The Genius Necromancer of the Barbarian Race

Guarantor, God.

*The dungeon's master is dead.

As I held up 'Scar Claw's' heart high, joining the barbarians in their cheers, a line of text appeared before my eyes.

It wasn't anything important. After all, I'm literally holding its heart; if it were still alive, that would be the strange part.

*〈Thrag accepts the slaughter as an offering.〉
*〈Thrag smiles.〉

With the 'dungeon master' dead, a message popped up as if recognizing the act as a proper offering.

That meant Thrag was watching this scene unfold.

'Hmm...'

The dagger showed no signs of falling away. Even though I'd killed the dungeon master and even pulled out its heart.

I get it now. I haven't completely finished the 'Coming-of-Age Ceremony' yet.

Thrag only acknowledges it if I show the heart I just obtained and fully pass the ceremony.

'Petty bastard.'

So even a so-called god could be this narrow-minded.

'Hm?'

I lowered my head. From the body of 'Scar Claw', which I was standing on as I pulled out the heart, something started bubbling up.

Soon, two stones emerged from the chest of the heartless 'Scar Claw'.

Unappraised Mana Stone
Grade: Unknown

[The grade can be learned through appraisal.]

One of them was a mana stone. If gold was a world-wide currency on Earth since ancient times, in the world of 《Dungeon God》, this 'mana stone' held a similar position to gold.

Of course, its value would differ based on its grade.

Carefully pocketing the mana stone, I turned my gaze to the other item.

A roughly-shaped stone with a crude pattern etched into it.

'Rune of the Abyss.'

Reciting the name of the rune inwardly, the characters engraved on the stone began to disappear.

*〈Rune of the Abyss has been inscribed.〉
*〈Rune Progression: Stage 1〉

So, just one for now.
This item called the 'Rune of the Abyss' is closely tied to the ending of 《Dungeon God.》

It's said that if you take a rune advanced to Stage 7 into the 'Abyss', the bearer will ascend as a 'god'.

And, becoming that 'god' is the ending of 《Dungeon God》.

'I've never seen it happen, though.'

It's an ending no one has ever reached.

Why?

Because advancing a 'Rune of the Abyss' to Stage 7 was something close to impossible.

You couldn't simply run through dungeons and expect the 'rune' to progress its stages.

As the stages go higher, you'd have to enter even more dangerous dungeons to further the rune.

Among the 《Dungeon God》 players, the one with the highest-level rune only got as far as 'Stage 5.'

'I wonder what happens if you reach Stage 7 in this situation?'

Would I return to my original world?

6 a.m. commutes.

Safety's all well and good.

Going to work when it's sweltering, freezing when it's cold.

'Not that I'd want that.'

I'd rather not go back and just remain as a god. I could stir up trouble like that bastard Thrag too.

Kurrung──!

Maybe because I was grumbling about Thrag in my mind, the dungeon suddenly started to tremble.

"Dmihtan! Why are you shaking the ground so much?!"

As the dungeon quaked, the barbarians grew alarmed, and Barkal called out to me.

"It's not me; it's the dungeon itself that's shaking!"

"This can't be!"

Barkal let out a sigh of despair in a hollow voice. Ignoring his reply, I looked around.

It was a scene I'd never seen before, but somehow I felt like I might know what would happen next.

As expected, a massive portal rose up near where the 'dungeon master' had been.

"It's a portal!"

Just as the barbarian shouted, it was indeed a portal. The door used to enter and leave the dungeon.

Usually, the 'portal' is found at a fixed spot, but when the 'dungeon master' is killed, one can appear nearby.

"Dmihtan, you go first!"

"Honored barbarian, we'll yield the way!"

Whether there was any real difference to entering first, I wasn't sure, but from a 'barbarian' perspective, it was the greatest display of consideration.

"Thank you!"

Offering my thanks, I threw my body into the portal.

A blinding white light wrapped around me, and my vision began flashing. Before long, the landscape changed completely.

A desolate plain. In fact, the dungeon I'd just been in seemed almost quaint compared to the bleakness all around.

"I missed it! My homeland!"

But hearing Barkal's words as he emerged from the portal, it seemed that this was indeed the homeland of the 'Red Wolf Tribe'.

"But Dmihtan!"

"What is it?"

"We're outside the dungeon! How much longer will you keep holding your weapon?"

Barkal pointed at the dagger still clutched in my hand.

I wanted to let it go too.

"Don't lower your guard, Barkal. The 'Coming-of-Age Ceremony' isn't over yet."

Offering this excuse in the sternest voice I could muster, Barkal's eyes went wide through the gaps in his bone helmet.

At the same moment, the other barbarians came out of the portal.

"Everyone, raise your weapons!!!!"

Whoa. Barkal's shout startled not just me but all the other barbarians too.

"The ceremony isn't over yet! Don't let down your guard!"

Repeating exactly what I had said, Barkal conveyed the message to the other barbarians.

Whether it fired them up or not, they all began raising their weapons high.

"Uraaaaaah!!"

"Dmihtan, don't worry! We'll take the lead to the village!"

"Uwooooaaah!!"

Geodude thundered ahead, and the others followed after him.

'Hmm.'

They're good-hearted. Just a bit slow-witted.

Anyway, I didn't even know where the village was, so this worked out as I followed them.

* * *

The Red Wolf Tribe's village was actually quite a distance from the portal.

But our barbarians marched at such a pace that a journey that would normally take a full day was covered in just six hours.

Thanks to that, I was about to collapse from exhaustion. Had it not been for the 'skeleton exoskeleton', I would've been out cold a long time ago.

"It's Barkal!"

"The barbarians who left for the Coming-of-Age Ceremony have returned!"

As we entered the village, the tribe's people, who had been going about their business, began to come out one by one.

"Who passed the Coming-of-Age? Barkal, was it you as expected?"

"Barkal, I knew you'd make it!"

"A warrior befitting the honor of Thrag, Barkal!"

Everyone looked at Barkal, asking if he had passed the ceremony. The bone helmet on his head shook side to side.

"It wasn't me. I'm not the one who represents Thrag's honor!"

Barkal's confession that he hadn't passed the 'Coming-of-Age Ceremony' left many in the tribe stunned. Then, Barkal pointed at me.

"The one chosen by Thrag is not me, but Dmihtan! He is Thrag's champion!"

When they realized I was the one who completed the 'Coming-of-Age Ceremony', everyone was shocked.

"That runt Dmihtan!?"

"Impossible!"

Indeed.

Just as they said, for a 'barbarian' my stature is quite small.

What could I do? I'm not really a barbarian, I'm a necromancer.

Not paying heed to their murmurs, I drew a leather pouch from inside my robes.

Inside was the 'dungeon master's' heart. I'd planned to just carry it around, but it kept beating so annoyingly that I stashed it away.

"I'm the one who passed the ceremony! I worked together with everyone, but I gained their recognition and was entrusted with the heart!"

Shouting out boldly to the crowd, the "Bakemons" echoed my words in support.

"Wise Dmihtan!"

"Dmihtan is wise!"

"He saved our lives!"

The Bakemons cheered me on so enthusiastically. Aside from Barkal, I didn't know any of their names—I'd have to correct that later.

"Where is the chieftain? I, Dmihtan, have brought the heart!"

Come on, hurry up and finish this 'Coming-of-Age Ceremony' for me. This dagger in my right hand is really getting in the way.

Shouting loudly enough to shake the whole tribe, I strode forward like a conquering hero.

The largest house here. That'd be where the chieftain is. It's time to give him the heart and say farewell to the dagger.

"Wait!"

That's when it happened. The solemn voice of an old man reverberated through the area.

Turning toward the sound, I saw an old man, supporting himself with a staff, emerging from a house.

From his looks and stature, he didn't seem to be the chieftain.

'A shaman?'

In the barbarian tribe, those who can commune with spirits are called 'shamans' in 《Dungeon God.》

A class adept in ritual magic and spirit sorcery. And of course, shamans hate necromancers.

"Stop right there, Dmihtan!"

The old man who appeared to be the shaman pointed at me, then slowly descended the steps.

Him staring so pointedly at me felt somehow ominous.

"What's the matter?!"

Trying my best to hide my unease, I shouted at the old man.

Could a shaman identify me as a 'necromancer'? Probably not, right?

"There's a stench of foul magic coming from you!"

Shit.
I cursed inwardly.

"The spirits say there's a repulsive magical stench coming from your body!"

"Priest, what are you saying?!"

"Dmihtan isn't involved with magic of the dead!"

The Bakemons who had joined me in the ceremony began to speak up for me. But... did they just call him 'Priest'?

'This really might be serious.'

The priest.

That meant this old man wasn't just any shaman.

There are two major seats of power in a barbarian tribe.

One is the tribe chieftain.
The other, the priest.

And now, this priest was basically declaring, 'You're a heretic!'

"The spirits do not lie! Wasn't it strange from the start?!"

THUMP!
The priest slammed his staff to the ground, his face furious.

"How could the weakling Dmihtan pass the ceremony solely by his own strength?!"

"The priest speaks true!"

"It's suspicious!"

There I was, having just returned from the ceremony, facing off with the priest—the spirit shaman representing the tribe.

Even a child could tell how far apart our social ranks were.

Because of that, I could feel the gaze of the tribespeople shift.

"That's not so!"

Barkal shouted in protest, but everyone's stares remained fixed.

"Seize Dmihtan!"

A few barbarians began closing in on me. Giant, brutish hands reaching for me.

*[Skeleton Summon activated.]*

I enveloped my hand in a 'skeleton exoskeleton'.

"Foul magic!"

Seeing my 'skeleton exoskeleton', the priest scowled and pointed his staff at me.

"No."

I flatly denied the priest's accusation.

"This is not the magic of the dead."

"If that's not necromancy, what is it then?!"

It sounded totally convincing, but I was actually scared stiff.

Is this necromancy?
Yes.

Am I a necromancer?
Yes.

Then, by barbarian law, should I die?
Yes.

Everything pointed to my death, but I had to come up with something to survive.

"This is Thrag's blessing!"

And this was how I'd survive.

Upon hearing the name of 'Thrag', the God of Blood and Revelry, the one and only god the Red Wolf Tribe worshipped, everyone looked taken aback.

"Thrag...?"

"Thrag's blessing!?"

Perhaps my passionate speech got through, or perhaps it showed just how deep their faith in 'Thrag' went.

Whatever the reason, the tribe's people looked lost and uncertain.

"I passed the trial and swore to become Thrag's champion. This is proof of that vow!"

It wasn't a lie. Thrag had truly set these trials upon me—to live as both necromancer and barbarian.

I formed the hand gripping the dagger into a fist, then threw it open, palm up.

"Behold!"

The dagger, dangling from my palm and swinging like a pendulum.

"What strange witchcraft is this?!"

The tribe was startled for a moment, but the priest snapped coldly, and I called out to Barkal.

"Barkal! Try to remove this blade from me!"

Snapping to, Barkal slowly approached me.

"Aaaaargh!!!"

Barkal grabbed the dagger and heaved with all his might, but of course, it didn't budge.

Though, his body was nearly dragged along with it.

"Until the ceremony ends, this dagger will not leave my body! This is the trial Thrag has set upon me!"

The noise grew louder among the tribesfolk. Their gazes became even more hostile, but I ignored it.

I want to live. More accurately, I really don't want to die again. If possible, I'd like to become a god, and see the ending of 《Dungeon God.》

"Don't be fooled! This is just more disgusting magic!"

Waving his staff furiously, the priest advanced, and I leveled my dagger at him.

"From now onward, I will continue living as Thrag's champion, and uphold my proof as a barbarian!"

Thrag is a god of blood, but also of revelry.

Wasn't it fun? A necromancer writhing to become your devotee? I'll put on quite a show for you from now on.

"Thrag! If you are watching, vouch for my oath!"

My voice resounded, echoing back at me, but nothing happened for a long while.

Everything around me went so quiet it felt barren. The priest's sinister grin only deepened.

At that moment—

Plop.

"... Hm?"

"Rain."

"It's raining, but not a single cloud in the sky."

It started raining from above. And the color—red.

"... This isn't rain..."

"It's blood."

"A rain of blood!"

A rain of blood, symbol of 'Thrag', the God of Blood and Revelry. When it began pouring from a cloudless sky, the Red Wolf tribespeople fell to their knees, prostrating themselves toward the heavens.

"Could it really be...?"

Even the priest looked up at the sky with a blank, stunned face.

Soaking my whole body in the red rain, I raised my gaze skyward as well.

-------------= Clacky's Corner -------------=
Although Thrag is petty, he supports our boy when it's needed.
He must be having fun watching the shennanigans of our boy..
【ദ്ദി(⩌ᴗ⩌)】