Chapter 38 (Continued)

 

The sun kissed the horizon, casting its final light.

 

The sea, reddened by the sunset, rippled gently. In the movie, the male and female leads leaned on each other’s shoulders, deepening their love as they watched the setting sun.

 

It was truly beautiful.

 

That’s why, in her childhood, the sea was deeply imprinted in Han Seo-jin’s memory.

 

Before billions of old humanity lost their lives, the sea was a symbol of romance. Many modern media still strive to recreate the beautiful seas of the past.

 

However, everyone knew what the sea was like now.

 

Photos of the sea, taken at great risk by an explorer in the past, were circulating on the internet.

 

What was once a symbol of romance had become a hellish sight.

 

Even so, Seo-jin longed to see the sea.

 

She wanted to capture even a fragment of that beautiful scenery with her own eyes.
Even if it was just a minor whim, Seo-jin desperately wanted it.

 

“……”

 

At the practical evaluation site.

 

Fireflies and lanterns hanging from trees illuminated the surroundings.

 

Unlike the other students diligently taking their practical evaluations, Seo-jin sat motionless on an artificial structure, bathed in moonlight.

 

She had no interest in the various structures designed to test magic manipulation, the targets meant to measure magic responsiveness and detection abilities.

 

She had a different task at hand than taking the practical evaluation.

 

Raising her head, she could see a skyscraper stretching towards the sky in the distance, like a Babel tower. Bright light emanated from its peak.

 

It was the center of Academy City.

 

A beacon indicating the ‘central point.’

 

The Head Principal of Academy City was in that building.

 

─ ‘Child.’

 

The Head Principal’s voice echoed in Seo-jin’s mind, a lingering memory from the past.

 

In her childhood.

 

When many children in their infancy were being disposed of under the Head Principal’s supervision, Seo-jin alone barely survived.

 

The Head Principal had said to Seo-jin,

 

─ ‘I will show you the beautiful sea you long for.’

 

Those words had momentarily brought a sparkle to Seo-jin’s eyes.

 

─ ‘So, for the future of all, will you lend me your strength?’

 

The Head Principal claimed to know a safe route to the sea outside the city.

 

So Seo-jin might actually see the sea she had seen in the movies, bathed in the light of a setting sun.

 

That was enough.

 

The mere hope and expectation of seeing the sea allowed Seo-jin to keep going.

 

Without it, she would have followed the same fate as the disposed children.

 

“…Let’s begin.”

 

Seo-jin mimicked grabbing something.

 

Ssss.

 

A purple aura materialized in her hand, transforming into a black skull mask. She placed the mask on her face.

 

As she stood up, her body was enveloped in the aura, which soon took the shape of a robe.

 

The iconic skull mask and robe of the Six Sinners’ ‘Necromancer.’

 

The magical attire, which could be stored in magical form and materialized or dematerialized at any time.

 

Suddenly, a purple magic circle appeared on the ground, and a staff rose from it. This was also part of the materialization process.

 

Seo-jin grasped the staff.

 

It was a magical staff embedded with a magic stone.

 

It made magic manipulation and output much easier.

 

Holding the staff, Seo-jin channeled her magic.

 

Rumble!

 

At that moment, accompanied by a mild earthquake, a large circle of purple magic began to form in the center of the test site.

 

Whoooosh!

 

Following the circle, an alien purple water current rose, forming a circular space.
Soon, a massive barrier formed around Seo-jin.

 

The barrier, with its gently undulating waves, enclosed a part of the large test site, isolating the space.

 

Her unique power, ‘Necromancy.’

 

Magic formula Type 4, ‘Soul Domain.’

 

Seo-jin had previously obtained information about this test site.

 

To efficiently and powerfully use her unique ability.

 

“What the…!?”

 

“What is that…?”

 

“Isn’t that a barrier…?”

 

“Ahhh!”

 

Amid the students’ confusion, the inner wall of the Soul Domain revealed a new sky. The test site seemed to brighten as if it had been transported to another world.

 

It was due to the mysterious illusion of a moon bleeding and emitting a soft light.

 

Whoosh. Seo-jin lightly swung her staff.

 

In response, the summoning magic circles engraved throughout the test site began to glow and simultaneously started spewing out the undead.

 

“What is that!?”

 

“Run!”

 

“Crazy!”

 

Students screamed and either fled or took combat stances.

 

The summoned beings were undead.

 

Or more precisely,

 

[Groooar…!]

 

they were the dead beasts.

 

The skeletal beasts, wrapped in magic like a second skin, raised their massive bodies. Their sharp claws reflected the magic as they gleamed.