Awesome Shut-In Necromancer

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Before the broadcast started, I joined Song Ha Yeon and Saya, who had gathered to break the ice, and observed the mark etched on her with keen interest while we engaged in trivial conversation.

“I-I’m really honored, so I brought a little gift.”

“Thank you.”

As expected, the mark had effects similar to what I had predicted.

It seemed that I had stumbled upon a precious clue from an unexpected source.

“…So, who made this?”

“Well, it’s Sanada. Don’t you know him?”

“Of course I do.”

I had this image of him being completely devoted to swordsmanship, so I was surprised he had this kind of talent too.

But seeing him act so smoothly since last time, I found him quite likable.

I nodded contentedly and accepted the gift from Saya.

Then I took a bite of the traditional sweet included and thought, perhaps Sanada had more talent in this area than in swordplay.

“It’s delicious.”

“Um, I’m glad to hear that!”

As I chewed on the pastry, Song Ha Yeon and Saya began plotting various plans for the broadcast.

Once all the discussions were over, I decided to open my mouth to confirm the original purpose.

“Have there been any strange occurrences lately?”

“Strange occurrences?”

“Like meeting someone specific or having unusual contacts.”

It wouldn’t make sense for nothing to have happened. After all, we had this coordinate right here.

However, Saya shrugged, conveying her uncertainty.

Well, she might not have been aware of any contact, or maybe it was something that happened fleetingly in passing.

I thought perhaps, given her remarkable instincts as an S Rank Hunter, she might have sensed something, but it seemed that was not the case.

“No, it’s fine. Just forget about it.”

Anyway, it didn’t matter. It was just a matter of time before I figured it out myself.

Moreover, if my guess was correct.

“I probably wouldn’t have to do anything. A reaction would come soon enough.”

With that, I spent some time simply mingling with both of them.

Then, the next day, the joint broadcast finally began.

“Hello everyone! It’s been a while! As promised, we’re going to have a slightly special broadcast today….”

Naturally, I didn’t participate and lounged on the couch outside the studio, watching on my phone.

By the way, no matter how much I think about it, these pastries are really delicious.

I seriously contemplated making Astrid, the swordsmanship master, my tutor in exchange for turning Sanada into my personal patissier several times.

And then, finally, the response I had been waiting for landed in my senses.

“I don’t know who it is, but they really have no patience.”

Suddenly.

I got up from the sofa, flung open the studio door, and walked over to the two who looked startled.

“Get ready. They’re coming.”

“Huh? Why all of a sudden….”

At that moment, a bright light flashed, shaking the surrounding space.

Whoosh.

Crash!

For Hunters, it was a familiar sight—the phenomenon of a dungeon manifesting its form.

However, this time, it looked significantly different.

“What is this…?”

A gigantic gate appeared as if welcoming us, and in an instant, our line of sight flipped.

Soon, what unfolded around us were enormous structures resembling medieval houses, magnified several times over, forming a kingdom.

This situation was hard to find a good analogy for, but I felt like I was the protagonist from Gulliver’s Travels.

“Master? What’s going on?”

“You can see it. It’s a gate.”

Of course, it was far from a simple gate. Both of them felt it and were perplexed.

“The gate that disappeared, of all times, now….”

Saya, too, seemed to have not foreseen this situation, glancing around with a slightly anxious look.

She must have realized the magic density in this place was abnormally high.

“I’ve never felt anything like this even in an S Rank dungeon.”

S1 Rank.

A moniker left for the occasion when a dungeon of a higher calibre than humanity has ever encountered is born.

If there was a moment to use it, it was probably now.

“That giant gate from the martial artist’s memory.”

Perhaps this was a dungeon just like that.

I subtly spread my senses, gradually detecting everything around me.

Then, not long after, a response came.

Boom.

Boom.

Boom.

What I heard was the sound of massive footsteps from a truly colossal being. It was clear that it was not just one, but several.

Soon, the entities made their appearance, causing Song Ha Yeon and Saya to gulp.

“That’s….”

“T-The giant race?”

Unlike me, it was their first time seeing these beings, yet it was still easy to recognize them.

Just because, whatever they were, they were simply enormous.

“Different origins from those in Thebes.”

Their appearance and the aura they emitted were of a completely different kind.

I watched their figures with interest.

[Human.]

[It’s a human.]

[A human filled with magic has arrived.]

Thud.

Thud.

They seemed extremely pleased, as if they had discovered a special meal, stomping their feet joyfully.

This simple gesture made us, who were below, experience tremors several times over.

“What are you doing? Hurry and catch it.”

“Huh? The two of us?”

“Then who else is there besides you two?”

From my perspective, it was all the same, but I had to gauge the level of the enemy for the sake of the other Hunters.

With that, Song Ha Yeon and Saya slowly stepped forward and began demonstrating their abilities.

“Undead Call.”

“Technique, Four Tiger Roosters!”

With my help, Song Ha Yeon’s original Undead, Hanun, was created once more.

And towering above it were the massive Skeleton Mashers that had emerged to assist it.

Certainly, their grandeur was enough to rival the giants before us.

“Can we just about win?”

As I expected, Song Ha Yeon and Saya fought a fierce battle and narrowly emerged victorious over the four giants.

However, in the aftermath, it seemed both of them were a bit shocked.

“How can dealing with mere normal monsters be this tough?”

“…I’m not joking; if there were six, we would’ve lost.”

Even the two recognized as S Rank Hunters struggled against normal dungeon monsters.

The implications of that fact were not lost on me.

“…Going forward, clearing dungeons won’t be easy at all.”

The dungeons had become stronger. Significantly stronger.

I had anticipated it, but the difference must have been starkly felt by the two after experiencing it firsthand.

“Of course, if multiple S Ranks team up, things might get easier….”

But that wasn’t an easy feat. There were far too many nations that couldn’t gather enough S Ranks, and if they allocated resources for that, other threats would arise, making it difficult to cope.

Moreover, as the two mentioned, these were merely ‘normal monsters’ in this dungeon.

Having confirmed the scale of their strength, I decided not to waste any time and take charge of the situation myself.

“A boss-like creature is deeper in there. You both stay back.”

“What are you going to do?”

Once Song Ha Yeon and Saya had distanced themselves sufficiently, I invoked Death Energy and magic, waving my hand to form a massive portal.

And then, I quickly connected that portal to the dungeon’s Boss Room.

Whoosh.

“An adult has arrived. Where do you think you’re showing off like that?”

Shimmer!

Crash!

The portal glimmered and from it emerged a massive red giant.

The giant possessed overwhelming strength, yet it appeared rather flustered, awkwardly stabilizing itself with a stiff expression.

“Were you expecting some fresh prey to come in after a while?”

[Who are you, exactly… ?]

The red giant seemed intimidated by the endless size of my presence and fell silent.

I looked at the giant and firmly commanded.

“Tell me everything you know. If it’s valuable, I might spare you.”

[I have nothing to tell.]

It was the expected response. As I had anticipated, it couldn’t disclose anything due to restrictions.

So, my reply was equally expected.

“Then you’ll have to die.”

[Wait, now that I think about it, how audacious of you! I am the foremost descendant of a great lineage! I am not a being that can bow to a mere human like you!]

Its thunderous roar and heavy magic pressure overwhelmed the area, but to me, it felt as childish as a tantrum.

“Sorry, but you’re too weak to excite me.”

I kicked up a stone from the ground, which transformed into a massive dragon’s jaw that bit down on it.

Chomp.

Chomp.

With every kick, the rocky dragon’s teeth ensnared the giant’s limbs one by one.

Boom.

Unable to withstand it, the giant let out a scream and eventually knelt on the cold floor.

Without delay, I summoned the hands of devouring and absorbed the giant’s body.

With that, the dungeon was cleared, and soon a portal began to open from the distant Boss Room.

Facing that unremarkable sight, I called Song Ha Yeon and Saya back and slowly made my way forward.

“I’m curious.”

“…Curious about what?”

I wondered what kind of changes were happening outside at this point.