Necromancer Academy and the Genius Summoner-Chapter 81: Episode

Simon pushed his way through the dense thicket. Behind him, four skeletons followed, carrying the wooden house he had built the day before.

’This is why Summoning is so great,’ he thought. Since learning the art, his hands had been free and his shoulders unburdened. He felt at ease even in a place swarming with monsters. Before he could even spot a threat, his summons would rush out and eliminate it. All he had to do was show up afterward and collect the ’Tonguepad’ points. The countless other advantages of having numbers went without saying.

’Huh?’

Walking in the lead, Simon stopped to examine some monster droppings in the bushes. Next to them were fresh tracks. It seemed they had wandered into the territory of a Grade 2 monster, a Racker.

"Everyone, let’s move quickly," he ordered. At his command, the skeletons carrying the house picked up their pace.

[By the way, boy,] Pier spoke up. [You said you were heading straight for the center. What method do you intend to use?]

"Oh, it’s simple." Simon pushed aside a large leaf, and the jungle gave way to a wide-open vista.

The refreshing sound of flowing water filled his ears.

"We’re going to take a boat up that river."

[A boat, you say? When did you even make... Hah!] Pier’s clone shifted its gaze to the wooden structure the skeletons were carrying. Indeed! Looking at it now, it wasn’t a house at all, but unmistakably a wooden boat.

"Alright, come down carefully."

Simon helped the skeletons maneuver the vessel down the steep cliff face as Pier continued the conversation.

[The idea itself isn’t bad, but don’t rivers usually flow from inland to the sea?]

"Let me explain."

With his free hand, Simon sketched a quick diagram in the air. "Imagine a large island at the center, surrounded by four smaller ones. Got it?"

[Hmm! Understood.] "I heard from Dick that this entire area isn’t actually called ‘Kera Island’."

Simon gestured toward the large central landmass. "Technically, only this central island is Kera Island."

[What?]

"The proper name for this region is the ‘Kera Archipelago.’ The other islands are separate from Kera Island. In other words," he explained, pointing to the channel of water flowing between the islands where he stood, "this isn’t a river. It’s the sea."

[Oooh!]

"Apparently, it tastes salty. It’s the ocean flowing between the islands, not a river."

Simon checked the time on his watch before opening his Subspace. "And at this time of day, the current is perfectly consistent."

Just then, a furious barking erupted from the forest. ’Damn it!’

A pack of six-legged Rackers had caught his scent and was now charging. "Everyone, hurry!"

Simon and the skeletons scrambled faster down the cliff face.

But these were native monsters, and they navigated the steep incline with an unnerving, swift ease that quickly closed the distance. ’At this rate, they’ll catch us.’

A fight on a cliff like this was suicide. Simon’s mind raced as he stared down at the churning water below. "Stop! Let’s just drop it from here!"

Simon and the skeletons bent their knees, then heaved the wooden hut over the edge with all their might. It hit the water with an enormous splash.

’Woof! Woof! Woof!’

Simon recalled the skeletons into his Subspace and broke into a run.

Without a backward glance, he planted his foot on a platform of Jet-Black and launched himself from the cliff. The Rackers’ claws sliced through the air, narrowly grazing his uniform.

’Perfect timing!’

Simon landed precisely on the wooden hut as the current swept it away. The makeshift raft bucked violently, throwing up a wall of white foam that crashed over him, drenching him to the bone. ’That was a success!’

He clenched his fist. The hut held fast, and he was safely aboard. In the distance, the Rackers barked in frustration, like dogs who’d lost the chicken they were chasing. [Bwahahahaha! Excellent! Very good!] Pier cackled mockingly. The wooden boat began to pick up incredible speed, carried along by the current. The ride was surprisingly smooth, sending up a constant, refreshing spray of water. "See?"

Simon grinned. "Told you I’d turn the tables in one move."

In the early dawn, while most Kizen students were fast asleep—exhausted from building shelters, lighting fires, and hunting—Simon was cruising toward the central Kera Island on what was practically a free pass. His speed was incomparable, and the early hour drastically reduced the risk of being attacked by other students. [Bwahahahahaha! This is great!] Riding the current, Simon and Pier shot forward, the wind whipping through their hair.

---

"I came here just in case," Dick sighed, shaking his head. Behind him, seven Kizen students stood ready with weapons in hand. They were positioned at the entrance to the central island, where a massive stone bridge connected it to one of the four smaller islands of the Kera Archipelago. At a glance, the bridges looked like natural formations, but they had been constructed by Kizen specifically for the Island Survival. Fortified with black magic, they were indestructible unless faced with overwhelming firepower. It was here, at this strategic chokepoint, that the team Dick had resourcefully assembled found themselves in a standoff with a group of students on the other side. ’It wasn’t as if they would leave this place unguarded,’ Dick thought, scratching his head. To advance, they had to break through. He’d come at dawn, hoping to catch the guards tired and off their game, but a fresh-faced group was already standing watch. "What’s the plan, Dick?" a male student carrying a skull-headed scythe asked. Dick had quickly earned his team’s absolute trust. He could navigate the dense jungle with ease, knew how to build a shelter, could identify edible fruits, and was skilled at butchering monsters—a whole suite of practical survival skills that the noble students lacked. In just one day, they had all come to depend on him completely. "Hmm."

Dick crossed his arms, thinking for a moment. "In terrain like this, there’s no easy way out. I’ll go try to negotiate. See if they’ll let us pass in exchange for some food. If that doesn’t work, we’ll have to force our way through."

"Got it."

"We’re counting on you, Dick."

Just as Dick took a deep breath and started toward the bridge, a voice cried out. "Whoa, what’s that?"

"It’s a person!"

Murmurs rippled through the crowd. Dick turned his head toward the sea, and a wide, welcoming smile spread across his face. ’Simon!’

Riding his wooden raft on the current, Simon was rapidly approaching the central island. "Wow! He actually thought of riding a boat in those rapids?"

"...That’s certainly one way to do it."

Dick fought to suppress a grin as he watched his friend. ’That’s Simon for you! The absolute madman!’

Dick had briefly entertained the idea of using the sea himself, but he’d dismissed it as impossible. The current was far too strong to steer with an oar. Besides...

"Fire! Get that bastard!"

The students on the other side of the bridge weren’t about to let him pass unchallenged. A volley of Jet-Black arrows and other spells rained down on Simon’s boat. ’I have to help him.’

His current teammates were an alliance of convenience; what happened to them didn’t matter. But Simon was different. He was the most important friend Dick had made, someone he wanted to stick with for the next three years. Dick spun around and yelled, "Guys, now’s our chance! Let’s cross the bridge!"

"...N-Now?"

"That guy on the boat is drawing all their fire! We have to move now!"

At Dick’s urging, the others nodded. With a collective war cry, they charged the bridge. "They’re coming from the other side!"

"Take them down first!"

The attacks that had been focused on Simon were now split between him and the bridge. Seeing this, Simon smiled. ’Good, they’re making their move. This is my chance.’

The current quickened, pulling his raft toward his intended landing point. ’Just a little more, a little closer...’

’Kabooooom!’

A deafening roar, loud enough to burst eardrums, tore through the air. Simon looked up as a shadow fell over him. A massive Jet-Black cannonball was plummeting toward his boat. It seemed there was a skilled caster on the other side of the bridge. Its trajectory was so precise that dodging was impossible. A smirk played on Simon’s lips as he channeled Jet-Black into his legs. Without a shred of hesitation, he leaped from the boat. The raft was obliterated on impact, shattering into a thousand pieces. This next part was crucial. Simon opened his Subspace and dropped a skeleton, its bony arms clutching the ’buoy plants’ he’d gathered in the jungle. The plants floated, and so did the skeletons. ’Over there!’

The skeleton landed exactly where Simon intended. He used its buoyant body as a stepping stone and leaped again, repeating the process—dropping a skeleton, using it as a foothold, and launching himself forward. His movements were fluid, almost like he was skipping across water. "Whoa!"

"...Is that even possible?"

The students watched, their mouths agape at the acrobatic display. As the attacks from the shore intensified, Simon began laying down a dense path of skeletons on the water’s surface and broke into a full sprint. ’Jet-Black Stepping!’

Leaping several feet to evade an incoming arrow, Simon executed a perfect mid-air flip and landed gracefully on the shore. He immediately opened his Subspace, and the skeletal remains—mostly just lower halves—clattered onto the ground. He turned back and extended his right arm. "Restoration!"

The bone fragments scattered in the current rose into the air and shot like lightning toward the skeletons on the ground, snapping perfectly into place. In an instant, over ten skeletons were fully restored. Only the buoy plants were swept away by the rapids. "Let’s go!"

Simon commanded, disappearing into the forest with his undead entourage. ’Hah, that guy is really something else...!’

Dick watched in awe. Not just him, but the students on the other side of the bridge were staring with wide eyes. "Who is that guy?"

"I didn’t know you could use skeletons like that."

Suddenly, one of the students across the bridge turned his back on his group, breaking formation. "Hey, wait! Where are you going?"

The student next to him grabbed his shoulder. In response, a Jet-Black demonic arm erupted from the man’s back and swatted the student away. "You crazy son of a—!"

"What do you think you’re doing?!"

A betrayal at a time like this! Haren Cork, who had summoned his Black Hand, grinned. "You guys can handle this. I’ve got other business to attend to." 𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

With that, Haren took off, running into the forest in the direction Simon had gone.