This Necromancer Just Wants to Plant Trees - Chapter 60 (Patreon)

Unable to resist Loran's enthusiastic invitation, Matthew accompanied him to the outlying market of Zeewater City.

The place was crowded with people, and not only was the ground covered in stagnant water, but it was also strewn with discarded vegetable leaves, human and horse dung, and sturdy reed stalks.

This made Matthew's already poor impression of Zeewater City even worse.

In his memory, even when there were a lot of people in Rolling Stone Town, the sanitation conditions were never this bad. Perhaps it had something to do with the sewer project initiated by Rhaegar in his early years.

At a stall selling straw shoes.

Loran was engaged in a conversation with an elderly woman with snowy white hair.

His charming and eloquent demeanor quickly had her laughing heartily.

A few moments later.

Loran managed to secure eight pairs of straw shoes from the old woman at a price three times lower than the market rate.

This left Matthew utterly surprised.

"Do you even haggle for prices?" he couldn't help but ask.

Loran shrugged, "I just overheard that she was selling them to locals for three silver coins a pair, which is slightly higher than what she quoted me!"

"And why shouldn't I haggle?"

"I'm just super rich, not super foolish."

This detail once again overturned Matthew's impression of the poet before him.

During the subsequent shopping spree, Matthew hardly said a word, simply observing Loran's performance.

In less than an hour.

Loran had successfully purchased all the items on the list, and the prices for each item were 50% to 30% lower than what the vendors had initially offered.

Achieving this outcome relied not only on Loran's excellent bargaining skills.

More importantly, he was adept at selecting the right trading partners.

Matthew noticed that almost everything Loran bought came from female vendors, and this method of selecting targets maximized Loran's charm.

There were a few times when he engaged in passionate conversations with female vendors, and both parties seemed eager to take things further, which left Matthew feeling embarrassed.

This guy was like a mobile hormone factory, stirring up emotions wherever he went!

It was no wonder he had caused such a commotion in the City of a Hundred Flowers.

"Loran might be more like a true wizard than Zeller," Matthew assessed in his heart.

Fortunately, Loran maintained some restraint. Despite the disappointed gazes of the female vendors, the amorous flirtations on both sides ended as romantic encounters without going further.

In the afternoon.

The two of them found an open space outside the market to check the items on their list.

Straw shoes woven by the native Jan'go people, with incredibly soft soles that left virtually no traces when walking in the rainforest. Old Gito had requested two pairs for each person, but Loran bought eight pairs, splitting them evenly between himself and Matthew;

Eight cans of insect repellent powder;

Two snake-repelling sticks;

Several vials of holy water;

Three specially made short knives, essential for cutting through the dense undergrowth of the rainforest;

Several scissors, mirrors, and combs—Old Gito specifically mentioned that these items were for dealing with the natives deep in the rainforest. They could be used to barter for goods or to improve relations with native tribes. If they happened to be captured, it might even save their lives.

So, Loran purchased two snake-skin pouches.

They also acquired essential travel items such as dried rations, water bags, tents, flint, magnesium strips, and more.

After a thorough inventory, the two confirmed everything was in order and proceeded to divide the items.

Matthew paid Loran the agreed-upon price without hesitation, and Loran accepted it graciously. During this process, Matthew also realized that Loran was truly wealthy.

The upgraded version of his magical pouch, Super Edition, was already considered extravagant among low to mid-level spellcasters.

But the ring on Loran's middle finger was the undisputed king of storage devices, surpassing all others. Matthew estimated it could hold the contents of an entire warehouse.

Its value was above 4,000 gold coins, without a doubt. It could be even more, but the exact figure was beyond Matthew's understanding, as it far exceeded the perspective of this impoverished mage from a remote small town.

"It's really nice to have money!" Matthew thought, feeling envious.

Just as Matthew was lost in thought, a commotion suddenly erupted from the market behind them.

The two turned around to see a group of pale-faced people wearing reeds, staggering unsteadily.

The stallholders on either side avoided them, and even if someone from the group reached out to take something from a stall, the vendors dared not say a word.

Very soon.

The procession of the sick emerged from the market and began heading in the direction of Matthew and Loran.

"We need to hide," Loran whispered as he pulled Matthew by the hand, leading them into an alley.

Once the bulk of the group had passed, Loran cautiously peeked out from the alley.

"Do you know why they're out on the streets while being sick?" he asked.

Matthew shook his head, but he suspected it had something to do with the "Plague King." These people were clearly afflicted by the disease, yet they roamed the streets, as if afraid no one would inherit their ailments. Who would benefit from this besides the mastermind behind the plague?

"Hurry, their route has changed. Let's follow them!" Loran suddenly became excited.

Without any visible gestures, two faint glimmers of white light emanated from Loran's left ring finger, landing on both of them.

It was only then that Matthew noticed Loran's ring finger wasn't as empty as it appeared. Beneath the surface, there was an unseen magical ring!

"Invisibility enchantment? Could it be he's wearing a whole bunch of these magical rings on his hands?" Matthew marveled at the audacity of the wealthy.

...

"Hint: Loran has used 'Disease Protection' on you, lasting 4 hours, and based on your knowledge of the 'Plague' domain, the duration has been extended to 12 hours."

...

Meanwhile, Loran had already rushed ahead eagerly.

Matthew hesitated for a moment before following him.

Fortunately, the group hadn't gone too far. They arrived at the rear of a theater-like building, where a robed man with a red mask was patiently waiting.

The leader of the group exchanged a few words with the man in the red mask, received a silver coin from him, and then dispersed with the others. The sick people scattered in different directions.

"If you don't know how to stealth and hide, it's best not to play the tracking game," the man in the red mask commented toward a diagonal alley. "Besides, I can smell your stench from a mile away... Hm? There's also a necromancer?"

Upon hearing this, Loran boldly revealed himself.

Matthew stayed about five steps behind, his gaze alert.

"Is it you who paid them to take to the streets?" Loran questioned the man in the red mask. "Don't you know they nearly infected me?"

The man in the red mask replied calmly, "I'm just helping them. They're too poor to afford holy water, and instead of waiting to die, they'd rather accept my assistance."

Loran took on an arrogant tone, "Huh? Are you speaking nonsense in front of a poet? Do you believe I can dismantle your arguments and make you cry with regret?"

The man in the red mask remained composed. "Take off your mask, let me see your face. I guess you're one of the temple members selling holy water, aren't you? Spreading the plague for the sake of selling holy water, right?"

The man in the red mask responded in a cold tone, "I advise you to keep a low profile, outsiders. Zeewater City isn't a place where you can act recklessly. If you dare to challenge the authority of the Plague King, the consequences will be exceedingly grim. I guarantee you won't be able to describe the pain of death."

"Especially you, the wandering poet," he continued, "You might live a bit longer if you tone down your provocative scent. Learn from the necromancer behind you; look, he's been quiet all this time, which means he's a person who knows when to be sensible."

Loran retorted, "My friend is just not much of a talker. Who knows, he might want to beat you up even more than I do!"

But it seemed the man in the red mask had lost interest in continuing the conversation.

Heedless of Loran and Matthew, the man with the red mask turned and left.

"Remember my warning. Leave Zeewater City as soon as possible and go far away. This place isn't suitable for you!" he warned.

"Damn it!" Loran clenched his fist. He glared at the receding figure of the man with the red mask for a while before gradually loosening his grip.

At that moment, Matthew looked at him with a puzzled expression. "Aren't you planning to beat him up?"

Loran sighed, "I was just bluffing. Who knows how many people he has behind him."

He then turned his gaze towards Matthew and appeared somewhat disgruntled. "Why didn't you speak up for me just now?"

Matthew shrugged, "I thought you were going to challenge him to a fight."

Loran rolled his eyes, "How could I be so reckless? After all, they didn't actually infect me with the disease."

Just then, there was a commotion in the direction where the man with the red mask had disappeared. Loran looked in that direction.

To his surprise, he saw a skeleton with a blood-drenched head approaching them, its hips swaying oddly.

"You... you!" Loran stammered. "Did you kill him?!"

Matthew responded calmly, "Yes, because he actually infected me."

...

"Hint: You have killed a Plague Envoy (LV9). 'Plague' domain 'Element: Infection' +1."

...

"What Plague King? He's clearly just a small fry!" Matthew glanced at the record of the Plague Envoy's kill and slightly lowered his opinion of the Plague King.

In fact, when he confirmed that the Plague King needed to pay people to spread the disease on the streets, he had already deduced that this guy's level and domain were not too high. After all, neither a master of the Plague domain nor a high-level spellcaster would resort to such a lowly means of infection.

So, while Loran and the man with the red mask were bickering, Matthew had already discreetly instructed his companion, "Soldier," to go into hiding. The prompt that followed the Plague Envoy's kill further confirmed this.

If it were a true sorcerer, his backers would immediately be informed, and Matthew would likely accumulate some enmity. But now, the list of enemies hadn't been updated, which meant that the "Plague King" didn't even know his lackey had been killed.

Clearly, he was a minor player.

"What we really need to be cautious of is why so many major powers in Zeewater City are allowing such an inept Plague King to run rampant?" Matthew mused.

"Perhaps it's as Loran suggested, and the Plague King is just a puppet created by the major temples to sell holy water?" he continued.

Returning to reality, Matthew noticed Loran was staring at him intently.

"What's wrong?" he asked.

"Nothing," Loran shook his head, his eyes curious. "So, you're a necromancer, right?"

Matthew nodded. "Yes, do you have a problem with necromancers?"

Loran raised an eyebrow. "I was actually thinking... do you know any fellow necromancers you could introduce to me? I haven't dated a necromancer before!"

Matthew responded with a sardonic smile, "I do know a necromancer who's currently a sister."

Loran's eyes lit up, but then he looked skeptical. "Currently?"

Matthew gave him a meaningful look, and that put an end to that conversation.

After instructing his companion to clean up the scene, he was ready to leave. It was then that Loran took the initiative.

"You've killed someone in Zeewater City, and that might cause some repercussions. Staying one more day will be troublesome. Why don't we find Old Gito now and ask him to leave the city overnight? It's much safer once we're in the jungle."

Matthew had the same thought, so they hurried in the direction of the inn. When they found Old Gito, they didn't explain the situation explicitly but simply told him they wanted to leave the city.

Old Gito was also decisive, and he agreed without hesitation. Three of them left Zeewater City at dusk, their figures gradually disappearing into the dense rainforest to the south.

...

Zeewater City.

Late at night.

Inside a certain theater, on the stage, a black velvet curtain slowly descended. An angry voice sounded from behind the curtain:

"Judith is dead! Who killed him?!"

Over twenty people in the audience, all wearing red masks, bowed their heads in silence.

"No one can provoke the Plague King in Zeewater City and leave unscathed!"

The angry voice used a dramatic emphasis, sounding hoarse and vehement:

"Magic mirror, oh magic mirror, show me the last living person Judith saw!"

The floor of the stage suddenly cracked open, and a smooth, enormous mirror rose slowly.

The light within the mirror swirled, and a figure suddenly emerged.

Everyone in the audience instinctively stretched their necks.

At that moment, they saw a man with brown hair, open clothing, and a seemingly wild appearance!

"This demeanor, he must be a poet," someone whispered.

"Find him! Kill him!"

A voice from behind the curtain came:

"Wherever he is, the Nightstalkers will aid you!"

Saying this, about a dozen canine shadows appeared from behind the stage.

The masked individuals each received a Nightstalker and quickly left the theater.

Finally.

A bell rang.

A figure emerged from behind the curtain.

His face was painted with makeup, his eyes filled with anger, and the redness on his nose was glaring.

...

Meanwhile.

The duo, having changed their plans and set out in a hurry, was already outside the rainforest under the guidance of Old Gito.

The jungle, beneath the night sky, seemed restless and chilling.

In the depths of the forest, indistinct roars of unknown creatures could be heard.

Shadows occasionally flitted through the branches, causing ripples of disturbance.

"We'll rest at a point outside the forest tonight, and tomorrow morning, I'll take you to a relatively friendly Jango tribe. We can borrow a canoe there, and then we'll follow the Roedin River downstream. If everything goes smoothly, we'll save about a third of the journey," Old Gito explained seriously.

"Remember, once we're on the road, you must follow my lead. Do you understand?"

Both of them nodded and followed Old Gito closely.

At this moment, Matthew suddenly sensed a somewhat surly and bashful will!

...

"Hint: Due to your strong affinity with nature, you have established a subtle connection with the spirits of the rainforest! Oak Domain in effect.

Through the Oak Domain, you can further communicate with the spirits of the rainforest. Upon completion, you will gain the following additional benefits:

1. Preliminary recognition by the spirits of the rainforest.
2. Access to the Black Banyan Dreamworld.
3. A temporary nature ability (only effective in the rainforest).

Do you wish to continue communicating with the 'Spirits of the Rainforest'?"

Chapter 61 >>

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