This Necromancer Just Wants to Plant Trees - Chapter 145

"What's the Elixir of Eternal Youth?"

Matthew inquired.

The humanoid creature impatiently waved a broom, "The Elixir of Eternal Youth is just that, if you don't have it, you won't get what you want."

"And one more thing, only one of you can pass through here. The other has to stay and help me sweep, or I'll eat both of you!"

She grinned, her white teeth contrasting with blood-red gums, giving off a terrifying vibe.

Terrified, Lysanna shrunk behind Matthew.

He slowly stepped back, whispering, "Why can some creatures maintain such colossal size?"

Lysanna quivered, "They used to be under the Ice Queen's command, privileged with the ability to grow. If small sprites like us try it, we'll be caught and thrown into the Arcane Wilderness, a dangerous place."

Seeing them whispering, the creature growled, "If you don't speak, I'll eat you!"

She swung the broom menacingly.

Suddenly, a dark shadow flew from around the corner.

Matthew peered and recognized a somewhat familiar sprite wielding an enormous axe that didn't match her size at all!

With a swift motion, the axe landed on the creature's neck, leaving a gaping wound. The creature's head fell, hands flailing in the air.

Matthew noticed no blood from the wound, only thin threads emerging, connecting her head as if pulling it back.

"Let's go! This creature won't be completely killed!"

The sprite tossed the axe and flew towards the corner.

Matthew and Lysanna hurried after her.

Looking back while escaping, Matthew saw the creature reassembling its head as if the incident had been an illusion.

"Thank you, Pia Pia!" In a long corridor, Matthew and Lysanna thanked the impulsive sprite for her aid.

Pia Pia proudly waved, "No worries, it was a breeze for me."

"I saw Crybaby and realized I also needed to get my staff and crown, so I followed you all the way here."

"They all say I'm naturally impulsive, but I'm not really! I failed at becoming a fairy princess once, then got cursed mysteriously. Since then, everything I do seems unreliable—a curse of recklessness!"

Perplexed, Lysanna asked, "If you failed, why come for the staff?"

Pia Pia confidently replied, "Because I don't think I failed. Even if I'm not a fairy princess, I can proclaim myself a super fairy princess. After that ceremony, my powers grew immensely. Crybaby knows! Several fairy princesses combined couldn't match me!"

Lysanna weakly nodded, confirming Pia Pia's words.

While Pia Pia's actions seemed exaggerated to Matthew, he sensed no malice towards them.

Unlike Lysanna, who usually lived in the Oak Forest, Pia Pia was a true native of the Floral Court and probably knew more about it.

Taking the chance, Matthew asked, "What happened here? Why was that cleaning person so eerie?"

Pia Pia sighed, "After the Queen vanished, there was chaos in the Floral Fortress. Later, the Priestess took over, but her mental state became unstable. She often sang alone at night and toyed with a broken alarm clock. But we fairies believe such instability is normal. We don't care about our mental states or others'."

"Due to neglect, this place became what it is now."

It seemed to confirm mental instability. Matthew inquired, "What kind of fairy are you?"

Pia Pia shrugged, "I don't remember. Maybe that's part of the curse. But who cares? A great fairy once said, 'Memory is the source of pain, reason is the bed of pain.' I lack both, so I'm happy every day!"

"The only thing that annoys me is the grass spirits, calling me a misfit. They should label me optimistic, not reckless!"

As they walked, Matthew and Pia Pia casually conversed. While Matthew gained some useful information, details about the real situation at the Floral Court remained limited to Pia Pia, primarily residing in the forest.

Arriving at the end of a corridor, they faced a familiar archway revealing a flowery background—a garden.

A crow-headed figure, a guard, stood attentively before the archway.

He seemed to be the gatekeeper here.

The crow-headed man was slightly shorter than the one in the forest.

"Are you here for the Priestess?" the crow-headed figure politely asked.

Pia Pia intervened, "We're fairy princesses here to claim our items!"

The crow-headed figure amiably handed them three dried flowers from his pouch.

"Give these to the Priestess. She'll arrange everything for you."

The guard seemed patient and rational. While ushering them, he casually asked, "By the way, have you seen my brother? I'm worried about his mental state."

Matthew paused and recounted his forest encounter to the guard.

Listening attentively, the guard sighed deeply, "He spent most of his life with me, so where did a wife come from? Probably his mental state is awry!"

"The fairies at the Floral Court are going mad; he was too close to them and got tainted."

"Be cautious, don't get too close to those insane fairies. Stay true to your positions, don't ask or ponder over things you don't understand. That's the only way to maintain sanity!"

As he spoke, a bloodied arm fell out of his pouch!

The guard swiftly retrieved it, "Just an illusion created by the fairies. I've always been rational."

The trio exchanged glances and hastened away.

"What kind of place is this? Why is everyone crazier than me?" Pia Pia complained.

Matthew stayed silent. Finally, he reluctantly used his Balance Perception to prevent potential risks. He swiftly activated and deactivated the ability to avoid unwanted complications.

...

"Balance Perception: You sense contamination originating from 'The Manic Chronometer - Turing'!"

"The Manic Chronometer - Turing: One of the Twilight Creations, sealed in the Arcane Wilderness, controlling aspects of madness and time."

...

Another Twilight Creation. Matthew grew serious. Galen was sealed in the Shadow Realm, while this one, known as The Manic Chronometer, was imprisoned in the Arcane Wilderness. Their seals seemed to be weakening.

Compared to Galen, The Manic Chronometer's influence appeared more potent.

"Even the Floral Court is tainted. What's the situation in the Arcane Wilderness now?" Matthew dreaded.

"What's wrong, Minotaur? You look like you might get the runs any moment," Pia Pia casually asked.

Matthew hesitated, then shared the information with the two sprites.

They reacted with surprise, realizing the corruption of their Floral Court wasn't inherent.

"So, this Manic Chronometer? Is it powerful?" Pia Pia queried.

Matthew nodded, "I can't accurately describe its strength; it controls madness and resides in the Arcane Wilderness. If this persists, the Floral Court's contamination might worsen."

"We must find a way to stop it," Pia Pia declared. She suddenly brightened, "I've got it! What if we become crazier than it? Would it then be unable to taint us?"

"In theory, that might

work," Lysanna chimed in, albeit unsure.

The three stood before the flowery archway, contemplating their next steps.

Would they dare face The Manic Chronometer?

The eerie atmosphere in the tunnel sent shivers down Matthew's spine as Lysanna clutched onto him, her small hand icy cold.

They descended further into the underground passage and reached a level platform flanked by rows of locked rooms. The Priestess led the way, her steps unwavering, but an unexpected event disrupted their journey.

A sudden gust of wind blew a door open, revealing a horrific sight within—a massive iron rack with dead infants, resembling roasted pigs!

Before Matthew could take a longer look, the Priestess forcefully shut the door and gestured for silence. "Don't let Witch Parsons know I took her dogs; she'd go mad! Let's move on."

With those words, she strode ahead confidently, leaving Matthew and Lysanna fearful but hesitant to flee, fearing it might alert the dangers.

They forged on, finally reaching a raised platform with an intricate clock in the center, unusual with just a single hand—a second hand.

"On odd days, danger looms near. The Twilight Creations stir, and the Ice Queen vanished into the deep recesses to protect the Floral Court. To resist the Hunters' power, I had to feign allegiance to the Mad Chronometer Turing, causing significant contamination. But at least, the destruction here hasn't happened yet."

The Priestess continued, "Don't fret too much. Kindness is innate in fairies, even when they're mad; they seldom stray from their nature. The creatures in the Floral Court are all victims; I am the only culprit. Take the scepter and crown, and leave promptly; don't linger."

As she spoke, four radiant objects emerged from the abyss below the platform—two scepters and two crowns, a matching set.

"Who goes first?" the Priestess asked gently.

Matthew was astonished. "Even I have a part?"

The Priestess smiled. "Every fairy princess does, cutie."

She placed the crown on Matthew's head and the scepter landed gracefully in his hand.

"Hint: You've obtained the Princess Scepter and Princess Crown! Use them in fairy or spirit form.

Princess Scepter: Equipping grants the following abilities—Enhanced Spells (1.5 to 3 times effectiveness), Spell Spread (2 to 3 times greater area of effect), Spell Advancement (spells equal to your level +2).

Princess Crown: Equipping provides the following abilities or attributes—Charm +1, Arcane Surge (refreshes all abilities, usable once daily), Cold Resistance (freezes nearby enemies, usable thrice daily)."

These two items were real! And they remained untainted. It felt absurd to Matthew. He glanced at Lysanna, who now sported the princess set as well.

"Your scepter seems a tad larger than mine, Matthew," Lysanna teased.

The Priestess urged them, "Hurry, leave this place. Do not return to the Floral Court unless absolutely necessary."

Roughly, she shoved them out.

Back in the garden, Matthew and Lysanna stumbled upon a hooded woman. She must have been Witch Parsons.

"Where's the Priestess? Bring her out!" Witch Parsons demanded, her tone unfriendly.

"Wait, you've got it wrong, Parsons. I only have four dogs, not five," echoed the Priestess's voice from the tunnel.

Enraged, Parsons stormed in, initiating a noisy scuffle.

"Let's go, this place is all wrong," Lysanna grabbed her small scepter and crown, pulling Matthew away.

They reached the edge of the Floral Fortress, where Lysanna noticed a section of piping on the ground. "We can hitch a ride here!"

She flew over, struggling to lift the pipe. "Matthew, help me turn the valve!"

Matthew obliged, and a surge of water gushed out, creating a small rain nearby. Sunlight beamed down, forming a rainbow from the castle walls.

Lysanna chanted while wielding her staff, solidifying the rainbow into a tangible bridge to the surface. "Let's go!"

They stepped onto the rainbow bridge, slipping downward like they were on an endless roller coaster. In merely two minutes, they arrived at the bridge's end, landing in the forest of the anterior courtyard.

Lysanna navigated swiftly through the forest, leading Matthew back to the black crack, the dimensional rift back to the Oak Forest. As he glanced back, the Floral Court seemed dreamlike, a fairytale he hadn't quite awakened from yet.

Suddenly, heavy footsteps echoed nearby, and a colossal figure emerged from the foliage. Matthew glimpsed a faceless being, garbed like a hunter and brandishing a large double-barreled shotgun!

Seeing them, the faceless figure pointed the dark barrel straight at them without hesitation.

Bang!

Reacting swiftly, Matthew squeezed Lysanna into the crack!

In an instant, they reappeared safely in the Oak Forest.

"What was that faceless being about?" Matthew's nerves rattled.

Lysanna shook her head. "I hardly visit the Floral Court, seems like an intruder."

"No wonder the Priestess warned us; if intruders have made it to the anterior courtyard, the Floral Court isn't secure," Matthew remembered her words.

"She sided with the 'Mad Chronometer' to resist these hunters?"

"Was that faceless being one of them? Where did they come from?" Matthew pondered, left with unanswered questions.

Resting for a while, Matthew suggested they summon the Oak Forest Guardians the next day, understanding Lysanna must be tired after their ordeal.

But Lysanna refused, "I'm not tired at all. With the scepter and crown, I am a true princess now. Thank you, Matthew. I'll summon the Guardians now!"

As she finished speaking, she began a rhythmic chant. Holding the princess items, she exuded more confidence.

Within her enchanting song, Matthew sensed an ancient power stirring. Moments later, the tree right ahead of them shuddered!

Meanwhile, in the town of Rollingstone, at Water Pipe Street 27, the sole brothel, the Sweetheart Tavern, Lolan and Eli entered arm in arm.

However, within a short while, they hurriedly exited.

"Sorry, I can't do it," Eli admitted, feeling somewhat embarrassed.

"Child, trust me. Matthew entrusted you to me; I can give you the best experience," Lolan coaxed.

"Do you believe in Matthew?" Lolan gently asked.

Eli nodded without hesitation.

Lolan continued, "Matthew trusts me just like that. So, trust me like you trust him, understand?"

"Relax! Relax!" Eli hesitated.

"Must it be this way?" Lolan asked.

"We're just going in for a look; it doesn't have to lead to anything. I want to broaden your horizons," Lolan explained.

Pointing at the white cat in her arms, Eli asked, "Do I have to bring her along?"

"Why not?" Lolan smirked. "In the end, she's just a cat. Do you think she'll suddenly jump out and stop you?"

The cat curled up at the mention, burying her head in Eli's embrace.

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