Zul

"What is a Rathma Cult Priest?"

Ever since accepting Isendra's commission and taking the letter, Ethan had been pondering this question. His understanding of the Diablo world was only superficial; he had no idea what kind of existence this Rathma Cult was.

Following the clues Isendra provided, Ethan left the encampment and searched northward along a small path.

Calling it a small path was generous; it was simply a slightly flattened track created by frequent foot traffic, also serving as a directional guide.

In this world with undeveloped technology, the most reliable way to avoid getting lost in the wilderness was to find such a path and follow it in any direction. Eventually, you would come across a town.

Following a path also had the advantage of encountering fewer monsters. This was especially true for the Quill Rats and Fallen, which Ethan was wary of; these two types of monsters rarely appeared on the roads. The most common encounters were slow-moving Zombies, and even those were few in number. Even if he ran into a few, Ethan's current abilities were more than sufficient to handle them.

"According to Isendra, if I follow this path north for about three days, I should meet that Priest. If I don't, I can just turn back. It's already been two days, and forget a Rathma Cult Priest, I haven't even seen a single person."

Meanwhile, the erosion of Dark Energy was becoming more severe. Compared to when Ethan first arrived in this world, even during the day, the entire sky had been overcast lately, with not much sunlight visible, and the air was filled with an energy that made Ethan feel uncomfortable all over.

Having stayed in this environment for a long time, as his Mental Power gradually increased, he always had an urge to absorb this energy into his body and convert it into Magic Power.

"Although for a Sorcerer, any energy can be used as Magic Power… this powerful negative energy will definitely have a considerable impact." Ethan carefully recalled the tragic fates of Sorcerers who couldn't resist the temptation of powerful forces and used negative energy, trying his best to control his impulse: "Power that cannot be controlled, no matter how strong, does not belong to me."

Ethan took a deep breath, then exhaled it completely, as if using this method to strengthen his resolve.

Just as he was preparing to continue forward, Ethan suddenly noticed a few Skeletons wandering not far ahead.

"Skeletons?"

These Skeletons were all carrying bone long knives, gathered in groups of two or three, patrolling back and forth according to a specific pattern.

"A little strange…"

Ethan cautiously approached, then saw more Skeletons patrolling at the edge of his vision.

"Quite a number. Charging in would be suicide."

He decisively retreated. To avoid being noticed by the Skeletons, Ethan slowed his steps, backing away little by little, while observing his surroundings for any suitable cover.

The area nearby was open, without even a single dead tree that had lost its leaves.

Just as Ethan was cursing his bad luck, the Skeletons discovered his presence. Strangely, the Skeletons didn't rush over in a swarm; instead, they quickly converged on one spot.

What surprised him even more was that one of the Skeletons closest to him didn't move; instead, it waved at him.

"Uh… was that a wave?"

Ethan was a bit confused. Had he encountered an intelligent Skeleton? Surely he hadn't run into someone who had transmigrated into a Skeleton?

Ethan, who was hesitating whether to continue leaving or observe further, quickly no longer needed to agonize over the decision. A man dressed in black and white clothes slowly appeared in Ethan's line of sight.

And with a gesture from this man, the Skeleton that had waved at him instantly dispersed, then slowly disappeared.

"Necromancer?"

This style was all too familiar to Ethan. As one of the five playable classes in Diablo 2, Ethan had also played this class.

"Those Skeletons are his Summons!"

No wonder the Skeletons' movements were so 'weird'; they must have been on guard just now, protecting the resting Necromancer.

Since it was a Necromancer, he should be trustworthy… right?

There was no helping it. Although Necromancers were very popular among game fans, if put into the real world, a Sorcerer who played with corpses and souls didn't seem to fit in with the side of justice no matter how you looked at it.

Turning around and running didn't seem appropriate either, considering he still remembered that the Necromancer was one of the initial classes in the game. According to the official storyline, they were also one of the heroes who saved the world. So, he still needed to make some contact to make a judgment, but he needed to remain vigilant.

"Hello, young traveler. I am Zul, a Priest of the Rathma Cult. I sense the aura of an acquaintance on you. Did she send you to find me?"

With some time spent learning and his memory greatly enhanced by his increased Mental Power, although he could still only use some words and short sentences and couldn't converse at length, his listening ability had greatly improved, and he could understand most conversations without difficulty.

The content of the words left him momentarily stunned. Only then did he realize that the Necromancer in front of him was actually the Priest of that cult he was looking for.

"There's no mistake, is there?"

His hand was still gripping the sword hilt. Ethan took out the letter from his chest with his left hand: "You are a Rathma Cult Priest? Isendra's friend?"

Hearing Isendra's name, Zul first nodded, but then shook his head: "I have only met Isendra once; we are not friends. However, we now have a common goal, so we can barely call ourselves partners. Before, we agreed that if either of us found a clue and couldn't personally inform the other, we would entrust someone to deliver a letter with our own Mental Power imprint."

Hearing this, Ethan handed over the letter he was holding. He really hadn't expected the Necromancer to be that Priest; he always felt the styles didn't match.

As if sensing his question, Zul looked at the letter Isendra had written to him, while also explaining his identity—he had encountered similar misunderstandings many times and wasn't bothered by it at all, even taking the opportunity to promote the doctrines of the Rathma Cult.

It turned out that the Necromancers of this world were very different from the Necromancers Ethan originally knew.

They were a sect with a minority following, whose core doctrine was the pursuit of balance in all things.

From their doctrine, they belonged to the absolute neutral alignment.

The magic used by Rathma Cult Priests was not some evil force, but Primal Magic based on the energy that exists within all things. In reality, many sects or groups in this world used this kind of energy; a typical example was the Amazon.

By using Primal Magic and seeking and exploring the balance of life and death, Rathma Cult Priests gained the ability to manipulate undead creatures. It was precisely for this reason that most people generally held prejudices against them, and also classified many of the spells they used as 'Dark' Magic.

"Actually, this is incorrect and imprecise."

The Necromancer, who had been quite aloof, immediately transformed into a chatterbox when his faith was mentioned, lecturing Ethan extensively on the doctrines of the Rathma Cult and constantly complaining about their magic being simply and crudely categorized as Dark Magic.

"We can discuss this matter later. Isendra asked me to take you to the Rogue Encampment."

Getting down to business, Zul finally stopped his rambling and carefully put away Isendra's letter: "The letter says that she found some clues at the Rogue Encampment. The surge in Dark Energy is related to a mysterious person, and she also discovered a large number of Dark Creatures gathered in the Blood Moor, and even Andariel has occupied the fortress, blocking the road to the east."

Zul paused, seemingly also a bit troubled by this information: "From every perspective, I need to make a trip to the Rogue Encampment."

He turned his head and looked at Ethan. "Young man, Isendra said you're working hard to improve your Mental Power so you can become a Sorcerer?"

"Yes." In truth, Ethan didn't even know if he could successfully become a Sorcerer, but all the 'study materials' he was currently collecting were geared towards that path.

"Have you considered joining the Rathma Cult?"

Having just quieted down for a bit, Zul started preaching again. Unfortunately, ever since learning that the Necromancers in Diablo 2 were a bunch of puritanical, ascetic 'holy men,' he had lost interest in the profession.

"No, I think it's better to stick firmly to the path I've chosen. Wavering back and forth won't lead anywhere."

Unexpectedly, this statement earned him Zul's praise.

"Well said, young Sorcerer's Apprentice. With thoughts like that, I don't think the day you become a full Sorcerer is far off."

Then he looked at Ethan's thin frame.

"However, in this dangerous environment, you need to quickly improve your ability to protect yourself. Otherwise, you might not survive until you become a Sorcerer. Since your Mental Power can't be rapidly increased right now, you could consider improving your fighting skills."

Ethan nodded, but then he realized something seemed off. Why did this Priest look like he thought Ethan was a weakling and wanted to give him pointers?

Did he think Ethan was also part of the small team fighting the Dark Creatures? And why was he offering advice on melee combat instead of magic? Was the first requirement to becoming a Sorcerer really to become a melee expert first?

"Um, are you going to teach me close combat?"

"What? Do you think I can't teach you?" Ethan just saw a blur, and Zul, who had been two steps away, was now standing right in front of him. At the same time, a cold dagger was pressed tightly against his neck. "You should know, as a Priest of the Rathma Cult, close combat is a required course."

"..."