This Necromancer Just Wants to Plant Trees - Chapter 101 (Patreon)

"Do you know my name?" Matthew asked, a curious yet cautious look in his eyes as he gazed at the face appearing on the tree wall.

The latter replied with a hearty tone, "Oh, of course! The winds of nature from the Main Material Realm have sung your name. They say there's a necromancer who is going to reshape the soul of the Oak of the Main Material Realm with his own strength, a commendable act indeed, and quite impressive."

Reshape the soul of the Oak of the Main Material Realm? Why use the word "reshape"?

Matthew's mind raced, wondering if this was the source of the task Nature had given him.

As he pondered, the gigantic tree of the Poison Domain asked, "Is the person next to you your friend, Mr. Matthew?"

Matthew nodded and asked, "Yes, what's the matter, Mr. Tree?"

The tree, now known as Solinka, introduced itself politely, "Oh, I have a name, Matthew, you can call me Solinka."

At that moment, Lawrence, entangled in a mass of roots, burst out with tremendous force. He emerged, shouting, "Don't get it wrong, Solinka! I summoned you! It was me, not him!"

Solinka quickly wore an apologetic expression. He pulled Lawrence down and then explained to Matthew, "I was actually planning to devour this poet, as fresh demigods are quite rare. I haven't had such a delicacy in centuries. But for your sake, I'll restrain my appetite."

Matthew was surprised and thanked Solinka, "Really? Thank you so much."

Solinka was taken aback and said, "No, I should be the one thanking you. To receive a favor from Mr. Matthew, favored by the future Soul of the Oak, the emerging Rainforest Soul, and the esteemed Lady Aesia, is a great honor. It's not in vain that I sent a part of myself to the Main Material Realm."

Lawrence, rolling his eyes, eventually stayed silent.

Matthew was about to ask more questions when Lawrence suddenly emerged from the vines, shouting, "Solinka, you fool! I summoned you! Quickly, kill those two! Kill them!"

A vine struck Lawrence hard across the face.

Then, numerous vines wrapped around his waist, hoisting him high into the air. His mouth was filled with countless vines, rendering him speechless, as he watched Matthew and the Poison Domain giant tree conversing nonchalantly.

"If you ever have the chance, feel free to visit the Poison Domain. It's not as terrible as the rumors from the outside world suggest. When you come here, just mention my name to the Poison Frogs, and no one will dare harm you. Of course, before you visit, you'll need to enhance your constitution; otherwise, you might suffer some physical discomfort," Solinka said politely.

With that, he revealed a spell coordinate on the tree wall, explaining that by following this index, they could use interdimensional teleportation to find the entrance to the Poison Domain.

Solinka seemed friendly, and Matthew wanted to chat more with him, but the current situation was quite unique. Solinka's duplicate kept growing, and soon, it outgrew the Southern Theater.

At Matthew's request, Solinka had them stand on one of his vines, which started ascending as the giant tree grew. In no time, they were several hundred meters above the ground, giving them a panoramic view.

Below them, they saw a slow-moving duo of giant beings, about six meters tall, advancing towards the theater square. Their movements were slow, but their steps were significant as they began to strike the theater's doors.

In the sky, meteors streaked by. To Matthew's surprise, these meteors turned out to be metallic pods!

"Have the Cloud Elves reached such technological heights?" Matthew was astonished.

Loreann nodded, "The Cloud Elves are a race both cursed and blessed. They can't easily touch the ground and usually live in the sky, but their technology is second only to the Cyber Dragons."

As they spoke, a thunderous noise came from the southeast. A massive airship was leading a multitude of smaller aircraft.

"Cyber Dragons?" Matthew inquired.

Loreann shrugged, "Not just them. Due to a brief fluctuation in the divine nature during the demigod ritual, the aura was strong enough to attract all the powerful entities and forces in the vicinity. Look, we're surrounded. Those are the powers of several local temples of the Waterside City."

Matthew stared at Loreann with concern, "You better have a way to escape."

Solinka chimed in, "Did they come to besiege you? I thought that the Main Material Realm harbored such a grudge against me. I just sent a projection and left a mark, and they mobilized such a formidable force."

Loreann was quick to decline Solinka's offer, "Thanks, but it's not necessary. I'm afraid if you wrap us up, we might end up like the poor soul below, filled with vines and unable to speak."

While speaking, he retrieved a green "Hawkeye Gem" and held it in front of his left eye. Then, he quickly opened a portal with a teleportation staff.

They both entered the portal, and it promptly vanished.

Matthew found himself at the entrance of the Dance of the Jungle Inn!

"After tonight, we might become celebrities in the south," Loreann grinned. "Of course, they might think we summoned that giant tree."

Matthew's face darkened. "So, it's best to leave early before they can confirm your identity."

Loreann whistled, and a giant albatross appeared before them moments later. Loreann nimbly climbed onto its back and hugged its neck, saying to Matthew, "This pursuit won't end so quickly. They're after me, so you'd better not join me. Get out of the Waterside City as soon as possible."

"Goodbye, Matthew. If you still want to see me, that is."

With that, he winked at Matthew and the albatross beneath him flapped its wings and soared into the sky.

Matthew watched the disappearing figure in the sky in silence. Suddenly, he pulled out the plump book from his bag. As he did, the book's cover color began to fade rapidly, turning into a pale pink hue. The book's title on the cover changed to, "618 Makeup Techniques: Tailored Makeup Art for Men."

"Just as I expected," Matthew thought with a silent smile.

He quickly returned to his room, found Layla, and the two of them left the city that night. Perhaps due to the commotion at the theater, they encountered no trouble on the way.

They continued until they had left the Waterside City and reached the mountainside where they had rested briefly before. Matthew stood on the same cliff and gazed at the city. The towering tree, which had extended into the sky, had been severely damaged by various unknown attacks.

But the sky above the Waterside City still radiated an abundance of unknown magical light.

At that moment, Matthew felt a sudden weariness creeping over him.

"Let's go," he said, giving a nod to Layla.

They walked for a considerable distance, and only after leaving the Waterside City and arriving at the mountainside where they had briefly rested did they take a short break.

Matthew stood on the same cliff where he had looked at the city. The towering tree that had extended into the sky had been severely damaged, but the sky above the city still emitted a brilliant magical glow.

At that moment, he suddenly felt exhausted.

"Let's go," he said, and Layla followed him.

...

Two weeks later, a simple horse-drawn carriage traveled along a bumpy gravel road, passing through the checkpoint of the Red Earth Mountains in the south, crossing the Golden Plains, and eventually arriving at the territory of Rolling Stone Town.

Matthew sat in the carriage, quietly feeling the changes in his Domain of Plague.

In his hand, he held a white vial, now empty. Due to the unique nature of the Plague Domain, Matthew had chosen to absorb its power cautiously, taking in just a little each day.

After nearly two weeks, he had finally mastered this hard-earned domain power.

"Based on an unexpected gain, you have successfully ventured into the sub-domain of Death, 'Plague.'

As a reward for venturing into the domain, you may choose one of the following abilities:

1. Pestilence Evolution (Your Pestilence Sac will have the ability to rapidly spread plagues).
2. Plague Necromancy (Your undead will have the ability to rapidly spread plagues).
3. Symptom Enhancement (You can use this ability on a single target. Afterward, you can select up to two diseases or symptoms lurking within the target's body, causing them to worsen rapidly).

You have chosen 'Symptom Enhancement'!"

...

These three choices are not really up for debate.

Matthew had no desire to become a walking plague-spreader. Instead, he found the ability to intensify the target's ailments to be extremely useful.

In this day and age, most professions were plagued by subpar health.

Who didn't have a headache or the occasional fever due to their profession?

Mages, for instance, with their prolonged hours of study, were a bundle of sickness.

Warriors, even if they lacked old injuries, surely had joint problems.

As for bards, their frequent use of their throat might result in throat problems.

Druids, who appeared to be in good health, often contracted gastrointestinal problems from consuming raw food and engaging in outdoor activities.

Thieves skilled with their hands likely suffered from tenosynovitis or similar joint conditions.

People from the northern regions usually experienced cold symptoms.

Adventurers living by the sea often faced gout.

In a world where people constantly traveled from north to south, who could claim to be entirely healthy?

Only monks, with their vital energy protection, enjoyed relatively better health.

Matthew believed that this ability would be particularly effective for those below the Legendary tier.

For those who had transcended to become Legendary, the situation might differ.

"You have completed your initiation into the 'Plague' domain. Your current status is 'Novice.'

You have gained a permanent trait: 'Health Essence.'

Health Essence: Your disease resistance +10; plague resistance +15.

You have acquired a limited-time trait: 'Afflicted by a Hundred Diseases.'

Afflicted by a Hundred Diseases: You can activate this trait at any time within the next three years. Upon activation, it becomes a temporary trait lasting for 60 days.

During these 60 days, you can stimulate your physical constitution's growth by infecting yourself with diseases, plagues, or toxins. Please be aware that excessive infection might lead to death!"

Regarding his new state of affairs, the Health Essence bestowed significant base resistance, which would give Matthew more confidence when dealing with elements related to the Plague domain.

The time-limited trait was equally intriguing.

After all, who would turn down the opportunity to enhance their physical attributes?

Yet, Matthew had reservations. He knew that using this ability could be perilous and might even lead to his demise.

The good news was that this trait could be activated at any time within the next three years.

In Matthew's opinion, he needed to bolster his resistance before making use of this ability.

After comprehending the essence of the domain, Matthew shifted his focus back to the world outside.

Upon entering the territory of Rolling Stone Town, the road conditions improved significantly, providing a smoother ride for the horse-drawn carriage.

Matthew comfortably stretched his body, feeling a rush of excitement.

Suddenly, a dark shadow passed over him.

The coachman panicked and soothed the horses, while Layla quickly opened the carriage door and inquired, "What's happening?"

The coachman replied, "A giant bird has landed on our path and blocked our way."

Layla was about to step outside when Matthew lifted the curtain and walked out, saying, "Don't worry; it's probably here for me."

Before the carriage, a two-meter-tall albatross stood motionless.

Upon seeing Matthew, it awkwardly waddled over, similar to a penguin, and handed him a letter. Then, it flapped its wings and flew away, causing a rush of wind.

Matthew, covering his mouth and nose, returned to the carriage amidst the dust. He said to the coachman, "Let's continue."

The carriage slowly moved forward, and Layla glanced at the pink letter, asking, "A girl?"

Matthew smiled and replied, "No, a very stylish man."

With that, he opened the letter.

"Dear Matthew,

Greetings, my friend!

I'm currently lying on the soft bedding of the 'Great Wave' under the charming gaze of the lady captain. I'm watching seagulls and curious dolphins through the porthole.

The cabin here is far from comfortable, reminiscent of a humid June seafood market, hot and stuffy.

But it's the price you pay for sailing on a whaling ship.

We haven't seen each other for almost half a month, and I apologize for writing to you only now. To be honest, it's because I'm not used to it. Each time I pick up the pen, my thoughts overflow, and I can only manage to jot down a few words on paper.

However, today, I've made up my mind to write you a letter. You see, this morning, Captain Harima brought me a can of candied kumquats—a sweet and cloying treat I usually detest. But sweetness can boost one's courage, you know.

I opened the can, placed it aside, and started writing. Whenever I reached a point that made me uneasy, I took a bite of candied kumquat, making the bitter words turn sweeter.

Yes, the reason I hesitated to write to you was due to my lack of courage. Despite our short time together, your sincerity, kindness, and trust have moved and humbled me. Each time I recalled how I deceived you multiple times for my own gain, even the taste of candied kumquats seemed to turn bitter.

Where should I begin?

I'll just write haphazardly for now."

And so, he continued the letter.

Approximately five years ago.

The Yun (Cloud) Elves and Sky Giants discovered a divine battle ruin in the sky ruins. In that ruin, they found more than four collapse zones created by the fall of gods.

At first, they collaborated to explore the first collapse zone, and soon they determined that the god who caused that collapse zone was a male deity named "Furin."

More importantly, within that collapse zone, they discovered a shard of Furin's divine essence! Although the divine power and divinity within it had long since vanished, it gave both factions the opportunity to cultivate a demigod.

It's unclear who initiated the breakdown of the agreement. In any case, the two sides started fighting directly within the collapse zone.

And so, the Cloud Elves and Sky Giants fought from the collapse zone to the divine battle ruin and, eventually, to the sky ruins.

The temptation of becoming a demigod was just too great. Minor conflicts quickly escalated into a large-scale, protracted war.

In the enduring war, both the Cloud Elves and Sky Giants couldn't withstand each other's consumption, so they began to seek outside aid.

I happened to be in the Cloud City at the time, and my relationship with the Yun Elves was quite good, so I was quickly invited to join the war.

Due to my curiosity about the sky ruins, I agreed to participate.

However, I had terrible luck.

The Sky Giants also sought external aid—they brought the Cyber Dragons' airship fleet.

Unbelievable! These Sky Giants, who seemed to have been kicked by donkeys daily, expected a Mechanist to win this war for them!

I had just arrived at the sky ruins, and I immediately heard about the movements of the Cyber Dragons' airships. I promptly decided to flee.

As it turns out, my decision was quite wise. Never get close to a Mechanist; it's a recipe for disaster!

That night, the sky ruins became very lively. The Mechanists somehow managed to blow up a quarter of the divine battle ruin with a massive explosion!

The remaining three-quarters of the ruin had activated a self-preservation barrier due to the severe damage and became inaccessible.

During that night, countless Cloud Elves and Sky Giants suffered casualties.

I don't know the exact situation with the Cyber Dragons, nor do I dare to care. All I know is that due to that massive explosion, Furin's collapse zone fell to the mortal realm.

Many factions soon realized this.

Numerous forces vied for control of the divine essence hidden within Furin's collapse zone.

I was fortunate enough to obtain the divine essence in the end.

But making the Cloud Elves, Sky Giants, and Cyber Dragons give up on the divine essence was impossible.

They always kept an eye on Furin's aura. To prevent any unexpected developments, I decided to take the divine essence far away and hide myself.

For a long time, I kept the divine essence in a lead box and dared not look at it too much.

Years later, they gradually relaxed their pursuit of the divine essence.

And I finally had the opportunity to study this precious item.

Soon, I discovered two problems with the divine essence.

First, Furin's domain was not singular. He primarily focused on performance but also incorporated elements of pestilence. If I wanted to ascend as a demigod, I would inevitably be influenced by the pestilence.

I detested pestilence, and on my legendary path, pestilence was an option that had to be eradicated.

This issue had to be overcome without a doubt.

Second, Furin's divine essence appeared to be tainted by something, carrying a trace of a mad spiritual imprint. I traced back to this imprint and found a connection to a twilight entity named "Asitanah."

Asitanah ruled over dark domains like voodoo, destruction, deceit, sudden death, and expiration. If I merged directly with the divine essence, I risked contamination by Asitanah.

Even if I successfully became a demigod, my mental state afterward would be a hidden concern.

This problem also needed to be resolved.

Next, I spent three months formulating a plan.

In this plan, I needed to find a hapless individual who would pave the way for me, wade through the waters for me, and confront Asitanah's contamination for me.

Simultaneously, I could successfully remove the domain of pestilence contained within the divine essence when plundering the fruit of a demigod.

To prevent anyone from prematurely sensing my plan, I arrived in Waterside City long before it began.

Observing for a year and a half, I finally found a near-perfect candidate.

That candidate was Lawrence from the Southern Theater.

When we first met, this young man left a good impression on me.

He always appeared so warm and cheerful. Even when others mocked and taunted him, he seemed unfazed, silently bearing the pain within himself and returning smiles and humor to the audience.

But soon, I discovered Lawrence's darker side.

Within the circus, he frequently mistreated animals in secret, using them to vent his pent-up resentment.

Outside the theater, he even impersonated the theater's star, Brandon, and dated the girls. He would often impregnate them, then blame Brandon for it.

Poor Brandon might have had too many women to keep track of, unable to remember who was who. Every woman who approached him was assumed to be his conquest.

At first, Lawrence was willing to pay some money, but soon he was left penniless, changing his demeanor as well.

Lawrence delighted in Brandon's humiliation, and he escalated his actions, only relenting after almost being caught by one of the girls he had deceived.

The real reason I chose him as the hapless candidate was that, during an investigation, I found that Lawrence had committed murder when he was very young!

It happened when he was about eight or nine years old. One evening, one of the circus's tigers suddenly broke free from its cage and killed a person.

Afterward, there were conflicting accounts, and no one knew how the tiger had escaped from the cage. As per usual practices, the tiger was well-fed and should not have attacked anyone.

This incident remained unsolved.

But we could be sure of two things:

First, on that night, Lawrence was responsible for feeding the tiger.

Second, the person who died was the circus's vice leader, Jess.

Perhaps out of trust in a child, no one believed that Lawrence could have killed Jess.

Only Jess's wife, with her woman's intuition, was convinced that Lawrence was Jess's killer.

However, she couldn't do anything about it because she was only allowed to vent her frustrations toward Lawrence through words. The most she could do was taunt him in their daily interactions.

Of course, both Jess and his wife were instrumental in Lawrence's abuse over the years.

After using magic and special abilities to understand the true situation, I took action.

I allowed Lawrence to gain the modified divine essence after he had an accidental fall. I included the knowledge and rituals required for him to become a demigod.

Of course, I concealed important parts and made some modifications to the divine essence.

Through these methods, I could ensure that he would ascend as a demigod when I desired it.

However, I also gave Lawrence a chance to choose the path of goodness. If he remained pure and refused to become the Plague King, the situation would not progress to the later stages.

You can mock me for my hypocrisy, but I genuinely hoped for the best. From the beginning to the end, I never wanted to kill him.

Even without his divinity, thanks to the heritage of a bard attached to the divinity, it was enough to let him be reborn.

Unfortunately, once a person's desires are magnified, they can never go back, can they?

Well, I admit that from this perspective, I am indeed a complete scoundrel.

In any case, after leading Lawrence onto the path of the Plague King's performance.

I started looking for my protagonist.

That's right.

Lawrence had his demigod ceremony.

I had mine.

The day you saw me effortlessly take away his divinity was not only because my domain and power were superior to his, but also my performance.

Sorry, Matthew.

You are the protagonist and the audience I ultimately chose.

From the first moment we met.

My demigod ceremony began.

(I swear, this damn honey in a tin is just too sweet! Captain Halima came over and asked if I needed water, and of course, I do, I'm so thirsty! I'll go there now, and come back to continue writing.)

(I came back, and it's already dark. That damn woman has an incredible stamina, who knew her offer of water wasn't meant literally. I'm even thirstier now. Anyway, I'll take a sip of the sugary water and continue writing.)

Speaking of performances, you don't still think I'm a super-rich second-generation, do you?

That was a bluff!

If you think about it carefully, during the days we spent together, which parts of my behavior made you think I was particularly rich? Only the first impression, right?

A few bottles of cheap holy water, some forged spells and scrolls, well-timed performances, and a confident attitude, along with some straightforward lines.

You completely believed it, didn't you? It's not your fault.

I've used this trick on many people, and it's almost foolproof every time.

Each time this process was completed, everyone genuinely thought I was a rich second-generation.

That's the importance of the "Rule of Performance: First Impression"!

With this initial impression, even if I haggled in the market and negotiated with others, you'd still think I was a clever rich second-generation, not realizing it was all a facade.

Later, in the Rainforest, I didn't need to act deliberately anymore. I just added a few details, and you filled in the rest in your mind, right?

Sorry, little Matthew.

This was the first area where I deceived you. Here, I also completed the first step of the ceremony—Identity Deception.

Next is the second step—Cognitive Deception.

When you traveled in the Rainforest and the city of Koldor, you must have heard about a wild poet who single-handedly penetrated the Naga Palace, right?

This news spread far and wide on land and sea.

I know you admired and envied me after hearing this news.

Just thinking about that scene makes me want to laugh.

Sorry, little Matthew.

This was the result of me hiring six or seven fellow bards who tirelessly spread the rumors on the coast.

This time, I didn't really deceive you; I just needed six or seven bards to work together to create a news storm in a specific area.

What's even more absurd is that not only did people on the shore believe this outrageous story, even the Naga in the sea believed it!

Those Naga warriors who were far from the palace thought there was a real rebellion and started fighting with each other.

When I left, they were still going at it.

I don't know what happened later; the Naga should stop fighting.

They should.

After that is the third step.

On the day of the ceremony, when I took you to buy tickets, I lied that I was short of gold coins and borrowed some money from you.

Sorry, little Matthew, you're not getting that money back.

This is also part of the ceremony—Financial Deception.

So, Matthew, you've been deceived both as a person and in your money.

But there's one more thing to achieve in the ceremony, and it's the most difficult part of my path to demigodhood—Trust Deception!

In the theater, when the great show was about to start.

I told you that you just needed to be an audience, but in the end, we both had to enter the scene.

I made you trust me, but by that time, I was already full of flaws.

I know that by that time, you had already sensed that something was amiss.

If you continued to dig deeper or walked away, my ceremony would be doomed to fail.

But you didn't.

I'm grateful for your trust in me.

I know that it's not because of my superb acting or any other reason, but because you genuinely considered me a friend.

This is the most regretful part for me.

Afterward, I left the domain of pestilence to you, which eases my conscience a bit.

But as you said, friends should trust each other and not harm each other.

I don't know if my actions hurt you or not.

If they did, I'm sorry.

If you decide to distance yourself from me from now on, I won't have any complaints.

But if you feel that this lying guy still has hope and are willing to continue being my friend, please write back and let me know. (I'm traveling now, without a fixed location. If I get a new address, I'll let you know as soon as possible. If you want to reply, write the letter and give it to Sweetie, that albatross. It'll come to you from time to time.)

I swear.

I might deceive anyone in the future.

But I won't deceive you, my friend, Matthew.

Level 20 Bard, Level 1 Dusk Chant, Deceptive Demigod.

Master of Instruments, Master of Weapons, Amateur Tomb Raider, Manipulator of Smindy's Lies, Honorary Citizen of Cloud City, and East Coast's Third Most Popular Man Among Women in the New Decade at the Age of 45, but feeling not a day older, Lothar Lawrence.

...

Matthew closed the letter.

He felt a mix of emotions in his heart.

Lothar's confession didn't exceed his expectations.

While watching "A Good Show" in the theater, Matthew had already noticed many things were amiss.

The choices that followed could be said to be subjective.

Now it seems that the outcome is not bad?

Contacts: Legendary Bard +1.

"If, with just one trust, you can gain the friendship of a legendary bard and demigod, I guess many people would sign up eagerly, right?"

Matthew smiled.

He didn't respond immediately.

Instead, he closed his eyes and enjoyed the tranquility that belonged to the journey.

But this tranquility didn't last long.

The carriage came to a stop.

The coachman and a few people outside chatted for a while.

After a moment, a gentle young man's voice came through:

"Hello, I'm a resident of Rolling Stone Town, and I have urgent business at the South Trade Station, but my carriage broke down on the way, and I won't be able to fix it anytime soon."

"Could you give me a ride all the way?"

Matthew pulled back the curtain and saw that the other person was a young man who looked only slightly worse than himself.

He stood alone there, and not far away, another carriage was parked on the side of the road, with the coachman checking something underneath.

The young man appeared somewhat anxious.

"Of course, come aboard."

Both from Rolling Stone Town, Matthew didn't mind giving him a lift.

"Thank you!"

The young man said gratefully.

The space inside the carriage was not very large.

After the young man got on, Laila immediately squeezed in a bit, ending up sitting next to Matthew.

A faint fragrance wafted into Matthew's nose.

He subtly moved a few steps aside and ended up getting closer to the stranger.

"Sorry for the trouble," the young man apologized.

Then he extended his hand to Matthew:

"I'm Howard, Howard Jorres. I have businesses in the South Trade Station and locally in Rolling Stone Town. May I know your names?"

Matthew instinctively reached out his hand.

But suddenly...

He felt like he'd heard this name somewhere before.

Table of content

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