Chapter 401 The Demon King's Trick
Let’s go back three days.
Near the Great Sage's Tower, in an adventurer's tavern called "Glacier Throat", the noise and heat dispelled the severe cold of the North.
The fire in the fireplace was burning brightly, illuminating faces flushed with alcohol and boasting, and the sound of clinking glasses accompanied the noisy sound of spitting.
This is one of the places that magic apprentices and adventurers like to visit. In the cold northern wilderness, nothing can warm you up better than a glass of distilled liquor.
At this moment, Kemidil was leisurely stirring his favorite butterbeer in a cup, enjoying a moment of leisure after his busy work.
At this moment, a particularly loud "cow leather" coming from the next table attracted his attention.
I saw a burly, bearded adventurer bragging to his friends sitting around him with saliva flying all over his body.
"...The little magic crystals you get from the maze are nothing. Compared to those natural magic crystal ores, they're just garbage! This time when I went to the south to take on a job, I met a magic crystal mine owner named Baron Gus. He has a wealth of magic crystal ores, all of which are high-quality goods that you have never seen in your life!"
The surrounding adventurers burst into laughter.
"Come on, Osa! If you really knew someone like that, why would you be here freezing in the cold with us?"
"Exactly! If I were you I'd be lying on the beach by the Whirlpool!"
"Unless you produce evidence!"
The adventurer named Osa seemed to be aroused by his desire to win. He slammed his wine glass on the table and shouted at the top of his voice.
"Evidence, right? Fine, fine, you ignorant bastards! I'll open your eyes!"
As he spoke, he took out a fist-sized crystal from a worn leather bag in his arms and slammed it on the table.
With a dull thud, the noise from the entire tavern seemed to be absorbed by the crystal.
Everyone's gaze instantly focused on it, including Kemidil. The magic crystal was a deep blue, emitting a pure and captivating glow under the dim light, almost without any impurities.
Kemidil's breathing suddenly became rapid.
With his vision as an assistant professor of the Source Law School, he could tell at a glance that the purity of this magic crystal was even enough to be used to make a silver-grade magic device, and its value was at least twenty - no, thirty gold coins!
And the most important thing is that this thing is hard to buy!
Even in the most resource-rich enchantment school, this high-quality magical material is monopolized by powerful professors.
How did a mere adventurer get hold of this treasure?!
Kemidil was stunned and couldn't help but think about it in his heart.
His confusion didn't last long, because soon the loudmouthed idiot took the initiative to explain the whole story.
Looking at his companions' stunned expressions, Osa proudly put the magic crystal back into his bag and said, "How is it? I just picked this thing up near the baron's mine!"
The adventurers looked at each other in confusion.
The guy who had laughed at him before spat and cursed the lucky guy, then looked at his pocket enviously.
Some magic apprentices also looked over here with excitement.
Although they were not as knowledgeable as Assistant Coach Kemidil, they also recognized that this magic crystal was not an ordinary item.
We can't let him go!
Kemidil placed the wine glass on the bar and walked over casually with a gentle smile that was just right on his face.
"My friend, the crystal you have is quite nice. Would you mind letting me... take a look?"
Osa glanced at him and saw the assistant instructor's emblem on his robe. His alert attitude softened a little and he reluctantly handed over the magic crystal.
"If you're just looking..."
Although the Master Mage is stingy, he rarely does anything by force or robbery, especially in the territory of the Great Sage's Tower.
Kemidil took the magic crystal and pretended to look at it for a moment. He was already very happy in his heart, but he said calmly on his face.
"Well, the quality is acceptable. I need some spell materials recently. How about selling it to me for 10 gold coins?"
"Ten, ten gold coins?!" Osa's eyes widened instantly, as if he had heard an astronomical figure. The surrounding adventurers and mercenaries did the same, all gasping in shock.
Although they guessed that this magic crystal was worth a lot of money, they never expected that it could be sold at such an outrageous price.
Looking at his naive appearance, Kemidil felt more and more proud.
He suppressed his smile, counted out ten golden imperial gold coins from his purse, and pushed them in front of Osa, just like putting a bag of candy into a fool's pocket.
He just wanted to close the deal quickly to avoid any further complications.
Fortunately, he is the only teaching assistant in this tavern, and there is no tutor or professor with a higher title than him, otherwise he would never have such a chance to pick up a bargain!
Osa took the gold coins almost as if he was snatching them away, and then readily stuffed the priceless magic crystal into Kemidil's hands, with a smile of having gotten an advantage on his face.
"You are not allowed to regret it!"
"Of course, the mages of Xuebang are always trustworthy. Also... if you have similar good things, you can sell them to me. My price is absolutely fair."
Kemidil put the magic crystal away with satisfaction, looking dignified and like a teacher, as if he was quite famous in the Tower of Great Sages.
The adventurer seemed to be really frightened by him. He rubbed his hands together, a shy smile on his face, and a hint of flattery in his hearty voice.
"Haha, I believe you! Xuebang's magicians are well-known throughout the continent of Os. If you still need these shiny gadgets, we can form a long-term partnership. By the way, my name is Osa! May I ask your name?"
Long-term cooperation?
Kemidil smiled slightly, and in his heart he disapproved of the "arrogance" of this rough adventurer, but his face still showed an expression of admiration.
He nodded gracefully and offered his hand.
"Of course. My name is Kemidil, an assistant teacher at the Tower of the Great Sage."
When he heard the words "Tower of the Great Sage", the awe on Osa's face became even more intense.
Kemidil enjoyed this kind of gaze very much. He pretended to be generous and invited Osa to sit down, ordered a glass of expensive beer for him, and then casually got to the point.
"Brother Osa, I'm very interested in that southern mine owner you just mentioned. To be honest, we mages have a huge demand for high-quality magic crystals for our research. If you can introduce this distinguished gentleman to me, you'll definitely receive a reward."
As he spoke, he shook his purse casually.
Although it was a bit deliberate, he knew very well what would attract these adventurers.
Osa indeed swallowed his saliva with envy, but in the end, the envy turned into a difficult look and he sighed heavily.
"Mr. Kemidil, I really want to help you, but... I'm afraid it won't be that easy."
"oh?"
Kemidil looked at Osa calmly, took a sip of butterbeer, and waited for the adventurer in front of him to continue.
Osa scratched his tangled beard, hesitated for a moment, and finally lowered his voice and spoke frankly, "Master Mage, to be honest, I'm not that familiar with Baron Gus... well, actually. He's a noble of the Duchy of Campbell, and I'm just a hapless adventurer. How could I have the chance to build that kind of relationship? I just did him a small favor."
Seeing Kemidil's expression turn into disappointment, Osa continued to explain with a red face.
"Furthermore, his magic crystal mine is actually quite troublesome. The richest part of the mine is right next to a mass grave. It's overrun with the undead, and even his lord's lord can't handle it, let alone a mere baron like him... The magic crystal I have in my hand was actually picked up from the outskirts of that mine while completing a commission for the Adventurer's Guild."
Osa's words, on the one hand, implied that he had a mediocre relationship with the baron, and on the other hand, pointed out the huge difficulties in mining, as if to dissuade Kemidil from going.
However, after hearing this, Kemidil's eyes lit up instantly.
Undead?
Unable to mine?
These two words together were like a key, instantly opening a door to fame and fortune in his mind!
A plan to kill two birds with one stone quickly took shape in his mind.
If it is managed well, it will not only make him a fortune, but also serve as a stepping stone for him to make friends with "Baron Gus"!
Unable to suppress his excitement any longer, he grabbed Osa's shoulders and stared at him intently until the latter felt uneasy and then he spoke in a low voice.
"My friend, I have a perfect plan that will allow you and me to 'win together'. You don't have to bear any risks, but you can share in the profits. If you're lucky, you can even make enough money to last a lifetime... I wonder if you're interested."
Looking at Kemidil's mysterious look, Osa swallowed nervously and spoke in a low voice.
"…What's the plan?"
Kemidil waved his hand, motioning him to come closer, and then confidently laid out his ideas.
"Recently, our Great Sage Tower is preparing for the All Souls' Day maze trial, and my mentor is the person in charge of this trial. I happen to have some connections and can convince him to approve a budget to hire adventurers like you to 'introduce' a group of undead for our trial..."
His plan was simple.
Just move the undead in Baron Gus's territory to the artificial maze in the northern wilderness. They are all undead anyway. I think Mentor Merck will not care where he got them from or whether there is any ulterior motive behind it.
Looking at Osa who was shocked by his plan, Kemidil raised the corners of his mouth, revealing an unfathomable smile.
"Think about it. We're using Xuebang's money to clear the undead from the mines for Baron Gus for free. This is a huge favor. You said you have an average relationship with him, but with this gift, I think he'll definitely treat you like a guest of honor. And this is just one of the reasons."
"Secondly, if we get rid of the undead, the Baron can mine the magic crystal ore smoothly, and I can also get the magic materials I need. As for the third and most important point——"
He paused, his eyes fixed on Osa, "As the one who facilitated all of this, all I ask for is 30% of the annual output of the magic crystal mine. Of course, this 30% also includes your share."
He recounted this perfect plan of "killing three birds with one stone" with pride in his words.
Osa was indeed moved, at least there was an excitement on his face.
But before long, the excited expression cooled down again.
He scratched the back of his head and spoke hesitantly.
"Thirty percent? Master Mage, that's too much... Baron Gus probably won't agree. After all, it doesn't matter if he doesn't mine it. He can leave the magic crystal mine to his sons and grandsons, just like the nobles do."
"He will."
Kemidil looked confident of victory. He elegantly picked up the butterbeer and took a sip.
"Just go and talk to him. And don't forget to remind him that this isn't just a business deal; it's also a great opportunity to make friends with a promising magician. I think the remote baron would be interested in this deal."
"What I can pass on to my grandchildren is not only the magic crystal ore, but also the favors of magicians."
It is true that he is only at the adamantium level now, but who can say what will happen in the future?
Don’t bully the poor middle-aged people!
Besides, as long as he can make this cooperation, he will become rich very quickly, and even surpassing his mentor is not a dream!
Looking at Kemidil's confident look, Osa struggled for a moment, but finally gritted his teeth and nodded heavily.
"Okay! I'll give it a try! But the fee for using the teleportation array..."
Kemidil smiled and placed a gold coin on the table.
"I think this money should be enough... Consider it my advance payment to you."
Looking at Osa's hurriedly leaving back, a smug smile appeared on Kemidil's face, as if he had already seen the pile of magic crystals waving to him.
At this moment, he had no idea that in the deepest shadows of the tavern's corner, a cloaked "adventurer" was taking in everything with his bright vertical pupils...
…
As expected, Osa reached an agreement.
This was originally a trap set against Kemidil. The so-called embarrassment was just a pretense, for fear that agreeing too easily would arouse the other party's suspicion.
As for Baron Gus.
I'm afraid that the Baron who is living a life of luxury in Thunder City doesn't even know that there is a magic crystal mine on his territory which has been converted into a pasture.
On the other side, Kemidil was also advancing his plan.
At the critical moment, he persuaded the eager mentor Merck to introduce the undead as monsters in the maze trial, in the name of adding some "immersive" experience to the apprentices' trial.
As expected, his idea was approved by his mentor Merck, and he was given full authority to take charge of the matter by the respected mentor.
Everything is ready, only the east wind is missing!
Three days later, it was still the "Glacier Throat" tavern.
Kemidil practically kicked open the rickety wooden door, his face showing undisguised excitement and pride.
He walked straight through the noisy crowd, found Osa drinking alone in the corner, and slapped him hard on the shoulder.
"Osa! My friend! Good news!"
Osa was startled by him. He looked up and saw that it was Kemidil. An honest smile immediately appeared on his face. "Respected... Master Mage! What brings you here? Judging from your expression, is it done?"
"Of course!"
Kemidil smiled slightly and sat down opposite him.
Looking at the bartender walking over, he threw down a silver coin to send him away, ordered the most expensive beer for the two of them, then lowered his voice and spoke excitedly.
"Mr. Merck was very pleased with my proposal. He praised my idea as a brilliant one, and now the budget has been approved! How about you? How are the negotiations going?"
"Everything is under control, Master Mage. I have long expected that you would succeed."
Osa's tone was filled with just the right amount of compliments, and he continued with an attentive and eager attitude.
"While I was in contact with Baron Gus, I also contacted the adventurers in Campbell. In order not to waste your precious time, they have already started to take action and are setting up a temporary teleportation magic circle!"
Kemidil was surprised, but then that surprise turned into complete satisfaction. He looked at the seemingly rough but actually "clever" adventurer in front of him and nodded approvingly.
"Yes, you are very thoughtful!"
He now felt more and more that the fact that he had recruited such a capable guy for only ten gold coins was the best deal he had ever made in his life.
perhaps--
Maybe they can really cooperate for a long time?
Osa smiled embarrassedly, looking flattered, and then gave a "considerate" reminder.
"But then again, sir, in order to make everything appear seamless, we still need to go through one final step. I suggest you post a related commissioned quest at the Adventurer's Guild in the name of the Great Sage's Tower. Once the quest is posted, I will immediately take it. This way, the accounts and procedures will be perfect, and no one will ever suspect anything."
"Of course! How could I forget such an important thing?"
Kemidil became more and more satisfied with Osa's reliability. This guy was simply a perfect tool.
At this time, the bartender brought up two large bottles of beer.
He raised his glass and was about to drink with Osa to celebrate their upcoming "huge success." However, this time Osa, contrary to his usual behavior, did not respond to his enthusiasm and instead spoke in a tone of advice.
"Master, I appreciate your kindness, but the plan is at a critical stage, and we can't afford to let it slip at this moment. This wine... let's drink it after the plan is completed."
Kemidil was slightly stunned, but smiled nonchalantly and pulled him over to clink glasses.
"It's okay! A couple of drinks won't hurt!"
Anyway, he has a sobering potion...
…
After Kemidil left contentedly, Osa finished the rest of the wine in the glass alone, then got up and left the tavern that was almost buried in the snow.
There were a few lights on the street. The magic apprentices had already gone home before the curfew. The only ones left were vendors packing up their stalls and adventurers returning home.
However, he did not return to the hotel where he was staying. Instead, he cautiously walked around the street several times, and after confirming that no one was following him, he finally turned into a deserted alley.
A cloaked figure had been waiting in the shadows like a statue, his indifferent and bloodthirsty gaze like a cold moon hanging in the wind.
And that moonlight seemed to be the only light in the alley.
Osa didn't dare to look into those eyes. He stepped forward tremblingly, lowered his head respectfully, and reported the final result of the mission.
"I've done everything you asked me to do!"
Kemidil was destined to be disappointed.
He had never been to the Duchy of Campbell, nor did he know Baron Gus. From the very beginning of the magic crystal, everything was just a carefully woven script.
As for why this lady wanted to play tricks on a master wizard, he had no idea. Perhaps there was a master behind her, and behind all this there was a game that he did not understand.
Sarah said nothing, but reached out from under her cloak and threw a bag of heavy gold coins on the ground as the final payment for this mission.
The crisp clang sound made Osa's heart skip a beat, but when he saw that it was a purse thrown on the ground, a happy smile immediately appeared on his face.
"Thank you! It's my honor to be of service to you."
Sarah spoke sparingly.
"This is the reward you deserve. You know what to do next."
"I understand!"
Osa happily went forward to pick up the purse, and after weighing the satisfying weight, he couldn't suppress his curiosity and asked a question.
"Speaking of which, where did you plan to find so many undead souls? Or did you plan to stand up that magician from the beginning?"
Sarah didn't answer.
Her figure began to fade, as if blending into the night, and she only uttered a casual but unquestionable sentence at the end.
"You don't need to worry about that."
As soon as the words fell, the graceful yet dangerous figure completely disappeared.
Faced with the silence, Osa shuddered, clutched his purse tightly, and hurriedly left the alley without looking back.
The friendship of the wizard master is certainly touching, but offending a big shot who is ignorant of his own limitations is equally daunting.
To be able to make a strong man who is suspected to be of silver or even gold level become her "death warrior", the soul level of the master standing behind her must be at least two levels higher than hers.
Platinum?
diamond?
Saint Sith is above, with that level of soul, it doesn’t matter whether he really possesses extraordinary powers or not. In this world, it is not only the extraordinary people who have the final say.
He didn't want to fall while walking at night one day and wake up to find himself a dead ghost.
Osa is content.
In just three days, he has earned enough money to last him a lifetime. He can definitely consider moving to another place and starting a new life.
I heard that the Empire's development of the Janna Continent is in full swing recently, so why not go there...
At the same time, in a deserted wilderness far away from Xuebang, Luo Yan had just drawn a huge teleportation array on the snow.
He clapped his hands and stood up, then took out his wand and waved it gently as if conducting a symphony.
The surging magic power surged out from the tip of the staff and poured into the core of the magic circle, and together with the howling cold wind, it played a prelude to summoning the undead.
“Ka-ka—”
Amidst the flickering magical light, a crack appeared in space.
Pale skeletons slowly walked out from the light, with faint green soul fire burning in their empty eye sockets!
What would All Souls’ Day be without the souls of the dead?
These are all brand new bodies he prepared for the "players".
Luo Yan had a happy smile on his face, with his hands slightly raised upwards.
"Wake up—"
"My servants!"
(End of this chapter)
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