This Necromancer Just Wants to Plant Trees - Chapter 132

In a spacious workshop on the western side of the cemetery, Matthew carefully unwrapped five corpses from their shrouds and arranged them in a neat row on the ground. He was examining the extent of decay in these bodies.

Life and death were the grandest themes in this world, and they were also the most irreversible laws. Even though Matthew had taken proper care of these bodies, they were all showing signs of decay internally.

Matthew punctured the swollen blister on the half-dragon's forehead, and a foul stench filled the workshop. He wrinkled his nose and couldn't help but shake the nearby bell. Suyan, who was napping outside, tugged on the rope vigorously, and with her effort, the giant fan in the center of the workshop roared to life.

The strong wind swept through the room, and the air became a bit fresher. Matthew could finally breathe more freely. He had been dealing with undead for a long time, but his experience in creating them was limited. The fan had been bought for him by Layla after she visited the North-South Trading Post's craftsman workshop.

"It seems I'll need a magic spell to ensure a constant supply of fresh air and remove the foul odors in the workshop."

The incomplete corpses were indeed emitting a strong odor, and Matthew had no choice but to endure it. Among the five bodies, the highest quality ones were the half-dragon necromancer and the wild boar warrior, followed by three dragonblood warriors acquired from the Dragon Cult. Among them, the half-dragon necromancer was the most valuable.

Contrary to common beliefs, true Black Knights were resilient fighters with magical abilities. The best bodies for creating Black Knights were those of spellcasters and priests.

They had a chance to retain some of their former consciousness and a natural proficiency in magic. Half-dragon bodies had excellent physical attributes, and necromancers were skilled in magic, making them perfect candidates for creating top-tier Black Knights. However, since this was his first attempt, Matthew didn't have high expectations for his Black Knights' magical abilities.

In his view, as long as these five could successfully graduate and serve as his meat shields, he would be satisfied. "I can't keep searching for suitable meat shields forever!" After inspecting the condition of the corpses, Matthew called a group of zombies to help him carry the bodies to a corner of the workshop.

There, a row of waist-high clay pots was neatly arranged. Matthew fetched a ladder from the next room, leaned it against the wall, and climbed up. He lifted the black velvet cloth covering the pots, revealing a strong aura of negative energy. The pots were filled with a dark liquid – the extract of the Negative Energy Spring, known as the "Death Essence."

With the help of the zombies, Matthew carefully submerged the five corpses into the Death Essence. They would remain immersed for more than ten days until every part of their bodies was saturated with negative energy. This process was known as "Negative Energy Infusion" and was a crucial step in creating most intermediate undead creatures. The soaking time for Black Knights was relatively short compared to mummies, which required at least 49 days, or ghouls, which needed 19 days or more.

Creating intermediate undead creatures was significantly more complicated than beginners. Negative Energy Infusion was just the first step. After ten days, the process would move to the second and third steps: "Anointing" and "Binding." Anointing involved applying a specialized embalming oil called "Dark God Oil" meticulously to the Black Knights' bodies. This step had to be performed by the necromancer personally and was considered the initial bonding process between the necromancer and the Black Knights.

The quality of the Dark God Oil was crucial as it directly influenced the rank of the Black Knights and the number of dark spells they could use in the future. "Binding" referred to awakening the residual consciousness within the bodies using necromantic summoning magic, igniting their soul fire, and fostering a new consciousness tailored to the undead. Once binding was successful, the Black Knights were already more than half complete. The fourth step, "Seal Engraving Ceremony," and the fifth step, "Master Recognition Ritual," were relatively straightforward, mainly requiring time for refinement.

Matthew estimated that it would take about a month to a month and a half to complete the creation of the Black Knights. The most critical component in this process was the Dark God Oil. Matthew initially planned to purchase it from the market, but he couldn't find much Dark God Oil even in Baiyan City. The Alliance Shop and the Cauldron House had some, but they were prohibitively expensive. After completing the renovation of the cemetery, Matthew's finances were tight, so he had to make the Dark God Oil himself.

The process of making Dark God Oil wasn't overly complex, but the challenge lay in acquiring the materials. Matthew glanced at the list of required materials and furrowed his brows slightly. High-grade corpse oil, roses, cloves, lilies, jasmine, dark thorny shrubs, bone flowers, and ghoul livers were relatively manageable to acquire. However, one item posed a problem: the bone flower, which could only be found in the Negative Energy Plane.

"Why do all undead rituals require ghoul livers?" Matthew grumbled. "Should I raise a few ghouls? It would be convenient for future use."

Matthew knew that ghouls were difficult to control because of their inherent "insatiable hunger" and would consume anything they could reach, even when not hungry. This made them a challenging choice for most necromancers. The same problem applied to other intermediate undead creatures.

Ghouls always wanted to eat something,

Vampires had a thirst for blood,

Banshees liked to tear things apart,

Mummies, on the other hand, were the most obedient, but their habit of hoarding fabric could occasionally trip their masters. The challenge wasn't exclusive to intermediate undead creatures; it was a shared problem among lower-tier undead.

Zombies liked to gnaw on people,

Skeletons were fixated on assembling bones,

Wraiths had an irresistible urge to consume the vitality of living beings.

The only undead that could be easily controlled were the lower-tier ones, as they could suppress their own flaws when commanded by a necromancer. Bathing in the Negative Energy Fountain could quickly dissipate their obsessions. This was one of the reasons why Matthew had rushed to create the cemetery. Intermediate undead creatures, on the other hand, had more significant intellectual capabilities, making their flaws less obvious. However, they each had their unique obsessions, and sometimes necromancers needed to sign stricter contracts to better control them. In such cases, Black Knights became the preferred choice for necromancers because their flaw was self-mutilation. They would quietly self-mutilate in a corner when not disturbed, causing no trouble to anyone. But on the battlefield, they would charge fearlessly. Who wouldn't love that? It was precisely due to this trait that Black Knights became the most favored intermediate undead creatures for necromancers. However, their creation was arduous, and each Black Knight was cherished by the necromancer.

Matthew had even considered disguising himself and trying to persuade a few Black Knights to join him from nearby Baiyan City. However, his "restraint domain" had stopped him in time. Now, he was summoning Felorius. To provide space for Felorius, Matthew left the workshop and entered the cemetery.

A massive and familiar negative energy array appeared in the air. The next moment, the shape rapidly collapsed, and instead of the expected bone dragon, a bony lump hopped out of the teleportation circle. It was entirely bald and resembled a…

Pigeon?

"Hello, master of my master! My name is Portotetron, the bone pigeon. You can call me Portolon or Bone Pigeon, as you like. When you summoned my master, he was in a fierce battle with another Bone Dragon King from the King's Peak. My master sensed that there was no significant danger on this side, so he allowed me to come. I am my master's advisor. If you have something to say to me, it's the same as talking to my master."

The bone lump spoke fluently, with clear articulation, sparking Matthew's interest. "When did you become Little Felly's advisor?" Matthew asked.

The bone pigeon tilted its head in confusion. "Little Felly?"

"Right, I mean Lord Felorius," Matthew clarified. The bone pigeon then explained, "Oh, you mean Lord Felorius? It's hard to say. The Negative Energy Plane doesn't have a concept of time, and we undead aren't good at keeping track of it. It could have been yesterday, the day before, or a week ago. Anyway, I'm now a loyal servant of Lord Felorius. Before following him, I served as a loyal follower to seven or eight quasi-undead kings."

Matthew chuckled and said, "You do seem to have a rich background." The bone pigeon responded, "Well, you know, I indeed have a wealth of experience. I have a unique understanding of the Negative Energy Plane, but it's a pity that all the quasi-kings I served were stubborn and self-absorbed. I told them many times that the King's Peak wasn't auspicious, but they didn't listen. They insisted on occupying that place and becoming kings, and not long after, enemies came knocking. Sigh."

Seeing the bone pigeon's expression, Matthew couldn't help but ask, "Who is Little Felly fighting with? What's the cause, and does it have anything to do with the King's Peak? Please give me the details."

The bone pigeon suddenly perked up.

...

"The enemy is an old bone dragon lurking near King's Hill. This old guy has always had eyes for the hill, but he's been hesitant to make a move.

A while ago, Lord Philorius displayed his might by taking down the previous owner of King's Hill. He straightforwardly set up camp, preparing to become the sixth immortal king of the Ringed Mountain.

However, the other five immortal kings are a despicable bunch. They are: the demi-god lich, the dark general, the tomb colossus, the pharaoh, and the queen of witches. Even the weakest among them is at least a half-step legend. The demi-god lich and the tomb colossus are true legendary figures. They control the authority over this silver land of the Ringed Mountain, consistently thwarting the birth of the sixth immortal king.

Now, Lord Philorius has just shown his mettle, and the other five immortal kings are secretly goading the old bone dragon and its master to start a war.

I know just how timid that old bone dragon really is. Without someone backing him, he wouldn't dare.

I advised Lord Philorius to retreat, to give up King's Hill, pretend to flee. Will those five kings tolerate his presence? Unfortunately, Lord Philorius wouldn’t listen! I acknowledge his determination, but he’s utterly clueless about strategy. I’ve tried explaining in every language possible, but he just can't grasp it.

Eventually, the two bone dragons fought a haphazard battle, still ongoing. Soon enough, those five kings will come to meddle in troubled waters.

Tsk tsk! How about taking me in? I feel Lord Philorius won't be in the limelight for long.

I see you as someone open to advice. I have an entire plan to assist you in becoming the top figure of the Ringed Mountain. If you trust my strategies, you'll undoubtedly ascend to the Fourth Ring Island!

But before that, you must undergo a ritual to transform into a lich. After all, a living human can't become an immortal king."

...

Matthew became increasingly alarmed.

He hadn't expected this little bone pigeon to be so knowledgeable.

Pondering, he asked, "What do 'Ringed Mountain,' 'Silver Land,' and 'Fourth Ring Island' mean?"

The bone pigeon promptly answered, "Ringed Mountain refers to the area Lord Philorius currently occupies in this negative energy plane. Silver Land corresponds to the Gold Land, a relatively barren territory. Legends speak of Diamond Land and Dark Gold Land, where the immortals shine like gold! However, it's just a legend.

As for the Fourth Ring Island, it represents the composition of the entire negative energy plane. We all know that the negative energy plane consists of nine Ring Islands. The higher you go, the greater the negative energy level and the stronger the immortals.

A king on the Ninth Ring Island might just be a general on the Eighth, and merely an elite on the Seventh and Sixth. All intelligent immortals aim to climb higher.

We currently find ourselves on the Fifth Ring Island.

Interestingly, in the legends, when the six immortal kings gather in the Ringed Mountain area, they have a chance to receive guidance from the Fourth Ring Island. However, those five have persistently hindered the birth of the sixth king, shortsighted as they are!

Do you think there's a conspiracy behind this—like the Fifth Ring Island's legend being a trap, luring kings like pigs to be slaughtered?

Do you think my speculation holds any truth?"

The chattering bone pigeon never ceased.

Matthew marveled at its reasoning ability, a rare trait among the immortals. He had indeed considered recruiting the bone pigeon, but it seemed unsavory to snatch someone else's minion. So, he said, "I'm intrigued by the stories of the negative energy plane. If you're willing to share and if your master agrees, I can sign a separate communication contract with you. You'll serve as a messenger between me and Philorius to relay information, alright?"

Without hesitation, the bone pigeon nodded, "Absolutely! I'll inform Lil' Fei right away. I'm now under the master's master; no need to be bullied by him daily! By the way, the master is nearly Fifth Level. The master's master must be a legend, right?"

Matthew contemplated and replied, "Not a legend yet, but getting there."

The bone pigeon was curious, "What level specifically?"

Matthew responded, "Level 12."

The bone pigeon fell silent for a moment, "I think it's good to run errands for Lord Philorius. Of course, you can summon me anytime, given your levels far surpass mine."

Matthew glanced at the data log.

“Reminder: You are chatting with Bone Pigeon (LV1).”

"By the way, what did the master's master call you for this time?" the bone pigeon inquired.

Matthew then informed the bone pigeon of his shortage of corpse oil, bone blossoms, and ghoul livers.

Ecstatically, the bone pigeon exclaimed, "These things are everywhere! Especially ghoul livers. I've had my eye on a ghoul under the master; I'll check if it's dead. Even if it's not, I'll whisper against it and offer it to the master's master!"

Saying this, it vanished into thin air.

Several hours later.

Matthew was crafting tombstones.

The bone pigeon appeared proactively, holding a grey-brown bag filled with the required materials.

"The master said, whenever you need something, just ask. Even if it's his own liver, just a word from you, and he'll give it to you!"

Mimicking Lil' Fei's words enthusiastically, the bone pigeon continued, "The master also said that if his actions in the war ever inconvenience the master's master, it's an unforgivable sin. Rest assured, he'll give his all to take down that old bone dragon, even if he gets severely injured. The next time you call him, he'll drag himself to battle!"

Matthew found it amusing.

Lil' Fei was starting one of his games again.

"Go on, what support does he need?" Matthew asked directly.

The bone pigeon immediately replied, "He wants you, the master himself! Lord Philorius mentioned a peculiar skeletal mage in the old bone dragon's camp, challenging to handle. With you in the battle, it'd be a piece of cake."

Matthew mulled over it.

"Letting me go isn't entirely out of the question, but..."

The bone pigeon lifted the bag, "The master said there are satisfying items inside, an early tribute. After this battle, there will be more offerings for you. I hope you'll accept."

Opening the bag, Matthew found a small clay pot with a pool of golden liquid inside.

"Undying Spring: A sacred object for immortals. It has various uses—

1. A small dose after dilution grants immortals a large XP boost.
2. Mixing it in a negative energy fountain significantly enhances an immortal's overall attributes.
3. Crafting immortals: Gives immortals the ability to resurrect.
4. Carrying the Undying Spring in a bottle offers a chance to further comprehend the realm of immortals."

"Alright, as long as schedules align, you can call me the next time there's a fight," Matthew accepted the objective fact of being Lil' Fei's summon.

After sending the bone pigeon away, he quickly gathered materials for dark rituals. He set up a large cauldron in his workshop, lit a fire, and started the process of making dark godly oil.

In the afternoon, the base for the godly oil was ready, about to enter the final stage of reduction.

It was at this moment that a commotion came from the entrance of the graveyard.

Matthew rushed to investigate, only to find a middle-aged man tugging at the zombies.

He chased the zombies away and asked, puzzled, "Reiga? What are you doing here?"

Reiga pointed to the tears in his clothes, sternly saying, "Your zombies have no discipline. You owe me money for this!"

"In fact, if I weren't giving you face, I would've chopped them all down, one sword at a time!"

Saying this, he handed Matthew an invitation, "In the morning, I saw Aela, but unfortunately, we only exchanged a few words. She left on the pretext of an upset stomach, leaving only the Minister of Deep Blue Harbor and Zeller behind, exchanging pleasantries."

"She hurried over here, but she's been avoiding me, both overtly and subtly. It's unsettling."

"I plan to hold a ball in the evening at the inn in Aela's name. To learn more about her, you must attend."

Matthew pondered, "You've seen Miss Aela? Did you notice anything unusual?"

Reiga recollected, "She's changed significantly from before, but I can't pinpoint the differences. After all, I didn't see her much when she was young."

Matthew pressed further, "If reason can't tell, try asking your intuition—where do you first sense the difference?"

Reiga thought for a moment, "She's become even more beautiful."

"It's a hard-to-describe feeling. Her appearance is still the same, maybe she's even aged a bit, but overall, she's become more captivating and elegant."

Matthew asked, "I'm not interested in the ball."

He pushed the invitation away.

Reiga insisted, "You must go."

He said sternly, "Aela is older and wiser. It's hard to extract valuable information from her quickly, but her adopted daughter, Judy, is different. She's young and enthusiastic about the ball, curious about everything. You can use the ball as an opportunity to get close to her and find out the true purpose of their visit!"

"No refusal allowed, this is work!"

Matthew couldn't help but roll his eyes, "Does the job of a magical consultant include seducing young girls?"

Reiga replied matter-of-factly, "In the line of work for my lord, doesn't it include being a target for your spells?"

"This is the specialty of Rolling Stone Town; you'll have to adapt."

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