Morning light slipped gently into Knox's room as he stood in front of the mirror, wearing a black jacket. The golden trim along the edges caught the light just enough to look sharp without trying too hard. Black pants, black shoes—simple, clean, ready.
He checked his belongings one more time: ID card, a few documents, his notebook, and whatever else he thought he might need for his first day. Everything was in place.
"Alright… Kizen, here we go."
Just as he zipped his bag, two knocks came from the door. A youthful female voice followed right after.
"Knox, are you ready?"
He opened the door with a small smile.
"Of course. I'm ready, Lorain."
Lorain froze for half a second.
Knox was fully dressed, looking unexpectedly stylish—so much so that Lorain had to admit, at least in her own head, that he might actually be the best-looking guy in the entire Dark Alliance. Or top three at the very least. Fine… probably number one.
And that smile definitely didn't help. It even gave Lorain a critical hit.
Her cheeks warmed instantly, so she whipped around before he could see.
"Hmph. If you're ready, then let's go," she said, trying her best to sound firm—though the tsundere tint was impossible to hide.
Knox just nodded lightly, still wearing that small smile.
Later, the two of them made their way toward the gathering point. Their current location was the capital of the Kingdom of Dresden, Langerstine.
But before heading there, they had one more task to handle—picking someone up who was scheduled to arrive in the city.
And the reason? Because Nefthis asked them to.
When they first heard this, Knox outright retorted, telling Nefthis she was just trying to slack off. Lorain even gave her a sharp glare to back him up.
Nefthis froze for half a beat… then hit them with a "tee-hee" and bolted down the hallway.
Putting aside Nefthis's whole routine, Knox accepted the request—almost too willingly, in Lorain's eyes. She tilted her head as she watched him.
"…You look awfully enthusiastic about this," she murmured.
Knox didn't answer, but inside, he was undeniably excited.
Why?
Because the person they were supposed to receive…was none other than Simon Polentia, the protagonist of Necromancer Academy's Genius Summoner.
The main character of the world Knox was now living in.
When Knox and Lorain arrived at the rendezvous point with Simon—239 Camellord, SL1E 6AJ—they looked around but saw no one matching the description Nefthis had given them.
Lorain let out a small grumble. "I don't see anyone who looks like this 'Simon' person."
Knox replied with a small grin. "I think I know where he is."
Inside, Knox sighed to himself.
Based on the novel, Simon's probably already getting cornered by a couple of gangsters. I could've cleared them out before he even stepped foot in this city… but honestly, I was too lazy to bother. They'll get dealt with sooner or later anyway.
Lorain narrowed her eyes at him. "You know? Then stop talking like some riddle man and let's just go."
As for how Knox knew… Lorain didn't really think too deeply about it. She trusted him—maybe a little too much.
Honestly, whenever she was around Knox, her brain had a habit of downgrading itself into a simple-core CPU.
Knox just chuckled and nodded. "Alright, alright. Let's go."
Not long after, Knox and Lorain reached a set of winding alleyways. As they stepped in, the echo of rough voices reached their ears.
A moment later, they spotted him—a handsome boy with blue hair and amber eyes—cornered by eight men.
Lorain's brows furrowed. Knox exhaled slowly.
They exchanged a glance. No words needed.
Just a small nod from each of them, an unspoken agreement passing between them as naturally as breathing.
And with that, the two of them walked leisurely toward Simon—as if they were simply taking a stroll, not approaching a brewing mess in the middle of an alley.
Just as it looked like a fight could break out at any moment—
"Found you!"
A girl's voice cut through the tension, crisp and out of place. Everyone turned toward the source.
Step. Step.
From the shadowed mouth of the alley, two figures emerged—Knox and Lorain.
Seeing them fully under the dim alley light, the gang members froze for a second. A white-haired boy with sharp crimson eyes and an effortless kind of beauty, and beside him, a girl with hair as black and glossy as the night sky, youthful features, and blood-red crescent earrings.
The thugs weren't sure what to make of the sight.
Finally, the one who seemed to be the leader—Rowley—spoke up.
"…This has nothing to do with you two. Get lost."
Instead of fear, Knox and Lorain let out soft snorts, almost amused.
As they approached, the gang instinctively stepped back. A primal unease crawled over their skin—an instinctive don't mess with them kind of dread.
And for Rowley, looking at Knox was like staring at a face he had glimpsed somewhere before, an instinct whispering danger he couldn't name.
"Don't panic," Rowley barked, trying to regain control. "It's eight against three. We finish this fast and leave Langerstine before the guards show."
Lorain tilted her head, then smiled sweetly.
"Eight to three? I don't think so."
Rustle… rustle…
The trash bags and junk piled around the alley suddenly began to shift, as if something underneath was waking up.
Moments later, bone fragments tore through the plastic, scattering onto the ground.
"You know what's funny?" Lorain asked.
Click. Clack.
The bones began assembling themselves—different shapes, different sizes, slotting together like a macabre puzzle.
"The building in front of this alley?"
She pointed casually. "It's a skeleton 'storage'."
Rowley and his men paled instantly.
And the same word flashed across all their minds—
…Necromancer!
Clack! Clack!
In seconds, more than twenty skeletons surrounded them, rattling menacingly. The gang couldn't even breathe properly.
Then Knox stepped forward with a bright smile.
"Wow~ looks like my friend's friends are very eager to be friends with you guys. Mind if I join in too?"
His tone was light, lilting—almost playful. Very Elysia-coded, and somehow even scarier because of it.
Knox snapped the fingers of his right hand.
Fwoosh.
Dozens of crystal-like swords formed from condensed mana appeared above him, spinning in a perfect orbit. Each blade angled downward—aimed straight at the gang.
The skeletons clicked their jaws together as if agreeing with each other, while the floating swords spun lazily in the air—almost taunting the terrified gang members. Some of the thugs started foaming at the mouth. Others… well, their pants told the rest of the story.
"…Incredible."
Simon was stunned as well. Sure, the overall quality was far below his father Richard's undead, but still—creating more than twenty instant skeletons from stray bone fragments lying around? That wasn't something just anyone could pull off.
And then there were the swords. Dozens of them, hovering with eerie precision.
Simon swallowed hard, unable to stop himself from staring at the white-haired boy in front of him.
Just who in the world summons floating swords like it's nothing?
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Character Voicelines · Knox, Lorain, and Simon: About Impressions
Knox (looking at Simon): So this is the main character—the protagonist of this world…
Lorain (looking at Simon): Hmm. Since Mom asked me and Knox to pick him up, I thought he'd be someone special...but he kind of looks like a country bumpkin.
Simon (looking at Knox and Loraine): Th-These… are people my age really this strong?! And wait—does being handsome or beautiful also affect strength?! Do Kizen's requirements include looks too?!