This Necromancer Just Wants to Plant Trees - Chapter 159

Chapter 159: Do You Want to Borrow Money From Me?

Upon seeing the detailed content on the list, Matthew immediately understood that this was Suirel's scheme.

Laid out in front of him—this wasn't any sort of spending trap.

It was a windfall from the heavens! The only problem was, the windfall was too substantial and abundant.

If he tried to swallow it all at once, he'd risk choking himself.

The power of spell cultivation—this was every mage's coveted opportunity. As Margaret had previously explained, solidifying a spell into an ability through regular training came with a steep cost.

Firstly, the time cost—a training cycle lasted 14 to 24 days, usually requiring 2 to 3 cycles to show initial results.

In essence, it could take as little as a month or as long as three to achieve preliminary goals.

At first glance, the time consumption didn't seem extensive, but this time referred to continuous training day and night.

Every day of the training cycle demanded the caster to drain their mana and mental strength, repeatedly casting the same spell.

This caused significant strain on one's willpower and mental fortitude.

Secondly, there was a material cost—training required specific magic potions to be effective.

The most crucial was the potion that broke the daily casting limit.

Take "Spell Knowledge" for example—its material cost hovered around 25,000 gold coins.

In comparison to Suirel's completely automated Constructive Arts, the price was only halved.

Thirdly, due to the need to consume a potion breaking the casting limit daily during the process of spell ability cultivation, there was a certain probability of acquiring "Spell Addiction."

The subsequent treatment cost for this ailment was incredibly high, and there were no specific remedies within the Alliance.

Thus, there was typically a gap between each training cycle, indirectly increasing the time cost.

However, this method represented significant progress in spell civilization.

Prior to this, a mage usually could only solidify one spell throughout their lifetime—often commonplace spells like mage hand or light.

But now, things were different.

The spells listed here could be acquired simply by spending money.

"Spell Rebound" for 50,000 gold coins—a price Matthew didn't find expensive at all.

He even considered it unbelievably cheap!

At that moment, Matthew took a deep breath, his heartbeat gradually calming.

Throughout this process, the restraint domain remained eerily calm, without even a hint of an alarm.

This was enough to illustrate Matthew's current state—his mind was surprisingly composed.

It's just that Suirel's revealed hand was too tempting, leading to a certain physiological reaction.

No wonder Suirel was so confident; she was sure that what she offered was irresistible to anyone!

Matthew glanced at Suirel and asked, "You set different prices for everyone, right?"

Suirel smiled faintly, saying, "You're quite smart."

"If you're a fourth-tier mage, the prices on this list would generally double; if fifth-tier, they'd triple."

"Legends have a different price tag—it's not just money, but owing me a significant favor."

"Frankly, I wasn't planning to make money off small mages like you. This money barely covers my costs; my labor fee is practically a freebie."

Matthew believed her words—Suirel genuinely wasn't aiming for his money.

Her intentions were crystal clear—she simply wanted to become everyone's creditor, including Matthew!

Therefore, tailored prices for different groups—ultimately to drain their wallets and saddle them with debt.

Matthew inwardly chuckled—he actually despised owing money.

"No rush, take your time choosing," Suirel's voice was gentle. She sat opposite Matthew, knees crossed, elegantly holding a cup of coffee, her demeanor resembling a private tutor giving extra lessons to a student.

Matthew bit his lip, contemplating what exactly he needed.

After a moment, he grabbed a pen and began ticking off items on the list—

"-Spell Rebound-

-Steel Body-

-Spell Nullification Barrier (Create a spherical space with an 18-meter radius centered on yourself; within this space, all non-legendary spells are nullified)

Price: 100,000 gold coins-

-Spell Ascension (Elevates the effect of all non-summoning and non-prophetic spells by a major tier)

Price: 100,000 gold coins-

-Instant Spell (Synchronizes your spell effect with your chanting when casting spells of the same tier; reduces the chant time to 0.02 seconds for spells below your level two tiers)

Price: 100,000 gold coins-

-Warp Gate (Opens a portal within your field of vision; the other end must be within 150 meters and vividly remembered in your mind.

Warning: The accident rate of the Warp Gate is 100 times that of passing through walls; try to use it within visible range.

Can be used 20 times per day)

Price: 100,000 gold coins"

...

Each spell he chose was carefully considered.

"Spell Rebound" and "Steel Body" focused purely on immediate combat strength—the former, along with spell nullification and "Spell Nullification Barrier," constituted Matthew's defense against mages.

The latter, combined with "Immortality," ensured Matthew's physical safety.

"Instant Spell" and "Spell Ascension" held significant potential. Their effects would evolve with Matthew's growing power. Even in the future, at legendary levels, these abilities would be incredibly useful.

As for "Spell Nullification Barrier" and "Warp Gate," they were known as versatile spells—learning them early would surely prove advantageous.

With this foundation of combat spells, all Matthew needed was to strengthen his basics. Soon, he'd channel all his energy into necromancy spells and exploring domains.

After ticking off the last item, Matthew felt a slight tightness in his wrist. He glanced once more at the list of spells, a hint of reluctance in his gaze.

But he restrained the urge to continue ticking.

Spending gold was an abyss; he didn't want to work for others his whole life.

Suirel's Constructive Arts were indeed a fast track to strength.

Matthew was willing to use this opportunity to fortify his weaknesses further. However, he was also aware—he wasn't Suirel, he wasn't even Margaret. This path belonged to them, not to him.

Matthew had his own path to walk.

He joined the Alliance to bolster his shortcomings, not to completely abandon his path to legendary status!

"After this phase passes, it's time for some reflection. The spell knowledge in the Alliance has clouded my vision."

"I should return to the tranquility of forests and graveyards."

"Nature and undeath—that's my path!"

Matthew's resolve grew firm.

"Have you made your selection?" Suirel's gentle tone took an uncommon turn.

"Are you certain about just these six?" she asked.

Matthew nodded. "Should be enough money for me?"

Suirel straightforwardly replied, "Not enough. You only have 470,000 gold coins in your storage item; this requires 500,000. You'll need to borrow 30,000."

Quickly, Matthew interjected, "I won't need to borrow the 30,000 gold coins. I can gather it from Stonefall Town and bring it to you soon."

Suirel didn't press him. "Alright."

"But are you sure you don't want to select a few more

? This is your only chance. Even if you kneel at the Alliance headquarters next time, I won't provide my services for free."

At this point, Matthew's emotions had settled.

He even managed a smile. "For me, these are sufficient. We'll see about the future."

Suirel watched him with interest. "You're the most conservative mage I've ever met."

"Margaret, at your age, had racked up debts totaling over 2 million. And because of that, she transformed from an ordinary mage into a three-time champion of the Battle Mage Competition."

"That's the allure of Suirel's Constructive Arts."

"I'll remind you one last time: once the list is confirmed, it cannot be changed. Selecting more spells could make you much stronger. And being stronger is the key to earning big money."

"Look at Margaret. Despite her young age, she has already paid off over 100,000; she'll only need to work for me for a few decades more to clear the remaining interest."

"If she hadn't taken that courageous step back then, she might still be used as a power source by some intermediate mage in a corner somewhere."

Suirel's words were direct, her advice sincere.

Yet, Matthew still chose to politely decline.

"Very well. It seems you're very resistant to the idea of becoming my debtor," Suirel noted with a trace of displeasure.

Quickly, Matthew reassured her, "I'm grateful for your willingness to solidify my spells for free. I'll remember this favor. If you ever need my help, I won't dare refuse."

His words struck a chord with Suirel.

Perhaps she enjoyed the feeling of others owing her—be it favors or money.

Suirel smiled, rose from her seat, and gestured to Matthew, "Alright, let's go. Follow me to the workshop."

As she spoke—

A portal appeared before them.

Matthew stepped through it.

He found himself in a place surrounded by glass on all sides, floating in the air with the sky above.

Glancing around, he suddenly noticed a massive city floating in the sky to his left.

The architecture on the floating city was extremely modern. Shimmering lights occasionally flew by, resembling miniature flying vessels?

The entire scene resembled something out of a sci-fi epic.

"Don't be nervous; they can't see inside," Suirel reassured him softly.

Curious, Matthew asked, "Is that the Alliance's floating city?"

Suirel shook her head. "No, that's Cyberdragons—home to a group of eccentric mechanists."

Matthew was surprised. "Is your residence near Cyberdragons?"

Suirel nodded. "It's necessary. Someone has to keep an eye on Cyberdragons to prevent the mechanists from blowing up this world. And I happen to be the Alliance's top mage in enchantment and protection, so this job falls to me."

"Quick, take off your clothes. I need to examine your body," Suirel urged.

Matthew instinctively began to remove his shirt.

But his actions froze instantly: "Why do I need to undress?"

Suirel urged, "Because we need to select the best body part for the Constructive Arts implantation. The human body is intricate—each organ serves a different purpose, and even the skin matters."

"Although Suirel's Constructive Arts are buried in the subcutaneous fat layer, rarely affecting the body, choosing the optimal spot for solidifying will yield better results."

She seemed a bit impatient, waving her slender finger.

Instantly, Matthew's clothes vanished!

"Hands up, spread your legs; don't cover up, let me have a good look," Suirel instructed.

Her tone remained steady.

Repeatedly reminding himself it was all for obtaining spells, Matthew gradually calmed his slightly restless heart.

Suirel circled him for a week and asked with doubt, "Is your body not very healthy?"

Matthew pondered for a moment.

He disabled the restraint domain.

A moment later—

Suerel nodded in satisfaction.

"Looks healthy," she said, examining Matthew closely. "Next, I'll conduct a round of magical tests to determine the final implantation site."

As she spoke, colorful magical runes encircled Matthew's body, wrapping him tightly like a cocoon.

Five minutes later, the radiant magic dissipated.

Suerel fetched a magical pen, marking an 'X' on both of Matthew's wrists.

Then she turned him around, drawing another 'X' on the inside of his shoulder blades.

Next, she exposed Matthew's thighs, marking three 'X's on the inner side.

Matthew felt the skin where the magical pen touched, a sensation akin to a burning pain. However, it didn't last long. Some mischievous magical energy seemed to seep in, its form and nature unlike any he'd encountered before, smoother than regular magic.

"All done. That's it," Suerel said.

Matthew's clothes reappeared on his body.

"Pay up. I've set the spell-curing token on you. Three days from now, bring the remaining thirty thousand gold here for the spell-curing ritual," Suerel instructed, handing him a token.

Reluctantly, Matthew paid and, with the help of the corpulent cat, Agi, left Suerel's crystal castle.

---

*A notification appeared: "By sheer willpower, you resisted Suerel's artifice—a remarkable feat, as you step into the realm of moderation.*

*As a reward for stepping into the realm, choose one of three abilities:*

*1. Deceptive Feast (every ten days, practice moderation by self-deception. On that day, indulgence won't affect moderation and may accelerate exploration progress.)

*2. Ascetic (sacrifice a mundane desire for stronger attribute bonuses.)

*3. Flexible Limit (a chance to dabble in indulgence through moderate actions after gaining this ability.)"*

---

"Spending half a million in a day qualifies as moderation?" Matthew was surprised, glancing at the three abilities. He dismissed Ascetic, thinking even Leowick wouldn't choose that.

He vacillated between Deceptive Feast and Flexible Limit, ultimately choosing the former. Confident in his "talent" for the realm, he saw no need for such abilities to explore the indulgence domain. Deceptive Feast allowed occasional indulgence for mental satisfaction, potentially useful in the future.

Then, the secondary exploration bestowed a permanent effect:

---

*Absolute Focus: Your permanent focus +1.*

---

The explanation was concise, but the effect was potent. Previously, Matthew's focus gains were temporary. A permanent focus increase was a treasure for a mage.

"Seems like resisting temptation once and demonstrating moderation grants access for requests. Isn't this another type of minotaur?" he mused. "Pity there are so few temptations triggering realm judgments."

Lost in thought, he left the crystal palace, eager to return to Rolling Stone Town to borrow money.

However, in the teleportation hall of the Crucible, Matthew unexpectedly encountered Eckmonde and another elderly mage, kind-faced yet distant in gaze.

Eckmonde smiled at Matthew. "Back from Suerel's?"

Matthew nodded.

Eckmonde smirked at the elderly mage. "I told you, you were too slow. Suerel had her eyes on this lad, arranging Margaret to be his tutor, taking the initiative discreetly."

The elder mage sighed. "No one in the Alliance knows how to make money better than those two women. I thought I was quick enough."

Eckmonde then introduced the Northern Guardian, Mr. Roderick, known for prophecy spells, crafting magical items, and replicating ancient artifacts. "Of course, his factory's excellent replicas are more renowned. You've probably heard of it."

Matthew hastily bowed.

Eckmonde continued, "Roderick heard you made a fortune and rushed here from the north, wanting to sell you some goods. But it seems his high-grade pseudo-artifacts might not find buyers now."

Seeing Roderick's dejected look, Matthew was astonished. Were these legendary mages engaged in some competition? To squeeze dry a newcomer who recently earned a fortune?

And what about Eckmonde? "Heard? Who else knows I made money? Besides you?" he wondered silently.

Externally, Matthew smiled, giving him the coin he lost in their bet. "I said so. Within three days, you'd spend all the money," Eckmonde jovially remarked.

At that moment, Roderick proposed, "Eckmonde, let's make a wager. Let's bet on how much debt Suerel has imposed on this lad the moment he left her?"

"Neither of us will use divination. Let's see who gets closer, shall we?" Eckmonde suggested confidently, casting a decisive glance at Matthew. "I bet he owes at least five hundred thousand!"

Roderick shook his head. "You're too conservative. I reckon it's at least a million! We both know Suerel's capabilities. Before this, the lowest debt from the Crystal Palace was three hundred thousand."

"Seems you're trying to let me win," Eckmonde replied.

Watching the two legendary figures bet in front of him, Matthew started sweating.

Carefully, he asked, "What if the actual amount is far from both your guesses?"

Eckmonde turned serious. "You don't owe over two million, do you?"

Unsure how to respond, Matthew found Roderick grabbing him. "Don't tease the lad. Just tell us what to do."

Eckmonde casually said, "If the real figure differs vastly from our guesses, we both owe him."

Roderick nodded in agreement.

Under their shared gaze, Matthew reluctantly revealed, "I owe thirty thousand temporarily, no actual debts. I'll gather it and pay."

The two legendary mages exchanged disbelieving glances. "Naive lad, how could you miss such an incredible opportunity?" Eckmonde looked genuinely concerned, while Roderick seemed disappointed.

Matthew could only maintain a smile, softly explaining that it was settled.

In the end, amidst their regretful expressions, Matthew received the bets from the two legendary mages—two enchanted coins bearing their portraits.

They didn't specify usage, so Matthew treated them as ordinary coins, slipping them into his pocket.

Bidding farewell, Matthew finally returned to Rolling Stone Town. He hurried to the Lord's Manor.

"Rhaegar, I need to talk to you," he got straight to the point.

Rhaegar, in pajamas and reading a newspaper, didn't lift his head. "No discussions on spell practice, no loans."

"I need thirty thousand gold urgently," Matthew said.

Seeing Matthew's serious demeanor, Rhaegar, without joking, furrowed his brow. "Didn't you earn a sum recently? Already spent it?"

"What if you're borrowing money; we must have clear terms, and I'll charge some symbolic interest, considering it's Rolling Stone Town's funds," Rhaegar added.

Matthew was surprised. "Didn't you earn a sum recently? Already spent it?"

Before Rhaegar could reply, a cute head popped out in the corridor. "Matthew, need a loan? I've got a huge allowance recently. No interest from me," said

Suya, her big eyes sparkling.

Behind the office desk, Rhaegar's expression turned pained.

---

*Successfully obtained a thirty-thousand-gold, interest-free loan from the Lord's Manor, Matthew happily returned to the Oakwood Forest. His steps lightened, joyfully planting today's batch of oak trees and crafting tombstones.*

*At noon, a small black cat jumped into the cemetery, transforming into a humanoid figure before Matthew.*

"Eli?" Matthew looked surprised, scanning the surroundings but finding no trace of the white cat.

Eli's expression was complex. "Matthew, I need to tell you something," he said, serious. "Something very important."

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