Chapter 353: Encountering a Lonely Ghost
Luo Yan's carriage did not drive into the stone castle ruled by the Knight Lord in Eagle Rock Territory, but as usual, he found a secluded corner in the larger and more chaotic traveler camp on the outskirts of the city as a place to camp.
"Yan Tu, obey my orders... If someone you don't know comes in, teach him a lesson." Luo Yan waved his wand and weaved a spell.
Two half-human-high clay puppets quickly stood up on the muddy ground.
They looked like gray snowmen, bowed slightly to their master, and then stood on the left and right of the tent door like loyal guards.
Although the elemental golems are not as useful as the stone men of the Rock Soul Tribe, they are extremely convenient for executing these simple commands.
The people around who had just awakened their magical potential saw this and cast envious glances at him, and turned around and whispered to their companions.
"This boss should be a bronze level."
"Bronze?! Judging from his skillful chanting and his perception of the elements, I think he is at least at the steel level!"
"You know nothing! A wizard who can travel alone in the wilderness must be at least silver!"
"Nonsense, then why did he come to Xuebang?"
The quarrel became more and more intense, making Luo Yan, who accidentally heard it, even more speechless, while Tafu made two heartless "puff" sounds until her tail was "accidentally" stepped on.
After setting up camp, Luo Yan took Sarah and Tafu out of the tent area and went to the market in the traveler's camp.
This time he still did not alarm the local lord, but strolled in the market with his cat and dragon as a traveler.
Compared to dealing with a vain country nobleman, the vibrant scene before him aroused his interest more.
Hundreds of tents spread out like mushrooms on the muddy snow, some simple, some gorgeous, some dilapidated, some brand new, and so on.
The air was mixed with the smoke of burning damp wood, the sour smell of cheap ale, the burnt aroma of roasted meat, and the sweat of the crowd.
The main body of this camp is made up of hundreds of young and anxious faces.
They gathered in groups of three or five, huddled around the campfire, either burying their heads in yellowed books or making awkward hand gestures in the air, muttering something. A strange, almost fanatical academic atmosphere rose in this chaotic camp, and occasionally one or two out-of-control accidents would occur.
It is extremely difficult to complete a spell without guidance, as his little players have proved long ago... The threshold for entry into the mage class is much higher than that of the warrior.
It is for this reason that vendors at the market sell some magic potions that are "supposedly" left over from the wizards of the academy, which can stimulate the magical elements in the body.
As for whether it is effective or not... who knows? Comfort therapy is also a kind of treatment, and the premise of invoking supernatural power is to believe that you have this power that transcends mortals.
If it really cannot be activated, it means that you really don't have this talent, and it obviously cannot be blamed on the ineffectiveness of the potion.
Luo Yan, with Tafu and Sarah, walked in this bustling place like leisurely travelers, and their eyes were soon attracted by a peddler selling sundries.
On that man's stall were some unreliable-looking "lucky charms", some colorful "magic minerals", and rolls of parchment sealed with wax.
Luo Yan picked up a scroll and asked the shrewd vendor, "It's very lively here, is there any celebration?"
"Celebration? Oh no, sir, this is much more important than a celebration!" As soon as the vendor saw Luo Yan's attire, he immediately put on a smile and introduced enthusiastically, "Is this your first time here? This is the beginning of Xuebang's annual winter 'apprentice recruitment'! I'm not bragging to you at all, this is a top priority for the young people of Rhodes Kingdom! Not only Rhodes Kingdom, but also young people from Ryan Kingdom and many other places will come here to try their luck!"
Having said that, he lowered his voice and continued mysteriously.
"In a few days, the masters of the thirteen magic towers in the academy will send envoys to the border. They will organize exams and personally interview qualified apprentices. The lucky ones who are selected will be led by the magic masters themselves, through the wasteland swamps that mortals cannot cross, to the tower to learn real magic!"
"It sounds interesting." Luo Yan said with a smile.
"Of course not!" The vendor's eyes sparkled with envy, wishing he could be among that group of young people. "For the young men of Os Continent, this is the only chance to change their fate besides becoming a knight! And this path is more comfortable than becoming a knight, although it is also more difficult. It is said that becoming a magician depends entirely on talent! Every year, hundreds of people come here to try their luck, and in the end, only one out of a hundred can pass the assessment of the Master Mage, which is considered good!"
Luo Yan nodded and picked up another scroll.
"I see. Then what are these...?"
"A must-have for beginners, sir!" The vendor immediately started selling. "The 'Cleansing' scroll can keep you respectable even in the mud! The 'Light' scroll will be a beacon to guide you when you are trapped in the wilderness! These are genuine products from the Academy, and each one costs only 10 silver coins!"
Luo Yan smiled, threw down a gold coin, and in the vendor's surprised eyes, he waved his hand and put the ten scrolls that were useless to him into his pocket, just as a payment for the information.
Leaving the scroll vendor behind, he and the other two continued on their way, the scene in the camp becoming increasingly bizarre.
In addition to those "scholars" who were studying hard, there were also some ladies dressed up beautifully.
They wore thick cashmere coats and heavy makeup to cover their nasolabial lines, and their brightly coloured clothes were faintly visible under the wool... They were obviously not serious clothes.
These girls leaned against the door of the tent, and with their bold and passionate eyes, they teased some young men from the countryside who had never seen the world, making them blush and feel helpless. Occasionally, some people would go into the tent together, and soon the lights in the tent would be turned off.
Tafu curiously poked her head out of the cloak. She found it very novel and had never seen it before on the continent of Janna.
It seems that the Zeta Empire does not have this ancient profession.
And just then, a hand suddenly covered her eyes and shoved it back under the cloak despite the former's protests.
The person who took action was naturally Sarah.
Her cheeks flushed so red that even the inside of her cat ears, which were decorated with black fur, turned a lovely pink.
She was seen holding Tafu's head with one hand and nervously blocking Luo Yan with the other hand, as if she was afraid that her master would see something unclean.
"Your Highness, please don't look over there... they will pollute your eyes." Sarah's voice was as thin as a mosquito, and her words were incoherent.
Luo Yan couldn't help but smile when he saw her serious look as if she was facing a great enemy.
To him, the demon king of the maze, the seven emotions and six desires of the human world are nothing but the most ordinary scenery in the palm of his hand.
What hasn't he seen? "A few poor people are not enough to pollute my eyes. Let go of Taffy. We are leaving."
"Yes..." Sarah withdrew her hand with a red face amid the dragon's roar in Tafuji.
…
The "Adventurer's House" on the edge of the camp is the only decent tavern here.
Luo Yan and his group walked through the noisy crowd, found a relatively clean table in the corner, sat down, and ordered a plate of the most famous grilled lamb chops in the area.
Sarah took out the towel and wiped the table carefully again until a layer of bark was peeled off the shiny wood.
Luo Yan smiled and didn't stop him.
He knew that Sarah did this for him, although he didn't really care that much. As for when he was in the Holy City, he did it just to maintain Prince Colin's persona.
When the sizzling, spiced lamb chops were served, even Sarah, who had always had little interest in the Empire's food, couldn't help but take a second look at it, and Taf had already begun to swallow quietly under her cloak.
"Eat it while it's hot. If the oil solidifies, it won't be fragrant."
Looking at the reserved cat and dragon, Luo Yan took the lead, slowly cutting a piece of mutton, and casually asked the waiter nearby for the registration details for the apprentice recruitment.
Just when the waiter, holding the tip, looked confused and at a loss, a slightly nervous but sincere voice came from the side.
"Hello, sir, is there anyone sitting here?"
Luo Yan raised his head and saw a young man whose face was a little rough from the wind and frost, but whose eyes were still clear.
Not far behind him stood three young companions, two gentlemen and one lady, who were looking over here nervously.
After slowly chewing and swallowing the crispy and fragrant mutton, Luo Yan replied concisely.
"No one."
"Very good!"
The young man breathed a sigh of relief. He pulled a stool over but did not sit down. Instead, he bowed politely and said, "My name is Phoenix. We are here to take the apprenticeship assessment as well. I saw that you were alone and were still asking about recruitment, so I took the liberty to come and ask... If you don't mind, we can travel together so that you can look after me on the way."
Luo Yan looked him over and calmly stated that he was away from home.
"Colin."
Seeing that he didn't refuse, Phoenix became bolder.
He could see that this Mr. "Colin" had an elegant temperament and good conversation skills, especially since he was accompanied by a capable maid, so it was obvious that he was either rich or noble.
If you can make friends with such a person before the assessment, even if you are not selected in the end, it will be considered a rare good fortune.
"Mr. Colin, please allow me to introduce my companions," Phoenix introduced his companions enthusiastically, "The strong one is Barrett, the son of the blacksmith, the one holding the bow is Leo, the hunter, and the lady is Ilala, the daughter of the merchant. We all met on the road."
He went on to say, "What a coincidence! We just learned about the registration process yesterday and are preparing to go to the registration office at the border tomorrow. If you are willing, we can lead the way for you."
"Thank you very much." Luo Yan nodded, gladly accepted the kindness, and then chatted with the candidate who had been preparing for a long time about Xuebang.
When talking about the academy, Phoenix's eyes lit up and he described the academy's thirteen core wizard towers and their corresponding schools in detail.
"There are hundreds of wizard towers in the academy, but only thirteen are the core ones, corresponding to the thirteen mainstream magic schools of the empire! The tower of the great sage who studies the 'source of power' is the first one! The other twelve are the towers of the soul, holy power, elements, protection, enchantment, illusion, summoning, transformation, life, spirit, law, and star schools!"
It was difficult for him to remember all the twelve words. Luo Yan looked at him in surprise and suddenly felt that it was a bit hasty for him to take the exam without any preparation.
These guys have all memorized it! But the boat will naturally straighten out when the time comes. The most important thing about exams is participation. Anyway, he also has Count Hilfen's letter of recommendation in his storage ring.
For the sake of the empire's face, Xuebang would never let him fail the exam.
"I'm curious...what is that source of power?"
"It's the origin of matter! It's also the Holy Grail of today's magic world!" Looking at Mr. Colin, who was full of curiosity, Phoenix continued with a sharp gaze, "The wizards of Xuebang believe that all magical phenomena originate from a cosmic basic energy that transcends elements, light and darkness, and the source of power that fills the universe comes from a place called the Void Realm."
Sounds a bit like the "ether" theory.
In fact, there is a similar theory in hell, but it is more academic and has relatively weak practical value. After all, if you pursue pure destructive power, fire is undoubtedly the most intuitive. Not to mention that it is an abstract substance, even other elements are slightly weak in terms of lethality.
Looking at Mr. Colin who was lost in thought, Phoenix continued speaking expectantly.
"By the way, Mr. Colin, have you decided which wizard tower you want to apply to? I plan to apply to the Great Sage's Tower. It is said that the educational resources and material resources there are the richest among all wizard towers!"
"I'm...still thinking."
Luo Yan wiped the corners of his mouth with a napkin, pondered for a moment, and said slowly in a matter-of-fact tone: "But from what you said, the Tower of the Holy Energy School is more in line with my mysterious temperament."
Tuff, huddled in her cloak, couldn't help but snort.
mystery?
He's almost a charlatan!
Unlike Taff, whom he despised in his heart, "Colin"'s words made Phoenix stunned for a moment, and then he stood in awe.
The Holy Power School is a school that studies the connection between sacred prayers and faith. It is also the branch of magic that is most closely connected to the Imperial Church! Those who choose to go there are all people with a devout belief in the Holy Light and noble character. After all, people with bad intentions cannot obtain the blessing of Saint Sith.
"I see!" Phoenix exclaimed sincerely, "Mr. Colin really has a reassuring aura! No wonder you made such a choice!"
Taf wanted to continue laughing, but Sarah's boot stepped on her tail lightly. She could only shrink her face in her cloak and keep silent.
At this time, Phoenix seemed to have made up his mind. He took out a wrinkled bounty from his pocket and spread it flat on the table.
He had originally given up on this commission. After all, he and his companions' journey had almost come to an end here.
When adventurers are just trying to earn tuition and travel expenses, they are not like those adventurers who live near the maze and make a living from it. They must make a choice between risk and reward.
"...Mr. Colin, since you are devoted to the Holy Light, you might be interested in this matter."
He pointed at the words on the bounty and said tentatively, "This is the commission we accepted when we just passed by the Adventurer's Guild. The Pompeii Village in Eagle Rock Territory was attacked by the Undead Mage. The local miller issued a bounty of fifty silver coins. If you are willing to go with us, we can give you thirty coins after the mission is completed. Although it is not much, it is a small token of our appreciation."
Luo Yan's gaze fell on the bounty order. His indifferent eyes did not show much interest, but the corners of his mouth curled up in an almost imperceptible arc.
Speaking of which, he has never seen a "wild" necromancer in this world, but his players "claim" to have encountered it several times.
The undead system of Hell was formed under strict rules and ancient heritage, and the birth of every lich can be traced.
And this "Fallen One" who has broken away from the inheritance system of Hell and explored and evolved on the surface on his own is undoubtedly an excellent research sample, or point of interest for him.
As for the reward of thirty silver coins, he automatically ignored it.
Luo Yan thought for a moment, looked up at Phoenix's expectant eyes, and spoke in a gentle tone.
"Okay, I'll join."
Seeing that Luo Yan readily agreed, Phoenix and the other three showed uncontrollable joy on their faces.
For their fledgling "rookie" team, having a seemingly unfathomable strong man join them is undoubtedly a huge insurance for this dangerous mission.
"Great, Mr. Colin!" Phoenix rubbed his hands excitedly, "Then let's..."
"No hurry." Luo Yan raised his hand and motioned him to sit down with a smile, "Eat first. Fill your stomach so you have the strength to face the undead."
He pushed the plate of fragrant grilled lamb chops to the center of the table and asked the bartender for four more of the same meal and a few hot drinks.
This generous gesture made the four cash-strapped young people extremely grateful.
They thanked him timidly and wolfed down what was probably the most sumptuous dinner they had had in months.
During the meal, the relationship between the few people became closer. Except for Sarah, who did not participate in the conversation and just waited quietly beside Luo Yan.
As for Taff, she was a dragon, and because she could not speak in front of others about her master's orders, she could only concentrate on the delicious food on the plate.
It was the first time for the four adventurers to see the legendary species. They didn’t expect that the dragon cubs could be kept as pets!
Recalling the legend of the giant dragon protecting its calf, they looked at Colin with even greater admiration, and his tall figure suddenly became unfathomable.
After dinner, it was almost dusk, and they left the noisy camp without delay and headed towards the commissioned location - Pompeii Village.
The village of Pompeii was not far from the traveler's camp, but the scene was completely different.
There are about a few hundred families living here. The roads in the village are muddy and most of the houses look a bit dilapidated. It is obvious that the lord here is not a good person at managing the territory.
Especially when the Undead attacks occurred, the villagers kept their doors and windows closed, and only militiamen with spears patrolled the roads.
The whole village was shrouded in an atmosphere of fear, and the thick oppression made Ilala, who was serving as a supporter, feel weak in the knees.
Not only her, but also the blacksmith's son, looked around vigilantly, and his hand always unconsciously touched the war hammer behind him.
Luo Yan observed them carefully. They must not have taken on any very difficult tasks along the way, otherwise they would definitely not have survived until here.
Although he had only been an adventurer for a few days, he was clear about one thing... Who would go looking for trouble with the undead at night?
After a little asking around in the village, they soon found the client. After all, there was only one mill in the entire village, located on the hills in the south.
This mill is the only decent stone building in the village. Its towering blades look like sails. The miller is also the richest man in the village. He built a two-story villa next to the mill.
However, at this moment, the owner of the mill did not have the dignity of a rich man. His sunken eye sockets made him look more like a ghost than a skull, and his face was full of haggardness.
As soon as he saw Phoenix and the others, he felt like he had grabbed a life-saving straw. He ran out to greet them without even having time to put on his shoes.
"Adventurer! You are finally here!"
The middle-aged man fell in the snow and got up hurriedly.
Phoenix stepped forward to support him and said in a deep voice: "We have accepted your commission. Can you tell us more about the situation? Where did your child disappear?"
"Yes...she was abducted!"
The miller's voice trembled with fear. "It was last night! Those... those monsters rushed out of the forest, they broke open my door, and I... I watched my son being dragged into the darkness by a skeleton..."
"Didn't you ask Sir Richter for help?" Ilala on the side couldn't help but ask, her clear eyes full of dissatisfaction with the world.
When the miller mentioned the lord, his face showed not only sadness, but also a mixture of despair and resentment.
"Please! I ran to Eagle Rock Castle, but the master refused to see me. His servant said he was waiting for Prince Krankel. He thought I was annoying and said that this matter should be handled by you adventurers!"
As he spoke, he fell to his knees with a plop, almost crying and begging: "I only have this one son! Please, please help me find him! I am willing to spend all my savings!"
Luo Yan's expression was a little subtle. Could it be that Prince Krankel was talking about him?
"You don't have to pay all your savings. We will only take the fifty that we deserve... As for whether he is still alive, we can't guarantee it, but we will do our best." Phoenix said in a deep voice, and helped the middle-aged man, who had been drained of all his strength, up from the ground again.
At this moment, a teeth-grinding sound of bones rubbing against each other suddenly came from the direction of the village entrance, accompanied by a few shrill dog barks.
Soon, the bell rang and the militia began to assemble.
"They...they are coming again!" The miller was terrified.
Luo Yan noticed that the fighting capacity of the militia here was really worrying. In a team of less than fifty people, they couldn't even gather five muskets.
Soon, the village fence was pushed down, and one wave of evil undead chased the defeated militia, while another wave rushed towards the direction of the mill.
Phoenix's face changed, and he immediately drew the sword from his waist and shouted to his companions.
"Prepare for battle!"
I saw a dozen undead creatures made up of animal bones staggering towards the village entrance, with pale green ghost fire burning in their empty eye sockets. They ran straight to the mill, as if something here was attracting them.
Tafu, who likes to watch the fun, was very excited, and it was unknown who she was cheering for. Sarah glanced at Luo Yan secretly, who signaled her with his eyes that she didn't need to take action, and at the same time showed the wand under his sleeve, and said with his lips -
'Leave it to me.'
Although Luo Yan considered himself not a good person and never showed mercy when it was necessary, he still despised the massacre of unarmed villagers.
No one will benefit from this behavior except death.
Those skeletons that headed straight for the mill were those he had deliberately lured there.
Sarah understood what he meant and did not ask the devil why he did this. She just stood beside him silently.
Phoenix drew his sword first and shouted.
"Barrett, push on!"
“Leave it to me!”
Barrett, the blacksmith's son, roared, swung his heavy hammer, and rushed towards the undead bear in front of him like a wall.
Hunter Leo quickly found a high point, drew his bow and arrow, and accurately shot at the eye socket of another undead wolf. Ilala nervously retreated to the back, chanting an incoherent spell, trying to cast a weak protective spell for his companion.
"Tangle!"
Phoenix gritted his teeth and activated the power of the magic pendant, urging the weak natural affinity. Several vines broke out of the ground and wrapped around the ankle of a skeleton soldier.
The four young men cooperated well, but these undead creatures were tireless and fearless of death, and they soon fell into a disadvantage.
Especially when it's dark -
The moon is out.
With the blessing of moonlight, these undead spirits seemed to have taken drugs, and their originally slow movements suddenly became sharp.
Seeing that Barrett was about to be hit by the undead bear's claws, Luo Yan, who had been standing behind and observing, finally made a symbolic move.
He raised one hand inadvertently, and above the storage ring, a fist-sized, dark red fireball quietly condensed.
This is the most basic Black Iron-level fireball technique, and he has precisely controlled its power to the level that an "excellent adventurer" should have, and disguised it as the power of a ring.
"call--"
The fireball made a slight whistling sound and drew a precise arc. It did not attack the thick-skinned undead bear, but directly hit the skeleton mage behind it who was commanding the undead troops.
"boom!!!"
With a dull explosion, the Skeleton Mage exploded into pieces.
Without a commander, the remaining undead creatures froze in their tracks, and were then defeated by Phoenix and his four companions who seized the opportunity, turning them into wreckage.
After the battle, the four young men were panting and still in shock. They exchanged glances of relief and turned their awe-inspiring gazes to Luo Yan.
Just one well-timed fireball instantly turned the tide of the battle. This mysterious Mr. "Colin" might be even more powerful than they imagined.
Looking at the ring on his knuckles with envy, Finick wiped the sweat from his forehead and said to Mr. Colin.
"Thank you... If you hadn't helped, Barrett would have been in danger!"
Barrett bowed, respect written all over his face, without a trace of contempt.
Before, he had always looked down upon this gentleman of noble birth, thinking that this guy only had everything he had today thanks to the protection of his ancestors.
But now, he found that he was extremely wrong.
This gentleman indeed has a noble soul, worthy of his noble birth... After all, he could have waited until he died before taking action, and even gotten a few more silver coins as a reward.
Ilala looked at Colin with a blushing face, not because of admiration or anything like that, but simply because she felt ashamed for not being able to hold back a fireball just now.
It’s actually nothing, Luo Yan won’t laugh at her.
Even the best players in the cemetery cannot cast a fireball on their first cast. Most players have to die many times before they learn it.
In short, the battle at night was much more difficult than they had imagined.
The four young men finally realized that courage and dreams alone were far from enough when facing a real necromancer.
"I'm afraid this necromancer is even more powerful than we thought," Hunter Leo lowered his voice and looked at the dark forest vigilantly, "Especially since the power of the undead will be strengthened at night. We will be too passive if we go in at night."
Ilala nodded in agreement and nervously wiped the sweat from her forehead with her sleeve.
"That's right. We are not familiar with the terrain of the forest. Our vision is limited at night, so we are easily ambushed. Phoenix, how about... we wait until dawn? It doesn't matter if we postpone the registration for Xuebang for a day."
Phoenix looked embarrassed. He glanced at the miller who was almost crying, then looked at his equally exhausted companion, and fell into deep dilemma.
The miller heard their discussion, as if he were a drowning man watching a ship passing by an island.
He rushed up, grabbed Phoenix's arm, and pleaded with tears in his eyes.
"No! Adventurer, please, we can't wait until tomorrow! Every moment you wait, my child will be in more danger! God knows what that devil will do to a child! Please, go and save him tonight!"
"But..." Phoenix was at a loss as to what to do when a steady hand gently patted the miller's shoulder.
It's Mr. Colin.
He had walked closer at some point and spoke to the weeping miller in a calm and convincing tone.
"Don't cry, we'll go tonight."
When these words came out, not only the miller, but also Phoenix and the other three were stunned. They all looked at Luo Yan, their faces full of worry.
"Mr. Colin," Phoenix couldn't help but say, "The forest at night is not good for us, and we know nothing about the strength of the necromancer..."
Luo Yan's eyes swept across their four young and uneasy faces, signaling them not to worry.
"Today's matter must be resolved today."
A mere wandering ghost without a rank is not enough to make the honorable Demon King waste an extra day on it.
(End of this chapter)
Continue read on readnovelmtl.com
