Necromancer, What the Heck Is This Summoning a 055?

If not for the help of these old comrades, how could Little Josie, given his family's circumstances, have become a Bronze Pattern Warrior so quickly?

Even with some talent, learning martial techniques or spells cost a great deal of money!

Chen Mo waved a hand dismissively. "It's fine, it's fine. When has a day gone by without my skeleton taking three or five falls?"

The one-eyed proprietor immediately smacked Little Josie on the head. "Did you hear that?! Hurry up and thank the master for his kindness!"

One-Eye pressed the still-shaken Little Josie down to kowtow several times with loud thumps, then irritably kicked him aside. He picked up the bundle of weapons, armor plates, and assorted odds and ends that the attendant had repacked.

"Oh, right." Chen Mo gestured at the pile of "junk" with his chin. "Luke once told me his friends had connections all over the White Stone City area, knew all kinds of people, and could get things done. There are a few things I'd like to ask you about."

"First, this pile of odds and ends is inconvenient to carry around. Could I ask someone to dispose of it for me? A lower price is fine."

"Second, once I have my mercenary credentials, I plan to study at a mage tower in the North Foothills River area. I was wondering if you two could help me find a guide."

The one-eyed proprietor thumped his chest. "Hey, that's easy. Leave it to me!"

The two friends Luke had introduced were quite reliable. By the end of the half day, Chen Mo's affairs had been settled almost perfectly.

Chen Mo had actually kept the entire Mountain Vine Squad's mercenary badges all along. At first, he had thought they were just unremarkable pieces of iron, but he soon realized how wrong he was. They were clearly finely crafted items imbued with magic.

Old John limped along, expertly leading Chen Mo through the Mercenary Guild. They submitted his information, verified his identity, paid the fees, and obtained the required certification and stamps. Finally, they stopped at the badge-making window in a corner of the hall.

Uh-more precisely, the window for making mercenary badges.

A hunched alchemist sat behind the window, a lens as thick as the bottom of a bottle fitted over his right eye.

He slowly accepted the identity documents covered in stamps and held his lens as he examined them repeatedly for a long while. Then he slowly removed the lens and looked over the windowsill, his cloudy eyes carefully scanning Chen Mo from head to toe and back again several times.

"Old Rat," the alchemist said, his tone half teasing and half warning, "you've already sent me six complete greenhorns this month! Do you think you own the Mercenary Guild?"

"Cut the crap!" Old John impatiently rapped his middle knuckle against the wooden window frame. "I'm bringing you business! If nobody registered, where would you collect your processing fees?"

"Besides, without mercenaries, there'd be nobody to do the work. With nobody doing the work, there'd be no commissions. Without commissions, would the hundreds of people in the guild live on air?"

"What the hell do you know?!"

The alchemist curled his lip in displeasure, muttered something unintelligible in the local dialect, and put the heavy monocle back on.

He carefully scooped spellcasting materials out of several pottery jars at the corner of his desk: a faintly gleaming silver powder, a few dark brown crystals, and a pinch of indigo moss that wriggled slightly as though alive. Poor Chen Mo, a prospective apprentice, recognized none of them.

The alchemist sprinkled the materials precisely within an oval magic symbol engraved on the desk, fitted a metal piece into the very center of the oval, and took out a finger-length hammer and began tapping away.

A dozen or so minutes later, a brand-new badge was pushed out, still warm enough to be slightly hot to the touch.

Old John took the badge and led Chen Mo to the center of the hall.

A waist-high magic marble stone stood there, its surface smooth as a mirror. Old John gestured for Chen Mo to press the badge into a shallow recess at its base. A faint light flashed, and the surface rippled like water. Several lines of text appeared clearly:

Mercenary name: Chen Mo

Mercenary rank: zero

Registered guild: Brook Moon Federation White Stone City Branch

Available missions: none

A zero-rank mercenary couldn't take any missions.

Although Chen Mo didn't intend to make a living as a mercenary, he couldn't help asking, "If I can't take missions, how do I raise my mercenary rank?"

"Two ways." Old John threaded a sturdy leather cord through the unranked badge and handed it to Chen Mo as he explained in detail. "You can test for an official professional rank certification. Warrior, mage, archer-any of them will do. The guild has rules for raising your mercenary rank accordingly."

"Or you can join a mercenary company, start with the hardest and most exhausting jobs, put in the years, and build up your credentials."

The old man pulled a badge out from inside his collar and gently rubbed it with his rough fingers. His voice grew somewhat somber. "It's an old trick the guild and mercenary companies use together to squeeze newcomers. But what can you do? These days... the harvest from the fields isn't even enough to fill their bellies. So many farmers can't hold on to the land their ancestors left them. They either go into the mines as laborers or plunge into this business of risking their lives."

The two men walked out through the Mercenary Guild's imposing gates and down the broad bluestone steps. The slightly hot, dry afternoon air greeted them.

Old John led the way a little ahead and to one side, his body constantly tilted slightly as he continued rambling. "The best-selling drink at One-Eye's Old Hedgehog Tavern used to be blue snake liquor at three copper coins a bottle. Now even black snake liquor at two bottles for one copper coin is hard to sell. Everyone's... having a harder time!"

"Even so, mercenaries from Mirror Lake and the Emerald Duchy on the other side of the forest are still coming this way. They scrape by on the lowest pay, but they won't go back."

The old man paused and looked up at the distant, hazy horizon. "They say mercenaries have keener noses than hyenas. The way I see it, war is only a matter of time."

Chen Mo's heart tightened.

War had never been far from human life, even on Blue Star in modern society. Back then, he had only been able to study in peace because a powerful nation sheltered him.

Now, although that nation still sheltered him, it was separated from him by countless starry skies, who knew how many hundreds of millions of light-years away.

An overwhelming sense of anxiety and urgency surged through him once more.

When they returned to the familiar porch of the One-Eye Old Hedgehog Tavern, the one-eyed proprietor was already waiting there. Two young figures stood in the shadows behind him.

Seeing Chen Mo return, One-Eye came forward and offered him a heavy money pouch tied with a leather cord in both hands. "Those items you entrusted to me yesterday have all been sold to trustworthy shops that know how to keep quiet. The money's here. Please have a look!"

Chen Mo took the pouch and, without looking inside, casually tucked it into the sturdy new leather pocket sewn onto Little White's back. He faintly heard the muffled clink of coins.

"Also, I brought two guides for you to look at."

One-Eye stepped aside, revealing the two young men behind him, and briefly introduced them.

Chen Mo glanced over the pair. Oh, one was an "acquaintance"! Wasn't that Bronze Pattern Warrior Josie the little fellow who had blundered around in the tavern yesterday?

Chapter 28: Beneath the Mage Tower

Josie was now clean and tidy. His old leather armor had been polished to a shine and fastened tightly around his upper body with brand-new supple sinew straps. The hilt of the short sword at his waist was also wrapped in new grip cloth, which seemed to have some words embroidered on it.

He tried hard to stand straight, but when his eyes met Chen Mo's, he still involuntarily looked away, betraying a nervousness and shame he could scarcely hide.

The other, an archer named Little John, was, as his name suggested, Old John's grandson. He was slightly built and carried a well-maintained hunting bow on his back, its string already taut.

The youngster looked cheerful. He stood there with his feet still, but his body couldn't help twisting slightly from side to side. One word described him from head to toe: lively!

Well then, the intention behind this arrangement... looking after their own was obvious!

Seeing that Chen Mo said nothing for the moment, One-Eye blinked his good eye and added:

"Josie and Little John have already entered the ranks, one as a warrior and the other as an archer. They're both from the younger generation of our families, and I watched them grow up. You can count on them!"

"Though they're young, they've both been out on several jobs with the old crew. They have clean hands and clear heads. They know the terrain around the North Foothills River so well they could find their way around with their eyes closed."

Old John, who had been resting nearby, gave a dry cough to attract Chen Mo's attention. A smile creased his wrinkled old face. "Master, if you don't mind, you could take both of them!"

"Don't let their age fool you. They grew up among mercenaries, and they're tough and sturdy. Escorting, running errands, scouting, keeping watch at night-they definitely won't make a mess of those jobs."

"With two of them, one can guard you and the other can run errands. It's just right. If you really do have to camp out in the wild at night, they can take turns."

Chen Mo nodded. What Old John said made some sense. Either way, it was only a matter of a dozen or so days and a few dozen silver coins. Setting off quickly was what mattered.

"All right, then hurry and get ready. We're leaving!"

There was still quite a bit to prepare.

If he had to walk all the way to the North Foothills River, Chen Mo wouldn't be able to take it. He needed a carriage too.

Accompanied by Old John and Josie, he went to the market. After asking around for prices, Chen Mo gritted his teeth, steeled himself, and paid a painful sum for a four-wheeled carriage with two horses. He also bought an additional sturdy horse.

Renting from a carriage and horse dealer would cost even more than buying once the deposit and rental fees were added together. Considering he wouldn't be back in White Stone City anytime soon, he might as well buy.

Back at the tavern, One-Eye also brought good news: the trouble on the black market had been settled for the time being. Chen Mo endured the pain and paid out another large sum.

He couldn't help reflecting that these old hands really did have connections everywhere. Otherwise, he might not have been able to spend the money even if he'd wanted to.

The bounty on Chen Mo in the black market was still listed under the Mountain Vine Squad's name. Although Chen Mo had already sent every member of the squad off to reincarnate, the squad was theoretically still within its "protection period" until the deposit was exhausted.

One-Eye's solution was to bribe the person in charge of assigning missions on the black market and, in the name of a group of veteran mercenaries from his Old Hedgehog Tavern, take over the pursuit of Chen Mo for the remainder of the mission.

The black market didn't care who took the job. As long as someone paid the deposit on time, it made no difference who got the mission.

By the rules, it should only have opened to the next group when the previous party's time ran out without their completing it or paying to renew. But since it was the black market, the rules... if someone was eager to pay, would they really turn a god of wealth away?

Chen Mo spent a considerable sum, enough to keep the mission "locked" for half a year, so nobody else could take it.

With the blade hanging over his head moved aside for the time being, Chen Mo could finally breathe a little easier.

But how could a bounty from a prominent noble family be so easily resolved for good? Zircon Family... Chen Mo silently repeated the name, his gaze growing colder and colder.

Just wait. Once I've contacted home a few more times, there'll be a day to settle this score.

After finishing his miscellaneous business in White Stone City, Chen Mo and Little White boarded the carriage. With Josie driving and Little John on horseback, they set off before the sun began to descend in the west.

There was one small incident before they left the city. Josie's father, Big Josie, and Little John's father, Middle John, had both come early to the city gate to see the children off.

Big Josie handed over a heavy bundle of dry rations fragrant with the scent of wheat, along with cured meat. Middle John brought two gleaming, brand-new quivers of arrows-Little John had expected to travel on foot and hadn't brought many spare arrows, but now that he had a mount, he had hurriedly asked someone to tell his father to bring the rest of his equipment.

Watching the affectionate scene between fathers and sons, Chen Mo was generous for once. He advanced Josie and Little John half a month's wages and let them hand the money to their families on the spot.

When the two youngsters returned to the group, their faces glowed, their backs were ramrod straight, and there was a spring in their steps.

At the final moment before they left, Old John leaned against a cornerstone of the city gate, his cloudy eyes watching the group before finally settling on his grandson Little John. His lips moved, but in the end he only waved. "Go on, and all of you stay sharp!"

It had to be said that although he had spent quite a bit of money, it was well worth it.

With the two mercenaries, who knew the local area and had some ability, looking after things, the journey went unexpectedly smoothly. Chen Mo seized every free moment to meditate and cultivate, and whenever he had a little leisure, he asked the pair about strange stories, local customs, and scenery from various places. He felt that both his abilities and knowledge were growing by leaps and bounds.

A week passed. The carriage sped along the main road and finally reached the banks of the North Foothills River, the largest river in the Creek Moon Federation.

No matter the country or region, a rushing river was a resource of strategic importance.

The North Foothills River flowed onward through the twelve most important major cities of the Creek Moon Federation. It was no exaggeration to call it the federation's mother river.

The alluvial plains on both banks were not only the federation's main grain-producing region but also yielded abundant fruit and spirit plants. All along the way, Chen Mo saw beautiful pastoral scenery: fields crisscrossed by paths and fragrant orchards.

The Creek Moon Federation's wine in particular was renowned across the continent for its distinctive flavor and was even exported as far as the legendary eastern world.

Mages, who needed to sit and cultivate for long periods, were especially fond of this fruit wine with its delicate taste and lingering finish. Many mages of the Creek Moon Federation chose these riverside plains first when permitted to select their own fiefs, erecting their mage towers here.

These were the mages' independent estates and private academies.

The first mage tower Chen Mo intended to visit was the North Foothills Bay Radiance Mage Tower, the closest to the White Stone Highway and reachable by traveling straight along the road.

When they arrived at the mage tower, dusk was deepening. A vast structure emerged from the distant, indistinct silhouettes of the mountains. Most striking of all was its central main tower, fully six stories tall.

It belonged to a sixth-rank mage, the legendary holy light-aligned Void Chanter.

As the carriage slowly approached, the full shape of the mage tower gradually came into view.

The outer fortress was a low, two-story structure built entirely from some kind of massive dark rock. Every boulder had been cut square and fitted tightly against its neighbors, leaving no gaps.

The central tower, by contrast, was built from white stone that gave off a dim, pale, cold light in the twilight. Broad at the bottom and narrow at the top, the tower looked at first glance like a giant spear pointing straight at the sky. Countless arcane runes, carved to varying depths, covered its surface like marks left by the years.

The runes held magical energy firmly within the tower. Even from several kilometers away, Chen Mo could feel that surging power. Vast streams of intertwined violet and blue light rolled and raced endlessly through the stone walls, rising and falling, flickering bright and dim.