......
"Dear Teacher (crossed out) Matthew,
I hope this letter finds you well.
At this mont, I am sitting on a bench outside the Jumping Horse Inn in the eastern district of Erald Jade Court, writing to you (crossed out) you.
I have been in Erald Jade Court for almost half a month. Before setting off, I had all sorts of unrealistic fantasies about the journey. However, after leaving Rolling Stone Town, I found that things were very different from what I had imagined. I guess it's because my knowledge was too limited.
Many unexpected things happened on the road, and there was no one to share them with.
From the first day I arrived here, I often missed the people of Rolling Stone Town, missed my father, mother, Sif, and you—
Please forgive my rudeness that day. As you said, I don't really understand Necromancers. I don't know why I subconsciously felt fear. Maybe I was tripped up by the fear in the worldly impression. Looking back now, I was more at a loss at that ti.
But I guess you will forgive , right?
Because you are always so understanding.
So I still had the nerve to write to you, hoping that you really didn't mind.
......
Our journey was not smooth. On the second day after leaving Torrent City, our caravan was attacked by a group of bandits. They blocked the caravan from front to back. I was so nervous in the carriage that I almost threw up. The guard captain comforted , saying they would handle it.
He said his judgnt of bandits was very accurate. Those bandits didn't look like they would fight to the death. Our caravan was also strong enough.
As he predicted, the caravan leader negotiated with the bandits for a while, collected so money from each family, and they dispersed.
The guard captain told that the caravan leader was likely in cahoots with the bandits, colluding inside and outside to defraud the passengers of their tolls—people traveling abroad rarely mind spending money to avoid trouble, so it's safe and can bring in extra inco.
I didn't quite believe it after hearing it. I thought it was a story made up by the guard captain to show off his knowledge.
But the afternoon before we arrived at the elf territory, I accidentally saw the caravan leader negotiating with a man who was not part of our caravan in the woods next to the camp. He took a heavy money bag from the man.
I recognized that man. He was one of the bandits.
They noticed , but the caravan leader just drove away and warned not to say anything.
After returning to the carriage, I told the guard captain about this. As a result, he didn't let leave the carriage for the next three days.
I was very scared at the ti, of course, I wouldn't go anywhere.
While sitting in the carriage, I kept thinking wildly. I always felt that the next mont the caravan leader would silence .
I was scared to death and didn't sleep well for several days.
But until we were in the elf territory and changed the caravan leader, nothing terrible happened.
When the guides were handed over, I secretly lifted the curtain to look at the caravan leader from Torrent City.
He was calm from beginning to end. When he saw , he even smiled at .
At that mont, I suddenly rembered the first ti I saw him in Torrent City. His wife ca to see him off. He was holding his three or four-year-old daughter by the carriage, talking warmly with his wife, telling her not to worry.
At that mont.
I finally got a little understanding of the nature of this world.
In the past, at Sif's house, she often scolded in an old-fashioned way: "Child, the adult world is very complicated. A little lamb like you can easily be swallowed alive."
I was always amused by her imitation of an adult's tone.
Now that I think about it, Sif has always been smarter than , more mature than , and realized the complexity of the world earlier than .
The daughter of the lord is indeed a bit better.
What do you think?
......
I thought that once the caravan entered the elf territory, it would be smooth sailing.
But who knew that the next day, we encountered a giant dragon!
The incident happened suddenly. When the dragon flew over our heads, I felt my heart stop for several seconds in the carriage. All the horses were extrely restless and neighing.
Through the carriage window, I saw a large shadow sweeping across the ground.
There was a hint of green in the sky.
Later, I heard from the half-elf guide that it was an adult green dragon nad Fatina, who had built a nest in the "Court of Falling Leaves". Erald Jade Court had clashed with her several tis, trying to drive her away, but Fatina was cunning and persistent, always wandering near the northern part of the forest, and occasionally attacking lone pedestrians or caravans.
We were lucky not to be targeted by Fatina, but her appearance in the southern part of the forest was strange in itself.
I sensed a hint of worry in the half-elf guide's attitude.
Erald Jade Court doesn't seem as powerful, sacred, and inviolable as I imagined, and the elves also have troubles they can't solve.
Later, I t many elves outside the city of Erald Jade Court who were like walking corpses.
The guide warned us not to get close to them, or we would be in danger.
The locals call them "Lost Ones".
They are a group of madn abandoned and cursed by the forest.
I asked the guide why Erald Jade Court didn't drive them away if they were so terrible.
The guide only said that the elves couldn't bear to abandon their kin, without explaining more.
I was even more puzzled.
After entering the city, I finally felt like I was stepping into a dream.
Erald Jade Court is really beautiful.
There are countless trees here. They are tall, reliable, and warm. Their omnipresent branches and leaves shade every corner of this city.
Most of the ancient trees here are over a thousand years old."If you want to enjoy the sunlight, as long as you know a few phrases in Elvish, the ancient trees will kindly spread their branches and leaves, allowing the sunlight to shine on your face.
I know you love planting trees, Matthew, you will definitely fall in love with this place.
I was so joyful when I first entered the city.
But reality soon poured a bucket of cold water on .
Before leaving, my father only said he was sending to learn the songs and dances of the elves, but he didn't tell that I also had to learn swordsmanship and spells!
I was sent to a group composed of half-elves and elves.
I was the only human in the entire group.
Although everyone there greeted with a smile, I could feel the strong alienation and indifference beneath their smiles.
They didn't welco .
They even had a bit of prejudice against humans.
Once, after a dance class, I overheard a half-elf say to her companion while I was changing clothes:
"That human girl with the big chest, she really knows how to flaunt her figure, but what's the use? Her dancing is good, but her swordsmanship and spells are zero! I don't think she can ever beco a 'Sword Singer'."
Her companion laughed and replied:
"Why pay attention to her? In forty years, her full figure will deflate like a punctured balloon, isn't that the sad part about human girls? I think with her level of effort, she still has a chance to beco the lowest level Sword Singer, but by that ti, she will already be an old woman who can't dance."
I was really heartbroken after hearing this.
Not because of their harsh words, but because of the lant for the short life of humans.
Half-elves have at least 300 years of life, wood elves have twice that, and it is said that the night elves in the Eternal Night Forest live even longer.
But what about us?
The thought that I will inevitably grow old in a few decades really makes feel bad.
I wasn't very active in dancing for a few days.
And after that day, the attitudes of others towards beca more obvious, they always bullied intentionally or unintentionally - either hanging my training wooden sword on the butt of a musk ox, or splashing embarrassing milk stains on my dancing clothes.
I cried for several days before telling myself to be strong.
My father spent a lot of money to send here to study, I can't give up easily.
Many tis when I was upset, I thought of Sif.
I couldn't help but think, if she were here, she would be able to handle these problems with ease, right?
Unlike , who only knows how to hide and cry.
Speaking of crying, I don't actually reject crying, it doesn't help, but at least it keeps from falling apart.
A few days passed.
Things took a turn, their bullying of was caught by a general of the Wind Chasers.
He scolded everyone on the spot, scaring everyone.
The general's na is Terani, a very handso elf Sword Singer.
He is very young, said to be the most likely to be promoted to the Elf Sword Saint in the entire Erald Jade Court.
Terani treated very well, and would co to see from ti to ti after class.
At first, I was a bit uncomfortable with his enthusiasm.
But soon, I discovered a secret about Terani.
He is actually a girl, just likes to dress as a boy.
Oh my god, I feel so embarrassed writing this, I always feel like I'm writing a third-rate bard's, but these are all true.
Soon Terani openly pursued .
This caused more trouble than the elves' bullying.
I don't know how to reject a powerful Wind Chaser general, especially when she is a girl.
I could only tactfully reject Terani's passionate pursuit on the grounds that I was still young.
Terani didn't force , she gentlemanly said she would wait until I was of age, but I will be of age in less than six months.
This matter troubles , and since there is no one to confide in, I thought of you.
Matthew.
If you have any brilliant suggestions, please be sure to write back and tell !
By the ti I write this, it's already dark.
The aroma of roasted at wafts from the inn, not all elves are vegetarians, their roasted at is light and not greasy, with a unique flavor.
But I still miss the leaf-wrapped roast at of Rolling Stone Town more.
Tomorrow is the Spring Delay Festival, there will be fireworks in the town, the Old York family will push their last batch of pigs for today's wine sale everywhere, everyone will gather to eat cotton candy and honey strawberries, who will win the crown in my favorite arm wrestling competition and Martin Fastrun this ti?
I can't see it.
But I know it must be a lively scene.
I really want to go ho.
You must write back to !
Please!
- Yours, Bianca, 3.28, at Erald Jade Court"
......
After reading it all at once, Matthew felt quite emotional.
He had guessed that Bianca might write to him, but he didn't expect her journey and her study life in Erald Jade Court to be so turbulent.
Bianca and Sif have always been the two most outstanding students Matthew has taught.
Their family backgrounds are both very good.
Bianca's father is a very visionary and charming businessman, and her mother is the only daughter of a major noble family in Torrent City.
Compared to Sif, Bianca's personality is actually more quiet and introverted.
So her confession that day was quite a surprise to Matthew.
After reading about the various experiences ntioned in the letter.
Matthew went ho and pondered for a mont, then wrote her a long reply.
Even though Bianca's little trick of deliberately crossing out the word 'teacher' has been revealed.
But in Matthew's heart, she is always his student.He tried his best to analyze from her perspective—
"…Your approach is wise. With the assurance that Tylani won't harm you, having a Wind Chaser General as your escort will undoubtedly smooth your studies at the Erald Jade Court. I have a few suggestions that you might want to try…"
After finishing the letter, he sealed it with a wax stamp, planning to send it to the Jumping Horse Inn in the Erald Jade Court tomorrow.
In this era, the efficiency of letter delivery was equally low. Instant communication by high-level mages was extrely expensive, and ordinary people still had to endure long waiting tis.
"It would be nice to have an owl or an albatross as a ssenger."
Matthew couldn't help but think as he put away the letter.
A noble spirit of nature like Ella would never run errands, and among the undead, there didn't seem to be any suitable ssengers—perhaps because necromancers usually had no need to communicate with people?
In the afternoon.
Matthew visited the Lord's Mansion and signed a consulting contract with Zeller.
From then on, Matthew officially had a place in the Lord's Mansion. He would provide magic knowledge consulting services for Raga, and Zeller could devote more energy to intelligence work.
However, Matthew's first day as a consultant was to ask for leave.
After sharing so information about the Mark of the Undead and the Moon Goddess with Zeller, he inford the other party that he was about to advance and had to take a leave of absence.
Zeller kindly approved Matthew's paid long leave on behalf of Raga.
He not only offered so valuable suggestions for Matthew's advancent but also enthusiastically asked if Matthew needed an advance on his salary.
Matthew was very grateful for this.
And then he unceremoniously took a small advance.
When leaving the Lord's Mansion, Matthew ran into Sif, and they chatted for a while.
After also informing her that he would be away for a while.
Sif seed very disappointed.
After comforting her for a while, Matthew suddenly asked:
"Did Bianca write to you after she went to the Erald Jade Court?"
Sif shook her head.
Matthew chuckled to himself and left the Lord's Mansion.
Bianca had ntioned Sif several tis in her letters to Matthew, but she hadn't written to her.
The thoughts of girls are indeed subtle.
……
Seven days later.
Matthew appeared outside Zewater City, the southernmost city in the "Alliance of a Hundred Cities".
His only companions were Sodie and Ella.
In the past few days, they had left Rolling Stone Town and traveled by boat and carriage.
Before heading to the East Coast, Matthew had specifically visited Baiyan City and bought a series of items from a familiar gender-changing mage.
The most important of these were items that might be used on the "Night of the Undead":
Rabbit's foot, monkey's paw, bat's teeth, wild boar's umbilical cord… these were all small items that could please the undead.
As an alternative ceremony for advancent, the Night of the Undead, Matthew naturally prepared more.
After leaving Baiyan City.
Matthew found a moonlit night and entered the Moonlit Grove.
When traveling long distances, the benefits of joining the Moonlight Society beca apparent. As long as there was a node to enter the Moonlit Grove locally—including spirits of nature who worship Asiya, altars, and shrines—Matthew, as a Moonshadow Walker, could teleport there in reverse.
Unfortunately, Asiya's influence in the south was obviously weak.
The southernmost node Matthew found in the Moonlit Grove was still hundreds of miles away from his first destination—Zewater City.
The area around Zewater City was all foothills, and the road conditions were extrely poor. Matthew had been riding in a carriage for several days and was almost sick.
It was dusk at the mont.
The accompanying caravan was setting up camp to rest.
Matthew stood on the hillside, looking southeast. The East Coast, bordering the Endless Ocean, was rugged under the setting sun. The sea was calm, the land was undulating, and between the mountains, a majestic city rose from the middle of the mountain, spiraling up and eventually enveloping the entire mountain.
That was Zewater City.
Further south, the mountainous land would be replaced by endless tropical rainforests.
There lived a native tribe who called themselves "Children of the Rainforest", and the Seven Holy Alliance called them "Jango people".
The Jango people were brave and good at fighting, conservative and xenophobic. They resisted outsiders entering the rainforest, and even the druids and rangers from the north could not integrate into this mysterious green.
They had their own unique professions, the most famous of which were the "Blowgunners" and "Rainforest Shamans".
They mastered the powers in the fields of voodoo, witchcraft, beast taming, cannibalism, and other areas full of primitive wildness.
And in the sea around the rainforest—including the Endless Ocean to the east and the Arune Sea to the south—lived a small number of Su people and a large number of Naga, the latter being the favorites of storms and oceans.
Deep in the rainforest, there were said to be traces of the Dragon Witch Cult and Headhunters.
Mountains, jungles, oceans, storms.
This was the complex environnt Matthew was about to face.
This trip was bound to be very dangerous. He dared not slack off in the slightest. Therefore, after doing enough howork in advance, Matthew would verify the accuracy of the information on the spot whenever he arrived at a place.
For example, now, he was observing Zewater City in the distance.
"Matthew, Matthew!"
Ella whispered in his ear:
"The rainforest to the south is very scary. I sensed a very violent will of nature. It doesn't welco , it's threatening !"
"And also, the city you're looking at now, I sense that there's a plague going on there—many people have caught a fever and are dying!"
"Woo woo woo, I'm so scared, can we not go there?"
Plague, fever?
Matthew frowned.He had no doubt about the perceptual ability of the Spirit of Nature, which was why he had brought Ella along on this journey.
However, Zewater City was the first stop on his journey south.
"We can get in and out quickly. I need to find a guide who can lead us through the rainforest there," he said.
Matthew reassured her, "As long as we don't co into contact with too many people, we won't be so unlucky as to catch the plague."
Ella imdiately sighed deeply, her little head drooping.
Matthew thought for a mont, then quickly walked over to the caravan guide and asked, "Angus, I heard that Zewater City is currently experiencing a plague outbreak. Is that true?"
The middle-aged man nad Angus, who was wearing a white turban, replied nonchalantly, "Of course it's true. Zewater City is always plagued by disease. If you haven't suffered from a fever a few tis, you'd be embarrassed to say you've been to Zewater City!"
"Don't worry, just avoid crowded places, don't go looking for won and ducks, and your chances of getting sick will be at least halved. Besides, getting a fever doesn't an death. There are several temples in Zewater City that specialize in selling holy water. As long as you have money, you won't die."
"So of the city's wealthy people even deliberately get sick, then drink holy water to purify their bodies and minds. It's their way of seeking excitent."
Matthew was left speechless.
He had heard that so cities in the south were quite wild, and what he heard today certainly lived up to their reputation.
He chatted with Angus a bit more about the situation in Zewater City.
It wasn't until nightfall that he left.
At night.
Matthew sat in the open-top carriage, re-reading the intelligence on the Su people that Samantha had given him.
Just then.
A large oak forest suddenly appeared before his eyes!
A familiar feeling surged in his heart.
Matthew knew, this was the taste of a gift!
...
"Your ability 'Gift of Nature (1/2)' is in effect.
You have gained new abilities 'Nail Hamr Mastery' and 'Soul Cage'.
Nail Hamr Mastery: You have gained the skill to use the exotic weapon "Nail Hamr" and are quite proficient; when you use this weapon and cause a headshot effect on an enemy, you will have the chance to beco more excited (temporarily increase in strength);
Soul Cage: You can seize the soul of a recently deceased or very weak humanoid creature and lock it in a cage.
The seized soul will remain in the cage until the spell ends or you destroy the cage.
During this ti, you can do the following to the soul—
Steal life;
Torture the soul;
Steal experience;
Humiliate the will;
Eye of the Dead;
Consumption: Each casting requires the consumption of 1 Heart Stone (worth 100 gold coins)"
...
The second update will still be at 14:00 tomorrow. Unless otherwise specified, the update ti will not change, which is 0/14 o'clock every day, two updates. Please vote for the monthly ticket!
(End of this chapter)
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