Corruption Perfume
"All of this should be thanks to that wretched Bull Viscount and Fabian Entenionte!"
If they hadn't relentlessly pressured me, how would I have known that becoming an outlaw could be such a joyful thing!
Although Vasili has now become a bandit, he has never committed any acts of plunder against ordinary people.
It wasn't entirely out of kindness on his part, but rather because the residents of Bull Fief were so poor that they simply couldn't afford to rob him of any extra money.
Throughout their journey, their goal remained the same: to explore the northern region and find invaluable treasures.
After all, in that vast and boundless Northlands, there are countless territories that have been abandoned for many years. As long as one has enough strength and courage to step into them, there is a high chance of reaping countless glittering gold and silver treasures.
Bull Fief serves as a key pass to the Northlands, but it is not the only route to this vast land.
The Northlands are vast and boundless, and the small Bull Fief is clearly insufficient to completely block off the paths connecting it to the outside world.
However, this territory possesses a unique geographical advantage—it is located precisely at a transportation hub.
Through years of unremitting efforts and careful planning, the Bull Fief has successfully opened up a network of roads that connect all directions, allowing people to travel conveniently between different places.
The decaying creatures that once roamed this place and caused great trouble have now been greatly reduced in number thanks to the Bull Fief's continuous sweeps, making it safer to travel through here.
It must be said that, in this respect, Bull Viscount did indeed perform quite well.
Those who ventured into the northern region preferred to conduct trade within the Bull Fief.
This phenomenon has become one of the important ways for Bull Viscount to acquire wealth.
"Simply collecting taxes from the transactions would be enough to solve the problem of the army's food and pay, but that despicable Bull Viscount is racking his brains and resorting to any means to try to evade the military pay that is due. He is simply not worthy of being called a human being!"
Vasili gritted his teeth, furious, his anger growing ever stronger.
As time went on, Vasili's resentment and dissatisfaction with Bull Viscount deepened, and the man's ugly face and despicable deeds kept replaying in his mind.
He clenched his fists, his brow furrowed, as if he could feel his heart pounding with rage, his whole being burning with fury.
"Hmph! These so-called nobles are nothing but a bunch of hypocritical, despicable, and shameless scoundrels!"
They appear impeccably dressed and debonair, but in reality, they are full of malice and their minds are brimming with scheming and plotting.
He only knows how to use his power and wealth to oppress and exploit the people.
Are generals, ministers, kings, and nobles born with a special destiny?
He will become a nobleman sooner or later.
To become a nobleman with a conscience.
This has become his life's goal.
Having betrayed Bull Viscount, Vasili could not possibly enter the Northlands through the normal entrance to Bull Ridge.
However, after more than a decade of hard work and experience in Bull Fief, he had long since come to know this land by heart and was intimately familiar with it.
Unlike the official entry route used by the Bull Viscount, he held a much more convenient and efficient secret passage in his hands.
This mysterious path leads directly to the depths of the Northlands by simply traversing a tranquil valley.
Moreover, its location is relatively hidden and little known.
The only downside is that there are far more Corrupted Creatures in the valley than on the normal route.
But he has a secret weapon.
He discovered a Mini-map trick a long time ago to avoid Corrupted Creatures.
In a chance encounter, he unexpectedly discovered an astonishing secret:
Those Corruption Godstone that have lost their effectiveness after use still possess some unknown power.
He ground these Corruption Godstone, now saturated with the Corruption Mists and rendered ineffective, into a fine powder, then mixed it with water to create a peculiar perfume.
This perfume has a faint, foul odor, making one smell as if they've been soaked in swill.
However, it has an unexpected function—for a specific period of time, it can effectively prevent those Corrupted Creatures from perceiving humans!
He discovered this secret a long time ago, but no one mentioned it.
Over the past decade or so, he has collected a large number of corrupted Corruption Godstone and used them to make many of these perfumes.
He called this perfume "the Corruption Perfume."
"The Corruption Godstone absorbed the Corruption Mists, and when ground into powder and dissolved in water, the resulting perfume naturally carried the properties of the Corruption Mists."
"Spraying it on your body will mask your human scent with the stench of Corruption Mists."
The Corrupted Creatures are not born naturally, but are formed from corpses that come into contact with the Corruption Mists that permeates the air, and are thus "resurrected" by the power of the Corruption Goddess.
However, upon deeper analysis, these objects are actually difficult to classify as true living organisms.
Although they possess a certain degree of mobility, they have lost all the essential characteristics of vitality, instead approaching a peculiar state teetering on the edge of life and death.
They feel no pain, feel no fear, and do not need to eat; they only know how to kill.
Moreover, these decaying things lack a proper sense of smell and sight, and most of Corrupted Creatures are even devoid of intelligence, their behavior entirely driven and controlled by instinct.
Using the Corruption Perfume, they entered the Northlands as if it were their own backyard.
They also acquired a large amount of treasure, including thousands of gold coins.
"This is absolutely awesome!"
Thousands of gleaming gold coins, radiating an alluring light, were piled up like a mountain before my eyes.
This wealth would be a huge sum for anyone, but it was even more so for him.
With these gold coins, he will be eligible for a knighthood without land.
Although this title may not bring actual land and power, in terms of social status, it signifies a complete transformation.
This elevation in status is not merely a matter of superficial vanity; more importantly, it gives him more opportunities and possibilities.
"But it's still not enough..."
Vasili sighed.
His real goal was to become a nobleman who could own land, a lord.
It takes at least 20,000 gold coins to become a lord knight.
To gain the allegiance of a God's Chosen, you'll need to add another 20,000 gold coins to the price.
"Those utterly despicable nobles, relying on their family background and wealth, easily allow their children to inherit titles upon reaching adulthood, transforming them into local lords in an instant."
"However, for ordinary people like us, even if we work hard and dedicate ourselves to our work for decades, we probably still can't reach the starting line height of those privileged children..."
How can the world be so unfair!
Vasili wanted the title of Lord of the Bull Fief.
Only in this way could he help his former comrades and save them from the oppression of that foolish Bull Viscount.
"Since you don't want to do it! Fine, no problem!"
His voice came through coldly, carrying a hint of barely perceptible mockery and anger.
Then, he took a deep breath, seemingly trying to calm himself, but the determination in his eyes remained undiminished. "Then leave it to me! Someone has to take responsibility for all of this..."
Bull Viscount intends to leave Bull Viscount's Fief, a place as dangerous as a volcano.
But he wasn't afraid.
While this place harbors countless crises and hidden dangers, it also offers a wealth of opportunities.
If he acquires this territory, he will surely rise to prominence, but to achieve this, he will need a great deal of money.