The Second Life of a Legendary Necromancer

Chapter 48: The Hideous Witch (9)

[The memories of Spectral Velinessa’s life are flowing in.]

The red-haired girl was as gifted in magic as she was in beauty.

There’s a famous case that proves this.

The Twelve Supreme Beings.

The Crimson Flame Tower Master.

The Lotus Witch, Hong Yeonhwa.

Only a rare few magicians in the world were qualified to learn from Hong Yeonhwa, one of the strongest beings on the continent.

That qualification was granted solely to the “heirs of the Crimson Family.”

And yet,

Breaking that centuries-old tradition, a girl of lowly birth with no family rose to become a “direct heir” and learned magic, a shocking testament to her brilliance.

To learn under the Crimson Flame Tower Master, one had to undergo numerous trials.

Could one mercilessly incinerate someone without hesitation?

Could one unleash flames without wavering?

Could one amplify the power of fire to its limits without fear?

Velinessa was born with every talent befitting a “fire mage.”

She possessed the ability to turn enemies before her into ashes without hesitation.

Praised for her genius, Velinessa relished flaunting her talents.

It wasn’t the joy of magic itself.

What thrilled her was watching others marvel, admire, and envy her as she grew stronger.

Immersed in that intoxicating pleasure, Velinessa worked tirelessly despite her innate genius.

“Ah, I’m doomed. I barely studied at all.”

In truth, she studied through sleepless nights.

“Skincare? What products do I use? Hmm, nothing special, really. I’m not into beauty routines.”

In truth, she avidly followed the latest beauty products and fashion magazines, striving to enhance her appearance.

She hated falling behind others, hated losing.

At the same time, she loved being seen as a natural-born genius.

In reality,

She was a remarkable genius.

And that genius was amplified by her relentless efforts to showcase it.

…She never imagined that the jealousy and envy she provoked would return in such a horrific manner.

The Crimson Flame Tower.

A place not for magicians of rational thinking.

It housed magicians prepared to incinerate strangers on the battlefield without a second thought.

“Magicians are rational beings.”

Yet they were excessively savage.

“Magicians must always remain calm.”

Yet they were overly hot-tempered.

“Magicians resolve issues through dialogue and calculation.”

Yet they were shockingly violent.

Among these fire mages, who would burn anything to quench their envy,

Standing out too much came at a high price.

“Ahhh! My face! My faceee!!”

The result was truly atrocious.

Plucking a budding flower just beginning to bloom was easy—far too easy.

But twisting that flower into something grotesque and hideous was cruel.

“Your once-proud face is now hideous. You should’ve stayed quiet. Because of you, I almost missed out on our master’s secret magic.”

The culprit was her fellow apprentice, Seirien, the Sorceress of Fusion.

Before Velinessa arrived, Seirien had been considered the most beautiful and talented.

But as Velinessa’s exceptional beauty and genius overshadowed her, Seirien silenced her rival before she could grow further.

“Let’s see how long you last in the tower with that face. Good luck.”

Velinessa could no longer live as she once did.

Her dazzling beauty, once praised and admired by all, became a hideous sight that made others retch.

No amount of concealment could mask the stench from her melted skin or the pus that dripped, making it impossible for her to attend lessons with others.

In the end, Velinessa fled the Crimson Tower.

Despite her young age, her genius allowed her to establish her own magic tower under the Crimson Flame Tower’s name, but Seirien sought to destroy even that.

“Still studying magic with that face? If it were me, I’d have bitten my tongue long ago. Maybe it’s time to give up?”

“No, please! Just leave my magicians alone…!”

Seirien burned Velinessa’s tower.

Killing every magician there was easy for her.

Then she dragged Velinessa to Elron, tied her to a cross, and slandered her as a monstrous witch who had destroyed her own tower.

The people of Elron didn’t care what Velinessa had done.

They merely vented their frustrations by throwing stones at her hideous figure.

Velinessa… unable to endure the agony, lost control.

She burned Elron City to the ground before retreating to the ruins of her tower.

Immediately afterward, the “dungeonification” began.

The dead magicians rose as monsters, melted and burned as they were, while Velinessa herself became trapped in the boss room.

[You have read Spectral Velinessa’s memories. She feels shame about her past but harbors a fierce desire for revenge.]

When I opened my eyes, Velinessa, no longer hideous, looked at me with sparkling ruby-like eyes, her beauty radiant.

“I never thought I’d subjugate her without lifting a sword.”

Honestly, I was surprised.

But upon reflection, it made sense.

Eltis, who failed to show loyalty to his lord.

Mad, who longed for freedom.

Cooling, who wished to escape eternal winter.

Each Spectral had their grievances, and Yeonwol had partially resolved them, earning their loyalty.

Velinessa’s story was no different.

What she had longed for all her life… was her beauty, disfigured beyond any restoration through divine or medical means.

Now, as an Elite Soldier, she remembered her intense ambitions from life and felt compelled to serve Yeonwol, who restored her beauty.

The Elite Soldier rank restored all of one’s life knowledge.

Eltis regained his strategic and tactical prowess, making him more capable than ever.

Velinessa retained her magical knowledge, allowing her to wield her full power from life.

“Setting that aside, she’s undoubtedly a formidable magician.”

To think she was recognized as a disciple by the Crimson Flame Tower Master, one of the Twelve Supreme Beings.

If she had grown unhindered, she could’ve become a massive threat to the continent.

In other words, Velinessa, with all her talent, now served Yeonwol alone.

“Whatever led you to burn Elron, you killed countless people in the fire. From a moral perspective, that is a grave sin.”

-…Yes, Master.

“Even so…”

Yeonwol stroked his chin.

If her memory served correctly, the initial aggressor wasn’t Velinessa but the residents of Elron City.

‘I should revisit Elron… not that I’ll uncover anything new at this point.’

-Master, I want to explore the outside too!

Velinessa expressed a strong desire to roam the human cities.

Since neither Eltis, Madric, nor Cooling had made such a request, I was genuinely taken aback.

“You’re too conspicuous.”

-Haha, it’s because I shine so brightly, isn’t it?

“No, I’m talking about that violet aura.”

-…

At this point, with videos of them already released, I no longer intended to hide the fact that I possessed a Hidden Class.

However, the potential hassle of stalkers trailing her presence was tiresome.

-You know, I think I could hide this aura with some effort.

“Is that possible?”

The violet aura was a hallmark of her Spectral transformation.

It was the energy that allowed these once-deceased beings to move again, akin to a power source.

Without it, Spectrals would revert to their lifeless state.

-Yes… like this, huff!

Clenching her fists and puffing out her cheeks, Velinessa focused, and the aura truly disappeared.

[Velinessa has concealed her ‘Spectral Wave.’ As a consequence, she has lost all power and abilities and has reverted to Level 1.]

“Oh…”

It was impressive, but at Level 1, she might die if someone so much as tapped her.

-Phew!

[Velinessa has re-released her ‘Spectral Wave.’ She regains all her power and abilities.]

After reverting to her original state, Velinessa’s eyes sparkled as she spoke.

-How was it, Master? It feels like holding my breath, but I think I can maintain it for about 30 minutes!

“…Really? If you’re willing to go that far, then fine.”

Still, Velinessa was currently wearing only a single red robe, so I couldn’t take her out like this.

With no other choice, I personally procured a robe with a 150-level restriction.

-Master’s gracious equipment! I humbly accept it! Though, judging by my aesthetic sense, it’s a rather shabby design, making me question Master’s fashion sense. However, no matter how plain the attire, my radiant beauty from my past life cannot be concealed!

“Give that back.”

-It’s already equipped!

“Damn it, you little…”

Her antics oddly made me want to punch her.

“Fine, whatever. Get ready. We’re heading out now.”

-Yay!

Thanks to reading Velinessa’s memories, I had a grasp of her personality.

She relieved stress by flaunting her exceptional appearance to others, a harmless hobby if one considered it as such.

How much suffering must she have endured, hiding her grotesque appearance for years?

‘Well, indulging her a little will help solidify her loyalty.’

Thunk-!

The sound of a knife piercing through armor and sinking into flesh was always satisfying.

Especially when the victim was an expert player who hadn’t even realized they were under attack.

The sheer exhilaration, as if the world were ending, surged through my entire body.

“You, you bastard…!”

The Hidden Class Killer, Rudrick.

As another ranker fell victim to his hands, a jubilant smile spread across his face.

“All that bulk is meaningless.”

Even a towering figure of 190 centimeters packed with muscle was powerless before ‘skills.’

“Damn it, I’ll get my revenge…”

[You have slain the 187-level Mighty Cavalryman (C), ‘Provic.’]

[A death penalty is applied at three times the rate: Level decreased by 9 stages, and stats and skill proficiency reduced by three times!]

[You have absorbed part of his level and stats and acquired one skill.]

“Choose a skill.”

A roulette appeared before him, spinning rapidly.

When Rudrick stabbed the spinning roulette with his dagger, it came to an abrupt halt.

[You have absorbed the F-Rank skill ‘Intermediate Imitation of a Cute Animal (Rabbit).’]

[Be warned: If killed by a divine attack, you may lose all absorbed skills.]

“…What the hell.”

He had drawn a complete dud.

“Why would someone with that build imitate a rabbit… disgusting bastard.”

Squandering his once-a-month chance to absorb a skill in such a way was infuriating.

Unable to contain his anger, Rudrick punched the exterior wall of a building.

Crunch!

The wall cracked, and a bit of dust flew off.

But this wasn’t enough to vent his mounting frustration.

‘I need to find my next target. This time, someone truly worthwhile.’

With that thought, he pulled up his hood and prepared to leave the city outskirts.

However, the chatter of people on the street caught his attention.

“Did you hear? Yeonwol pulled off another incredible feat.”

“Apparently, he soloed a boss 80 levels higher than him?”

“No way. Even if he’s skilled enough to take down the tutorial boss, the level gap is absolute. He shouldn’t even be able to deal damage.”

“That’s why people are speculating he might have at least an S-Rank Hidden Class. They think he might have a powerful ultimate skill not shown in videos or increased his mysterious summons.”

“Man, I’m curious. What kind of class does he have?”

“The video should go up soon. I even set an alert so I can watch it the moment it’s uploaded.”

As Rudrick passed by, listening to their conversation, a smile spread across his lips.

‘Ah, right… I almost forgot about that guy. By the time he’s grown enough, he’ll be perfect prey for me.’

Even Rudrick couldn’t hunt down opponents who were too weak without severe penalties or poor skill absorption.

The target needed to level up and grow stronger to make the hunt worthwhile.

“Just wait a little longer, Yeonwol. I’ll come for you soon.”