The Genius Necromancer of the Barbarian Race

Somehow, It Rolls Along

Let me think about the current composition of the adventurer team.

First, there's a barbarian.
Then, a barbarian (fake).
And lastly, a cleric (real, but also fake).

Three vanguards. No one has ranged attacks, and there isn't a single person who can offer support.

How did such a ridiculous team come together? The absurdity of it made me let out a hollow laugh.

"Could you use magic on us?"

Now that I think about it, wouldn't it be enough if Serena used magic on us?

"Well..."

What's the problem, then?

"Lord Liberas has told me to use all prayers only on myself..."

I sighed at her words.

I knew the gods in the world of 《Dungeon God》 were insane, but how is it that there's not a single normal one among them?

* 〈Thrag notices your insolent thoughts.〉
* 〈Thrag frowns.〉

Yeah, I'm talking about you.

I turned my gaze back to Serena. Blue eyes, blonde hair—her appearance evoked a Saintess, but in reality, she was a crazy woman!

"Serena, it seems you cannot stay with our adventurer team."

Even if she was an 'apostle', I decided to be realistic.

"What!?"

"You didn't mishear. You cannot stay with..."

"P-please, give me one more chance instead of doing that!"

Serena grabbed onto my pant leg just as I was about to say we'd replace her with another adventurer.

"I'll definitely be helpful!"

What kind of crazy woman is this? Let go!
I tried to push her face away, but she wouldn't budge.

She was too strong. She was basically a female barbarian!

"Serena, let go! You could do well in another adventurer team!"

"I-I've already been kicked out of many teams!"

"And despite that, you deceived us!"

"Just give me one more chance! If I'm kicked out this time, I'll have to return to my family!"

What does that have to do with me!

I tried to push her off, but her grip was like a mountain.

"Hoo..."

I sighed.

I was about to tell Barkal to help shake Serena off, but then a more pressing thought struck me.

The first mission of the fledgling adventurer team 'Dungeon God'. If we fail or cancel this, our reputation will surely suffer.

"Fine."

With that thought, there's no helping it. We'll take Serena along—at least until this mission is over.

"I'll give you a chance."

"Really?"

I nodded.

"So please, let go."

At this rate, even the 'Red Wolf Armor' might get torn.

* * *

With the addition of the female barbarian Serena, our adventurer team now consisted of three barbarians.

I thought we'd have too many rough edges for things to run smoothly.

But unexpectedly.

No, incredibly—it ran extremely well.

"Thrag, I'll send another one to your side!"

"I-I got one too. How about that? Useful, right!?"

Monsters kept appearing with mushrooms all over their bodies.

The sight of the Dungeon God adventurer team swiftly dealing with them and moving forward was like a tank in motion.

Our progress was nothing short of remarkable.

Barkal and Serena.

A mere 'Iron Grade Dungeon' couldn't stop the march of two apostles chosen by gods.

Thanks to that, I had nothing to do but pick up the occasional mana stone dropped by monsters.

'Ah.'

While tucking mana stones into my pocket, I noticed the mana stone of 'Dungeon Master' Scar Claw, whom we had defeated earlier.

I'd forgotten to appraise this. I'll just do it after we get back.

The 'Iron Grade Dungeon' subjugation mission assigned to us by the Adventurers' Guild proceeded smoothly.

Of course, that's only if you look at it as a 'mission'—as a 'team,' our shortcomings started to become apparent.

Deep within the dungeon, in a wide clearing, there was a goblin nest just like the one I saw during the 'coming-of-age ceremony'.

"Looks like the goblins made their nest here."

"I'll kill all those despicable goblins!"

"Sounds good!"

"Wait."

I blocked Barkal and Serena as they tried to charge ahead recklessly.

"Brother, why do you stop us?"

"A-am I getting fired...?"

"We must quickly kill those despicable goblins, brother! Thrag wants that too!"

"I-I'll help too!"

"Are the things on your necks just decorations?"

Barkal and Serena tilted their heads.

"Skull helmets are not for decoration!"

"... That's not what I meant."

It seemed this conversation would drag on, so I cut off Barkal's nonsense.

"That is the goblins' nest."

Barkal, who was fidgeting at my seriousness, nodded. So did Serena.

"Even a dumb beast works hard to protect its home."

Again, they nodded.

"See those defenses?"

"I see them."

"I see them."

"So, how do you plan to get over them?"

Barkal raised his hand at my question.

"I'll jump over them!"

"Brother, the moment you jump, arrows will fly at you. What will you do then?"

"Cr-craaaack, I've been hit in the shoulder, brother! I'm fine! Hurry and get over!"

No, what will you actually do if arrows fly—I'm not asking about getting hit.

"You can't dodge mid-air."

"Then I'll break through it!"

"While you're breaking it, the enemies won't just stand still. Also..."

I picked up a broken arrow lying on the ground. It was clearly goblin-made.

Blunt Arrowhead
Grade: Low

【Blunt Edge】 1
【Paralysis Poison】 1

As expected.
The arrows were coated in poison. Dungeons with mushrooms often had poisons like these.

"They're poisoned. If you get hit, you'll be in danger—even you."

"I-I have a detoxification spell!"

This time, Serena raised her hand. I frowned.

"You mean the detox spell you can only use on yourself?"

She lowered her hand.

"True! Dmihtan, you're right—we could've been in danger!"

"What should we do...?"

Honestly, what can we do?
If we had a ranger, we could have used a surprise attack with arrows.
If we had a (real) cleric, we could have healed the wounded and moved on.

'Ah.'

An idea came to mind.

As long as we get over the barricade 'without getting hit' by those poisoned arrows, the two barbarians can handle the rest, right?

"I have a way."

* * *

* 〈'Tattoo Inscription' Level Up.〉
Tattoo Inscription [1] -〉 [2]

With the idea in mind, I immediately took action.

I decided to put 'Skeleton Exoskeleton' on Barkal and Serena.

I took out the blood stored in the 'Blood-Colored Awl' I received from Thrag and began drawing tattoos on Barkal's body.

"Brother, what is this tattoo for?"

"Do you remember Thrag's armor?"

"I remember! It smelled terrible, but Dmihtan, you said it was Thrag's blessing!"

Terrible smell. He must be talking about the necromancer's magic.

This guy must have the nose of a hunting dog.

"I'll grant you that same blessing."

"T-Thrag's blessing!?"

"That's right."

I stepped away from Barkal.

'Skeleton Summon.'

I'd used this spell on myself before, but never on someone else.

So I had to check it myself.

* 【Using Skeleton Summon.】

As I used the spell, white bones sprouted over the red tattoos drawn on Barkal. Soon, the same 'skeleton exoskeleton' I'd worn formed over Barkal's body.

"O-oh...!"

Wearing the skeleton exoskeleton, Barkal looked over his body in delight.

His excited reaction was like an ape discovering fire for the first time.

"Thrag! I've also received your blessing!"

Okay.

That's confirmed.

I withdrew the 'Skeleton Exoskeleton'.

"T-Thrag! I won't dance weirdly! Please don't take your blessing away!"

"Calm down, Barkal. I'm the one who put that armor on you."

Barkal met my gaze. His eyes, reflected in the skull helmet, shook violently.

"Y-you were Thrag all along!?"

How does he get to that conclusion?

Ignoring Barkal's commotion, I approached Serena.

It was her turn.

"D-do I have to get one too?"

She didn't look thrilled. Of course, who'd like getting a tattoo with blood?

"Don't want it?"

"A little..."

"Then leave the adventurer team."

"I like it a little more, now!"

* 〈'Tattoo Inscription' proficiency increased.〉

With a disgusted face, Serena looked at the tattoo on her body.

Ignoring her, I painted a tattoo on myself as well.

As expected.

When the 'Tattoo Inscription' level goes up, I can draw it more delicately.

It even seems to suppress the smell of blood.

"I'll explain the plan."

After finishing all preparations, I explained my method to Barkal and Serena.

"You two jump over the barricade like you wanted."

"But you said we'd get shot by arrows if we do that?"

"Lady warrior."

Barkal spoke to Serena, who had doubts.

"My brother doesn't say false things! If you want to stay in our team, you must think of Dmihtan as a sage. As your brother!"

A speech close to a rally. Listening, Serena nodded and looked at me.

"D-Dmihtan, brother, I'll trust you!"

Why are you copying his speech...

Anyway, we stood in front of the goblin nest again.

"Blood and glory call to us!"

With a thunderous cry, Barkal leapt over the barricade.

― Kieeeeeek!

At the same time, several arrows flew at Barkal. Mid-jump, he couldn't evade them.

Even if he deflected a few with his axe, he couldn't block them all.

* 【Using Skeleton Summon.】

The arrows Barkal couldn't block were stopped by the 'Skeleton Exoskeleton'.

― Kiieeek!?

The goblins were clearly startled as their arrows bounced off the exoskeleton.

Next up was Serena.

"Please don't fire me!"

With a heartfelt cry, she leaped over the barricade like Barkal.

* 【Using Skeleton Summon.】

Once again, the 'Skeleton Exoskeleton' blocked the arrows shot at her defenseless figure.

Thus, the two barbarians crossed the barricade. Now, with those two monsters bearing down, the rest should be easy.

― Kiaaaak!"

But beyond the wall, there were more goblins in the nest than I thought. They began to surround Barkal and Serena, executing some surprisingly tactical moves.

Of course, the two wouldn't go down against mere goblins. However—

'It would be troublesome if they got injured.'

Getting injured means we'd have to heal them. Without a 'cleric', we had to minimize the damage to our team.

Why?

'Because getting hurt costs money!'

* 【Using Skeleton Summon.】

As they tore through the nest, I began to back up Barkal and Serena from behind.

* 〈Thrag is displeased with your actions.〉

What's your problem?

We only promised not to do 'ranged attacks'!

After about ten minutes, the goblin nest was cleared. No one was injured, so there wouldn't be any unexpected expenses.

The goblin nest was in ruins. At the center, Barkal and Serena stood tall.

"This is the power of blessing!? Dmihtan! With your help, I can fight with such strength!"

Barkal began swinging the goblin's crude house's support beams around.

Even if the 'Skeleton Exoskeleton' helped, having such brute strength was crazy. Honestly, I wouldn't have managed.

As for Serena—

"This is..."

She looked a little uncomfortable, examining the skeleton exoskeleton in detail.

Well, since she's an 'apostle', she probably sensed that this was necromancer magic.

Liberas is a god of good.

So she'd react strongly to something unholy like a necromancer's magic.

Serena examined the exoskeleton more carefully.

"It's... cool..."

She was definitely not right in the head.

"The despicable goblin nest is cleared!"

"Now all that's left is to defeat the dungeon master, right?"

"The dungeon master! If we find it, we can leave this place!"

"That's right. Let's go find it quickly!"

Barkal and Serena seemed to grow closer, maybe because both were apostles.

"There's no need to look."

I told them:
"The dungeon master is already here."

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
God damn it. The cleric that joined them is simple-minded like a barbarian.
LOLOLOLOL!!!
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】