Chapter 93: Setting a Trap

Not to mention the other spells, even a single resurrection art was enough to make a necromancer impossible to like.

Legend had it that, in some distant age, necromancy had been held in the highest esteem.

Necromancers, too, had once been honored.

All of it was because they could bring the dead back to life.

Fallen soldiers returned, lovers were reunited, elders came home again...

And so the human world was wrapped in warmth and harmony, filled everywhere with laughter and joy.

But that state did not last long. Soon, everything changed.

The necromancer's resurrection art came under public condemnation, and from that point on, necromancers were shunned and targeted.

The soldiers who died in battle were revived, but so were the enemies.

War was still unavoidable.

The flames of conflict spread everywhere, and blood once again stained the earth red.

...

"What a tragic story."

Before the other man could finish, Luo Yong let out a long sigh. The rest of the tale was easy enough to imagine: the innocent necromancer being hunted, narrowly surviving death, falling off a cliff, surviving against all odds, obtaining a secret art, rising with cheats all the way to the peak of life, and then launching a war to destroy the world, taking revenge on all mankind...

The story was always that clichéd.

"The necromancer's lover died, but he had no way to use resurrection art to bring her back. In despair, he wanted to build a kingdom of the dead, so they could be reunited there!" Pang Ding went on, not caring whether Luo Yong listened or not.

"Sometimes I even think I might as well change professions and become a necromancer! But I've searched for years and still haven't found a single necromancy scroll!"

At that moment, Luo Yong could almost feel the thick, lingering resentment.

"The ending of the story is not quite what I imagined."

"Luo Yong, if you can use necromancy, please help me! And even if you can't, if you have a necromancy scroll here, that's fine too. I'll change professions myself!"

"All right. If I come across one, I'll keep an eye out for you." Luo Yong nodded, then used a teleportation scroll to leave.

As for Pang Ding, bloated as a ball, he sat there in utter despair, bleak and heartbroken.

"Of all the things under heaven, what is love..."

Luo Yong could not help but sigh. At the same time, he thought of himself: if more people learned that he was a necromancer, would he end up like the one in legend who had begun a war to destroy the world?

No.

As long as his wife was safe, absolutely not.

Besides, she was the dignified Elf Inquisitor, with ability, means, and everything she should have. What could possibly happen to her?

As for helping that fat man resurrect his dead girlfriend and the like, even if it were possible, he would still have to wait until his level rose.

Right now, merely force-summoning four skeleton soldiers was already more than Luo Yong could bear. If he were to use resurrection art directly, it might rebound on him immediately. By then, not only would he fail to save anyone, he would not survive either.

So some things, even if they could be done, still had to wait for the right moment.

Before that, it was best to keep it secret and not hand out hope too carelessly. Otherwise, disappointment would turn into despair.

Though he was still young, Luo Yong already had his own code of conduct, and it was all engraved beneath his "Otherworld Survival Guide."

Before the appointed time, no one would emerge from the Spider Realm, and the Lion Island Realm could not be entered. So Luo Yong simply returned to the Gao Ge camp, back to his little general store.

It had to be said: since opening this general store called Leisure Time, Luo Yong had seen every person in the camp at least once.

After all, the prices were affordable and the selection was broad. Almost every hour of the day, people could be seen choosing goods there.

In the mailbox at the door, Luo Yong found a letter.

Every time he passed by before, he had also looked at it out of habit, because the thing was made too convincingly...

Ahem.

Only, every time it had been empty. There had never been anything inside.

This time, however, someone had actually left a letter.

When he opened it, Luo Yong discovered that a quest had been posted.

Any hero team registered with the Mage Guild was required, according to its strength and within a limited time, to go to the Land of Divine Lament, slay a sufficient number of Death Dragonflies, and bring back their bodies. The more, the better.

In other words, at least one, with no upper limit. Rewards would be given according to completion.

"The Land of Divine Lament?"

Luo Yong was speechless. The person who named it was truly something; anyone who did not know better would think the place was some horrifying cursed ground.

In truth, it was merely that a lesser deity had seen a certain scene there, been moved to tears, and let a few drop...

Otherwise, a quest like this would never have been issued to a place like this.

The overall strength of this camp was actually rather weak.

Luo Yong and his party were still in the early stages, and there was still a long road ahead.

"Since this is a camp-issued quest, we might as well take part. It will be a good chance to gain some combat experience."

After some time thinking it over, Luo Yong had gained a deep understanding of his Mimic's ability.

It worked especially well against low-level monsters with little intelligence, creatures that fought purely on instinct.

But something like the mutated little green spider in the Spider Realm could use mental attacks and sense Luo Yong's presence, so it would not be fooled.

Therefore, when facing stronger monsters, Luo Yong had to be even more careful.

The Land of Divine Lament.

Any team taking part in this quest could directly receive a teleportation scroll to take them there.

Luo Yong made some preparations in advance. When the appointed time arrived, he went to the stone circle to meet Wendy and the others, and then they came here directly.

"Tsk, tsk..." The barbarian priest shook her head at the scene before them.

"I can't believe it. After all this time, this place hasn't changed at all!" Aelia said.

"It is said that a deity's tears fell here, making that day eternal, and everything here has remained as it was in that moment..." Wendy said.

Knowing full well that their captain, though a little luckier than most, was otherwise a complete philistine who knew nothing of history, she took it upon herself to serve as the narrator wherever they went, so Luo Yong would not feel awkward if he asked.

Ahem.

What a considerate vice-captain, what a wonderful woman. It was a pity she had not made a move on Luo Yong sooner and let someone else get there first...

"Looks like you've all been here before, and are very familiar with the place," Luo Yong said.

"Not exactly very familiar. We've only done a few simple quests in the outer area," said the wilderness hunter.

"My blood is already beginning to boil. Let's go," Luo Yong said.

Then a few troublesome older sisters looked at Luo Yong in unison—at a certain part of his body...

Luo Yong: "..."

What kind of team had he brought with him, damn it?!

"Let's go too!"

Wendy called everyone onward, taking the initiative to rescue Luo Yong from the awkwardness. As they walked, she said, "Death Dragonflies are over three meters long. With four wings beating at once, they can generate a powerful little whirlwind. If you're hit, you'll be easily injured."

"They have a very fierce temper and actively hunt humans. Their mouthparts are not only sharp but also hard. Once bitten by one, you're basically done for."

"Their levels are usually between thirteen and fifteen. Not a single one of us, standing alone, could beat them, so we can't rush in recklessly. We have to concentrate everyone's strength and work together..."

As she walked, Wendy launched into a pre-battle briefing, then moved straight into tactics.

She handled everything a vice-captain should do, and everything she perhaps should not have done as well, leaving Luo Yong hardly any chance to speak.

"Then let me see what results you've achieved during this time!" Luo Yong thought for a long while and still could not come up with anything useful to say. Just then he spotted a few Death Dragonflies ahead, so he let them figure out how to handle it themselves.

"No problem. We're ready!" Wendy waved her hand, and everyone in the group promptly put on protective goggles made primarily from green crystal stone.

"A masterpiece from Dodo is always top quality!" Aelia said.

Then she glanced at Dodo standing beside Luo Yong.

At that moment, Luo Yong and Dodo also put on the same kind of goggles.

According to the elder elves, the compound eyes of the Death Dragonfly were an extremely precious alchemical material, and also their greatest weapon. When enemies approached, or during the hunt, the compound eyes would emit a strange beam of energy that would plunge those struck into a dazed and dreamlike state, from which they would never wake again.

At present, aside from protective goggles forged from this rare green crystal ore, there really was no other way.

Under normal circumstances, the best way to hunt Death Dragonflies was to set traps in advance, prepare some bait, and then hide far away. After that, the rest could only be left to fate.

"Let's begin!" Wendy nodded to the others. Mira and Lillian worked together to set the trap, while Aelia took responsibility for applying poison.

Wendy and the fat man were on watch.

The others, taking advantage of the time, went and caught a level-seven coyote to use as bait.

Once everything was ready, Aelia first knocked the coyote down so it would not run away, then gently cut it with a dagger, letting out a little blood, and casually cast a fear spell.

"Awooo—"

The coyote had some intelligence after all; it was not terribly stupid. But under Aelia's curse, it did not last even a second. It howled at once, drawing the attention of the Death Dragonflies not far away.

Aside from when they were hunting, the creatures usually gathered in groups of three to five, staying very close together as they rested in a deeper sleep.

But that state was easily broken. A loud noise, or a certain degree of magical fluctuation, could awaken them instantly and drive them into a furious state, attacking whatever they encountered.

In terms of ferocity, they were indeed rather well known.