This Necromancer Just Wants to Plant Trees - Chapter 111

Matthew's proposal was not particularly unique in the context of the past. Such ideas for creating firebreaks were often used to deal with forest fires. However, for the slowly developing Eindor continent, this way of thinking was revolutionary. Among the various solutions proposed by the Seven Saints Alliance before, he hadn't seen a template like this.

So when Matthew spoke those words, Reiga and Old Falon's expressions were filled with astonishment. Their lips parted and closed again, as if they wanted to argue but couldn't find a suitable reason.

Finally, Reiga cautiously replied, "With my limited knowledge of magic, I cannot determine the feasibility of your plan for now. I need to consult with a few more people, and at least I need to hear Zeller's opinion before I can give you an answer."

Matthew nodded in understanding. Reiga's reaction was normal, considering that this was his territory, and he had to be cautious with every decision related to the safety of his domain. The lord was the ultimate responsible person in Rolling Stone Town, and every decision he made had to be weighed carefully.

"Don't worry, I should be able to hold them off for now," Matthew confidently stated. "If you are concerned about the 'Death Scorch' ritual, I can also set up a small experimental field to show you the effects after the ritual."

As they were talking, an elegant figure appeared on a distant hillside. Richard walked without expression, holding the end of a rope tied to one person after another. These people walked reluctantly, as if they didn't want to go but also didn't dare to stay. Their awkward appearance resembled a herd of sheep being herded.

Matthew counted them – a total of eleven members of the Silver Frost Brotherhood, with half of them being arsonists and the other half being gangster thugs. He also noticed that the leader who had provoked them earlier, a man named Saetlenk, was not among them. Had he managed to escape?

Richard led this group to stand before Reiga and handed the rope to a nearby guard. "Except for the one called Saetlenk, the rest are all here," he reported.

He picked up his cane from the ground and brushed off the dust. Reiga chuckled, "Let him run? No problem, these people are enough. I plan to hand them over to Baiyan City. The average bounty there is lower than in the Emerald Court, but it's still a substantial income. When the money comes in, I'll have Zeller give it to you."

Richard remained silent, not showing any interest in the money.

Reiga then repeated Matthew's plan. After hearing it, Richard's face showed surprise. Reiga asked, "What do you think? You also find it unreliable, right?"

Richard shook his head. "At least it's more reliable than the plan proposed by the leader of the Seven Saints Alliance in the past."

"The leader of the Seven Saints Alliance?" Matthew was curious. "Which transcendental mage proposed a strategy for dealing with the Mark of Death? I couldn't find any related content in the materials given to me by the Alliance."

Richard looked at the Mark of Death, which continued to drop sparks in the distance, and sighed, "That was many years ago. At that time, a transcendental mage was very enthusiastic about handling the Mark of Death mess. She spent many years trying various methods and eventually came up with an amazing strategy. It was a super spell called 'Duncan's Scalpel.' It was a seventh-level spell, a divine spell, which only mages with a level of 28 or higher could cast. The principle of this spell was to summon a huge pair of scissors, cut open the earth, extract the Mark of Death, and then throw it into the Astral Plane. I have a familiar mage in the Alliance, and he described it to me that way."

Matthew was amazed. This level of spell was like reshaping the plane itself. Regardless of the final result, just cutting open the earth could easily cause energy field collapses and temporal disturbances, which might lead to the Mark of Death not being thrown into the Astral Plane, but rather a new Astral Ruin in the center of Eindor.

This plan was much more ruthless than his!

Although others couldn't understand what a seventh-level spell meant, from Richard's description, they could tell that this plan was definitely dangerous.

"What happened next?" Reiga asked anxiously. "When did this happen, and why don't I know about this plan? How was it stopped?"

Richard explained, "This plan was not stopped but rather rendered unfeasible due to practical factors. In fact, the transcendental mage had made all the preparations at the time. Since this spell required the cooperation of three divine mages, she had discussed it with two other transcendental mages in the Alliance. You see, at that time, there were only three god mages with a level above 28 in the Alliance. These three were known as the 'Three Titans,' and they were truly important figures. However, when it came time to implement the plan, the other two transcendental mages suddenly changed their minds. It seems they felt that the risks outweighed the benefits. So the plan fell through. But after that, the mental state of that transcendental mage began to deteriorate. She always felt that the other two Titans were targeting her. Not long after, she left the Alliance and went north. Later, she founded an organization that you're familiar with—the Draconic Cult. Her name was Isabelle, and Mr. Ronan is probably quite familiar with her. After all, he was one of Isabelle's favorite disciples, even his wife was chosen for him by Ms. Isabelle."

At this point, Richard paused. "Speaking of which, I heard that you were going to cause trouble for the Draconic Cult recently. I thought the position of Mayor of Rolling Stone Town was going to change hands. I even prepared a campaign slogan for the new mayor. But I didn't expect you to come back alive."

Reiga immediately looked relieved, patting his chest. "Fortunately, I was lucky on this trip. If I had really taken down that Blorken, would there be transcendental mages waiting for me afterwards? Wait a minute, does this mean Blorken is actually Ronan's junior?"

Richard shrugged, "I don't know. There are too many dirty secrets in the Alliance, and in recent years, I've tried to turn a blind eye to them. I just wanted to remind you that Isabelle still wields a lot of influence in the Alliance. Even Ronan probably wouldn't openly contradict her."

Satisfied with Matthew's logic, Richard added, "But your plan, from a logical standpoint, seems to have no problems. To come up with a better solution than god mages, even if it's just to delay the spread of the Mark of Death, is remarkable. No wonder Ronan values you so much. My suggestion is, give it a try."

Matthew modestly responded and then asked, "By the way, do you know anything about this guy called Saetlenk?"

Richard's expression suddenly became strange, and he seemed conflicted. After several seconds, he sighed deeply. "I was planning to tell you about Saetlenk's situation. It's a bit difficult to talk about, but considering the safety of Rolling Stone Town, I can't keep it a secret. You may have heard about it. Many years ago, there was a mass murder in a village called 'Baiyang' in the Emerald Court. Afterward, the Black Panther investigators found that the entire village had been massacred, except for a human child adopted by the Wood Elves. At that time, he was about six or seven years old and had hidden inside the heart of a banana tree to survive. The Emerald Court conducted an extensive investigation and ultimately focused the suspicion on the leader of the Silver Frost Brotherhood at the time, Sern. The reason was that Sern had been seen near the borders of the Emerald Court around the time of the Baiyang village massacre, and the timeline matched perfectly with Sern's rise to legend status. Sern was also infamous as the 'Red-Branded Hunter,' one of the conditions for advancing to the Legend rank of that evil profession was the massacre of a village or city. So, Sern was unquestionably blamed for this. Until now, the Emerald Court still believes that Sern committed that atrocity. However, in the circles of the Shadow World, I received different information. Wanderers have been telling stories that Sern's advancement ritual involved the massacre of an entire city of Gray Dwarves. The city's name was 'Band,' and it used to be a famous commercial city in the Shadowed Territories. It was wiped out overnight, and some say it was Sern's doing, while others claim it was destroyed by dragonfire. No one is certain. But if we had to choose between blaming Sern for the Baiyang village massacre or the slaughter of the Gray Dwarf city, I would choose the latter. We all know that the quality of the advancement ritual determines the strength one gains on the path to legend. I've dealt with Sern before, and he's undoubtedly a scoundrel, a beast, and a villain. He had no psychological burden about massacring the elderly, the weak, women, and children. However, for him, Baiyang Village was too insignificant. It was so small that even if he massacred it to enter legend status, the maximum territory he would gain would only be one domain. This didn't match Sern's displayed strength after becoming a legend."

At this point, Richard paused, seemingly recalling more information. Matthew looked at him and asked, "What happened to the human child then?"

Richard calmly answered, "He was sent to the Royal City of the Emerald Court, where he lived for some time. However, he eventually left because he couldn't adapt to the living conditions there. After that, he disappeared without a trace. It was only a few years later that Sern, who had already become a Red-Branded Hunter, gained a little companion. He claimed to be Sern's disciple, and his name was Saetlenk. A few years later, he left Sern and carried out a few cases on the East Coast alone. The Emerald Court offered a separate reward for him, amounting to 30,000 gold coins, second only to the infamous Sern. So, this guy is genuinely crazy, a killing maniac, and anti-human. But I couldn't lay a hand on him."

At this point, Richard's tone became particularly sad and self-blaming. Matthew had already realized, "So it's not that he escaped quickly, but that you let him go—you have a connection with Saetlenk?"

Richard did not deny it; he just turned away. "That's another story... I just remember holding him as a baby back then."

"I'm sorry; I don't want to relive those memories. I can only promise you that I've warned him, and Saetlenk also promised me not to enter the territory of Rolling Stone Town. If he breaks his promise, I will personally deal with him."

Having said all this, he lightly tapped the top of his cane and stood up straight. "So, gentlemen, there shouldn't be any further issues here. Please allow me to retire early. Tomorrow morning, the Five-Person Committee will discuss several matters."

"By the way, be careful with these people. Although Saetlenk has sworn to me, he may have other plans for them," Richard warned, pointing at the bound members of the Brotherhood.

Reiga's expression was serious. "I understand what you mean. I will strengthen the supervision of the prison from now on."

Matthew nodded in agreement. The members of the Brotherhood were in a hurry to get back to the prison. After all, they wouldn't have come here just for a free meal.

...

After Richard left, Matthew continued to monitor the situation of the Mark of Death.

Over the next few days, he stayed in the cabin in the woods. With no need to go to work, he focused on observing the Mark of Death, planting trees, learning spells, and preparing the forbidden ritual.

Since the undead had grasped their throats, the ashen creatures in the Mark of Death remained passive. With the perfect coordination of Renaismae and Wesley, no ashen warrior survived more than 8 seconds.

After the second day, the ashen warriors' respawn rate significantly slowed down.

On the third night, under the cruel slaughter of the undead, not only did the ashen warriors with slower respawns disappear, but even the previously instant-respawning ashen grunts were nowhere to be seen.

Matthew observed for two more days and confirmed that the ashen creatures were indeed no longer appearing. It was somewhat regrettable to him.

Finally, he counted his loot, totaling 28 soul crystals. Matthew decided to reward Renaismae and Wesley, giving each of them two crystals.

Renaismae was not only rewarded but also experienced an increase in her loyalty, reaching 90, along with sharing a new ability with Matthew.

"Deck Stride: When walking on a rocking deck during a fierce storm, you have the balance of walking on solid ground."

This ability seemed useful for future maritime activities.

Besides Matthew, Reiga and his lord's guard team had been patrolling vigorously around the Mark of Death these days. Currently, it appeared that the first wave of attacks by the Ashen Lord had been resolved.

Matthew's progress on the forbidden ritual also proceeded smoothly. The "Death Scorch" was a relatively simple ritual. The taboo of this ritual lay in the fact that no sane individual or organization would allow a necromancer to transform their territory into a land resembling a negative energy plane.

He had mastered the essence of it in just two days, with the only missing part being practical experience.

In the background of everything proceeding so smoothly, the slow progress of Malicious Metamorphosis became somewhat noticeable.

At the moment, Matthew could only turn a creature about the size of a goat, such as a pig or dog, into one with sheep-like wool. This level of progress was still far from achieving real Malicious Metamorphosis.

After researching the "Death Scorch" ritual, Matthew dived back into the arms of Malicious Metamorphosis. This time, he invested heavily by buying three goats to be kept nearby, for the sole purpose of further immersing himself in the goat's aura.

On the fourth afternoon, right after planting his daily oak tree, Matthew was frolicking with the goats in the woods when he heard the jingling sound of the bell around his waist. He had recently mastered a low-level spell called "Bell Magic," which allowed for reminders or notifications within a 20-kilometer radius. Typically, it would only be used for crucial matters.

For this reason, Matthew stopped playing and excused himself from the goats. He waved at the knight who was responsible for tracking the Mark of Death and headed back to the town.

"Inaugural Assessment? Is it so sudden?" Matthew expressed surprise as he looked at the man and woman seated on the couch.

The man, Vandal, and the woman, Alice, introduced themselves as the assessment officials of the Seven Saints Alliance. Matthew had checked their magical credentials, which appeared legitimate.

"I've just returned from outside. Can I take a quick shower first?" Matthew asked.

Vandal, with his golden hair and a warm smile, replied, "I'm sorry, but this is an Alliance rule. The inaugural assessment must be conducted as a surprise test for new members. You can take a moment to prepare yourself, perhaps have a cup of tea to calm your nerves, but there's no need for a shower."

They were quite strict about the procedure, Matthew noted. He understood that the surprise nature of the assessment was significant, as implied by Vandal's explanation.

"Alright, I'm ready. Do you have any specific requirements?" Matthew asked, feeling somewhat more relaxed after the clarification from Vandal.

Vandal continued, "You only need to answer truthfully. We will write appropriate comments based on your responses. In the end, your grade will be determined by our senior mages. This grade will not only decide whether you can join the Seven Saints Alliance but will also affect your initial rank once you become a member."

He patiently explained the internal rank structure, which consisted of five ranks, D, C, B, A, and S, with the lower ranks further divided into 1 and 2, and the S-rank having 1, 2, and 3 sub-ranks. In total, there were eleven rank levels, and they played a crucial role in a mage's status and access to resources in the Alliance. Higher ranks were essential for accessing certain confidential information.

Understanding the structure, Matthew relaxed even more. He suspected that the assessment might be more of a formality. This impression was also reinforced by a previous conversation with Talin 177.

It seemed that Vandal was subtly implying that the inaugural assessment was a mere procedure. Matthew sensed that it was more about crossing a formality than a rigorous test. Nevertheless, he decided to remain sincere during the process.

Then, Alice asked the first question, "I found in your record that you are a necromancer, but I learned from your summon, the Minotaur Lady, that you've been studying Malicious Metamorphosis recently. How is your progress with it?"

Matthew chuckled slightly and replied, "My talents in metamorphosis seem average. I haven't fully mastered it yet."

Alice nodded, then spread out a piece of paper in front of Matthew. Her writing was clear for him to see:

"Mr. Matthew, although he is a necromancer, he has a deep yearning for other areas of magic. He frequently utilizes his free time to study spells from various domains, including Malicious Metamorphosis. From my observations, Mr. Matthew has already achieved a remarkable level in Malicious Metamorphosis, something not commonly seen even among Third-Rank mages in the Alliance."

Matthew blushed, feeling somewhat embarrassed. "Is it really alright? My skills in Malicious Metamorphosis are still mediocre."

Alice responded in a straightforward manner, "Is your Malicious Form a goat, correct?"

Matthew nodded.

"Next, we'll move on to practical spellcasting. Please use Malicious Metamorphosis on the goat before us. We'll evaluate the effectiveness of your spell," Alice requested.

Matthew hesitated for a moment. Then, he raised his hand to cast Malicious Metamorphosis on one of the goats.

A dull thud! The spell failed, and the goat remained unchanged.

Vandal exclaimed, "A superb Malicious Metamorphosis! I can't distinguish the transformed target from a real goat!"

In response to the evident success of the spell, Alice quickly made a note on the paper:

"I witnessed the transformation spell cast by Mr. Matthew. The result was indistinguishable from an actual goat. Considering his age, this is exceptional and is truly commendable. No wonder he's highly recommended by Mr. Ronan."

The questions continued, and no matter how Matthew answered, the notes on the paper were filled with praise.

However, when Alice asked the final question, "What kind of spell ritual are you currently researching, or have you recently completed?" Matthew gave an honest answer, "I'm studying the Death Scorch, a necromantic ritual."

Upon hearing this, both Alice and Vandal's expressions turned serious for the first time.

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