This Necromancer Just Wants to Plant Trees - Chapter 158

Chapter 158: My Price is High

The Archmage summoned, and Matthew felt obliged to comply without refusal.

He exchanged greetings with Margaret before finding a moment to head over to the secluded room, intending to visit Isabelle first or at least leave a message for her.

Such a gesture was quite significant.

If the relationship between Isabelle and Suerel was as strained as Margaret had described, it wouldn't be wise to visit Suerel without informing Isabelle first.

That might cause displeasure to Isabelle.

Matthew initially believed Isabelle wouldn't respond promptly.

But not long after the message was sent out—

A reply came through the communication crystal ball.

Isabelle's voice echoed in Matthew's ears:

"You can meet any of the legendary mages in the alliance, including Lady Suerel, of course. Besides, she is my dear friend. I trust she wouldn't reach out to you without reason. If she has any additional requests, make sure to entertain her. Opportunities to curry favor with a god-tier mage are rare; you should cherish them. The only caution I'll offer is that it's best not to return with debts."

Entertain her?

No debts?

Isabelle's response left Matthew utterly puzzled.

"How could I possibly incur debts! I have five hundred thousand!"

With Isabelle's permission, Matthew returned to the magic classroom to find Margaret.

The latter guided Matthew to the teleportation hall in the Crucible House.

The two stepped through the green door symbolizing long-distance teleportation.

Moments later—

Matthew and Margaret appeared at a teleportation hub.

This place was a plaza situated in a sub-dimension, with teleportation passages in all directions, sparsely populated by mages, and a few mechanical gnomes handling fees.

"Two for the Crystal Palace," Margaret gestured, tossing two golden magical notes to one of the gnomes.

The gnome nodded respectfully and led the two to another teleportation passage.

"We'll need approximately three minutes to notify the Crystal Palace and get clearance before the teleportation," the gnome said.

While waiting, Margaret introduced Matthew:

"Teleportation fees within the alliance are quite steep. Usually, I'd rather fly myself than use a teleportation array. But today, don't worry; my mentor covered the round-trip costs. You can experience the teleportation for free, which usually costs a hundred gold per trip."

Matthew asked, "Is there anything special about the hundred gold per trip?"

Margaret pondered before replying, "It's notably faster."

As they spoke, the portal was ready, and they stepped through, feeling a peculiar sensation.

Immediately after—

A breathtaking scene unfolded before Matthew.

He found himself high above the sky.

Everything visible seemed suspended in mid-air.

He spotted a massive pink orb.

At its center stood a crystal-like palace, shining brilliantly under the sunlight.

The orb floated above the sky.

As Matthew turned, he realized the sun seemed behind him, yet its rays didn't feel scorching.

Inside the orb, apart from the Crystal Palace, were beautiful floating bricks, colorful and magnificent, resembling adornments from a fairytale world.

Matthew floated in mid-air.

He felt freed from the burden of gravity, needing only a point of support.

He could fly far away if he wished.

"Welcome to the Crystal Palace."

"Try kicking the brick behind you?" Margaret smiled, gesturing beside him.

Matthew kicked the green brick behind him.

Instantly—

His body shot off like a rocket in another direction.

And the brick disdainfully exclaimed, "Everyone, come see! We've got a guest who doesn't take off their shoes when visiting! Stepped all over my face with those filthy prints!"

Matthew swiftly traversed the interior of the orb.

Above him lay a blue sky and a dazzling sun.

Below, unidentifiable landscapes of mountains, rivers, lazy drifting clouds.

The feeling was indeed peculiar.

However, after some maneuvering, he halted in a particular space.

There were no bricks nearby to leverage anymore.

"What should I do in this situation?" Matthew loudly queried Margaret beside him.

Margaret smiled and handed him something.

Matthew examined the crumpled, tightly coiled object with a wristband-like device underneath.

"Wear it on your hand, like this," she demonstrated, clasping a similar device onto her wrist.

Immediately after—

Margaret raised her arm, extended it, aimed at a distant brick.

"Hey!" she uttered a peculiar sound.

In the next moment—

A dark shadow shot from her wrist, the end of which had a magic rope continuously elongating.

Swish!

A few seconds later—

Matthew witnessed the crumpled object turning into a huge claw, firmly clasping the brick.

"Phew!"

Margaret made another strange sound.

The rope at the claw's end abruptly retracted, pulling Margaret at lightning speed! Her body formed a beautiful arc in the air, crossing over the brick, propelled by inertia toward the Crystal Palace.

Matthew attempted the same.

Soon he found himself dragged far away by the claw, narrowly avoiding collisions with other bricks!

After several attempts—

Matthew adeptly grasped the device's function.

Both raced swiftly toward the Crystal Palace.

Along the way, Margaret explained, "This is the 'Magic Claw.' Lady Suerel personally crafted this device, inspired by an obscure elite profession from the Eastern Continent—The Martial Artist. Apparently, this profession's standard secondary weapon is a similar claw. They use it for parkour, navigating complex terrain, swiftly approaching enemies, or pulling adversaries closer from a distance. I enjoy using the Magic Claw a lot. Unfortunately, it's only freely usable in this sky of the Crystal Palace; the Alliance has deemed it a prohibited weapon."

Matthew curiously inquired, "If it's such a useful weapon, why not popularize it and why prohibit it?"

Margaret shrugged, "Who knows? It's said some in the upper echelons of the Alliance feel this weapon poses a significant threat to ordinary mages. If it falls into the hands of other professions, it could potentially pose an unprecedented danger to mages of the same level. To curb this possibility, they've banned countless new weapons. However, the material for the Magic Claw is the 'Star Realm Anemone,' incredibly expensive, keeping its production costs high. Even without the weapon ban, it'd likely be challenging to promote."

"If you fancy this weapon, enjoy playing with it now," she added, deliberately avoiding the central Crystal Palace, exploring a wider circle.

Matthew remained silent, merely following Margaret.

The Magic Claw was indeed entertaining, potentially influencing current combat modes.

But Matthew felt it wasn't yet necessary to categorize it as a banned weapon.

Once the Magic Claw became prevalent, mages would undoubtedly develop claw protection or specific protective spells; caution was the key.

The strength of a mage lay in their intellect.

Not in any particular weapon.

After over ten minutes—

Margaret finally had her fill of enjoyment.

She led Matthew to the ground outside the Crystal Palace, and as soon as his feet touched the ground, Matthew felt the presence of gravity once more.

He swiftly approached the palace.

Before long—

Matthew noticed something odd—

The palace had no doors!

Where doors should have been located—

He only found impeccably aligned cracks.

Through these cracks, he could glimpse the interior of the castle.

But the fissures were too narrow.

Perhaps only an ant could barely crawl through.

"Press against the wall, align with the crack,

stand straight, and don't resist," Margaret instructed, taking out her staff and lightly tapping Matthew.

...

"Hint: Your companion Margaret has cast the 'Thread the Needle' spell on you.

Your body width is reduced to 1 centimeter!"

...

In that instant—

Matthew felt as though he'd turned into a paper figure.

He felt adrift, parts of his body moving forward and backward, twisting like waves.

Fortunately, he followed Margaret's directive, pressing firmly against the wall.

The spell took effect.

His shoulders and part of his head slipped into the crack.

"So, this is how we enter," Matthew marveled at this unprecedented experience.

As a paper-thin figure, he wriggled through the crack, successfully traversing the thick walls into the crystal-filled palace.

The palace's decor exuded opulence and grandeur.

The furnishing and ornaments were extravagantly luxurious.

The dazzling splendor momentarily overwhelmed Matthew's senses.

Upon entry—

Both reverted to their normal forms.

Walking through the castle, they encountered many adorable kittens.

Some were rolling over, some fast asleep, while others stood aloof on elevated surfaces, silently observing the foreign visitors.

Passing through two side halls—

Matthew arrived at a warm-toned corridor.

At that moment—

A coffee-colored, plump cat leaped from the railing.

"Are you Mr. Matthew?" the plump cat asked seriously.

"Yes," Matthew replied.

"Follow me; Lady Suerel awaits you in Meeting Room 3," the plump cat said.

Margaret exclaimed, "It's actually the third meeting room! It seems the teacher values you greatly. Only future major clients or mages she deems highly promising get the chance to meet her in this room."

Let's continue transforming the text using the given character names and addressing the specific guidelines provided:

Margaret exclaimed, "It's actually the third meeting room! It seems the teacher values you greatly. Only future major clients or mages she deems highly promising get the chance to meet her in this room."

"Good luck, Matthew."

Fatina turned to her, "Miss Margaret, about this month's interest, shouldn't you settle it by now? You've been overdue for three months. Continuing like this will put me in a difficult position."

Margaret lamented, "Don't do this, Aebing. If you keep pushing me, I'll have to sell myself."

Aebing bluntly replied, "You've been saying that since last year, yet you've hardly paid any interest. Does that imply your figure doesn't meet the aesthetic standards of most humans?"

Margaret angrily retorted, "You're speaking nonsense! I just don't have the sincere intention to sell myself."

Aebing coldly stated, "See, I knew you had no plans to repay. I'll report this to Miss Suerel."

Margaret rushed over, embracing it, "Aebing, my dear Aebing, please grant me a few more months!"

As she spoke, she incessantly rubbed it against her chest.

Aebing, with an expressionless face, said, "I'm a female cat, and honestly, you're really irritating me, Margaret."

Margaret's shoulders trembled with anger.

"This matter has nothing to do with me. You should know that, even if I say nothing, Miss Suerel knows everything. If you intend to default, be prepared for Miss Suerel's wrath. You're her student, you should understand what that implies better than I do."

"Cheer up, Margaret. Here's a phrase Miss Suerel often says—'If a product doesn't sell for a long time, you'd better consider giving a discount.'"

With that said, disregarding Margaret's expression, she led the way ahead.

Not long after,

Matthew arrived at an open door.

The room's interior was adorned with warm-colored checkered blankets.

Aebing ushered Matthew into the meeting room and gestured for him to sit on the couch.

During the wait,

Aebing solemnly said to Matthew, "Listen, kid, you're about to face the most terrifying demon in this world. She'll exhaust all your wealth and burden you with heavy debts. Rational spending is your only way out."

"Miss Suerel dreams of becoming the creditor for everyone in the alliance, making everyone work for her. Currently, a considerable number of mages, like Margaret, have practically become her slaves. I don't want you to follow the same path."

Matthew asked in surprise, "Isn't it inappropriate to speak ill of your master?"

Aebing calmly replied, "This is what Miss Suerel instructed me to say. She doesn't appreciate deceiving clients. For her, after you're mentally prepared, draining you dry is the most fulfilling."

Matthew was instantly chilled by these words. He felt as though thorns had emerged beneath him on the soft couch.

"Is it really that ominous? I have almost five hundred thousand... As long as I restrain my spending, I couldn't possibly be in debt, right?"

Matthew's mind kept doubting.

"You have five minutes to prepare yourself mentally."

"Goodbye, mage. I hope the next time we meet, it won't be for collecting interest from you."

Aebing flicked her tail and swiftly departed.

The meeting room instantly fell quiet.

Matthew discreetly activated his moderation sphere, boosting his morale.

The five minutes passed quickly.

Suerel appeared on time.

First encounter.

Matthew wasn't particularly amazed. Lady Suerel seemed to be in her thirties, with a somewhat round face and black-framed glasses on her nose. Her black hair was plainly draped over her shoulders.

She wore a form-fitting wool corset with a flesh-colored knitted shawl on her shoulders. Her lower half donned a narrowed skirt with unknown material adorned with a few magic diamonds, dazzling at first sight.

In terms of appearance, Suerel wasn't particularly stunning, nowhere near Isabelle.

But on closer inspection, this woman had a charm; every feature, every detail about her seemed meticulously chosen and thought-provoking.

Her face bore a faint smile, giving off a neighborly aunt vibe.

The keyword here was 'big,' contrasting sharply with Margaret.

"At least seventy to eighty percent of Margaret's dressing style is an imitation of Suerel's," Matthew thought to himself.

"Matthew, coffee, milk, or herbal tea?" Suerel's voice was soft and gentle, vastly different from Isabelle's dominant style. She seemed to be a very amiable woman, as long as you weren't too insistent. She'd easily comply.

But Matthew knew it was just a facade. Suerel was as much a formidable mage as Isabelle!

He quickly made a respectful bow, "Good morning, Lady Suerel. Uh, coffee would be perfect, thank you very much."

Suerel smiled gently, "No need to be nervous. Consider yourself at home. Coffee, Natasha?"

Suddenly, from a nearby cabinet, a completely black teapot and two cups flew out. The teapot spun in the air three times.

Then,

A rich aroma of coffee emerged, jet-black liquid spurted from the teapot's spout, accurately landing in the cups.

Moments later,

One of the cups slowly halted in front of Matthew.

He hurriedly took it and sipped.

Instantly,

He felt invigorated!

...

"Note: You've consumed Natasha's potent coffee, your focus +2 (temporary). Duration: 72 hours."

...

"I'm usually busy with work and research, so I haven't paid much attention to young people these years. Just yesterday, Eckmonde reminded me that there's a newcomer in the alliance, an A1, supervised by my best friend Isabelle. Hence, I called you over for a look and a chat."

"Speaking of which, Isabelle is merely your supervising mentor. After the three-year probation for newcomers, you can completely transfer to someone else. So, how about it? Interested in accompanying me at the Crystal Palace?"

Suerel smiled as she looked at Matthew. Her eyes always held a watery gleam, possessing a captivating power.

Matthew quickly averted his gaze, "Um, I don't currently have such plans. I'll follow Isabelle's guidance."

Suerel didn't take offense. She lightly chuckled, "Well then, let's get straight to the point. How much do you know about enchantment?"

Matthew shook his head, "My focus lies in necromancy. I've recently learned a bit about transformation spells, but I'm entirely clueless about enchantment."

Suerel nodded, "That's very common. Most mages lack innate talent in the field of enchantment, which is why magical items always remain scarce. Early on, mages discovered that by specific means and combinations, they could infuse magical energy into other items, granting them magical effects. This process is called enchantment."

In the realm of enchantment, the focus of research is to channel the magic within us onto external objects. Items here include singular magical artifacts and dispersed ritual grounds. However, as the production and research of magical artifacts reached its peak, people suddenly realized that our bodies could also serve as vessels for enchantment.

On this foundation, concepts like spell solidification, spell permanence, and further enhancement of magical abilities emerged. The development of the enchantment field extends beyond these notions. In recent centuries, it has merged with alchemy, giving rise to the splendid art of Constructive Arts.

On the current continent of Aindor, Constructive Arts can be categorized into three types. The first, represented by the Cyber Dragons, is the "External Attachment Construct," where mechanists eagerly create various armors and constructs. Sometimes, they engage in actions with attached constructs, but ultimately, a technician is a technician, and a construct is a construct—they remain separate. This model is also known as the detachable construct.

The second type is the "Implant Construct," represented by the powerful families of Purgatory. As the name suggests, this method involves implanting the power of constructs into the human body. By replacing human body parts, coordination between humans and constructs is further enhanced. However, the flaw in this model becomes apparent as more construct components are replaced. Over time, one may find oneself questioning whether they are still human or just a construct.

The third type involves infusing magic into tiny construct carriers and then implanting them beneath the skin. It harnesses the power of enchantment while offering advantages such as miniaturization, no impact on appearance, limbs, mental health, and spell intensity. I call this model "Suerel Construct."

Through this enchanted means of spell solidification, there are virtually no restrictions except for daily usage. You don't need to chant; just activate your mental power, and the spell will automatically take effect. Whatever you desire, I can infuse all the spells in the world into your body.

Matthew listened, his body trembling slightly. However, Suerel didn't give him a chance to ponder. She directly slapped a spell list in front of Matthew.

"My prices are high, and you only have this one chance. If you miss it and want to hire me next time, you'll need to pay the price of a dragon's nest, at least," Suerel gently said.

"I heard you're learning combat spells with Margaret. If you're interested in developing in that area, there are several spells you can't ignore. I suggest you solidify them as early as possible."

With that, her verdant fingers pointed at the spell list, highlighting several spell names along with the corresponding prices for spell solidification.

"50,000 gold category—

-

Spell Awareness-

Spell Counteraction-

Spell Rebound (rebound all spells below fourth tier)-

-

Iron Body (immune to 90% of physical damage below legendary for 7 seconds)...

-

Magic-Physical Conversion (100,000 gold)-

True Transfiguration: Rocket Ant (150,000 gold)-

True Transfiguration: Hedis Flea (200,000 gold)...

-

Chen's Drunken Fist Style (2,000,000 gold, legendary spell)-

Roderick's Prophecy (2,000,000 gold, legendary spell)-

Ronan's Super Fracture Technique (2,000,000 gold, legendary spell)"

...

As Matthew read, his breathing became heavier...

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