This Necromancer Just Wants to Plant Trees - Chapter 140

The official inn and the lord's mansion were not far apart.

Matthew hurriedly reached the inn's entrance, but instead of charging right in, he took a moment to calm down and chose a different approach.

In an inconspicuous corner, Matthew transformed into a raven and soared over the inn's high walls. He observed the weeds along the wall and the dust on the ground below.

Several crooked stone statues were piled up at the corner of the corridor.

On the eaves of the second hall, the stone ghost statues seemed stiff and clearly the work of apprentice masons.

Matthew flew to a nearby courtyard and quickly spotted two figures, one black and one white, playfully frolicking with each other.

He perched on a higher eave and silently watched the scene below.

The black cat was teaching the white kitten how to deal with a fat, oily mouse. With swift agility, it pounced and slapped the plump mouse to the ground in a single leap.

The white kitten wagged its tail, protesting with indignant meows.

The black cat tilted its head and responded with a few meows, then slowly released its claws.

In a flash, the plump mouse, looking mismatched with its agility, darted past the white kitten.

The latter, not one to back down, chased after it.

Her speed was no less impressive, and within a few breaths, she was about to catch the mouse. But at the critical moment, the fat mouse made a nimble turn, creating some space for its escape.

Then, it darted into the bushes.

The white kitten rushed to catch it but collided with a rock with a resounding thud. She stumbled, her forehead quickly forming a bump.

The black cat gave an expression of "I can't do anything with you."

While the white kitten lay on the ground, whimpering, the black cat quickly circled to the back of the bushes, where there was a shallow burrow.

He didn't care how deep it was; he waved his paw and dug around for a while. To everyone's surprise, he directly pulled out not only the fat mouse but also five or six companions!

These fat mice, cornered by the black cat, showed their fangs and claws, ready for a desperate fight.

However, the black cat lifted its paw and slapped them one by one, causing them all to faint.

At this point, the white kitten leisurely approached, seemingly sulking.

The black cat stood tall, and the white kitten meowed in praise, as if admiring his strength and wisdom.

The summer sun shone through the gaps in the leaves, and a few cat hairs fluttered, carried away by the breeze towards an unknown destination.

The scene was so heartwarming and harmonious.

Matthew silently watched it all, then flapped his wings and flew away.

He couldn't help but feel sorry for Eli. Having just freed himself from the pain of loving a man, he had fallen for another enemy. It was cruel.

The shadow of the Blighted Cult always loomed.

This left Matthew a little uneasy. The Blighted Cult aimed to destroy everything, and apart from the cat-and-mouse game with the Mark of the Dead, there was no clear target.

The Silver Frost Brotherhood set fires not only in the woods but also in the city. Only the Blighted Cult's Blighted Ones!

They were nature's natural enemies.

As a necromancer, Matthew would never allow Blighted Ones near his territory. If they appeared, they had to be completely eradicated!

The little white cat didn't seem to be a Blighted One. If she were, Eli would have sensed her.

Matthew suspected that the Blighted Ones had changed their tactics. They still coveted his Oakwood Grove but now sought to corrupt Eli to achieve their goal.

Matthew believed in Eli. No matter how much suffering he endured, he would never turn his love for nature against others.

"If this white cat doesn't have a bad track record, we should find a way to bring her to our side. It could be valuable for dealing with the Blighted Cult or bringing happiness to Eli. Both are worthwhile goals," Matthew thought.

Unfortunately, the white cat was not one of the Undead, or Matthew would have already marked her.

He paced back and forth outside the inn. Before long, Lorin caught up to him.

"You walk so fast, Matthew! You haven't even finished listening to my song. The story includes a necromancer who turns into a raven. He can't bear to see his companions get hurt, so a clever bard steps in. Lorson comes up with a clever plan, and the Blighted Cult's conspiracy is about to fall apart! Haha, how was my singing?" Lorin asked.

Matthew forced a smile. "Your singing is good, but next time on the street, you should cover your chest hair. The culture in Rolling Stone Town is relatively conservative, and you don't want to give others the wrong impression."

Then he noticed Lorin's lyrics and asked, "Do you have a plan?"

Lorin shook his head. "I haven't thought of one yet. The phrase 'Lorson comes up with a clever plan' was added for the rhyme; otherwise, people might think I'm a bard who can't even rhyme properly."

Matthew sighed. "Hasn't he confided in you?"

He's been through a lot, or rather, he's been suffering ever since he met me. Sometimes I wonder if Eli would be happier if he distanced himself from me."

Lorin nodded understandingly. "It sounds quite complicated. How did you two meet?"

Matthew recalled, "I met him through his ex-girlfriend."

Lorin suddenly seemed to understand. "I see."

Matthew was confused. "What do you understand?"

Lorin wore a mischievous smile. "Oh, I could have had so much fun with him!"

"Matthew, you shouldn't have revealed my identity," Matthew said with a surprised look.

"Are you a devil?" Matthew asked.

Lorin shook his head and explained, "In my view, the main reason your little brother is so easily swayed is that he hasn't experienced enough pain."

"Based on my experience, young boys tend to have this weakness to some extent, but once they experience true suffering, they may wake up."

"Hand him over to me, Matthew. I'm good at helping boys grow up using my unique methods."

Matthew looked at him skeptically. "You won't do anything inappropriate, will you?"

Lorin showed an indignant expression. "Have a little faith in me, okay? I'm the most reliable of the Southern Demigods!"

Matthew quickly asked, "How many demigods are there in the South?"

Lorin replied uncertainly, "Two and a half?"

Matthew puzzled, "Why half?"

Lorin explained, "The half one has gone crazy and roams the barren lands of the southwest, constantly talking nonsense about the end of the world."

Matthew continued, "What about the other one? Why do you think he's less reliable than you?"

Lorin laughed and said, "Oh, the other demigod's mental state isn't very stable either. He has a cognitive error about his own race. He lives in the southern part of the Everlasting Forest. In recent years, he often appears in the form of an old beggar, sitting by the side of the road, asking for gold coins, and eating instant noodles. He thinks it's the most valuable item on the continent. Don't you think I'm quite reliable compared to them?"

Matthew gave a blank look. "I see. So you want to lure him over with your instant noodles?"

Lorin patted Matthew on the shoulder. "You finally understand me. With my ability to teach young boys to be men and my boundless instant noodles, we can make him leave you!"

Matthew continued to look blankly at Lorin.

"What are you thinking?" Lorin asked.

Matthew replied, "You're quite a bizarre person."

Lorin gave an innocent smile. "Is that a good thing?"

Matthew was speechless.

"Sorry for causing you so much trouble." Lorin patted Matthew on the shoulder and said, "Let's go to the inn. We'll think of a solution together."

While Matthew was tending to the graves, he unexpectedly stumbled upon a new subspecies of Silver Frost Undead. He looked around, puzzled, as these undead creatures carried tombstones on their backs. These peculiar creatures seemed rather ordinary in their idle state, standing with their hands crossed behind their backs, resembling human laborers.

In battle, however, they could use the tombstones both as weapons to strike their foes and as shields for defense. Their elegance in battle was admirable, but they lacked flexibility.

Matthew decided not to mass-produce this subspecies. Instead, he provided a separate resting place for the tombstone-carrying undead and returned to his other activities.

Today, he planned to research the arcane items he had collected in his laboratory, but he had faced difficulties early on. Identifying these items required "Advanced Appraisal Scrolls," much like the arcane staff and flashlight he had previously acquired.

Unfortunately, Matthew's attempt to identify them through his necromantic knowledge had failed. Consequently, he decided to purchase two scrolls from the Alliance Store and use them today.

Today was the day for appraisal!

With the symbol of otherworldly knowledge, a magical rune danced around the small flashlight in his hand, then slowly sank in. In no time, rows of information appeared before his eyes.

"Hint: Appraisal successful!

You have acquired the 'Casual Glance Flashlight'!

Description: With this flashlight, you can use it for regular illumination or to peek into others' backpacks and storage items.

1. Illumination: Turn on the flashlight for standard lighting. The brightness level depends on your level of excitement. The more excited you are, the brighter the light.

Note: Please do not use this as a heart rate monitor! It is effective but not accurate.

1. Casual Glance: Activate the flashlight and say the activation incantation in the local common language: 'I'll just take a look.' Point the flashlight's faint red light at the target. You will receive detailed information about 3 to 6 items in the target's backpack or storage item.
2. Current Energy: 1/4 bar (rechargeable) Recharge method: Unknown (requires more knowledge of necromancy)."

"This is quite intriguing," Matthew thought. He then spoke the incantation: "I'll just take a look."

The front of the flashlight emitted a dim red light. Matthew aimed it casually, and it happened to land on Peggy, who was indulging herself.

"You've found the following items on Peggy:

Carried Items:

• Inferno Food Codex
• 347 gold coins
• Dark Gold Bone Blade

Dimensional Backpack:

• Horn of the Green Grass Tribe (Damaged)
• Heart of the Tauren (Damaged)
• Ritual Staff"

Matthew was surprised to see these items. Why did Peggy have things like "Horn of the Green Grass Tribe," "Heart of the Tauren," and a "Ritual Staff" in her possession?

He checked the details and found that the "Horn of the Green Grass Tribe" could summon Tauren from another world. The "Heart of the Tauren" was meant for establishing a Tauren tribe. As for the "Ritual Staff," its effect was unknown. It was likely an essential item for Tauren rituals.

Did she intend to start something with these? Matthew wondered.

"That doesn't seem right," Matthew questioned. But Peggy appeared genuinely confused. "What are you talking about? I don't have a Tauren tribe's horn or the heart of the Tauren in my possession."

"Wait a minute," Matthew said, realizing that there might be a hidden dimensional backpack on Peggy, one she wasn't aware of. Such a unique ability could be attributed to some high-level Undead beings.

He explained his discovery to Peggy, and both of them were excited. Matthew suggested that they search for this hidden backpack. They spent the whole afternoon trying to find any signs of the dimensional backpack, even disassembling parts of Peggy's skull, but they found no trace.

"Could it be inside my soul fire?" Peggy asked. "Maybe you should cut me open to take a look."

Matthew hesitated for a moment. "It might be too challenging to find that dimensional backpack. We might need a higher level to unlock it."

Peggy agreed, saying, "Alright, Matthew. Can you help me put myself back together, please?"

Matthew looked at the scattered bones all around and sighed. He suddenly felt a sharp pain in his temple.

The following morning, Matthew, sporting dark circles under his eyes, arrived outside the Cauldron House. The first batch of mages from the Alliance had already arrived in Rolling Stone Town, led by the cheerful Archmage Eckmonde, dressed in a white robe.

"Matthew? What's going on?" Eckmonde said, puzzled as he saw Matthew, with half a pelvis hanging from his neck.

Matthew quickly gathered the bones and placed them into his bag. Eckmonde, still confused, asked, "Why were you hanging a pelvis around your neck? And how late were you playing with your skeletons? Staying up too late is bad for your health."

Matthew apologized, and Eckmonde sighed. He threw a large magic carpet that the group could sit on, and the middle-level mages quietly took their seats.

"Take us to the Mark of the Dead," Eckmonde said with a friendly tone.

Matthew led the mages on a tour of the Mark of the Dead and his protective measures. As Vandal had stated, there wasn't much to show. The presentation concluded by noon.

Eckmonde asked about the day's schedule, and Matthew enthusiastically suggested they have lunch at the Western Valley Farm. He admitted that the rural cuisine might not suit everyone's taste, but it would be a unique experience.

Eckmonde immediately cast his magic carpet, enveloping the group. They took off and headed towards their destination: Western Valley Farm.

Meanwhile, a tense negotiation was about to commence. Representatives from Red Earth Mountain and Rolling Stone Town had taken their positions. Red Earth Mountain, holding the upper hand in terms of military strength, initiated the talks with an aggressive approach.

"I must be blunt," the Red Earth Mountain representative declared, "I don't see any value in forming an alliance with Rolling Stone Town. The Lord only ordered me to come here and evaluate the situation."

After a dismissive comment, he added, "Meeting you in person has indeed been disappointing. Rolling Stone Town only sent these three individuals:

• A man who dresses like a proper gentleman.
• A somewhat effeminate young man.
• And you, with your exposed chest hair. Do you know nothing about basic respect?"

On the other side of the negotiating table, Richard, Zeller, and Lorin exchanged puzzled glances, ready to respond.

However, just as they were about to reply, a sharp whistle pierced the air. A gigantic magic carpet descended gracefully near the farm.

A bewildered Eckmonde looked at Matthew and said, "Matthew? What's going on? Why do you have half a pelvis hanging around your neck?"

Matthew hastily stashed the bones away and explained the situation to the Archmage, apologizing for his appearance. Eckmonde's eyes glinted with a golden light before he reprimanded, "How could you stay up late playing with your skeletons? It's not good for your health, you know."

Matthew and the mages were then enveloped by a giant magic carpet, and they departed for their next destination: the Mark of the Dead.

Meanwhile, at the negotiation table, the Red Earth Mountain representative continued his disparaging remarks. However, their meeting was about to be interrupted by the unexpected arrival of Matthew and the mages from the Alliance.

Eckmonde, with a warm smile, announced, "Let's take a look at what the Mark of the Dead has to offer."

Matthew would soon find himself caught up in a tense and unpredictable negotiation.

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