, but the Mage paid him no regard.

     “What?” I asked.

     “I’ve been thinking… Wouldn’t it be better to use the [Possession] skill if the situation were to get dangerous?”

     “[Possession]….
Ah?”

     A while ago, Seo Dawon had once possessed me on Owl’s Ghost ship; perhaps he was  talking about that skill.

     I wracked through my brain, recalling my forgotten skills.
Simultaneously, I remembered Jung Garam’s request–his fervent desire to be summoned for this operation.

 

 

TL: Training~ Training~

For those that are now realizing how much of an unreliable narrator Lee-kyung-ie is…are you second guessing his words?