This Necromancer Just Wants to Plant Trees - Chapter 77

"Hint: Summoning successful. You have acquired a 'Cursed Specter' (LV9/Elite Template)."

...

When these words appeared before Matthew, he couldn't help but feel a bit disappointed.

However, the appearance of the specter that followed brightened his eyes.

She looked like an incredibly special woman.

Emerging from the negative energy array, a faint chill followed her, and her spectral body gradually solidified from top to bottom.

Her upper body was quite substantial, with large eyes, a straight nose, pale lips, dark shoulder-length hair, and a tightly cinched chiffon dress around her waist.

As you moved down, she gradually turned into a faint white light.

Although her level wasn't high, her charisma was impressive. After inspecting her, Matthew realized that her charm was only 12, even lower than his own.

But she exuded a unique and refreshing aura, something that very few undead beings could achieve.

"Alright, luck always balances out. I'll consider this summoning as getting a beautiful vase to keep as my secretary, it's not a bad idea."

With this in mind, Matthew glanced at the specter's status panel, where he noticed two unusual traits.

...

"Silent Mouth (Curse): Your specter can't communicate with others like regular specters."

"Beauty Equals Strength (Curse): Your specter can enhance her level and combat abilities by adjusting her charisma."

You can choose between two adjustment methods:

Manual Adjustment (Every day at 3 AM, you can adjust her charisma once, and she will maintain a fixed charisma, charm, and combat strength for the rest of the day).

Autonomous Adjustment (You transfer the power to adjust charisma back to the specter herself. She will appreciate you for it, but she may not necessarily adjust her charisma and combat strength to your satisfaction).

For your first summoning, you can now attempt to adjust your specter's charisma and combat abilities (only within 30 minutes).

...

"Wait, there's a curse like this?" Matthew suddenly became intrigued.

"Matthew, this lady is so beautiful!" Peggy marveled at the new specter. "Is she your summoned creature? I'll trade you with the big bomb in my backpack!"

Matthew smiled, "You can't just casually trade summoned creatures."

Next, he began to adjust the specter's charisma.

...

"Hint: You used 'Beauty Equals Strength' on your specter. Her charisma -2 (current 10), level +1 (current LV10)!"

...

"Huh? Why did she become ugly?" Peggy gave a wicked look. "Did I just see it wrong? Matthew, if you want to trade now, all I have left is a small bomb!"

Matthew remained silent.

Two charisma points in exchange for one level of a profession? Let me see your limits!

...

"Hint: Specter's charisma -12 (current -2), level +6 (current LV16)! Your specter has gained some new abilities..."

...

"Oh my goodness! A ghost!" Matthew hadn't even had a chance to check the new abilities of the specter before Peggy's scream interrupted him.

He turned to look at her curiously, "Is it really that exaggerated?"

"Matthew, tell her not to come closer!" Peggy nervously stepped back. "I'll throw a bomb if she gets any closer! Even my ghost is scared of her!"

This time, she didn't bring up the idea of a trade.

Matthew found Peggy's reaction quite amusing and decided to look back at the specter while saying, "Peggy, judging people by their appearance is not a good practice... Wow!"

Matthew couldn't find any words when he looked at the current appearance of the lady specter.

It was a kind of ugliness that exceeded conventional understanding, impossible to describe with words. This might be what they meant by 'utterly repulsive.'

Smack! At this moment, a few birds flew over their heads, and a few droppings casually fell to the ground.

Luckily, the specter had no physical form, so the bird droppings passed through her and landed directly on the ground.

Matthew also managed to dodge them with his heightened perception.

Only Peggy had a lump of droppings on her helmet.

"Matthew? What happened?" Peggy was still lost in the shock of the specter's appearance.

Matthew quietly switched gloves and patted her head. He acted as if nothing had happened; otherwise, Peggy would probably start ranting about blowing up bird nests.

"Is this the terror of charisma -2? Even lowly beasts can't resist coming out to disgust us?" Matthew was also encountering a creature with negative charisma for the first time.

Soon, he could sense a faint sense of grievance from the spirit through their death pact.

Matthew immediately adjusted her charisma back.

The lady specter returned to her beautiful appearance.

Matthew thought for a moment. In the end, he decided to give her the control of her own charisma.

Although he had already lowered his expectations for the specter to that of a vase, she had now become a role that could adapt between being a "smashable vase" and an "unbreakable vase."

This was beyond his expectations.

Furthermore, giving the control to the lady specter had another advantage: there was no longer a restriction at "3 AM," allowing them to adjust charisma and combat abilities at any time, increasing her versatility.

Who could have predicted that a level 9 specter would suddenly experience a catastrophic drop in her appearance and turn into a level 16 malevolent spirit? "Who placed this curse?" Matthew was curious.

Unfortunately, the summoned creatures from advanced or quest rewards were randomly taken from the negative energy plane. Since the lady specter couldn't speak, he had no way of knowing her story.

"Specters should have their own names. You've been floating around, so I'll call you 'Puffy'!"

...

"Hint: Naming successful! As a token of gratitude for the name you've given her, the Cursed Specter's loyalty to you has increased to 85!

You've returned the right to adjust 'Beauty Equals Strength' to the specter, and Puffy is very grateful to you. Her loyalty has increased to 95!

Puffy shares her ability 'Phasing Magic' with you.

Phasing Magic (Weaken): By preparing for a moment, you can turn your body into a specter's form, allowing you to pass through an entity wall with a maximum thickness of 1.2 meters.

Warning:

During phasing, your speed decreases to one-third of your normal speed.

If you are attacked or initiate an attack during phasing, you will lose the specter form.

If you touch a living being during phasing, you will also lose the specter form.

Before practicing phasing, please prepare the 'Escape Charm' in advance or ask a companion to assist. Every year, mages encounter strange bullying while practicing phasing magic..."

Phasing magic was indeed a classic spell, even though it was known to be dangerous. However, countless people still learned it, and with a larger base, there were naturally more mishaps.

Matthew remembered a joke Ronan once told him, "If a mage asks you to be his partner while he's practicing phasing magic, it means he trusts you unquestionably. But it could also mean he's trying to seduce you..."

Matthew, who had watched countless films in his previous life, understood this instantly. At the time, he was amazed by the openness of mages in this world. Later, he realized that no matter which world, people who possessed too much unusual knowledge were essentially the same.

Specters were different from zombies and skeletons. They received harsher penalties in direct sunlight, so Matthew didn't plan to let Puffy come out during the day.

Fortunately, specters had their advantages – they could possess things.

After some thought, Matthew decided to let Puffy inhabit his bag. This way, if needed, he could simply tap the bag, and Puffy would appear.

During idle times, she could reside in the bag, occasionally helping with cleaning, tidying up, and organizing. This seemed reasonable, right?

So, under Peggy's curious gaze, Puffy turned into a wisp of white smoke and flew into Matthew's bag.

At the moment, Matthew faced another significant choice: whether to level up again.

That's right. After reaching level 12 in one go, Matthew had surplus XP. Unlike advancing from the second tier to the third tier, advancing from the third tier to the fourth tier didn't require an advancement ceremony. If your XP was sufficient, you could directly level up.

But Matthew was different. He had rushed through this process too quickly.

He tried to use the restraint field to judge this matter, and he quickly received an answer.

...

Hint: Given your recent increase from Level 5 to Level 12 in the past six months, and your progress in learning spells, it is recommended that you undergo a minimum 8-month dormant period.

...

A dormant period means not leveling up for 8 months.

Matthew could understand the significance of the dormant period. Leveling was just one part of power; spells and abilities that matched it were equally important. Matthew had stayed in the Second Tier for a relatively long time, and though some spells were learned hastily and his foundation wasn't rock solid, they were functional.

However, the Third Tier was different. He hadn't learned any Third Tier spells yet. If he rushed to the Fourth Tier and then tried to learn Third Tier spells later, he might fall into the "Hubris Paradox." That meant advanced spellcasters often treated lower-level spells carelessly because they couldn't grasp the essence of same-level spells as lower-level spellcasters did.

Matthew decided to heed the advice of an 8-month dormant period. A smart beginning prevents many troubles. He decided to first learn the spells that were necessary, making sure not to overlook the foundation.

At the same time, he decided to diversify his skill trees, aiming to take down some overly arrogant people. Because Matthew noticed that the undead domain's light points had significantly exceeded those of the natural domain. The former had about two-thirds, while the latter had only one-third. This indicated that Matthew had made faster progress in the undead domain during this time.

Matthew consciously balanced the two domains.

...

Not long after daybreak, Lumière's figure appeared by the Kusero Swamp. Matthew hadn't gone too far, as he knew Lumière would return soon.

In fact, Matthew believed that Lumière's return to his tribe yesterday was due to genuine concern for his tribe and also a way to avoid his own "Night of Necromancy." The future king of the rainforest had some emotional intelligence. He probably guessed what would happen during the Night of Necromancy and couldn't bear to witness the abomination created from the corpses of his fellow tribesmen. Also, he didn't want to disrupt Matthew's advancement ceremony. Therefore, leaving in time was the best choice.

This action significantly improved Matthew's impression of Lumière once again.

When Lumière saw Matthew, he looked serious. "I've inquired with my tribe's people. In the last two days, a large number of outsiders have suddenly appeared around the rainforest. They're acting very suspiciously, almost as if they arrived just after I left. All of this happened within the last two days. And they seem very familiar with the rainforest, as if they had done their homework. My tribe and some other tribes to the southwest have had several conflicts with these people, but they haven't gained much advantage. This is unusual because the rainforest should be our territory."

Matthew was about to ask for more information when Lumière suddenly turned his head to look at another part of the jungle. Matthew also sensed a group of people approaching.

Lumière walked forward swiftly, shouting something in the native language.

Soon, figures emerged from the rainforest. They were wearing clothes woven from leaves, holding long spears, with sharp teeth around their mouths and fierce expressions.

Matthew noticed that several of these natives were strong, with human heads hanging from their backs. One head still had fresh blood, and a bowl-sized wound was still oozing with blood.

"They're the Headhunters from the southwest. Be careful; they're extremely radical and resist any outsiders," Lumière warned.

Lumière didn't turn around, and he continued negotiating with the group. However, Matthew and Bopo could clearly hear his words. It was unclear how he managed to achieve this.

Lumière and the Headhunters chatted for a long time. The Headhunters' fierce gaze was fixed on Matthew and Bopo, and they were pointing and muttering, showing no signs of willingness to let them go.

As the standoff continued, Matthew asked, "What are they saying?"

Lumière replied, "They say someone in the southwest is cutting down the rainforest, many people, and they've even built factories inside the rainforest. I don't know, their information is vague, and it's unclear whether it's a factory or a logging site. Anyway, it's a large, fenced construction with machines making a lot of noise inside. Damn it, what's going on!"

Matthew was about to ask further when one of the Headhunters suddenly cursed.

In the not-so-dense bushes nearby, a boy who looked only about twelve or thirteen years old suddenly raised his blowpipe.

Swoosh!

A slender dart headed straight for Matthew's chest.

Fortunately, Matthew was extremely vigilant. At the very moment they met, he used his senses to scan all possible hiding places and prepared to evade at any time. In that instant, he was about to dodge when suddenly, a small figure appeared in front of him and jumped.

Bang!

The blowpipe dart struck Bopo's helmet, changing its trajectory. It scraped the bark of a nearby tree, oozing out greenish liquid.

Matthew was a bit annoyed.

However, Bopo had already acted. In a flash, the blue light on her right gauntlet flashed, and she threw an uppercut into thin air.

Puff!

The boy hidden in the underbrush seemed to be hit by an immense force in the abdomen, launching him into the air. Not only did he fall out of the bushes, but he also ended up hanging from a high tree branch, screaming miserably.

"Wait, stop it all!" Lumière shouted, facing Matthew and Bopo. "You two, step back a bit more. Trust me, let me handle this, alright?"

His eyes had a pleading look. Bopo was about to shake her head and refuse when Matthew tugged her helmet and guided her backward.

A trace of gratitude appeared in Lumière's eyes. Then, he walked alone towards the group of Headhunters.

The son of the rainforest released his aura, and none of the Headhunters dared to stop him.

"Lumière, what are you going to do?!" one of the Headhunters asked.

"You're being too clever for your own good," Lumière said, his eyes containing a touch of pity.

The Headhunters questioned, "Are you going to kill our children for the sake of an outsider?"

Lumière nimbly leaped onto a branch like a cheetah, gently taking the boy from the tree. The boy's mouth was continuously oozing blood, and his eyes were filled with fear.

"In the rainforest, there are no children, only hunters and prey," Lumière's tone was extremely calm. "I know what you're thinking. You think I won't harm a child, but you're mistaken. I've warned you repeatedly that they are my friends. Yet you've crossed my bottom line multiple times. This is simply foolish."

One of the Headhunters, with a sinister look on his face, yelled, "I don't believe you'd really dare to kill him!"

Snap!

Lumière calmly twisted the child's neck.

"No!!!"

A chorus of surprised and agonized cries echoed through the jungle from the Headhunters.

Lumière slowly rose to his feet, his hands trembling slightly.

"You can never become the King of the Rainforest! You can't be our king; you're a traitor!" the Headhunters shouted in anger and grief.

Lumière turned resolutely.

"Whether I can become the King of the Rainforest is not for you to decide. I want to be the King of the Rainforest precisely because I hope that, one day, children like him won't need to hold blowpipes and kill secretly. I want to change the living conditions of all the Jenko people, I want to give them a stable life, make sure they're well-fed, have good homes, and warm clothing. And, ideally, I want to minimize fighting as much as possible. To achieve all of this, we can't blindly reject all outsiders. They are the key to our journey out of the rainforest into the world. I don't expect you fools to understand my aspirations, but if you persist in your stubbornness, if you continue to obstruct me, I don't mind twisting off your heads - I mean, all of you."

After saying these words, he stopped in his tracks, turned back to the Headhunters, and said, "Now, tell me everything you know about those outsiders. Please don't misunderstand; I'm not pleading with you but ordering you to tell the truth."

...

Ten minutes later, Lumière returned to the two.

He only said one thing: "He's dead."

Matthew patted his shoulder.

Quickly, Lumière said, "Based on the information provided by the Headhunters, the people who are heavily logging in the southwest of the rainforest may be connected to the Dragon-Warlock Demon Cult. The highest leader of the Dragon-Warlock Demon Cult is a powerful priest. It's said he has a close relationship with a semi-divine Dragon-Warlock Demon. They have been active in the desert until recently. It's unclear why they suddenly invaded the rainforest."

Matthew nodded.

While Lumière was communicating with the Headhunters, he had actually thought of some clues but needed further evidence.

So, Matthew asked, "Do you know the original territory of the Tyrannosaurus Rex and Pterosaur Lord?"

Lumière hesitated for a moment. "It's to the west, near where the Headhunter tribe resides. What's your point?"

Matthew wore an expression that said it all.

"There's an ecological vacuum! It seems that the Dragon-Warlock Demon Cult has been closely watching the rainforest, and they might have had designs on it for a long time. But with the Tyrannosaurus Rex dead, the ecological niche has opened up, and there can't be a second Lord with a similar intimidating ability in the rainforest in the short term. In comparison, your strength might be greater than the Tyrannosaurus Rex, but in terms of individual circumstances, you can't cover such a wide territory as he did. Your battle with the Tyrannosaurus Rex has likely caught their attention, and once the Tyrannosaurus Rex died, the Dragon-Warlock Demon Cult eagerly took action. Judging by the timeline, this speculation is plausible. Otherwise, they wouldn't have entered the rainforest right after you left."

Bopo interjected, "What about the Sandstorm Raiders and the Cataclysmic Cult?"

Lumière quickly answered, "The Cataclysmic Cult is from the Darkened Domain. I know that there were several entrances to underground cities near the rainforest, occupied by some hyenas in the past, but they disappeared."

Matthew also had many doubts about the Sandstorm Raiders.

Just as he was about to explain this, something sudden happened.

A small flying squirrel jumped down from a tree behind them.

His voice was filled with excitement:

"Hahaha, Lord Matthew, I have great news! A black-robed person, who knows where they came from, has brought a dozen Earthfire Dragons and a group of Dragonblood Warriors to attack the Black Banyan Dreamland!"

"Lady Suya is struggling, and the situation isn't looking good. I think she's going to step down soon!"

"The next Rainforest Soul should undoubtedly be none other than me, Afei!"

"What do you think, Lord Matthew?"

Chapter 78 >>

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