Come to My Place When You Have Time

The sky was just beginning to brighten.

Deacon Yazde returned with three Adventurer Teams.

When he saw the blood covering the ground and the corpses draped in white sheets, his expression darkened terribly.

They had been lured out of the city like clowns, and the Adventurer's Guild hall had nearly been wiped out.

Setting aside the losses from this incident, the very fact that it had happened was a stain on his career as deacon.

Deacon's Study.

"How are the casualties?" Yazde asked, leaning on his cane and taking a deep breath.

Vice Deacon Slyther sat on the sofa, stroking the obedient leopard in her lap. "What do you hope they are?"

"Slyther, I don't have time for your jokes."

"Three were injured. The people who entered the Adventurer's Guild were confirmed to be from the Divine Punishment Cult. One of them was Elder Bawudong, along with seven other Divine Punishment Cult members. At present, two of those seven appear to have been core church personnel." Slyther calmly explained the findings of the investigation.

Yazde frowned. "Only three injured?"

"Are you disappointed?"

"You know that's not what I mean." Suspicion and surprise showed on Yazde's face as he continued, "Are you saying the three people from Fourth Squad killed eight members of the Divine Punishment Cult? Including Bawudong?"

Slyther raised her brows and glanced at him. "I was surprised too, but that is the truth. Ortluk cut off Bawudong's head with a single strike."

Yazde remained too shocked to speak.

It was as if he were replaying the entire incident in his mind.

An elder of the Divine Punishment Cult whom the Guard Squad and three Adventurer Teams had joined forces to surround and eliminate—

Had been killed by a newly established team with only three members.

Then all their effort, along with being lured out of the city, had turned the whole operation into a joke.

"Ah... it seems I really am getting old."

Slyther continued, "Where did you recruit that boy?"

"Who?" Yazde immediately understood. "Oh, Wu Heng? Did he do something special again this time?"

Slyther smiled, stood up, and dusted off her clothes. "Just asking. You got lucky this time. You brought in a promising little one."

"Really?"

Slyther continued, "By the way, there's no need to wait for an opening in Team One or Team Two. Transfer Yuri to Fourth Squad."

Yazde's brow furrowed slightly. "Are you sure?"

"Yes. Fourth Squad happens to have an opening. Let her join Team Four and get some experience."

"I suggest you wait a little longer."

"Let her go to Fourth Squad first. If it doesn't work out, she can be transferred again later," Slyther said.

"Fine. I'll arrange it later. Just have her come over."

Slyther nodded and walked straight out of the room.

Yazde then opened the door as well and said to a busy staff member, "Call Ortluk over."

"Yes, Deacon."

Wu Heng and Bartholomew were walking home.

Both of them looked rather bedraggled, drawing quite a few curious looks.

They had killed an elder and several members of the Divine Punishment Cult this time, so there should be quite a few rewards.

Of course, the rewards no longer mattered much. What he cared more about was that Level 12 corpse.

One against three, with a body tough enough to withstand bullets.

That was the sort of thing he had only seen in science fiction movies.

If he could transform that corpse into an undead, the combat strength on his side would increase tremendously.

His application for a second skeleton had already been submitted earlier.

He wondered whether they would approve that corpse for him.

The corpse would be useless to other professions anyway. Only in his hands could it serve its greatest purpose.

Thinking about it, he continued down the road with Bartholomew.

Creak, creak!

A carriage slowed beside them.

The curtain over the window was pulled aside, revealing Slyther's mature and beautiful face.

"Where are you going?"

Uh...

"Going back to rest," Wu Heng answered directly.

"Get in. I'll take you back."

"Well, actually, I have a habit of exercising in the morning. I was planning to walk back."

"Then fine. We can talk at your place."

"Open the door. I'm getting in."

Wu Heng opened the Car Door and was about to climb in with Bartholomew when Slyther added, "Have your skeleton sit outside."

"Bartholomew, sit outside."

Bartholomew sat directly beside the driver. His round helmet made the driver look at him several times.

The moment Wu Heng entered the carriage, he caught a warm fragrance.

It was not strong, but it smelled wonderful.

Slyther wore casual clothing, while the leather armor she had worn the previous night was folded beside the seat.

She looked like a languid Imperial Concubine, graceful and mature.

The leopard lay at her feet. It did not raise its head, but its eyes remained fixed on him.

Slyther picked up a wineglass from beside her, poured two cups of fruit wine, and handed one to Wu Heng.

"What exactly happened last night?"

Wu Heng glanced at the voluptuous, beautiful woman and said, "The captain will write down the details. I don't know that much either."

"Just tell me casually. Think of it as idle chatter between us."

Yeah right. Like I'd believe that.

After thinking for a moment, he still said, "Late last night, I found an enemy in the corridor outside the training room. After the Skeleton Warrior and I killed him, we went to help Cavina and the captain."

He gave a rough account of it. After all, the general sequence of events was easy enough to guess.

"The corpse outside the training room was the first person you encountered?" Slyther leaned against the wooden couch.

"Yes, a swordsman."

"How did you kill him?"

"Skeletons aren't affected by the night, and I'm a mage. Two against one wasn't difficult," Wu Heng explained.

"Mm." Slyther gave a quiet hum, glanced at him again, and said softly, "You still need to be more careful in the future. The Divine Punishment Cult lost an elder, so they may seek revenge."

"Thank you for the reminder, Vice Deacon."

After thanking her, a question suddenly flashed through Wu Heng's mind. Following that topic, he asked directly, "During last night's battle, that Divine Punishment Cult elder suddenly grew a layer of scales. Was that a skill too?"

Slyther was one of the Whisperers within the guild.

She gathered all kinds of intelligence and secret lore. She might not be omniscient, but she definitely knew a great deal.

Certainly more than he did.

Slyther lifted her glass and took a light sip before continuing, "Divine Punishment Cult Elder Bawudong was rumored to have awakened a bloodline in the Beast Fighting Cage when he was a slave, gaining abilities ordinary people did not possess. Some said it was the bloodline of a legendary black dragon, while others said it was a Demonic Python.

"But in the end, there was no correct answer. Perhaps even Bawudong himself didn't know what exactly he had inherited."

A bloodline?

A black dragon, a Demonic Python?

In a Magic World, Wu Heng could accept the notion of awakened bloodlines.

But he still could not quite understand how things like dragons and pythons could produce human descendants.

It was, more or less, a challenge to what he had learned in school.

"Oh, so that's how it is." Wu Heng nodded to show that he understood.

He did not reveal too much confusion, lest she realize he knew nothing.

The carriage continued forward with a creak and rattle.

The driver called out, "Madam Slyther, we've reached the crowded district."

"Thank you for the ride, Madam Slyther. I'll head back now," Wu Heng said as he stood.

"Mm. Come to the Money Cat when you have time. I'll introduce you to a few pretty girls. Once you spend more time around them, you won't be so nervous."

"Uh... all right."

Wu Heng got out of the carriage and headed toward his residence with Bartholomew.

The carriage behind them slowly turned around and left.

After returning home.

A wave of exhaustion spread through his body. He ate a simple breakfast, had Bartholomew guard the door, then went to bed to rest.

By the time he woke up, it was already noon.

After washing up, he headed straight for Zombie World.

In the living room.

Bartholomew removed his leather armor, revealing his white, bony chest.

One rib was broken, and the two nearby ribs were cracked as well.

This had happened when that elder struck him with Knee Strike during last night's battle.

Living beings could drink potions and heal naturally, but undead skeletons were not so simple.

Wu Heng found a roll of red tape and wrapped several layers around the cracked bones.

"I'll ask how bones can be repaired when I get the chance. Endure it for now."

Necromancy was one branch of the mage class, so there had to be methods for repairing undead skeletons. But Wu Heng, a Wild Necromancer, had not learned them yet.

For now, Bartholomew could only make do like this. Once he figured it out later, he would repair him properly.

After finishing Bartholomew's treatment, Wu Heng went straight to the rooftop.

The Skeleton Warriors were still lined up in neat rows, while four Skeleton Dogs of varying sizes ran over, wagging their tails.

Wu Heng took out the map, glanced at it, and tapped the location of the commercial street with his finger.

The three Mutated Dogs blocking the way had already been killed by him, so he could head to the commercial street now. The gold and silver shops there should have plenty of stock left.

In any world, money could solve ninety-nine percent of life's difficulties.

Having made up his mind, he gave the order directly. "Follow me."

Clatter!

The waiting Skeleton Warriors immediately moved, following behind him toward the stairs.