This Necromancer Just Wants to Plant Trees - Chapter 73

In a not-so-spacious inn room...

As soon as those words left Lysanna's lips, Lumiere began to regret his choice of words. He wasn't completely oblivious to the ways of the world; he just wasn't very skilled at expressing himself in common language.

He hastily explained, "No, that's not what I meant. I'm just not great with common language. Please don't misunderstand."

He followed this with a few sentences in the local dialect.

"In any case, Matthew is trustworthy, miss. You can rest assured," Lumiere emphasized to Peggy.

In Lumiere's eyes, sharing a room for the night surely implied a close relationship.

Peggy's eyes sparkled at the mention of her being a lady. "You can tell I'm a lady?" she asked.

Lumiere seized the opportunity to change the subject, smiling brightly. "It's quite obvious," he replied.

Peggy proudly puffed out her chest and looked at Matthew. "See, someone's lack of observation skills isn't my problem. There are still many discerning people in this world."

Matthew could only manage a wry smile. His perception was actually quite keen, but he couldn't compare to Lumiere, a fifth-tier mage.

Meanwhile, they continued to exchange pleasantries. In the middle of their conversation, Lumiere had a sudden realization. He mentioned that he had been on the road all day and was quite hungry, hoping that Matthew and Peggy could provide him with some food.

Seeing that it was late at night and Lumiere probably wouldn't find another place to stay anytime soon, Matthew looked at Peggy with a questioning glance.

Thanks to Peggy's ability to recognize her own female characteristics, her impression of Lumiere had significantly improved. She coolly nodded at Matthew.

In the next moment, Matthew led Lumiere into his private chamber.

The two of them disappeared into the room for a long while.

Only Peggy remained, awakened in the middle of the night, with her sleepiness gone, having to put on her armor once again.

The next morning, Matthew calmly entered a magical goods shop in the Trade North District.

He needed to stock up on supplies for his trip to the Great Dragon Lake, and the most critical item was the "Aqua Lung Elixir."

After consuming this elixir, the user would develop gills on either side of their neck, granting them the ability to breathe underwater.

Aqua Lung Elixir was a widely used and distributed elixir, with similar effects despite slight variations in production methods from place to place. Matthew wasn't worried about finding a good elixir; he was concerned about the price.

His available funds were far from the point where he could spend recklessly.

However, after Matthew browsed the "Desert Light" store, he could barely contain his excitement.

He approached the counter, taking a deep breath, and asked, "How much is the Aqua Lung Elixir?"

The shop owner was a female earth spirit, wearing a nose clip and concentrating on knitting a sweater. Her figure was larger than the average earth spirit but still only about two-thirds the size of a human.

Upon hearing Matthew's question, she immediately set aside her knitting and kindly replied, "12 gold coins per set, as indicated on the label."

Her Common Language was very standard, and apart from her appearance, there was little to distinguish her from a human woman.

Matthew casually asked, "12 gold coins? Why is it priced like this?"

The female earth spirit replied slowly, "Is it too expensive for you? This is already a reduced price. The Aqua Lung Elixir has always had a stable market. Moreover, it's produced by the Naga from the deep sea, and the quality is reliable."

She continued, "To be honest, this elixir was going to become more expensive. The Naga thought they were selling it too cheaply, but just as they were considering a price increase, internal conflicts erupted among them."

She mentioned, "It seems they were jealous of someone, a remarkable poet. Now, the Naga tribe's magic craftsmen are divided into several factions, and a price increase is no longer possible. To seize their respective markets, our store even lowered prices yesterday. If you buy more, I can offer you a discount. It won't be a significant discount, just a gesture of gratitude for supporting the 'Eternal Night' tribe."

Matthew took a look at a set of Aqua Lung Elixir on the shelf and noticed the label bearing the 'Eternal Night' tribe's name. His mind was clear now.

"That's why it's so cheap," he thought. "Exotic products have entered the market, shattering the monopoly once held by mages and a few alchemists. Naga's products are not only affordable but also effective. Local mages probably can't compete with this."

"Also, how do I keep hearing about Lorand wherever I go?" Matthew wondered, amused.

He contemplated for a moment, then made a bold move, purchasing 20 sets of Aqua Lung Elixir and 10 sets of the stronger "Frogman Elixir," priced at 18 gold coins.

With this purchase, he only had a little over 100 gold coins left.

However, Matthew remained composed. All he needed to do was transport these elixirs to a larger city near Rolling Stone Town: White Rock City, Emerald Jade Court, Torrent City – he could sell them for at least eight times the purchase price, if not more!

The profit margins were simply astounding.

Matthew wished he could set up a teleportation portal in Corrado City, making daily merchant trips a breeze. However, teleportation portals were impractical for long-distance travel, as the costs could easily outweigh the profits of trading.

The idea of merchant ventures seemed to exist only in fantasy.

"Wait, there might still be a chance. I could find a safe spot in the wilderness and build a shrine for the Moon Goddess," Matthew thought, considering feasible strategies.

In his view, the Moonlit Forest was a potentially lucrative hub for long-distance cargo transport. Unfortunately, the reach of Aesia's divine power hadn't extended to Zelesburg in the far south yet.

While advanced followers like Ilara could return to the Moonlit Forest from any location in the main material world under the moonlight, being able to return didn't mean they could come back. Without shrines or altars as coordinate anchors, returning to the Moonlit Forest was a one-way trip.

Matthew began seriously contemplating the feasibility of building a shrine in Corrado City.

Corrado City's geographical location was excellent. Situated in the center of the northern coast of the Golden Shore, it had a significant flow of both maritime and terrestrial traffic.

Moreover, it was located in the central region, surrounded by different terrains. To the north were the mountains, including the Elgarthorn Peak and the Thousand-Year Mountains. The latter served as a natural barrier, dividing the vast southern lands into east and west.

The Thousand-Year Mountains were a perilous place that many high-level adventurers came to regret visiting. Aside from its terrifying and treacherous terrain, the mountains were home to eaglemen, air elementals, mountain giants, greenfooted serpents, newts, wraiths, red-cloaked creatures, and more. It was even rumored that liches and creatures of twilight were active there. In short, it was highly dangerous.

To the south was the sea, the Aruneh Sea, and Corrado City's port was large and well-suited for conducting business with the deep-sea overlords, the Nagas.

To the east lay the rainforest, territory of the Zhanjiao people.

To the west was the vast White Poplar Desert, which contained numerous oases and provided sustenance for 99% of the desert's population. Corrado City's merchants used to trade with the oases, but then rumors started circulating about an adult blue dragon living within the White Poplar Desert. It frequently robbed travelers and traders on the caravan routes.

Gradually, the trade route that crossed the desert to connect the oases became deserted.

Not to mention the great highway running along the coastline from east to west. The geographic superiority of Corrado City was clearly evident.

"When Ilara returns from her extended rest in the Moonlit Forest, I'll ask her about the offerings for the shrine!" Matthew determined.

With his thoughts organized, Matthew continued. While the earth spirit shop owner packed his goods, he casually asked, "Are you knitting a sweater for your family? But Corrado City's weather is so hot; I doubt they'll be able to wear it."

The owner smiled and replied, "My son, Quint, is working as a vanguard for the Black Dragon Lord in the extreme north, the Frozen City. I haven't seen him in many years, but this year, I received a letter from him saying they had a child. My husband and I are saving money to visit them."

"I'm knitting this sweater for my yet-to-meet grandson, and for this, I even learned some exquisite techniques from our neighboring Suzu people," she added.

Matthew received the carefully packaged tool chest and confirmed its contents. He greeted the shop owner and left the store.

It was evident that the earth spirits who had been living in human society had been assimilated to some extent. They cherished the things humans valued, and human customs had gradually become their own.

When dealing with them, one could indeed overlook their race to a certain extent.

Leaving the shop, Lumiere immediately caught up.

After barely passing the previous night with excuses, Lumiere had been pondering how to approach his goals. At this moment, he had finally sorted out his thoughts. He decided to stay by Matthew's side, gain his trust, and find a way to take him back to the rainforest without disturbing him.

So, he said to Matthew, "Since I advanced, my path of legend has also opened up. My instincts tell me it's outside the rainforest, so I left the rainforest. But I'm quite unfamiliar with the outside world, and your scent left a strong impression on me, so I walked over here without realizing it. I actually don't know what to do next; I'm full of curiosity and a little fear about the outside world. Maybe this is just an adaptation period. Matthew, if possible, can I accompany you for some time? Don't worry; I won't freeload. I'm quite capable, and I'm willing to do anything you ask."

After listening, Matthew wore a regretful expression and said, "So that's how it is. Lumiere, I'm more than willing to help you, but it's unfortunate that in the near future, I won't be able to travel with you."

Lumiere exclaimed, "Why!?"

Matthew replied with deep regret, "Because I'm heading into the rainforest next, and your path of legend lies outside the rainforest. We might have to part ways."

Saying that, he headed back in the direction of the inn, leaving Lumiere standing alone in shock.

Back in his room, Matthew detected a faint burning smell. He glanced down and saw the dwarf sitting on the floor, meticulously examining a brick.

"Where did you get that brick?" Matthew asked curiously.

Without lifting her head or changing her cold tone, Peggy responded, "When a machinist is crafting items, it's best not to distract them to prevent catastrophic accidents."

After a while, Matthew observed the brick suddenly emitting a red glow, and he prepared to step back. Thankfully, the red light receded in an instant, leaving the brick with a slightly volatile aura.

"Notification: Your machinist companion, Peggy, successfully created a brick bomb!"

...

Matthew's expression shifted. "Are you making a bomb?" he asked.

Peggy gave a slight snort. "What else would it be?"

Matthew frowned. "I can't just carry a bomb with me on an adventure. It doesn't feel safe at all. A machinist going out shouldn't be so careless."

He continued sternly, "You promised me you wouldn't blow up any crypts."

Peggy looked at him with confusion. "Of course!"

"But what about the outskirts, the tomb passages, and the monsters that don't respect personal space? Don't you need a bomb?" Matthew massaged his temples, finally understanding Yu Lian's behavior from the day before.

"Bombs can be used, but they're not needed in as many situations as you might think," he explained softly, as if comforting a child. "My summons and spells are more than enough for most situations. Besides, we have reinforcements. That man you saw yesterday, although he acted strangely, is quite capable and has substantial power."

"Bringing this brick is sufficient; there's no need to make more," he added.

Upon hearing this, Peggy's expression remained unchanged, but two antennas suddenly popped up on either side of her helmet, emitting a faint red light at their tips.

"What does this mean?" Matthew stared at the antennas intently.

"It means I'm happy," Peggy replied coldly. Then her voice took on a hint of embarrassment. "If you can promise me one thing, I can change this symbol of happiness into an even happier yellow light."

Matthew inquired, "What's that thing?"

"I want to touch yours," Peggy said, raising her head with a pair of eager, big eyes. She pointed at Matthew's right hand. "This glove, I can sense the incredible power it radiates, a terrifying destruction and an exhilarating thrill. Let me touch it, and I won't bother you anymore."

Matthew realized that the sinister hand had released negative energy, which had eroded the glove. In the eyes of a machinist, anything could be imbued with power. Item imbuing was one of their fundamental professional abilities. Every item imbued would react differently, but most would explode.

If Peggy had requested something normal, that would have been fine. But this glove was a first-class danger.

So, Matthew shook his head and refused. "Sorry, this glove is connected to my privacy. I can't give it to you."

"Oh," Peggy's little face immediately drooped, and the red light on the antennas intensified.

Seeing this, Matthew quickly took out a cookie from his bag and handed it over. "How about trying this?"

Peggy glanced at the cookie with a touch of disdain but still accepted it. She placed it in her palm, and after a slight surge of arcane energy, the cookie emitted a faint blue light.

"Notification: Your machinist companion, Peggy, has performed item imbuing on the cookie. Peggy successfully created a Magic Cookie (instantly restores 20% of mana, based on the average of a third-order mage's mana)."

An instant mana-recovering cookie? Matthew was astonished.

Peggy placed the cookie in her palm, emotionless, and asked Matthew, "Want it?"

Matthew nodded.

Crunch.

She quickly stuffed the cookie into her mouth, chewed it, and mumbled in a challenging tone, "No!"

Matthew was first stunned and then laughed helplessly.

"Notification: You've seen through Peggy's trick 'Deception.' You've discovered that she hid the real magic cookie in her palm."

Matthew didn't demand the cookie. He knew that although Peggy's way of thinking was unique, she was not impossible to communicate with. Along the way, if there was a need, she would be willing to produce it.

After making their preparations for a while, Lumiere arrived.

He looked quite troubled and found Matthew. "Uh, Matthew, I think I might be mistaken. My path of legend seems to be inside the rainforest."

Having already seen the peculiarities of Lumiere, Matthew decided to cut to the chase. "Is it the Spirit of the Rainforest that sent you to find me?"

Lumiere turned pale, but quickly relieved himself. "You figured it out by yourself, so you can't blame me, right? It's indeed a task from the Spirit of the Rainforest, and I can't understand it either."

He then went on to describe the task he had received from the little flying squirrel.

Matthew, after listening, smiled. "It's fine; you can just stay by my side."

No matter what the Spirit of the Rainforest had in mind, Matthew was currently about to head to the dangerous Dragon's Lake for tomb robbing—or rather, seeking an opportunity for advancement. An offered fifth-order hunk of a man, is there any reason not to accept?

After lunch, the three of them left Corrado City and headed towards the rainforest.

As they left the city, they encountered a few menacing thugs. However, before they could approach, Peggy sent them flying with a punch from her Thunder Gauntlets.

Many people witnessed this scene, so the rest of their journey was unusually peaceful.

Everything remained uneventful until they entered the rainforest, which provided even greater safety.

Lumiere was a true son of the rainforest, and Matthew's "Suya's Delight" was still in effect.

The two of them ventured together, and Peggy couldn't help but think that this part of the rainforest felt surprisingly safe.

A day and a half later, they arrived at the shore of the Great Dragon Lake.

However, before they could approach, Lumiere solemnly announced, "I hear the sounds of a fight!"

The three of them proceeded quietly. It didn't take long for them to spot two groups of people engaged in battle along the shores of the Great Dragon Lake.

These people, totaling around fifty, were all of high level, and none of them appeared to be good folks.

"That's the Sandstorm Bandits and the Cataclysm Cult!" It was actually Peggy who had the most comprehensive information among the three.

She excitedly pulled out a large bomb from her backpack. "So, are we going to break up the fight?"

Matthew shook his head. Leading the other two, they circumvented the main battlefield where the two sides were clashing and approached the shore of the Great Dragon Lake from another angle.

Next, he took out three Frogfolk elixirs, signaling that they should get into the water.

Lumiere and Matthew both took the elixirs. Soon, gills appeared on their necks, and their leg strength was greatly enhanced. In the water, they only needed a light push to swim far.

Only Peggy refused to take the elixir. She hopped and hopped to the water's edge, leaped, and plunged in like a lump of iron, rapidly sinking into the water.

Matthew and Lumiere hurried to catch up. After entering the water, they took some time to adjust but noticed that Peggy had disappeared.

After a while, a strong water current suddenly rushed out from the bottom of the lake. Matthew squinted to get a better look. He saw that Peggy had acquired a glass visor on her helmet.

Her heavy steel boots were now propelling her backward with a stream of air. Peggy gestured with her finger to the two men and then dove down. They quickly followed.

However, the gap between the two groups kept widening. The swimming speed provided by the Frogfolk elixir was already astonishing. Yet, Peggy, in the water, resembled a high-speed torpedo.

At a certain point, perhaps deeming the others too slow, Peggy surfaced from the water. She then grabbed the collars of two large men and yanked them downward.

Several minutes later, they reached the bottom of the Great Dragon Lake.

In the distance, Matthew saw a colossal statue at the bottom, its base covered with white sand and its top overgrown with aquatic plants. The statue held a sword in its left hand and a scroll in its right, with facial features that matched those of the Su clan.

"Notification: You've discovered the underwater statue of Ming Tan King. Knowledge (Colossal/Su Clan) +10; Aesthetic +10."

"This is it, no mistake," Matthew confirmed.

He circled around the statue three times and smoothly found a hidden door at the base. He took out the Psalm of Warding and activated the spell that decrypted the door.

To his surprise, the door opened instantly.

The three of them exchanged glances and entered the passage. As they passed through the door, the dampness and the intense water pressure instantly disappeared.

Before Matthew was a massive underground square. In the center of the square, there was a stone monument covered in densely engraved tadpole text. Behind the stone monument were a dozen or so smaller stones filled with carvings.

Matthew walked over, instinctively placing his hand on the stone monument. A surge of information flooded his mind.

"Notification: You've acquired the Inheritance of the Path of Balance. Would you like to continue?"

"Yesterday, I finished the long chapter and was a bit tired. Sorry for the delay, and I'm currently correcting typos. Please forgive me, and may I kindly ask for some votes for the monthly ranking?"

Chapter 74 >>

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