This Necromancer Just Wants to Plant Trees - Chapter 123

The scene began with a cluster of mushroom houses. In the vicinity, a group of apprentices looked bewildered, led by a handsome man.

He seemed approachable.

After a few moments, the man led the apprentices to a barren field. He produced a shovel out of nowhere and started digging expertly. The apprentices watched, trying to learn the technique.

After a while, the man brought out dozens of shovels and gestured for the apprentices to follow his lead.

The scene shook violently, and in the next moment, they saw the man planting trees, with many apprentices still observing.

At first, the onlookers were patient, silently watching the apprentices and the man planting trees. However, they gradually sensed something was amiss. Why was he still planting trees after all this time?

All eyes turned to Isabelle.

Isabelle, with her white hair framing her face, said, "Don't look at me. Matthew clearly doesn't know how to use the crystal ball, so he recorded a lot of random stuff."

The leaders exchanged subtle glances.

Eckmonde suggested, "Can we fast forward?"

Isabelle considered it and said, "We can, but this crystal ball is the cheapest version; it may not work well."

Eckmonde breathed a sigh of relief. "I'll give it a try."

He extended his right index finger, pointed at the empty space in front of the crystal ball, and pulled.

In the next moment, the scene switched to an aerial view. They could clearly see a trench resembling a protective umbrella at the end of the trace of the Mark of the Dead.

That was the Death Wasteland! The scene abruptly stopped.

"Is it over?" Eckmonde asked in surprise.

Isabelle nodded. "You pulled too much; this is the last scene."

One of the six spectral figures spoke slowly, "Pull it back a bit, Eckmonde. We want to see the process."

Eckmonde quickly adjusted the crystal ball with confidence. "No problem. I can show you anything you want."

The sudden pause in his speech was due to a woman's scream coming from the crystal ball: "Ah! Ah! Ah!"

The scream almost interrupted Eckmonde's words. The following scene was equally shocking.

The scene suddenly shifted to a dark cellar, filled with wine barrels, presumably from a private winery.

In the center of the scene, a man and a woman were engaged in an unusual and intimate activity.

The man had a strained expression, gritting his teeth, while the woman's face contorted in apparent pain.

"Is that Matthew? Why does he look less attractive?" one of the spectral figures asked.

"You might need new glasses, Roderick. Fortunately, you didn't mistake the woman underneath for Matthew," another figure teased.

Roderick was astonished. "Is the one underneath a woman?"

This statement left everyone in silence.

Isabelle watched the scene with great interest and said, "Let's test your divination skills, Roderick. If your predictions are accurate, then there's no need for glasses."

Roderick fell silent for three seconds and quickly replied, "The man's name is Reiga, and the woman is Jenny. The incident took place in the Craftsman District of Rolling Stone Town at a private winery called No Goodnight. Reiga is the lord of Rolling Stone Town, and he has had an ongoing illicit affair with Jenny. Jenny's nominal husband is named Bryse, and he appears to be an honest cobbler on the surface. However, he's actually a spy sent by the Highleaf Clan to Rolling Stone Town. He knew about his wife's involvement with Reiga and endured it, with the goal of achieving a great feat. Jenny had a bad reputation in Rolling Stone Town, as everyone believed her to be a loose woman. This was because every time Reiga visited her for a tryst, he assumed a different identity. Sometimes he was the chauffeur for the lord's mansion, other times a different chauffeur, occasionally a cook, and sometimes a stablehand. The rumors about Jenny being promiscuous with the lord's men started to spread, and some even ventured to her house in the dead of night, only to be soundly beaten and thrown out. This woman had extraordinary combat skills for a mortal and had many admirers, but she chose to fall in love with Reiga, whether it was fortunate or unfortunate. Oh, destiny..."

Isabelle held out her hand, showing all five fingers, signaling Roderick to stop.

The reason was simple, not that she didn't want to hear more gossip but because Eckmonde had quickly advanced the scene to the arrangement ceremony of the Death Wasteland.

In no time, they had witnessed Matthew constructing the protective umbrella.

"Is it that simple?" Eckmonde seemed incredulous.

"That's right," Isabelle replied calmly. "A Death Wasteland can stop the spread of the Mark of the Dead. You should have thought of it earlier. The Undying and the Ashen have always competed for positions, and necromancers are the best tools to counter the Mark of the Dead."

Eckmonde, lost in thought, said, "Years ago, we did think about it, but someone vehemently opposed it and forcibly terminated the plan to involve necromancers in the Mark of the Dead."

Isabelle asked in surprise, "Who did this wonderful deed?"

Eckmonde rushed to say, "It was you! You strongly opposed it and claimed that Duncan's surgical knife was a better solution."

Isabelle pondered and then said, "Was it me?"

Her face quickly displayed a hint of anger. "Is my memory failing, and you're all trying to blame me for everything?"

Eckmonde hurriedly responded, "I have evidence!"

Isabelle contemplated, "What were my reasons for opposing it? Just because I wanted to use a surgical knife?"

Eckmonde explained, "Not exactly. Our opinions were quite ambiguous at the time, not as strong as yours. The main issue was that those necromancers were untrustworthy. The lord of White Rock City at the time wanted to revive the Mark of the Dead into a giant ghostly apparition. I suspected he wanted to use it to bring about the end of the world. The necromancer group from the north wanted to domesticate the Mark of the Dead to harvest life energy, turning it into their backyard. The necromancers within our alliance were relatively cleaner; they only wanted to siphon more funds and, while everyone's attention was in the south, they initiated several small-scale undead catastrophes in the north. If they hadn't massacred a village near Roderick's hometown, we wouldn't have noticed it. The main reason we terminated the project was due to your strong opposition and the fact that the Mark of the Dead project consumed too much of the alliance's resources. Due to all these factors, you've held a deep bias against necromancers. You even specifically told us, especially Rorann, that necromancers couldn't be trusted. But at the time, Rorann was deeply in love with a ghostly necromancer, and they were in the passionate throes of their romance. They had a big fight over this matter, and it eventually ended..."

"Enough!" Isabelle impatiently waved her hand. "Eckmonde, it seems you're going through menopause with all this talking."

Eckmonde moved his mouth, looking slightly aggrieved, his eyes filled with frustration.

"Now, the question is, Matthew has presented the results. How do you plan to handle it?" Isabelle inquired.

Seeing that everyone remained silent, Eckmonde stepped forward. "Let Matthew handle it completely. We can launch a joint S1 project, with Matthew in charge, and you can assist as a supervisor. Since it's an S1 project, you will remain the ultimate head."

Isabelle gazed at the six spectral figures without expressing approval. "You all heard Eckmonde. An S1 project. Are you willing to entrust it to a wild mage?"

"I have no objection," Roderick, the Northern Guardian, responded first.

"I'm not interested. I'll go along with whatever you decide," the Western Guardian said indifferently.

"I...cough, cough, cough, cough!" When it was the Eastern Guardian's turn to speak, he began coughing violently. His spectral form writhed like a giant snake on the ceiling and walls.

"I'm fine, I'm fine. It was just that damned dragon again; he's harassing me. I'm giving him a beating right now...cough, cough, cough!" His voice, however, didn't sound optimistic.

"Are you alright, Chen? I thought I heard you coughing up blood," Isabelle said, showing rare concern.

The scene opened in front of a cluster of mushroom houses, where a group of eager apprentices was gathered. Leading them was a charismatic individual, looking approachable and confident. The apprentices watched with curiosity as this person began to demonstrate a unique technique.

With expert precision, the man produced a shovel seemingly out of thin air and started digging. The apprentices watched closely, trying to learn the secrets of this newfound skill. As the man continued to dig, he suddenly conjured dozens of shovels, passing them to the apprentices, who began to follow his lead.

The scene suddenly shook, making everyone tense. They watched as the man continued to plant trees with unwavering dedication, and the apprentices kept observing. However, as time passed, their initial curiosity turned into bewilderment. Why was this man planting so many trees for such an extended period?

All eyes turned to Isabelle, the mysterious observer with white hair framing her face. She sighed and said, "Don't look at me. Matthew seems to have no idea how to operate this crystal ball properly. It's filled with random footage."

The group of leaders exchanged subtle glances, unsure of how to proceed. Eckmonde, one of the spectral figures, suggested, "Can we fast forward through this?"

Isabelle considered the idea and replied, "We can, but this crystal ball is the cheapest version. Fast forwarding might not work very smoothly."

Eckmonde, relieved to be making progress, nodded and took control of the crystal ball. With a flick of his index finger, he manipulated the scene, and suddenly, they were looking at an aerial view of a trench resembling an umbrella shape at the end of the Mark of the Dead's trail. This was the Death Wasteland, and the scene came to a sudden halt.

Eckmonde questioned, "Is it over?"

Isabelle nodded. "You might have fast-forwarded too much. This is the last scene available."

One of the spectral figures, who had been mostly silent, spoke up, "Can we rewind a bit? We want to see the process."

Eckmonde quickly adjusted the crystal ball and reversed the scene. They watched as Matthew constructed the protective umbrella in more detail.

Isabelle interrupted, "So, that's the concept. A Death Wasteland can effectively halt the spread of the Mark of the Dead. You should have thought of this earlier. The Undying and the Ashen have always been in competition, and necromancers are valuable tools in countering the Mark of the Dead."

Eckmonde, deep in thought, questioned, "We did consider this years ago, but someone vehemently opposed it and shut down the plan to involve necromancers in the Mark of the Dead. Who could have made that decision?"

Isabelle raised an eyebrow and pondered. "Was it really me?"

A hint of anger crossed her face. "Is my memory failing, and you're all trying to blame me for everything?"

Eckmonde was taken aback. "But you had strong reasons for opposing it. You insisted on using Duncan's surgical knife instead."

Isabelle thought back and asked, "What were my reasons for opposing it? Just because I favored the surgical knife?"

Eckmonde explained, "It was not solely about the surgical knife. Our opinions were mixed. The issue was the untrustworthiness of the necromancers involved. The lord of White Rock City wanted to revive the Mark of the Dead into a massive spectral apparition. We suspected he planned to use it to bring about the end of the world. The necromancer group from the north aimed to tame the Mark of the Dead and harness its life energy, essentially turning it into their backyard. The necromancers within our alliance were more discreet, primarily seeking to extract more funds. Still, while everyone's attention was focused on the south, they initiated several small-scale undead catastrophes in the north. If they hadn't slaughtered a village near Roderick's hometown, we might never have noticed. Your strong opposition and the heavy resource demands of the Mark of the Dead project ultimately led to its cancellation. Do you remember your words, especially to Rorann? You made it clear that necromancers could not be trusted. However, Rorann was deeply in love with a ghostly necromancer at the time. They had passionate arguments, and their romance eventually ended..."

"Enough!" Isabelle impatiently waved her hand. "Eckmonde, it seems like you're experiencing menopause with all this talking."

Eckmonde seemed agitated and looked frustrated. He muttered something under his breath.

"Now, the question is, Matthew has presented the results. How do you plan to handle this?" Isabelle inquired.

Seeing that the leaders remained silent, Eckmonde took the initiative. "We'll let Matthew handle it entirely. We can initiate a joint S1 project, with Matthew as the leader, and you can supervise. As it's an S1 project, you'll retain ultimate authority."

Isabelle gazed at the six spectral figures without giving her approval. "You all heard Eckmonde. An S1 project. Are you comfortable entrusting it to a wild mage?"

Roderick, the Northern Guardian, responded first. "I have no objections."

The Western Guardian, more nonchalant, stated, "I'm not interested. I'll support your decision."

The Eastern Guardian began to speak but was interrupted by a violent cough. He explained, "I'm fine. It's just that troublesome dragon bothering me again. I'm giving him a piece of my mind right now."

Isabelle expressed concern. "Are you alright, Chen? I thought I heard you coughing up blood."

The Eastern Guardian struggled to speak amidst his coughing fit. "I'm fine. It's that damn dragon... cough, cough."

Isabelle's concern shifted to frustration. "Silence, Chen! Notify me only when you're truly dead!"

Isabelle showed rare concern, "I thought I heard you coughing up blood, Chen."

The Eastern Guardian continued to cough and provided more context. "No, no, it's just that pesky dragon. I'm giving him a piece of my mind... cough, cough."

"Are you alright, Chen?" Isabelle asked, showing concern.

Eckmonde spoke up, agreeing with Matthew taking charge of the S1 project, and Isabelle as a supervisor. He declared, "So, it's settled. Matthew will lead the project. However, I believe that Matthew may need time to grow and develop his skills further. During this period, the alliance can send some mages to observe and learn from him. The focus should be on understanding Matthew's approach. Remember to send them in batches and coordinate with Matthew in advance. Understood?"

Eckmonde nodded approvingly, "Understood."

Isabelle remembered something and added, "Eckmonde, please tell Matthew to purchase some better crystal balls. No more second-hand ones."

Having made their decisions, Isabelle stood up and dismissed the meeting, "That's all for now. Also, arrange for Ronan to visit my office."

Eckmonde agreed, "I'll make sure he understands the consequences of missing class."

Time slipped by, and before they knew it, it was mid-May.

With the Mark of the Dead crisis behind them, Matthew began to allocate his efforts elsewhere. In addition to tending to his grove, learning magic, and idly spending his time at work, he took on two new responsibilities.

The first was in early May when a magical item shop named the "Deep Sea Mystery" officially opened in the northern trading post of Rolling Stone Town.

The shop made a bold statement with a huge sign that read, "Aqua Breathing Potions - Approved by Naga!"

The grand sign and unusual advertising quickly caught the attention of passersby. Rumor had it that the shop's grand opening saw a crush of curious townsfolk and travelers. However, despite the bustling crowd, not a single potion was sold on the opening day.

Most of the visitors were merely curious, and they were not willing to spend too much money. The shop's limited selection, focusing mainly on aqua breathing potions and the more expensive frogman elixirs, deterred potential buyers. With such a limited range of products and high prices, no actual sales were made.

However, the catchphrase "Approved by Naga!" became the talk of the town among the townsfolk and travelers. People wondered why a Naga, who could already breathe underwater, needed aqua breathing potions. It was a strange paradox that brought laughter and teasing remarks to the store clerks.

The shop's location in the Northern Trade Post primarily catered to trade between Riverflow City, Emerald Green Court, and various northern cities. Soon, two mages arrived, having heard about the shop's high-quality aqua breathing potions. They were impressed with the quality, but the reasonable pricing was what sealed the deal.

The mages were eager to purchase a large supply of the potions, but the store clerk informed them about a purchase limit due to the shop's recent opening. They could, however, reserve more potions in the next shipment if they paid a third of the cost as a deposit.

The mages argued with the clerk but eventually accepted the terms and placed a reservation.

The shop's business gradually picked up, and its supply of aqua breathing potions started moving consistently.

Matthew could feel the thrill of reaping substantial profits. He decided to oversee the store for about a week before delegating the day-to-day operations to members of the Roaring Flare Brotherhood. The business was just a small part of his plans for May, though.

The most crucial task on his agenda was finally starting to build the graveyard. The concept of a graveyard in the realm of the undead differed significantly from traditional notions. It functioned as a "ritual site," providing a place for undead residents to enhance their combat abilities. As the graveyard expanded, it could generate a "Well of the Undying," continually birthing new undead.

Matthew aimed to make this place a haven for the elite undead, complete with markers and monument construction, and fostering a sense of community.

However, starting this project was easier said than done.

Before choosing the location, Matthew had considered the future steps of ritual site construction. He deliberately chose a spacious underground area with suitable soil conditions. Nevertheless, the place required extensive renovations.

Renovating an underground city typically required a significant amount of labor. Zombies were excellent for digging but terrible at handling more delicate tasks, like crafting.

The inefficiency of this process frustrated Matthew. He often thought, "If only I had a team of gray dwarves for construction."

Gray dwarves were renowned for their ability to carve a perfect underground city in any type of rock. However, the location was not suitable for them, as it was too close to the surface.

Matthew had no choice but to lead the undead workers himself, micromanaging their efforts step by step. Progress was slow, and there were occasional cave-ins, leading to the unfortunate demise of a few zombies. However, Matthew did have an unexpected helping hand, a stone golem named Sinwak.

Sinwak proved to be a valuable asset during the construction. He obediently followed Matthew's orders, using his incredible ability to destroy stone to expedite the process. No matter how sturdy the walls appeared, they crumbled under Sinwak's relentless onslaught. His proficiency in working with stone was undeniable.

Despite the occasional cave-ins, the renovation of the graveyard was making steady progress, thanks to Sinwak. Matthew watched over the golem's work with satisfaction.

As the night settled in, Matthew finished overseeing the arduous renovation and emerged from the underground chamber, covered in dirt and sweat. The moonlight bathed the world in a serene and peaceful glow. He decided to take a break and headed toward the Oakwood Forest.

There, a figure shrouded in white cloth awaited him.

"Good evening, Matthew," a solemn voice greeted him. The figure was none other than Lysanna, the mysterious Shadowsworn disciple.

As they prepared to discuss the next steps in the ritual site construction, Matthew remembered that the location was strictly off-limits. However, he cast the "Dustless" spell, ensuring their safe passage into the sacred space beneath the moonlight.

The screen suddenly flashed a message:

"Notification: You and your companion, Lysanna, have entered the Moonlit Grove. Would you like to consume one Servant slot to transform 'Shadowsworn Acolyte Lysanna' into your 'Moonlight Acolyte'?"

Matthew had a decision to make.

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