This Necromancer Just Wants to Plant Trees - Chapter 117 (Patreon)

The Black Knight ran swiftly.

His resistance was impressive, allowing him to disregard the Dragon's Might of Little Fei and escape with great speed. Unfortunately, the terrain in this area wasn't very friendly for those trying to escape.

But suddenly, the bone wings of Philorius soared high into the air, flapping like a living dragon. With the support of its ethereal green dragon scales, Matthew could feel a cool breeze.

The next moment, the Bone Dragon took off, rapidly gliding low in the direction of the Black Knight's escape. The other two Bone Dragons struggled to keep up, kicking up a cloud of dust.

Fortunately, Matthew's current form was not troubled by the dust. He effortlessly followed, realizing that beneath the "Levitation" spell, there was another magical aura, the mark of "Glide." This was an advanced version of the typical Glide spell, which allowed Little Fei to support his massive body.

"Wow, you've not only leveled up, but also recruited a little brother, established your domain, and even learned the Dragon language magic!" Matthew exclaimed, impressed by Little Fei's continuous improvement.

Matthew dismissed any thoughts of negotiating wages with him. The unnamed Bone Dragon he had summoned to balance Little Fei's power had now become Little Fei's subordinate. Trying to negotiate would only lead to higher demands.

Based on Matthew's experience, it was better to play the emotional card at times like this.

Not long after, utilizing his aerial advantage, Philorius successfully intercepted the Black Knight, and they engaged in a fierce battle. Little Fei fearlessly bit off one of the Black Knight's arms, but in the process, his own bones were chipped away. Despite having the protection of ethereal dragon scales, the Bone Dragons were still quite fragile.

Fortunately, the other two Bone Dragons arrived just in time. The Black Knight couldn't withstand the combined assault of the three Bone Dragons and was quickly defeated.

Matthew approached the Black Knight, who was pinned to the ground by the two Bone Dragons, and said to Little Fei, "Ask him if he's willing to become my servant."

Little Fei obediently lowered his head, and his ethereal flames emitted a low-pitched howl. Surprisingly, the Black Knight could speak the common language and looked at Philorius with an inquisitive gaze, asking, "You, who are qualified to become the King of Bone Dragons, why would you serve under weak humans?"

Little Fei contemplated for a moment, then raised his claw and slapped the Black Knight.

Smack! The Black Knight's head twisted 180 degrees, and several joints of bone on Little Fei's claw broke.

The Black Knight struggled to turn his head back and said, "Why do you protect a human when you are a being qualified to be the King of Bone Dragons? Why would you willingly serve under a weak human?"

Little Fei raised his claw to strike again, but Matthew stopped him. Matthew asked the Black Knight, "It seems you have a deep prejudice against humans."

The Black Knight chuckled, "I was a human before I died. I know how weak and powerless humans are. There's no need to say more. I can't be your servant."

"Then kill me!" the Black Knight declared boldly, straightening his posture.

Matthew nodded, "As you wish."

"Little Fei, you take care of it."

With that, Matthew quickly retreated. The Black Knight seemed to want to say something more, but in the next moment, his head was bitten off by Little Fei.

Hiss, a ghostly green light extended from the Black Knight's corpse, eventually entering Little Fei's skull.

Prompt: Philorius has acquired a new ability, "Soul Absorption."

Soul Absorption: Every time Philorius kills an undead, he can gain additional XP and a small amount of the original owner's memories by absorbing their soul essence.

"Your summoned creature, Philorius (Bone Dragon), is advancing towards a new template (Lord/Ghostly Bone Dragon)."

Undead that could evolve on their own. Besides the peculiar Peggy, Matthew had only seen Little Fei. In the world of the undead, there were distinct levels and strict hierarchies. Most undead were fixed in their abilities, level, and templates from the moment of their creation. Those who could self-improve were a rarity, and Little Fei's relentless efforts were unparalleled.

Matthew couldn't help but caress Little Fei's increasingly sturdy exterior. His virtual dragon scales felt as thick as cowhide.

"Why do you work so hard?" Matthew asked with concern.

Philorius paused in his soul-absorbing action. A faint sense of sadness and determination emanated from the undead contract.

"Master, I too, was once a true dragon," Little Fei clearly expressed his thoughts to Matthew for the first time.

That was all he said, then continued to absorb the soul. Matthew understood that before becoming a Bone Dragon, Little Fei had been a true dragon. True dragons had their own pride. Most of them, upon realizing they had become Bone Dragons, couldn't accept it and would either extinguish their soul fires, replaced by other creatures' soul fires—another reason for Bone Dragons' limited potential—or willingly degenerate into a mindless undead shell.

Little Fei, however, was different. He didn't sink into despair when he discovered the truth. Instead, he used his relentless efforts to climb upward. Matthew could sense a strong desire in his words, a desire to regain his true dragon form and soar freely in the sky, even without magic.

This was his determination, his dream, and the sole motivation driving his hard work in this desolate and eerie land.

Matthew sighed, "I understand what you mean. There will come a day."

"Someday, you will have a flesh-and-blood body, and you'll soar freely in the sky, even without magic."

Prompt: Philorius is deeply moved by your great promise, and his loyalty increases to 99!

Philorius shares a new ability with you: "Pathetic Display."

Pathetic Display (Empathy Field): You can gain significant sympathy from someone or a group by sharing your woeful experiences (with some embellishment).

"Wait a minute, when did I make a promise?" Matthew wondered, feeling a bit puzzled.

Also, that determination couldn't be a "Pathetic Display," could it?

Matthew gave Little Fei a suspicious look.

The latter stood still for a moment, seemingly pondering. Then, abruptly, he urgently ran forward. As he ran, he emitted a resonant dragon's roar.

Roaring echoed through the area, and soon, all the undead creatures on a small hill on the edge of the mountains awoke. They began to converge in Philorius's direction.

This time, Matthew spent a considerable amount of time in the realm of the undead. It felt like he was experiencing the negative energy plane up close. Little Fei suggested taking Matthew to visit his domain, and Matthew readily agreed.

On their journey, Matthew found some remains of the undead. Guided by the power of the realm, he realized he could possess the bodies of these deceased undead. It was not an easy process, though.

Creaking noises!

After much effort, Matthew managed to possess one of the skeletons, but it collapsed just as it barely stood up. He attempted to possess another, but it turned into bone dust as well.

Matthew desperately searched for undead remains along the way. In the end, he found five suitable bodies: two were low-level skeleton warriors, one was a female zombie, one was a dwarf skeleton, and the last one was a long-dead Minotaur skeleton, the same race as Peggy.

During this process, Matthew also released the unnamed Bone Dragon from the contract slot and gave it to Philorius. The soft-headed Bone Dragon had essentially become Little Fei's vassal, so there was no point in keeping it under Matthew's name. It was better to encourage Little Fei to build his own Bone Dragon legion in the future.

Little Fei was extremely grateful for this gesture, and his loyalty increased to 100. Unfortunately, there were no additional abilities shared.

Matthew jokingly said, "Every time you visit me in the primary material plane, I have to give you soul crystals. Now that I've come to the negative energy plane to see you, don't you want to reciprocate?"

Little Fei was left baffled. He remained still for about fifteen seconds before responding to Matthew with his thoughts, "I have... something to offer in my domain... the 'Undead Holy Spring.'"

The Undead Holy Spring? It sounded like a magical entity of undead creatures. Matthew was curious, so he continued the journey with Little Fei.

As they progressed, the terrain ahead began to change, with towering mountains on the horizon.

"Master, we're here, it's on the mountain," Philorius slowly turned back.

But to his surprise, Matthew had disappeared.

He stayed in place, deep in thought for a full minute. Then, he started running frantically.

While running, Little Fei continued to emit dragon roars. Soon, all the undead creatures on the small hill by the mountain were awakened.

This time, Little Fei wasn't going to let Matthew disappear.

"Based on the accumulation of multiple summonings of undead creatures and exploration of the negative energy plane, you have entered the sub-domain of 'Undeath' for the second time!"

As the rewards for venturing into this domain, you've gained the ability of 'Necrotic Transformation.' You can choose one of the following three undead forms:

1. Skeletal Dwarf (Former profession in life: Dwarf Gunslinger. In this form, you have a chance to inherit skills from your previous life.)
2. Bouncy Zombie (Former profession in life: Unknown. In this form, you have a strong proclivity to bounce on your toes and enjoy jumping.)
3. Skeletal Tauren (Former profession in life: Shaman. In this form, you have a chance to inherit skills from your previous life and understand the language of Tauren.)"

Matthew pondered the choices.

The most significant advantage of this ability was that it allowed necromancers to blend in with the undead. He decided to choose the first option, the Skeletal Dwarf, despite contemplating giving Peggy a surprise.

The Tauren form was too conspicuous, and Matthew didn't want to stand out. He'd realized that all three options were forms of undead he had previously possessed in the negative energy plane.

"I wish I had forcefully taken control of a Bone Dragon," he lamented. However, he knew that was nearly impossible, as he hadn't ventured too far into the realm of the Undead, and it was challenging to possess higher-level undead while in a transcendent state. Even obtaining the body of a Black Knight was beyond his reach.

"Dwarves can easily blend into a sea of skeletons without anyone noticing," Matthew thought.

"You have completed your second exploration of the 'Undeath' domain. Your current status is 'Novice.'"

"You've obtained a permanent status called 'Graveyard Keeper.'"

"Graveyard Keeper: When you own a graveyard, you can create a negative energy beacon. Every month, this beacon has a chance to attract elite undead from the negative energy plane."

Matthew considered the implications of this new status. Once he got his graveyard established, it would attract high-quality talent.

Not dwelling on the matter further, Matthew's consciousness returned to his body. He opened his eyes and realized he had been continuously chanting the incantation and had just reached the final verse.

By the expressions of the onlookers, it was apparent that nothing unusual had happened in the physical world during his time in the transcendent state.

"I've been gone for quite a while, but only ten minutes passed in the material realm? That doesn't match the time ratio between the negative energy plane and the material world. Could it be that I can manipulate the flow of time between the two planes during exploration?" Matthew wondered, making a mental note of this question.

After completing the incantation, he focused on perfecting the ritual. A few minutes later, a surge of rampant negative energy gushed from the Heartstone.

Everyone instinctively took a step back, and Matthew calmly guided the negative energy to cover every corner of the test field. This was not particularly difficult, as the magic ritual's power subdued the volatile nature of negative energy, making it pliable, much like molding clay.

Soon, the test field was filled with negative energy, and Matthew sensed the life essences within it frantically trying to escape. Since the northeast was dominated by the even more dangerous Withering Trace, Matthew's oak forest had become the sole escape route for these life essences.

Matthew silently observed this strange transformation. "Is it done?" Reiga asked.

"It's done," Matthew replied with certainty.

As they looked, they saw the ashen traces of the Withering disappearing beneath the tide of negative energy. "It seems like it's working," even Reiga noticed that the appearance of the test field had disrupted the Withering Trace.

It lost its spreading direction and was forced to navigate around it, extending its tendrils on both sides. "It looks like I was worrying too much," Reiga said.

He slapped Matthew's shoulder in appreciation. However, before he could finish his sentence, something unexpected occurred on the Withering Trace. Suddenly, hundreds of menacing red circles appeared on the ashen residue.

A multitude of lesser ash warriors climbed up from the ground, and over a dozen ash knights emerged simultaneously. Behind them was a massive, towering figure taking shape!

"Warning: The second wave of forces from the Ashen Lord is descending! You are facing the 'Ashen General' (Level 15) and the Ashen Legion he leads!"

"I knew today's preparations wouldn't be in vain!" Reiga exclaimed. "Battle stances!" Reiga bellowed.

Everyone quickly stepped back, and the knights drew their weapons while retreating, preparing for a life-and-death battle with the Ashen Legion. Their faces were grim; they could feel the terrifying pressure that the Ashen General exuded. These were not ordinary ash creatures that you could pick off easily. They were true elite adversaries!

Matthew was prepared as well. He had anticipated that the Ashen Lord wouldn't sit idly by, so he had moved his undead army close by.

But as he issued the command for the zombies to surround the Withering Trace, a massive negative energy vortex appeared on the Death's Ground.

The familiar sensation washed over him. "Master, suddenly, leaving—did I—do something—wrong?" a somewhat distressed voice sounded in Matthew's mind.

"Notification: Your summoned creature, Philorius (Evolving Ghost Bone Dragon), requests permission to join the battle."

Matthew's mind raced. He knew that the ritual of opening the negative energy channel could inadvertently draw the wrong kind of undead. But he didn't expect it to be little Phil! Without a second thought, he agreed.

The next moment, a sharp roar echoed from the negative energy vortex, as if a multitude of soldiers were flexing their muscles. "Hold on! The negative energy channel is open, be cautious of the undead creatures inside!" Asmar, one of the Nine Knights, was perceptive. He shouted, "Everyone, get ready for combat; we may have to face an undead king and his army!"

"Lord Reiga, shall I activate the 'Implant Construct?'" Dulin also placed her hand on her right thigh, where a brightly colored mechanical cube was located. But before Reiga could respond, Matthew immediately interrupted, "Don't worry, they're allies!"

Asmar looked at Matthew suspiciously, then turned to Reiga. "My lord?"

Reiga's voice was stern, "Matthew said they're allies, so they're allies."

With those words, the excitement of a dragon's roar filled the air. The entire party remained on high alert.

In the tension-filled atmosphere, a Bone Dragon emerged from the vortex. It was followed by a second one and then a third. After the three Bone Dragons came a vast ocean of undead—skeletons, zombies, a few succubi, and mummies.

Soon, Philorius led over five hundred undead creatures to breach the negative energy channel, crushing the Ashen Legion into disarray!

However, at that moment, above the Withering Trace, the massive figure of the Ashen General had completed his descent. He was a colossal ogre, with fiery shackles around his neck, waist, and ankles, wielding an enormous mace that crackled with sparks. He glared at Matthew with fury in his eyes.

"Blasphemer of the Void, you shall die!"

But before he could act, a colossal skeletal claw came crashing down onto his face, followed by Phil and two other Bone Dragons charging over him.

Roaring like a thunderstorm, Philorius, along with the other Bone Dragons, descended upon the Ashen General and his forces. The undead army stormed through the Ashen Legion, shattering it into pieces.

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