Necromancer Survival

Description

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Sometime after ‘Gates’ appeared in this world, humanity was divided into two: [User] and [ordinary human beings] Lee-kyung was able to awaken into a user and choose a [Class]…but, in momentary misjudgement, chose to be a [Necromancer], the worst of all classes.

Lee-kyung, searching for the materials to evolve his skeletal servant, ‘Lackey,’ was barely able to participate in a high-level raid for [Tower of Command] Dungeon. In an accident, he falls down alone to uncover a hidden conspiracy.

Injured and desperate to survive, Lee-kyung called out to anyone…and reached a vengeful spirit. “Please, I’ll do anything….Please form a contract with me and save me!”

–-You’ll do anything?….

[Will you accept the ‘oath’ offered by ‘Seo Dawon’?] –-You’ll do your best to help me achieve my revenge. And, I will do my best to save you wherever, whenever you are in danger. Is that acceptable?

[Initiating a new contract with ‘Seo Dawon’] Junior Necromancer Choi Lee-kyung and Ranker Mage Seo Dawon’s delightful revenge play!

TW: Depictions of mental health

Associated Names
One entry per line
Sự Sống Sót Của Kẻ Chiêu Hồn
네크로맨서 생존기
Related Series
N/A
Recommendations
I Don’t Want This Reincarnation (5)
The S-Classes That I Raised (5)
Omniscient Reader’s Viewpoint (4)
Circumstances of a Fallen Lord (2)
The Trash Wants to Live (2)
I am the Lucky Cat of an MMORPG (1)
Recommendation Lists
  1. Korea BL Novel
  2. Book that i like
  3. Best BL Novels
  4. First view point~(bl and none-bl)
  5. Danmei Novels

Latest Release

Date Group Release
01/07/22 Foxaholic c172
01/07/22 Foxaholic c171
01/04/22 Foxaholic c170
01/02/22 Foxaholic c169
12/30/21 Foxaholic c168
12/28/21 Foxaholic c167
12/24/21 Foxaholic c166
12/21/21 Foxaholic c165
12/18/21 Foxaholic c164
12/14/21 Foxaholic c163
12/09/21 Foxaholic c162
12/09/21 Foxaholic c161
12/05/21 Foxaholic c160
12/02/21 Foxaholic c159
11/28/21 Foxaholic c158
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yelim0503
yelim0503 rated it
August 21, 2021
Status: c310
Hi, this is the translator.

As the translator, I'm obviously very biased, but I'd like to give my reasons for enjoying and translating this novel. I've read a bit more into the novel than what's translated, so the review covers more than what exists on novelupdates.

[TL:DR, All the complaints people have? Addressed. Unhealthy relationships? Mega Addressed. Horror? Also mega addressed. The problem, for most people I imagine, is that the novel is super slow burn, and they address these things super slowly. For example, the unhealthiness of a codependent or subservient... more>> relationship is something the MC and ML fight about and address from like Chapter 100 all the way to Chapter 300. Each time they address a different aspect.]

This novel is a long and slow burn. Full of world-building that builds less on the combat and more about the political situations and life-situations of the Rankers and Users in this dungeon world. As a 400+ chapter novel, there's a lot to get through. However, what's great is that it DOES get through them. A lot of the issues people point out in the beginning (where MC isn't given a chance to do much. Where The ML makes plans on his own. Where ML brings MC Along while MC doesn't yet fully understand the situation) does get addressed. It becomes character development points for both of them (MC learning to assert himself and ML learning to trust others and work together with them). Similarly, the problems with the romance that MC points out gets addressed. (Including the justifiable reasons for why the MC is reluctant to let himself fall in love) All this happens in between learning about the mystery behind the Red Lotus Guild's annihilation.

The Mystery itself is well done, in my opinion. I often see dungeon stories center around the concept of "getting stronger" or "the MC getting revenge on those who looked down upon him." That's not really the case here. Sure, those aspects aren't absent, but the story is more focused on the ML (and his guild's) revenge and finding justice. The MC even states, at some point, that the other Rankers are unlikely to understand his mindset. He (the MC) feels that hanging on to bitterness never helped find him peace and he'd rather forgive those that wronged him. He's not the type to be vicious nor bloodthirsty--but he's the type to be sympathetic and help out.

Speaking of the MC... The novel doesn't shy away from the psychological effects of what happens throughout the revenge on the MC. The novel itself is fairly dark--for someone so normal and gentle, constant exposure to the depths of human depravity isn't exactly the most healthy. The novel delves deep into the trauma and doesn't necessarily leave it unaddressed nor unhandled. But, as is the case with most other aspects of this novel, it releases hints here and there and does not resolve it (or rather it doesn't brush trauma away) quickly. I personally think the long narrative helps make the eventual resolutions feel earned. I want to hug MC a lot--my ordinary child that just wants affection.

EDIT: Also, having translated super far

Spoiler

I think the story does well to set up how unhealthy the current relationship between the ML and MC is to show the growth of MC when he does pinpoint exactly how a relationship like this isn't good. And fights back for himself the only way he can--through emotion and common sense and morality. As befitting someone who isn't a ranker.

[collapse]
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Friederike
Friederike rated it
August 16, 2022
Status: c584
There are some novels that are unparalleled in storytelling and themes, which are importantly, something you can recommend to whichever person with the confidence that they will like it— or at least see its appeal. Necromancer Survival does not belong to this category. It's entertainment that targets a specific niche of self-indulgence, and unless it is exactly what you're looking for, you would think it is a horrible novel. The reviews above, bouncing from 1★ to 5★, don't lie. It is charming because it gives in to the fan service... more>> "what-ifs", and some people may dismiss it as a Y/N self-insert fantasy.

That's not how I choose to interpret the characters (Choi Yikyung, in particular) but I can see how someone might perceive him that way. Choi Yikyung, the MC, is for most part weak, cowardly, and over-reliant on his deuteragonist, Seo Dawon. He's easily dragged into the whims and decisions of the guild he's resurrecting. He cries a lot. He's just some guy, which is rather uncool for the exact reason that people like reading fantasy for escapism—he's not the hardworking, earnest underdog character you would root for. He fears for his life, he's not quick-witted enough, and his only strength seems to be a crazy amount of mental fortitude that renders him able enough to progress with the plot despite being run through like a doormat. I love him anyway.

He's not an idiot. Sometimes he's dense, but rather than being in denial, it's because the people around him act hella dodgy. I love him because everything is incomprehensible and he doesn't have any stake in this inter-guild beef but he tries to understand in spite of it. He realizes that Seo Dawon always keeps him in the dark.
Spoiler

He thinks it's unfair of Seo Dawon to lead him on when Dawon knows that Yikyung likes him. He knows that the Red Lotus is overprotective with him because if he dies, their mission will fail, they won't resurrect, and even worse, they're dropped straight into the scenario that turns them into monster mobs.

[collapse]
Choi Yikyung is squishy. Choi Yikyung, despite reviving them and their one tether to life, is a glaring weak spot that's practically begging to be shot.

To further illustrate this weird dynamic between Red Lotus and Choi Yikyung, you can imagine Red Lotus as seven people stranded in the middle of the Pacific Ocean. Choi Yikyung is an inflatable float; they would rather have a lifeboat, but he's the best shot they got. Regardless if all of them can swim, nobody can swim for miles without being tired, and the float helps relieve the fear of just drowning when they're exhausted. It's a relationship tied together by necessity. It's not a cute harem romance, despite being played off that way with the indulgent ship moments. The author is aware of this, specifically. Dismissing Necromancer Survival as a mindless harem plot where everyone has heart-eyes for the MC feels like a deliberate misreading of people who haven't even read enough chapters to figure out the characters' internal conflicts. I'm not saying they're perfectly constructed characters. I'm saying they have more nuance than that.

What's amazing about Necromancer Survival is that despite being a mu*der-happy revenge plot that whumps the MC to the ends of earth, it revisits these questions and internal conflict. Red Lotus' issues in manipulating the MC? He gets mad about that. The endless skinship when they barely knew each other? There's a reason for it. But the answers take their time, and it might not even be the answer you're looking for—and maybe the MC has already pissed you enough that you don't want to hear him out.

This is why I hardly think that this novel is for everybody. To appreciate it, I think you need patience, and a little indulgence for indecisive, naive characters like Choi Yikyung. Otherwise, you'll just continue reading it stewing in irritation for him. Just because he's not doing what you would have done does not make him a bad character. As a character, he changes according to the situation around him, and sometimes it's for better or for worse, but it's in line with his presented character from the beginning instead of coming out from nowhere.

The plot centers on the world inside the Hub rather than fighting in the dungeons. Necromancer Survival is not really action. It focuses on unresolved grudges and tension between Rankers who have history with each other. It's a pretty linear summoning → revenge → summoning cycle. If you don't like revenge plots, I would not recommend Necromancer Survival to you either.

Necromancer Survival builds upon layers of character intent that raises questions about what they might end up doing, why they end up doing it, and how this affects their world as a whole. Seo Dawon, in particular, is a character ripe for introspection once you realize that mages are magicians at their core, and bluffing is one of their main tactics. It's all laid out and foreshadowed from the get go based on how they speak and what words they use. While reading, I decided to write down possible character motivations for him based from his first conversation with Choi Yikyung, and I was surprised with how much it matches his POV later on. His words have meaning. They're structured well, despite the obfuscation. It's one of the reasons why I love rereading it from the beginning, because they are fun characters you can take to the extremes in the world that they come with.

In any case, the chapter status versus the review speaks for itself. If Necromancer Survival has intrigued you with this review, I sincerely hope you enjoy it.

Note:This review is written while I was still on c382. I still completely agree with what I said, however. <<less
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jtrichard
jtrichard rated it
March 11, 2021
Status: c21
Edit: this just got better and better. Our MC is the kind of your usual twenty something idealistic guy that's trying to survive in this world when the world is not just by his side. He's one relatable guy because his demeanor spoke to me who dreams too much but doesn't have any privileges to even reach it. As of chapter 21, the MC and ML has already meet and initiating a contract. Now let's wait. . YES YES YES YES YESSSS.

Not much plot is going on in the first... more>> five chapters because the author is doing world building, but this is game/dungeon system ala Korean Style, but BL and that in itself is already a plus point for me.

Cmon fellow BL readers, march to our own drums.

I hope the further this goes the better it become. Thank you for the translator for picking this up. <<less
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holachica
holachica rated it
August 10, 2021
Status: c104
Honestly, MC is a bit s*upid and naive and has all the regular Mary Sue traits. But he's made tolerable and endearing in the sense that, the author doesn't try forcefully try to make him appear smart, like dumbing everyone else down to make the MC seem smart. He's your average, not-too-brave, not-too-bright guy with a conscience and regular morals, who happened to be thrown into an entire conspiracy.

Nobody is claiming that he is amazing or "OMG MC, you saved the day!", like other novels, where they put the MC... more>> on a pedestal and shower unwarranted praise despite the MC not deserving it at all. Here, the MC is pretty much unskilled, and barely getting by. I saw a review above that questioned why the MC didn't research dungeons or monsters before he entered them, but I'd argue that he is quite literally a layman. He's stuck with the worst class and never had a chance to advance. I wouldn't expect a guy like that to be super involved in the dungeon scene. As well, because he was so uninvolved given his crappy status, his morals and conscience aren't warped like everyone else's. He maintains his humanistic qualities, whereas other 'users' no longer even blink at torture, gore, etc.

That aside, in this case, it makes sense how his slightly dumb qualities endear him to others, as everyone likes him because he's like a squishy therapy dog. The trope of "everyone falling for the MC" makes sense in this case, given how he's surrounded by people with traumatic backgrounds, spanning from the deeply betrayed to the excessively abused. To those dark people, a softie like the MC is probably a breath of fresh air.

Anyways the novel is pretty good. There are a few plotholes here and there, but they're more like background/side-plot hiccups and not too serious. I decided not to take a star off for them because the overall concept and worldbuilding are really quite amazing and thorough in this novel. Most world mechanics are quite grounded and the revenge plot is interesting too. <<less
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uwu_Nabong
uwu_Nabong rated it
April 21, 2022
Status: c212
I feel this novel is not fit for impatient people, those who have not realised the novel has 500+ chapters and have just stayed at chapter 80+ not even letting the characters develop.

MC is a weak (strength wise) *, low self-esteemed character who grew up in a toxic environment and was taken advantage of others (and mocked) so often leading to his own social isolation.

*Maybe a spoiler, but it's a lie that the Necromancer situation doesn't get a development. Again, if you're impatient enough to drop the story before that... more>> part, that is your problem, don't come here to slander the author saying they didn't explore MC's ability more, because that's not true. He gets more abilities, more understanding of what s Necromancer should do the risks and also the advantages, but once again progressively.

People say he's a whiney push-over, when in fact, he's just a broken person too scared to let himself open again to the world to be hurt.

Maybe a spoiler (? And, again, MC stops having to rely so much on his servants and starts to find himself patterns of attack and ways to solve instances and defeat monsters without having to engage in close combat.

Some people love the OP MC, weak to strong in 20 chapters MC, or the "was hurt and then blackened to become a merciless OP MC" troupes.

Yet this is not it.

MC is hurt and has not been given even a second to heal before he's thrown more and more problems, burdens and things that just wreck his mental health.

For those people saying MC is a weakling white lotus, could you take what MC has taken? Without breaking down? Without wanting to cuddle and cry you eyes out?

Personally, I wouldn't.

MC has yet to be put through so many hardships, we're still at the beginning of the story. MC has yet to have his character development, can't you give him a chance?

I'm currently at chapter 213 and I want to say, his character development IS starting, so for god's sake, be patient.

Not every MC can be your OP, strong-willed, determined MC, from the begining. Give Lee-kyung a chance.

MC's personality (Yes, he has one) :

He has a low self-esteem, fears people disliking him. He doesn't dare to stand his ground in front of his servants but scolds them internally. Cherishes interpersonal relationships like gold. May seem slow, but once he is explained what's happening he understands it real quick. Has been hurt so he has many insecurities. He can be chunnibyou at time. Tends overthink a lot! He is super sympathetic/empathetic. Looks forward to becoming better everyday and pushes himself harder than anyone because of this, to the point of overworking himself and damaging his health. Has the strength to withstand many mental blows, even if he seems to have a weak mind. He doesn't have the highest adaptability, but after sometime he forces himself to digest and overcome his trauma. He's a devoted person who just needs some counseling, some love and some people telling him he's done his best and has done great, because no one does it.

(Besides MC progress is pressed down at all times, information is being kept from him, he is constantly lied to, the people around him mansplain, manipulate and gas light him every day, he is told to do better when he's done his best and is never comforted when he feels he's about to break down, how could he possibly grow in those circumstances?)

ML's personality (Surprise! He does have one too!) :

He overthinks a lot, is a manipulator and has a tendency to control which is often addressed by his teammates and MC himself. Is considerate in his own strange way (? though his consideration may not be seen as such by others... He loves his teammates really much, he's s good leader, though not the greatest. He is a god-level gas lighter alongside his teammates, I'm not here to defend him. He's smart and many times he's an a**hole, he can deduce a whole plot having little information. Is not the best person teaching and has a strange love for money (? Can do anything to achieve his goals, he is determined and super strong-willed. Besides much of his personality is twisted due to some external issues explainer in the story.

As for ML, yes, I don't like him that much, but hey! They're not even together yet, MC is still discovering (thoroughly, because he has been doing so all the story), how much of a manipulative scum ML can be.

- Side characters are well (greatly) developed.

- The story is well thought.

- The plot is engaging.

- The world building is mind blowing.

-It has foreshadowing.

- The character development is prepared for throughout the story, though it start to actually develop until later

-And the writing is immersing.

Do you really want to give up such a great story for being impatient and not letting the story (500 ch long) take its flow? For the MC not having a character development in the early 80+ chapter which are only about a fifth of the story?

I mean, in my opinion, that is a pity. I love this story and I feel regretful watching so many people dropping it for not being able to understand how a character/plot development works.

That's all I have to say for the time being, I'll be adding thins as the story progresses. <<less
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qpzmal
qpzmal rated it
March 21, 2021
Status: --
I never knew korean BL novels existed. this is probably the 3rd one I've ever seen. But it seems promising and I already love the whole aspect of gates/hunters/awakened of kr straight novels and adding BL is just... very good. ehehehe
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srrrahim
srrrahim rated it
December 14, 2021
Status: c120
This is not a light novel

This is one of the twisted dark novel with unreliable narrator

If you want an OP MC, than this is not for you. Because he will became OP in the future, but it is slow paced

I reached ch 120, but I want spoiler, and I read that the system said that he will soon become ... more>>
Spoiler

the worst world villain

[collapse]
So, I guess my hunch that he looks like Wei Wuxian on his way to become grandmaster of demonic cultivation is right. MC class as necromancer is definitely has a lot of negative impact toward MC. I hope he stay sane at the end of this novel

I recommend this to my fellow reader who love dark romance and want to read a bl novel with an fascinating world building <<less
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SuouNono
SuouNono rated it
May 31, 2022
Status: c300
I dont get people who are like "why is he such a white lotus" "why is he so weak?" "why is he so naive?" when all Lee Kyung has really done is be a normal person. He was some normal weak dude who suddenly got pushed into the world of the strong and cruel. He's not naive, he was just reacting the way a normal person would whereas all the new people he meets are very morally grey, so he does tend to stick out with his normal person values.... more>> And the more you read, the more you see how much Lee Kyung is growing as a person, no longer that weak and totally defenseless dude anymore.

This raws of this novel, at the time I'm reading it, has over 500+ chapters, so of course it'll take some time for development. Did you expect him to grow in the short first 100 chapters? No of course not. The plot seems a little slow at first, but it starts becoming more and more interesting later on. It really frustrates me to see reviews of people, who clearly haven't read that far yet, ignorantly comment and complain something about aspects of the novel that was deliberately put there for the sake of future plot and character development. I hope anyone who wants to read this novel is patient. It's certainly not your typical bl novel, but that's what makes it such a breath of fresh air.

Tldr: Be patient. The first 100 chapters is more info dump, but it's short so just bear through it until you get to the interesting part and then you can make your judgement about the novel. <<less
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KaPi
KaPi rated it
March 27, 2021
Status: --
Huehuehue~

No, I have not read much of the story yet, but the fact that this story is like your typical Korean-modern dungeon novel, but with BL...

DAMN!

... more>> I'm going to binge read this later.

Edit: The MC is actually quite humane and thinks like a normal person does. He doesn't try to exaggerate anything and his reactions are what you would expect from any other person out there. Some may call him cowardly, but I think that if they were put in the same situation, their situation wouldn't be any better. I would also like to add that his initial personality may have been braver, but after so many setbacks, he is bound to have mellowed out somewhat. The ML is actually a bit of a flirt and he isn't a Yoo Jonghyuk (if y'all know what I mean) for once. The story itself is actually quite interesting (like many korean dungeon novels out there) and I'm looking forward to what's next! <<less
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GoodieBox
GoodieBox rated it
November 3, 2021
Status: c123
Okay, the 2 stars are for the amazing premise and story building plus the translator frequently updating the novel with stellar translations. That's about it.

The Author enjoy portraying the MC as a hamster that cannot think for himself if not for the ghosts that now accompany him for their revenge in exchange for basically nothing. The novel starts off with an interesting premise that the necromancer class isn't good at all and that the MC is struggling in life extremely. His only way is to try and get an evolution... more>> material for his skeleton in a hard dungeon, this dungeon is where he meets the supposed ML.

In a hundred chapters, the only mention of his own family was in the first dozen chapters and an off reference of them in chapters 100~. Since he is a "user" his mother prides in him and sent him cash that he uses to go into the dangerous dungeon. After gaining money it never mentions him sending his family anything.

Spoiler:
Spoiler

The ghosts that then follow him are manipulative to the extreme. It's simple when you think of them wanting to fulfill their revenge and how the novel beautifully explains how their emotions are limited after being resurrected as an undead. This goes as far as my boundaries go with the MC though. The "hub" which contains most User information for some reason paints the Necromancer class as only useless as no one has explored it's full abilities. Which means the MC wouldn't ever be privy to the information the ghosts constantly bombard him with and look at him as if he's s*upid.

The longer these gazes of contempt continue the more the MC is insecure and the more he gets manipulated and distrusts them. Which lets the author build to the breakout chapter where I dropped the novel. The MC never verbalizes his own feelings and the 'facts' the ML pushes onto him covers his grievances with regret for his own outburst and 'realization that he's in the wrong'. The information related to the Necromancer class that the ghosts that were summoned can be attributed to becoming an undead and/or being a part of the largest guild before they were betrayed.

The character relationships in this novel cannot be seen as romantic. The 'romance' that is available is an MC who has a crush on the 'ML' but these feelings are not only unreciprocated but are uncovered and used against the MC.

[collapse]

Countless times the MC is portrayed as a hamster that is timid, cowardly and cannot bear burdens without his 'masters'. The author's characterization fails at this standpoint. The MC being exposed to his own mumblings being heard by his summons detrimentally affects him as that used to be the way he is able to think to himself and think aloud. With this avenue cut off, his thinking process is slow and skewed, the one's in total control become the ghosts he summoned. You'd think after the stuff that's happened the MC would have mustered the courage to at least speak up and retort to the manipulative ways of the 'ML'.

TL;DR: The relationship in the novel may as well be non-existent and it's barely BL (A one-sided attraction that is manipulative and based on the foundation of revenge is not a relationship.), the forced characterization of the MC to being a 'hamster' is off-putting and makes the MC a non-human who is timid and faint-hearted, the constant "gaze of contempt" that is directed to the MC forces the aforementioned characterization (For being dumb, for not knowing something 'obvious', for being 'weak', for being 'poor', for being 'timid', etc), and no mention of his family other than an off-handed remark a hundred chapters after they were mentioned.

I thank the translator for the time and effort they put in this novel, and it has entertained me up to this point. For my taste this was entertaining up until this point and for others who can endure this "character growth" this novel is for you. <<less
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kouuuuuuuwu
kouuuuuuuwu rated it
June 13, 2021
Status: c65
This is exactly what Ive been looking for! A video game styled war with great world building with some BL mixed in. Even if you don't like BL there is still very detailed fight scenes and meaningful character background and interactions. Top rating translation and writing! 5/5
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miumiumiu
miumiumiu rated it
February 22, 2022
Status: --
Literally... everyone is good, the setting is good... Why is the MC so... disgusting and disappointing? You can’t say “Oh he’s so human just a reasonable guy”
Would a reasonable guy complain whine beg cry for everything yet does nothing? How can you not even know what necromancers can do???? Huh?? Wdym you never knew? Never deemed to explore? How can you say you’ve tried your best when all you did was be carried by other groups, and cry of “embarrassment and humiliation” when you get kicked out of the... more>> group?

Ohhh my godd.. I always avoid any story with weak MCs, , i’m fine if they show development, or just even their mentality gets better but this guy.... How are we the same age? Bro...

Needs to be spoon fed everything or else he’ll die type of guy. I’m sooOoOooOo sad bc I love Dawoon LeeKyung Garam Ok? In that societt how can you live with “just morals”??? Huh?? MC you’re pretending to have morals just to make yourself seem better than them playing good cop to their bad cop... Literally this MC whenever I see this type of character in real life you could never find me within 10m of them bc I know it’s just white lotus bullsh*t (easily destroys everything due to their incompetence but gets forgiven bc whine cry to their protectors)

Ahhhh i’m done no way <<less
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Sceer
Sceer rated it
August 4, 2021
Status: --
The MC lacks skills. He goes into a dungeon without researching boss attack patterns, weaknesses, etc. I think he is fine at first, he is inexperienced because necromancers are shunned so it's understandable. However, he became dumber when he met the male lead. You can probably say he is still weak but got an OP thigh.

This is BL so a lot of people might like this novel for the cute interactions. But the MC is really acting like a typical annoying bottom in every goddamn BL novels that don't portray... more>> bottoms as smart. Ch 100 already and he is still pathetic. <<less
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Bibliofille
Bibliofille rated it
July 1, 2022
Status: c400
For those who left a 3-star or less review, I think they dropped the series too soon, and I hope they revisit it again sometime. It really is genuinely a very interesting, logical, and unique series.

Each chapter is very short, and 100 chapters in is barely even the tip of the iceberg. It's a 500+ chapter novel, there's a lot that goes on, plenty that needs to be introduced or revealed, and tons of questions that get answered later on.

One of the reasons I personally enjoy it, is that it's... more>> less of a generic dungeon crawler action series (which you can find literally anywhere else) and and more of a social-political story where the world building is more focused on how these dungeons and game scenarios function and impact both the players and non players. What constraints the game mechanics have for each person, and the overarching mystery of who runs these dungeons. The story is very DARK. It has a lot of dark, horrific elements balanced in-between light-hearted comedy. After all, it is a series about necromancy.

The characters each have their own unique charms, and their actions, or lack of action are explained through their own unique POV chapters, or through logic inferences. The protagonist (Choi Yikyung/Lee-kyung) has very realistic reactions. He does start off wet-behind-the-ears, but he gets plenty of gradual development. There's a lot he doesn't know, and he is naive, but he isn't necessarily s*upid. He's slowly learning, but there just isn't much known about his class or the state of the world.

My favourite character is the love interest, Seo Dawon (which for me, was unexpected). He is the archetypical handsome, talented, a little bit self-centered kind of guy, that you normally find in any romance series---at least on the surface. Dawon is a lot more fragile, unnerved, skeptical and suspicious than he lets on. He keeps a cool face on the surface, but he's also learning a lot about his own situation in real time as Yikyung is. He's a logical person who is undergoing the effects of being turned into an undead, and that's causing his personality and rationality to slowly change or degrade. I think it's unique and interesting to get character development in the form of character degradation. Character development doesn't necessarily always equate to a positive change, but a change that's influenced by the story. It's rare to see a natural development of negative change. I do hope, there are some positive changes by the end, though.

One of the story's weakness for me is, admittedly transition scenes. It feels like there aren't enough transitory scenes sometimes, which interestingly enough, does get fixed in the webtoon version (unfortunately, the webtoon version also omits a lot of the romance scenes). But it's not so much that it's distracting. It's absolutely not a perfect story, but I gained a lot of new and interesting experiences from reading the novel, or I was able to see some elements of a story unfold in a different, and insightful way.

I think it's worth a read, if only just for the novelty of being something different. <<less
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lackeyns
lackeyns
February 7, 2022
Status: c183
The first couple of chapters had a lot of info dumping but obviously it's vital as a start to the world building of the novel so you really do appreciate the explanations more down the line. The slow building of characters especially the MC has been really nice to read about. There's just so much we don't know, or aren't of it yet but rather we're being fed information slowly through the pov of the MC.

I also really enjoyed the morality (?) of certain situations, given that MC is a... more>> necromancer and well isn't really strong at the beginning it's interesting to see how he reacts to gorey and torture scenes that occur. The different relationships between the characters is really something that really appeals to me about this novel. Other than the ml, you really start to appreciate mc's interactions with others and seeing him slowly develop as both a character an a user.

The plot build up (as of yet being caught up with the translations that are available) is just...... amazing. I know the themes of 'dungeons' is a fairly common trope but this novel utilises it in such a great way. It's use of revenge as a driving theme for certain characters as well as this ongoing mystery MC must uncover with his new 'friends' really drives the plot forward.

Usually with these stories, I can sort of predict what's gonna happen in the mini arcs but with this novel I'm always taken back by some plot developments. Either they have me absolutely laughing in shock or just staring at my screen in anticipation.

The MC is relatable as hell right from the start especially with the way he ends up choosing his current 'class'.....I absolutely adore him T_T

The slow burn is *chefs kiss*, idk im rambling under this comment but oh my god is this story addicting to read.

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Arimy
Arimy rated it
January 24, 2022
Status: c100
Excuse me.

I am a reader of this series. I found it very good. So can the translation team allow me to translate into Vietnamese?Non-commercial translation, I absolutely do not take money from other readers. I translate because I love the story and want to spread it more to Vietnamese people.

So I hope the translation team will agree.

Thank you so much for the translation team.
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HappyLulu12
HappyLulu12 rated it
December 1, 2021
Status: c80
Dropped it after 80 chapters. It will be a good novel IF MC has bs, nasty personality. I can’t stand a naive, nice, indecisive MC go along with a full of jealousy, nasty, evil, arrogant son of a b*tch ml. I wish they are both nice or they are both a**hole.

The reality is ML do all the thing that annoy MC to death but get away with it cause

1. He is pitiful

... more>> 2. He is much much stronger than mc

3. He is handsome

4. MC is kinda a pushover

ML is a very problematic child and all will be good if MC also has a nasty personality, they can do evil deeds together, laugh at the victims pain, struggle and make pp life miserable. But MC is just hella nice and I dont like it when ML (a servant) keep doing whatever he like, regardless of it will put MC in a difficult situation or make him really uncomfortable. It all will be fine if he only minding his own business and that business not gonna effect MC or make MC feel annoyed, helpless but then that won’t make those fan girl happy so arthur just say no and create an annoying f*cker ml. I hate couples that love isn’t built on weighting the important of each other feeling, one just do whatever they want without any consent, and the other one just put up with all kind of bs and can love unconditionally. <<less
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Gluttony
Gluttony rated it
May 28, 2022
Status: c225
It starts off as a kinda fun fruity typical Korean dungeon-crawling novel and then past the 100 chapter mark you really have to applaud the way they develop the characters.

1. The MC is an incredibly unreliable, insecure, and depressive narrator who you just want to cuddle, protect, encourage, and (sometimes) slap. His inner dialogue can feel painfully real - especially those who see their low self esteem and catastrophic thinking patterns mirrored in him.

2. The ML is not all powerful and all knowing and a carbon cut out devoted archetype... more>> - he's cheeky, charismatic, clearly obsessed with the MC but also kind of wishy washy and scummy. And he's definitely not perfect. This is both a win and a source of frustration. You're constantly mirroring the MC's uncertainty and frustration over his ambiguous behaviour but he's so damn charming. 3. The main antagonists are really fascinating and multidimensional as well and I love that you get sometimes get their POVs and use this to mentally piece together what led up to the big betrayal.

i won't say this is a definite 5 star but I do think 4.3 is underrating it slightly when compared to its fellow novels. It's not an amazing story but it's a compelling one and it's got a very clear plot centred around revenge that is easy to stay invested in. It's also not often that you find webnovels that try to shape relatively unique or complex characters and I think thats worth celebrating. Plus, all of these factors are nicely packaged in with very solid world building and a looming mystery behind that. So many mysteries to be solved! <<less
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solangelo
solangelo rated it
November 12, 2021
Status: c151
The story had an amazing start, but I eventually lost interest the more I read. If you're looking for your typical gate dungeon story like I was, then this story is not for you. It's more based on revenge and making the people who killed the ghosts the MC has get payback, which is not really my thing. The start has more focus on the dungeoning part, which is what kept my interest. Unfortunately, as the story progresses it turns into a revenge story rather than the MC and ML... more>> plus the deceased members of the ML's ghosts going into gate dungeons together. The relationship between the MC and the ML is... meh. At the start, they were really cute together but gradually I feel like the author kind of forgot how MC and ML acted like? MC is reduced to just a cute blob while ML is super possessive and doesn't really have much of a character, and from what I remember at the beginning it wasn't like that. The romance is just not really there in the later chapters, even though there is more 'spicy' stuff happening. This story is just not for me tbh. The world building in this is nice, it's just a shame it's not really expanded on after the story starts leaning to the revenge plot. <<less
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JustAki
JustAki rated it
January 24, 2022
Status: c178
This novel is a damn roller-coaster for me. That part of
Spoiler

in*est and mpreg. Jee.

[collapse]

Love all the characters. Although I'm more used to danmei novels, Korean Bl sure has its own uniqueness.

5/5
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