Earning Some Extra Cash

Time passed, and half a month went by in the blink of an eye.

This half month was the most relaxed and carefree period Han Shuo had enjoyed. Borg and Keri divided his cleaning duties between them, and because of the injury on his back, Fanny did not seek him out for her research either.

From Jack, Han Shuo learned that even Fitch had once again gone to take the advancement trial for senior mage, so this major enemy posed no threat for the time being.

Ever since Han Shuo's shameless declaration at the bottom of that pit, Lisa's attitude toward him had changed dramatically. Not only did she stop making trouble for him, but she also frequently defended him, refusing to let the other students use him to test their necromancy during this time.

As a result, apart from eating, drinking, and relieving himself, Han Shuo spent every spare moment practicing the Demonic Cultivation Art and studying the two books, Necromancy Basics and Overview of Dark Creatures.

In fact, thanks to his practice of the Demonic Cultivation Art, the injury on Han Shuo's back had long since healed. By now, not even a scar remained.

Han Shuo had grown another two centimeters and now stood at 1.7 meters. With the Demonic Cultivation Art and sufficiently nutritious meals, his once exceedingly frail body gradually grew sturdy and strong, and muscles began to rise on his chest, abdomen, and arms.

Without anyone noticing, Han Shuo's body and strength were slowly changing. His practice of the Mystic Ice Demon Flame Art had now reached a crucial point as well. When he circulated his demonic essence, he could already guide it into both palms along the routes prescribed by the Mystic Ice Demon Flame Art.

Whenever Han Shuo practiced the Mystic Ice Demon Flame Art and circulated demonic essence into his palms, he could feel one palm turn icy cold and the other scorching hot. The skin on his palms also took on faint purple and red hues, making them look very strange.

As for that peculiar Jade Box, Han Shuo had not rashly touched it during this time, afraid that what had happened before would happen again. Until he understood what that sphere was and what strange effects it had, he did not dare risk it again.

Through half a month of studying Overview of Dark Creatures, Han Shuo gained a clearer understanding of some of the dark creatures summoned by the Necromancy Department. He learned some of the ways summoners communicated with summoned creatures, as well as how to send summoned dark creatures to the Otherworld.

However, although Overview of Dark Creatures contained the incantation for sending summoned dark creatures to the Otherworld, and Han Shuo believed his current Mental Power was fully sufficient to do it, he had never dared put it into practice. He did not know whether he would be able to summon Little Skeleton again after sending him to the Otherworld.

This black Little Skeleton with seven bone spikes had been painstakingly refined by Han Shuo using a method for refining demonic treasures. Not only was he superior to ordinary skeletons in every respect, but he also possessed a terrifying immunity to light magic.

During these days, Han Shuo had spent his days and nights with Little Skeleton, who had helped him a great deal. Han Shuo had grown attached to him and worried that if he sent him to the Otherworld, the skeleton he summoned next time might no longer be him, and he would lose him forever.

It was precisely because of this concern that, despite being confident he could send Little Skeleton back to the Otherworld, Han Shuo had never done so. He would rather keep Little Skeleton under his bed, insisting on keeping him even at the risk of discovery.

Before him, the black Little Skeleton lay lazily in the wooden tub, his bones as black as ink and gleaming with a faint, eerie light. Over the past half month, Han Shuo had frequently infused demonic essence into the small wooden tub, continuing to refine him slowly with the Yin Demon Essence-Congealing Array.

As Han Shuo continually refined Little Skeleton this way, his body grew increasingly agile and strong. His little bone saber was actually sharper than ordinary swords and sabers. Han Shuo had tested it on a piece of broken bone and found that a single slash cut through the bone instantly.

While Little Skeleton continued to change, practicing the Solid Body stage of the Demonic Cultivation Art also brought Han Shuo tremendous benefits, transforming his body in mysterious ways.

Yet even now, Han Shuo remained unable to break through this stage of the Demonic Cultivation Art. After carefully recalling the memories of that old madman Chu Canglan and reflecting on some of the things that had happened afterward, he reached a conclusion: to rapidly bring the Solid Body stage to completion, breaking down before rebuilding was the most effective and fastest method.

Whenever Han Shuo took a savage beating or suffered serious injuries to his flesh, his body recovered rapidly through practicing the Demonic Cultivation Art. After each recovery, his body became sturdier than before, and his flesh and bones grew tougher as well. Only by suffering damage first could the reforging of the Demonic Cultivation Art accelerate his progress through the Solid Body stage.

After figuring this out, Han Shuo could only smile bitterly. Practicing this Demonic Cultivation Art is nothing but self-abuse and courting death. But now that I've taken this path, I have to find a way to break through the Solid Body stage quickly to gain greater strength.

That day, Han Shuo appeared at the entrance to the Martial Arts Academy of the Babylon Academy of Magic and Martial Arts.

After several days of inquiries, Han Shuo learned that the Martial Arts Academy specialized in training warriors and knights. However, warriors and knights were trained entirely separately. The students of the Warrior Academy mainly came from commoner backgrounds, and there they studied only battle aura, martial skills, and ideas of loyalty to the sovereign.

Most students in the Knight Academy came from the nobility. It was a training ground for the children of the empire's great families and warlords, including members of the imperial family. These students often had distinguished backgrounds, with families that wielded varying degrees of influence. Here, they had to study not only battle aura and martial skills, but also noble etiquette, military strategy, and the art of command.

These people studied all manner of subjects at the Knight Academy to secure good prospects within their families or the empire. These knight students all came from fairly wealthy families. To advance to higher ranks of knighthood, they spared no expense in hiring commoners as sparring partners for live combat to help them practice their martial skills.

Some commoners who considered themselves physically strong were willing to endure their blows in exchange for generous pay. Even some commoner students from the Warrior Academy came to serve as their human punching bags for money.

However, earning this money was not so easy. Sometimes knight students accidentally beat their human punching bags to death. But since both parties had entered the arrangement willingly and the knight students had paid, even if a human punching bag was accidentally killed, it was considered their own doing, and no one intervened.

Han Shuo had come here to become one of these human punching bags as well. However, he was not doing it for money, but to temper his body and break through the Solid Body stage of the Demonic Cultivation Art.

Numerous human punching bags stood in a spacious hall. Each was sturdy and muscular, and all wore the same impoverished commoner attire. Han Shuo looked carefully and discovered some warriors among them. Some people had come from outside the academy after hearing about the place, while several were students of the Warrior Academy itself.

"You're an academy servant, aren't you? But you're not strong, and you aren't a warrior. Aren't you just coming here to die? Young man, I advise you not to try earning this money. You could very well be beaten to death!" A thin old man at the entrance to the hall looked at Han Shuo as he spoke.

The old man, Jeff, was in his fifties and worked in the same occupation as Han Shuo. Dressed in a servant's clothes, he was specifically responsible for registering these human punching bags. Seeing Han Shuo's thin build, he kindly tried to dissuade him.

"It's all right, Mr. Jeff. Please register me. I really want to give it a try!" Han Shuo looked at Jeff and pleaded.

"Since you're so insistent, I'll register you. Ah, do you think this money is easy to earn? If you really get beaten to death, don't blame me for not warning you!" After trying several times to dissuade him, Jeff found Han Shuo just as determined as ever. With people waiting in line behind him urging them to hurry, he finally gave in with a sigh and registered Han Shuo under the name Brian.

When Han Shuo entered the hall, some of his fellow human punching bags gave him strange looks. Most looked disdainful, while a few kindhearted people appeared regretful and even urged him not to try.

Although practicing the Demonic Cultivation Art had made Han Shuo somewhat stronger than Brian had been, Brian had originally been so small and scrawny, all skin and bones, that he resembled a skinny monkey. Han Shuo was now only somewhat stronger than the original Brian. Compared with these burly men whose upper arms were thicker than his thighs, the difference was naturally still worlds apart.

"Take my advice and leave as soon as you can. Otherwise, you'll definitely be beaten to death." While Han Shuo was looking around, a lean-looking young man in his twenties approached him and tried to dissuade him.

The young man wore a Warrior Academy student's uniform. Although he did not look particularly robust either, as a warrior, he was undoubtedly far stronger than ordinary people who merely looked strong but had never practiced any martial skills or battle aura.

"Thank you. I'd like to give it a try!" Han Shuo gave him a friendly smile and a nod as he spoke calmly.

"My name is Gar. I often come here to earn some extra cash. Even with my strength as an intermediate swordsman, they've seriously injured me before. I've seen far too many people come to earn this money and get accidentally beaten to death. I hope you'll take my advice and leave quickly, or you really will regret it!" Gar looked earnestly at Han Shuo and urged him with complete sincerity.

Shaking his head with a smile, Han Shuo said, "My name is Brian. Gar, I'm glad to meet you. I'm very grateful for your kindness, but I have to try."

Seeing Han Shuo so determined, Gar could not help sighing. He shook his head and said nothing more, but his gaze was filled with sympathy. He seemed to think Han Shuo was certain to die.