Crisis Approaching (1)

Green rode a carriage back to Wilson Castle. He did not need to worry about the follow-up arrangements. When they reached the castle gates, he saw from afar a graceful middle-aged noblewoman and Vincent leading a group of servants as they gazed anxiously down the main road.

This woman was Viscount Paul's wife and Vincent's mother, a kind-hearted lady of noble birth. She had always treated Penny as if she were her own daughter, and upon hearing that Penny had met with trouble, she had been the most worried of all.

After Green got down from the carriage, there was another round of concerned questions and profuse thanks. Then the viscountess directly took Penny by the hand and led her back into the inner quarters of the castle, while Green followed Vincent to the viscount's study.

It was an enormous room at the top of the castle. Apart from the windows and door, every wall was covered by bookshelves that stretched to the ceiling, giving the place an archaic, weighty atmosphere.

When Green and Vincent entered, Viscount Paul was standing by the window, looking down into the castle courtyard. He had presumably witnessed Green and Penny's return by carriage just now.

"Thank you, Green!" After a long while, Viscount Paul spoke slowly and solemnly. Green could hear the sincerity in his words. It was clear that Viscount Paul truly cared for his niece Penny, and that his feelings carried a faint undertone of guilt.

Green had little interest in the hidden secrets of great noble houses. Even his rescue of Penny this time had largely been for the sake of killing monsters and leveling up.

Green then gave a rough account of what had happened, though he concealed certain details, such as the existence of the Hard-Skin Ghoul and the strength of the evil god's priest. Then, using excessive mana consumption as an excuse, he went back to rest.

Watching Green leave, Viscount Paul fell silent for a moment before raising his eyes to his much-anticipated son. "Vincent, what do you think?"

Vincent pondered for two minutes before answering, "Green didn't tell the truth. At the very least, he left some things out. I'm finding him harder and harder to see through."

Viscount Paul suddenly broke into a smile, as though he had heard an extremely amusing joke. "Hahaha! My son, you actually tried to see through a mage!" Then his face darkened, and he fixed Vincent with a dead stare. "Vincent, remember this: never pry into a mage's heart. They are monsters wearing human skins. Power far beyond that of humanity will utterly corrode their souls. Even if you and Green are on good terms now, you must remember this well. Stay in your place, draw clear boundaries, and uphold the principle of equivalent exchange. Owe too many favors to certain people, and eventually you will be unable to repay them."

Vincent was somewhat bewildered and did not immediately understand what his father meant. But he was extremely intelligent and well versed in worldly ways, so he quickly came to his senses. Nodding faintly, he said, "Father, are you reminding me to reassess Green's status? Ever since he became a Necromancer apprentice, I truly haven't regarded him as a mage... What a pity that he is not my blood brother in the end."

Viscount Paul nodded in satisfaction. "Green's talent is excellent. Mages are unlike knights; once they enter the path, there are almost no bottlenecks. There is a strong possibility that he will become a Formal Mage in the future. This may seem like a wonderful thing, but you must understand one point: a lion's enemy will also be a powerful lion. As hunting dogs clinging to the lion's side, we cannot bear the wrath of another lion."

Vincent's brows were tightly furrowed, and he said nothing for a long time...

After leaving, Green had no idea that Vincent and his father were discussing him. Upon returning to his quarters, he immediately entered the Graveyard.

Three Ghouls had fallen in battle. Though the loss was not great, it made Green realize that while Ghouls had decent combat strength, their health was too low, making them unsuitable as front-line MTs. Proper Zombies, on the other hand, were thick-skinned, hardy, and able to withstand blows. Green therefore made slight adjustments to his troop recruitment, reducing the proportion of Ghouls and adding proper Zombies.

Including the troops refreshed in the wooden courtyard, Green's undead army continued to swell this time, with its total strength nearly doubling. It now included 27 Gun Skeleton Soldiers, 5 Zombies, 5 Ghouls, and 1 Hard-Skin Ghoul. Including the cost of healing the Hard-Skin Ghoul's previous injuries, a total of 140 Psychic Energy had been spent.

As Green recruited the undead creatures refreshed in the Graveyard, his strength increased considerably, which delighted him. Yet he did not know that elsewhere, in the basement of an abandoned church more than fifty li outside Landon City, an enraged voice was roaring, "What did you say?! It failed again?! Are those people from the Tower of Yin Spirits all brainless idiots? I prepared everything for them! They only had to follow the steps and summon the Void Yin Spirit. How could that possibly be so difficult? And that Holy Son of the Tower of Yin Spirits, that useless piece of trash with muscles for brains—I heard he died. Who did it?"

The furious, hoarse voice echoed through the empty basement, saturated with deep obsession and venom.

"Lord Akalusi..." A stammering voice sounded. It came from a fat middle-aged man trembling as he knelt prostrate on the floor. He was terrified, the flesh all over his body quivering, but he did not dare avoid answering the madly roaring man's question. "My lord, according to our investigation, the plan proceeded very smoothly at first. But later, the high priest of the Tower of Yin Spirits came into conflict with the Wilson Family of Landon City and sent people to kidnap Viscount Paul's daughter, drawing out Viscount Paul's niece Penny. The Wilson Family appeared... All signs indicate that the failure to summon the Yin Spirit and the death of the Tower of Yin Spirits' Holy Son were connected to this woman."

This fat middle-aged man was named Snett Kaspar. He was an underworld boss from Xilansuowa City near Landon City, as well as an outer member of a terrorist organization. However, his intelligence network in Landon City was only mediocre. He had found Penny but failed to discover Green's existence. Moreover, facing that mysterious being and recalling the other party's brutality and terror, he simply did not dare utter the words "I don't know." Gritting his teeth, he decided to pin everything on Penny.

"The Wilson Family of Landon City?" The mysterious voice sneered and said eerily, "Mere ants dare ruin my plans? It seems the Blood Eye has lain dormant for too long, letting many people forget the days when terror ruled them! Send the Six Witches. Let the Wilson Family perish in fear!"

Green did not know that by rescuing Penny and killing a Holy Son of the Tower of Yin Spirits, he had inadvertently set certain events into motion.

Wilson Castle was Green's territory. After reorganizing and replenishing his undead army in the Graveyard, Green's consciousness returned to reality. He was in a good mood and did not practice the Meditation Method. Instead, he drank black tea and enjoyed this rare moment of relaxation.

Penny, that little girl, actually managed to provoke a Holy Son of the Tower of Yin Spirits. Still, this battle was a good test. My overall combat strength is now roughly equivalent to that of an Advanced Mage Apprentice. Green silently thought. That Holy Son of the Tower of Yin Spirits was very powerful, but when he appeared, his mind seemed unclear. He was like a madman who knew only how to launch wild attacks. Otherwise, it would have been difficult for me to win under those circumstances. Besides my good luck, the main reason it went so smoothly was that I had a high-tier troop capable of deciding the battle at the crucial moment.

Of course, this so-called high-tier troop was only high-tier by Green's current standards and perspective. As a level-two elite monster, the Hard-Skin Ghoul did indeed count as a high-tier troop, but only among apprentices. If he encountered a Formal Rank transcendent in the future, the Hard-Skin Ghoul's strength would be nowhere near enough.

It seems the key issue has returned to gathering Psychic Energy and upgrading the Graveyard! Green shook his head. He knew he should not rush things. His strength and cultivation progress had already far surpassed ordinary people's, and with the Graveyard's assistance, his future prospects were boundless. There was no need for impatience; instead, he needed to be more careful not to court death with fancy tricks.